The Importance of Setting in a story

1. Where has each of the stories been set?

The Real Durwan by Jhumpa Lahiri: Stairwell

The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Watson's house

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Neighbourhood of a town

2. What time period has each of the above stories been set?

The Real Durwan by Jhumpa Lahiri: Modern day

The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: 1883, early April in the morning

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Early 19th century England

3. What clues do you get from the setting about the kind of story it is going to turn out to be?

The Real Durwan by Jhumpa Lahiri: Moody and sad

The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Suspicious and mysterious

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Gives us a very amiable feeling and and gives us warm and loving effect

4.Do you get clues about the story that follows from the setting? 

To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the 1930s in Maycomb, Alabama, a town so small and insular that, according to Scout, her father is "related by blood or marriage to nearly every family in the town." 

The story states that Mr. Finch works in the area. Maycomb is repeated many times in the story and there is a vivid description of it “Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square. Somehow, it was hotter then: a black dog suffered on a summer’s day”. Maycomb is also a white town as there are description of the Finch’s neighbours. “It was customary for every circle hostess to invite her neighbors in for refreshments, be they Baptists or Presbyterians, which accounted for the presence of Miss Rachel (sober as a judge), Miss Maudie and Miss Stephanie Crawford.” It describes the fine ladies in town and how they live their lives in Maycomb County.

Historical Background 2

The Civil Rights Movement


a.    When did the civil rights movement begin?
In 1955.


b.   What was the civil rights movement about?
It was about fighting for equal rights between the white Americans and African Americans. E.g. The rights to vote.


c.    State some of the significant incidents that took place in the Civil Rights movements.
 1.   The Murder of Emmett Till (1955).
Emmett Till was brutally beaten by his two white abductors, who then shot him and dumped his body in the Tallahatchie River. His two murderers were arrested the day after Till's disappearance. Both were acquitted a month later, after the jury of all white men deliberated for 67 minutes and then issued their "Not Guilty" verdict. After being acquitted, the two murderers went on record as blatantly declaring that they were indeed guilty. They remained free and unpunished as a consequence of the judicial procedure known as "double jeopardy."


2.     Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956)
Mrs. Rosa Parks, while riding on a public bus, refused to relinquish her seat to a white passenger. Mrs. Parks was subsequently arrested, tried, and convicted of disorderly conduct and of violating a local ordinance. Alabama's black community organized and launched the Montgomery Bus Boycott, to protest the practice of segregating blacks and whites in public transportation. The successful boycott lasted for 382 days (1956 was a leap year), until the local ordinance legalizing the segregation of blacks and whites on public buses was vitiated.


d.   Which American president supported this movement?
John F. Kennedy.


e.   What was the outcome of this movement?
As a result to the civil rights movement african-americans are now as equal as whites. That's what they would have Americans believe and although African Americans have more rights and can hold office to good jobs, there is still racism going on to this day. 


f.   Civil Rights movement relation to the novel?
When Dill and Scout return to the courtroom, they found Atticus well into his closing remarks. Jem whispers that Atticus has just gone over the evidence and there’s no way they can lose. Atticus tells the jury that the prosecution is relying on the jury’s racism to convict Tom even though there’s no evidence any crime even took place. Mayella’s injuries at the time suggested that she was beaten by a left-handed man, and Tom’s left hand is useless (though Mr. Ewell’s isn’t). Atticus reminds the jury that everyone should be equal under the law, and they should do their duty and acquit Tom. After four hours of deliberation, the jury finally delivers its verdict: guilty. As Atticus walks down the aisle and out of the courtroom, the African-Americans in the balcony silently stand up as a gesture of respect.


Montgomery Bus Boycott and Scottsboro trials


a.   State the specifics of each trial and why they were significant.
Montgomery Bus Boycott.

On Thursday, December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man. In response, the Women's Political Council distributed fliers throughout the community urging African-Americans to boycott the bus line on the day of Mrs. Parks's trial. The following Monday Mrs. Parks was found guilty of disorderly conduct and fined. It was on this day in the afternoon at Mt. Zion A.M.E. Zion Church that a meeting was held, it was at this meeting that the Montgomery Improvement Association was formed and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., selected as the new organization's president. That evening a meeting was held at the Holt Street Baptist Church at which it was decided that continuing the bus boycott would be an effective way to protest the segregated bus service.

