Comparing Relationship between Teller and Tale in The Merchant’s Tale a

Relationship between Teller and Tale in The Merchant’s Tale and The Wife of Bathe A relationship is usually seen between the teller of a tale and the tale that he or she decides to share. Chaucer’s pilgrim, the Merchant, uses his feelings on marriage to teach a lesson in his tale. The Wife of Bathe also relies on her life experience to tell her tale. The two relationships in the tales can then be compared. In his prologue, the Merchant recounts how he despises being married. He has only been married for two months and he regrets the decision he made because his wife is the worst of all. He takes these negative views of marriage into his tale. The old man that gets to receive the Merchant’s feelings towards marriage is January. January is happy in his marriage, quite the opposite from the Merchant, yet his wife fools him. The Merchant is blinded by the beauty and vivacity of his young wife, May. He is in love enough with her that he does not immediately understand the affair that is happening behind his back. Even when he catches sight of Da...

Movie Critique revised

One of the most important issues and concerns facing our country today, and throughout history, is racism. Many books and films have been written and developed that deal with the harsh and realistic subject of racism in America today and how it affects American society and people from all walks of life, and no film has done so in such a broad way as Crash. This film follows the stories of multiple characters in Los Angeles, all of whom deal with one aspect of racism or another. For example, there is a police officer who is racist against blacks because of his father, a district attorney and his wife that deal with racism after two black men carjack them one night, and a black man whose brother is involved in gang violence. Each storyline dramatizes one aspect of racism or another, and how different people react to it, and the reasons behind racism in our country. Crash is a well-made film that is valuable for our society because it isn’t afraid to ask very serious and harsh questions about the way we view each other, the reasons behind racism in American society, and questions how far we’ve come as a society as it concerns racism. Crash is an interesting look at how Americans view each other based upon race, even when we do not mean to or are not able to truly see our own deeply rooted assumptions about people based upon the way they look. In one scene in the movie, two young black men are walking down the street philosophizing about how wrong it is that people automatically fear them because they perceive their race and not who they really are. We, the audience, immediately agree with their ideas and begin to feel sorry for them because of the pressures they face in society; however, the scene quickly turns to violence when they pull out guns and carjack a young politician and his wife, who had been eying them suspiciously because of their race. In this instance, the assumptions of the two white people were correct because these young men were carjackers, throwing a whole new aspect of racism and society’s fears into the mix. This scene says a lot about our society and how people make assumptions about each other based upon race, but also is harshly honest about the statistics involving black, inner-city young men in Los Angeles and how many fall into a life of crime. The reasons for this are also delved into in this film, with scenes showing the harshness of ghetto life and the poverty that some live in, with broken families and prejudice. In the film, Detective Graham Waters, and African-American, feels ashamed by his family, who consists of a mother who is addicted to drugs and a brother who is living a life of crime. This film also tackles the issue of why racism develops in our society and how those who has racist beliefs become that way. In one storyline that is developing a police officer is racist, and we see that he has been raised by a racist father, who is now dying of cancer. Throughout the film we find ourselves feeling contempt for these characters because of their personal opinions about race, but at the end the police officer has to go to an insurance company to ask for medical help for his dying father and speaks to an African-American woman at the agency. Knowing about his prejudice, she immediately denies his father any help, leading the son to explain about his how his father had always employed minorities but when minority owned businesses began to get preference, his company could not survive. The son’s bitterness about race seems to have stemmed from his father’s problems. We begin to understand the circumstances surrounding the development of racism in these characters, and feel torn between our understanding and our dislike of racism. Another instance is seen with the young couple that has been carjacked. The woman becomes frightened of African-Americans, and indeed all minorities, because of the two men who pointed a gun at her; yet, in the end she realizes that the kindest person to her is her Hispanic maid. While we do not believe in racism, this film does not make it so easy to choose who is right and who is wrong because it develops all aspects of the people’s experiences. The main purpose of this film seems to be to raise questions about how far we as a society have come in terms of racism and whether or not we’ve overcome this issue in our country. The many different storylines that are taking place throughout the film begs us to look deeper into racism and how it affects everyone in America, especially in large diverse cities like Los Angeles where many different races and ethnicities live side by side. We also see racism between and towards other ethnicities: the hatred that the Persian storeowner has for the Hispanic locksmith, the bigotry shown by one of the black carjackers towards the â€Å"Chinamen† that are being smuggled in the van he takes, and the projections of the district attorney’s wife onto the Hispanic locksmith, Daniel. The one storyline that develops throughout the film that is the finale of the film revolves around a young rookie police officer who picks up an African-American man who is hitchhiking. Throughout the film he has been the one who tries desperately to not be prejudiced and to see everyone equally, but at the end his own inner fears cause him to misinterpret the young man and shoot him out of fear. Officer Hanson thinks that the young man is going to pull a gun on him, but instead pulls out a figure of Saint Christopher. If the man had not been black, the rookie officer would not have had the instinct to fear him; however, both of these characters throughout the film were the least prejudiced of all of the characters. This idea becomes interesting as an important aspect of this film because it is almost a metaphor of the United States and how we are trying desperately to not admit that racism is a problem but in the end, it really is. This is the most important theme of this film because it is the one that is closest to the reality of life in the United States and how racism plays a role in society. Throughout the film Crash there are many instances where we see racism portrayed in a realistic and harsh way, proving to us that racism is very much an issue that is haunting the American people even today. The magic of this film is that it really brings the issue of racism away from just being black or white, bringing to light the gray area that exists. We as Americans are torn between our understanding of certain reasons for racism versus disappointment that there is still racism existing in our society. This film is very entertaining because of the strong cast and the different storylines that all come together into a very informative, thoughtful way, but also enlightening as it achieves its goal of affecting the audience and their beliefs about racism in our society.

