Essay on Images of Africans in Things Fall Apart and Heart of Darkness

Images of Africans in Things Fall Apart and Heart of Darkness In my reading of Things Fall Apart, it has better informed me of a culture that I did not know of before, and by reading it helped correct some broad misconceptions that I previously held of the people and their cultures of Africa. Reading the novel also gave me another perspective on the effects of imperialism/colonialism by the Europeans on the Africans. I believe Achebe has succeeded in enabling the West an opportunity to have them "listen to the weak" (Achebe interview), but whether or not Western society decides to listen will come down to the individual within the society--if they do choose to listen to the call of the "weak." In this essay I will share realizations that I gained by reading Achebe's novel, and how I came to view the people of the Igbo and Africa and not so different as I had thought before. The distinct writing style that Achebe used to narrate his novel led me, as the reader, to feel as if I were a fellow tribesman of the Igbo people. This differing perspective, rather than being an outsider looking in on the people, led me to see that the Igbos are a people with strong beliefs, culture, and identity. An example of their identity is the description of one of their dwellings, more specifically of Okonkwo's compound; it is described as a "large compound enclosed by a thick wall of red earth" and we read further on about the barn for Okonkwo's yams and the shed for his goats (1429). The Igbo people are obviously agrarian, and led me to the question, how different are they from us? My answer is, there are not a lot of differenes. Based upon my experience--my father was raised on a farm--I see stark similarities between us and them... ...people of Umuofia could not have forecasted, with the exception of the oracle, that they would have fallen due to the white man and his religion, but I believe we can derive a couple of reasons why they fell and apply it to our own society. In conclusion, I really enjoyed Achebe's novel and liked the contrast between it and Conrad's work of Heart of Darkness. I believe there are times that, in order to see the extremes of something, you must contrast it to its opposite extreme. As a former moderate of beliefs on colonialism and those who proselytize their religion onto others, I realize now the dire impact those acts can have on a naive or vulnerable culture, and I now disagree with those practices. Finally, I heed the "call of the weak" for I hear the quiet but powerful voice that says, "We are a people too..." and I know the truth of the message!

