Enzyme lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Enzyme - Lab Report Example Conclusively, increase in temperature increases the activity of the enzyme up to the maximum level, and further increase leads to the denaturing of the enzyme. For any chemical reaction to proceed within a cell, activation energy is required to cause and complete this process. This is made possible by the use of enzymes. Enzymes essentially work within the cells and their ability determined as a result of their specificity brought about by the shapes from the amino acid sequences (Daniel and Danson 2740). The enzymes have active sites on their surfaces to allow the binding of a substrate through the help of coenzymes to form enzyme-substrate complex. The chemical reaction thus converts the substrate to a new product then released and the catalytic cycle proceeds. Many factors, for example, pH and temperature affects the way enzymes work by either increasing the rate or determining the type of product produced (). The report, therefore, analyses the effects of the enzyme peroxidase in metabolic reactions and determining its optimum temperature in the reactions. The effect of temperature was then determined on the activity of enzyme peroxidase through monitoring its effects under different temperatures of 4, 32 and 600C on the dye guaiacol when it turned brown. Temperature increased from 40 C to room temperature of 22.20 C resulting to the increase of the peroxidase activity. This explained that increase in temperature up to the optimum point led to the increase of the breakdown of guaiacol dye to color brown with intensity increasing up to this optimum point. Further increase in temperature to 60C denatured the enzyme and therefore the production of the brown color stopped and its intensity reduced. From the experiment therefore, the optimum temperature for peroxidase is at 22.20C from graph on figure 1. The temperature effect is reversible in the case whereby the peroxidase is exposed to temperatures that negatively affect

A summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A summary - Essay Example eedom to all irrespective of the race, sex, language, and religion along with the cooperation of the international arena (United Nations, General Assembly, 1). The underlying agenda which is reflected out through the resolution of 65/166 is that of the culture. The human beings must possess the fundamentals which would be directed towards the unified respect for varied belief, culture, as well as religions. Tolerance should be geared up in every phase without fear repression and should be subjected as a valuable asset of humanity with the active promotion of the same (United Nations, General Assembly, 2). The resolution cab be viewed as an apex tool for the rejuvenating the importance of culture on the process of sustainable development at a juncture when the international actors in the development trajectory are focusing on the assessment of gaps in achieving certain objectives subjected to the promotion in the United Nations Conference on Sustainable development and summit on the Millennium Development Goals in the year 2015. The resolution moved in favor of the accumulation of relevant data and raw information sets for the purpose of de monstrating the impact of culture on the social, as well as the economic well being of the people and the societies with the formulation of national, as well as international policy ramifications. The resolution also directed towards broader mainstreaming of the culture in to the United Nations Development Assistance Framework within the field of culture and development within the recently signed MOU (memorandum of understandings) by UNESCO and the World Bank. The resolution has also opened dimensions for all the entities of the United Nations in the understanding of the correlation between culture and sustainable development with the infusion of development of indicators, statistics and that of optimal acquisition policies. The resolution leads the way of analyzing the qualitative impact of culture on the welfare dynamics for

No definition of a miracle is adequate Essay Example for Free

No definition of a miracle is adequate Essay Many philosophers have attempted to define what exactly constitutes a miracle in a number of ways outlining definitions which contain the criteria for what phenomena can be counted as miraculous. Whether a definition is adequate seems highly subjective but will likely be one that is acceptable by non-Christians as well as Christians who in all probability will want a definition that accepts many of the miracle in the Bible to indeed be miraculous. Mackie’s definition of miracles describing them as events that occur when the world is not left alone and is intruded by something that is not part of the natural order necessitates that miracles are caused by a supernatural entity which may be considered to be God. This appears to suggest that his definition would indeed be adequate for some Christians given that it sets apart miracles from coincidences turning them into occurrences which could provide evidence for their faith. Moreover it allows a more specific idea of what constitutes a miracles disallowing events with an entirely naturalistic explanation maintaining them as unique events. However, Hick likely would criticise Mackie’s arguments for not be adequate given the ambiguity of what the natural order and the laws that govern it are. Hick suggested that laws were generalisations that are formed after events have happened, suggesting that that the natural order couldn’t be intruded upon. Also it may be that what is perceived to be an intrusion by something outside of the natural order is actually just a lack of understanding of the natural order on our part. This means