The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline - Questions

'The Orphan Train' by Christina Baker Kline - Questions The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline moves back and forth between two stories that of a young orphan girl in the early twentieth century and that of a teenager in the modern-day foster care system. As such, book clubs that read this book have the opportunity to discuss American history, foster care issues or the relationships between characters in this particular novel. Choose among these discussion questions as you decide which threads are most interesting for your group to discuss more deeply. Spoiler Warning: Some of these questions reveal details from the end of the novel. Finish the book before reading on. Questions AboutThe Orphan Train The prolog gives away many of the details of Vivians life, such as when her parents died and the fact that her true love would die when she was 23. Did you remember these details as you read the novel? Do you think the prolog adds something important to the story?In many ways, the main story in this book is Vivians; however, the novels opening and closing chapters are in Spring Harbor in 2011 and contain Mollys story. Why do you think the author chose to frame the novel with Mollys experience?Were you more connected to one thread of the story the past or present, Vivians or Mollys? Do you think moving back and forth between time and the two stories added something to the novel that would have been missing if it was one linear story? Or do you think it detracted from the main narrative?Had you heard of the orphan trains before reading this novel? Do you think there were benefits to the system? What were the downsides that the novel highlighted?Compare and contrast Vivians experiences with Mollys. What are some ways that the current foster care system still needs to improve? Do you think any system could deal with the hole provided when a child loses his or her parents (either through death or neglect)? Molly and Vivian each held on to a necklace linking them to their cultural heritage even though their early experiences within those cultures were not entirely positive. Discuss why you think heritage is (or is not) important to personal identity.Does molly complete a portage project for school answering the questions, What did you choose to bring with you to the next place? What did you leave behind? What insights did you gain about whats important? (131). Take some time as a group to share your own experiences moving and how you would answer these questions personally.Did you think Vivian and Mollys relationship was believable?Why do you think Vivian chose to give up her baby? Vivian says of herself, I was a coward. I was selfish and afraid (251). Do you think thats true?Why do you think Vivian eventually takes Molly up on her offer to help her reconnect with her daughter? Do you think that learning the truth about Maisie had an impact on her decision?Why do you think Vivians story helps Molly experience more peace and closure with her own? Rate The Orphan Train on a scale of 1 to 5. The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline was published in April 2013Publisher: William Morrow288 Pages

Summary of Tatars Text Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Summary of Tatars Text - Essay Example The frustration in her heart infuriates her and gets her to the pavements along the streets. As she fantasizes on the best and desired life out of punishment and maltreatment by the dad, she gets into visions. The visions were linked to the effects of the condition she was in, hypothermia, but some counted real. She sees her grandmother in the tale as the only person who cared and never mistreated her in her life. And this has been part of her greatest desires ever in this irritating lifestyle. The conditions set for her going back home from the streets where she sold the matchboxes deprived her of any good reason to live under the sun. This forms the basis of her fantasies (Behrens and Rosen, 296-297). The frustration of the imagination of the situation of how it could be at home when she gets home without selling the expected amount of boxes gets her down into deep fantasies. She gets down onto a place within the street where she lights the matches as she visions her situation and links it to the desires that she wants to happen in her life. She lights her matches as she sees the Christmas tree as gorgeous and appealing to the soul. She then sees a falling star from the skies and this reminds her of the story the grandmother told her before she died. It was a signal that a person would die and was to be in heaven in a happy life. Of course, this is what she desires for. This thought of someone important dying and going to heaven does not scare her, and she surges on to light the next matchstick.

