...I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is the 1969 autobiography about the early years of African-American writer and poet Maya Angelou. The first in a seven-volume series, it is a coming-of-age story that illustrates how strength of character and a love of literature can help overcome racism and trauma. The book begins when three-year-old Maya and her older brother are sent to Stamps, Arkansas, to live with their grandmother and ends when Maya becomes a mother at the age of 16. In the course of Caged Bird, Maya transforms from a victim of racism with an inferiority complex into a self-possessed, dignified young woman capable of responding to prejudice. Angelou was challenged by her friend, author James Baldwin, and her editor, Robert Loomis, to write an autobiography that was also a piece of literature. Reviewers often categorize Caged Bird as autobiographical fiction because Angelou uses thematic development and other techniques common to fiction, but the prevailing critical view characterizes it as an autobiography, a genre she attempts to critique, change, and expand. The book covers topics common to autobiographies written by Black American women in the years following the civil rights movement: a celebration of Black motherhood; a critique of racism; the importance of family; and the quest for independence, personal dignity, and self-definition. Angelou uses her autobiography to explore subjects such as identity, rape, racism, and literacy. She also writes in new ways about...
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...Natural Effects on a Boy Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Confessions has the entire life of its author’s experiences, virtues, and detailed imperfections. Rousseau’s Confessions is one of the first notable autobiographies and has influenced many forms of narratives. It inaugurated modern day autobiography and inspired a narrative technic used in many great novels. Rousseau wrote this autobiography in order to tell the world about himself and express the nature of man. He did not want to be known by how people thought of him, but rather be able to tell people exactly what happened in his life and let them be the judge. Rousseau begins Confessions by stating, “this is the only portrait of a man, painted exactly according to nature and in all of its truth, that exists and will probably ever exist” (57). He included embarrassing experiences and personal thoughts from throughout his life to show every possible virtue of his life. He portrays what every boy encounters from mischievous trickery to entering sexual adulthood. The events that change his life and himself become a consistent theme while he describes his childhood, sexual cravings, and natural thoughts of a boy’s life. One of the most common subjects in Rousseau autobiography is the story of his childhood and the nature of a boy. Rousseau’s mother passed away during his birth, which strained the relation between him and his father. When they tried to speak of her the conversation would end with tears because his father saw Rousseau’s...
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...HOW TO ANALYSE SOURCES ANALYSING OF SOURCES Historical criticism.-> Original document? How, when, and why did it come into being? Where does it come from? Who is the author or the cartoonist or the cameraman? 2 critical questions: Could the witness possibly have known the truth? Did the witness wish to tell the truth? EVALUATING OF SOURCES Authenticity? (are there factual errors in the source?) Reliability? (how long after the event was the source produced?) Bias/Prejudice? Subjectivity VS objectivity? Historians have an issue, the source is problematic (biased, emotions, etc) and the historian is a human writer. To guard oneself from being manipulated by bias sources, one must cross-reference. This means one must analyse a few sources and then synthesise their own conclusion. QUESTIONS WHICH ASK YOU TO COMPARE IN THE TEST OR EXAM Generally sources can have two characteristics with each other. They are either similar or they are contradictory/different with each other. One should consider the following aspects when answering these types of exam questions: What are the similarities(1) and the differences(2) between the sources? How do these sources complement each other(3)? Which of these sources provides a more accurate viewpoint on the topic(4)? QUESTIONS WHICH ASK YOU TO USE ALL THE SOURCES This is an eight mark question which comes prior to the essay. One is required to write approximately 10-15 lines;...