that though an event such as the Moon Landing would have been defined as inadequate centuries ago, today it would not. This undermines the adequacy of the definition given that what it encompasses will change with time. A further issue with the adequacy of Mackie’s definition is that it could be argued to not be sufficiently specific given that it makes no attempt to define what exactly constitutes something distinct from the natural order, and it may in fact not be God. This would undermine its adequacy for Christians who believe that God is responsible for causing miracles and may not accept they are caused by other beings. Swinburne’s definition of a miracle appears to resolve this issue defining miracles as a violation of a law of nature by a god (a very powerful rational being who is not a material object). That said, the requirement for God to intervene in the world poses a number of challenges to Swinburnes’ definition especially given that God’s need to intervene in his creation contradicts the idea that he is an all powerful being if the world requires changes. Additionally philosophers like Wiles would argue that if God has the ability to intervene in the world in order to perform miracles in certain instances then his failure to prevent evil and suffering in the world undermines his characteristic of omni-benevolence. For this reason a definition that requires God’s intervention to cause miracles may be inadequate given the contradictions that would occur if such an event happened. On the other hand, many Christians do accept that God intervenes in the world and if so this definition of miracles may indeed be adequate also determining whether God is responsible for an event may be impossible as it may just be due to limited understanding of events. Additionally, Swinburne’s definition is undermined by Hick’s challenge arguably even more so than Mackies given his explicit use of the term ‘natural laws’ and also would likely be subject to change as understanding changes. Holland’s definition of miracles appears to avoid the contractions associated with Swinburne and Mackie’s explanations not requiring the physical intervention of God suggesting from the outset that it may be more adequate. This is because Holland only requires miracles to be an extraordinary coincidence of a beneficial nature interpreted religiously. The emphasis on interpretation also removes the difficulties associated with determining the cause of the miracle while still encompassing Biblical miracles. However it would likely be criticised for being too subjective given that different people would differ on whether the same event is miraculous. Additionally the Catholic church which usually requires a person to have performed at least two miracles in order to be Canonized as a saint would likely not accept miracles as defined by Holland as they only accept events without naturalistic explanation suggesting the definition is inadequate for how the term miracle is used by some Christian denominations. In conclusion, it seems probable that no definition of miracles is adequate given that although Swinburne and Mackie’s definition of miracles may encompass many of the instances of how miracles are used, they are undermined by the difficulty in determining natural laws and also whether God physically intervened. Likewise while Holland goes some way to avoiding these contradictions in his definition it remains highly subjective and also doesn’t reflect how miracles are used in Christianity. Additionally it will likely also lead to significant differences between what people consider miracles. Moreover, the existence of so many contrasting definitions of miracles suggests that there isn’t a single definition that is adequate given that there is no consensus on what makes an event miraculous so any definition will be subject to significant disagreement. For this reason the statement that no definition of miracle is adequate can be considered to be true.

Synthesis and Characterization of Tetraphenyltin

Synthesis and Characterization of Tetraphenyltin ABSTRACTS Tetraphenyltin in high yield has been prepared by the reaction of chlorobenzene, chlorotin (IV) and sodium metal in dry toluene characterized by Infra-red spectroscopy. Introduction Organic compounds that contains metal-carbon bond are called organometallic compounds. Organometallic compounds have been studied for nearly 200 years. Unique properties of these compounds have been used in many areas of life. The reactivity of organometallic compounds depends on the reduction potential of metal. For preparation and use, it is markedly observed that most reactivity requires low to moderate temperature and inert conditions like atmosphere and solvent. Generally the reactivity of these compounds seems like the ionic character of the carbon-metal bond, which may be estimated from the proton and carbon chemical shifts of methyl derivatives. % Ionic character of H3C–Metal as (CH3)2Hg 3)2Cd 3)2Zn 3)2Mg 3L [1]. The first reported organometallic compounds were prepared by the reductive substitution of alkyl halides. Alkali metals have strong or moderate negative reduction potentials, with lithium and magnesium being the most reactive. Halide reactivity increases in the order: Cl _R) tends to predominate. This can also be a problem when allyl or benzyl halides are converted to Grignard or lithium reagent [2]. Organometallic compounds of group (IV) elements There is an exceedingly extensive chemistry of the group four elements bound to carbon and some of the compounds, notably silicon-oxygen polymers and alkyl tin and lead compounds are of commercial importance. Essentially all the compounds are of the type M(IV) type. In the divalent state the only well established compounds are cyclopentadienyl tin alkyls or aryls of