Connecting And Comparing Literature English Literature Essay

Connecting And Comparing Literature English Literature Essay For the final essay, two short stories and one poem will be used to illustrate comparisons by looking at the characters as their respective authors describe them, and how this is used to draw readers into their stories and poems. The two stories being used are, A Rose For Emily, by William Faulkner, and The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky, by Stephen Crane. The poem being used is, The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost. Conflict and prejudice will be highlighted as the common thread among the three works. Comparison will come from using the characters in the stories and poem, and how the authors use descriptive writing to draw their readers into the stories and poem. In A Rose For Emily, the description of Miss Emilys house by William Faulkner is a big square frame house that had once been white (DiYanni, 2007), and how Miss Emily looked as she walked in to the meeting with the Board of Aldermen, a small, fat woman in black, with a thin gold chain descending to her waist and vanishing into her belt, leaning on an ebony cane with a tarnished gold head (DiYanni, 2007). The end of the story finds William Faulkner giving great detail about the body of Miss Emilys suitor Homer Barron and the room decked and furnished for a bridal night, and how the body of Homer was described as fleshless and once laid as if it were in an embrace, how he had rotted beneath his nightshirt (DiYanni, 2007). The vivid description allows one to get a clear view of the room and the decomposed body of Homer. When he writes about the indention on the pillow as if someone had laid their head there and then they find the strands of grey or silver hair, one can visualize Miss Em ily lying next to Homer in a macabre way. The style of writing William Faulkner uses in this story, allows him to navigate among many points of view within the story. William Faulkners use of third person allows for flashbacks and the ability to dig deeper into the history of the town. By also using symbolic language such as referring to Emily as Miss Emily (DiYanni, 2007), William Faulkner is able to send the reader back in time when the story actually takes place. This allows the reader to get a better understanding of the larger issues that were at play in the South around the turn of the century. The language used in The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost is quite moving. Robert Frost speaks of approaching a fork in the road. He must choose which road to proceed down. He chooses the one that appears less traveled only to find that it is traveled about the same as the other road. Robert Frosts subtle use of description when he refers to the two roads being about the same, lets one know that they may be close, but not exact. Many of the roads chosen in life look very similar at the entrance but change quite often as they are traveled. His use of the word sigh and difference in the fourth stanza can mean either positive or negative feelings, but since the author mentions that nothing will be known until the future, we do not know which effect these words mean. Robert Frost speaks of possibly coming back to travel the first road at a later date but doubts this as life is too short. Robert Frost infers that he will report back on his travels down the second road at some point in the f uture. The character in this poem must choose a road to take without knowing where it may lead. In A Rose For Emily, Miss Emily had to make a choice as well. Her choice was to poison Homer to keep him from leaving. Another part of the poem that connects to Miss Emily is where her decisions would lead. This could be what Miss Emily was thinking when poisoning Homer. Emily may have thought briefly as to what the town would say about her actions. Perhaps this is why she kept him upstairs in the bedroom so she had him with her at all times even though he was not a living breathing being he was still with her. As long as she kept him hidden in the house, and made it look as though he would marry her, the townspeople would be satisfied. Many questions arise with the story as to why Miss Emily would do this. Perhaps Miss Emily thought she would not die alone. Even though she could not talk to Homer he would be there with her when she died. The poem also relates to The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky. Jack had choices to make in The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky that included whether to leave town and get married, tell the townspeople before he left, tell them before he returned, and whether or not to return to Yellow Sky after the fact. I think the part of the poem where he states, I took the one less traveled (DiYanni, 2007), could describe the choices of Jack and his bride as they boarded the train. How Jack went to San Antonio and married a girl he thought he loved without letting the townspeople of Yellow Sky know what he was doing could be compared to the line in the poem, I shall be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence (DiYanni, 2007). Jacks escape route from the train station in Yellow Sky would involve the choice of two roads. The first would have been to get off the train and face the town. The one Jack chose was the second road or choice which was to plan his escape from the train to avoid being seen by the townspeople before he could come up with a plan to introduce his bride. Just as Miss Emily loved Homer, Jack loved his bride and married her whether the townspeople would like it or not and Jack loved his town, but loved his bride more so he married her without talking to the towns people. There are many correlations between Jack and his bride and between Emily and Homer. Both Jack and Emily are in love with their significant other, and both Jack and Emily choose the road of deceit. Jack keeps his marriage a secret from the town and Emily keeps the death of Homer a secret from the town. The two short stories chosen connect in a way that shows the reader how people judge