In terms of participation, the bus boycott was an immediate success. Virtually all of the African-Americans who formerly patronized the bus service now walked, arranged carpools or found other means of transportation. Despite the strong participation in the boycott and the financial hardship experienced by the bus company, the laws were not changed. The Montgomery Improvement Association filed suit in federal court on behalf of those discriminated against by the bus service. On June 2, 1956, a federal court ruled for the Montgomery Improvement Association and declared segregated bus service to be unconstitutional. The ruling was appealed to the United States Supreme Court who, on November 13, 1956, upheld the lower court's findings. The boycott ended on December 20, 1956, 382 days after Mrs. Parks's conviction, when the court order requiring integrated bus service was served to Montgomery officials.

Scottsboro trials

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, poor people would ride in railroad freight cars, trying to get to a town that might have work. In 1931, two white women were riding the trains along with two groups of men: one white and another black. A fight broke out between the two groups of men. The blacks won and threw the whites off the train. The whites reported this to the local sheriff, and the train was stopped in Scottsboro, Alabama. Everyone on board was arrested. Victoria Price was in serious trouble because her friend, Ruby Bates, was a minor. It's a federal crime to take a minor across state lines for the purpose of prostitution. In order to get out of trouble, Victoria and Ruby said that the black men had raped them. In 1931, rape was punishable by death. Considering the races of the accusers (white) and accused (black), the normal response would have been a lynching (hanging someone who is suspected of a crime). But the people of Scottsboro held a trial, instead. Of course, the result had been decided before the trial began. The Scottsboro Boys were convicted and sentenced to death - at the first trial.But that was only the beginning. The Scottsboro Trials - we will examine two of them - dragged on for six more years and resulted in two Supreme Court rulings.

b.   How is the Scottsboro trial related to the trial in the novel?

When Lee was a young girl, about six-years-old, there was a highly publicised court case, the Scottsboro Trials, involving several young African-American men. There are many parallels between the trial of Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird and one of the most notorious series of trials in the nation's history ‚ the Scottsboro Trials. On March 25, 1931, a freight train was stopped in Paint Rock, a tiny community in Northern Alabama, and nine young African American men who had been riding the rails were arrested. As two white women - one underage - descended from the freight cars, they accused the men of raping them on the train. The accused were taken to Scottsboro jail. Within a month the first man was found guilty and sentenced to death. There followed a series of sensational trials condemning the other men solely on the testimony of the older woman, a known prostitute, who was attempting to avoid prosecution under the Mann Act, prohibiting taking a minor across state lines for immoral purposes, like prostitution. Although none of the accused were executed, a number remained on death row for many years. The case was not settled until 1976 with the pardon of the last of the Scottsboro defendants. This trial has many similarities to Tom Robinson's trial including the word of a poor White woman against the word of an African-American man and the fact that there was no real evidence.

c.   In what way are these trials similar?

Both are biased. The black is going against the white and white against the black.

Trials of a true Southern Belle and Southern Gentleman

a.      What were the rules of etiquette for Southern gentlemen and ladies?