A Raisin in the Sun Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Raisin in the Sun - Essay Example This causes disagreements between the family members as everyone has different ideas on how the money should be used. They rent a house particularly in a white neighborhood, but they are not very welcome. This is evident by the way Karl Lindner the white neighborhood’s representative asks to buy them out with a very generous offer. At the end of the play, the family leaves with their pride of being black and refuse the money offered by the white people. This paper therefore seeks to analyze the play A raisin in the sun and show how racism was deeply rooted back in the 1950’s and the manner in which blacks always wanted to pursue the American dream where they would hope to have â€Å"life, liberty as well as the pursuit of happiness†. Looking at the social climate of the 1950s and 1960’s as displayed by the play, it is easy to see that black people lived in poor conditions as compared to white people. In this era, most of the public buildings in the white n eighborhood were full of racial segregation. White people did not mingle or live together with black people as they were thought to be of an inferior class. Many whites were also of the belief that by having black people in a white neighborhood, the value of their property would go down1. ... given in the year 1952 by the Women’s committee to end discrimination in the medical services, it was seen that there was a high connection between high death rates in black people and hospital segregation2. Still in the schools black children attended sub-standard schools as compared the white children. In most of the public schools together with colleges, racial segregation was rampant and blacks attained marginal education as compared to white children. Despite the fact that the Supreme Court in the year 1954 made a ruling using the Brown v. Board Education, that school segregation was not constitutional, it took quite a number of years for it to be implemented. In terms of the economic climate that the blacks faced during the 1950s, there was a lot of racial discrimination, which led to blacks getting very low paying jobs. After the Second World War, black veterans went back home so as to share their victory and live the American Dream. This however was not to be a reality for them as they were prohibited from settling in the upcoming suburbs. This is similar to the raisin in the sun play where Mama and her family are being asked to leave particularly because it is a white neighborhood. In the 1950’s black Americans have no choice but to live in cramped areas whereby even finding good jobs is equally hard. Unfortunately, candidates who are educated and are highly qualified for good jobs are not also lucky and they also face racial discrimination when the hiring process is on; for this reason, they have to settle for odd jobs. Black American population between 1940 and 1970 had drastically increased from 50 percent all the way to 80 percent. In the south, many black Americans lost both mining and share cropping jobs particularly due to the government investing

