Two Kinds by Amy Tan Essay

Two Kinds by Amy Tan Essay Amy Tans Two Kinds is a short story about the relationship between a Chinese-American mother and her American daughter. Two Kinds is a chapter from Tans book, The Joy Luck Club, which is made up of sixteen stories about Tan growing up in America with a mother from ancient Chinese customs (Tan, 189). In this chapter, Tan describes her childhood not with emphasis on cultural differences, but as a girl trying to find herself all the while in constant conflict with her Chinese-American mothers desire for her to become extraordinary. Further research reveals to the reader that Daisy, Amy Tans mother, is her influence for writing. Daisy a child-survivor of Nanjing came to America in 1949 at the age of 18 leaving behind three daughters to escape communism and abuse (unknown, 2010). Daisy raised Tan as a Chinese mother with Chinese customs is expected to by using harsh words of warning to motivate greatness. Tans exposition of the story appears in the beginning with you could phrases that introduce the reader to the mother. You could open a restaurant. You could become instantly famous. You can be best anything (Tan, Two Kinds, 2012, p. 336). The reader is intrigued in the first three paragraphs as it is clear this mother, the static character throughout this story, expects no less than excellence. The first person narrator is the dynamic character of this story, Jing-mei. She is also the protagonist in an ongoing struggle for independence with her mother who is the antagonist. Jing-mei struggles to find who she is. At first, she convinces herself that if she hurries, she can fulfill her mothers expectations and would soon become perfect (Tan, Two Kinds, 2012, p. 336). However, the child-narrator in her coming-of-age attitude sets the tone for the battle-of-wills when she thinks the mother is beginning to give up hope (337). Jing-mei continues this battle determined not to try (p. 338) and determined to put a stop to her foolish pride (p. 339). The mother-daughter climatic moment occurs when Jing-mei selfishly yells You want me to be someone that Im not (p. 339). Tan allows the mother to invoke her position in the relationship with her reply of Only two kinds of daughters. Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this hou se. Obedient daughter (p.339). Tan increases the mother-daughter conflict using dramatic visualization as Jing-mei repeatedly defies the mothers with the use of words like disappointed, failed expectations, I had been sent to hell and I wish I were dead (Tan, Two Kinds, 2012, pp. pp. 337-339). The mothers comments to her daughter because you not trying (p. 337) and only ask you be your best (p. 337) poses a dilemma for the reader of whether to feel sympathy for the mother or daughter. What the daughter perceives as being an unsatisfied and disappointed mother is Tans use of situational irony. It is not until the end of this short story that the daughter realizes that her mother was not controlling or demanding for the sake of Chinese custom, but was only exhibiting a mothers enduring hope that her daughter would be someone great. Tan affirms this near the end as the mother reminds her thirty year-old daughter you could been genius if you want to (Tan, Two Kinds, 2012, p. 340). The pivotal moment of the story occurs in the last paragraph as the daughter for the first time notices the music pieces she rehearsed as a child (Tan, Two Kinds, 2012, p. 340). Tan dramatizes the irony further when Jing-mei, after the death of her mother, notices the two songs on the piano, Pleading Child (p. 340) and Perfectly Contented (p. 340) that are symbolic of the daughters growth from a child to an adult. She realizes the pieces were two halves of the same song (p. 340) just as she and her mother were. As the mothers character was seemingly over-bearing, she and her mother wanted the same thing; both wanted the best in life for Jing-mei. Tans chronological organization of the story allowed the reader to see the conflicts emerge and resolve as Jing-mei grew into an adult. This story was not about the cultural differences between Chinese and Americans as one might expect, but more about a mother-daughter relationship. Tan writes because it is about the meaning of my life (Tan, NEA Big Read: Meet Amy Tan, 2010). When we read this story as a chapter in The Joy Luck Club, Two Kinds completes Tans collection of stories that are about hope and the way she looked at the world (2010). I liked this story because I connected with Jing-mei at first and felt sorry for her. However, half way through the story, I began to feel sad for the mother after Jing-mei began behaving selfishly and defiantly by not trying. As short as the story was, it created a momentary emotional struggle for me. At first I could not understand why the mother would force a child into extracurricular activities of which she had no interest. I thought perhaps the mother, given Amy Tans real mothers tragic history, was living vicariously through her daughter. Later, as a mother of three daughters, I began to see why the mother was trying to convince her child to do something great. It was because she wanted her daughter to be no less than perfect. The story did not change my perspective on mother-daughter relationships because all mothers raising daughters have unique coming-of-age stories. I did stop and reflect upon my own mother and my childhood with her as we had our growing pains. I was adopt ed and my mother was very much like Amy Tans trying to make every perfect. Tan writes brilliantly with passion and I am a newly committed fan. I would not change a thing in this story.

