How illiteracy influences people’s life Essay Example for Free

How illiteracy influences people’s life Essay In the movie, The Reader, Kate Winslet played the role of Hanna Schmitz, an illiterate train conductor who was sent to jail without even understanding what she has done wrong. When Hanna said the line, I would rather listen to you , I was moved because these few words allowed me to empathize with people who are illiterate. It gave me a glimpse of the feelings of helplessness and frustration they must encounter in their everyday life. The movie also showed me how illiteracy can affect a persons life. Because of the fact that they do not have access to the information the rest of the world has, they end up being enslaved by the opinions of the literate. It is impossible for them to construct opinions as they do lack the details needed to create one. At the same time, they are forced to be dependent on people who can provide them with this information. They are also under the mercy of people who have knowledge in the written law. The movie also showed me how humbling it must be not to be able to read or write. At the start of the movie, she had an affair with a man half her age. And, whenever the man would read for her, her seniority faded away because of the way she would act like a child waiting for her father to read her a bed time story. Hannas story shows how important being literate is. It plays an important role in a persons life as it can change his or her destiny. In this essay, I would like to talk about the changes and effects of literacy to a persons mind and life. I would like to show how literacy can give intellect and power to a person by going through the works of Staple, Douglass and Kozel which they created in order to emphasize the importance of literacy in the democratic world. Brent Staple, an author and editorial writer for the New York Times, recounted the way his grandfather changed his life by learning how to read. In one of his articles, he wrote: Name of Author 2- â€Å"Nevertheless, the ability to read and write gave them a vantage point on their circumstances and protected them from swindlers who regularly stripped illiterate people of land and other assets. † (p. 1) Staples grandfather was able to gain his independence by learning how to read and write. He also learned how to distinguish what is good from what is bad, what can benefit him and what can ruin his life. He also found himself with the power to think and give his opinion as he now has a better grasp of the issues around him. Armed with the knowledge he was able to acquire from reading, he found the power to make his own decisions and fight for his rights. He was able to free himself from the prison of other peoples thoughts. Another writer, Frederick Douglass, who is famous for his line: I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong, wrote an article that is parallel to Staples article in the way that he talked about the way literacy influenced his life and his thinking. Douglass story, however, is quite different from that of Staples grandfather. In his story, he recounted that he learned how to read in secret with the fear of being beaten. Being born a slave, Douglass was passed on from one owner to another. The wife of one his owners taught him the alphabet even though she knew that there was a law against teaching slaves how to read. Her husband obviously disapproved about this when he found out. He believed that a slave who gains literacy will be unsatisfied with his condition and yearn for freedom. Even with the threat of being caught and beaten up, Douglass learned how to read with the help of the white children in the neighborhood. He also did his best to observe the way the order white men would write. His perspective changed after he has attained literacy. Douglas realized that black men are not brutes or savages who should be limited to working as a slave, Name of Author 3 they have the right to be educated and respected. As his master predicted, he yearned for the freedom that the white people have. As he continues to learn how to read and write, Douglass attitude to life is gradually transformed by literacy. Douglass mentions in the article: â€Å"I read them over and over again with unabated interest. They give tongue to interesting thought of my own soul†¦. The moral which I gained from the dialogue was the power of truth over the conscience of even a slaveholder. † (p. 45) By learning how to read and write, Douglass learned not only the meaning of words and sentences, but the power of knowledge. He slowly became aware of his rights as a human being and how unfairly the black people have been treated. He also realized that illiteracy is the reason why the white people were able to enslave his race for so long. Not only did illiteracy keep them unaware of their rights, it also made them unable to think for themselves, to distinguish from right and wrong, what is harmful and what is not. It also stopped them from acquiring the knowledge that they need to pursue their freedom. Hence, they were influenced by the white people to believe that their only purpose in life was to work for them. With his newfound knowledge, he was able to change his life and gain his freedom. At the same time, having appreciated the value of literacy, he passed on the knowledge to other slaves, giving them the opportunity to change their own lives. In Kozol’s article, he focuses on how illiteracy can threaten a persons way of life and thinking. He believes that one will never really have ability to protect himself if he is illiterate because he is always unaware of whats going on. He cant read the strange signs on the street that warns him of danger or tells him that he is breaking the law. Neither can he read legal documents, making him vulnerable to being swindled. He is also unaware of his rights. Kozol Name of Author – 4 says, â€Å" They do not know what rights they have, what deadlines and requirements they face, what option they might choose to exercise. They are half-citizens. Their right exist I print but not in fact. † (52-53) They cannot protect their own rights since they dont know what their rights are. Neither can they apply their rights or make a choice because they do not know what their options are. The same points were tackled by Douglas in his article when he said that black people were treated like slaves because they were not literate and were not given the chance to know that they do not have to limit themselves to such a status. They just thought that would go through this nightmare for the rest of their lives because no one could save them. What they didnt know was they couldve saved themselves had they known that they had rights to fight for. If they had been literate, they would have realized that they are not slaves and they have right to be educated and respected because they are humans. Illiteracy, however, has exiled them to such an nightmarish existence where their destiny is dictated by their masters. Now literacy still plays the most important role in society. If you are not able to read and write, it would be really hard for you to live. You wouldnt know how to deal with a lot of things. You wouldnt know what is right or wrong, what would benefit you and what would harm you. Because of the numerous things that you do not know, your lack of knowledge can bring you harm. At the same time, your lack of knowledge, stops you from having your own beliefs or opinions. And, since you have know access to the options you can choose from, you end up believing that there are none and the only thing you can do is follow what the other people are doing or to have the same opinion as they do. Without literacy, all the people can do is follow and obey, allowing other people to take charge of their own lives. If a country is filled with illiterate people then democracy is useless since the mindless majority can be controlled by the Name of Author 5- government and the votes of those who are literate and have their own minds can be surpassed by those who arent. If that is the case, then the government can become a dictator in the guise of democracy. Hence, it is safe to say that without the presence of literacy, there is no knowledge. Without knowledge, there are no choices. And, without knowledge, there is no freedom which is the very essence of democracy.