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...López de Córdoba, a Spanish noblewoman, wrote her Memorias, which may be the first autobiography in Castillian. Zāhir ud-Dīn Mohammad Bābur,who founded the Mughal dynasty of South Asia kept a journal Bāburnāma (Chagatai/Persian: بابر نامہ; literally: "Book of Babur" or "Letters of Babur") which was written between 1493 and 1529. One of the first great autobiographies of the Renaissance is that of the sculptor and goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini (1500–1571), written between 1556 and 1558, and entitled by him simply Vita (Italian: Life). He declares at the start: "No matter what sort he is, everyone who has to his credit what are or really seem great achievements, if he cares for truth and goodness, ought to write the story of his own life in his own hand; but no one should venture on such a splendid undertaking before he is over forty."[2] These criteria for autobiography generally persisted until recent times, and most serious autobiographies of the next three hundred years conformed to them. Another autobiography of the period is De vita propria, by the Italian mathematician, physician and astrologer Gerolamo Cardano (1574). The earliest known autobiography in English is the early 15th-century Booke of Margery Kempe, describing among other things her pilgrimage to the Holy Land and visit to Rome. The book remained in manuscript and was not published until 1936. Notable English autobiographies of the 17th century include those of Lord Herbert of Cherbury (1643, published 1764)...
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...The page before Donald M. Murray’s “All Writing is Autobiography” warns readers that Murray’s opinion on writing is different from most other opinions. Prior to reading Murray’s article, I agreed with those opinions which included the rule: never use the word “I” in a formal paper. While writing this paper, I feel a strong urge to erase the words “I agreed” and rewrite the entire page in a more formal manner. Murray’s article changed my idea of the writing process by making me realize that every piece of writing is autobiographical whether or not an author is writing objectively through word choice, sentence structure, metaphors, and even punctuation. A reader can learn much about an author through his or her word choice. An author’s diction may seem more colloquial or more obscure and academic depending on his or her personality. Murray demonstrates how an author can use creativity by creating words when he uses the words “squenched and “companioned” in his poem “At 64, Talking Without Words.” Though these are not words one would find in a dictionary, they are understood by readers and aid in defining the author. Sentence structure is an important piece of writing. An author may utilize a run-on sentence or a one-worded sentence in order to create a point or emphasize one, however grammatically incorrect the sentence may be. Charlotte Brontë, for example, frequently uses run-one sentences in order to complete a thought without the interruption of a period. Authors may...
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...Mildred Ella was her real name. People called her babe, such as babe ruth because one fine baseball game, she hit five home runs, She had a bunch of nicknames. When Mildred Ella got older people started call her Ty Cobb who was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. Mildred Ella ; Babe Didrikson Zaharias, was born in 1911 and died of Colon Cancer in 1956. She was married to George Zaharias who was a professional wrestler. They got married on December 23, 1938. Mildred played 15 sports; basketball, track, golf, baseball, tennis, swimming, diving, boxing, volleyball, handball, bowling, billiards, skating ,football and cycling. Her goal was to be the greatest athlete who ever lived. The reason I picked Mildred Ella (Babe Didrikson Zaharias) is because I admire her athleticism and have a goal just like her. Babe died when she was forty-five years old. Since she had died of Colon Cancer, she knew that wasn’t going to stop her from playing golf. She was a great, young, strong athlete who finished from a great season of being a famous golfer. According to a magazine article in the book Vocabulary Workshop Sadlier, she had written an autobiography. She wrote a book according to what happened in her life. Her title was called...
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...Sport Autobiography Throughout an early age I always took an interest too sports. I played numerous sports from an early age such as soccer, basketball, football and baseball. My parents Deborah and Jeffrey enrolled me in sports at the age of 5. They thought it would be a great idea to make new friends and such which it has because to this day most of my best friends are guys I played sports with. When I was young the main sports I took an interest in was soccer, basketball and baseball. To this day I still play all those respected sports in men’s league and such. I played in numerous pee wee leagues and stuff until I was too old and had to move on too school sports. Throughout my time in Pee Wee and stuff I won numerous awards and trophies that I still have to this day. Going to School where I was a member of the Men’s varsity soccer team, Men’s varsity basketball team and Men’s varsity baseball team all as a freshmen. Having to play on these teams at such a young age was very tough for me at first but I learned to deal with it and just play through it all. Throughout soccer games as a freshmen I would get muscled off the ball and picked on a lot because I was 13 years old going up against 17 year olds and the maturity and physical level was completely different than what I was used too. I ended up starting my first game and never looked back and ended up going all-league which too me was a big deal because I was 13 years old thinking “hey I can...