Our Buttocks Are Different Essay Example for Free

Our Buttocks Are Different Essay I have chosen Arthur Rimbaud’s poem entitled â€Å"Our Assholes Are Different†. The poem was originally written in French and has been translated in many different versions. Interestingly, the poem is also known as â€Å"Our Buttocks Are Not Theirs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and carries a significant reference to the poet’s personal life as he was an unabashed homosexual. The poem is also a reflection on Rimbaud’s tongue-in-cheek and witty sense of humor that is his unique trademark in all his writings. In this paper, I will discuss his usage of tone, imagery and symbolism. First I am going to analyze tone. The poem is spoken in a direct, straight-forward manner with feelings of animation, pleasure and amusement. The poet is clearly thrilled with the idea of peeping into other’s private moment of relief but instead of looking at them with disgust, the view provides him with romantic, happy, idle thoughts that remind him of freedom. The act of relieving oneself is actually a form of release and that the pleasure is both mutual, for the reliever as well as the watcher, â€Å"And in those happy floods that youth set free I watched the architecture of our crotch†. To the poet, seeing the buttocks is a way of appraising nature as it occurs upon him that not one buttock is similar to the other. It is interesting how he describes the buttock similar to our faces, with â€Å"a dimple indent’ and characteristic from one another, â€Å"Its forms to muscles, and a wickerwork/ Of hairs; for girls, the most enchanting lurk/ In a dark crack where tufted satin grows†. The smooth roundness and blushing cheeks of our buttocks reminds him of the â€Å"painted cherub on a Baroque shrine† known for their adorable exposed buttocks that are as chubby as the cheeks on their innocent, angelic faces. The touch and appearance of its softness from afar excites the poet as it inspires him the meaning of liberation, â€Å"If only we were naked now, and free†. And at the end of the poem the poet even sounds aroused when he declares, ‘to watch our protruding parts align;/ To whisper – both of us in ecstasy! †. Next I will analyze imagery. Rimbaud uses simple language to describe his emotions and responses to something we often keep private. As he begins with describing his habit of watching people urinating in private, he describes them as how he sees them with a touch of romanticism. The poet is descriptive in the physical attributes of the buttocks similar to if he were looking and describing a building, â€Å"I watched the architecture of our crotch/ Quite firm, in many cases, it owes its form to muscles, and a wickerwork/Of hairs†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . While others would feel embarrassed to look, let alone illustrate, the sight of another’s private parts, Rimbaud is unabashed, telling them as God’s enchanting work of art as he sees them as ‘touching and wonderful innocence†. It is interesting how Rimbaud uses a small reference for relief (urinating) and transforms them into a bigger and more profound imagery such as freedom of the soul. And as one openly exposes oneself with his buttock, we might as well go completely naked to experience the ultimate form of relief – spiritual liberation. Next I will discuss symbolism. On the surface level, Rimbaud’s buttock is extremely physical: one sees another urinating and the buttock is exposed for all to see, perhaps unintentionally. However, on a closer inspection, the buttock signifies an opportunity to be free, not just for the observed but also the observer. From just the mere sight of a person’s buttock, the poet is saying we are hiding something so marvelous and beautiful to behold, thus, let alone an entire body that would be even more marvelous to be shared, â€Å"Oh! If only we were naked now, and free/ To watch our protruding parts align†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The buttock is an attribute we have behind us and that is constantly covered, like a best-kept secret. Yet it plays a crucial role for humans as it releases toxins from the body. And because it is always kept hidden, it becomes a wonder. And how we keep it â€Å"quite firm† or â€Å"a wickerwork of hairs†, is a reflection of who we are and our personality, much like a thumbprint. And thus, seeing glimpses of one’s crack is much like having a preview into one’s personality before you even get to know that person, and that creates another significant excitement for the poet. â€Å"Our assholes are different from theirs† reverberate a connotation of distinction. It is as if the poet is saying, â€Å"theirs† are different to mine. He describes the buttocks he sees and those of â€Å"young men† depicting them as filled with youth and â€Å"innocence†. And if he could stand naked among them, his bottom would be â€Å"whispering† to theirs – as if in humility – the joys and pleasure to be firm, carefree and adolescent again. There are no worries and no hassles in life, just liberation. This poem has an odd topic for discussion, yet it makes a lot of sense about wanting, needing, and appreciating freedom. And what is unique about its symbolism, is that the poet uses a simple concept to teach us about freedom from the simple act of urinating and relieving oneself. The problems we bottle inside us are similar to the urine we accumulate throughout the day. And as we operate in a cycle from drinking to urinating, we need to do employ the same method in other aspects of our lives. Yet we do not. Imagine if we had the same discipline with our problems and our life’s choices. We have the ability to purge out unnecessary â€Å"toxins† in our body such as hate, anger, tension, stress, frustration and sadness on a daily basis, we would be leading healthy lives and cancer would not exist. Silly as it sounds, the poem about our buttocks is a good reminder of the little pleasures in life we often take for granted. And poems such as this are a reminder of why Rimbaud was hailed a brilliant poet. He succeeds in bringing to life imagery and symbolism that would otherwise make no sense to us.

