Single sex schools Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Single sex schools - Research Paper Example ols are better than co-ed schools mainly because of the following three reasons: 1) Research has shown that children, both boys and girls obtain better grades in single-sex schools 2) Children can be their self in single-sex schools and 3) They are more comfortable in single-sex schools as both the sexes feel and think differently. If one accepts this reasoning than co-ed schools may not be the right choice. But then again there is not enough evidence to prove that single-sex schools are better than co-ed schools. A detailed study of the advantages and disadvantages of both the types of schools may perhaps help in arriving at a conclusion. . I t is generally believed that children can be themselves in same sex schools and take part in activities that suit them. For instance they can enjoy poetry or be a part of a band instead of marching without worrying about what the girls might think. Similarly girls can take part in sports like football or hockey without the fear of being labelled as a tomboy. Gils are able to shed their shyness. Children feel comfortable exploring subjects of their choice especially the non traditional ones. Girls feel comfortable studying subjects like advanced science or carpentry whereas boys can participate in orchestras or study languages like Latin without fear of being ridiculed for exploring subjects that are considered non-traditional. They need not don stereotypical roles and are encouraged to be curious and fearless. In short single sex schools allow children to be themselves. Today children face a huge amount of pressure from all quarters to become adults even before they are prepared. Children are forced to grow up too quickly. Some children are more comfortable in single-sex schools as the social pressures are less here. A child can grow at his own pace. As boys mature later than girls boys need more time to grow and single-sex schools may allow them to grow at their own pace. The atmosphere in single sex schools is

Select 2 or 3 even 4 movies to conduct a comparison Movie Review

Select 2 or 3 even 4 movies to conduct a comparison - Movie Review Example ory of two men (Dieyi and Xiaolou) against the historical backdrop of a country in upheaval and how their lives are affected by the Japanese invasion of China in the 1930s and the victory of the Communists in 1949. The two meet at troupe and become very close friends. They, craving freedom, escape from the troupe but later return (Farewell my concubine, 2006). Douzi and Shitou grow on to be stars of Beijing opera and assume the stage names Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou. Dieyi falls in love with Xiaolou while a patron, Yuan Shiqing, makes advances at Dieyi. Xiaolou develops affection for Juxian and they later get engaged. Dieyi and Xiaolou have a falling out. Dieyi takes up with Master Yuan who gives him Zhangs sword. Master Guan shames them into re-forming the troupe. The relationships of the three main characters are tested in the political upheavals that follow. Xiao and Douzi disagree on Xiao’s training and punishment after which Xiao threatens vengeance. He makes good on the threat by usurping Dieyis role as the Concubine. Deiyi becomes an opium addict but is aided to the path of recovery by Xiaolou and Juxian. On the eve of the Cultural Revolution, after a few drinks, they rekindle their relationship. Under pressure, Shitou admits that Douzi performed for the Japanese and may have had a relationship with Yuan Shiqing. Douzi, angered by the revelation, tells the mob that Juxian was a prostitute. Shitou is forced to admit that he indeed married a prostitute but swears that he doesnt love her and will never see her again. Juxian is hurt by these words and commits suicide from a crushed heart. Xiao is caught by the Communist cadre in a gym elated by taking Douzi’s position and practicing Concubine Yus role (Farewell my concubine, 2 006). The grandmaster, starring Tony Leung as Ip Man, is a 2013 Hong Kong- Chinese martial arts film directed and written by Wong Kar-Wai and tells about the life of Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man from the 1930s in Foshan, his

The Impact of Slavery on African Society Essay Example for Free

The Impact of Slavery on African Society Essay Slavery has played a strong role in African society from as early as prehistoric times, continuing to the modern era. Early slavery within Africa was a common practice in many societies, and was very central to the country’s economy. Beginning around the 7th century, two groups of non-African slave traders significantly altered the traditional African forms of slavery that had been practiced in the past. Native Africans were now being forced to leave the country to be used as slaves. The two major slave trades, trans-Saharan and trans-Atlantic, became central to the organization of Africa and its societies until the modern era. Slavery and the slave trade strongly affected African society, and left long term impacts on the development of the entire continent due to the dehumanization of Africans and the high demand of labor causing the slow decline and dismantling of African states. From the 7th century, extending to the 20th century, Arab Muslims