The Unspoken Laws Essay Example for Free

The Unspoken Laws Essay The conceptualization of sexual, religious, and gendered borders has served to write the human standard of living and the societal roles that we have incorporated into our culture to accept as the social norm. These unspoken laws are the architecture to our socio-cultural environment. These laws represent the cement that has carefully bonded the male-female heteronormative gender role, the pre-inclined human morality given by religion, and sexual identity to be something that is easily definable by the masses. Arturo Islas in The Rain God defines Mexican culture by creating characters that exemplify and embody the stereotypes and the figurative borders of sexuality, religion, and gender. Throughout The Rain God Arturo Islas tells the story of the Angel family- a family made up of strong characters such as Miguel Grande and Mama Chona. Both Miguel Grande and Mama Chona strongly embody the female-male gender role while personifying the cultural borders that Miguel Chico encounters as he develops into an adult. Miguel Grande illustrates machismo as he is described as the traditional patriarch of the Angel Family. Mama Chona takes on the matriarch role that holds the Angel Family together all the while as she is conflicted to accept the Indigenous and Chicano identities that make her whole. Maria- the nursemaid is a symbol for the religious freedom Miguel Chico grows up searching for. She herself strays off Roman Catholicism and becomes a Seventh Day Adventist. Maria’s influences of another form of thinking impacts Miguel Chico as he furthers into interpreting the reality encircling his childhood. Arturo Islas carefully constructs the matriarch role in Hispanic culture as Mama Chona. Her character is a clear example of the generational struggle faced by Mother Chonas alike of other Mexican Families living in the Southwest Texas/ Mexico border seeking out lead their kin out of the â€Å"bad† life. Miguel Chico reminiscing over a family picture in his desk area describes, â€Å"Mama Chona is wearing a black ankle-length dress with a white lace collar and he is in a short-sleeved light colored summer suit with short pantsthe camera has captured them in flight from one world to the next.† (Islas, 3-4). This quote expatiates the generational gap faced between the Angel family and Miguel Chico. Narratively, it also serves as foreshadowing for Miguel Chico straining off the â€Å"correct† path, that is not staying and submitting to the very literal and figurative geographical borders of religion, sex, and gender found in the Southwest. Miguel Chico does this by earning his acceptance to a prestigious University, moving to San Fransisco, and becoming the free thinking individual that he is by heart. With traditional catholic point of views and a ridged sense of what sexuality is Miguel Grande refuses to accept any other form of raising his child, other than the one he’s been conditioned to accept throughout his lifetime. â€Å"‘Apologize to your father for playing with dolls,’ Juanita said to Miguel Chico. He did not understand why he needed to say he was sorry. When his father was not there, his mother permitted him to play with them.† (Islas, 16) Miguel Chico is the queer child who questions religion and the male role that is placed on him by his social environment. Arturo Islas crafts these polar identities to express the very literal border of culture and sexuality that Miguel Chico encounters and battles with as he matures into an adult. Whilst growing up nursemaid Maria attempts to instill the morals and allegories of a religious context into Miguel Chico. Although, Miguel Chico receives the religious barrage from both ends of the spectrum- the mother and the nursemaid, Miguel Chico questions the validity of the information he waveringly accepts at the time. â€Å"Miguel Chico learned that when he asked Maria a difficult question she would remain silent, then choose a biblical passage that illustrated the terrible power of God the Fathers wrath.† (Islas, 17). Moreover, Maria explores another branch of Christianity by being a Seventh Day Adventist, her influences of denying another religion impacts Miguel Chico and in the end lends to his rejection of religion over all, as he sees the influence of another interpretation of â€Å"truth†. Furthermore, as Miguel Chico walks through the journey of adulthood he becomes more aware of the social and personal constraints the borders of religion, sex, and gender present to his growth as an individual though throughout this time he accepts that he is a determinable extension of them both, Maria- the nursemaid and Mother Chona the Angel Familys Matriarch. â€Å"the way a seed continues to be part of a plant after it has assumed its own form which does not at all resemble its origin, but which nevertheless, is determined by it. He had survived severe pruning and wondered if human beings, unlike plants can water themselves.† (Islas, 25-26). Throughout the passage Miguel Chico asserts his independence from all the borders introduced by his family, the border that his persona has been forced to fit in in consequence of a socially accepted mold. Later in The Rain God it is learned that Mama Chona becomes ill. At this time Miguel Chico visits and is confronted with questions concerning his sexuality and relationship status, more significantly by his cousins. It is strange to them that he is neither married, nor in a stable relationship with a woman. Despite the suspicion behind his sexuality he verifies the value he has for knowledge. He conjures up the idea that perhaps he had survived the plucking of his personal growth to tell the stories of people similar to Maria and Mother Chona. Conclusively, Miguel Chico ascertains that he in fact does have a long way to go throughout his journey of self-discovery, along the way he pieces together the identity that makes him whole. These pieces all influenced by the characters in his life, significantly, Mother Chona and Maria. He accepts the fact he alike Mother Chona prefers to disregard facts to assume motives, although unlike Maria, Miguel Chico longed to look at persons and their motives separately from an â€Å"earthly, rather than otherworldly, point of view† (Islas, 28). Miguel Chicos future is undetermined at this point and he is okay with that reality but he now is comfortable with the concept that he does not have to live in the haziness of the garden he has been rooted to be part of. Miguel Chico can stray off the pre-determined path given to him and still be his own after appreciating the soil that nurtured him into the free thinking individual that he is. Works Cited Islas, Arturo. The Rain God: A Desert Tale. Palo Alto: Alexandrian, 1984. Print.

