The Headstrong Historian By Kurt Vonnegut - 1043 Words

A short story about a dystopian future in which everyone is equal and a short story about a Nigerian family reclaiming their history, on the surface, seem unalike, but Kurt Vonnegut’s â€Å"Harrison Burgeron† and Chimanda Ngozi Adichie’s â€Å"The Headstrong Historian† bear a strong resemblance when further examined. â€Å"Harrison Burgeron† and â€Å"The Headstrong Historian†, while seemingly different stories, share many similar themes and ideas. While â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† mainly considers people’s concept of equality this is not the central theme of â€Å"The Headstrong Historian†. They both delve into the theme of oppression. Vonnegut wrote â€Å"Harrison Burgeron† in 1961 while Adichie wrote â€Å"The Headstrong Historian† in 2008. Vonnegut’s short story was written in the midst of the Cold War, suggesting a potential connection to the ideas of communism and socialism. Adichie is a writer famous for her work in which she closely examines African culture. On a surface level, these stories could not seem more different. â€Å"Harrison Burgeron† and â€Å"the Headstrong Historian† obviously have completely different settings. The beginning of â€Å"Harrison Burgeron† informs the reader that it takes place in the United States in the year 2081. The majority of â€Å"The Headstrong Historian† takes place in West Africa in the late 1800s and early 1900s. â€Å"Harrison Burgeron† takes place in a society where change seems to be nowhere in sight. In â€Å"The Headstrong Historian†, Nwamgba finds herself in â€Å"a world that increasingly made no

Mise en scene Essay Example For Students

Mise en scene Essay Give a detailed commentary on a sequence, or sequences from a film of your choice in terms of two of the any of the following: mise-en-scene; editing; use of colour; lighting; sound; special effects.  The film I have chosen is Goodfellas directed by Martin Scorsese in 1990, based on the novel by Nicholas Pileggi Wiseguy. The reason for this is that it gained many awards for the cinematography used and partly through personal preference. The scene I have chosen is called Cast of characters; Tommys a funny guy. This is the post-transitional scene from when the lead character was an adolescent to becoming a young man. The purpose of the scene is basically to establish his friends and the social community in which he associates with. The main influence as to why I chose this scene is that of the cinematographic content and technical structure in relation to the film narration. I have chosen to discuss the sound elements of the scene and mise-en-scene. I chose sound as it is a key element in the structure of the narration and form of the scene. I chose to discuss mise-en-scene as the relationship of each element involved has important significance to the cinematography. The sequence is set in Sonnys Bamboo Lounge, a lounge bar and a regular mafia types hang out, in down town New York, 1963. Sound  There are three main types of sound in the world of cinema and I will be looking at them individually but some in more depths than others. The three types are dialogue, music and sound effects. All the sounds you hear in the sequence are parallel, which means that they are parallel to the context of what we see.  The majority of the dialogue we hear during the sequence is that of the lead character Henry Hill, and is in the form of narration, or so it seems. There is minor dialogue from the supporting characters but does not play a significant part in the construction of the film narrative or sequence in question. A copy of the original draft of the script can be found in the appendix. There is music playing all the way through the scene. The music is relevant to the time period the sequence is constructed in and is significant in the role of setting the mood.  Diegetic sound is any voice, musical passage or sound effect presented as originating from a source within the films world. Diegetic sounds included in the sequence are broken down into specific categories, which include dialogue, narration (although narration is considered non-diegetic sound, in this particular scene the explanation would suggest otherwise) music and some sound effects. The music in the scene is represented as coming from a source within the sequence and therefore is regarded as diegetic sound. But at the same time it acts as background music because it adds to mood of the lounge bar, it is the type of music you would expect to hear in a New York lounge bar in that era. The music plays throughout and mutes for the narration of the lead character when required. This is purely for communication purposes and that as viewers, it subtlety suggests that we listen. The sequence takes place in a bar lounge, filled with people so the constant muffle of people talking can be heard throughout. The significance of the muffled background talking is that it gives logic to the setting of which we see. We would expect to hear this kind of noise if we were in a lounge bar, filled with people. With the use of sound and vision we create logic in our heads that is taken on subconsciously. This technique is present in the sequence. .