raided areas of West, Central, and East Africa, transporting thousands of Slaves to North Africa, the Middle East and India. The trans-Saharan slave trade increased between the 10th and 15th centuries, as Empires such as Songhai, Ghana, Mali, and Kanem-Bornu evolved south of the Sahara, guiding the slave trade. Over a period of more than a thousand years, the trans-Saharan slave trade directed the movement of over 10 million enslaved men, women, and children. The trans-Saharan slave trade led to the blossom of powerful African states in the inner parts of East Africa, and southern fringes of the Sahara. Although the trans-Saharan slave trade prompted the expansion of slavery within Africa, it was greatly outdone by the large trans-Atlantic trade that followed after the 15th century. The initial group of European slave traders in West Africa were the Portuguese, which was then followed by the British and French. During the 16th and 17th centuries, these three European Colonial Powers initiated the movement of slaves to their growing possessions in the New World. Slaves were sent across the Atlantic Ocean to North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean Islands to establish and maintain consistent plantation and agriculture. As European desire grew for products including sugar, cotton and rice, the demand for plantation labor also increased. African slave labor was cheap among European standards, leading to the influx of such a large number of African slaves in the New World. European and American slave-traders acquired roughly 12 million slaves from West and west central Africa. People may argue that the practice did not become dehumanizing until white Europeans came along and took slaves to the Americas’. Slavery had existed in Africa as it had in other parts of the world, for centuries, but it was not based on race and it did not result in dehumanization and death, as did transatlantic slavery. This statement is claiming that because the economies of Africa did not depend on slave labor, the number of enslaved people was small until European traders arrived. I am convinced that the African slave trade led to the dehumanization of Africans because it was focused on the legal institution created by law in America, which allowed white American settlers to actually own Africans. This type of slavery was severe and brutal, and also degenerated Africans. The rise of industrialization in America brought the demand for large amounts of labor which Americans took advantage of to gain profit. The only group of Africans benefiting from the trans-Atlantic slave trade was the Elites. These were political members of the ruling class who would capture slaves and take them to markets along the coast. These wealthy slave dealers would use their riches to then identify with other wealthy families through marriage. This created a gap between the prosperous elite, and the struggling lower class. Throughout the continent, slavery had become a major element in African life. As the demand for slaves increased, slave raids became more prevalent, leaving parts of Africa dismantled and unorganized. Other practices such as enslavement as discipline and punishment for crime began to be introduced. Society was constantly changing in reaction to what was happening in slave trade. The slave trades caused political instability, led to much social fragmentation, and resulted in a decline of legal institutions. The countries from which the greatest number of slaves were taken, are the same areas that had the least developed political structures when the slave trades ended. These are the same countries that are the most ethnically fragmented in modern era Africa. These areas include states such as Angola, Chad, Tanzania, and Sierra Leone. When the slave trade came to an end, the African continent was strongly affected. Societies that for many years based their economy on slave labor, and slave trade, had trouble with creating new forms of gaining riches and organizing labor. Upon the ending of slavery and the slave trade in Africa, many governments that once had slaves, still were in desperate need of cheap labor. Due to this demand, African leaders and former slave owners created new methods of forcing Africans to work without pay or for very small amounts of compensation. Slavery has been a significant practice throughout the continent of Africa since pre-historic times. The trans-Saharan and trans-Atlantic slave trades changed the face of slavery in society throughout Africa. The impacts of slavery and the slave trade generated the disruption of the economy resulting in Africa becoming the poorest continent on earth. Slave trades have left Africa very separated, and most importantly underdeveloped and Africans dehumanized. Even though large empires such as Dahomey, Asante, and Benin expanded and prospered because of the slave trade, the successive abolition of the trade led to the fast downfall of all these states. The huge loss of population suppressed economic, social and political advancement. However, the transfer of Africans to the Americas has led to a cultural diversity unseen in world history. Today African Americans play predominant roles in the arts, sports, and music industry of society. Their contribution to and influence on world culture is incomparable.