Fiber Optics :: essays research papers fc

Fiber Optics Fiber Optic Cable Facts "A relatively new technology with vast potential importance, fiber optics is the channeled transmission of light through hair-thin glass fibers." [ Less expensive than copper cables [ Raw material is silica sand [ Less expensive to maintain If damaged, restoration time is faster (although more users are affected) [ Backbone to the Information Superhighway Information (data and voice) is transmitted through the fiber digitally by the use of high speed LASERs (Light Amplification through the Simulated Emission of Radiation) or LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). Each of these methods create a highly focused beam of light that is cycled on and off at very high speeds. Computers at the transmitting end convert data or voice into "bits" of information. The information is then sent through the fiber by the presence, or lack, of light. Computers on the receiving end convert the light back into data or voice, so it can be used. ORIGIN OF FIBER OPTICS Information (data and voice) is transmitted through the fiber digitally by the use of high speed LASERs (Light Amplification through the Simulated Emission of Radiation) or LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). Each of these methods create a highly focused beam of light that is cycled on and off at very high speeds. Computers at the transmitting end convert data or voice into "bits" of information. The information is then sent through the fiber by the presence, or lack, of light. So, all of the data is sent light pulses. Computers on the receiving end convert the light back into data or voice, so it can be used. All of this seems to be a very "modern" concept, and the technology we use is. The concept though, was the idea of Alexander Graham Bell in the late 1800's. He just didn't have a dependable light source... some days the sun doesn't shine! He thought of the idea that our voices could be transmitted by pulses of light. The people who thought that audio, video, and other forms of data could be transmitted by light through cables, were present day scientists. Most of the things that are possible today, Alexander Grahm Bell could never even have dreamed of. Although the possibility of lightwave communications occurred to Alexander Graham Bell (who invented the telephone), his ideas couldn't be used until the LASER or LED had been invented. Most of these advances occurred in the 1970s, and by 1977 glass-purifying and other fiber-optic manufacturing techniques had also reached the stage where interoffice lightwave communications were possible. With further technological development, many intercity routes were in operation by 1985, and some transoceanic routes had been completed by 1990.