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16 , .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16 .postImageUrl , .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16 , .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16:hover , .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16:visited , .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16:active { border:0!important; } .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16:active , .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16 .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua8b9d75f4eb0fa13a2657a02ccda7d16:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Movie Summary - Lawrence of Arabia EssayThe narration is represented as an internal diegetic sound. This is evident through the actual meanings of the terms. Non-diegetic sound is sound, such as music or narrators commentary represented as coming from a source outside the narrative. The narration of the scene comes as a direct commentary from inside the narrative and also crosses over with the combination of dialogue. Internal diegetic sound is represented as coming from the mind of the character within the story space. Although the character and we can hear it, we assume that the other characters cannot. Narration means, the process through which the plot conveys or withh olds story information. The narration can be more or less restricted to character knowledge and more or less deep in presenting characters mental perceptions and thoughts. The point where the narration and dialogue interact is highlighted below; Henry Hill Voiceover:  And Jimmy two times, who got that nickname because he said everything twice. Like you wanna go get the papers, get the papers.  The reason for the use of this technique in the sequence is to put the viewer is put in the head of the character. It creates a point of view impression. This is also achieved through the use of cinematography, which will be discussed later. The sound in the sequence is notably simultaneous sound, diegetic sound represented as occurring at the same time in the story as the image it accompanies. It is also known as synchronous sound as it is matched temporarily with the movements occurring in the images, as when dialogue corresponds to lip movement. This is simply to retain the logic of sound and vision coming together. If sound and vision did not correspond, you would represent a different perception of the films narrative. The lead character Henry Hill, who maintains a certain speech pattern throughout the scene, conducts the voiceover. The pace of his voice is seemingly a fraction slower than average, it seems to be in sync with the camera movements, which enhances the effect of the point of view technique. The tone of voice creates a sense of relaxation by sounding quite muted and monotonous. The volume of his voice remains low and constant throughout the sequence, which adds to the creation of mood and tone. There is no emotion in his voice, but it sounds descriptive which is what the character is doing, describing his associates. Sound effects include the clinking of glasses as people toast, background noises such as people talking in muffled voices and as the voiceover is underway, the music plays the role of background music.  Sound perspective in this sequence is in relation to vision perspective. You hear the sounds you would expect to hear i.e. glass smash 3 feet away from you, high volume; glass smash 30 feet away from you, low volume. Sound representation in this sequence is used to its potential in relation of setting the mood and establishing narrative form.  The voiceover technique used is very effective in achieving the goal of creating a point of view position for the viewer. This is attained through the use of techniques discussed above. The combination of sound and vision in the sequence is used successfully to achieve the effect of establishing mood and atmosphere, relative to the narrative form.