and are prejudice towards others. In the story, The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky, there are several prejudices in the story. For instance when the porter bullied them with skills in ways that did not make it plain to them that they were being bullied (DiYanni, 2007). The porter on the train treated them with all the unconquerable kind of snobbery. He oppressed them in a way they had small knowledge of him doing so (DiYanni, 2007). In the story, A Rose for Emily, the towns people thought the Griersons were snobs in their own right, the towns people thought the Griersons held themselves a little too high for what they really were (DiYanni, 2007). Another part of the story finds Miss Emilys neighbor complaining to the judge about the smell coming from Miss Emilys house. She relates to Miss Emily as a high and mighty Grierson, and wants the judge to do something about the smell coming from the house (DiYann i, 2007). When Miss Emilys father dies, the towns people are glad in a way, saying Miss Emily would somehow now be humanized and learn what it was like to live on little money (DiYanni, 2007). It seems Faulkner and Crane must have been treated with some type of prejudice in their life. Perhaps Faulkner and Crane were prejudice towards others also. One could speculate that both of these writers reflect many personal life experiences in their writings. Prejudice has been around for so long that it may never completely go away. It is sad that people have to deal with this in their everyday lives, and one could argue that this is what makes some stronger and makes others weaker. The stories here both take place in the South, which would make sense as the South is still noted for harboring prejudices. Both authors speak with an apparent knowledge of the South Even though one of them was not born there. Stephen Crane spent quite some time in the South and found the people and towns very interesting. He was originally from New Jersey and instantly fell in love with a woman from Florida. This could have led to his writing about Jacks instant love for his bride from San Antonio. William Faulkner came from a traditional southern family and grew up in Mississippi. Being from the south, his writing knowledge and style are ever present in his stories. He describes southern family traits and customs that are still used today. Some of these would be the hospitality and community atmosphere. Communities do not only affect the language of the author but they also can provide the community of the authors work. Some communities act like an extended family and an author may want to show that aspect. Sometimes an author may wish to write about a close-knit community that knows everyone elses business. Often a writer will write about their community, illustrating certain cultural aspects that they hold dear. All of these can be examples of the writers community coming to life in their own stories. In A Rose for Emily (DiYanni, 2007), William Faulkner shows a community that is very involved with each other. They are constantly talking about what Miss Emily does, what she says, and whom she sees. William Faulkner speaks for the community using the pronoun, we, throughout the story. He describes how the community reacts to Homer Barron trying to court her, At first we were glad that Miss Emily would have an interestà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (p. 82). Everyone becomes very interested in Miss Emilys love life. When she buys poison they become worried that she was dumped and will now commit suicide. Then they hear that she bought things for a man and they become happy for her again. This is probably an example of the type of people William Faulkner was around. Another example of a community that is close comes from; The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky. In this story the marshal, Jack Potter, is illustrated as a very important figure in his community. Because he is a prominent figure he feels he committed a crime by leaving Yellow Sky to get married. Additionally, the townspeople speak kindly of the marshal when a former outlaw, Scratchy Wilson, goes on a drunken rampage, I wish Jack Potter was back from San Antonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (p. 487). Jack is responsible for taking care of Scratchy when he gets drunk. Stephen Crane lived briefly in the Old West and more than likely witnessed similar events to that of Scratchy Wilson. Many people have been told they would never make anything of their lives by someone who had judged them before they knew whom they were. They then go on to prove them wrong by getting a degree and making for themselves a good life.    This is what makes so many of the writers stories relevant to their readers. They are able to draw the readers in using some of their own life experiences, which make the readings more interesting and can help the reader relate to the stories. It also enables the reader to become a part of the story. The readers can actually place themselves as a character in the story because many have had some type of prejudice directed towards them at some point in their lives. If one has ever lived in small town America, the description of how the towns people act in both stories The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky and A Rose for Emily are right on the money. Being one from a small town, it reminds me of both stories on how people judge marriage, there is something wrong with a person if they are not married by a certain age and then if some of the elders in the town do not approve of the marriage comments are made. Both stories in so many ways compare to life in small towns, where people have nothing better to do than to spy on someone to see what they can gossip about. As a youth, it did not matter which friends home your were visiting, the adults in that home were your surrogate parents while you were there. Even today, people are watched and dissected according to what they do and dont do as it relates to what is expected. Robert Frost was born on the west coast and then moved to the east coast. His poems