Analysis of Everyday Use by Alice Walker

Analysis of Everyday Use by Alice Walker Carly Fischer Dr. Gregory Brown April 28, 2015 American Classics Everyday Use of Heritage in a Growing World Heritage is an essential tenet to human life. It is the faucet that allows people to connect and relate. In order for humans to continue to relate and evolve heritage needs to evolve as well. â€Å"Everyday Use† by Alice Walker is the story of two sisters, one educated traveler and one simple homebody. Through a simple conflict, so much is revealed about how the two sisters live their lives and what is of value to them. This story, although short, carries a big message about heritage in a growing world. Heritage at its best cannot be standing still or merely something of the past, but rather it must constantly transform and develop as time unfolds. This story, narrated by their mother, recounts an awkward reunion of two sisters, Maggie and Dee. Maggie has always been a simpler girl who preferred to stay at home with their mother, Mama, in Augusta, Georgia. Dee, however, was sent to school, traveled the world, and gained success. Dee’s arrival is premediated by an air of uneasiness as neither Maggie nor Mama know what strange customs Dee may have picked up. As the time draws near a car approaches and Dee emerges with a foreign boyfriend. Maggie is awkward and cold to the new guest, and Mama is weary. Dee announces that she has changed her name to â€Å"Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo† because she does not want to be named after the people who oppressed the African Americans so she gave herself a traditional African name to honor her roots (for arguments sake she will still be referred to as Dee). Dee’s arrival is met with even more uneasiness as she treats Maggie like a simpleton. She then asks Mama to take home f amily artifacts that are still used by the women in their everyday lives such as an old butter churn. As Dee continues to claim rights to these old household items, feeling that she can properly appreciate them, she comes across some particular family belongings that lead the story to its conflict about the meaning and present day value of heritage. Dee goes through Mama’s trunk and emerges with quilts woven with the clothes of their family’s ancestors including their Grandma Dee’s dresses and their great grandfathers civil war uniform. Dee says that she will take the quilts out of their hands so that she can proudly hang and display them at her home. This does not go over well as these quilts were already promised to Maggie. Dee rebuffs this by stating that Maggie will use them as if they are just a common, unsentimental item and will wear out such precious heirlooms. The story concludes with Dee belittling both Mama and Maggie saying they don’t understand their own heritage and that Maggie needs to separate herself from the family farm and make something of her life as she drives off (Walker 1531-1537). â€Å"Everyday Use† brings up many points that can be applied to society as a whole. The story contains many lessons to be learned in heritage, tradition, and roots. Dee has an opposing opinion to Mama and Maggie. Dee sees heritage as something that is to be displayed and honored, but should be left in the past. Her mother and Maggie see no harm in continuing to live life the way their ancestors always have. They think that by doing this one’s heritage is being honored and properly maintained. In order to truly appreciate heritage it is important that it is continued as a way of life, however, this does not mean that it cannot change and people must be cemented in the past. It is very clear that Dee has moved on from the simple way of life of her mother and sister, and in doing so she has alienated herself from her family as well as her roots. She, however, doesn’t seem to notice as she still wants to display still-functional artifacts of her people around her own house. This is evidenced in the part of the story where Dee sees the butter churn not for a churn, but for an object of decoration: â€Å"’I can use the churn top as a centerpiece for the alcove table,’ she said, sliding a plate over the churn, ‘and I’ll think of something artistic to do with the dasher.’† (Walker 1535) As if this wasn’t enough of a denounced of her practical heritage, she again proves this point during the quilt tantrum between her and her mother: â€Å"She can always make some more,† I said. â€Å"Maggie knows how to quilt.† Dee (Wangero) looked at me with hatred. â€Å"You will just not understand. The point is these quilts, these quilts!† â€Å"Well,† I said, stumped. â€Å"What would you do with them?† â€Å"Hang them,† she said. As if that was the only thing you could do with quilts (Walker 1536). It is very obvious that Dee has detached herself from her past and she has embraced a more global outlook on life. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing as people need to be continually evolving to survive. Joe Sarinowski points out the merit behind Dee’s side and compliments her on her innovation of thought. Even though Dee’s opposing view to her sister and mother make her seem like she doesn’t understand where they are coming from, and why their way of life is so valuable to them, she values her heritage and embodies a new modern view. She promotes a new way for African Americans to cope with their differences from the rest of America and the issues that they face and offers a way to use their heritage in a proud, public way that Mama and Maggie do not (275). The other extreme of heritage preservation seen in the story is Maggie and Mamas’ view, that the consistent utilization and practice of ones heritage as it always has been will keep it in tact the best. Although the characters are living in the 20th Century, Maggie and Mama seem to be stuck in the Civil War era. Dee points out the error of their ways at the end of the story when she tells her sister, â€Å"You ought to try to make something of yourself, too, Maggie. It’s really a new day for us. But from the way you and Mama still live you’d never know it.† (Walker, 1536) This kind of cultural preservation is too extreme and doesn’t allow for people to innovate beyond the point they are stuck. However, just as Dee’s extreme view of heritage had some merit, so does Maggie and Mama’s. They are truly utilizing their past to their advantage. The other side of the quilt incident, in fact, points out the benefits behind their view with Mama’s pleasure in Maggie’s intended use of the quilts when Mama says â€Å"’I reckon she would,’ I said. ‘God knows I been saving ‘em for long enough with nobody using ‘em. I hope she will!† (Walker 1536). Within these opposing ideas of heritage one can try to decide which is right, but the answer is more complex. It very easily can be said that parts of both beliefs combined create the truth of heritage. Culture can best be preserved by a blend of the extremes we see in â€Å"Everyday Use†. In order to preserve heritage at its best Dee’s element of modernization needs to meet Maggie’s element of utilization. Dee’s belief of cultural heritage is centered on adjusting to a modern world and Maggie’s belief is focused on preserving the way she lives and not changing a thing. The middle ground, where culture can be appreciated for what happened and continued as a way of life but adapted to fit a changing, modern world. An author who also argues this belief is Federico Lenzerini: In consideration of the fact that culture is a living and changeable entity, one given cultural manifestation can represent a culture through the passing of time only if such manifestation is capable of continuously modifying itself in parallel to the transformations characterizing the cultural whole of which it is a part (108). An integral part to the continuation of humanity is adaptability. If culture cannot adapt, then neither can people. An important symbol in the story that further emphasizes this point is the butter churn. Dee views the butter churn as an old relic that could be used as an art piece. Whereas Mama still sees the butter churn for its use for making butter, making note of the hand marks that have been engraved in the handle after years of utilization. Durham writes, â€Å"Symbolic products also possess a certain concreteness. But if they are not used, the work that brought them into being is in a sense dead† (Durham 2013) in order to explain that the use of cultural products is essential to the continuation of heritage. If the butter churn is a symbol then it is not just a relic that symbolizes a past people; it is an object that is still used by Mama and by using the butter churn they are, in a sense, preserving a piece of their culture. â€Å"Everyday Use† is the story of two sisters that have grown apart physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Dee has traveled the world and has moved on from the way she was raised while Maggie stayed home and continued the exact way of life that she was raised in., very much so because her mother has never moved away from the traditional life of her ancestors. The two ways of life seen in this story both embody the extremes in which one can embrace their heritage. People do not have to live every day in and out repeating traditions of the past to maintain their roots, but there is more to living within ones heritage than appreciating relics of the past. Heritage must be more than just a meaningful decoration, for that decoration would just be a symbol of those who actually experienced their heritage during life. Dee’s side of total globalization that leaves heritage in the past to modernize and expand must meet Maggie and Mama’s side of heritage utility an d repetition. In this middle ground the best way to maintain, appreciate, and live ones true heritage can be found. Works Cited Walker, Alice. â€Å"Everyday Use.† The Norton Anthology American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. Vol. 2. New York: New York, 2013. 1531-1537. Print. Eunice Ribeiro, Durham. Reflections On Culture, Heritage And Preservation. Vibrant: 9oVirtual Brazilian Anthropology 1 (2013): 77. SciELO. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. Lenzerini, Federico. Intangible Cultural Heritage: The Living Culture Of Peoples. European Journal Of International Law 22.1 (2011): 101-120. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. Sarnowski, Joe. Destroying To Save: Idealism And Pragmatism In Alice Walkers Everyday Use.. Papers On Language Literature 48.3 (2012): 269-286. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

