The Character Of Bully In The Clay Marble By Minfong Ho

In the book ‘The Clay Marble’ written by Minfong Ho, several interesting characters are introduced. Although Chnay is a minor character in the story he has an important role to play. The complex nature of this character changes greatly from beginning to end, giving the reader much to think about as the story unfolds. In the beginning he is portrayed as a bully to the young children inside the Cambodian refugee camp, destroying the artwork they would make out of clay. Later in the story he becomes aligned with the main character, Dara, and helps her on her journey through the wilderness to find her family. Eventually throughout the story the author develops Chnay into a helpful child rather than a destructible one, helping the young girl†¦show more content†¦Though he tries hard to hide it, his innate goodness shows through his tough exterior. Chnay is also a dynamic character due to the transformation of his attitude and personality. In the beginning he is this mean and ferocious child, bullying other children who are minding their own business. The children fear Chnay because when he first appears, he has fire ants running up and down his arm, biting him. He tells them that it doesn’t harm him, which makes them even more fearful of him (p. 30). Later, however, when the bombs are being dropped and Dara is separated from her family, he has a change of heart. He gives Dara information about where her family could be. When she asks him if he would like to accompany her, he surprisingly agrees (p. 57). We see further evidence of Chnay’s character later when he meets up with Dara and offers her his last bits of food. The author writes, â€Å"Chnay glanced at me, then rummaged in his pockets. He brought out a handful of cold rice wrapped in a a strip of banana leaf. ‘Here, take it,’ he said, squatting beside me† (p. 56). Although he puts up a front of being cruel and heartless, he actually does have feelings and sympathy for others. It is evident from this event that despite his tough guy persona, he dose crave friendship and acceptance from others. Chnay’s character traits also include leadership ability and resourcefulness. Without his help and guidance in the search for her

Order From Chaos Analyzing And Evaluating The Hellenic...

Order from Chaos: Analyzing and Evaluating the Hellenic Creation Myth through the Lens of Biblical Tradition Greek mythology is often understood through the lens of analyzing a dead religion; it is assumed that the influence of such myths is passive and fixed, only effecting the lives of those already long gone, whereas the very nature of such myths is to be active, dynamic, and illuminative. I, like many others with Greek heritage, rarely engage actively with the ancient Hellenic myths. Despite this, it is valuable to understand their place in the broader western culture as a counterpoint to the now ubiquitous Biblical narrative of creation. While attempting to achieve the same goals of revealing the natural world and the nature of man, the two traditions show drastically different perspectives on the nature of the divine. While the creation myth found in Genesis stressed the ordered creation of the world, the Greek tradition is inherently chaotic. The myth begins with the god Chaos, himself, living for centuries alone in the void until he â€Å"grew tired of living alone† and created the goddess Earth and the underworld of Tartarus (Stephanides). Through this segment alone, it is clear the divergence of perspective within the traditions. Whereas in the Biblical myth, God creates only what is good and evilness comes later through only corruption of God’s creation, in the Greek tradition there is a clear understanding of good and evil being a direct duality of each other.

Social Stratification Free Essays

Question: What are the causes of social stratification in the Caribbean? Throughout our lives, there must have been some form of categorization whether your complexion or financial status. Even in today’s society, people are judged and put into groups based on their race or even sometimes religion. This is known as Social Stratification. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Stratification or any similar topic only for you Order Now This however could not be possible without a diversed Caribbean that is present today. Cultural Diversity then speaks about the different ethnic traditions such as custom, race and language that are found in the society. Take for example Jamaica that has a motto â€Å"Out of Many One People†. This can be seen as a perfect example as many different races or ethnic groups reside in Jamaica and widely the Caribbean. As a result, a means of Social Stratification takes place in the society. Mohammad (2007) states that it is a ranking system which organizes or places persons in the society in a hierarchy. In addition, it can be classified as a characteristic of society as it appears to be present in most of our Caribbean islands. Although this is viewed as a form of inequality, the system was derived from events that took place some years ago. The main causes of social stratification are the Plantation System, Emancipation and Social Mobility. Historically, this system started on the fields of the sugar plantation. The persons who toiled in the hot sun in the fields were known as slaves and were viewed as the â€Å"lesser people†. Their masters however were the opposite as they had all the power and wealth so they were seen as more highly and respectable individuals. A distinction between them had begun as the gap between them had gotten bigger due to the mobility of the masters. A hierarchy was built and the slaves could be seen at the bottom due to the bias judgment of the pigment of their skin. During this period of history according to Greenwood (2003), a middle class was also developed owning to the fact that not all persons were classified as slaves or whites. Therefore a middle class was now a part of the hierarchy and they were called the mulattos. These sets of people were still judged on the colour of their skin and the materialistic things that they owned. This brought much segregation and division among them because of the differing cultures and the whites believing that they were better than others around them. Emancipation which took place years after the Plantation System with the slaves also helped with Social stratification that most Caribbean islands are experiencing now. Emancipation is the period in history when many of the African slaves got freed. Despite the fact that freeing the slaves was indeed an advantage to them, it brought a negative effect. With freedom came the advantage of schooling and getting educated, however not many persons were able to go forward with it. There was a division among the Blacks or the ex-slaves as only the better ones were able to get the chance to be taught. When this took place, many of the ex-slaves felt that they were lesser than even their own race or group and so there was categorizing present as even the whites were then divided into two groups, the Petite and the Blancs. This caused much hatred among them as social status made them feel as though they were superior to others. With the use of the hierarchy, there must have been some movement of persons whether up or down the ranking of the social ladder. This is known as social mobility; which even in today’s society it is taking place. It is even taking place as we speak. Mohammed (2007) states â€Å"Education is the primary means of accessing social mobility throughout the region† (p. 65). It is through education that most of the Caribbean leaders rise to such high authority or positions. Even in today’s society, it is the persons who are wealthy and are of light complexion that gets recognition for jobs and positions. Everyone else who falls below that, is classified as poor and is in the lower class on the hierarchy. Weber argues that social class is primarily based on power, prestige or status. In conclusion it can be said that social stratification all started from the days of slavery and even nowadays persons are still being ranked on race, colour, sex, religion and finance. References Greenwood, R. , Hamber, S. (1980). Arawaks to Africans. Macmillan Publishers Limited Mohammed, J (2007). Caribbean Studies for Cape Examinations. Macmillan Publishers Limited http://wps. prenhall. com/ca_ph_macionis_sociology_5/23/6031/1544046. cw/index. html http://www. youthlinkjamaica. com/cxc/sociology20030916. html http://stmarys. ca/~evanderveen/wvdv/class_relations/social_stratification. htm How to cite Social Stratification, Papers