Lives of Athenian and Spartan Women

Lives of Athenian and Spartan Women Athens and Sparta were known as the famous Greek city states. The two governed their city state differently in political system, social life, economy, education, religious view, and so on. Another main difference was the womens rights and power. Athenian women were horribly treated. They were highly kept and protected at home because the belief to Athenian men was that women were highly sexual beings who could not control their sexual urges and therefore had to be restricted for their own benefit. On the other hand, Spartan women enjoyably live with their status, rights, power, and respect which the women of another Greece city states werent lucky to be delight with those freedom. Spartans realized that regardless of gender all Spartan people had an obligation to serve the militaristic end of Sparta.(Gaughan) This essay mostly focuses on how Athens and Sparta differently and similarly treated their women to the following questions: How were Athenian and Spartan women educated? How did they get married? Could they women divorce their husband? What did they do when they become a mother? How did Athenians and Spartans judge their women? How sociable were Athenian and Spartan women? Did they have right to own property? How did they receive citizenship? What are the similarities between both of them? Athens was a powerful capital and the largest Greece city state. It was a heart of economic, political, financial and culture life in Greece. Athens represented freedom, art, and democracy. Athens was given its name from Athena goddess who is the goddess of wisdom and knowledge and won the competition with the sea god  Poseidon. Furthermore, the government of Athens was limited democracy. And Athens economy mostly depended on trade. Sparta was a well known city state in Greece, and located on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. When Sparta invaded Dorians, and brought both the local and non-Dorian population under control, it appeared as a political entity around the 10th century BC. Later on, it became a strong and dominant military land-power in ancient Greece. It considered itself as the Greece protector, providing expert armies to Greece whenever needed. The political system of Spartan government was a monarchy ruled by two kings. Moreover, economic in Sparta mainly focused on agriculture rather than trade. How were Athenian and Spartan women educated? Athenian women werent expected to get education from school such as how to write and read. However, they were taught reading at home. They were also taught necessary household skills such as spinning, weaving, and sewing, cooking, cleaning and managing other domestic duties by their mothers, and even the slaves whom their families had. Furthermore, they got education about facts on mythology, religion and occasionally musical instruments. On the other hand, since the Spartans believed that if their women are educated and are able to protect themselves; Spartan women could also manage property of their husband while he was gone. As the result, most of Spartan women are literate. At the age of seven, Spartan women were both academically and physically educated. But they didnt receive any knowledge related to domestic work as Athenian women such as weaving, cooking, sewing, and others because these kinds of work were responsibilities of helots and slaves in Sparta. For academic education, they were taught to read, write, and protect themselves. They got cultural education including poetry, social and religious customs, choral recitation, dance and music. In addition, music was a main section in religious festival. Spartan women, therefore, learned to sing and perform dance. For physical education, Spartan women were trained in athlete competitions such as running, wrestling, and javelin throwing. Moreover, they were well known  with their great knowledge in not only breeding and training but also riding horseback and driving small horse-driven carts. How did they get married? Since birth, Athenian girls were highly protected and kept at home. Athenian fathers arranged and married of their young teenage daughter at early age, normally at the age of thirteen or fourteen; to men who were 30 years old and sometimes from prominent families in Athens society. The brides father celebrated a marriage ceremony call gamos, which the aim is to show that the bride was passed to the groom. Athenian bride couldnt meet her groom until the contracts had already been approved. The process of marriage was quite very long and complicated. After the marriage Athenian women were supposed to join or move to live in their husbands family though they werent considered as full member of the new family until they birthed the first child. Unlike Athenian women, Spartan women had non-ceremonial for their marriages. Commonly, they got married at the age of eighteen years old. A Spartan woman was assigned to married a man who came and abducted her at mid night from her family. After that, she shaved her head and wear mans clothes. Then she was able to meet her husband, mostly for children purpose. After marriages, husband and wife lived separately. If husband joined war for too long time, Spartan woman could find a new husband. Could they women divorce their husband? Women in Athens couldnt divorce their husband without providing any reasonable evidences to public official and agreement from their husband. Though they successfully divorced, they would lose all rights to their children. Oppositely, Spartan women could divorce their husband without losing any wealth, properties, and even rights to children. What did they do when they become a mother? Athenian women were supposed to give healthy