Fresh Direct case analysis Essay

BACKGROUND/HISTORY FreshDirect was launched in July 2001. Cofounder and former chief executive officer Joseph Fedele, Joseph Fedele was able to bring a wealth of experience in New York City’s food industry to FreshDirect. In 1993 Joseph Fedele cofounded Fairway Uptown, a 35,000 foot supermarket located on West 133 Street in Harlem. Only reason Fairway survived in that location was of Fairway’s low prices and quality selection of produce and meats which made the store a big hit with neighborhood residents and many downtown and suburban commuters. FreshDirect primary business is for consumers who want to shop for their produce from the comfort of their own time and need. Being able to shop from work, home, app, pretty much anywhere and have it either delivered to you at work, meet up with them at a specific location or even just pick it up at their very own FreshDirect location is their goal, along with making sure the customer gets what they want and guarantee the freshness of their items. FreshDirect is still in business and their corrent CEO is Jason Ackerman. However as the case listed FreshDirect went through many CEO changes. Which isn’t always a great thing but since FreshDirect was growing so much, so quickly there was in need of changes to happen. â€Å"Cofounder Joseph Fedele had remained CEO until January 2004, when cofounder Jason Ackerman succeeded him in that position. Since then, FreshDirect has experienced multiple CEO changes. Jason Ackerman stayed as CEO of FreshDirect for a little over seven months, until Dean Furbush succeeded him in that position in September 2004. Ackerman remained vice chairman and chief financial officer. The tenure of Dean Furbush lasted a little over two years. Steve Michaelson, president since 2004, replaced Furbush as the CEO of FreshDirect in early 2007.9 In 2008 Michaelson left  for another firm, and FreshDirect’s chairman of the board, Richard Braddock, expanded his role in the firm and took over as CEO.† (Strategic Management 2012) FreshDirect main promise when opening wa s â€Å"Our food is fresh, our customers are spoiled†¦. Order on the web today and get next-day delivery of the best food at the best price, exactly the way you want it, with 100 percent satisfaction guaranteed.† Since FreshDirect is still in business and still improving since when they first opened they have not changed their main mission which was to prides itself on sourcing the highest quality food and freshest ingredients available for their customers and being able to deliver them when they want. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths – †¢ well-known brand †¢ high quality produce †¢ multiple ways to order/deliver †¢ only company that allows you to change rate the freshness †¢ more options on what kind of meat thickness, type, etc to choose from Weaknesses – †¢ weather †¢ large market for many other competitors †¢ many stores around the corner open late Opportunities – †¢ expandable since having their own trucks †¢ longer delivery times advantage of owning own trucks Threats – †¢ many high quality organic produces, lower-price at competitors †¢ Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s moving into a FreshDirect neighborhood †¢ numerous competitors †¢ lower prices for delivery with competitors ANALYSIS VIA PORTER’S FIVE FORCES MODEL STRATEGY USED FreshDirect has been using the same strategy since they had opened in 2001. They have been able to fulfil what the customer wants and how they want it every time a customer is shopping. Being able to rate products and showing them the rate of how fresh the product might be helps every customer out every time. Able to deliver the same day and also next day right to your office or doorstep along with being able to pick up at the store is a strategy that FreshDirect has been using since the opened. Since they own their own delivery trucks they are able to deliver anytime needed for the customer. Low prices, and also having a minimum order to just $30 with a low delivery fee is great for any shopper. THE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACING THIS COMPANY Only problems, issues, and challenges that are faced by are the company are very small. Main one would be the fact that not a lot of people like to buy their produce online, since they are not able to pick it themselves, however FreshDirect has been able to show many consumers that they can