Essay The Abuse of the Welfare System - 9684 Words

Welfare was established by the Social Security Act of 1935, and administered by individual states and territories for the government to help poverty stricken children and other dependent persons. Wicipedia defines welfare as money paid by the government to those who are in need of financial assistance, are unable to work, or whose circumstances mean the income they require for basic needs is in excess of their salary (Welfare (financial aid)). This program helped many families survive during The Great Depression and still helps families survive today. Welfare, which was once meant to help individuals reenter society, has been abused and manipulated. The abuse of the Welfare System has become a serious problem. Many dependent persons†¦show more content†¦Reform needed for those who refuse to help themselves, While growing up, I had known two types of welfare recipients: those who received it short term and were embarrassed about it, and those who treated it as their primary source of income. I knew one woman who had a small mob of children and paid all of her bills via the welfare system(Handy). This is just one example of how single mothers (or fathers) can abuse the welfare system to gain more benefits. Lastly, some people on welfare are just to lazy to go get a job. Some people are contempt with sitting around watching daytime T.V. and collecting taxpayers money. While not all welfare receivers are lazy some abuse welfare such as this example, I know a welfare recipient who has two kids and is currently enrolled in college (last semester she made the deans list), who couldnt really make it without some assistance. But on the other end of the spectrum, I know of women who have never held a job and have survived on welfare since Ive known them, and I think if I can work 35 hours a week and take a full course load, they can at least get one damn job(Handy). The system seems too easy to abuse in the first place. As long as one is unemployed and meets al l the qualifications one can receive welfare and if one maintains this status with the intent to get a get a job then he or she remains on the list to receive government money and benefits. Welfare isntShow MoreRelated HOW CAN WE STOP THE ABUSE OF THE AMERICAN WELFARE SYSTEM? Essay2275 Words   |  10 PagesHOW CAN WE STOP THE ABUSE OF THE AMERICAN WELFARE SYSTEM? It is well known that the Social Security Act of 1935 created a federally financed and federally administered retirement insurance program for people who had worked in certain sectors of the economy and had paid payroll taxes on their wages. What is less known is that the Act also created a federally financed but state-administered program called Aid to Dependent Children (â€Å"ADC,† later to become Aid to Families with Dependent Children, orRead MoreShould Welfare Be Reformed?1676 Words   |  7 PagesWelfare, enacted by one of the greatest presidents of the United States’s existence, Mr. Franklin D. Roosevelt, is an effective and useful means to assist American families in need. Throughout history, welfare has proven to help people get back on their feet and into society. Despite the system’s many useful benefits, like most attributes in this world, welfare has kinks in the system. In fact, welfare has yet to be perfected, even though it was established in t he year of 1935 and is still in useRead MoreSocial Workers And Social Work950 Words   |  4 Pageseligibility rules, service delivery systems, and financing (Chapin, 2014, p.186). This paper will explore and analyze the service delivery system and financing of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). Additionally, this paper will examine the achieved outcomes that have been accomplished by the implementation of CAPTA. Children are one of the most vulnerable populations that social workers will assist in the social work profession. The child welfare system encompasses many services thatRead MoreIs Welfare Really Fair?1478 Words   |  6 PagesChance-Gassen