formula R2Sn are either transitory or non-existent, and the stable substances of this stoichiometry are linear or cyclic polymers of tetravalent tin. For all the group four elements the compounds can generally be designated R4-nMXn where R is the alkyl or aryl and X can vary widely being H, Cl, O, COR, OR, NR2SR etc. For a given class of compounds those with C-Si and C-Ge bonds have higher thermal stability and lower reactivity than those with bonds to Sn and Pb [3]. Organometallic compounds of Tin There are four series of organotin compounds depending on the number of carbon-tin bonds. These series are designated as mono-, di-, tri-, and tetraorganotin compounds with the general formula: RnSn X4-n Where R = an alkyl or aryl group Sn = the central tin atom in the oxidation state +4 X = a singly charged anion or an anionic organic group [4]. Complexes of transition metals The ability of transition metals to form organo derivatives only begins to be appreciated properly during the nineteen fifties. Nonetheless, the organometallic compounds of transition metals now constitute an enormous, diversified field of chemistry, which is still expanding rapidly. It begins breadth by merging into the field of metal carbonyls and related compounds. They also differ in structure from that of non-transition organo-metal derivatives. The transition metals form compounds in which there is metal to carbon sigma bond although pi bond in some cases may also be formed. More important, the unique characteristic of d orbital allow certain type of unsaturated hydrocarbons and some of their derivatives to be bound to metals in a non-classical manner to give molecules or ions with structures that have no counterpart elsewhere in chemistry. Not only is a wide range of organo compounds of different types are isolable, but also labile species play an important role in olefins, acetylene and their derivatives catalyzed by metal complexes [5]. Applications of Organotin compounds Depending on the organic groups, they can be powerful bactericides and fungicides [4]. Tributyltins are used as industrial biocides, eg. as antifungal agents in textiles and paper, wood pulp and paper mill systems, breweries, and industrial cooling systems. Tributyltins are also used in marine anti-fouling paint [1]. Triphenyltins are used as active components of anti fungal paints and agricultural fungicides [5]. Organotin compounds are widely studied class of meta-based antitumor drugs [2]. Organotin compounds are used in treatment of hyperbilirubinaemia [2]. Organotin compounds are used in chemicals used for wood preservation [1]. Addition of Organotin compounds to PVC increases its stability [1]. Organo metallic transition complexes also have role in molecular rearrangement processes [2]. Hypercoordinated Stannanes Tin compounds can also be coordinated to five atoms instead of the regular four unlike their carbon analogues. The stability of these hypercoordinated compounds is managed by electronegative substituent. In 2007 a stable organotin (all carbon pentaorganostannane) was reported at room-temperature (in argon) [4] in the form of lithium salt with the following structure. The geometry of the molecule is distorted trigonal bipyramidal. The carbon to tin bond lengths are 2.26Ã… apical, 2.17Ã… equatorial. These are larger than regular C–Sn bonds (2.14Ã…) which shows its hypervalent nature. Biological Aspects The chemistry of the organotin(IV) derivatives is being subject of study with growing interest, not only because of the environmental consequences of the widespread use of these compounds, but also as due to the increasingly importance of their medical assays for bactericide and antitumor purposes. In this respect, various triorganotins have been reported recently to be effective against mosquito larvae and adult mosquitoes responsible for malaria and yellow fever, and also some phenyltin derivatives display cardiovascular activity. In general, the structure-activity relationship in this kind of compounds is still subject of controversy, but it seems been established that, for instance, in the case of triorganotin carboxylates, those containing trans-O2SnC3 moieties exhibit a greater biocidal activity than those containing cis-O2SnC3. Organotin compounds have been implicated as reproductive toxicants and endocrine disruptors primarily through studies in aquatic organisms, with little information available in mammals. Among the organotins, aryltins have been less studied than alkyltins. Extensive data is available on mammalian developmental and reproductive toxicity of one aryltin compound, triphenyltin (TPT), from toxicity studies conducted in connection with the registration of triphenyltin hydroxide (TPTH) as a pesticide and supporting publications from the open literature. Indications of adverse functional and morphological effects on the reproductive tract of rats were reported in a dose range of 1.4-20 mg/kg/d. Gonadal histopathology (both ovaries and testes) and infertility were affected at the higher doses, while reproductive-tract cancer, smaller litter sizes, and reproductive organ weights were affected at the lower end of the dose range. In vitro studies indicate the TPT can directly activate androgen re ceptor-mediated transcription and inhibit enzymes that are involved in steroid hormone metabolism. These data suggest that the aryltin TPT can be active as a reproductive toxicant in mammals and may be a human endocrine disruptor. Organotins are one of the classes of compounds implicated as â€Å"endocrine disruptors† (Colborn Clement, 1992) primarily on the basis of the finding of imposex in aquatic gastropods (Smith, 1981; Horiguchi et al., 1994). In these organisms, genetic females and parts of the male reproductive system, including the penis and vas deferens, superimposed