deal more with his life in New England and with rural America. His life was hard and riddled with death and depression. Only two of his kids outlived him. His struggle with life and the many crossroads he faced are evident in his poem, The Road Not taken. Reading this poem reminds me of the fact that I am at a fork in the road and I have chosen my path. At this time, I do not know where this road will lead, but am anxious to find out. I found Frosts poem to be very tricky and very deep. The more I read it, the more I enjoyed it. I may have to save this one as it really spoke to me about choices we make. I found myself apprehensive at the beginning of this class. My ability to read and hopefully interpret poems has expanded since starting this course. I was never much into poems, but at least I am beginning to feel as though I can understand what the author is saying through the use of imagery and elements. As this class has progressed I have found through the readings in the class that I enjoyed most of the readings. I have found I now read with an open mind and do not judge a book, short story, poem, or play by its title. I read a story through and then read it again and find that it makes more sense the second time around. In conclusion, I feel the two short stories and one poem I chose can be compared in many different aspects. The three of them tie in very well with each other through conflict and prejudice. Even though the authors come from similar, but different backgrounds of life, they all wrote with their life experiences in mind. The authors had a talent for drawing readers into their stories and poems and kept the readers attention throughout the readings.

Cold Pastoral By Marina Keegan

Cold Pastoral By Marina Keegan Throughout J.R.R. Tolkiens world renowned blockbuster novel Lord of the Rings, the word ring is mentioned multiple times, however, in Marina Keegans story Cold Pastoral, neither cold nor pastoral appears. Not even once. Pastoral can be a term used to describe the livelihood of shepherds, but in literary terms, it is a lent word to describe the mode of literature which depicts a simple life from its complex content. Similarly, cold can be used to describe the weather or feeling of people, but it can also describe a persons personality as hardhearted, cheerless and cool. The more relevant interpretation of the title together with the story would be the latter of both explanations. The story is about Claire whose boyfriend, Brian, died suddenly and the series of events that followed Brians death. Keegan, the author, through describing Claires uncertainty towards the relationship and the revelation of the reality of the relationship, revealed the cold personality of Claire and her desi re to lead a life that feels pastoral, i.e. a simple life, to highlight the importance of revelations. Commitment to a relationship does not just depend on the passion; in fact, it relies heavily on the confidence of both parties in the relationship. Apparently, Claire is not madly in love with Brian. A lot of time was spent being consciously romanticà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ we might admit à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I like you ,' are comments made by Claire on their relationship, which hint that Claire is uncertain about her relationship with Brian (1, 2). As we observe in the real world, couples at the early stages of their relationships are, more often than not, infatuated with each other. Due to the feeling of uncertainty, Claire lacks faith in her relationship with Brian, thus she is not fully committed. This accounts for, in part, why Claire does not seem extremely depressed after learning of Brians death. It is this sense of uncertainty that lingers in Claires mind, the reason for why not a lot of people know of their relationship. One of the reasons that Claire does not seem too depressed after Brian, her boyfriend, died is that she is uncertain about the relationship, which resulted in her lack of commitment, whilst her personality, cold, also contributes much to her absence of severe depression. Humans are never emotionless beings, which is why our emotions are affected greatly by the surroundings. The only stark difference between individuals is their ability to contain emotions. People who are less capable of containing their emotions are often regarded as moody or emotive, while those who are more capable are often regarded as cool and composed. Claire is definitely one of the latter ones. After Brians death, Claire surprised [herself] that night by crying alone (2). This revealed that Claire has a composed personality and that she does not express her emotions explicitly that often. As the saying goes, The onlooker sees the best. People involved in incidents are often lost in their thoughts, and it is only through revelations that they reassess and take a clearer view at the situation. Just after Brians death, Claire was preoccupied by a certain degree of sadness and sorrow. Not only once, but many times, did Claire mention her commitment to Brian, this is revealed from her comment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Id underestimated how much I liked him (2). As it turns out, her emotions and view to her relationship drastically alters after reading Brians diary. Contrary to her sadness and sorrow, Claire comments that Im actually feeling great and Fuck Brian, I thought now, which reveals that she, rather than feeling upset, is on the one hand angry with Brian, and on the other hand, feeling relieved for realizing this fact sooner instead of later (8). Had Brian not died, she would not have discovered this painful reality and broke away from feeling blue. Brians death, though sorr owful and pitiful, has given Claire a chance to reveal the truth and free herself from the bondage of the relationship. Keegan successfully portrays Claires personality through her response to Brians death, which also reveals her desire for a simple relationship the direct reverse of the relationship she had with Brian. Actions such as being consciously romantic, waiting too long