Elevators to Space :: physics space elevator

The idea of an elevator into space is not a new one. First contemplated by a Russian scientist in 1895, it was not truly popularized until Arthur C. Clarke’s novel Fountains of Paradise in 1978. The idea is so simple, it seems absurd. A tether is extended from the surface of the earth, and using a combination of gravity and centrifugal force, is extended outwards. Vehicles can then scale this tether, removing the need for costly rockets. Arthur C. Clarke claims that the space elevator is an attainable goal, and we will have one â€Å"about 10 years after people stop laughing.† However, before it can be constructed, there are many engineering issues that need to be worked out. This page is not the end all, and contains no breakthroughs or answers. However, it does include some interesting information that may aid in answering questions about this subject: If you're going to build a 62,000 km rope, what would you use?. This application ends up being a gigantic tug of war. With gravity pulling down, and centrifugal force pulling up, the material has to be very strong just to hold its own weight, let alone the additional load of the elevator’s â€Å"car.† Until the early 1990’s, no such material was known. In 1991, carbon nanotubes were discovered. Although not currently a feasible option, current research in this topic may lead to breakthroughs very soon. How do you build a vehicle capable of climbing a tether into space, under its own power? This leads to another engineering feat for this project is a climber. It may seem like this is a simple extension of modern robotics, many of the caveats of this application require further research and experimentation. With any large structure, a major question on everyone's mind is "is it safe?" For something like a several thousand kilometer high freestanding elevator, there are two questions: "is it safe for the occupants/cargo?" and "is it safe for everyone/everything else?" The last question, and possibly the most important of all: "How much is this going to cost?" If its not economically feasible, all of the research in the world will not make it happen. No matter how you look at it, a project like this will be a very expensive endeavor. One of the biggest obstacles to building a space elevator has always been the choice of material for the tether. Until recently, there was no material known to man that could handle the stresses involved. With the discovery of carbon nanotubes, the strongest material known to man, a possible solution has been found.