be trusted, and many consumers are given a choice on what they want and how they want their meats. Another problem faced by FreshDirect was that many people were concerned about the pollution the trucks/vans were giving off by FreshDirect when delivering groceries. Also another issue that was a concern for the company was the volitions for parking that the company got, and blocking traffic in the city when delivering. FreshDirect had to pay for them, along with many boxes that were wasted when boxing everything different for each customer, there was no way for customers to return the boxes to the company for proper recycling. COURSE OF ACTION RECOMMENDED Since the company is already doing well there is only a few things I would change. I would first lower the prices for delivery since many people will find that high, and along with that give discounts on separate bulk orders so it is like a wholesaler such as Sam’s or Costco or even BJ’s. If that is done, and shipping prices are reduced then they would not have to worry  about Amazon and even Walmart effecting their business that are larger markets that could hurt the business. OPINION I feel that in my opinion I really do not like shopping for groceries online, I am one of those people who like to shop in person for things like this, however I’d shop online a lot but for food, I feel like it is more of a hands on process that should be done then just ordering your meats and produce online. Even though the market for online shopping is good, since some people do not have time to physically go shopping, it is not a bad idea. When I was first reading this, I thought to myself, how can they succeed, but then realized in NY there are many people who are busy with their jobs and family, where this would eliminate some time in spending at a store. REFERENCES Dess, G., Lumpkin, G. & Eisner, A. (2012). Strategic Management (6e). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Fresh Direct, LLC. (2002 – 2014). Retrieved March 19, 2014, from https://www.freshdirect.com/index.jsp Porter’s Five Forces – Problem Solving Techniques from MindTools.com. (1996 – 2014). Retrieved March 19, 2014, from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_08.htm

Legal and Ethical Tensions Between Maintaining Confidentiality and Sharing Information Essay

Criteria: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3-Review the groups and individuals whose communication needs you must address in your work role. Explain how you support effective communication within your work role. Analyse the barriers and challenges to communication within your work role. Being able to communicate is a major feature of being human. Throughout the working day we absorb information and pass this on to other people. Communication is vitally important if a team is to work effectively. Almost everything I do at work relies on communication. Communication is the basis of interaction and skills in speaking, writing and specially, listening are essential when working with children and adults in my setting. The interaction and communication I carry out within my setting are with children, colleagues, deputy, manager, parents and other agencies and professionals. As I am interacting with diverse group of people each day, I need to use a variety of communication skills depending on the position of th e person/children and the context in which the communication take place. I have to be aware of the fact that I need to use appropriate language and terminology for my message to be understood. For example, talking to a child who is hurt -my approach to him/her will be empathic while talking to a medical staff might require just a delivery of impersonal information. When talking to children I must get down to their level, observe and listen carefully to what they are saying/asking, keeping eye contact during the conversation, asking short questions and wait patiently for their answer. When I communicate with adults, an important point to remember always is the fact that sometimes the person in front of me might go through personal crisis or is feeling upset in some way so this requires excellent skills to make sure I’m making the person in front of me(colleague, parent) felling supported and valued. Read more:Â  Maintaining an Individual’s Confidentiality and Disclosing Concerns Essay To support an effective communication with my team we have regularly meetings (weekly meetings when we talk about planning the week, a new topic, activities, about children and their development, concerns are raised from the team members), appraisals are in plan, delegation of work, checking of the reports, setting of objectives that are SMART involving all members of my team and also motivating my team by supporting, trusting and encouraging them to get the job done. For me to be able to support others to become good communicators, it is necessary that I will be an effective role model and to reflect effectively on how I am delivering the messages. If I