From Julius Caesar to Hamlet Essay Essay Example

From Julius Caesar to Hamlet Essay Essay The comparing between Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Hamlet in footings of how implied. or latent elements and subjects in one were transmitted and developed in the other can take to unveiling the transmutations Shakespeare was imagining with the authorship of Hamlet. In the Introduction to the 1987 Oxford University Press edition of Hamlet. G. R. Hibbard stated that â€Å"Hamlet was written after. but non long after. Julius Caesar. which can be dated with unusual truth as holding been compose in the late summer of 1599† ( 4 ) . From the statements that Hibbard gives to back up his statement ( that there are two allusions in the text of Hamlet to Julius Caesar ) we can see the strong connexions between the two dramas. We will write a custom essay sample on From Julius Caesar to Hamlet Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on From Julius Caesar to Hamlet Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on From Julius Caesar to Hamlet Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In a manner. both Julius Caesar and Hamlet represent thresholds in the development of Shakespeare’s dramatic art. However. Hamlet moves in a different way. If Julius Caesar is set in a distant yesteryear and can merely suggest to the humanist subjects in Shakespeare’s universe. Hamlet shifts the tone of Shakespeare’s plays to a more private and Elizabethan centre of involvement. This paper argues that the subjects and motives that were simply suggested or hinted to or implied in Julius Caesar and which were intricately developed in Hamlet are important in finding the specificity of Shakespeare’s subsequently historical calamities. The analysis of devices. motives and subjects in the two dramas will exemplify this statement. The device of foreground processing is employed in Julius Caesar in the first act as a warning mark to Caesar from the Soothsayer. It is a clear and unmistakable portents of Julius Caesar’s decease. particularly given the drama’s historical foundation. This device is used in this drama merely to trip the struggle – the decease of Caesar will bring forth the existent play. Because of its deficiency of ambiguity and its limited dramatic span. the prefiguration in Julius Caesar does non hold the same impact as it does in Hamlet. In Hamlet. the device of boding becomes a trigger for the play’s declaration and besides represents the dramatic subtext which drives the whole concatenation of events towards the tragic terminal. In Act 1 Scene 1. we witness the phantom of the shade of Hamlet’s male parent. This episode is marked by the usage of particular imagination and allusions. Horatio gives the decisive statement in placing the shade with tthe murdered male monarch. The shade figure is clearly employed in this first act as a agency of foreshadow ing non merely the struggle of the narrative but besides its declaration: â€Å"This bodes some unusual eruption to our state† ( The Calamity of Hamlet 148 ) . The image of Fortinbras is another baleful motive by which Shakespear alludes to the ulterior developments in the drama. Furthermore. the reader is given a preliminary account of the Medieval codification of award. by which the king’s boy has to revenge his father’s decease. The narrative of Fortinbras and his male parent analogues and motivates the complex relationship between Hamlet and his ain male parent. Duty is presented as a important motive. which determines the hero’s actions and even consciousness. Another component which is merely suggested in Julius Caesar is the characters’ ambivalency – no character is basically â€Å"evil† or â€Å"bad† . Brutus. before make up ones minding to fall in the plotters. reprobate this act: They are the cabal. O confederacy Shamest 1000 to demo thy unsafe forehead by dark. When immoralities are most free? O. so by twenty-four hours Where wilt 1000 happen a cavern dark enough/ To dissemble thy monstrous countenance? Seek none. confederacy ; † ( Julius Caesar. Act 2 Scene 1 ) . Brutus is hence shown to hold a moral scruples. a scruples dramatically and fatally opposing his actions. The paradox of a baronial man’s evil actions might happen its account through an analysis of Hamlet’s monologue at the terminal of the first act. Hamlet’s monologue and corruptness in the forth scene points to a specific image thought Shakespeare had about the human head and behaviour: it appears that the seeds of immorality can be ingrained in the most baronial of liquors or. conversely. that goodness can be the host of immorality. This characteristic is presented in fatalistic and deterministic footings and becomes another motive for the tragic declaration: So. oft it opportunities in peculiar work forces That for some barbarous mole of nature in them As. in their birth – wherein they are non guilty [ †¦ ] Oft interrupting down the pickets and garrisons of ground Or by some wont that excessively much o’er-leavens [ †¦ ] Shall in the general animadversion take corruptness From that peculiar mistake ( The Calamity of Hamlet. 181 ) The concatenation of events taking to the fatal stoping is therefore linked to the pronouncement of â€Å"blind fate† . By highlighting the ambivalency of human nature. Shakespeare gives a more complex position on his characters’ motivational resorts and transcends the restrictions of a completely â€Å"good† or a wholly â€Å"evil† theoretical account. In another scene. the King admits to his holding murdered Hamlet’s male parent. He is presented as holding stabs of guilt – â€Å"May one be pardoned and retain th’offence? † ( The Calamity of Hamlet. 