son who would be strong soldier. Thus they werent allowed to take parts in sport, competition, and military. On the other hand, being a healthy mother producing strong and brave son to serve in Spartan armies was a primary purpose for Spartan women since Spartan was known as strong militaristic city state of Greek. Thus, Spartan women involved in  military training, did exercises, and join athletic competition to make their bodies fit, strong and healthy. How did Athenians and Spartans judge their women? Athenian women were strongly determined on their artificial beauty rather than natural beauty. They liked wearing valuable and elaborate jewelry and nice clothes for being attractive and other purposes. On the contrary, Spartan women were well known for their natural beauty. Consequently, they were forbidden to wear or use any kinds of cosmetics or makeup, especially jewelry, which was a serious avoidance for them. How sociable were Athenian and Spartan women? Athenian women had very less freedom. They had a secluded life since they were forced to stay at home most of the time. They would lose their status if they failed to do so. Since Athenian women were educated, they couldnt have carriers or hold office in society such as prostitute, market seller, flute players, dancers, nurses, and mid wives. Only freewomen of poorer classes could do trade in market places, and went outdoor much more than wealthy women. More than this, women from rich family were physically protected by their slaves or male relatives, and they had to maintain and protect their reputation by not talk closely with men. Though Athens was a democracy, Athenian women still couldnt join public activities such as voting or taking part in state operation. They could neither watch nor participate in the Olympic Games, military training, and even athletic competitions. But, they could leave the houses to join religious festival. Spartan women, on the other hand, lived freely and left the house whenever wanted. They were strongly given confidence to speak in public. They could join group discussion in public. They could involve in military and also politics. Did they have right to own property? Spartan women were allowed to own wealth and property. After married, women in Sparta could own both her husbands land and hers, but her land couldnt become her husband land. Aristotle stated that, by the fifth century B.C., Spartan women owned two-fifths of the land. Spartan women had authority to control, manage and, abandon the land they owned whenever they wished. They could legally  pass their land to sons and daughters. In addition, they could also get income earned form their land. Even thought Athenian women could own jewelry, clothes, inexpensive things, they couldnt get the kind of ownership as Sparta such as owning land, luxuries, or any things that put into contract. In short, they didnt have financial independence. How did they receive citizenship? In idea of Athenian men, women were less necessary. Thus, Athenian women werent offered Athenian citizenship. Unlike women in Athens, women in Sparta were considered as Spartiates and also citizens of Sparta thought they couldnt join public assembly. Receiving citizenship in Sparta, one had to withdraw profit from owning land to pay for government. As what mentioned above, Spartan women could own land, so they could be awarded the Spartan citizenship. What are the similarities between both of them? According to what shown above, the life of Athenian and Spartan women are different from each other. However, they still had several commons. Both of them were required to get married. And the marriages were arranged by fathers. More than this, the two were expected to give strong and healthy sons. The two had to bear their children. They couldnt join assembly. They could own property. In short, women status in Sparta and Athens are quite different from each other. As we see, while Spartan women were educated to write, read, and know about cultural knowledge, Athenian women were taught managing household duties. For marriage, Athenian women were expected to get married in early age, and the process of getting married seemed be complicated. But in Sparta, women got married unless they were eighteen years old. Moreover, Athenian women were judged on artificial beauty, but Spartan woman were judged on natural beauty. And Spartan women were very active in the public. Contrast of Spartan women, Athenian women stayed at home most of the time. Last but not least, Athenian women didnt have valuable property ownership as Spartan women. Comparing ancient Athenian women to women nowadays, there are both similarities and differences. For similarities, both of them were pressed to produce  children and take care them, looked after home, and increased their beauty and attractiveness by wearing additional jewelry and beautiful clothes. One more similarity is that marriage is an important thing for their lives. Though they are similar, they are still different from each other. In contrast to ancient Athenian women, present women can go to work and do their own careers. They are sociable; they can go wherever they want, do whatever they prefer, and talk with whomever they like. Moreover, the marriages of modern women are mostly not arranged or chosen by their parents. Another difference is that women nowadays can involve or have status in politics and government. They also have right to education, and to own property as men have. However, most of what modern women can do is the same as what ancient Spartan could do. Consequently, we can assume that modern women and ancient Spartan women share many similarities. In my own view, if I had been born in ancient Greek, I would have preferred to be a woman of Sparta.

