Equal Opportunity Essay Example for Free

Equal Opportunity Essay In this short story, Equal Opportunity, written by Walter Mosely, Minority Socrates Furtlow, faces the dilemma of getting a job. Socrates is an ex-con, having served 27 years in prison. While drunken, he killed two of his good friends, and now lives life as a bumb who goes around collecting bottles and cans for a living. This story tells his struggle to find honorable work as a black man in society because of his background. Because there were no jobs in Socrates neighborhood that would hire him, knowing of his background, finding a job was a complicated task for this African-American, 58 year-old man who hadn’t worked in 37 years. As Socrates travels approximately 14 miles, 3 bus transfers from his apartment in Watts, South Central, Los Angeles, he arrives at Bounty Supermarket to try and get a job. As he enters the store, he wondered what the workers would think of him working there surrounded by money because of his prison background. Socrates, though was a murderer, not a thief! During his job search at Bounty Supermarket, he attempted to retrieve an application. Being a man of his stance, he had already practiced how he would attempt to ask for â€Å"an application. Anton Crier, assistant store manager of Bounty Supermarket, was a young white male who Socrates interacted with during his first visit. Anton was reluctant to give Socrates the time of day, mainly because of his appearance. Anton’s first question to Socrates was â€Å"Uh. How old are you sir? † As an ex-convict, with the stereotype of knowing the law, Socrates knew that this question was a violation of is rights for Equal Opportunity, and he surely informed Anton. Socrates stated to him the law of discrimination, equal opportunity, and his right to basically be given a chance and to at least to turn an application. Determination allowed Socrates to â€Å"demand† his right to fill out the application and wait for a reply, based on the information submitted on the application and simply not his race! After he turned in the application with a borrowed pencil Anton loaned him, he informed Anton and the store manager Halley Grimes of his dilemma of not having a phone, but an address where they could write to him he results of his application. He had to explain to them his address was valid because they were already going trying not accept it based on the fact he did not have a phone . He also questioned them about an information section on the application about his ability to travel to work. The question asked if he had a car? Although he didn’t, he didn’t mind using the public transportation (RTD -Rapid Transportaion District) bus route. Over a five day period, Socrates proved to them both his willingness to work and get there on time even if he was using the bus. He arrived at the supermarket for those five days straight on time, and before 9:30am. On the fourth day, Halley informed him his application had not been accepted and that she had thrown the fax away stating his denial. Unable to produce proof, Socrates called the main office himself, finding out his application was never submitted. In the midst of all this, Halley had also reported that Socrates was a threat to her and was afraid that he would do her harm because of him coming in all the time demanding his application results, knowing that she hadn’t submitted them. So that fifth day when Socrates came to the supermarket for an answer, he was approached by two gentlemen in lieu of his business there. He was called into the manager’s office and then was asked explained to the men, Mr. Parker and Mr. Weems his situation. Surely as they thought about his rights, end up offering Socrates a job at one of their other locations. As Socrates faces dilemma in his position as a black man during the Harlem Renaissance period, he ultimately succeeds in doing what he set out to do†¦.. find a job. As honorable as Socrates claimed he would be while trying to get this job, he ended up lying in the end about another question on the application he had missed. That question is the one who would identify him as a felon for his past mishaps. As appreciation for Mosely’s short story, one must believe that Socrates and many other African-Americans struggled to be successful, and to survive during this time period. This story tells the struggle of a man who just wanted to work to survive, and that knowing his rights and acting on them with patience and non-violence helped him get what he wanted eventually!

Michael Collins :: essays research papers

Michael Collins played a major part in Ireland's history after 1916. Michael Collins had been involved in the Easter Uprising in 1916, but he played a relatively low key part. It was after the Uprising that Collins made his mark leading to the treaty of 1921 that gave Ireland dominion status within the British Empire. Michael Collins was born in October 1890 in County Cork. This area was a heartland of the Fenian movement. His father, also called Michael, instilled in his son a love of Irish poetry and ballads. At school, Michael was taught by a teacher called Denis Lyons who belonged to the Irish Republican Brotherhood and the village blacksmith, James Santry, was a Fenian. He told the young Michael stories of Irish patriotism and in such an environment, Michael grew up with a strong sense of pride in Ireland and of being Irish. When he was 15, Collins emigrated to London. He worked as a clerk for the Post Office and he lived within the large Irish community in London. This community was never absorbed into London's society itself. There were many people in London who felt that the Irish undercut the wages paid out to other workers and many in the Irish community felt ostracised. While in London, Collins joined Sinn Fein and the Gaelic League and in 1909, he became a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. In 1916, Collins returned to Ireland to take part in the Uprising in Dublin. He fought alongside others in the General Post Office. He played a relatively minor part and was not one of the leaders who was court-martialed. Collins was sent to Richmond Barracks and then to Frongoch internment camp in Wales. He was released in December 1916 and immediately went back to Ireland. His goal now was to revitalise the campaign to get independence for Ireland. Collins was elected to the executive committee of Sinn Fein and he led a violent campaign against anything that represented British authority in Ireland - primarily the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and the Army. The murder of RIC officers brought a tit-for-tat policy from the British. Ireland, post-World War One, was a dangerous country to be in. The more killings that were carried out by Collins and the men he led in the newly formed Irish Republican Army (IRA), the more the British responded with like. The notorious Black and Tans and the 'Auxies' were used by the British Army to spread fear throughout Ireland (though primarily in the south and west).