Discussion About Genetically Modified Foods Essay

Outline Introduction a. The genetically modified foods are a long issue which is widely debated. b. People feel confused about their safety. I. Views a. ) Magana-Gomez’s argument. b. ) He argues that negative effects of GM food were identified â€Å"at molecular and microscopic levels†. c. ) Curieux-Belfond CL contends that the benefits of genetically modified foods far outweigh the disadvantages. II. Genetically modified foods: Beneficial views & Adverse views a. What is the possible risk for genetically modified crops considering nutrition and health? b. Whether the economic effects are the most important?c. Will it bring severe environment problems? III. Arguments for beneficial effects of GM foods a. Firstly, transgenic technology has made considerable progress in food applications. b. Transgenic food has successfully lowered food prices and ensured food safety. c. GM foods significantly reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. Introduction The author, Magana-Gomez, critically analyzed the risk assessment methods of transgenic food for human nutrition and health in the paper, â€Å"Risk assessment of genetically modified crops for nutrition and health†. Magana reviewed various modes including different feeding period, animal modes and parameters in the paper published in 2011 by Nutrition Reviews (Magana G, 2009). In consistent with his studies, negative effects of GM food were identified â€Å"at molecular and microscopic levels†. However, with our entry into the 21st century, genetically modified foods have undergone even faster development. However, there are also many doubts about the safety of genetically modified foods. Therefore, genetically modified foods have become a hot topic issue. Personally, although there are many controversies about GM food, I still insist on the research and promotion of transgenic food due to its diverse benefits. Views According to Curieux-Belfond CL, he could identify the factors that deserve consideration before â€Å"commercialization and promotion of transgenic food† (182). In this paper, â€Å"Factors to condider before production and commercialization of aquatic genetically modified organisms: the case of transgenic salmon†, the author took transgenic salmon as an example, in which Curieux-Belfond examined the corresponding impacts in terms of aquaculture, wildlife, ecosystem and human health. The paper published in 2011 by Evironmental Science & Policy suggested that GM food undoubtedly contributed to economic benefits without exerting too much extra burden (Curieux B, 2009). In the end, the author believed that the benefits of genetically modified foods far outweigh the disadvantages. Analysis of the benefits of genetically modified foods Magana’s argument is persuasive when he assessed the risks about GM food. However, since genetic engineering techniques have successfully transferred anti-viral, insect resistance, cold resistance and other genes to cotton, wheat, tomatoes and other plants, we can get stable new varieties of genetically modified, with low production cost and high-yield food, which will ease the world food shortage and reduce the use of pesticides to a large extent. Based on the above reasons, I will provide a critical analysis with the following specific examples which show his argument is partially wrong. Firstly, transgenic technology has also made considerable progress in animal food applications. At present, a variety of mammal and bird genes are successfully integrated into the genome of fish, which can significantly enhance transgenic fish muscle protein content and improve growth speed. With the development of genetic engineering technology, people have been freed from natural enzymes to a large extent. Especially when the enzyme obtained from natural protein material encounters difficulties, genetic engineering has the unique advantages of natural gene cloning (Seralini GE, 2011). Thus, it can be highly expressed in microorganisms with mass production by fermentation. At present, the transgenic enzymes are widely used in the food industry, such as maltose enzymes amylase, pectinase and the juice protease. The food nutritional quality modified by genetic engineering has also made remarkable achievements. For instance, the genetic engineering technology has been applied for seed protein improvement, which renders it possible to change the plant composition and amino acid content. Secondly, transgenic food has successfully lowered food prices and ensured food safety, which helps increase production and food supply while reducing the farm labor and pesticide applications, agricultural inputs and production costs (Weasel LH, 2009). In the future, GM crops have great potential in solving the food crisis. For instance, by applying transgenic technology to the human staple foods of rice and wheat, people can increase food production and improve nutritional quality, which will provide mankind with higher-quality food. Furthermore, GM foods have also proved effective in alleviating poverty and hunger. The world’s poorest 50% of the population are small and resource-poor farmers, while 20% living in rural areas without their own land actually depend on agriculture. Therefore, the increase in small-scale and resource-poor farmers’ income will directly assist 70% of the world’s poorest people (Curieux-Belfond O, 2009). So far, genetically modified cotton in India, China and South Africa have already made a significant contribution to more than 1. 2 million poor farmers’ income. The benefits of genetically modified corn in the Philippines and South Africa will be much clearer in the future. In addition, genetically modified rice has great potential to benefit 250 million poor families in Asia, whose benefits will reach 10 million people (Curieux-Belfond O, 2009). Transgenic food also helps to reduce land development. Transgenic technology has been developed to improve the current 1. 5 billion hectares of arable land productivity through conservation of biological resources, thereby reducing land development and deforestation. Thirdly, I will demonstrate such improvement since they significantly reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. Traditional agriculture has a significant impact on the environment, and transgenic biotechnology can help reduce this impact. In the first decade of application of genetically modified crops, by planting herbicide and insect-resistant characteristics, transgenic technologies have greatly reduced the use of pesticides, saved fossil fuels and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Undoubtedly, genetically modified crops with drought-tolerant genes will improve water-use efficiency and maintain sustainable agricultural development, which will play an important role in easing the crisis of population growth and global food shortage (Artemis D, 2009). GM crops have also contributed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in two main ways, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping slow climate change. First, by reducing fuel use, the spraying of insecticides and herbicides, GM crops continue to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In 2007, genetic engineering has been stated to reduce 1. 1 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions, which is equivalent to a decrease of 50 million cars from the road. Secondly, herbicide-resistant GM crops help reduce tillage applications, which protects the land and enhances soil carbon sequestration. Conclusions Despite the many advantages of GM food, we cannot ignore the risks. After genetically modified foods have been taken into the human body, they may cause harm to human health. Moreover, after a large number of transgenic crops come into nature, they may be biologically harmful to ecosystems. Since the risks of GM food is serous, it is important for us to reflect on it first. Any of the scientific and technological developments should be comprehensive and provide well-being for human life. If genetically modified foods can only increase our economic interests and improved material life without the moral, social and environmental harmony, they cannot be defined as making great contribution to social development. Therefore, whether GM food is a benefit or a disadvantage really depends on what kind of human values people hold (Qaim M. 2009). That is the question we reflect on deeply. In contemporary society, with the rapid development of science and technology, the economic situation of the human and the material standard of living has been soaring. It seems that mankind is taking great proud for the advanced technology. However, we should look back to what the living environment we rely on is subjected to. Therefore, genetically modified foods are seen as the savior of mankind, which is actually human self-centered ideology. Of course, with the continuous development of biotechnology and genetic engineering, human beings have the ability to create more genetically modified food. Therefore, the drawbacks of genetically modified food are not the technology itself, but rather due to humans themselves. Thus, personally, I fully sanction the development of GM foods while we should objectively analyze the potential risks. Reference Artemis D. 2009. â€Å"Health risks of genetically modified foods. † Food Science and Nutrition. 49. (2):164-175. Curieux B, Vandelac L, ect. 2009. â€Å"Factors to condider before production and commercialization of aquatic genetically modified organisms: the case of transgenic salmon. † Evironmental Science & Policy. 12. (2):170-189. Magana G, Javier A, Calderon de la Barca, Ana M. 2009. â€Å"Risk assessment of genetically modified crops for nutrition and health. † Nutrition Reviews. 67 (1):1-16. Qaim M. 2009. â€Å"The economics of genetically modified crops. † Annual Review of Resource Economics. 1:665-693. Seralini GE, Mesnage R, ect. 2011. â€Å"Genetically modified crops safety assessments: present limits and possible improvements. † Environmental Sciences Europe. 23. (10): 1-10. Weasel LH. 2009. â€Å"Food Fray: Inside the Controversy over Genetically Modified Food. † American Management Association. Amacom, 86-150. Print.