Above all, say "please" and "thank you". Always saw please whenever making any sort of request. You may further express thanks by saying something like "Thank you very much, I really appreciate it." If you don't get what you want, say something like "well, thank you anyway." You should also use "May I," "You're Welcome," "Excuse Me," and "Pardon Me."
Also say "yes sir" or "no sir" and "yes ma'am" or "no ma'am" at all appropriate times. If you don't use these you may be viewed as arrogant or disrespectful, or uppity.
Several fundamental tenets of southern manners:
-Be humble - Always put others first and yourself last ("after you..."). This is rooted in Bible Belt theology. Acting uppity, selfish, or self-centered are certainly not good manners.
-Be courteous - This stems from the Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you).
-Behave yourself - When in public, don't be rude, brash, loud, uncouth, coarse, or cause a commotion. If you do act that way people may think you weren't raised properly and don't know better.
-Be friendly - Act this way towards everyone whether you know them or not.
-Be modest - this is similar to being humble. In other words, don't brag on yourself.
Here are some other tips (but this is not an exhaustive list of course):
-Always ask for something, but never demand it.
-Refer to females as "Ladies".
-Chivalry of all forms is well appreciated throughout the South.
-Hold doors open for others.
-If you're a male, walk on the street side of a sidewalk when accompanying a lady.
-Men stand when a lady enters the room.
-Remove your hat, if you're a male, when entering a building. A hat should also be removed (by men) during the national anthem, the raising of the flag, funeral processions, and prayer.
-When at fault, own up to it and say you're sorry.
-Say "pardon me" or "excuse me" when having to walk in front of someone or if you bump into someone.
-Err on the side of being too nice.
-Know proper table manners and always use them.
-Make eye contact with people and say "hi, how are you" or an appropriate greeting to them depending on the time of day ("good morning", "good afternoon", etc.).
-Conduct small talk with others whether you know them or not (particularly in stores and restaurants, etc.).
-Respect elders
-Be gracious and extend hospitality whenever possible. Offer guests in your home food and drink.
-Don't interrupt.
-Shake hands with a firm grip.
-Don't be in a rush and impatient all the time. Things move at a different pace in the South.
-Keep your word.
-Stand by your family.
-If someone has had surgery, a new baby or a death in the family, organize the neighbours to all take turns fixing dinner for the affected family.
-Welcome new neighbours.

b.    What did southern ladies do to pass their time?

They like to look at recipes, cook and collect things.

c.     Pictures of Southern ladies and gentlemen

d.     Identify characters in the novel that fit the mould of true southern belles and gentlemen and those who don’t? Explain why they fit the mould and why they don’t?

Atticus is the true southern gentleman. He is gentle and calm, and seldom hot-tempered. His gentle voice and calm expression makes him look like a cool man indirectly. Calpurnia is a true southern belle. She seldom shouts and greets others politely. She also has a good view of things and can make good judgement. She will not invade into other people’s privacy.


Harper Lee

a.        About the author

Nelle Harper Lee (born April 28, 1926) is an American author best known for her 1960 Pulitzer Prize winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which deals with the issues of racism that were observed by the author as a child in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama. Despite being Lee's only published book, it led to Lee being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom of the United States for her contribution to literature in 2007. Lee has also been the recipient of numerous honorary degrees, but has always declined to make a speech.

b.      Biodata

Born	April 28, 1926 (1926-04-28) (age 84) Monroeville, Alabama
Occupation	Novelist
Nationality	American
Subjects	Literature
Literary movement	Southern Gothic

c.     Novels written by her

To Kill a Mockingbird

d.    Awards received

Pulitzer Prize (1961)
Brotherhood Award of the National Conference of Christians and Jews (1961)
Alabama Library Association Award (1961)
Bestsellers Paperback of the Year Award (1962)
Member, National Council on the Arts (1966)
Best Novel of the Century, Library Journal (1999)
Alabama Humanities Award (2002)
ATTY Award, Spector Gadon & Rosen Foundation (2005)
Los Angeles Public Library Literary Award (2005)
Honorary degree, University of Notre Dame (2006)
American Academy of Arts and Letters (2007)
Presidential Medal of Freedom (2007)

e.     Why was TKAM a significant novel to her?

Harper Lee is clearly making a commentary about the levels of society in Maycomb.  Through the example of its citizens, Lee forces us to question how and why we rigidly structure our society.  Consider the ways in which the children follow Maycomb’s caste rules and also how they break them.  Consider the interaction of the children with the Cunninghams, Calpurnia, Reverend Sykes, Boo Radley, and Dolphus Raymond.  Their play and their conversations connected to these characters offers what at first appears to be an innocent comment about Maycomb’s citizens; when it is indeed the carefully masked social commentary on the dangers of Maycomb’s rigid caste system by the adult novelist, Harper Lee.

Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka

The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. "Madam," I warned,
"I hate a wasted journey—I am African."
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was foully.


"HOW DARK?" . . . I had not misheard . . . "ARE YOU LIGHT
OR VERY DARK?" Button B, Button A.* Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered
Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
By ill-mannered silence, surrender
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis--


"ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?" Revelation came.
"You mean--like plain or milk chocolate?"
Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light
Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,
I chose. "West African sepia"--and as afterthought,
"Down in my passport." Silence for spectroscopic
Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent
Hard on the mouthpiece. "WHAT'S THAT?" conceding
"DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS." "Like brunette."


