Everyday Use by Alice Walker Essay -- Alice Walker Everyday Use Essays

Everyday Use by Alice Walker In the short story Everyday Use, by Alice Walker, is narration by an African American woman in the South who is faced with the ultimate decision to whom she should give away the two quilts. Dee, her oldest daughter who is visiting from college, perceives the quilts as popular fashion and believes they should undoubtedly be given to her. Maggie, her youngest daughter, who still lives at home and understands the family heritage, has been promised the quilts. The two daughters each have opposing views on the value and worth of the different items in their lives. Walker uses this conflict to make the point that the significance of heritage is more important than style; so Mama she decides based upon the appearance, personalities and the idea about the family artifacts. Maggie is not as attractive as Dee. She is thin and an awkward girl. Her mother says â€Å"good looks pass her by.† Furthermore, she carries herself like someone who has low self-esteem, which her mother describes as â€Å"chin on chest, eyes on ground.† Maggie has characteristics like her mother, she is an example that heritage in both knowledge and form passes from one generation to another. Mama is a full-bodied woman who does the needed upkeep if their home and wears overalls daily because she does not care about her appearance compared to her eldest daughter. Dee, on the other hand, is an attractive woman in college. Mama describes Dee as having, â€Å"nice hair and a full figure.† Dee t...

Microsoft vs Red Hat Linux Essay

As a customer, I’d prefer the system of Red Hat (despite how the program look and operate) because obviously, it’s free of charge. Also because it releases the updated version every 4-6 months as the article mentioned. However, in my opinion, in term of business model, Microsoft, the monopoly, has a more sustainable business plan. The traditional way of employing high skilled programmers is certainly ensure the persistent development of the company. Moreover, from the customer’s point of view, even though, they have to pay a fixed software package in the beginning, but there’re no other expenses such as consulting like Red Hat. Moreover, the free technical support also make Microsoft has a higher position in the market. In addition, statistically, Microsoft has outstanding profit-making revenue for the past years. Linux, on the other hand, has a possibility of getting bigger in terms of revenue. Still, as I have said, volunteer programmers are not very reliable. Not only the success is terms of revenue, Microsoft has a better brand image because it has been in the market for so long and has so many loyal customers globally. Even though, Red Hat is trying to differentiate by focusing more on the small business, but Microsoft’s strategy is still ahead of it because it provided its service/product to a larger based customers. I’m sure that Red Hat isn’t the first competitor Microsoft has ever had, but it has overcome all of them. Because of all the reason mentioned above, Microsoft will remain the Monopoly in the market for still quite a long while. Michael E. Porter Michael E. Porter is a leading strategist who has a comprehensive understanding about economy and economic development of a nation. He invented the Competitive Strategy called â€Å"Porter’s Five Forces Model†. He is now currently the Bishop William Lawrence University Professor, based at Harvard Business School. Professor Porter is generally known as the father of modern strategy field, and also identified as the world’s most influential thinker on management and competitiveness. His works included 18 books and over 125 articles published in leading newspaper and business magazine. Professor Porter was actually graduated with high honors in aerospace and mechanical engineering from Princeton University, and continued with M. B. A with George F. Baker Scholar from Harvard Business School, also a Ph. D. in Business Economics from Harvard University as well. Porter’s Five Forces Model As I have mentioned, it’s a model about the competitiveness of a company by Michael E. Porter. It is a very well-known model in order to find the environment of a firm and also factors that influence the uncertainty. It states not only to win over your competitors but also to unite and work together between firms in term of partnership. One of the reasons why this model is well recognized is that it works from small to large company. The Five Forces in the model are Rivalry among current competitors, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of customers, threat of substitute products or services, and threat of new entrants.

Exercise in Organizing a Descriptive Paragraph

After studying our basic model for organizing a descriptive paragraph, you may find it helpful to apply the strategies in this short exercise. Directions Here is the topic sentence of a descriptive paragraph titled The Candle: I treasure my candle not for its beauty, its sentimental value, or even its usefulness, but for its simple, stark ugliness. The rest of the paragraph appears below. However, the sentences have been rearranged so that the descriptions appear in no logical order. Reorder the sentences to create a clearly organized paragraph. Rising crookedly out of the cup and collar is the candle, a pitifully short, stubby object.Abandoned by a previous occupant of my room, the candle squats on the window sill, anchored by cobwebs and surrounded by dead flies.This ugly little memorial consists of three parts: the base, the reflector, and the candle itself.This aluminum flower is actually a wrinkled old Christmas light collar.The base is a white, coffee-stained Styrofoam cup, its wide mouth pressed to the sill.And by lighting the wick, any time I choose, I can melt this ugly candle away.From the bottom of the cup (which is the top of the base) sprouts a space-age daisy: red, green, and silver petals intended to collect wax and reflect candle light.The candle is about the same size and color as a mans thumb, beaded with little warts of wax down the sides and topped by a tiny bent wick. Suggested answers are on page two. REVIEW: How to Write a Descriptive ParagraphDiscovery Strategy: Probing Your TopicDraft a Descriptive ParagraphPractice in Supporting a Topic Sentence with Specific DetailsModel Descriptive Paragraphs NEXT: Revision Checklist for a Descriptive Paragraph. Suggested Rearrangement of Sentences: Organizing a Descriptive Paragraph Here is how the nine sentences in The Candle were originally arranged. I treasure my candle not for its beauty, its sentimental value, or even its usefulness, but for its simple, stark ugliness. (2) Abandoned by a previous occupant of my room, the candle squats on the window sill, anchored by cobwebs and surrounded by dead flies. (3) This ugly little memorial consists of three parts: the base, the reflector, and the candle itself. (5) The base is a white, coffee-stained Styrofoam cup, its wide mouth pressed to the sill. (7) From the bottom of the cup (which is the top of the base) sprouts a space-age daisy: red, green, and silver petals intended to collect wax and reflect candle light. (4) This aluminum flower is actually a wrinkled old Christmas light collar. (1) Rising crookedly out of the cup and collar is the candle, a pitifully short, stubby object. (8) The candle is about the same size and color as a mans thumb, beaded with little warts of wax down the sides and topped by a tiny bent wick. (6) And by lighting the wick, any time I choose, I can melt this ugly candle away.