Employee Health Analysis

Report on Employee Health Analysis| November 16 2012 | A detailed analysis regarding the health related issues of Data entry operators where a possible structure of problems and solutions are given after analyzing the data of 50 clerical staffs. | Avijit Mitra MHRM 12HS60007| Table of Contents Introduction3 Background3 Method4 Objective5 Problem Analysis5 Recommendations7 Conclusion9 Introduction Staff welfare is an important facility provided by companies to their employees to keep their motivation levels high. Organizations frame many approaches to ensure health and safety of their employees.But not all of the approaches focus on contribution of both work design and employee welfare. Many organizational and individual issues emerge in management of employee health and safety. With successful implementation of Employee welfare facilities it can be ensured that employees are monitoring and addressing health issues with resultant benefits of reduced absenteeism, improved productivity and reduced injury rates. Background A manufacturing facility in Mumbai employs three data entry operators who work full time entering the records related to production, personnel, and inventory data into the computer.As required by the labour agreement, in addition to a one-hour break as part of the lunch period, these three operators receive two 15 minutes break daily; they may take them at any convenient time, once in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Otherwise, they generally work at their keyboards all day. One of the operators was absent from work for two weeks for a condition diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome, a neuromuscular disorder of the tendons and tissues in the wrists caused by repeated hand motions. His symptoms included a severe ache in the wrist and ever growing pain in the neck and shoulder.However, after a week, a second data entry operator experienced similar symptoms; his doctor diagnosed his ailment as ‘RSI or repetitive stress injury’ and referred to it informally as the VDT (Video Display Terminal) disease. With more data entry operators to be hired, Ramesh Chauhan asked his assistant, Sandeep Kaul, to gather additional information on this condition. He wants Sandeep to make any appropriate recommendations regarding the work environment — posture, furniture, work habits, rest breaks, and the like — that will alleviate this problem. MethodPreparation of Detailed Analysis Complete method took three stages to assess mental stress of the employees. Before the actual analysis, employees were informed about the course of the proceedings. On the basis of general information about the company including the corporate structure, descriptions of work tasks, work time regulations, and rules on internal communications a set of questionnaire was prepared. Stress Analysis: Observation and Structured Analysis Specific questions were asked to employees to understand their work tasks and working situation.In additio n employees were asked about cooperation with other departments, frequency of specific activities, or organizational arrangements in order to better describe the conditions of the job in detail. Evaluation and Recommendations After the stress analysis many problems are identified due to the mental demand of the job. A detailed policy recommendation is constructed to selectively reduce areas of psychological stress which was identified in the organization. Objective Determining the requirements of organizational stress analysis * Getting an objective assessment of the mental demands of jobs in the organization * Using the analysis to improve productivity reducing the psychological stress * Determining the readiness of employees to join stressful job like data entry Problem Analysis | Physical Work Settings The physical settings of work affect the performance of employees to a great extent. Some of these factors include temperature, noise levels, and proper lighting affect job perform ance.Other work setting factors include size of work area, kinds of materials used, distance between work areas, cubicle arrangementSick Building Syndrome It is a situation in which employees experience acute health problems and discomfort due to the time spent in a building (particularly their workplace). Some factors that lead to sick buildings include poor air quality, inadequate ventilation, improper cleanliness, rodents, stench of adhesives and gluesErgonomics The term comes from the Greek word ergon, which means â€Å"work,† and omics which means â€Å"management of. Ergonomics is the study of physiological, psychological, and engineering design aspects of a job, including such factors as fatigue, lighting, tools, equipment layout, and placement of controls. It is the interface between men and machines. Ergonomics is taken into consideration when designing the workstation for computer operators. Problems of back ache, eye strain and headache arise due to long working h ours spent in front of computers. Engineering of Work Equipments and Materials Health Related are caused by improper work equipments. Moreover design of such machines and equipments also plays an important role in employee stress.Old computer monitor without eye guard and keyboards without soft buttons are often the cause of multiple health issues. Cumulative Trauma and Repetitive Stress Cumulative trauma disorder occurs when same muscles are used repetitively to perform some task. This results in injuries of musculoskeletal and nervous system. Employees encounter high levels of mental and physical stress also. Lack of recreational activities Monotonous work schedule and lack of recreational activities can cause psychological disorder which effects the productivity of employees in workplace.Lack of motivation In spite of being an indirect cause for health issues this factor is increasingly becoming a common problem in modern workplace. Due to monotonous job and lack of reward employ ees are suffering from lack of motivation. This problem is resulting in increasing number of unscheduled leave mentioning the false reason of health related issues to the supervisor. This issue can be identified by using Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X assumes that people are lazy, dislike and shun work, lack ambition, dislike responsibility, and prefer to be led. These are the common symptoms of lack of motivation in workplace. Recommendations Employee Health Screening Employee Health Screening should be utilized to gain an overall health profile of the employee and the workforce in general frequently. This process data will help to figure out the continuous progress or deterioration of employee health and the management team can prepare effective solutions for each single employees. Health Promotion Seminars Mental Health Wellness seminars should be conducted to convey effective ways of reducing the likely presence of depression, anxiety or other mental h ealth related concerns of an employee or a job seeker.This health related awareness will provide guidelines how to avoid stress and monotonous activities Healthy working Environment We have to provide occupational health clinics, which give employees immediate access to specially trained medical personnel. Physicians and nurses who evaluate our employees should be specialists in occupational medicine. Mental Well-Being We have to be responsible for providing a safe, fair and clean work environment. We should also be accountable to the mental well-being of employees by helping them in personal struggles and providing a healthy work-life balanceRecreational activities Fun activities like games quiz can help the employees the get relief from monotonous activities. It is often said a healthy mind is the pillar of physically fit human beings. Fun activities can provide required breathing space to the employees to build up a healthy mind. Motivation Improvement Under Theory X, management approach should range from a â€Å"hard† to a â€Å"soft† approach. The hard approach should rely on coercion, implicit threats, close supervision, and tight controls; essentially an environment of command and control.The soft approach is to be permissive and seek harmony, with the hope that in return employees will cooperate when asked to do so. However, neither of these extremes is optimal. The hard approach often results in hostility, purposely low-productivity. The soft approach results in ever-increasing requests for more rewards in exchange for ever-decreasing productivity. Conclusion When we feel our best, we do your best. But when something is troubling or hurting us, it’s difficult to set those concerns aside and focus on work.We should provide support programs and services to help our employees live healthier and safer lives – at work, home and on the road. This is good for our people and good for our business. Our success is a result of the com mitment, dedication and aspiration of our employees and we should aim to provide an environment and culture that inspires and breeds success. With successful implementation of Employee welfare facilities we must ensure that all employees are under frequent health checkup. This will not only reduce absenteeism but also will provide sufficient improvement in productivity of each employee.

Comparison of Dulce Et Decorum Est, and Refuge Blues...

Compare Dulce Et Decorum Est and Refugee Blues Both the poems are based at periods of War, but the difference being is that ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ depicts the very physical suffering of the soldiers in the muddy, bloody trenches of the First World War, (The Great War), and is written for the purpose of educating those on the home front, who are naà ¯ve to the suffering experienced by the soldiers on the front line, people referred to as his friends, who must be informed about the old lie, ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Amore’. ‘Refugee Blues’ however is a less intense poem, which deals more with the emotional suffering of the Jews, although the Jews in this poem must also cope with the constant fear of physical hardship at the hands of†¦show more content†¦But Owen attempts, in a way to blame all of these things on the generals. For instance when Owen refers to the General as ‘my friend’, he seems to be willing the general to stop lying to the younger generations, a nd whisking them of to war to die in a pointless battle. He also highlights the injuries on the men, this shows the commitment of the soldiers, that they are still willing to fight. In both poems there is a strong and effective message at the end of each stanza, in Refugee Blues Auden attempts to make the end of every stanza into a conversation, between a man and his wife, he does this by making the man say his emphatic line, also the man after ever every stanza explains some of the feelings felt by him and his lover. I prefer ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’, as a poem, because of the powerful language. But I feel that Refugee Blues is more relevant to myself therefore I find it more appealing to the situation I would be in as a civilian in a war, therefore I prefer ‘Refugee Blues’ as a