"THAT'S DARK, ISN'T IT?" "Not altogether.
Facially, I am brunette, but, madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
Are a peroxide blond. Friction, caused--
Foolishly, madam--by sitting down, has turned
My bottom raven black--One moment, madam!"--sensing
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears--"Madam," I pleaded, "wouldn't you rather
See for yourself?"

Introduction:

Written in the first person narrative point of view, the poem “Telephone Conversation” by Wole Soyinka is a poetic satire against the widely-spread racism in the modern Western society. The poem is about a telephone conversation in England between the poetic persona seeking to rent a house and an English landlady who completely changes her attitude towards him after he reveals his identity as a black African. The motif of a microcosmic telephone conversation, therefore, is employed by the poet to apply to a much broader, macrocosmic level where racial bigotry is ridiculed in a contest of human intelligence, showcasing the poet’s witticism as well as his ingenious sense of humour.

Q1: The speaker mentions her "good-breeding," "lipstick coated" voice, "long gold-rolled/Cigarette holder," all possessions that should make her a respectable lady (lines 7-9). These words describing her wealth are neutral in regard to her personal character, but allow that she could be a good person. Her goodness is seemingly confirmed later on when the speaker says that she was "considerate" in rephrasing her question (line 17). The "Red booth," "Red pillar-box," and "Red double-tiered / Omnibus" are all things that one might find in Leeds, the British city in which Soyinka had been studying prior to writing this poem (lines 13-14; "Nobel"1). In addition to the literal images that this description creates, a sense of the anger running through the speaker's mind is portrayed by the repeated use of the word red. This anaphora is the closest that that the speaker ever comes to openly showing anger in the poem. Although it is hidden with seemingly polite language, a glimpse of the speaker's anger appears in this quick pause in the conversation.

Q2: The landlady is described as a polite, well-bred woman, even though she is shown to be shallowly racist. The speaker is described as being genuinely apologetic for his skin color, even though he has no reason to be sorry for something which he was born with and has no control over. In this short poem, we can see that the speaker is an intelligent person by his use of high diction and quick wit, not the savage that the landlady assumes he is because of his skin color. All of these discrepancies between what appears to be and what really is create a sense of verbal irony that helps the poem display the ridiculousness of racism.

Q3: Throughout the poem, yet another form of irony is created by the speaker's use of high diction, which shows his education. Although the landlady refuses to rent an apartment to him because of his African heritage and the supposed savagery that accompanies it, the speaker is clearly a well educated individual. Words like "pipped," "rancid," and "spectroscopic" are not words that a savage brute would have in his vocabulary (lines 9, 12, 23). The speaker's intelligence is further shown through his use of sarcasm and wit in response to the landlady's questions. Although he pretends politeness the entire time, he includes subtle meanings in his speech. The fact that a black man could outwit and make a white woman seem foolish shows the irony in judging people based on their skin color.

Historical Background

Slavery

a.   When and how did slavery begin in the southern state?

Slavery started when the colonies were first set-up in Virginia The first batch of African slaves came to America in 1619.A Dutch slave trader exchanged his cargo of Africans for food in 1619. The Africans became indentured servants.The popular conception of a racial-based slave system did not develop until the 1680's.

b.   Which country were the slaves brought from?

 Africa.

c.   Who traditionally bought and owned the slaves?

 The white Southerners.

d.   Were there laws/rules that the slaves had to abide by? If yes what were they?

Yes. They could not gather in-groups of 4 or more because their owners thought they would plan an escape. If the slaves got caught trying to get away, their owners would beat them or cut body parts off so they could not escape again. If they got away without anyone seeing them, they usually run away to Canada where they would be free. They cannot leave their owners property without a written pass because the slave owners wanted control over the slaves. They could not own weapons because the slaves might shoot their owner. Slaves were not allowed to learn how to read or write because the slaves may start to think about freedom and try to escape.

e.   How does the notion of slavery relate to the novel? Does the study of slavery help you understand the novel better? 