The Killer Angels :: History, Battle of Gettysburg

THIS IS AN INTRODUCTION!!!!! The commanders that served under Lee were blinded by this admiration. â€Å"His presence is everywhere. They hush when he passes, like an Angel of the Lord.† (pg. 63) Even as he walks down the street people salute him, bow to him, praise him. â€Å"A Pennsylvania woman flirted, asked for is autograph.† (pg. 78) Within the army Lee is worshipped by all members, low and high. When something goes wrong they will find someway to avert the blame from Lee, even though it may have been his fault, to someone else. â€Å"They love him. They do not blame him. They do impossible things for him.† (pg. 250) On the second day of the battle, when everything goes horribly wrong for the Confederate Army, no one blames Lee for the loss. It was his idea to (what was his plan again..) and yet after it failed everyone took it out on Longstreet. As Goree says on page 240 â€Å"They can’t blame General Lee. Not no more. So they take it out on [Longstreet].† Although Lee is one of the most loved Generals of all time, I don’t think he enjoyed it all that much. On page 79 he says that â€Å"Fame came too late. I would have enjoyed it, if I were younger man.† The Confederate Army could, and probably should, have won the Battle of Gettysburg. They started off the battle by overpowering the Union Army on the first day. Everyone is in good spirits and feeling that â€Å"with every step of a soldier, with every tick of the clock, the army was gaining safety, closer to victory, closer to the dream of independence.† (pg. 110) With this in mind they charged into the second day. This is when everything went wrong. Lee’s plan was to â€Å"attack en echelon, to take Cemetery Hill in reverse.† (pg. 184) Although most of the Confederate Army was against the procedure and thought it wouldn’t work, no one could persuade Lee to change his mind. And so the army went ahead and attacked the Union Army following Lee’s plan. The battle raged on for hours and by the end the Confederate Army had suffered an unpleasant loss. If they had used a different strategy I think they could have won on the second day. By the third day, however, things are looking grim. Even Longstreet admits it when he is talking to Lee; â€Å"I have to tell you now, sir, that I believe this attack will fail.

Rbs Abn Merger

The Acquisition of ABM AMNRO by RBS Introduction Mergers & Acquisition have become very popular throughout the world in the recent times. This has become popular due to globalization, liberalization, technological developments & intensely competitive business environment. Mergers and acquisition are a big part of corporate finance world. This process is extensively used for restructuring the business organization. In India, the concept of mergers and acquisition was initiated by the government bodies. The Indian economic reform since 1991 has opened up a whole lot of challenges both in the domestic and international spheres. The increased competition in the global market has prompted the Indian companies to go for mergers and acquisitions as an important strategic choice. The trends of mergers and acquisitions in India have changed over the years. The immediate effects of the mergers and acquisitions have also been diverse across the various sectors of the Indian economy. Acquisition Acquisition in general sense is acquiring the ownership in the property. In the context of business combinations, an acquisition is the purchase by one company of a controlling interest in the share capital of another existing company. An acquisition may be affected by (a) agreement with the persons holding majority interest in the company management like members of the board or major shareholders commanding majority of voting power; (b) purchase of shares in open market; (c) to make takeover offer to the general body of shareholders; (d) purchase of new shares by private treaty; (e) acquisition of share capital or one company may be either all or any one of the following form of considerations viz. eans of cash, issuance of loan capital, or insurance of share capital. History On October 10,2007 Royal Bank of Scotland led consortium with RBs, Fortis of Belgium and banco Santander central Hispano SA of Spain created history by acquiring Dutch banking gaintABN AMBRO for US$ 100 billion. The consortium paid US$ 51. 