Native American Education Essay - 907 Words

The modern American society is best defined by its education. The â€Å"American dream† is founded on going to school, getting a good job, and becoming successful. Ironically, the actual native peoples of this country are actually the least likely to attain this dream. The largest obstacle they face is lack of proper education. The standard educational practices being used for the instruction of Native American peoples is not effective. There are many pieces to this road-block, and many solutions. This can be rectified by having more culturally aware teachers and parents, and by teaching the general population more about the Native American cultures. Many Native Americans do not graduate from high school. This makes finding an ideal,†¦show more content†¦Where planning ahead and thinking of future events is such a commonplace value to most Euro-Americans, it is one foreign to Native peoples’ tradition. They are taught to live â€Å"in the now†, a nd to be thankful for what they have, while they have it. To many of the more traditional native peoples, the excessive planning on modern society’s part is incomprehensible. This makes even the idea of the â€Å"American dream† one hard to fully realize. There are a lot of things that help improve this situation, one of them being an increased awareness of the societal differences, and what can be done about it. One of the biggest problems, which is a lack of information about the educational system in general, can be easily resolved: by teaching the students’ families about it. Brochures and posters would be a way to start, ones created specifically with the Native peoples in mind. Another great step would be more parent-teacher conferences. The family needs to understand how important this is in society, and what exactly their child can gain from it, and how important it is to be involved in their child’s school life. It would also be a venue i n which both parties could work together to understand the student more, and help bridge the culture gap. This is where action needs to be decided upon, like routines that would be beneficial to the students learning. On the otherShow MoreRelatedThe Education Of Native Americans Essay1317 Words   |  6 Pagesaccomplishment compared to that of a college degree or getting a first job. Though it is just as important to have, it is seen as basic and necessary, with 82% of public education students graduating high school during the 2013-14 year (nces.ed.gov, 2016). However, for a variety of reasons, many students drop out of high school. 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The first value I will be analyzing is gender. Gender is a topic that