before responding to texts and [Brian and Claire] took a certain pride in our ambiguity are indications that the relationship involved complications (1, 1, 2). As the title Cold Pastoral suggests, Claire is eager to seek a relationship that is simply simple. Claires request is very simple she likes being liked (1). She wanted her partner to simply love her and take care of her. After the revelation through Brians death, she is crystal clear about the kind of relationship that she pursues more than anything Id ever wanted in my life, I wanted him to love me (11). Claire simply cannot resist the opportunity to begin a simple, committed love affair. Apart from the contents of the story, Keegans manipulation of prose and style conveys strong messages about the characters and the plot. When we read the story, the narration affects our judgment greatly. Since this story is a first person narration, we have to be critical about the emotions of the narrator. Throughout the story, the tale was narrated from the perspective of Claire, the main character, and I and We are mainly used as the pronoun for Claire as the narrator (1). In such narration, the contents of the tale are easily influenced by the emotions of the narrator. Claire, whose boyfriend has just died, is with grief and pain, which indicates that she is at times pathetic and hysterical. This suggests that the narration given by Claire may not be as reliable as regular stories due to her fluctuating moods. Keegan, by using first person narration, is trying to place readers in Claires position. By doing so, readers can easily imagine themselves as Claire, which arouses sympat hy for Claires experience. In many peoples view, literary works should be elegant and profound, but plain and raw descriptions can also be powerful in conveying messages. When one reads the story, one is bound to come across many controversial choices of words, such as fuck, shit and penis, which do not normally exist in conventional novels or essays (7, 6, 2). Furthermore, the story includes many lines of dialogue and often comes with short and incomplete sentences, such as I just need time to myself toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and I know she waits before responding which isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (6, 7). The expressions, straightforward and natural, which are intentionally deployed by Keegan, can fully reveal Claires feelings and the thoughts going through her troubled mind. Since this story is about the events that happened to Claire, this writing style allows readers to have a more in-depth understanding of Claires plight, thus arousing echoes of the idea of revelation. Keegan kept the story compact, which creates a fast pace for the story, to suit the short time-span of the occurrence of events. The events in the story happened within a very limited time-span, despite the complex nature of the story. If all the ideas were explained in details, the story would have a very slow pace, which does not match with the swift happening of events. To achieve fast pacing for the story, Keegan kept the paragraphs of the text relatively short, while ideas within these paragraphs are at times incomplete, such as I just need time to myself toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and I know she waits before responding which isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (6, 7). From the examples, Keegan is providing a very vague image of Claire and a brief lead in of her thoughts. Contrary from giving the whole story, these short fragments allow readers to conceive the situation of Claire slowly but gradually. This allows Keegan to both keep the story concise yet providing sufficient vital information for readers to interpret the setting of the story and make a great impact on the minds of readers through their imagination. In the story, Keegan deliberately arranged the events in a non-chronological order, which enables readers to think in the minds of Claire. Events of stories are often in chronological order, which enables the reader to easily understand the contents of the story. However, in Cold Pastoral, the events, rather than in chronological order, are following Claires free flow of thought. In the beginning of the story, Claire mentions her relationship with Brian and Brians sudden death (2). After the breaking line, the focus turns to her interaction with her friends (2). After the second breaking line, Claire expresses her views on Lauren, Brians ex-girlfriend (2). Furthermore, after the third breaking line, the narration mentions Claires visit to Brians family (3). If the story is to be in chronological order, Claires comments on Lauren should be excluded from the context. Keegan, intentionally inserts this scene in such a way to reveal the thoughts in Claires mind. The illogical ordering of events provides readers with an in-depth understanding of Claires thoughts, and also allows readers to comprehend the mindset of Claire fragmented thoughts and troubled with disarray. Revelation is ubiquitous, but we often underestimate its effects. People need revelation, and then they need resolution, Damian Lewis once said (Lewis). Just like in Cold Pastoral, Claire, who believed that her relationship with her boyfriend Brian was perfect, realizes that she is actually not as dedicated as she believed to the relationship as well as Brian. We need not evade revelations, for revelation does more good than harm. In fact, revelation not only provides us information about the facts, but also provides a chance for us to step back and reassess our stances. The omnipresence of revelation is bound to amaze those who neglect it. Revelation can be as significant as the death of a person, as shown from the example in the story Cold Pastoral, or it can be as minute as receiving a marked quiz script at school. Events, which one may or may not notice, can often be regarded as revelations, as long as they allow one to introspect. The story, Cold Pastoral, not only successfully portrays Claire, the heroine, but also provokes the minds of readers to face revelations squarely.