273 ) : O. my offense is rank. it smells to heaven. It has the cardinal eldest expletive upon’t – A brother’s slaying. Pray can I non. ( The Calamity of Hamlet. 272 ) . Cluadius’ inquiries show the character in a new. humanising visible radiation. which eliminates the image of the stereotypic scoundrel. Many of the elements that are merely latent. or implied. in Julius Caesar. are to be to the full found in Hamlet’s monologues. The motive of Brutus’ self-destruction. for case. which is non to the full developed in the drama. becomes one of the subjects of contemplation in Hamlet’s monologues. Hamlet’s considerations on self-destruction. on the other manus. lucubrate much on this subject. There are several acceptions which are discussed in the protagonist’s monologues and they are testimony to Shakespeare’s penetration of the human head: For who would bear the whips and contempts of clip. [ †¦ ] To grunt and sudate under a weary life. But that the apprehension of something after decease. The undiscovered state. from whose bourn No traveller returns. puzzles the will. ( The Calamity of Hamlet. 240-241 ) Furthermore. in another transition. Hamlet gives another reading of his ain reluctance to perpetrate self-destruction. which is presented in visible radiation of the protagonist’s fright of God and societal position: The oppressor’s incorrect. the proud man’s contumely. The stabs of disprized love. the law’s hold. The crust of office. and the spurns That patient virtue of the unworthy takes. † ( The Calamity of Hamlet. 240 ) . Closely linked to this subject. there is the impression of the amour propre of being which is merely implied in Julius Caesar through the foreground processing of the emperors’ rise and autumn and in the analogues drawn in this regard among Julius Caesar. Mark Anthony and Brutus. However. this subject is non to the full problematized in the drama – likely because it does non come in understanding with the historical and philosophical repertory of Ancient Rome. In Hamlet. nevertheless. this subject becomes prevailing and one of the character’s privileged objects of contemplation. The â€Å"What is a man† monologue intimations to the vanitas vanitatum of Renaissance and humanist doctrine of the finiteness of adult male and of the ultimate insignificance of all earthly ownerships. Furthermore. Hamlet’s monologue incorporates another one of the humanist concerns. which was that of the perfectibility of man’s spirit and fate through God-given linguistic communication and idea: What is a adult male If his head good and market of his clip Be but to kip and feed? A animal. no more ( The Calamity of Hamlet. 298 ) . To reason. this paper has illustrated the ways in which subjects and motives which were latent in Julius Caesar are given prominence in Hamlet. particularly through the protagonist’s monologues. In a manner. it is the really displacement from the predomination of the oratorical address and its dialogic character in Julius Caesar to the primacy of the monologue and its monological quality in Hamlet that provides the key for understanding the grounds behind the elaboration of devices and subjects from one drama to the other. With Hamlet. Shakespeare’s historical calamities become more intimate and. at the same clip. more openly philosophical and cosmopolitan.

Relationship in the Tempest Essays

Relationship in the Tempest Essays Relationship in the Tempest Paper Relationship in the Tempest Paper Essay Topic: The Tempest Prospero and Mirandas relationship in the Tempest is a strongly bonded one. However, Prospero has a very strict control over Miranda, especially any aspects relating to sexual relations. Prospero loves having and controlling power, and Miranda is another thing to add to his list, which he can have complete power over. Like every parent and their children, they are bound to have arguments at some points through their life, but these hardly change the relationship between them. In the time that Shakespeare was writing this play, woman played less important roles in society that men did, so we have to take this into account. There are also many different ways in interpreting what Shakespeare has said, so sometimes, we have to choose what we, ourselves think is right. From the beginning of the play, we can tell that Prospero and Mirandas relationship is a strong one, when Prospero uniforms her of their past. Miranda is obviously very close to her father, because when he tells Miranda about being usurped by his false brother Antonio, this immediately provokes hatred in Miranda. If she wasnt so close to her father, and did not love him as much, then she wouldnt have been so moved by what she just heard. She says:  I should sin  To think but nobly of my Grandmother;  Good wombs have born bad sons.  This quotation expresses her disbelief in the feat of such a good and honourable woman producing such an evil son. We can see just how much love Prospero has for Miranda when Prospero tells the audience, about when they left Milan on an unworthy boat, in a storm, when Miranda was quite young. Prospero says:  Thou was thou did preserve me.  