I have to write an essay on this: In The White Tiger, Balram’s father states that “my whole life I have been treated like a donkey. All I want...

This is a very complicated question, and you can come down on either side of it. Balram decides that his own personal freedom and his chance to escape his humble origins (which he refers to as "darkness") and live the life of a wealthy entrepreneur justify not only murdering his boss, Mr. Ashok, but also potentially causing the death of his family. As retribution for killing Mr. Ashok, Balram's family is also likely to be...

This is a very complicated question, and you can come down on either side of it. Balram decides that his own personal freedom and his chance to escape his humble origins (which he refers to as "darkness") and live the life of a wealthy entrepreneur justify not only murdering his boss, Mr. Ashok, but also potentially causing the death of his family. As retribution for killing Mr. Ashok, Balram's family is also likely to be murdered. Still, he reasons,  it is the only way to break out of the Rooster Coop, the metaphor Balram uses to describe the grinding hopelessness of India's poor.

Still, it is questionable whether Balram really is free at the end of the novel. He lives with the knowledge that he has committed murder and that he has likely caused the murder of his family. He is also trapped in a system of inequity and ruthlessness. Is this truly freedom?

Your thesis should include your take on Balram's situation. You can argue that he is finally able to live like a man, as he has broken out of the poverty into which he was born. You can, on the other hand, choose to argue that Balram has broken out of the "darkness" (which refers to India's rural poverty) but that he is still entrapped in immorality and corruption. Which thesis you decide on (or whether you decide on another thesis entirely) depends on whether you think he is free at the end of the novel to make his own choices or is still caught in a corrupt and limiting system. 

What is an analysis of I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem?

This novel fills in the historical record by providing a firsthand account of the life of Tituba, the slave who was one of the first people to be accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, during the notorious witch trials of 1692. The author fills in gaps in the historical record (as historians do not know anything of Tituba's actual birth) by describing Tituba's conception as the result of her mother's rape by a white sailor...

This novel fills in the historical record by providing a firsthand account of the life of Tituba, the slave who was one of the first people to be accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, during the notorious witch trials of 1692. The author fills in gaps in the historical record (as historians do not know anything of Tituba's actual birth) by describing Tituba's conception as the result of her mother's rape by a white sailor on board a slave ship heading from Africa to Barbados.

The themes of racism and sexism run throughout the book. Tituba's mother, an Ashanti woman named Abena, fights off the advances of a white master and is hanged as a result. Tituba marries a fellow slave named John Indian, who later deserts her when she is imprisoned for witchcraft in Salem. The book describes the ways in which Tituba is the victim of both racism and sexism and her persistence in fighting against these evils. Even after her death, she joins her mother and her substitute mother, Mama Yaya, to continue to fight for the freedom of slaves.

The book also examines different forms of persecution. When Tituba arrives in Salem as the property of Samuel Parris (a Puritan minister), she is regarded with distrust by the Puritans, partly because of her healing capacities. She is later rescued from prison by a Jewish merchant who is also treated with contempt in Salem for his religious beliefs. Eventually, he must leave Puritan Massachusetts for Rhode Island, where he can practice his religion freely. By giving Tituba a powerful voice and a full story, the author has given us insight into how slaves at that time experienced life, both in the West Indies and in colonial America. 

Why are the people of Maycomb County so poor?

It is important to recognize that the book is set in the 1930s during the Great Depression. The entire country was facing economic hardship, so Maycomb was not unique its struggles.

That said, we also know that Maycomb is a small, rural town. The town doesn't create much opportunity to earn money; they are not a seat of industry or agriculture, for example. Geographically, it is far from most everything, too. So Maycomb is not...

It is important to recognize that the book is set in the 1930s during the Great Depression. The entire country was facing economic hardship, so Maycomb was not unique its struggles.

That said, we also know that Maycomb is a small, rural town. The town doesn't create much opportunity to earn money; they are not a seat of industry or agriculture, for example. Geographically, it is far from most everything, too. So Maycomb is not exactly a tourist or economic hub. The town members appear to be scraping by and supporting themselves as best they can.

We see many of the townsfolk, like the Cunninghams, paying for services with food rather than with money simply because they are able to grow their food but unable to earn much or any cash to spend.

What is a summary of chapter 7 from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone?

Professor McGonagall welcomed the first-year students and guided them to the sorting ceremony, where each student would be sorted into one of Hogwarts' four houses, namely, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. She told them about the importance of this ceremony and mentioned the House Cup. The ceremony was held in the Great Hall, a splendid dining hall, with all the school's students and teachers at present. After singing a greeting song, the sorting hat started...