on a normal female genital system. Implications for mammalian reproduction are less explored. There are no available epidemiological studies of the reproductive toxicity of organotins in humans or mammalian wildlife populations, so that mammalian reproductive toxicity information is limited to laboratory animals. Among the organotins, a particularly large database on reproductive toxicity in laboratory animals is available through studies conducted for registration of triphenyltin hydroxide as a pesticide. Triphenyltin (TPT) came into use as a fungicide and matricide in the 1950s (HSDB, 1998). Currently, about 10 products containing TPT are registered for use as pesticides by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). Registration for TPT hydroxide was cancelled in California in 1983. TPT acetate and hydroxide were banned from use in the European Union (EU) in 2002 (Lo et al., 2003). This review presents and integrates information on reproductive toxicity from the triphenyltin hydroxide (TPTH) registration database made available through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and includes papers on mammalian reproductive toxicity of other TPT salts. In this review, information from the pesticide registration data is presented in some detail since it is not available. Estimates of exposure for total tin indicate that the main route in the general population is from food, about 4 mg/d. A national survey in the United States in 1982 reported 8.7-15 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­g tin/g in human adipose tissue (ATSDR, 1992). However, these estimates are based on outdated information, and much of the tin came from canned foods (inorganic tin) (ATSDR, 1992). The most recent information for TPT is from Japan (Tsuda et al., 1995). Duplicate portion studies indicated an intake of 0.7 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­g TPT/d in 1991 and 1992, and market basket surveys indicated intakes of 5.4 and 1.3 à ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ­g TPT/d in 1991 and 1992, respectively. Analytical techniques are now becoming available to separate various forms of inorganic and organic tin which promise more accurate human exposure assessment. Chemical equations 2Na + C6H5Cl C6H5Na + NaCl 4 C6H5Na +SnCl4 (C6H5)4Sn + 4NaCl Reagents required: 275 ml of dry toluene (350 ml if wet) 35 ml of chlorobenzene 15 gm of sodium 10 ml of SnCl4 Dry ice Special apparatus required: 500 ml, three neck, round-bottom flask Variac High-speed stirring motor Stirring rod with sharp metal blades Cylinder of argon About 1000 ml of kerosene in pane Extra sintered-glass funnels and filter flask Procedure Fifteen grams of clean sodium chunks and 250 ml of dry toluene are placed in the flask. A thermometer and an argon inlet tube are inserted through one of the side arm of the flask. The other side arm is Stoppard. Insert the stirrer through the main mouth of the flask, taking care of that the stirring blades cannot hit the thermometer and that they are above the chunks of sodium. While stirring gently, and with a slow stream of argon flowing, heat the contents slowly to 105 °. Then lower the stirrer so that the blades are about 1cm from the bottom of the flask and turn the stirrer on full power. It will be found necessary to increase the power input to the heating mental in order to keep the temperature at 105 °. After about 10 min of vigorous stirring at 105 °, remove the heating mantle from the flask. When the temperature has fallen to 99 °, stop the stirrer and allow the flask to cool to room temperature. The sodium should now be in the form of fine sand. Stir the sodium ge ntly to see if any of the particles have agglomerated. If so, the process must be repeated. If the sodium dispersion is not be used immediately, thoroughly flush the flask with the argon and tightly stopper it. Using the heating mantle, heat the dispersion, with moderately vigorous stirring, to 45 °. Attach a dropping funnel containing 35 ml of chlorobenzene to the unused side arm and add 2 to 3 ml of the chlorobenzene to the flask. Notice: The flask should never contain more than 3 ml of un reacted chlorobenzene! If more than this amount is present, an uncontrollably vigorous reaction may take place, resulting in a fire. Remove the heating mantle from the flask. The reaction should start, as evidenced by a rise in the temperature. If the reaction does not start at 45 °, cautiously rise the temperature to 50 ° (no higher!). If the reaction starts at this temperature, the temperature may suddenly rise to as high as 55 °, so be ready to cool the flask quickly with the kerosene bath. (If the reaction does not start at 50 °, cool the flask to room temperature, cautiously hydrolyze the mixture with alcohol, and discard). Temperature in access of 50 ° will not cause great harm at the beginning of the synthesis, but thereafter the temperature must be kept below 45 °; keep the flask partially immersed in the kerosene bath and cool the kerosene bath by occasionally adding pieces of DRY Ice to it. The temperature of the reaction mixture may be held between 40 and 45 ° by adjusting the rate of addition of chlorobenzene. After all the chlorobenzene has been added (about 1 to 2 hours), place a solution of 10ml of stannic chloride in 25ml of toluene in the dropping funnel, and, over a period of 30 min, add this solution to the reaction flask. During this addition, it is necessary to cool the flask so as to keep the temperature below 45 °. The flask now be stored indefinitely (without protection from the air) until the tin tetra phenyl is extracted from the mixture. Wipe the kerosene from the bottom of the flask, and, with moderate stirring, heat the mixture to incipient boiling and quickly filter through a sintered-glass