The word preserve seems to show that even when he was crying and groaning, Miranda was what kept him going, kept him determined to survive. This shows how strong their relationship is and how much love that Prospero has for Miranda even though some of the time; he does not always show it. Since arriving on the island, Prospero has had to do a lot of things for Miranda, including p being her tutor, as there are no teachers on the island to educate Miranda:  Have I thy schoolmaster, made thee more profit  Than other princes.  Because Prospero is such a great man, he has been able to give her better education than other princes. The love and kindness in the relationship is reciprocal, as Miranda expresses her gratefulness towards her father:  Heavens thank you fort.  Next the audience witness Prospero using his magic in order to lull Miranda to sleep so that he might have to chance to speak with his magical sprite Ariel. In this way, Prospero uses sleep to separate his family life and his business of bringing his enemies to justice. Miranda says:  The strangeness of your story put  Heaviness in me. Shakespeare uses this power of Prosperos to allow sub-plots into the play, and even mystery in the plot, and the characters within the play. For example, the audience is aware of Prosperos dialogue with Ariel and the history of Ariel, Sycorax and Caliban whereas Miranda is ignorant of this. Prospero may have wished to protect Mirandas innocence by putting her to sleep so that she would not know about Ariel or his torment as a result of the witch Sycorax. Whatever the reason, Prospero uses sleep to remove the complications, so that he may speak with Ariel openly without having to answer any questions of explain anything to Miranda. However, other people may take this power as the easy way out, and that he cannot be bothered to explain anything to Miranda. To others, it may seem that he is keeping something from his daughter, and he shouldnt be doing this. I believe that the first reason is the real reason, but we are left to make our own choice.  Prospero shows great caring towards Miranda, and a good example of this is after Ariel and Prospero have spoken, and it is Mirandas turn to awake:  Awake, dear heart, awake; thou has slept  Well.  The words dear heart express the caring feeling towards Miranda, and also shows us what Miranda possesses.

The Strategic Marketing Plan for Spicy Toddy Wine Essay

The Strategic Marketing Plan for Spicy Toddy Wine - Essay Example The important USP is the introduction of preferential selling days, on selected weekends and holidays, with attractive offers to improve the sales during the weekend and holiday tours. Also an excellent network of sales distribution channels to support the sales outlet is also envisaged in the process. Long-term success depends on having satisfied pool of customers and hence customer retention initiatives also have a major role in the promotion of Spicy Toddy Wine. The primary sales outlets are the key places where the youth is expected to spend considerable amount of time during their leisure. The adventure sport centers, beaches, movie halls and commercial places are the locations where the Spicy Toddy Wine would prefer to consolidate its sales. The distribution channels would be tailored appropriately to support the sales at this location. Though the sugar syrups are reported to have stored for more than a year without any damage, the health consciousness of the population could result in the intuition of avoiding the products with the extended shelf life (foodbanter.com, n.d.). Thus the concentrated selling points with the necessary promotions would demand a highly efficient distribution channels to support the sales. The channels of distribution are also created to ensure a proper supply linkage to the prime tourist places where the product would be pushed as an exclusive product of the region. Further, the logistics in distribution is planned very carefully (Kotler and Armstrong, 2001). The entire chain starts with primary processing centers located in prime palm growing regions. The natural toddy pooled from local producers is processed to remove any microbial contaminants and checked for its purity and product acceptability as per the FDA regulations. The quality control team has diverse role like ensuring the quality at all processing and bottling centers and quality at the delivery locations. The quality assurance is more rigorous in the places where wine vending machines are installed. The packing for delivery is also undertaken in variety of ways. From the small sachets for a fast moving individuals, special tour pack which have better bottle in tamper free boxes to prevent any damage in long journeys and home buyer pack which are targeted at home based users. The packed goods are carried to the exclusive sales points being operated in the specially designed chilled vans to prevent any damage to the product. The inventory updating is scheduled for Fridays based on the sales forecast received from sales team. The beer vending machine placed at prime locations are operated only on weekends and holidays. They are refilled on Fridays and emptied and cleaned on Mondays. The vending machine refill operations are managed by a different team as it demands sophistication and better quality in its handling. In addition, the exclusive weekend parlors are the special centers which were set up to monitor the direct sales and to understand the buying behavior of customers and h ence to develop means to improve the delivery. Marketing Mix: Customer Relationship Management Retention of customers in the most difficult part in the business of wines