55 per share of ABM AMBRO, about 13% more a s compared to the rival Barclays offer. This was one of the largest acquisition in the history of global banking industry . The consortium agreed to pay 93% of amount through cash and remaining 7% through RBS shares. Due to the 2008 financial crisis, the Dutch government nationalised the divisions owned by Fortis, while the UK government is now in effective control over the divisions allocated to RBS due to its financial bail-out of the Scottish bank. The process of integrating some of ABN AMRO's divisions into the new owners, and divesting others, continues. Since 6 February 2010 the bank has been split into one organisation owned by the Dutch government called ABN AMRO Bank N. V. and another owned by The Royal Bank of Scotland Group renamed The Royal Bank of Scotland N. V. On this date the Dutch owned businesses legally demerged from those owned by RBS. The Dutch government own the ABN AMRO brand for use with the parts of the bank they purchased while other companies within the Group will be renamed or closed down. Objective To study the acquisition of ABN AMBRO by RBS form various perspectives. We will try to answer the following questions:- What would a SWOT analysis reveal? What were the various synergies? Was the acquisition strategy sound? Events after acquisition? Various parameters of the deal. Effect of recession on the deal. Major challenges faced by the firm. On 19 January, 2009 RBS issued a statement in which it admitted that acquiring ABN AMBRO was a mistake. It also issued in the statement that ? 10 billion that it had spent on ABN ABMRO was worth nothing by then. Also RBS incurred a loss of ? 24. 1 billion on a total income of ? 26. 9 billion. So in this report we will try to study and analyse the after-effects of acquisition. Various other similar factors are attempted to be studies. Data & Research Methodology Data will be mainly sourced from secondary sources. However the management of certain firms under view will be interviewed through structured questionnaires. The data will be analysed using financial tools to access the effectiveness of the deal. An attempt will be made to evaluate the efficiency of the merged firm with the help of selected financial ratios. Analysis and expected results Through the medium of this report an attempt will be made to analyse the financial benefits of the acquisition. In addition to strategic benefits, the acquisition would deliver significant financial benefits to the shareholders. Through major cost savings and improved profitability of business lines, substantial earnings improvements for shareholders will be realised. The expectations from the deal were to strengthen all three consortium banks in their respective markets and open up new segment to accelerate their growth. The analysis includes:- Impact of mergers & acquisition on employees and working conditions Looking at the financing of the acquisition and studying the possible financing options. Major challenges of the merger and the opportunities. RBS’s current expansion plans Sensitivity analysis Synergy analysis Accounting and financing structure Risk assessment and cost of capital Leveraged buy-out Estimating merger gains and cost Of course, it is easy to criticize another firm’s management but not so easy to improve it. Some of the self-appointed scourges of poor management turn out to be less competent than those they replace. Here is how Warren Buffet, the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway summarizes the matter Many managers were apparently over-exposed in impressionable childhood years to the story in which the imprisoned, handsome prince is released from the toad’s body by a kiss from the beautiful princess. Consequently, they are certain that the managerial kiss will do wonders for the profitability of the target company. Such optimism is essential.