Essay --

Las personas tenemos que pasar por varios procesos a lo largo de nuestras vidas. Probablemente el mà ¡s crà ­tico de ellos, sea nuestro proceso educativo. Pasamos 12 aà ±os aproximadamente, dentro de un sistema educativo con el que no siempre estamos de acuerdo. Nuestros padres suelen ser los que toman la decisià ³n acerca de nuestros colegios en base a lo que ellos consideran mejor. Quizà ¡s tomen esta decisià ³n por tradicià ³n familiar, por cuestiones econà ³micas, o porque està ¡n convencidos que en aquella institucià ³n vamos a recibir la educacià ³n que ellos creen que es la mejor para nosotros. Esperemos que al momento de tomar una decisià ³n tan crucial para el desarrollo de la persona, los padres en verdad analicen cuà ¡l es el tipo de educacià ³n que su hijo va a recibir en aquel lugar; quà © y cà ³mo va a aprender, bajo quà © mà ©todos y tà ©cnicas. En este ensayo, exploraremos el modelo constructivista de la educacià ³n, y como puede beneficiar a los estudiantes que lo utilizan frente a aquellos que no tiene este tipo de metodologà ­a en su formacià ³n. Ademà ¡s, se analizarà ¡n cuà ¡les son los modelos de enseà ±anza mà ¡s comunes en la educacià ³n de hoy en dà ­a y por quà © se han vuelto populares entre los educadores,  ¿son estas las maneras mà ¡s apropiadas de llegar a los alumnos? Como fin principal, queremos que al leer esto se entienda la diferencia entre simplemente enseà ±ar algo y enseà ±ar a pensar.  ¿Es preferible que el alumno solo memorice hechos, o despertar en à ©l cierta curiosidad para que siga aprendiendo sobre ciertos temas? Por medio de experiencias tanto personales como de allegados, o casos famosos, podemos adentrarnos en las distintas maneras de enseà ±ar y las repercusiones que tienes sobre los alumnos que por su forma de ser, no vienen... ...la pasan ni siquiera en supletorios. Esto causa no solo que se sienta inservible o con capacidades limitadas frente al resto cuando sus capacidades son solo distintas; si no tambià ©n provoca que se atrase un aà ±o completo por culpa de una sola cosa que no es lo suyo, o que no le han sabido dar las herramientas correctas para comprender ese tema. Por experiencia personal, podemos decir que los alumnos que trabajan mayormente con su memoria y no siempre con su razonamiento propio, son a los que les va bien en las secundarias tradicionales. En estos lugares solo se debe cumplir cierto tipo de examinaciones que son de dar respuestas exactas para demostrar que està ¡s apto para el siguiente nivel. Quizà ¡s, una opcià ³n mà ¡s interesante hacerle al alumno preguntas que le hagan analizar sobre lo aprendido en clases, no solo completar con fechas y nombres exactos.