In this chapter the writer uses the setting of the chapter to explain the feeling of all the main characters Essay

In this chapter the writer uses the setting of the chapter to explain the feeling of all the main characters. When we first meet the family they are walking down a road which is all dirty and surrounded by dirt. The nature around them is dying out or rotting. This we can apply to both characters feeling; Micheal feels like his marriage spoiled or ruined his chance of a good life or any fortunes. Whereas Susan feels like she is dying or has died in Micheal’s heart since he is ready to sell her like he would’ve sold a horse in an auction. Hardy uses nature many times in this chapter. At one time when Micheal is auctioning Susan we are told that a sparrow flies in and everyone watches the sparrow till it disappears. This could in fact be showing us Susan’s position. Everyone watches her till she is able to go out of the tent with Newson the sailor. Hardy uses a lot of contrast to show the readers Micheal’s two sides, in this chapter. In the last chapter we saw Micheal in his drunken state which was his dark side. We saw his greed and bad temper. In chapter 2 though we see Micheal when he is sober and when he finds out what he has done. He shows determination in finding his wife and takes responsibility, however even in this chapter we see Micheals bad side when he blames Susan for being simple minded enough to think the auction was binding. Also we see his negative points when he is too proud of himself to tell people why he is searching for his wife. We straight away see that these two sides of Micheals will be a great factor in this book. In this chapter Hardy relives the walk to Weydon-Priors. Only this time the people walking are in a more loving situation. Also there are two women. The women obviously feel love for each other because they are holding each others hands. The fact that they are both wearing black gowns straight away gives us an idea of why these two women have come back this way. Also this is the first time we see Elizabeth- Jane in her grown up state and we see that she is brought up as a very nice girl. Although we see straight away that she is brought up in a rich lifestyle when she tells her mother that the infirmity tent â€Å"isn’t respectable†. At this point e see for the first time that Hardy adds suspence when he decides to bring Susan back to Micheal. The reader wonders why Susan is so determined to meet him. He main question is why ahs Susan never told Elizabeth when she is old enough to know. Casterbridge is described in great detail and because Hardy has a gift for description we can almost see the town come to life. We also find that the town is eager to spread gossip when two women willingly tell Susan about the gossip of the bread and the town. We can see from detailed point that the public will be a very important point in the book. Micheal also reveals his caring point when he tells the towns people that the wheat is not really safe to eat. We also se that Micheal is true to his oath not to drink, when in his meeting he only drinks water. Near the end of the meeting we see the Angry Micheal side when he makes a sharp retort. We see a description of Farfrae and immediately we can tell that he is the total opposite of Henchard. Both in looks and we think in personality. Also through the names of the pubs and inns we can see that maybe Hardy is trying to make a point. When they go to the three mariners then Hardy could be trying to say that they are among the waves of chance. The fact that chance plays a big role in this novel and especially in this chapter. It’s by chance that Farfrae hears about the corn and has the solution or that Elizabeth-Jane notices him and that they all stay at the three mariners. Also the way Michael misses his family by a few minutes on his way to see the man. We can assume that Hardy is proving the powers working against mankind in this chapter. In this chapter we see little irony when Elizabeth-Jane says that they must stay at the fancy inn yet then gets a job as a serving maid which is not too respectable it self. While we can say that Elizabeth-Jane is making sacrifices for her mother, we can still remember that the town’s people have seen Elizabeth serving them and they will remember her face later on. Also in this chapter we pity Michael when we learn that he is lonely and we guess that what he wants is a business partner or a friend. Farfrae is straight away the person that comes to mind. Though again we see a bit of fickleness in Michael’s attitude when he cannot even remember the old mangers name. Farfrae then decides to sing fro the towns people and its by chance that the people are in the mood for his sad songs and Elizabeth-Jane who has been eyeing him, has her heart set on him. When the townspeople talk to Farfrae we know straight away that he has the ability to charm people and when he sings he is charmed them further. We can assume that the reason that the townspeople like the sad songs is because they feel like the story of the song represents them in a way, with their lost ideals. We can even see a bit of this in Micheal himself. Also Elizabeth-Jane misinterprets the songs that Farfrae sings and when her mother says he Elizabeth assumes it’s about Farfrae. These misunderstandings prove to be a problem later on. In the next chapter wee that both Susan and Micheal have to turn towards the younger generation to save themselves. Susan saves her marriage by sending Elizabeth-Jane with the note to Micheal and Micheal saves his business by begging Farfrae to say on as manager. When Elizabeth-Jane takes the walk through the town it creates a time of suspense because it is stalling the meeting between Micheal and Susan and it cuts the conversation between Micheal and Farfrae. Mostly though it shows us just how much power Micheal ahs in his town socially and business wise. Again we see a contrast between Michael’s sides when at first he acts kindly towards Elizabeth-Jane, when he learns who she is. Also when he sends back Susan five guineas we feel that he is almost trying to buy her back since five guineas are how much was paid for her before. Yet we see his cold side again when he coldly turns down Joshua Jopp about his interview and he has created a new enemy at the same time. Later also Micheal explodes on Elizabeth-Jane and cannot even calm himself down. Also in this chapter we see a proud side of Michael when he asks to see Susan in a secret place and will not see her in public incase they might be seen and found out. Slowly we will see this part of his attitude be a big part of his downfall. In the next chapter when Micheal has asked to see Susan in the ring and we get the description of the place it automatically sets a place for something negative to take place. Almost a place where nothing positive can happen. Hardy backs this himself by saying,’ the boys cannot make this a good cricket field’. This ring is maybe meant to show Hardy’s life in a way that Hardy is known for his architecture and his liking to the Greek mythology in a way. The Roundness representing the coliseum and the positiveness being kept away by ghosts of the past like the killed gladiator or the woman who was strangled. This is like a metaphor in a way to their relationship. Micheal will fall in battle and his control is so tight on Susan it might almost be strangling her. The next chapter gives us an idea of our speculation is chapter 3 about another woman in Micheals life. We learn that this woman is infact living in Jersey. We already know that when a person is included in Hardy’s plots he is never easily forgotten so when we hear about this woman we straight away know she will affect the plot. Again this chapter reveals a lot when Micheal reveals to his ‘best friend’ that he is very lonely and would like a friend. We guess straight away that he ahs also made a mistake when he reveals his whole past to someone he has only known for a day. He tells Farfrae everything and doesn’t think of any consequences that could later occur. We see Farfrae first ability in this chapter after he handles his position very well with his new boss. Even though he has plans to eat alone he decides to dine with Micheal and when he is asked about help on how to handle his problem with the lady in Jersey he gives an answer that could start the first sign of discord between the two people. He tells Micheal that he should firstly tell Elizabeth-Jane the truth about her mother and father and he disagrees and gets rather angry. Yet he forgets that it was him who in the first place told him about all his past secrets. In this chapter we finally see Micheal openly court Susan and then propose to her. Even though this should be good new the whole chapter caries ill will which is mostly carried by the townspeople. We can maybe use the nature’s reaction to show out the feelings of Micheal and Susan. When the two enter the church to get married it is raining quite badly and it is very dark almost showing how the two really feel about each other. Hardy uses these nature effects to show the reader how the two feel about each either. By hiding the meaning of the nature effects it almost showing that the two have hidden their feelings about each other. The townspeople also add most of the uneasiness. They don’t actually know the secret about the wedding but they have an idea that something is not right. They immediately feel that Susan is not at the same class as Micheal which is ironic because Michael is the one with the worst background out of the two. In this chapter we know for sure that something about Elizabeth-Jane is being hidden because not only does Micheal keep going on about her hair colour but he starts asking her to change her second name. Also we find out that Micheal maybe getting rather annoyed with Farfrae when he gets angry at little things that Farfrae says. At one time he even dismisses Farfraes opinion by saying â€Å"don’t take too much thought about things.† Also since Elizabeth-Jane has started growing in her new place she starts to bloom a certain beauty. Yet she still remembers her old lifes