funnel. It is best to keep most of the solid residue in the reaction flask. Cool the filtrate to room temperature and filter off the product on another sintered-glass funnel. Return the filtrate to the original flask and repeat the extraction two or three times until no more product precipitates on cooling the solution to room temperature. It is helpful to add another 100 ml of toluene to the mixture to reduce the necessary number of extractions. The final solution should be cooled in an ice bath before filtering. Suck the crystals of tin tetra phenyl as dry as possible on the filter and then let them air dry for 4 to 20 hours on a watch glass. A yield of about 25 gm of material melting at 266 to 228 ° should be obtained. A pure product (melting at 299 °) may be obtained by re crystallization from benzene or toluene. RESULTS AND DISCUSION Physical data for reported compounds are given in Table 1. Compound # Empirical formula M.P ( °C) Solubility % Yield 1. (C6H5)4Sn 110-112 Toluene, Ethanol, Chloroform 72 IR spectroscopy IR is one of the most important spectroscopic methods used for qualitative and quantitative analysis. It is based on the fact that each compound has its own unique spectra and certain functional groups absorbat about the same wavelength even in different molecules. Its single most important use has been for the identification of organic compounds whose spectra are generally complex and provide numerous maxima and minima that are used for comparison purposes. Indeed in most instances the IR spectrum of the compounds especially of organic compounds provides a unique finger print, which is readily distinguished from the absorption pattern from all other compounds because only optical isomers absorb in the same way. Absorption of IR radiation is confined largely to molecular species for which small energy differences exist between various vibration and rotational states. As for as spectrum is concerned we see a prominent peak at 457cm-1, which indicates the formation of metal to carbon b ond, which shows the formation of our product. For aliphatic CH peak appear at 3057 cm-1 . References P. Powell, Principles of Organometallic Chemistry, (1988), 2nd edition, Chapman and Hall, New York, pp-1-10. T.Mole and E.A Jaffery, Organometallic Compounds, (1972), 3rd edition, Elsvier Publishing Company, London, pp.89-92. F. Albert and Geoffrey Wilkinson, Advanced Inorganic Chemistry, (1962), 3rd edition, Interscience Publishers, New York, pp-310-312. J.C Bailar, H.J Emeleus, S.R Nhylom and A.F Trotman, Comprehensive Inorganic Chemistry, (1973), 2nd edition, Prgmon, New York, pp.153-157. J.C Bailar, H.J Emeleus, S.R Nhylom and A.F Trotman, Comprehensive Inorganic Chemistry, (1973), 4th edition, Prgmon, New York, pp.89-93. J.W Robinson, Undergraduate Instrumental Analysis, 5th Edition,(995), Marcel Dekker, New York,pp.166-168. A.U Rehman, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, 1st edition,(1989),pp.90-93.

Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ Essay -- Movie Film Essays

Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ Despite the rebuke of Jewish and Christian communities in our culture today, Jews and Christians have faced a thickening wall of inter-faith tension for quite a while; it is an issue our society does not often bring to the forefront among popular current events.   However, the release of Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion of the Christ, not only drew out the results of this tension among Jewish and Christian communities, but also reinforced those age-old tensions in our society.   Various Christian denominations have responded by bringing attention to their respective condemnations of anti-Semitism, and stressing the importance of inter-faith tranquility between Jews and Christians, bringing to light the common elements of the two faiths while respectfully acknowledging the differences.   These concerns, addressed hitherto, do not just come from biased faith communities 4, but from objective sources as well, concerned merely with the preservation of peaceful relations among several groups, such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).   While the ADL has admitted it cannot and will likely never have any evidence by which to accuse Mr. Gibson of being an anti-Semite, it does fear effects of the film on strengthening current waves of anti-Semitism, as well as creating an inaccurate image among impressionable observers unfamiliar with Jewish or Christian theological teachings 1.   Mr. Gibson has, wittingly or unwittingly, reinforced these tensions by following the film up with a harsh branding of all non-Christians as followers of Satan, a message that Jewish and Christian leaders alike fear could become the demise of inter-faith relations among Jews and Christians around the globe, as Dr. David Elco... ... 12 Feb. 2004.   Obtained from http://www.ajc.org/InTheMedia/OpinionsDetail.asp?did=202&pid=2091.   7) Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.   ?Declaration of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to the Jewish Community.?   18 Apr. 1994.   Obtained from http://www.elca.org/ecumenical/interfaithrelations/jewish/declaration.html.   8) Fisher, Eugene.   ?National Workshop on Christian-Jewish Relations.?   23 Sep. 1996.   Obtained from http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek/archives/96-08/1004.html.   9) The Pontifical Biblical Commission.   ?The Jewish People and their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible.?   Vatican Press; 2002.   Obtained at http://www.bigbrother.net/~mugwump/jcrelations/. 10) Sandmel, David Fox.   ?The Passion of the Christ ? Jewish Reaction and Commentary.?   Obtained from http://www.elca.org/ecumenical/interfaithrelations/thepassion/jewish_reaction.html.  