support all my communication accepting and valuing the people with whom I interact in the expression of warmth and non-judgemental attitude, I will improve my communication skills no end. An effective communication can be supported by me as a leader by ensuring that my staff are all aware of the need to be flexible in the way in which they communicate within varied contexts and to engage in communication which is empathic (to ‘put yourself in the shoes of others’) and values the people with whom they interact. Sometimes often, however, the communication is challenged and breaks down. Communication can sometimes be not effective because of difference in culture, difficulties in own life (making it difficult to concentrate), negative feelings about the person I am speaking to or getting upset about what they are saying-leading to conflict, not listening effectively, tiredness, feeling unwell, noise, inappropriate environment. Some of my colleagues with whom I work are perfectionists, who like to see that everything is completed in a precise way while others feels that, as long as the job is done, the end result does not have to be perfect. An example in my setting is about displaying the children work: some of us believe that children’s work should be displayed attractively but does not have to be perfect but some of us consider differently. A very important aspect of the communication is body-language and non-verbal communication. This is one of things that we often do not pay enough attention-our body language. Argyle (1978) pointed out that non-verbal communication can have as much as five times the impact on a person’s understanding compare to the words spoken. Therefore, it is vital I ensure that my body actions match my speech in order to get my message across. My ability to respect and accept diversity it is very important as we live in a multi-cultural society and there are also differences in the values that people hold. Each colleague have a different type of character, just like myself, others have their own feelings, values and attitudes and sometimes these may clash with how we see the world. I may not share their views but, as a leader in my setting I do have to show tolerance of these views. There are four important key steps that can be identifying when dealing with any conflict: 1. describe the actual conflict and define it well; 2. listen actively to all parties to fully understand the issues 3. emphasise the benefit of finding a way forward 4. reaching an agreement According to Craine (2007) ‘people facing change often go through a cycle of emotions similar to those experienced when faced with the death of a loved one’. If I want to understand and communicate well with my team members I must listen to each one of them to what they are saying. Active listening shows that the staff members have been heard. Communication and encouraging the people to share their thoughts and concerns are always better than allowing situations to fester. Regularly team meetings is a way to decrease potential conflict.

Essay about a doll house - 1558 Words

â€Å"A Doll House† Henrik Ibsen play â€Å"A Doll House,† written in 1879, focuses on a story of a disparaging role of women in Victorian society through his doll motif, played out in Nora’s sudden distaste for her home. Throughout the play there are many examples of Nora’s husband Torvald treating Nora in an insulting manner because she’s a woman. Torvald calls her little pet names, and states that she’s frail. Nora does things according to what Torvald wants. Everything is done by his standards. He also doesn’t allow her to have much freedom. He doesn’t let decisions to be made by Nora. Torvald makes comments that suggest Nora could never understand anything, just because she is a woman. These examples show that feminism is a theme†¦show more content†¦She explains that Torvald doesn’t know that she paid for it. Rank leaves the study and begins to speak with Nora and Linde. He complains about the moral corruption in society. Krogstad arrives and goes to the study to talk to Torvald about keeping his job. A few minutes later, he leaves and Rank comments that Krogstad is one of the most morally corrupt people in the world. Rank and Linde leave, and Krogstad re-enters. He tells Nora to ask her husband to keep Krogstad at the bank, or else. If she doesn’t, he will reveal Nora’s crime of forgery to him. Krogstad leaves and when Torvald re-enters, Nora asks him not to fire Krogstad. Torvald says that he must fire him because of his dishonesty and because he gave Krogstad’s job to Linde. The nurse, Anne-Marie, enters and gives Nora her ball gown. Anne-Marie explains that she had to leave her children to take the job taking care of Nora. Linde returns and begins to help Nora with stitching up her dress. They talk for a while about Dr. Rank. Torvald enters and Linde leaves to the nursery. Nora asks Torvald again not to fire Krogstad and he refuses. 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