Literary Analysis on Everyday Use by Alice Walker Essay

Literary Analysis on Everyday Use by Alice Walker - Essay Example vealed by the use she intends to put the quilts to, and by the fact that her sudden interest in her heritage has been sparked by her exposure to an American reinterpretation of it. Dee is one of the people W.E.B. Du Bois refers to in The Souls of Our Striving, who struggle with the apparent incompatibility of their family heritage, and the Black heritage that is filtered through the context of American life. In contrast, Maggie, who still lives in the family home, lives her culture every day, shown simply by the fact that she will use those quilts every day, and by the fact that she realizes the quilts themselves are less important than the family memories that they represent. In Everyday Use Walker uses characterization and symbolism to show the reader that culture is something that people live, and that culture as a learned institution does not provide one with full understanding. Complex and well-developed characterization forms a significant part of understanding the way culture is portrayed in the story. We are first introduced to Mama, whose first name we never learn – she simply identifies herself as â€Å"a Johnson†. (Walker 518)Mama lacks education and quick wits, but she â€Å"can work outside all day† (Walker 518) and â€Å"kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man†. (Walker 518) Despite seeming proud of her physical prowess, Mama shows dissatisfaction with herself when she begins to think of Dee, remembering that while Dee â€Å"would always look anyone in the eye†, (Walker 518) Mama herself is unable to. When we first see Maggie, she is â€Å"almost hidden by the door†. (Walker 518) Maggie’s character remains hidden to the reader for most of the story – it is only towards the end, and in contrast with Dee, that we are shown her depth of character. As the story unfolds, we see that Maggie an d Mama are similar in how they identify with family and memories, and in showing these similarities we see that Maggie herself is part of the family and

Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Article Analysis - Essay Example Targeting the investors and potential investors in the Canadian stock exchange, the article warns them of the imminent crisis that has already started taking shape on the economy of Canada. It also targets the policymakers who are supposed to take into account the pitfalls and offer solutions of how the situation can be improved. According to them, an investor who opts to hold their investments in the Canadian BMO Capital Market Authority or any investment banks in the country risk making losses from their investments. They provide evidence supporting their hypothesis which indicates a losing trend that the Loonie has been facing in the recent years. Basically, the subject of their argument is the contribution of the oil crisis to the poor performance of the Canadian dollar in relation to other currencies and the U.S. dollar. Other contributing factors to soring the situation have been discussed, which include low buying of the government bonds and the decreasing demand for Canadaâ⠂¬â„¢s triple-A-rated sovereign debt. The poor performance of the loonie against other currencies prompted Walter & Karen to write this article. Most importantly however, it was the poor sale of the country’s crude oil that made the issue more serious warranting their reference to the poor performance of the currency. The fact that Canada’s oil prices have been performing poorly in reference to other oil producing states is evidence to this. Trading at about $ 65 a barrel, the Canadian oil poorly performs against international oil prices. In the article, 'Loonie' Slips on Oil Patch Walter & Karen explores the influence of Canada’s oil reserves on the performance of the Canadian dollar. While the global crude oil prices have remained competitively high, the poor price of the Canadian oil proves to be a liability to the country’s economy and exchange rate. The major contributing factor of this trend is the boom in the U.S. oil in the Northern American regio n. A barrel of the Canadian oil trades at only $65 dollars, while the international market prices stand at $115 per barrel. Contrary to other currencies that move along with the changes in the oil prices, the loonie has been facing a downward performance against the dollar, shedding off 0.5% this year. The biggest disadvantage of the Canadian currency, points out experts is over reliance on petrol exports. The weak currency is expected to remain weak so long as the oil prices remain low. Effects of the poor prices of the oil have not only negatively influenced on the currency performance, notes Walter & Karen. The shocks of this have been felt by the economy, negatively affecting the annual economic growth which the central bank forecasted to drop from 2.3% to 2%. Moreover, the prices have also contributed to a widening trade deficit, reaching up to C$2 billion. As experts continue loosing hope in the recovery of the dollar, more investors keep pulling out of the market. Data indica tes so, as bonds have been facing a decreasing trend since June of last year, hitting the lowest point in November. As more people shy from bond buying that was the biggest source of income for the country’s funds, the face value of the currency seems to be overvalued. The oil