Investigation into Chair Design Essay examples -- essays papers

Investigation into Chair Design For my Investigation into chair designs I choose to investigate how simplistic and basic the chairs have become. From Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who was renowned for his style and applied decoration to Philippe Stark who has taken simplistic to another level. I have investigated how the designers have used applied decoration to enhance the look of their chair, to how functional the pieces are (or in some cases un-functional! ). HIGH BACKED CHAIR - CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH - 1902 Mackintosh produced designs on a whole range of furnishings as well as his architectural designs. Many of these were purely functional but he also produced many ‘artistic’ pieces throughout his life. Because of the large amount of applied decoration on Macintosh’s pieces that it could be argued that each piece is a finely detailed work of art itself. Probably the most famous of such pieces are his famous high backed chairs. The high backed chair I have chosen to study was made for the International Exhibition of modern Decorative Art, held in Turin in Italy in 1902 The chair appears to have a very low seat, being only a quarter of the height of the actual chair, this also may perhaps be due to the fact the seat is fairly broad at the front, widening out from a fairly narrow back. The back of the chair is as wide as the back of the seat but tapers towards the top. This main support is framed with two tall slim struts. The construction of the low seat and tapering back makes the chair look almost abstract because of these bizarre proportions. In the photograph it looks as if the picture has been taken from a strange angle which has distorted the shape. There is little in the way of applied decoration on the chair except for the back, which on a portion is padded and covered in a light blue-grey colour. On this is a painted stylised rose bush design that fills the width of the padded portion. Beneath this is what appears to be wilting petals falling from the bush. At the top of the chair carved into a piece of wood is an organic form of sorts with the typical Art Nouveau whiplash stretching the length of it. Mackintosh was renowned for his stylised design - taking the natural form of something, for example a flower, and altering it to fit his style - this could possibly be a very developed stylised design Against the white wood work of this desi... ...d in adds plentiful character to the chair. The function of this chair is to be ‘fun’, to add character to someone’s dining room and I think that this chair would look good in any room regardless of the decor. From this investigation I was surprised by the range of different styles and forms that a chair could take. I enjoyed the form of the God Raysse, but my favourite would have to be the Pepe Chair by far due to its larger than life personality. From the ‘classic’, ‘traditional’ designers like Macintosh who revolutionised and popularised the style of Art Nouveau and to this day still has an impact and influence on designers world wide whether it be on furniture, windows or clothes, to modern designers who have also revolutionised the ‘simplistic’ style making it take many forms from ‘drips’ to ‘giraffes’. For instance the Pepe Chair took the high backed chair and gave it a modern day simplistic twist. Who knows where our rears shall sit in years to come? Shall we be sitting on more simplistic designs than the ones I have used as examples in this investigation or pieces complex beyond the imagination. Who knows? We shall just have to wait and see where our bums shall lead us! Investigation into Chair Design Essay examples -- essays papers Investigation into Chair Design For my Investigation into chair designs I choose to investigate how simplistic and basic the chairs have become. From Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who was renowned for his style and applied decoration to Philippe Stark who has taken simplistic to another level. I have investigated how the designers have used applied decoration to enhance the look of their chair, to how functional the pieces are (or in some cases un-functional! ). HIGH BACKED CHAIR - CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH - 1902 Mackintosh produced designs on a whole range of furnishings as well as his architectural designs. Many of these were purely functional but he also produced many ‘artistic’ pieces throughout his life. Because of the large amount of applied decoration on Macintosh’s pieces that it could be argued that each piece is a finely detailed work of art itself. Probably the most famous of such pieces are his famous high backed chairs. The high backed chair I have chosen to study was made for the International Exhibition of modern Decorative Art, held in