Slavery was the cost of racism of White against Black as slaves were from African and they were   Blacks. They were mostly owned by the Whites which result in the Whites looking down on the Blacks. The novel is about a Black who was found guilty by the White judge of something he did not do and there was clearly enough evidence to acquit him. The study of slavery definitely helps me understand the novel better as it is much related to slavery. It tells me how discrimination of Blacks started.

The Civil War

a.     Identify the southern states

i)       South Carolina

ii)      Mississippi

iii)     Florida

iv)     Alabama

v)      Georgia

vi)     Texas

vii)   Louisiana

viii)  Virginia

ix)     Arkansas

x)      Tennessee

xi)     North Carolina

b.      Who was the US president who proclaimed war against the South?

Abraham Lincoln.

c.      Why was the civil war fought?

The main cause of the Civil War was States Rights. The South was afraid that Abraham Lincoln would emancipate slaves, and they believed that the US President should not be making decisions that affected the entire country and that States should have the right to make those decisions. It wasn't so much the emancipation of slaves that concerned the South, but rather the fact that if Lincoln were to free the slaves, it would be denying the states their rights.

d.      When was this war fought?

Started in April 1861. Ended on 9 April 1865.

e.      What was the outcome of this war?

The Southern states lost and turned the slaves in, promising them freedom for fighting.

 f.      How does the Civil Rights movement relate to the novel?

The novel involves the black and white people. Atticus is just like the Civil rights movement, trying to let both sides live in harmony.

Jim Crow’s Laws

a.   What/who is Jim Crow?

Jim Crow was the name of the racial caste system which operated primarily, but not exclusively in southern and Border States, between 1877 and the mid-1960s. Jim Crow was a way of life, more than a series of rigid anti-black laws.

b.   What were Jim Crow Laws?

Jim Crow laws allowed for segregation in businesses, neighborhoods, schools, and other facets of daily life. African Americans were forced to use separate sections of buses and trains, sit in separate sections of restaurants, and attend separate schools than white Americans. This type of segregation led to fierce civil rights struggles, especially in regards to Jim Crow Laws that segregated schools. In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled on a landmark case, Brown vs. Board of Education, that segregation in schools was inherently unequal, thereby abolishing segregation in public schools. The practice, however, continued for several more years, resulting in more racial tensions and often violence.

c.   What was the response of the slaves and the Blacks to these laws?

This type of segregation led to fierce civil rights struggles, especially in regards to Jim Crow Laws that segregated schools. Several key events – including Rosa Park’s refusal to move from her seat on a segregated bus, as well as several bus boycotts – built up and provided enough tension in society that the question of segregation finally had to be dealt with.

d.   Do we see the Jim Crow laws surface in the novel? If so then in which part of the novel?

Yes. Blacks and Whites go to different churches. When there is a case, the white will always win no matter how hard the lawyer tries to defend the black.

My Comic Strip

       http://www.toondoo.com/cartoon/2721008

The comic strip I have posted is meant to tell others that we cannot judge a person just by his looks. In the comic strip, a rich man took pity of a man who acted as if he was homeless for days. At the end, when the rich man brought the man home, the man stole all his valuables and left. Thus the rich man had nothing at the end.

The reason why I chose the different backgrounds is to better enhance each character and set the theme going. In picture 1, I used a rural area as a background to emphasize that the man is very pitiful as in such a rural area, it is very difficult to survive without any food and water. Thus the rich man would most probably take him home as he knows that the man would never survive for long in such a location where food and water cannot be easily found.  

In picture 2, a good and cosy setting of the house emphasizes the rich man's wealth as his house is not normal, quite a lot of money is spent on it and this sparks the poor man's idea to steal the rich man's valuables.  Do note that some expensive things are being added such as the mirror etc. to indicate that the rich man's house has perhaps more valuable things than those on the table and the poor man starts to take action when the rich man was not noticing.

In picture 3, the rich man's expression tells us that something bad has happened. The fact that the man is pointing to to door indicates that the poor man has most probably ran away with his valuables and the rich man is angry that he had been cheated. 

In picture 4, the eerie background in the night suggests that the rich man has now become a poor man after the man has ran away with his valuables and he have nothing left. The once rich man folded his arms to indicate that the weather outside is very cold and he is in the state that he does not even have enough money to buy himself a jacket or sweater for himself. 

Thus, there are many elements such as background, characters' expressions and actions, and things that contribute to the theme of the whole story.