Amerigo Vespucci :: essays research papers

AMERIGO VESPUCCI (or VESPUCIO) (ves-puteh'-ee), Italian navigator, born in Florence, Italy, 9 March, 1451; died in Seville, Spain, 22 Feb., 1512. He was of a wealthy family of merchants, and received his education from his uncle, Giorgi Antonio Vespucci, a Dominican friar, a friend and colleague of Savonarola. He engaged in business, first in Florence and afterward in Seville, where he met Columbus, perhaps as early as 1493, and where in 1497 he equipped the fleet with which that navigator sailed on his third voyage. He had previously, in 1496, had charge of fitting out a fleet for the Spanish government. Amerigo sailed from Spain in 1499 in an expedition that visited the neighborhood of Cape Paria and several hundred miles of coast, and returned in June, 1500. In May, 1501, he entered the service of Emanuel, of Portugal, and participated in an expedition that visited the coast of. Brazil. hi May, 1503, he commanded a caravel in a squadron that sailed for the discovery of Malacca, but parted company from the rest, and finally made his way to the coast of Brazil, where he discovered the bay of All Saints, remained there two months, then ran 260 leagues farther south, where he built a fort, somewhere near Cape Frio, and, leaving a colony there, returned to Lisbon in June, 1504. Early in 1505 he obtained from King Ferdinand of Spain letters of naturalization, and on 22 March, 1508, was appointed pilot-major of the kingdom, an office that he held until his death, taking charge of the preparation of a general description of coasts and accounts of new discoveries, and also superintending the construction of charts and the examination of pilots. The controversy as to whether Vespucci took precedence both of the (Jabots and of Columbus in the discovery of the mainland of America has been for centuries a matter of dispute. None of the original letters of Amerigo bearing on the subject are extant, except in translations, and these differ greatly among themselves and contain inconsistencies of fact and date. It is not even known in what language the letters were written. An account by Amerigo of his voyage of 1499, said to have been written 18 July, 1500, was published by Bandini in 1745. A letter of his to Lorenzo Piero de Medici, a cousin of Lorenzo the Magnificent, describing the voyage of 1501, was published in various editions, some in Latin, others in German, and in 1789 a new text, in Italian, was discovered by Bartolozzi.

Speech: Unconditional Love

Persuasive speeches aim to convince the audience to believe a certain view. A persuasive speech is a specific type of speech in which the speaker has a goal of convincing the audience to accept his or her point of view. The speech is arranged in such a way as to hopefully cause the audience to accept all or part of the expressed view. Though the overarching goal of a persuasive speech is to convince the audience to accept a perspective, not all audiences can be convinced by a single speech and not all perspectives can persuade the audience Figure 0. The Sales PitchAn example of a persuasive speech is a sales pitch. During a sales pitch, the speaker is trying to convince the audience to buy his or her product or service. If the salesperson is successful, the audience (the person being sold to) will choose to purchase the product or service. However, salespeople understand that just because someone does not make a purchase after the first sales pitch does not mean the pitch failed. Per suasion is often a process. People may need multiple persuasive pitches and a lot of outside information before they are ready to accept a new view.Components of a Persuasive Speech Persuasive speeches are composed of both logical and emotional appeals. Logic appeals are arguments that present a set of information and show why a conclusion must rationally be true. For example, arguments heard in court are logical arguments. Emotional appeals are appeals that seek to make the audience feel a certain way so that they will accept a conclusion. Negative political ads, for example, often incorporate emotional appeals by juxtaposing an opponent with a negative emotion such as fear.I think that every emotionally healthy person wants to love and to be loved. We want people to love us as we are. We want to feel accepted no matter what we may say or do. When we make a mistake, we want to be forgiven and we don't want to experience  rejection. We want to be loved unconditionally. A problem c omes though when we do not reciprocate unconditional love. For example, there will never be  real love  expressed between two people if both individuals are seeking to have their needs met. How can two people make a relationship work if both define love as, â€Å"if you love me then you will o what I want†? There is only one person who can truly  love unconditionally. His name is Jesus. See, God is perfect and demands perfection from us. But, we all have fallen short of living a perfect life and that is called sin. The penalty for sin is death. But, this penalty is too great for us to pay! The Bible says that God demonstrated themeaning of love  to us in this that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus laid down His life for us as the ultimate act of unconditional love. He accepts us for who we are, for what we have done, and even for what we have neglected to do.But, now He is asking us to accept Him unconditionally as well. He wants us to accept His lo ve by giving to Him our heart, mind, soul, and strength. He wants all of us. When we give ourselves over completely to Jesus then we are â€Å"fully known, fully accepted, fully loved, fully valued, and fully celebrated. † Jesus will never leave you, quit on you, belittle you, or even condemn you. Did you know that the Bible says that Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world but to save the world?He came to show you  what love is. Once we experience His love, we must step forward quickly to embrace it. The Bible provides an excellent description of unconditional love and gives us a pattern to follow. What is real love? Here is an example, â€Å"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, †¦ Love rejoices with the truth. Love believes and endures all things. Love never fails. † The longing of your heart to be loved unconditionally can be fulfilled only through Jesus Christ.You must admit your sin, believ e in Jesus, and follow His ways. If you do, you will experience  unconditional love. Once you have experienced  love unconditionally, you are then able to know  how to love  as well. As you travel life’s journey, you can take the road from conditional love to unconditional love. Let us Pray.. â€Å"Dear Jesus, I want real love and to be loved unconditionally. Please forgive me of my sin and show me  what is real love. I surrender my heart to you and ask that you take control of my life now. Thank you. â€Å"