Professor McGonagall welcomed the first-year students and guided them to the sorting ceremony, where each student would be sorted into one of Hogwarts' four houses, namely, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. She told them about the importance of this ceremony and mentioned the House Cup. The ceremony was held in the Great Hall, a splendid dining hall, with all the school's students and teachers at present. After singing a greeting song, the sorting hat started to shout out the name of the house each student was assigned to as McGonagall called the students to put on the hat one at a time in alphabetical order. Hermione and Neville were both put in Gryffindor, and Malfoy was put in Slytherin. When it was Harry's turn, the sorting hat hesitated for a while, hearing Harry asking not to be put in Slytherin, then put him in Gryffindor. Lastly, Ron joined his new friends and his brothers at the Gryffindor table. After the sorting ceremony, Dumbledore welcomed the students with a short speech and treated them to a feast created by magic. The students chatted with each other while enjoying their dinner. Harry also talked to the ghost Nearly Headless Nick, and saw Professor Quirrell and Professor Snape for the first time. Dumbledore concluded the feast with another speech, telling the new students about the school rules. Then they sang the school song and the ceremony was dismissed. Harry and his friends followed Percy into Gryffindor’s dormitory. Harry was so tired that he fell asleep almost immediately. He had a strange dream but forgot about it the next morning.

How does social science work with other cultures?

The social sciences have a great deal of interest in different cultures: in fact, most fields in the social sciences (anthropology, psychology, etc) have a discipline called "cross-cultural studies" that looks at similarities and differences across cultures. 

Many studies in the social sciences today make a point of exploring hypotheses across cultures. Psychology, for example, has historically conducted studies and experiments using mostly educated, wealthy participants from Western countries. However, more recently, the field has...

The social sciences have a great deal of interest in different cultures: in fact, most fields in the social sciences (anthropology, psychology, etc) have a discipline called "cross-cultural studies" that looks at similarities and differences across cultures. 

Many studies in the social sciences today make a point of exploring hypotheses across cultures. Psychology, for example, has historically conducted studies and experiments using mostly educated, wealthy participants from Western countries. However, more recently, the field has made a big effort to include people of all ethnicities and from many different countries in their findings (although there are still a large number of studies conducted only on psychology undergraduates!). 

This work is very important because we need to find out whether our findings DO actually apply to people from many cultures, or whether our findings only apply to certain groups of people. In this way, the field of social sciences can help uncover truths and knowledge about people from many cultures. For example, a great deal of very interesting linguistic studies have been done with the Pirahã people of the Amazon basin. Their language is extraordinarily unique and has challenged many assumptions linguists previously had about the nature of all languages. 

Who are the characters in Oliver Optic's Rich and Humble?

There are a number of characters in Rich and Humble, including Bertha, Richard, Mr. Grant, Mr. Grayle, and Mr. Sherwood. Each of them has an impact on Bertha at some point during the story.

Bertha is the protagonist of the story. After her home and her family are taken from her by Mr. Grayle, she sets out to prove their innocence and reclaim her home and fortune. She is honorable, dignified, intelligent, and kind....

There are a number of characters in Rich and Humble, including Bertha, Richard, Mr. Grant, Mr. Grayle, and Mr. Sherwood. Each of them has an impact on Bertha at some point during the story.

Bertha is the protagonist of the story. After her home and her family are taken from her by Mr. Grayle, she sets out to prove their innocence and reclaim her home and fortune. She is honorable, dignified, intelligent, and kind. She's very loyal to her family and believes in her father's innocence. Through her actions, the family is able to regain their former wealth.

Richard is Bertha's brother. He's a trial to the entire family. He drinks, creates problems, and can't be trusted. He's reckless—even at the end of the book, he isn't reformed. 

Mr. Franklin Grant is a loving father who mourns his deceased wife. He goes to jail for fraud, even though he is innocent. When Mr. Grayle accuses him of fraud, he gives him the deed to Woodhill while he raises the money to pay him back—even though he isn't obliged to. He does it so others won't question his honor.

Mr. Samuel Grayle is the man who frames Mr. Grant and takes over Woodhill, the Grants' home. He blames Mr. Grant for a deal that went bad and accuses him of fraud. When Mr. Grant gives him the bill to Woodhill as collateral, he sends the police to arrest Mr. Grant and takes possession of the estate.

Noddy Nodderson is an orphan who lives in the Hollow. He takes care of himself but is wild, disreputable, and prone to trouble. 

Master Charley is the young child at Blue Hill, where Bertha works as a governess. He is a difficult and spoiled child.

Mrs. Byron is the mistress of Blue Hill and Master Charley's mother. She fires Bertha when she discovers that her last name is Grant, not Loring, and that her father is in jail for fraud.

Peter is the head groom at Blue Hill. He offers Bertha a place to stay when she loses her job as a governess. 

Mr. Sherwood is Mr. Grant's clerk. He sleeps at the office in New York City and has proof of Mr. Grant's innocence. He tells Bertha he's waiting to get the evidence before the court and staying in the office to protect it all in the meantime.

