...Rawson World Literature Assignment 1 An analysis of the role of minor characters in The Visit and Chronicle of a Death Foretold in establishing a collectivistic or individualistic society. March 13, 2011 Word Count: 1073 Rawson 1 Without any characters; there is no story. Every tale needs a knight in shining armor to save the endangered princess or a misguided hero to meet a tragic end. A protagonist and an antagonist are the most basic of writing conventions and are crucial to the story. It is important; however, to not overlook the roles of minor characters in the plot. For example, Snow White would have been a radically different story without the seven dwarves. This exemplifies how minor characters can drastically influence the outcome of a story in a number of ways. In both Durrenmatt’s The Visit and Marquez’s Chronicle of a Death Foretold, the minor characters have an influential role in determining the fate of the protagonist. These minor characters are used by Durrenmatt and Marquez to establish an individualistic or collectivistic society within their works and by doing so isolate the protagonists and lead them to their deaths. In a collectivistic society, the people tend to view themselves as part of a group and hold the needs of the group over that of the individual. This is the society which Durrenmatt has presented in The Visit. In Durrenmatt’s The Visit, the town of Guellen is populated by minor characters lacking any names. Throughout the play...
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...Three days in Cuba for Pope Benedict XVI A three day papal visit is taking place in Cuba for the first time since 1998 when Pope John Paul II made a brief stay. While on the Communist island, Pope Benedict has photo ops taking place, as well as a Wednesday Mass in Havana’s Revolution Plaza to top off the visit to Cuba. Raul Castro, the Cuban ruler and younger brother of Fidel Castro, met with the pope for photos and private talks behind closed doors. The pope did not make any political statements regarding Cuba, but is praying for Cubans freedom and well-being, saying that “Cuba and the world need change” (“Pope extols Christ, not politics, at Cuba Mass”, 2012). Although the pope prays for Cuba to change their ways, a top government minister for Cuba made it clear that political reform is not in the nation’s future. In a Mass led by Miami’s Archbishop Thomas Wenski, the archbishop called on earlier hopes of Pope John Paul II for more freedoms on the Communist island (“Raul Castro receives pope in Havana; Wenski criticizes Marxism”, 2012). He urged worshippers to want a better Cuba, a Cuba that is free, a Cuba where people can have dignity without persecution. Many people got emotional listening to the sermon being given at Havana’s cathedral Tuesday morning. Nearly eight hundred Cuban-Americans made the trip from areas around Miami to see the pope and listen along with the world as the pope made his homily. For some of the followers, this was their first trip...
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...Yesterday in a surprise announcement the United States announced plans to begin the process of establishing normalize diplomatic relations and open economic and travel ties with Cuba,. This was also announced in Cuba. Such a shift in US policy could if enacted have material implications for Sherritt in terms of investability, access to technology and the ability to buy and sell assets with the removal of potential legal overhang for historical assets. That said there has been swift negative reaction to the news and no timeline for when full economic relations would normalize. As such it could be some time before Sherritt could benefit from such a shift however it does bode well for the medium term as it would remove the so called Cuba discount. While this has always been a potential catalysts for Sherritt we have never assumed it would occur....
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...Castro started his revolution in 1952 after Fulgencio Batista illegitimately came to power. Castro was running for congress and was outraged by Batista’s actions. This is what caused Fidel to fight back against the government. Ever since 1953, Fidel had been leading attacks against the government. One such attack took place on April 3, 1958 when Castro led his rebels to attack Havana. Although this attack did not overthrow the government, it was another example of how Castro was becoming a force to be reckoned with. President Batista now realized his regime was at risk of being overthrown and on May 24, 1958, Batista began an offensive against the rebels. Batista's government began to weaken further as the US stopped selling arms to Cuba. This was done in an effort to prevent Castro’s rebels from obtaining weapons but also greatly affected the government....
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...The United States and Cuba have had a complicated relationship. Months after Fidel Castro took over power, he made a visit to Washington in April 1959. Castro met with the president, Richard Nixon and then was photographed as if he were admiring the president. For the next half century, the U.S/Cuba relations were all down hill. The standoff outlived 10 U.S. presidents, a fizzled intrusion, an atomic emergency and incalculable boatloads of Cuban shelter seekers. Meanwhile,, the Castros continued running Cuba continuously. President Obama, the 11th president to deal with the Castros, said in December 2014 it was time for a change."We cannot keep doing the same thing and expect a different result," the president said as he announced plans to normalize relations, including embassies in both capitals....