Turin in Italy in 1902 The chair appears to have a very low seat, being only a quarter of the height of the actual chair, this also may perhaps be due to the fact the seat is fairly broad at the front, widening out from a fairly narrow back. The back of the chair is as wide as the back of the seat but tapers towards the top. This main support is framed with two tall slim struts. The construction of the low seat and tapering back makes the chair look almost abstract because of these bizarre proportions. In the photograph it looks as if the picture has been taken from a strange angle which has distorted the shape. There is little in the way of applied decoration on the chair except for the back, which on a portion is padded and covered in a light blue-grey colour. On this is a painted stylised rose bush design that fills the width of the padded portion. Beneath this is what appears to be wilting petals falling from the bush. At the top of the chair carved into a piece of wood is an organic form of sorts with the typical Art Nouveau whiplash stretching the length of it. Mackintosh was renowned for his stylised design - taking the natural form of something, for example a flower, and altering it to fit his style - this could possibly be a very developed stylised design Against the white wood work of this desi... ...d in adds plentiful character to the chair. The function of this chair is to be ‘fun’, to add character to someone’s dining room and I think that this chair would look good in any room regardless of the decor. From this investigation I was surprised by the range of different styles and forms that a chair could take. I enjoyed the form of the God Raysse, but my favourite would have to be the Pepe Chair by far due to its larger than life personality. From the ‘classic’, ‘traditional’ designers like Macintosh who revolutionised and popularised the style of Art Nouveau and to this day still has an impact and influence on designers world wide whether it be on furniture, windows or clothes, to modern designers who have also revolutionised the ‘simplistic’ style making it take many forms from ‘drips’ to ‘giraffes’. For instance the Pepe Chair took the high backed chair and gave it a modern day simplistic twist. Who knows where our rears shall sit in years to come? Shall we be sitting on more simplistic designs than the ones I have used as examples in this investigation or pieces complex beyond the imagination. Who knows? We shall just have to wait and see where our bums shall lead us!

Mama Day :: essays research papers

The entire structure of Mama Day is fitting to the telling of multiple love stories entertwined. Like the most heartfelt episode of Seinfeld ever Gloria Naylor doesn’t tell a love story, but rather lays out in detail the events of everyday life for all of the central characters. In the process the love stories of the characters are all told at once. The most obvious example is the relationship between George and Cocoa (arguably the main love story). Through the book we see them meet, fall in love, and go through excitement and hardship; all that love is. There is also the love story of Mama Day, Abigail, and Cocoa. Even though Abigail is Cocoa’s grandmother and Mama Day is her great-aunt, they both take on the role of mother through their mutual love for her. There is also the love story between Bernice, Ambush and Little Caesar. Despite their squabbles, they love each other. Love is one of the major themes in this book. Gloria Naylor steps aside and lets the characters do her work for her. Love has the unfortunate nature of being objective and the best way to tell love stories is from every point of view. How else can one understand from the outside? On page one she starts with Cocoa telling her side of things and on twenty-two; here comes George’s side. And it continues on like this, back and forth, telling both sides of certain events through the fog that is each character’s own perception of things. This is a brilliant manipulation of point of views and one of the saving features of the book. The reader’s attention is caught when they have to re-associate themselves to a new point of view. In the ultimate representation of what love is this point of view switch is used to show likeness of thought between Ophelia and George toward the end of the novel. The words “OUR WORST FIGHT EVER'; appear twice in the novel. Once at the beginning of Cocoa’s account of the event an d again at the beginning of George’s (Naylor 230-232). Even in their most disagreeable moment, when it all boils down they both see it the same, the blowout to end all blowouts. Argue as they did, argue as they may, in the end they were one person of one mind, just what a marriage should be. A slightly different form of this same technique is used to give example of the mother-daughter love relationship between Mama Day and Cocoa.