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...In the book "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Malcolm X ,and Alex Haley, the authors inform us about Malcolm's life. The authors structure and style Malcolm's life revolved around many things that caused Malcolm to do everything that he did. The structure was organized from his early to his adult life. The things that influenced Malcolm's life the most were his education,his family,and religion. Malcolm was considered to be an intelligent person, However many doubted him. In the book it says " It was surprising thing that I had never thought of it that way before, but I realized that what ever I wasn't, I was smarter than nearly all of white kids. But apparently I was still not intelligent enough, in their...
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...Baseball is a sport that is viewed all across America and embedded in classic American culture. Professional baseball athletes entertain large audiences with their outstanding skills and achievements in the sport along with leaving an impacting influence on young athletes. However, sometimes their influence can be negative. Some baseball players use other means to achieve their goals, performance enhancers that are known as steroids. Steroids give players competitive advantage over those who do not use them. Steroids are synthetic versions of male testosterone, a male hormone taking this hormone produces rapid muscle growth and recovery from workouts. (Filomena and Ascione 2009) Steroids can aid athletes tremendously by increasing their strength...
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...believed in success. However his life was not perfect. He knows that as well. Therefore, he works hard to improve himself in so many different ways. Although Benjamin Franklin life was not perfect, his autobiography is a compass that can direct many to the path of success. The youngest of a large family of thirteen, Benjamin Franklin had a hard time living his life to attend the success that he wanted. Everything in life matters to him. However, his biggest problem was when he could not get the education he wanted. He was a friend of books; he liked reading anecdotes from which he learned important principles that his ancestors left. According to the reading, his love for study pushed him to sell business. Many people today would not take such decision. However, Franklin knew what he was doing. He prioritized education over money because he believed that there are better riches in knowledge than in money. The results of his action were amazing. Those results cannot be bought with money. He made different discoveries that gained him reputation throughout Europe. Franklin did not keep all the successful principles for himself. Therefore, he made them word in other to pass them on from generation to generation. Many believe that Franklin did not know that his autobiography would be that popular all over the globe. He thought that he was writing to his son only. It seems many take this work a guide of success. For example, in Haiti, many people who do have almost nothing...
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...bats do not produce like metal bats do. The game play is different with each bat. The changes that the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and the NCAA make for bats for play will have an effect for upcoming students. In High school and college the players get to use metal bats instead of wood. The performance of metal bats is a lot higher than wood. That is why college and high school use metal instead of wood bats. Metal bats have a higher ball speed off the bat, which is the safety issue that the NCAA and the NFHS have right now. There is a new standard for baseball bats which took effect in 2011 which is the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) bats. They have almost the same ball speed off of the bat as a wood bat does, but the metal bat has a bigger sweet spot. A sweet spot is the part of the bat that will give the biggest trampoline effect to the baseball. Metal bats have made scoring runs in high school and college a lot easier than wood bats. The BBCOR bats have had a slight decline in runs and hits unlike the Ball Exit Speed Ratio (BESR) bats. The change from BESR bats to BBCOR happened in 2011. BESR bats had to high of a ball exit speed off of the bat; they changed it because there were too many kids getting injured. The number of kids that have been injured has gone with down with the BBCOR bats. With using wood bats they break which also would create a safety hazard. Maple bats split into two or three pieces and go flying. So there...