University Foundation :: University Foundation Education Essays

University Foundation The presentation I choose to summarize is Greg Gissendanner’s presentation on the university foundation. Like most of the other presentations in class, Greg used the standard outline of presenting the unit’s history, mission, organizational structure, funding and financial concerns, and current issues. History. Greg showed that while many foundations look fairly similar today, the history of foundation development took on many different forms at different institutions. Greg’s primary examples of Harvard and Rutgers compared stories of how each foundation got its start with early donations (in a foreign currency!) as well as donations of other types – those that we might call in-kind today. These donations of materials and labor were instrumental in getting these two institutions the boost they needed for their continuing growth. Mission. Greg went on to define a â€Å"shared† mission statement of university foundations in general. This shared mission, securing gifts and grants, maximizing donor interest and commitment, and distribution of gifts to the university community, came from five specific mission statements which Greg then shared with the class. These individual mission statements while variable, all seemed to contain this shared definition within them even though they came from a variety of large public institutions. It would have been interesting to compare these with the mission of some smaller publics and also private institutions. Organizational Structure. Greg used a nice technique to discuss the organization structures of university foundations. Instead of just showing several examples, he asked the class to take a look at two universities which he had outlined some basic characteristics such as enrollment, location, cost of tuition, age of institution and endowment. He then asked us how we thought each of their foundations would be organized. It was a good tactic to make us think about what factors might affect the organization of a foundation and why. He went on to give details and his own explanation of why the foundations were organized the way they were. Funding and Financial Concerns. Next Greg discussed how the university foundation is typically funded. He explained that the foundation typically has five funding streams, endowment management fees, unrestricted gifts, gift fee, investment income fee, and a university services fee.

Why We Are Lonely :: essays research papers

Intolerance is human nature; people who are different from or weaker than the norm are victims of intolerance and become isolated and lonely. Those who are in the norm are expected to be strong and not show their feelings. In Of Mice And Men, by John Steinbeck, the social power group is the white, male workers on the farm. They are younger men, still useful, reasonably intelligent, and average-sized. They exclude people who do not fit their norm, such as Curley for being short, Lennie for being retarded, Candy for being old, Crooks for being black, and Curley's wife for being a woman. Between themselves, they expect strength, distance and independence, and are uncomfortable with emotions. This intolerance and isolation cause loneliness for all the characters in this novel. This social power group oppresses and isolates Curley, Lennie and Candy because they are different, even though they are white. Lennie is very strong and big but his mind is like a child's, so the men don't respect him as an equal. For example, George explains to Slim that he, "Used to play jokes on [Lennie] cause he was too dumb to take care of 'imself"(p. 40). Lennie does not take part in the activities the workers do in their spare time. Lennie does not go to town with the men. In Weed, Lennie gets in trouble because the people don't understand his problem. They react with anger instead of understanding. George explains to Slim, "Cause he ain't mean....like what happened in Weed-"(p. 40). Candy is afraid that he will have nowhere to go soon because he is old: "I won't have no place to go, an' I can't get no jobs." (p. 60) Candy knows that society doesn't value or care about people who can't work. Society ejects them because they are no longer useful. Carlson shows this when he says about Candy's dog, " He ain't no good to you, Candy. An' he ain't no good himself. Why'n't you shoot him, Candy? (p. 44). Candy knows he is like his dog; an old man is almost useless. He knows how they will discard them he's no longer useful: "They says he wasn't no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wish't somebody shoot me." (p. 60) Curley feels excluded from society because he is too short. He hates big men because big men automatically get into the social power group. Candy comments to George that "Curley's like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys. He's alla time picking scraps with big guys.