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...specified. The artist was born in Guantanamo, Cuba and currently resides in Havana. Four primary colors (black, white, gray, brown) are used, although tints of blue can be detected. The painting is of former Prime Minister and President of Cuba Fidel Castro (1926-). The painting is separated into two parts. On the left side we see a squared panel with an image of Mr Castro standing up, dropping a handful of sand from his right hand onto the open palm of his left hand. Mr Castro is wearing his traditional military uniform, hat, and shoes. Mr Castro is looking intently at the sand as it falls onto his left palm. Mr Castro casts a black shadow, which falls to his left side. In the background we see the markings of sand dunes. On the right side of the painting we see another squared panel of the same size. Here we see the same image of Mr Castro, except that in this case the image has been blurred and painted over. Only the broad outline of Mr Castro can be seen. The background has also been blurred; we see only broad paint strokes. The name of the artist is not shown anywhere on the panels or on the painted gray-brownish background. In the description of the work we learn that the painting of Mr Castro is based on a picture taken of him in 1971 on his first visit to Chile. The image was taken in a desert in the northern part of Chile. The purpose of Mr Castro’s visit was to lend support to his Marxist political ally Salvador Allende. Castro’s visit to Chile...
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...A humbling laughing matter On our pastoral counseling practicum class I learned many things while in Cuba, from topics that spanned culture, politics, and society. However, the two topics that interested me the most had to be the daily living of the Cuban people and my personal development as a counselor in a intercultural settings. In addition to that, I must say that within our group grace was prevalent in ways I have never experience before. Looking back I can definitely say that if there was any topic that I learned the most about while abroad I would have to say that topic would have to be myself. You see, the Cuban people have been in this situation for a very long time, and as even the Cubans say, I rather laugh at the situation them to be preoccupied. A situation of limitations and even lack of the very things they need on the daily basis, such as food, medicine and clothing among other things. Whereas in the USA, where there are no limitations the...
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...Heritage Assessment: Jamaica, Bangladesh, and Cuba Jessyca E. Jackson Grand Canyon University: NRS-429V-O104 August 24, 2014 Heritage Assessment: Jamaica, Bangladesh, and Cuba The Heritage Assessment Tool produced by Prentice-Hall was used to interview three individuals. All the question listed on the tool were asked of these individuals and a discussion of health traditions followed. The following is a synopsis of these interviews and contains conclusions drawn from the interviews. Usefulness of Using a Heritage Assessment in Evaluating the Needs of the Whole Person The use of a heritage assessment tool is a good place to start when trying to understand the culture, beliefs, and values of your patient. Proper assessment is necessary in order to prevent stereotyping. It is easy to make assumptions about a patient based upon their exterior, but a nurse must learn what lies within, in order to provide effective care and teaching. According to Edelman & Kudzma, “the culture and beliefs of people can also influence health action.” (Edelman, 2014, 5) With this in mind, a nurse must have some understanding of the general beliefs and values a person may have, based on their cultural identity and then delve further into the individual to ascertain their level of identification to their cultural heritage. It is a mistake to think that a full understanding of the whole person can be gained through assumptions based upon generalized knowledge of their ethnic/cultural heritage...
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...In Biran, Cuba’s eastern Oriente Province, Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born on August 13, 1926. The third of six children, Fidel’s brothers are Raul and Ramon and his three sisters; Angela, Emma, and Augustina. His father was a Spanish soldier who arrived to Cuba during the American-Spanish war. In Cuba, he became a wealthy sugar plantation owner who conducted his business with the US. Lina Ruz Gonzalez, Fidel’s mother, was the servant of the house in Alejandro’s previous marriage. Alejandro later married Lina by the time Fidel was 15 years old. For tourists in the late 50s, Cuba was the center of luxury. It was the playground for Americans. However for Cubans, poverty dominated their lives. Both education and health care systems were poor. Living conditions were even worse than any of the...
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...beautiful hotels, beaches, and cities. I did not see the blindfolds. I did not appreciate how being held hostage by the beauty of the surface—the beaches and cities—blinded me to the absence of Puerto Rican natives on the streets of San Juan; I did not understand how the prevalence and familiarity of English conspired to veil the beauty of the Spanish language beneath volumes of English translations. I learned more about these truths in my sophomore year of high school, when I was among a group of students selected to visit Cuba. My grandmother was born in Cuba, yet I had never thought to research my own heritage. I have remained the naïve American who saw Castro as some distant enemy of my country, accepting this as fact because this seemed to be the accepted wisdom. I soon became intrigued, however, with this supposed plague to my freedom, my culture, and everything good and decent. I began to think, just what is communism anyway? What’s so bad about Castro and Cuba—and I hear they have good coffee. I believed that what was missing was a lack of understanding between our two cultures, and that acceptance of our differences would come only with knowledge. My first...
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...Business Etiquette Do and Don’ts Cuba has the capability of being a great place to do business, if you are patient enough to get through the government. The people of Cuba are very proud of their country and are enthusiastic to do business with foreigners, but because it is a Communist state, there is etiquette that must be respected. The Cuban society is very well educated. The official language of the country is Spanish. In order to do business with Cubans, one needs to begin with the Cuban Chamber of Commerce, which will assist finding the proper government officials to meet with. It is said that one should schedule business meetings at least one week in advance. It is expected to be on time for business meetings but there is a Cuban tradition of keeping people waiting up to one hour. If this is to happen, don’t be offended; it’s very common. Most business officials of Cuba speak English, but it might be a good idea to have an interpreter there just in case. Many times one will be interrupted while speaking, but this action isn’t considered rude. One needs to be sure to keep steady eye contact. It is considered rude to look away from a person while you are talking. The use of slang indicates poor education and is thought of as offensive. Also, the use of profanity is looked down upon. Cuban’s have the tendency to speak very quickly and loudly. They also use their hands and bodies to emphasis what they are talking about. Business cards can be very helpful in Cuban...