The Rain Came by Grace Ogot

The title of the story is The Rain Came by Grace Ogot. The author of the story is Grace Ogot or also known as Grace Emily Akinyi. She was born on 15 May 1930, near Kisumu, central Nyanza Region in Kenya. In achievement, she became the first African woman writer in English who published fiction by the East African Publishing House. Her stories such as Land Without Thunder (1968), The Other Woman (1976), and The Island of Tears (1980) provides the traditional Luo life.Most of her fiction stories are according with the customs, history and traditions of the Luo tribe in Kenya, which has the second largest ethnic group. The Luo tribe lived for most part near Lake Victoria. Her formal writing reflects the addition of her formal learning with the traditions in her life. All her collections of writings reflect her personal love towards the stories of her culture. Grace Ogot passed away in April 2010.Character AnalysisThe main character or the primary character is Oganda which means â€Å"b eans† due to her very fair skin. She is the chief’s only daughter around at the tender age to married and also the protagonist in this story. She is a very traditional and great woman where she willing to sacrificed herself so that the Luo will have rain.She also loves to imagine her future where she imagined which man should be the best man to married. Oganda is very disappointed on her people which they willing to give her up to sacrifice. Lastly, she also a person who easily to give up where she never fight for her life to run away or hide herself but choose to accept the fact that she is the chosen one and ready to be sacrifice.The supporting character would be Labong’O. He is the chief of Luo. He has 5 wives and 20 children, among all Oganda is his daughter. He is the bravest man and a great leader of the village. He always holds his promise to the village where he promised would sacrifice himself or his family for the sake of the tribe. Other than that, he is also a loving father and loves his daughter very much but he could not bear the risk to safe Oganda.Another minor character would be Minya which is the chief’s fifth wife and Oganda mother. She is a loving mother where she is not willing to sacrifice her only daughter. Grandmother has a characteristic of a protective grandmother where she protect Oganda by not allow her to leave her hut and listen to the truth that she have to be the  sacrifice.Furthermore, Oganda lover which is Osinda, he is a very brave man and would will to do anything to save her lover. In the story, Osinda went into the sacred land to save Oganda and take care of her until she wakes up from the faint. Kech is son of a neighboring clan elder. He is a very handsome guy with sweet meek eyes and roaring laugh but he is too short for Oganda. Dimo, a tall young man which is brave and a great wrestler but he is too cruel where always quarreling and ready to fight.The selfish one would be the villager, frie nds and relatives where they are so happy that the chief’s daughter have to sacrifice to have rain. They are also very naà ¯ve, traditional and believes in animism where they believes sacrifice would bring them torrent of rain. Another supporting character is the little child which is very naà ¯ve. The little child broke the silent and gives the earring to Oganda before she enters the sacred land. Lastly, Ndithi, the witch man and Podho is the ancestor of Luo.Setting (Place, Time, Atmosphere, Social Condition)The setting of place is in Kenya, near the Lake of Victoria. The time is drought season, where everyone in the village is anxiously waiting to hear when it will rain. Besides that, all their cattle are dying in the fields as there is no water. The atmosphere of the story is very anxious, tensed and confused. In paragraph 2, ‘ the atmosphere in the village was tense and confused’. The social condition is people believing in tribal law where they believe in their ancestors as gods.The chief of tribe believes whatever the ancestors of Luo told him and sacrifices of his daughter is a must to the lake monster in order to have rain. In paragraph 7, ‘Let her offer herself a sacrifice to the lake monster! On that day, the rain will come down in torrents. Let everyone stay at home on that day, lest he be carried away by the floods.’ In paragraph 9, ‘but he continued, ‘the ancestors have chosen her as a sacrifice to the lake monster in order to that we may have rain’PlotThe plot applied the Freytag pyramid where in the exposition start when the chief come back from the witch man house and was told that his only daughter will be the sacrifice where his heart is totally doomed but no any other choices but sacrifice her daughter to the lake monster. Rising action is  when Labong’O declared that Oganda will be the sacrifice. Oganda feels very sad and the villager prepared a big feast for her before she went on the journey to the Victoria Lake.The climax of story is when Oganda goes to the lake and she is very terrified as she thinks that she has been followed by the Lake Monster and run, finally fainted. In the falling action, Osinda appears and comes to save Oganda and the resolution is the thunder come and the rain came. ThemePeople generally are very selfish.The theme of the story is sacrifice for the benefits of others. Oganda is selected to die for the villager’s benefit in which they will have rain. When one person is being sacrifice to the lake monsters, everyone in the village will have rain and they will survive form drought. The cattle will also not die.Another theme is the family ties. In the story, the Chief, his wife and their daughter has the strong bonding of love and care for each other. Labong’o loves his daughter so much that he weeps as he knows that she is going to be sacrificed to the lake monster for the villagers. His wife also faints when hears th e news of their daughter being sacrificed.Moreover, the belief in customs, traditions of the tribe is also one of the themes. In this story, the villagers of Kenya believe their ancestor as their gods and will pray for the ancestors for help. They believe that when a person, Oganda is to be sacrificed to the lake monster, rain will come.Point of viewIt is a third person omniscient point of view. When something happened to the character, the readers can actually feel and sense the feeling and emotion of each character because they have been told in detail while they are needed through the story. The readers know what the character thinks and feel. In the story, the reader can feels the sad and depressed emotion of Minya, Labong’o, Oganda and her grandmother. Besides that, we can feel the happiness of villagers when they dance joyfully after knowing that Oganda will be a sacrifice for the lake monster and they will have rain soon.SymbolismIn paragraph 16, ‘they have been like three cooking stones’ which represents  the relationship between the parents and daughter. In paragraph 7, ‘a young woman who has not known a man’ represents a virgin. ConclusionThe story ends in a good ending in which Oganda is not being sacrificed and can run away together with her love ones, Osinda. Besides that, the rain came in the end. The story affects us in the responsibility and the strong beliefs in customs and traditions. In the story, although the chief has dearly loved his only daughter very much but he takes his responsibility as the head of the Luo tribe to obey their ancestors and sacrifice the daughter to the lake monster for rain.I have learnt to be a responsible person and be strong like the chief in all obstacles in life. He takes his responsibility as a chief to bring benefits to his villagers. He has undergone a huge pain in which he has to offer up her daughter as sacrifices for the whole village’s needs, which is the rain. He puts his tribe as priority before everything else as a leader and representative. We should have personality like the chief which is responsible as a leader and head. It brings you as a liable and trustworthy person. Besides that, we can see the strength of the villagers in following their customs and traditions.The Luo (a tribe in Northern Kenya and Uganda) believes in their ancestor as gods. It is even stronger when they turn to their ancestors for help when in time of great needs. In paragraph 2, ‘The chief had prayed daily to the almighty through the ancestors to deliver them from their distresses. The highest priority in their life is to obey and pleasing the gods (lake monster) and ancestors.It strikes us that the villages are following their customs and unlike most of the society nowadays that they do not follow their traditions and have neglected it. The family ties are very strong in this story. We can see it from the love and care of the three family members, who ar e Oganda ( the daughter), Labong’o ( the father) and Minya ( the mother).Three of them love each other in which the father and mother are very depressed and sad when they know that their daughter’s life is at stake. In paragraph 4, ‘ Labong’o did not care anymore. He assumed the position of a simple father and wept bitterly’. In paragraph 16, ‘for a long time the three souls who loved on another dearly sat in darkness. It was not good speaking. In the past, they had been like three cooking stones, sharing their burdens.’ This shows that they are as one in spirit and their bonding is very strong. From this, we learn the importance of family love and being as one.

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