Manila Water Company Essay

?The true value of water is realized only when there is lack of it. It’s also why this is often taken for granted; water is so much a part of our everyday lives that the concept of not having it is too overwhelming. Unfortunately, this was once a way of life those Metro Manila residents faced every day. Before 1997, the capital’s water supply and distribution was in disarray. Communal water sources were shared by hundreds of families who had to line up for hours just to get a few pails for the day’s use. Illegal connections ran rampant, draining these water sources even more. Clean and potable water was a luxury which poor families simply did not have, and that others had to acquire at a steep price. Needless to say, the morale was low among Metro Manila’s residents. In 1995, this situation prompted the Philippine government to enact the National Water Crisis Act, which turned over the operation of water services from the government-owned Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to the private sector. The Ayala-led Manila Water Company took over the East Zone of Metro Manila, 40% of the capital city, under a 25-year concession agreement; this granted the company exclusive rights to the use of land and facilities for the production, treatment and distribution of water, as well as the rights to operate the sewerage system. By accepting this task, Manila Water took upon itself the responsibility of making millions of lives better. Business Sustainability Manila Water formally took over operations for the East Zone in 1997. This is comprised of Pasig, Taguig, Makati, Mandaluyong, Cubao & Balara (Quezon City), Marikina, San Juan and Antipolo-Rizal. All of these suffered from crippling water loss problems, and resorted to buying water from sources that charged ten to twenty times more than the normal cost. Manila Water began its rehabilitation plan by connecting these areas effectively. Water pipes were added and repaired, and illegal connections were thoroughly acted upon and remedied. A laboratory was established to ensure that the water delivered is consistently clean and drinkable straight out of the tap. Reservoirs were improved upon to ensure that water will be available in case of emergencies. Sewer lines and wastewater operations increased and was subsequently treated and rehabilitated. As water connections improved, so did the stability of the business; and this allowed the company to offer its water and wastewater services to areas outside Metro Manila. Now, Manila Water has established water and wastewater service partnerships in Laguna, Pampanga, Boracay and Cebu, as well as international ventures with Vietnam. The company is now internationally recognized through its corporate governance efforts as well as its business stability, as a proud example of success through the Filipino values of diligence and ingenuity. Social Responsibility Manila Water’s rehabilitation program was driven by a single principle: care for the customer. The company divided the East Zone into business areas, assigning Territory Managers and Customer Care specialists for each; its sole purpose is to understand the customer’s water concerns and to respond to these directly and efficiently. Of the 6 million residents in the East Zone, 1. 7 million come from impoverished families who cannot apply for water connections simply because they have no land they can call their own. To address this, Manila Water established the â€Å"Tubig Para Sa Barangay† (TPSB) program in 1998. Assisted by both government and non-government organizations, the company eased land title requirements for these communities, and provided them water services that are 1/3 of the normal cost. For the first time, these families could go about their lives without worrying about water ever again. Manila Water sustained this effort by establishing partners, or kasanggas among community and barangay leaders. By empowering these stakeholders as being directly responsible for the welfare of their community, key issues like sanitation, health, and livelihood due to water supply was discussed and tackled decisively. A memorable example was 2009’s Typhoon Ondoy disaster, where Manila Water and their kasanggas braved the storm to save lives and provided potable water to its victims almost immediately. Advocacy for the Environment Before Manila Water took over, a lesser-recognized, yet equally important victim suffered as well; the environment. With only 3% of homes connected to sewers, wastewater from toilets, sinks, and waterways had only two places to go: poorly-maintained residential septic tanks, or Metro Manila’s rivers and bodies of water. The company acted quickly to counter these environmental threats. Wastewater treatment plants were built and established among Metro Manila’s riverbanks and crucial areas, where this water would be treated and returned to the rivers clean and capable of supporting marine life. Septic tank desludging was introduced as a service to customers, allowing them to proactively schedule accordingly. The Lakbayan tour, a free walking tour of the company’s water and wastewater sites, allows anyone to single-handedly experience how the environment is key to the company’s efforts. This 2012, the Toka Toka campaign is launched, the first-ever wastewater campaign in the country. This aims to get people directly involved in preserving the environment by doing its own part in waste segregation, and preventing this waste from reaching the rivers. This movement will be supported government, non-government, and private organizations, making it one of the biggest environmental campaigns ever. After 15 years of service, Manila Water remains dedicated to its customers and the environment, as it gears toward a clean, clear, and sustainable future for everyone. Our vision is to become a leader in the provision of water, wastewater and other environmental services which will empower people, protect the environment, and enhance sustainable development. Sustainability Policy  Manila Water puts a very high premium on sustainable development and as much as practicable, integrates its principles into its business processes. Manila Water believes that the continued sustainability of its business is dependent on the communities that it serves and the environment that supports its resources. This policy is consistent with the Company’s values in promoting corporate social responsibility. With this in mind, the Company will be able to address the needs of the communities, the environment and the economy, without sacrificing quality.