Jokes are Funny

Jokes make you laugh.Whenever you are bored, u can read some jokes which can make you laugh. Jokes play an important part in our lives. It brightens up your life and kills time. Here are some jokes that will make you laugh your way through:

1.One day two girls were late for school. When one of the girls walked into the classroom, the teacher asked, "Where were you?"

The girl replied, "I was at the lake throwing pebbles."

A few minutes later,the second girl walked in the room. The teacher asked her the same thing. The girl said the same thing. A few minutes later,a new girl that was dripping wet walked into the room.

The teacher asked, "Hello,what is your name?"

The girl replied, "My name is Pebbles."

2.Three boys called Manners,Shut up and Trouble were playing in the woods one day, when Trouble suddenly vanished from sight! Shut up and Manners were unable to find him, so they decided to go and report Trouble's disappearance to the police. Manners waited outside on the steps of the police station while Shut up went in.

"What's you name,sonny?" asked the policeman behind the inquires desk.

"Shut up," replied the boy.

"Where are your manners?" the policeman said,startled.

"Sitting outside the steps," replied Shut up.

"Are you looking for trouble?" the policeman scowled.

"Yes," said Shut up, "how did you know?"

3.Once there were four aliens and they came to Earth. The first one could only say:"Me,me,me."

The second one could only say, "With knives and forks."

The third one could only say, "Because he stole my lollipop."

The fourth one could only say, "Yeah,yeah,yeah."

One day there was a dead man on the road, and the policeman pulled the aliens over and said, "Who killed this man?"

The first alien said, 'Me,me,me."

The policeman said, "How did you kill him?"

The second alien said, "With knives and forks."

The policeman said, "Why did you kill him?"

The third alien said, "Because he stole my lollipop."

The policeman said, "You're going to jail."

The forth alien said, "Yeah,yeah,yeah."

These are the jokes that i have put up. Hope you have enjoyed them very much.

Discrimination

Discimination is the treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favuor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit. This is bad as people who are being discriminated gets agitated and fights and quarrels would occur. And then there will be discrimination against discrimiation. Like what Leon has said in class. It sounds funny but is still happening. Discimination can hurt others' feelings and the only way to avoid it is to treat everybody equally, no matter how stupid, fat, short, black they are. No one is perfect. Some people are just born differently or are different compared to the others. We would just have to take time to accept the fact and not let the whole world know that they are diffrent in a way. The world would be much more peaceful without discimination. 

There are many types of discimination. I have a few types of them and I am going to group them into three different categories. They are as follows:

First Category: Race

1.Skin Colour

-Different races have different skin colours. Some people see most people of their own skin colour and when they see others with other skin colours, they feel uncomfortable and do not like the looks of them. Others are too comfortable with people of their own skin colour that they find that people of another skin colour looks different and ugly.

2.Religion

-People of different religions would sometimes have different skin colour compared to others. People are not able to accept people of other religion especially in jobs because of their skin colour and also because they have to go to places to pray and would neglect certain matters. Some bosses take advantage of them having to pray and did not accept them. It is very sad to know as they still need to earn money to take care of their families.

3.Language

-As people are from different contries and races, they will eventually speak different languages. Some people think that people speaking other languages sound funny compared to theirs and start to mock them. Others find that they cannot communicate with other races because of the difference in languages and tend to get far from them.

4.Nationality

-People who are from different countries belong to their own country. Some people do not like people from other countries as they feel that the government of other countries are no good or are enemies with their own country and try to ignore them. This will make it harder for people from other countries to get jobs and for those going on holidays, they will feel that they are being neglected and will not enjoy their holiday.