Black Like Me: A Cultural Book Report :: Black Like Me Essays

John Howard Griffin was a journalist and a professional on race issues. After publication, he became a leading advocate in the Civil Rights Movement and did much to promote awareness of the racial situation sand pass legislature. He was middle aged and living in Mansfield, Texas at the time of publication in 1960. His desire to know if Southern whites were racist against the Negro population of the Deep South, or if they really judged people based on the individual's personality as they said. Because of this he felt that they had encouraged him to cross the color line and write Black Like Me. Plot:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Black Like Me is the story of a man named John Howard Griffin, who underwent a series of medical treatments to change his skin color temporarily to black; a transformation that was complete when John Howard Griffin shaved off his hair, and looking in the mirror, saw a bald, middle-aged black man. The reason he does this is for an experiment to see how racism was in the Deep South from personal experience. From November 6th to December 14th in the early 60's, he hitchhiked, walked, and rode through Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Georgia. After three weeks in the Deep South as a black man John Howard Griffin produced a journal covering his change into the black race, his travels and experiences in the South, the shift back into white society, and the reaction of those he knew prior his experience. The book was published and released. The reaction on the society differed in great ammounts. Characterization:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Howard Griffin is the main character in the story. Throughout the story, this person displayed many qualities. He showed determination because he was bound and determined to become a black man so he could expose the truth about the Deep South and how racist they were. He also showed courage, for being able to pull through and do the things he did, such as become a whole new person of another race and going into dangerous territory where he knew he wasn't really welcomed. He also displayed a sense of dignity, because after he was done with this experiment, he was threatened several times and even burned in effigy in his hometown, but he still maintained his ground as long as he could. And last, but not least, he showed us a sense of hope, because no matter what, even in the darkest times, he would still keep at least a small bit of hope in him. Black Like Me: A Cultural Book Report :: Black Like Me Essays John Howard Griffin was a journalist and a professional on race issues. After publication, he became a leading advocate in the Civil Rights Movement and did much to promote awareness of the racial situation sand pass legislature. He was middle aged and living in Mansfield, Texas at the time of publication in 1960. His desire to know if Southern whites were racist against the Negro population of the Deep South, or if they really judged people based on the individual's personality as they said. Because of this he felt that they had encouraged him to cross the color line and write Black Like Me. Plot:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Black Like Me is the story of a man named John Howard Griffin, who underwent a series of medical treatments to change his skin color temporarily to black; a transformation that was complete when John Howard Griffin shaved off his hair, and looking in the mirror, saw a bald, middle-aged black man. The reason he does this is for an experiment to see how racism was in the Deep South from personal experience. From November 6th to December 14th in the early 60's, he hitchhiked, walked, and rode through Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Georgia. After three weeks in the Deep South as a black man John Howard Griffin produced a journal covering his change into the black race, his travels and experiences in the South, the shift back into white society, and the reaction of those he knew prior his experience. The book was published and released. The reaction on the society differed in great ammounts. Characterization:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Howard Griffin is the main character in the story. Throughout the story, this person displayed many qualities. He showed determination because he was bound and determined to become a black man so he could expose the truth about the Deep South and how racist they were. He also showed courage, for being able to pull through and do the things he did, such as become a whole new person of another race and going into dangerous territory where he knew he wasn't really welcomed. He also displayed a sense of dignity, because after he was done with this experiment, he was threatened several times and even burned in effigy in his hometown, but he still maintained his ground as long as he could. And last, but not least, he showed us a sense of hope, because no matter what, even in the darkest times, he would still keep at least a small bit of hope in him.