6 Jobs College Students Can Target in Advertising Agencies

You’re a college student who decided to earn a little extra money on the side; but you’re also spending a lot of time, energy and most of all, money, on your education. Advertising sounds cheap and stereotypical at a first glance, but if you think about it for a moment, the fact that you are a college student means you’re young. And young equals fresh and imaginative. Working in advertising as a student will go a long way in building your track record and CV for the years to come after graduating. Advertising is a global field of work, which means you will be up-to-date on current trends, events, and the psychology of the buyers you will be working with. An agency that does advertising will always look for eager young minds to offer new outlook on current trends and market, and since you’re still reading this, it means that you’re interested in giving an application or two a shot. Even if your field of study does not cover marketing, graphic design or similar fields, there’s nothing in the way of giving it a try. After all, sometimes it does come down to will and talent. We’re here to list a couple of valuable positions you may want to consider if you are job hunting among the wealth advertising agencies out there. 1.Copywriter This one you may have heard of. Copywriting means â€Å"writing a copy† for a client. This copy can be an article, a letter, an e-mail, or any sort of written document that is primarily used to sell or advertise a product. It’s used for marketing purposes and raising brand awareness. This type of work can also be done online as freelancing, so if you’re someone with a rich vocabulary, you might want to give this one a shot. It’s a good way to work on your writing skills and earn a little money on the side. 2.Art Director The street term is â€Å"graphic designer†, and it represents the visual contrast to copywriting. Designers work on visual advertising and marketing materials based on client’s needs. Logos, brochures, posters, cards, you name it. This is a good way to build up a rep and a portfolio if you’re into graphic design or applied arts and it pays a lot, but it takes equal amount of patience and creativity. 3.Production Artist Closely connected to first two jobs; this one includes preprint processes required to print whatever the copy-writer or art director came up with. It does require some base knowledge of computers and programs like Photoshop, but it goes a long way in building up a rep in advertising agencies, because even though they have market and planning experience, they do need to put those plans in motion and produce their advertising materials. Being someone who studies engineering, design, or art in general is a plus when it comes to applying. 4.Commercial Director Not to be confused with someone in a comfy chair and a suit-and-tie, a commercial director works on creating storyboards and commercials for companies that advertise their products. It’s a perfect place for someone who studies marketing, design, or even filmography. It’s a fun mix of putting as much as you can on the screen in a very limited time-frame since the commercials are paid for on a by-second basis. If you’re feeling creative and don’t really feel like paperwork or technical work is up your alley, you might consider this one as a means to get some advertising work mileage and a little money on the side. 5.Account Planning This is something you might consider if you’re into finances, legal or marketing. It involves research and analysis of advertising trends, the current market and trends, and consumer’s needs. It’s a fit position for an up-and-coming student because it doesn’t involve an executive position but rather a consultant role. Being someone in charge of steering the marketing and funding of an agency might just be a way to earn extra while studying, but also ensure yourself an agency workplace after you graduate. 6.Media Buying A stark contrast to account planning, media buying involves research and use of funding for a certain campaign, but in a more direct form; buying out radio broadcasts, ensuring fliers and posters are in optimal positions across the city and anything that involves managing an exact funding to maximize impact of a marketing campaign. This is a fitting role for marketing students but also anyone with a sellers’ mind-set. The advertising marketplace is a hard place to fight your way through to. It may take several weeks for you to land a side-job because an agency usually operates with a small crew that does all the leg-work, develops and engages the projects. It’s a worthwhile investment of time and energy, since this is a field that will only keep growing and developing as we go further into the 21st century.