ENG 1213 April 1, 2015 Is Welfare Really Fair? Welfare gives individuals the opportunity to get back on track and receive financial aid for their families and themselves. Welfare comes in many forms such as: monetary payments, subsidies and vouchers, or housing assistance. By receiving welfare each individual is responsible for meeting certain criteria. The criteria required to meet is made so that it is made â€Å"fair† to everyone. For welfare to be fair though the rules must be forcedRead MoreThe U.S. Welfare System Essay848 Words   |  4 PagesThe welfare system first came into action during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Unemployed citizens needed federal assistance to escape the reality of severe poverty. The welfare system supplies families with services such as: food stamps, medicaid, and housing among others. The welfare system has played a vital role in the US, in controlling the amount of poverty to a certain level. Sadly, the system has been abused and taken for granted by citizens across the countr y. The welfare systemRead MoreDrug Testing Welfare Recipients Essay1114 Words   |  5 Pagestied to unemployed citizens. While there are many people who disagree with testing welfare recipients, the truth is that the pros greatly outweigh the cons. The long term improvements that drug testing will have on the country are substantial. The wellbeing and stability of America’s children, unemployment, fairness across the board for all Americans and the economy; all play substantial rolls in how drug testing welfare recipients is a positive move forward for each U.S. state. As stated by childwelfareRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography On Child Welfare System1220 Words   |  5 PagesChild Welfare System: An Annotated Bibliography The child welfare system is a child protective agency. Their focus is to protect children. Without the agency, there will be a lot of hurt children. The focus of my paper is make to you aware of the child welfare system. Including the history, racism, issues, and outcomes of the system. I chose this topic because child welfare doesn’t receive enough attention. That is my own personal belief. I believe people need to be aware of the child welfare systemRead MoreChild Welfare Policy: Past, Present, and Future Essays1028 Words   |  5 Pagesa father was violent or neglectful, society simply turned their shoulder to it. In the latter half of the nineteenth century, laws pertaining to the family system began to change. A new law recognized the equal rights of fathers and mothers with the mother’s rights reigning over the fathers in regards to the children. Also, the legal system began viewing children as important to the future of society, therefore â€Å"appropriate o bjects of the court’s protection† (Popple and Leighninger, 2011). UnfortunatelyRead MoreNature and Social problems1091 Words   |  5 PagesSocial of the Social Problem Child abuse and neglect has been a prevalent problem throughout history and although progress has been made, it continues to till today. Children are subjected to the treatment of the adults surrounding them and have limited capacity to make their own decisions and protect themselves. Children are often defenseless and end up being taken advantage of and this can lead to abuse and neglect, including sexual, psychological, and physical abuse that cause short-term and long-termRead MoreMandatory Drug Testing For Welfare Recipients1526 Words   |  7 PagesBreez Arann Ms. Holiday English 12 11/04/15 Mandatory Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients When the United States’ welfare program was created during the Great Depression, it was meant to temporarily relieve the burdens of the one-fourth of American families who were unemployed, and struggling financially. President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Social Security Act in 1935, then amended it in 1939 to create programs to assist families with unemployment compensation, and to create government agencies