Katherine mansfield Essay

One of the world’s leading short story writers, Katherine Mansfield was born in 1888 in New Zealand. The second child of Annie and Harold Beauchamp, Katherine grew up in Thordon in Wellington within a large close family. In 1893, her parents, siblings, grandmother and aunts all moved to Chesney Wold where Katherine wrote of some happier times, the majority of which she has used within her stories. Attending Wellington Girl’s College and Miss Sawinson’s private school, Katherine and her two sisters then moved to London to attend and complete their education at Queen’s College, London. It was here that Katherine decided to use a pen name, Katherine Mansfield and began writing Juliet, a novel which she never wrote to its entireity. (The Katherine Mansfield Birthplace Society Inc) Throughout her life Katherine travelled a great deal and often travelled to Europe, it was during one of her frequent visits that she met a fellow traveller, Ida Baker who was originally from South Africa. Katherine and Ida became close friends and remained so throughout their lives. In 1906 Katherine and her sisters returned to Wellington but lived in another family home, much larger than the previous homes there was also a holiday cottage where they spent many years, which can be read about in At The Bay. Despite her family living in Wellington, Katherine found life there very mundane and yearned for excitement in newer pastures. Her love of writing was strengthening her thirst for knowledge and she often expressed a wish to move to Europe so she may continue her dream. Financed by her father, Katherine moved back to England without a second glance, she was never to return to her home town. (Jones) However, her love of writing suffered as Katherine allowed herself to become distratcted by men, she began several relationships only allowing herself to write a poem and a short story. Discovering very soon that she was pregnant, and from a gentleman in New Zealand, she met and married George Bowden, a singing teacher who was many years her senior. No sooner was the ink dry on her marriage certificate, when she left George Bowden. Katherine’s mother learnt of this news and travelled to London, took Katherine for some ‘treatment’ and then returned to Wellington to attend her eldest daughter’s wedding. During Katherine’s ‘treatment’ in Bavaria she unfortunately miscarried her pregnancy. She suffered some dark and disturbing times during this period and wrote some satirical material, none of which she was completely satisfied with and refused to have republished. In 1911 Katherine revisited London and met another man, John Middleton Murry. Murry was the editor of Rhythm and they married in 1918. Becoming the co-editor of Rhythm, Katherine also worked on The Blue Review before it folded and Murry was declared bankrupt. Various houses, none of them homes, Katherine it seemed, was to always lived an unsettled existence. In 1915, during World War I, Katherine and John became estranged and Katherine moved to France, then again back to London. Her younger brother, Leslie was training to be an officer at this time and they shared some nostalgic times together recalling their childhood times in New Zealand, these memories are all included in her tales of Wellington. Unfortunately, at this same time Leslie was killed and the effect of this grief, her own ill health and her ever present desire to write prompted Katherine to return to France and it was here that she eventually settled and began to write. Sadly, this settled period was to be short lived and as she became involved with Murry again, they both returned to England, living next door to DH Lawrence in Cornwall. Moving yet again to Mylor, they continued to group with friends who were artists and writers, some as famous as Bertrand Russell and Dora Carrington, to name a few. In 1916 Katherine was introduced to Virginia Woolf. Katherine had a work in progress, Prelude, which was a reworking of The Aloe, and this was then published on Woolf’s new Hoggarth Press, 1917. Encouraged by interest and her own desire, Katherine’s writing began to flow and it was after the publication of Bliss and Other Stories that her reputation as a writer became known. (Macmillan) Further ill health led Katherine to be diagnosed with tuberculosis and it was during this time she was advised to attend a sanatorium. The long, cold winters of England were to cause her too much suffering. She became so ill that she decided to move to Italy, she was accompanied by Ida Baker, her South African friend. Her recently widowed father and his cousin Connie visited whom Katherine managed to offend as she refused to convert to Roman Catholicism, so Katherine and Ida moved yet again, this time to Switzerland, firstly to Sierre, then to the Chalet des Sapins at Montana-sur-Sierre. Here, Katherine wrote about her life and family and these were included in many of her last stories, The Garden Party and The Doll’s House, all recalling her Victorian upbringing within her family unit. (Katherine Mansfield) By 1922 Katherine’s tuberculosis was considerably bad her and she left for Montana in Paris where she sought further treatment. Here she wrote The Fly and her last story, The Canary. She then entered the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man at Avon near Fontainbleau where she sought enlightenment that would aid her recovery. Murry visited and it seemed she had found a final peace, how true this was as it was very soon after his visist that she died of a brain haemorrhage. She was buried at a nearby cemetery. (Asiado) Works Cited Asiado, Tel. â€Å"Katherine Mansfield Biography. † 18 September 2008. Suite 101. 15 November 2008 . Jones, Kathleen. â€Å"The Story – The Introduction. † KatherineMansfield. net. 12 November 2008 . â€Å"Katherine Mansfield. † Spartacus. 17 November 2008 . Macmillan, Eric. â€Å"Mansfield, Katherine. † 2003. The Greatest Literature of all time. 17 November 2008 . The Katherine Mansfield Birthplace Society Inc. â€Å"Katherine Mansfield 1888-1923. † 2005. Katherine Mansfield . 