Second Category: Medical Status

1.Disability
-Some people are born with diseases or with an imperfect body structure will normally tend to be mocked by others. Others think that they look amusing, totally different from normal people and try to laugh at them. They should control their laughter because those people with disabilties must have the strong will to live on despite their disabilties. Mocking at them will only make them feel more uncomfortable. They should at least be receiving some encouragement from others so that they can continue with their lives peacefully.
2.Appearance
-Some people look funny once they are born while some happen after an operation. People should not jeer or mock at them and should put themselves in others shoes. They will surely not feel comfortable if they are being laughed at. They must remember that those people with appearances that are not normal also hate their own looks but still have to live with it. Its something they do not want but have no choice.
3.Transmittable Diseases
-People who have transmittable diseases tend to find difficulty getting on in life. When others knows that they would also get affected once there is contact with those people would not get near them. Thus it will be very difficult for them to make friends and get a job and these will pose difficulties on their lives.
4.Family Background
-Those people whose family members have a certain kind of hereditary diseases often get the diseases too. This pose a threat to them as once that get affected, they will not be accepted by others in society and will feel that they cannot carry on with their lives. It is not their fault to have those kind of diseases and others should learn to accept them.

Third Category: Personal Status

1.Pregnancy

-Pregnant women will normally find themselves being neglected by the society and find it difficult to get a job. People will find them very irritating as they tend to need more support and look clumsy with their big stomach. Thus they will be forced to go home if they are working as they feel that pregnant women should not move around too much and rest. They also feel that pregnant women will handle matters clumsily and is of no benefit to the company. Thus they get neglected.

2.Parental Status

-Some people with parents who have contributed babdly to the society before find that they cannot get along well in society. This is because people already know that their parents had done bad deeds before and tend to have the impression that their children will also act in the same way as them. People should feel sorry for them and give them a chance to prove themselves that they are different from their parents, they can perform better. They too, also need to get jobs to survive. Don't just judge a person's character because of their relationships with bad people. they should be accepted by the society.
3.Attitude
-there are some people who behaves abdly or just cannot control their emotions. They often pick up fights and quarrels and their friends would eventually leave them alone. This is very disheartening. They are naughty but their friends can also help to encourage them to turn over a new leaf and start a new life allover again. They will find life more meaningful. We should not just disciminate them and let them leave a bad impression on the society.

The Little Boy and the Old Man by Shel Silverstein

Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon."

Said the old man, "I do that too."

The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants."

"I do that too," laughed the little old man.

Said the little boy, "I often cry."

The old man nodded, "So do I."

"But worst of all," said the boy, "it seems

Grown-ups don't pay attention to me."

And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.

"I know what you mean," said the little old man.

I sympathise with the little boy and the old man as they are neglected by others in life. The fact that both of them dropped their spoons, shows that they are clumsy, wet their pants and cry show that they cannot contol their body and emotions. They thus have the same bad habits and find themselves quite similar with only a difference which is age. Once the boy said that the grown-ups don't pay attention to him, the old man held his hand tightly as he had also gone through the exact same thing as the boy, being neglected. The old man understands how the little boy feels and used actions to convey the message that he is also in the same boat as the boy. The old man can be seen to be the future when he is of no use and others, for example his children, leave him alone as they are busy contributing to the society that they forgot about him. The little boy could be seen as the past when he has not learnt many things in life yet and others, for example his parents, also neglect him as he too, is of no contribution to the society and the parents have to work. In this poem you can see the similarities in their habits but also the fact that they are left alone, neglected by the adult population because of work. The old man represents what the future would be like and the little boy, the past. That is what makes them different.

About the author: Shel Silverstein is a poet known for his 'tongue-in-cheek' humour, but because he manages to convey a deep, profound meaning about human relationships through his poems. Not only is he a poet, he is also a singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books. Translated into 20 languages, his books have sold over 20 million copies.

Welcome to my World of Volkswagen

Hello everyone, welcome to my World of Volkswagen. You should be able to guess from the title of my blog and the photos at the side of the blog, that I am a Volkswagen fan. That's right. I have loved Volkswagen ever since the Golf GTI MK V came out. I am very impressed with the car's looks and after getting into Volkswagen's website to take a look, I found out that there are many nice models that they offer. Therefore I became a fan of Volkswagen. Until now, the new models of Volkswagen are still very nice and they have gone green. This is good as their cars will not give off too much harmful gases to the environment. Not only have they produced more hybrid cars, they have also invented the TSI technology which allows engines to offer significant benefits by reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions but at the same time are also impressive for their superb power delivery. Now, many car brands are using their techonology such as Audi etc. Volkswagen still has a long way to go and I hope that it will continue to deliver better cars to the world and at the same time go green. Hope all of you will enjoy reading the posts on my blog and step into the Volkswagen World!