The life of a Geriatric Person Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The life of a Geriatric Person - Research Paper Example Although they were not poor, they did not enjoy the luxuries of life. Education was the most important thing for her mother. She said that if she wanted a new dress, her mom would ask her, â€Å"What is more important, the dress or being able to go to school?† This question has made her realize the value of education. Often, she said, she would ask the same question to her grandchildren who would ask for the latest gadget from their parents. She hopes that her grandchildren too would realize the importance of education. In order to graduate in college, she had to take odd jobs since her father passed away when she was just in high school. Her mother could not afford to pay for their schooling. She worked as a sales clerk at a bookstore. It was this job that developed her love for books. During lean hours at the store, she would often get a book to read. This job also was also instrumental in her pursuit for a college degree. At age 22, she married the love of her life, Roger who was a classmate from college. She had eight wonderful children from the marriage. Even with eight children, she was able to balance her time as a wife, mother and a supervisor at a multi-national company. She considered her life at that time difficult because financial problems would always set in. Her husband was an ordinary salesman and her earnings as an employee was not enough to feed eight children. It was not easy, but with God’s help, they always survived whatever crisis they faced. But in 1980, the greatest tragedy happened to her. Roger suddenly died of a heart attack. She said that was the lowest point in her life. She was left alone to support her children who were all still in school, except for one who was working already. But again, relying on God’s help and the support of her family, she was able to overcome that obstacle. She is now savoring the fruits of her labor. She now has eight professional ch ildren. All are happily married and

Issues and Traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Essay Example for Free

Issues and Traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Essay Religion takes on many different forms and there are several definitions in as many languages used to describe the practices. For the purposes of this paper, the following basic definition will be used. Religion is the belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. Also, a personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship (Company, 2000). This paper will examine three major religions of today: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. An attempt will be made to identify the top two current issues each religion faces as well as look at two sacred traditions and study the significance and major characteristics of each. Judaism Judaism is monotheistic in nature and has been described as a religion, a race, a culture, and a nation. All of these descriptions have some validity to them but Judaism is best described by some as an extended family (Rich, 2006). This extended family consists of four movements Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist. All of which, still find themselves victims of discrimination known as anti-Semitism which is based on stereotypes and myths and often invokes the belief that Jews have extraordinary influence with which they conspire to harm or control society. For those Jews living in the Middle East there is also the very real danger and threats from a powerful country possibly in possession of nuclear weapons. The president of Iran threatened them publicly with annihilation. Discrimination and threats of violence Jews are a very real part of Jewish life but there are just as many positive popular time honored traditions that exists still today. One of which is the wedding tradition. The tradition begins with the husband signing a Ketabuh, the groom’s marital contractual obligation to the bride. The groom is then led to the Chuppah, a tarp this symbolizes their future home together. The bride is led in with singing and dances and then she circles the groom seven and comes to stand to the right of him. After several additional steps the marriage is blessed and ends in a wedding feast. Another Jewish tradition performed prior to Yom Kippur is called the ceremony of kapparot. The practice was first discussed at the beginning of the ninth century. It was believed that the sins of an individual could be transferred to a fowl, a rooster for men and a hen for women. The fowl was to be held over the head and swung in a circle three times while the following was spoken: This is my exchange, my substitute, my atonement; this rooster (or hen) shall go to its death, but I shall go to a good, long life, and to peace. (Schwartz, 2009) The fowl was then donated to the poor and hoped to take on any misfortune that might have occurred to the one who took part in the ritual. The primary sacred text used by the Jews is the Torah. Christianity is currently noted to be the largest religion in the world today, with around two billion followers. Christian beliefs center on