The Battle Of The World War - 2783 Words

Gallipoli; The Battle that should not have been Entering the twentieth century, the possibility of a World War seemed to loom in the clouds for some time. At that point, the world had not yet seen a war as massive as what was to come. Due to an increase in militarism, nationalism, internal conflict, and some key events, war was eminent. Great nations chose sides, and became what would be called the Central Powers or the Allied Powers. Military forces grew a tremendous amount and more nations joined in the fight, as the Great War set the tone for what was to come later in the twentieth century. Great leaders were destined to either fail or ultimately come out on top, or in the case of Winston Churchill, both. Every battle was of†¦show more content†¦The Gallipoli campaign lasted 8 months total and ended in a great victory for the Ottoman Empire. Many circumstances that were unforeseen led to the defeat of the allied troops. Much evidence exists for why this mission failed, often pointing to the unknown and unexpected geogr aphy of the land. Turkish tactics and equipment that soldiers were not prepared to face led to demise of many men of the allied forces. Well placed trenches, tough Turkish barbed wire, machine guns and an inaccurate map can be blamed for the failed mission. Along with those factors, Winston Churchill got more than what he bargained for and make a few key mistakes in his strategy to take the peninsula. June 28th, 1914, Arch-duke Francis Ferdinand of Austria was the victim of an assassination in Bosnia. Now marked as one of the most earth shattering assassinations to take place in the twentieth century, his murder propelled the long awaited outbreak of the Great War, otherwise known as World War I. However, that was not the only cause of World War I, only the event that made the inevitable a reality. Before the assignation for Arch-duke Ferdinand; Nationalism and Militarism played a significant role in increasing tensions. Tensions had been rising between European countries for many years up to that point. Beginning in the nineteenth century, European states were split and organized with hopes to provide peace and avoid conflict. Existing rivalries became more intense, as new nations