Find information on 5 trade agreements. Talk about the countries involved and when the agreement was implemented. Then discuss the pros and...

Free trade agreements (FTA's) are an integral practice within an ever-growing globalized market economy, and, in America especially, free trade agreements have resulted in huge economic gains. As stated by the International Trade Administration, the "reduction of trade barriers and the creation of a more stable and transparent trading and and investment environment make it easier and cheaper for the U.S. to export their products and services." From this statement, it is clear that the U.S. has benefitted greatly from past FTA's with countries that range from each end of the globe.

Here are some examples: 

1)

Name of agreement                          The Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement 

 

Countries involved                           United States, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador. (Arnadeo, 2017)       

 

Date agreement implemented         August 5, 2004 (Arnadeo, 2017)          

 

Pros of agreement                           71% increase in trade of goods since 2005. 4.7% economical growth in Nicaragua (2014). Greater foreign investment in Costa Rican telecommunication and insurance industries. Growth of gold and silver exports in Dominican Republic, as well as an increase in tourism. (Arnadeo, 2017) 

 

Cons of agreement                          This trade deal resulted in a massive upheaval due to an increase in exports of low-cost grains and a change of location for low-cost labor. Many jobs moved overseas to countries like China and Vietnam. (Arnadeo, 2017) 

2)

Name of agreement                          Trans-Pacific Partnership

 

Countries involved                           United State and 11 countries that border the Pacific (Arnadeo, 2017)

 

Date agreement implemented         February 4, 2016 (Arnadeo, 2017)          

 

Pros of agreement                            The creation of jobs due to an increase in exports and economic growth. Specifically, this agreement would help to improve the plastics, machinery, auto, and agricultural industries. (Arnadeo, 2017) 

 

Cons of agreement                           A majority of the growth that would incur would primarily benefit higher wage earners. This is a result of an increase of production of textiles and cheap goods. (Amadeo, 2017)

3)

Name of agreement                          Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership 

 

Countries involved                           United States and the European Union (Arnadeo, 2017).  

Date agreement implemented        In progress... (Arnadeo, 2017)          

 

Pros of agreement                            Economic growth and the creation of up to 2 million jobs. This agreement would also strengthen the relationship of Transatlantic partnerships in the face of a rise in economic power from China, India, and other Pacific nations. (Amadeo, 2017)

 

Cons of agreement                           A growth in the European economy could result in a reduction of jobs for American workers. Companies like Boeing and those that produce French champagne would be especially damaged. (Amadeo, 2017)

4)

Name of agreement                          Israel Free Trade Agreement 

 

Countries involved                           United States and Israel (Arnadeo, 2017).

 

Date agreement implemented         1985 (Arnadeo, 2017)          

 

Pros of agreement                            Resulted in a decrease in trade restrictions that limited exports between the two countries. Also resulted in greater transparency in regard to trade regulations. (Amadeo, 2017)

 

Cons of agreement                           The strengthening of ties between Israel and the U.S. resulted, in part, in the alienation of Middle Eastern and neighboring countries like Palestine. (Amadeo, 2017)

5)

Name of agreement                         Jordan Free Trade Agreement

 

Countries involved                           United States and Jordan (Arnadeo, 2017)       

 

Date agreement implemented         December 17, 2001 (Arnadeo, 2017)          

 

Pros of agreement                            Reduced trade barriers in the meat and poultry industries, specifically. Also benefitted Jordan's agricultural industry. (Amadeo, 2017)

 

Cons of agreement                           May have resulted in an increase in violations of labor-rights due to the increase in production of cheap goods. (Amadeo, 2017)

In conclusion, all of the aforementioned trade agreements have resulted in an increase in the production and export of trade goods between the countries involved. Consequently, all of the countries involved have experienced economic growth to some degree since these agreements have been signed into action. Unfortunately, this economic growth primarily benefits higher-wage earners as free trade agreements tend to help more industrialized countries. As a consequence, economies that cannot compete to the same degree tend to suffer. (Arnadeo, 2017)

References

Amadeo, K. (n.d.). The Top 12 U.S. Bilateral Trade Agreements. Retrieved June 26, 2017, from https://www.thebalance.com/what-are-bilateral-trade-agreements-pros-cons-and-list-3305911

Amadeo, K. (n.d.). Will the World's Largest Trade Agreement Be Signed This Year? Retrieved June 26, 2017, from https://www.thebalance.com/transatlantic-trade-and-investment-partnership-ttip-3305582

Amadeo, K. (n.d.). The 2004 Trade Agreement That Made Bananas Cheaper. Retrieved June 26, 2017, from https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-cafta-3305580

Amadeo, K. (n.d.). What Does Trump's Executive Order to Withdraw from the TPP Mean? Retrieved June 26, 2017, from https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-the-trans-pacific-partnership-3305581