the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the son of God. Jesus’ teachings focused on the kingdom of God, love of God, and love of one another. Today there are many different views his teachings and the meaning of some forms of love. One of the most controversial topics in the faith today is that of practicing homosexuality. The Christian bible stems from the Jewish sacred text which banned homosexuality of any kind. The bible even talks of God destroying two cities over homosexual behavior (Clark, 2009). Today many leaders condone the behavior and some are even practicing it themselves. While homosexuality may serve as a religious divider here in the U. S. , persecution is served cold as a divisionary disabling tactic abroad. It is the number one issue facing many Christians today, outright discrimination as in the case with Jews as mentioned earlier. In countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, China, Saudi Arabia, and others Christians are being martyred because of their refusal to denounce Christianity. Everyday there are approximately 465 people killed because they will not give up their faith in Jesus (Dearmore, 2009). Most Christians in the U. S. attend a church service of some kind one to three times a week. This is a time honored tradition, just as the wedding tradition is in Judaism. The reason behind this is to participate in a time of fellowship with one another. Normally, the tradition includes worship service, private and corporate prayer, the study and reading of scriptures, and collection of tithes and offerings. There is also the coming together for celebration of special holidays. The most important Christian holiday is Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ and Christmas the celebration of his birth. Christian practices differ by denomination. Easter is a central theme for most if not all denominations. The origin of the word â€Å"Easter† is not certain but it was probably derived from Estre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring (Dreamweaver, 2009). It is a celebration of the central event of the Christian faith, the belief that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day following his death and burial. It is the oldest Christian holiday and the most important day of the church year. There is evidence that the resurrection used to be celebrated every Sunday until some point in the first two centuries when it was agreed to move it to once a year. The sacred text of Christianity is the Bible. Islam The Islamic religion is monotheistic in nature; they follow one God named Allah. The primary meaning of Islam is peace and the prime message is the Unity of God. Islam identifies Jesus and John the Baptist as prophets. They also believe that there will be no other prophet after the prophet Muhammad. One of the primary concerns facing the Muslim community still today is retribution after the terrorists’ attacks of 11 Sept 2001. Many Islamic followers faced discrimination on all fronts because of the fear of their culture and religious stereotyping (Clark, 2009). The attacks on American soil left a scary imprint of terror in the minds and hearts of many. The media portrayal added fuel to the fire and did nothing to ease the tensions caused by the scary pictures of death left behind. Unfortunately, there is also the fight with fundamentalist ideology and division among their own religious sects. Some groups are teaching others to hate Jews, Christians, and Americans as well as others. In the midst of this hate is a tradition of peace and goodwill towards others. One of the most important traditions is the observance of the Five Pillars of Islam. This involves witnessing to the fact that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. The second pillar is Salat, facing toward Mecca, the Holy Land of Muhammad, five times a day and kneeling in prayer. The third pillar is Alms giving, which encompasses giving charitably to other Muslims. The fourth is the performance of a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. Last is to observe fasting during Ramadan. Muslims normally worship in Mosque; they kneel prostrate on small prayer rugs. The rugs may look to be small oriental carpets. Muslims kneel as a sign of humility before God. There is only one requirement that the place of prayer be clean. The rug is approximately one meter in length just long enough for an adult to fit on comfortably. When prayer time comes the rug is placed on the ground with the top pointed in the direction of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. After prayer the rug is immediately folded and put away until next time. The Arabic word for a prayer rug is sajada, which comes from the same root word (SJD) as masjed (mosque) and sujud (prostration) (Huda, What are prayer rugs, and how are they used by Muslims? ). This paper discussed three major religions of today and two current issues that they face. It also examined the characteristics of some of their valued traditions. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have one central theme in common besides the discrimination they all endure; they are all monotheistic in nature. They all believe in their own sacred text, their own version of truth. References http://islam.about.com/od/prayer/f/prayer_rugs.htm http://www.jewfaq.org/judaism.htm http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/kapparot.html