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...On August13, 1926, in south-east Cuba, a successful sugar planter and his wife welcomed a son into the world. They named him Fidel Castro. After studying law at the University of Havana, Castro intended to run in the elections of 1952. Instead, the government was overthrown. Fidel and his brother Raul became insurgents and tried to uproot the new government, but failed and Castro spent time in prison. After a few years of exile, Castro snuck back into Cuba and with the help of another rebel, overtook the government and set himself up as Cuba’s prime minister. This is a position he held for around 50 years before advancement in years and a declining health caused him to step down and his brother Raul to take his place. With Fidel Castro’s health diminishing and his reign in Cuba at an end, Cuba could move to a more capitalistic economy. Fidel Castro’s health has been in decline for many years now. His brother has been prime minister since 2006, taking the place of his aging, ailing brother. Since that time, Fidel has stepped down from all official positions he held. This includes the leadership of the Communist Party which he founded back in 1965, not long after his ascent to the role of Cuba’s prime minister. Recently Fidel has been seen more in public in support of his brother’s leadership. In a spring 2011 session of Cuban congress, Fidel appeared to support the recent important economic changes that Raul is implementing in Cuba. “This was the first time that...
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...Jamaican – Cuban Societies and Relations SOC 300 Introduction I have often wondered about the relationship of Jamaica and Cuba. Two island countries so close to one another with different ways of governing, how and why did Jamaica not chose the socialism route, in doing my research I found that Jamaica had come very close to doing just that. How would have Jamaica been affected if they did follow in Cuba’s footsteps? Their economy relies heavily on U.S. tourism. Was that a factor in their choice not to follow Castro’s ways? The ties that bind Cuba and Jamaica run deep, according to Brian Meeks, Professor of Social and Political Change at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. The interconnections stem from several episodes in their shared history, Meeks said in a recent lecture, as well as from past migrations of people between the two countries. His talk, “Cuba from Due South: An Anglo-Caribbean Perspective,” launched the Center for Latin American Studies’ (CLAS's) new thematic focus on Cuba. An academic, journalist, novelist, and poet, Meeks commenced the talk with a reading of self-penned poem, “Cuba One,” written during the height of Jamaican political turmoil in 1975. “In 1962 a blue//mountain peak showed//a green horizon//to the unsuspecting eye.//standing spyglassed//staring blindly,//thought I'd see a dull grey line//tinged with red and barbed around//the picture framing//captive portraits//hiding...
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...Assignment 8 1. Despite having a strong base in agriculture the Caribbean has begun to fall behind as competition from the global markets persist. What was a crutch for the economy in the form of tourism has become the main aspect of many Caribbean economies. As great as that may be however, it has its downsides as well. Tourism is something derived from vacationing patrons who enjoy travel in their leisure time. During periods of economic crisis, as seen back in 2008, leisure tends to get put on the back burner as needs tend to eclipse wants during times of struggle. One of the reasons this impacts the Caribbean so hard has a lot to do with its populations. Many of the islands rely so greatly one form of income through tourism that instead of negative impacts being spread across several sectors it is only one that suffers causing many of those employed to suffer as well. Strategies to lessen economic problems in the Caribbean a difficult to devise. Economic diversity is difficult to provide given the limited resources along with them being spread thin as it is. Haiti serves as an example of not diversifying its economic approach, who based its economy on its timber production to the point it clear cut the entire portion of the island it inhabited. Foresight is key to these sort of issues and understanding long term affects to a strategy can decide on whether it is worth doing at all. For the Caribbean, much of what it needs to do is stabilize its economy...
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...the crisis. Avoiding a world war, which would possibly include nuclear weapons, is a fact that will show the succession of the negotiations during the crisis. Discussion There are several parties that concerned by the Cuban Missile Crisis directly or indirectly. The significant ones are the United States and the Soviet Union which were directly involved in the crisis and actively participated in the negotiations. Additionally, Cuba and Turkey concerned by the crisis because of their role of holding the missiles of the Soviet Union and the United States in their own soil; and Germany was indirectly concerned because of the possible attack of the USSR to Berlin (1). At the outbreak of the crisis, the most important and deterministic positions were the United States’ and the Soviet Union’s ones. The Soviet Union decided to start a deployment of nuclear weapons (MRBMs and IRBMs) in Cuba which was accepted and found “interesting” by Fidel Castro ; later in the crisis period Premier Khrushchev would define the weapons as defensive precautions. While Cuba and the Soviet...
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