Ranch Girl by Maile Meloy from Contemporary American Short Fiction

The story is told in second person, which gives the reader a sense of being in the story, at the same time being an observer. It begins with telling you where you stand in the socio-economics’ and in the eyes of your peers. â€Å"If you’re white, and you’re not rich or poor but somewhere in the middle, it’s hard to have worse luck than be born a girl on the Ranch. It doesn’t matter if your father is the foreman or the rancher – you’re still a ranch girl, and you’ve been dealt a bad hand. † (551) The story goes on, telling you where you where you live on the Ranch, who your father is (the foreman on Ted Haskell’s Running H cattle Ranch) and how you keep your room still decorated from when you were ten. You never have friends over, so you can keep your room that way. You never have friends over because no one wants to come over to a Ranch girl’s house. The second person point of view pangs at the readers emotions. You feel the hunger for attention and flush it creates when Andy Tyler flirts with you. The author re-creates the feelings of a teenage girl, somewhere on the cusp of popularity, in such a way it is almost impossible not to get caught up with the story. I was never a Ranch girl, but when reading the story I felt akin to the feelings of the narrator. The experiences described are vastly different from any of my own child/young adulthood but the universal truths laid out are the same with any person. The narrator has fallen in love with a boy from the rodeo. She goes and watches him fight every Friday. She s sixteen and the Ranchers daughter, Carla, and her curls they hair into perfect ringlets. Trying to catch Andy’s eye. When he gets up from fighting, he asks her to give him a rainbow and she twirls her rainbow gloved hand around his face. The narrator wants to marry Andy Tyler. The blushing hope of picking out her future husband harks back the authors understanding of a young girl. â€Å"Virginity is as important to rodeo boys as to Catholics, and you don’t go home and fuck Andy Tyler because when you finally get him, you want to keep him. But you like his asking. Some nights, he doesn’t ask. Some nights, Lacey Estrada climbs into Andy’s truck, dark hair bouncing in soft curls on her shoulders, and moves close to Andy on the front seat as they drive away†¦. But cowboys are romantics; when they settle down they want the girl they haven’t fucked. † (553) The narrator doesn’t feel too jealous of Lacey Estrada because she knows that Andy is like every other rodeo boy. He won’t marry a girl who he (or anyone else) has fucked. This statement is then contested after Andy Tyler dies in an accident. The paper announces in Andy Tyler’s obituary that he was engaged to Lacey Estrada. When reading this, the author goes on to detail the narrators feelings that you can almost taste the salt tears from being hurt. â€Å"Andy’s obituary says he was engaged to Lacey Estrada, which only Lacey or doctor father could have put in. If you had the guts you’d buy every paper in town and burn them outside that big white house where Lacey took him home and fucked him. Then Lacey shows up on the Hill with an engagement ring and gives you a sad smile as if you shared something. If you were one of the girls who gets in fights on the Hill, you’d fight Lacey. But you don’t; you look away† (556) I think putting this piece into second person was an excellent choice. If the piece were in first person, it might have been too emotionally sentimental, or with too much angst. If the piece was in third, it might not have been able to capture the vulnerability of the narrator. The narrator shuts down after Andy’s death, although it might be because of his death she has more options than if he had been alive. The narrator feels cheated, alone since he died, but she continued through high school where her science teachers (who saw through her ignorant facade) encouraged and bothered her to go to college. In the first course in college, the professor accuses her of plagiarism because she can write. The feelings of frustration and anger, feeling cheated out of a life with Andy to be left alone. The narrator feels the expectations of others enshrouding her, something that would not have been if Andy Tyler had not died in that car crash. â€Å"You are so lucky to have a degree and no kid,† Carla says, â€Å"You can still leave. † (558). The narrator has the world around her telling her how she can still leave, how she has nothing to tie her to the Ranch, or to Montana anymore. She can go. â€Å"But none of these things seem real; what’s real is the payments on your car and your mom’s crazy horses, the feel of the ranch road as you can drive blindfolded and the smell of the hay†¦. But out there in there world you get old. You don’t get old here. Here you can always be a Ranch girl. † (558) The tangible things that tie someone to a place has nothing on the emotional ties. Andy Tyler might have died and left her alone, but he still ties her to the Ranch by his memory. The stolen life taken by a drunk driver took not only Andy Tyler, but also the narrators by taking him from her. She wastes her potential by pining and mourning someone she should have moved on from years ago. The sad desperation is clear in the description, in how the author portrayed the narrator through the second person point of view. The narrator comes off much more sympathetic and her motives are clearly understandable through the second person point of view. I don’t think that any other point of view could have given such a clear view of the narrator life.