The Ancient Egyptian History And Culture - 1814 Words

The history of Ancient Egypt is one of the most highly admired and studied cultures of all the past world civilizations. The fascination of the sphinx and the questioning of the pyramids have typically led archeologists to devote their time and efforts into unraveling the mysteries and figuring out the ways of the Egyptian culture. However, some may argue that the alluring aspect of the Ancient Egyptian history and culture is mummification. Some people bury their dead in the ground so that their soul can carry on to heaven while their body turns to dust. Others chose to burn the body and reduce it to ashes that are either kept in memorial or are dispersed. The Egyptians, on the other hand, believed in a different way of life after death and the burial of the body. They desired to preserve the remains as a basic element for survival after death, as well as the journey into the afterlife. With such exotic funerary process, the Egyptians created a view as being a morbid, death obsessed society. Mummification played a major role in Ancient Egyptian’s religious belief of life after death, but the process of this unique burial and display of the corpse differed depending on the time period the ritual was performed. EVOLUTION To the Egyptians, the preservation of the body was a fundamental asset to the continuation of life after death. The process of mummification evolved over many decades, becoming more of a dominate ritual in their ancient culture. The beginning ofShow MoreRelatedThe Ancient Egyptian Pyramids : The Seven Wonders Of The World1206 Words   |  5 PagesThe Egyptian Pyramids The seven wonders of the world: the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and of course, the Great Pyramids of Giza. (telegraph.co.uk) The Great Pyramids of Giza, built between 2584 and 2561 B.C, are located twelve miles from the capital of egypt, Cairo. (ancient.eu) They were the tallest man made structures in the world for 3800 yearsRead MoreUnderstanding The New Kingdom Of Egypt1723 Words   |  7 PagesKingdom of Egypt Perhaps no other culture has intrigued the human imagination as that of ancient Egypt. From the Ancient Greeks, who treated Egypt with venerable respect, to Alexander the Great, and Napoleon, who felt it was imperative to go there, few other cultures have represented so much of universal value to all humans. The purpose of this paper is to present a brief survey of the ancient New Kingdom of Egypt. An emphasis on scholarly views will focus on culture, agriculture, Nubian Pharaohs, religionRead MoreThe History Of Ancient Egypt : Egyptology And The Concept Of Culture Appropriation934 Words   |  4 Pagesmusic video, Ancient Egypt is seen as an exotic place in contemporary tourism of Egypt. Many people go to Ancient Egypt because they know that there are geographical differences, mummies, pyramids, tombs and artifacts that seem foreign to many people living in the 21st century. In popular culture, Ancient Egypt seems like a lavish civilization in the middle of the desert. In many way s, the Ancient Egyptian culture draws in tourism for those who are curious about the Ancient Egyptian culture. They comeRead MoreThe Impact of Ancient Egypt1250 Words   |  5 PagesImpact of Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt is a civilization of wealth and structure that flourished along the Nile River in northeastern Africa from about 3300 B.C to 30 B.C. In over 3,000 years, one of the most sophisticated and creative societies advanced where no other civilization did. 2,000 years later, it would be hard to think about the world without the impact of ancient Egypt, because it seems to have significantly affected every field of our American culture. The Egyptians have heavilyRead MoreFood Heritage Of Ancient And Contemporary Egypt With Particular Emphasis On Meat Products Essay1331 Words   |  6 PagesHeritage of Ancient and Contemporary Egypt with Particular Emphasis on Meat Products. Introduction Food is one of the most influential and essential elements of life, and human culture. Thus, the study of food according to the perspectives of tourist guidance community is socially, economically and culturally significant for the entire society. Furthermore, the importance of food provisions that is closely related to various aspects of culture has become a vital area of research. The ancient EgyptiansRead MoreCasey Kirwan, Civic Engagement Self Reflection1665 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough history by going to the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The museum is one of my favorites because of its variety of exhibits of history in both science and art. With every trip, the museum always has something new to offer. Going to the museum felt like a completely new experience with the new perspective I have coming from this class. There were many parts of history to look at, but the ones that stood out to me the most was their exhibit on Ancient EgyptRead MoreWomen in Ancient Egypt and Greece1311 Words   |  6 PagesWomen in Ancient Egypt and Greece By Morgan L. Harvey Throughout history women have faced many struggles in gaining equality with men. Freedoms and boundaries have been dependent upon the time period, rulers, religions and civilization. Ancient Greek women and Ancient Egyptian women were both equal to men as far as the law was concerned in certain areas; however, their equalities were different in the sense that Greek women were married out of necessity and viewed as property while Egyptian womenRead MoreAncient Egypt and Mondern Society981 Words   |  4 Pageshas had a profound impact on daily modern lives was that of Ancient Egypt. Their systems of religion and technological innovation helped not only to leave a permanent impression on the world, but also served to mold both the civilizations that directly followed it as well as society today. The Ancient Egyptian civilization spanned several thousand years and is one of the few societies of the time that came into being independently. â€Å"Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 B.C. with the unificationRead MoreDiscovery Of Raised Bread in Egypt Essay1559 Words   |  7 PagesThe piece of art that I will be discussing about is how the Ancient Egyptians first discovered the art of making modern bread, over 4000 years ago during the Neolithic era? The Ancient Egyptian lives simply depended on agricultures; however, the majority of the people were involved in farming. Moreover, when the Ancient Egyptians discovered raised bread, the Egyptians understood the value of having leavened bread part of their lives. Bread was part of a daily diet in their lives, it was essentialRead MoreHow Ancient Egyptian Culture Affect Modern Day Society Essay854 Words   |  4 PagesCade Windstein Mr. Hartley World History 27 October 2017 How Does Ancient Egyptian Culture Affect Modern Day Society’s? Ancient Egypt was the first civilization to make use of the sciences, including math and medical uses. Clocks, sports, a twelve month calendar, farming, building are also believed to originate in Ancient Egypt. All of these influences our everyday lives. The Egyptians created a decimal system that used seven different symbols. Mathematical text can be traced back to around 2000