12 November 2008 . Research Paper What is the story’s central conflict? Feminism appears strongly throughout the body of this story as does family relationships. The women are strong, capable characters who take care of the running of the family and its structure. Stanley Burnell, the main male character of the story appears to be as strong as the women but in actual fact he has insecurities and seeks approval and reassurance from his wife more than she relies on him. Family interaction and growing up centralise the characters and familiarise the reader with each individual. Who is the main character and what does he or she want? Linda Burnell is the main character, with perhaps Stanley Burnell featuring close behind. They are a family unit with friends and neighbours becoming included in this to assist with their move to the country. Linda Burnell wishes for a better way of life and considers this move to be the way forward. What is the plot? A family living in New Zealand and their move to the country. How the Burnell parents seek a more favourable way of life away from town with their friends and children. What is the best point of view of the story and why? Seen from a child’s point of view, it is interesting to learn how Lottie and Kezia understand what is going on in a child like manner. Learning of their excitement and unawareness is perhaps why this story develops into something interesting rather than just about a family moving house. In the background of the story it allows you to realise from an adult point of view the reasoning behind the house move, but to understand it from a child’s eyes is engaging and simple. Analyse a character, tone, appearance and motivation. Linda Burnell is a strong, straight to the point type of character; she has an ambition to move to pastures new and organises well. Her husband, Stanley is also a main character but shows that although he is the main male character, he needs a female reassurance to allow him to grow. Explain the setting in detail. Moving from house to house, the setting is difficult to depict but the story is based in New Zealand around a family setting. Parents’ Linda and Stanley Burnell are moving to the country with their children. During the move, due to the organising and structure of the move, the children are encouraged to play with the neighbours and are tended to by them. What is the theme? The theme of this story is relationships. Not just between the Burnell family but also with the Samuel Josephs and people they have grown to know and include within their family who have lived nearby. The female characters are believed to be the backbone of the family but the oppression of the feministic opinion of that time is also featured quite strongly. Men were considered to be the providers and the organisers when in actual fact it was the women who carried on regardless of having no money of their own and being oppressed by men at that time. List 5 symbols in the story and say what they stand for. 1. Strength of character in Linda Burnell. Even though things are not going according to plan, Linda Burnell manages to keep a hold on her frustration. (Page 2) 2. The familiarity of home and the uncertainty of the unknown. Kezia remembers the old house and realises that this will no longer be her safehold. Taking in the noises and smells of her old home makes her feel safe and she becomes afraid of what is in store. (Page 7) 3. Accepting change. Upon reaching their new home the children see for the first time what their new life will be and although they take in their surroundings, it is not until they see their grandmother waiting in the porch that they feel comforted that there is nothing to be afraid of. (Page 11) 4. The subservience of Stanley’s mother. Stanley’s mother is considerably agreeable towards her son and whenever he wants something, she obliges. There is no confrontation from the woman nor is her voice to point out that Stanley could perhaps do things for himself more. (Page 14) 5. The importance of being male. Stanley Burnell is an egotistical man and although unsure of himself as a person, he likes to be stroked egotistically. He seeks reassurance and approval from his wife. (Page 22). Analysis – Prelude by Katherine Mansfield This story was enjoyable to read and easy to understand. The characters were depicted well and it allowed me to enter the story and be drawn by the structure and its meaning. Family relationships and the interaction of one on one relationships are prevalent in our everyday lives and it was interesting to read how the characters drew on their personal behaviour. Regardless of our own personal strengths and downfalls, a family’s love is unconditional and accepting of the good and bad in everyone. The influences and knowledge that people learn within the family core are all integral of how we are shaped as a person. Within the story it is noted that Stanley Burnell is depicted as a strong, influential character yet he is dependent on a woman’s presence and assistance in many of his daily situations. His mother has abided by his ‘demands’ on many occasions, leaving him with the inability to function without doing things for himself. It has become second nature for Stanley to expect the women in his life to carry out his requests, something which his wife, Linda has also conformed to. However, due to Linda’s own shortcomings, she has learnt to stand up to her husband in a non-aggressive manner, which makes Stanley believe he is not actually being ignored or disregarded. Linda’s own fears and desires are prevalent within the story and it is through these feelings that the reader is able to understand her ambitions and struggles within keeping the family together. Linda enlists the help of people she trusts and it is from that relationship that other relationships build themselves. Katherine Mansfield’s representation of this from within her own experience and explains aplenty as to how she perhaps became who she was. Strong, yet dependent; weak yet in many ways the driving force of what she truly wants. Like her mother, there were ambitions and goals, only to be frustrated by the choice of a relationship with a man. Linda Burnell wished for more independence and had a slight resentment of the leanings Stanley had upon her but it is from this resentment that a change in her lifestyle began. It is nice that within the story the relationship of inter-racial acknowledgement is recognised and interesting that from a child’s viewpoint, this is all just an everyday occurrence. Feminism was, and sometimes still is a bone of contention in any given situation, but the strength of both these women, black and white seem predominant within the story. As with Linda Burnell, Mrs Samuel Joseph portrays a strong, integral member of her family and it is the word ‘family’ that becomes the basis of the tale. Reading about the childrens’ fears and misgivings enlightens the reader to their personal feelings about all that is about to change for them. They realise what is about to happen and instead of welcoming this change, as perhaps Linda Burnell is, they fear as they are unaware of what is around the corner. It is not until they are surrounded by their family and familiar possessions that they begin to embrace their future. In terms of knowing what this will bring upon them in the future, is something of an anticpatory and exciting period in their lives and an adventure that this family are all working together towards.