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...history, games were considered a religious ritual. In early Roman days, there were chariot races and gladiator games including athletes that represented different states. The need for competition between competitors was enthused all over the world. Adults as well as children idealized the monumental courage and determination of great athletes. Although history tells that role models were considered not only heroes in their own right, but also major contributors. People who emulate and adore sports personalities question whether or not if it is worth the debate. Over the past 25 years, Olympians have been accused of and were later found guilty of using performance enhancing drugs. There is a considerable amount of prominent sports figures in baseball, football, and other sports who will continue to get backlash as a result of their misbehavior. In addition, athletes have made many contributions are hard-working, motivating, people who understand that...
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...Hayden Liljenquist ENG 102 Dr. Pegram July 31, 2012 Team Effort: The Communities Created Through Sports Introduction Within today’s society, a number of small, unique communities exist. Communities can range from social, to religious, to occupational. In order to be considered a separate and distinct “community,” the group needs to share common characteristics or interests and be perceived as distinct from the larger society as a whole. Sports teams provide a particularly good example of a community. They separate themselves by the games they play, even by the name they call themselves. The entire world of sports itself can seem confusing to someone who doesn’t understand the rules. Behind each game is a complex realm of jargon, hierarchy, and guidelines. In order to play, you need to learn. And hopeful members work to earn their spot on the team. Through personal participation, as well as observation, one can witness for themselves just how the community created by a team functions. The team experience resonates with a lot of people, and has attracted film makers with stories of motivation, hope, and overcoming the odds. Many of the most well-known sports movies are often even inspired by true stories. In all of these films, similar themes can be found, demonstrating just how much the feeling of community within teams is shared throughout all areas of sports. Teams have a goal, face a challenger, and overcome obstacles, all in the hope of...
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...Salvation and redemption are the themes of a fiction story along with how an individual can “attain-a fail or gain”. written Tom Perrotta, called Happy Chang’s Face. ! In this story Jack (the main character) is an umpire for the Little League baseball. He has a wife and children living in the same house before his sins drive them away. Jack is not a bad individual, he only made wrong decisions. Good people don’t always make the right choices; once in a while they slip up and stray away from the good path they were on. Bad people will always make bad choices and will do terrible actions to others without redemption or regret. Jack has accepted his mistakes, regrets them, and tries to redeem himself. Jack made wrong choices in his life with his family and job. His actions toward his son had the biggest effect on his realize to change. Jack has a wife and two kids, one is a son and the other is a daughter. Jack was very worried about his son and his sexuality so much that he forced his son to play baseball. Jack believed that putting him to play baseball and wearing the uniform would cause him to become manlier in a sexuality sense. He was so worried about the future he would, in fear that his son was a homosexual. He thought so much of how he walked and talked. Jack observed he interest for his wife’s jewelry and heals and relieved how queer he was. One day all he emotions got carried away so much to point where he punched his son. “He was the one who threw the first punch,...
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...similarities in softball and baseball By: Jennifer Wallace Baseball and softball are similar in many ways but at the same time very different. To begin with, they are both played on a ball field, known to most baseball or softball players as the ballpark. The ball field for both consist of four bases that form a diamond. Both are played by boys and girls of all ages. While softball and baseball are similar they differ in the size of the ball, the way the ball is pitched, and the length between the bases. A standard baseball for all ages of players is about 9 inches (22.86 cm) in circumference and weighs about 5 ounces (141.75 g). Softballs can vary depending on the age group and the type of softball being played, with standard fast pitch softballs being about 12 inches (30.48 g) in circumference and weighing about 6.5 ounces (184.27 g). A standard slow pitch softball is about 11 inches (27.94 cm) in circumference and weighs about 6 ounces (170.1 g). In addition, many softball organizations use a bright yellow ball, but baseball organizations almost always use white balls. Some people might say that the reason a softball is bigger is because girls need the ball to be bigger so they can hit it, but that is not the case, there are a couple reasons why a softball is bigger than a baseball: First, is because the softball field is smaller and does not have grass in the infield to slow the ball down. If softball players used baseballs, then the game would...
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