On Dumpster Diving Essay

Quite by accident, I found the essay On Dumpster Diving by Lars Eighner on the pages of Seagull magazine. The first lines of it captured my interest considerably, for as I had never read about dumpster diving or scavenging before. On Dumpster Diving is a piece of large Eighner’s work called Travels with Lizbeth (1993), which was based on his own experience of homelessness. The author engages me by telling the origin and meaning of the term Dumpster Diver, presenting his survival guide with specified rules and regulations. Dumpster is a trademark of garbage loading onto trucks system. Dumpster diving involves persons voluntarily climbing into rubbish bins (dumpsters) to find valuables or simply useful items, including food and used clothing. Eighner writes that the life of a beggar traveling without any money opened his eyes to the fact that all those containers with waste are real â€Å"supermarkets† for the poor, and they are not only a source of survival, but also a d epositary of high-quality and diverse food. Anyhow, there is a risk in eating such findings. According to Eighner’s experience, taking food out of dumpsters should involve three simple principles: â€Å"using the senses and common sense to evaluate the condition of the found materials, knowing the Dumpsters of a given area and checking them regularly, and seeking always to answer the question, â€Å"Why was this discarded?† Narrator advises to avoid such foods as game, poultry, pork, and egg-based meals. Soft drinks testing should be based on their fizzing vigorously. Being a scavenger, one has to notice the least signs of visible contaminates. Notwithstanding the scavenger has no indemnity of self- intoxication. Later on Lars tells about â€Å"a predictable series of stages a person goes through in learning to scavenge,† in which disgust at the beginning gives way to indiscriminate acquiring of the things. The story also includes information about the â€Å"can-divers† and their way of diving featured as unethical and impudent. The plot of it is neither compound nor rich in events and characters. However, it is thought provoking. The author gives us detailed guidance how to survive being a dumpster diver. Reading the essay, I asked myself right along whether it was the only aim of Eighner to teach us those rules. As the story progressed, I picked up the writer’s conception gradually. His essay exemplifies the wasteful nature of American society and implies that it is the result of materialistic values but also ignorance and lack of understanding. People unreasonably throw out even food that is appropriate for using: â€Å"Students throw out many good things including food†¦the item was thrown out through carelessness, ignorance, or wastefulness.†(Eighner) The scavenger can acquire â€Å"boom boxes, candles, bedding, toilet paper, medicine, books, a typewriter, a virgin male love doll, change sometimes amounting to many dollars† in the dumpsters. I suppose the purpose of the article is also to show how immoral is to throw out good food and things, knowing that thousands are starving and suffering from poverty. However, exactly that garbage helps him to survive at difficult times. Eighner’s reasoning for why people are materialistic derives from the concept that they are lost and unsure of what they want. In a way, his short essay On Dumpster Diving, suggests to his readers that to achieve the state of satisfaction, they need to know what they want. He states, â€Å"Almost everything I have now has already been cast at least once, proving that what I own is valueless to someone.† The author himself collects only things that are of benefit to him and leaves the rest for the benefit of others. The article shows that the writer being homeless still keeps his intelligent, clever, and sentimental way of thinking. He emphasises the transience of material being and says, â€Å"Once I was the sort of person who invests material objects with sentimental value. Now I no longer have those things, but I have the sentiments yet.†(Eighner) I think, describing all the rules of dumpster diving Lars Eighner represents us the necessity of keeping the etiquette even in adversity. The breakers of that common law are the â€Å"can-divers.† They, as contrasted with the true scavengers, look only for the money there and mix the contents of the dumpster making it more difficult to find the truly good things, the author explains. The worst in can scroungers’ actions is their audacity to go through individual containers in front of peoples homes, something a true diver would never do. Doing that the can diver finds different prescriptions, diaries and things the owner throws out. It is clear that privacy disclosing would embarrass us. Eighner exclaims against private invasion, thus demonstrating his culture and humanism. The last paragraph where Lars compares himself to ultra-wealthy is the most interesting point of the essay, to my mind. The rich people can acquire anything they like and the money does not stand in the way of doing that. The dumpster diver gets the things from dumpsters free too. Author’s analysis is that the truly rich or the truly poor are those who do not want or need. In his comparison, Lars means that he and the super-rich do not need the items the rest of us do. He can just go out and find them. The narrator tries to show the positives of his profession, but does not overlook the negatives as well, following it with the words: â€Å"Dumpster diving has serious drawbacks as a way of life.† The main idea of Lars Eighner in his essay is to assure us that any hopeless situation has its way out. The life goes on even if you meet difficulties†¦ He calls us for keeping our cultural and ethical talents even when being in the lowest state of life. We may not forget that having materialistic values over moral ones destroys and vitiates us from inside. In the unique voice – dry, disciplined, poignant, comic- Eighner celebrates the triumph of the artistic spirit in the face of enormous adversity, thus, inspiring me for true respect.