Idioms and Expressions With Make

Idioms and Expressions With Make The following idioms and expressions use make. Each idiom or expression has a definition and example sentences to help you understand these common idiomatic expressions with make. Once you have studied these expressions, test your knowledge with quiz testing idioms and expressions with make. There are many other words that often find their way into common idioms and expressions including have, run, work, and like. Make a Beeline for Someone or Something To go directly to someone or something as soon as you arrive. I got to the party and made a beeline for Susan.He made a beeline for the booth as soon as he arrived. Make a Clean Sweep To get rid of everything or everyone to start anew. Im afraid well have to make a clean sweep and start over.The police made a clean sweep of the area by arresting everyone.   Make a Comeback To become successful again after having been away from the scene or society for a long time The actress made a comeback in her latest movie.Youll have to make a comeback and take over the company. Make a Face Contort your face, make a strange expression often used with at someone. She tasted the soup and made a face. It must have been awful.Dont make a face at me! I know youre not happy. Make a Fool out of Someone To trick someone and make them look bad. She made a fool out of him and then left him for another man.I dont think youll ever make a fool out of me. Make a Fuss To pay a lot of attention to someone or something. She made a fuss the last time we visited, so lets take a gift.Im afraid I make a bit of a fuss over my plants in the garden. Make a Go of It To become successful, have success in business. It took us a few years to make a go of it, but everythings fine now.Bob made a go of it as an opera singer in Europe.   Make a Killing To earn a lot of money. Peter has been making a killing as a hedge fund manager.They made a killing in real estate and retired. Make a Living To earn money in a profession or trade. He makes a living selling insurance to the elderly.Can you make a good living by teaching? Make a Name for Oneself To become famous or well known. Jennifer made a name for herself as an actress on Broadway.One day youll get out into the world and make a name for yourself. Make a Point To make something understood to others. Im trying to make a point about your lack of effort.The presentation made the point that you need to start saving early in life. Make a Run for It To try to escape from a bad situation, or just from the rain or something equally unpleasant. Lets make a run for those trees over there. They should keep us dry.The bank robbers made a run for it, but the police caught them within two hours. Make a Scene To become very upset and vocal so that others notice you. The little girl made a scene every time her mother didnt immediately buy her what she wanted.Dont make a scene about this. Lets go home and talk about it. Make a Stink To complain loudly about something. She made a stink to human resources after she didnt get the promotion.Ill go down to the store and make a stink about this! Make an Example of Someone To do something negative to someone in order that others understand that they should not do the same. The boss decided to fire him to make an example of him to the other employees.Im afraid he made an example of her and she started to cry in front of everybody. Make an Exception To not do something that is usually the rule. Ill make an exception this one time. Next time, dont forget your homework.Can you make an exception and let me take the test next week? Make Arrangements   To do everything needed in order to be sure that something is done properly. Ill make arrangements for this to be shipped to Japan.We made arrangements for the meeting next week. Make Ends Meet To earn enough money to pay the bills. He works as an English teacher to make ends meet.You might not get rich, but youll certainly make ends meet. Make Fun Of   To joke at the expense of someone. He made fun of her makeup and she began to cry.Dont make fun of Peter! Hes a great guy! Make Good on Something To do something you have promised or feel you owe someone. Let me make good on it by taking you out to dinner.Jason made good on the bet after two weeks.   Make Light of Something To joke about something serious. I think you need to make light of the whole situation. What good does it do to worry so much?They made light of the mistake and continued with the job. Make Mischief To do something naughty, to get in trouble. The boys made mischief over the holidays and were grounded for three days.I know youre making mischief. I can see the twinkle in your eye. Make Sense   To try to understand something, to be understandable. Does that make any sense to you?Im trying to make sense of this situation. Make Short Work of Something To do something quickly. Lets make short work of the garden and have a beer.She made short work of the report and moved on to the presentation. Make Someone Tick To be responsible for how someone acts in life. His love of music makes him tick.What makes you tick? What really gets you excited? Make Something Up To invent something that isnt true, to tell a false story. He made up an excuse to get out of work that day.Have you ever made something up? Make the Grade To be good enough. Im afraid your work here doesnt make the grade.Do you think this painting will make the grade at the competition? Make Waves To cause others trouble, often by complaining a lot. Can also mean to become noticed, usually by some type of disruption, which can be good or bad. Many people say its important to not make waves at work. Thats how we get into a mess!Her father made waves until the school decided to give her another chance.

The Conjugations for Déranger (to Disturb) in French

The Conjugations for Dà ©ranger (to Disturb) in French Dà ©ranger  is the French verb that means to disturb. This ones easy to remember if you think of the English derange, which is a synonym of disturb in some circumstances. In order to change the verb meaning to disturbed or disturbing, a conjugation is required and a quick lesson will walk you through this. Conjugating the French Verb  Dà ©ranger Dà ©ranger  is a  spelling change verb  and it follows a pattern found in similar verbs that end in -ger. This includes  corriger  (to correct) and  bouger  (to move)  and theres a good reason behind the subtle changes. When the letter G is followed by a hard vowel like an A or O, it typically uses a hard G sound. However, in words like  dà ©ranger, we want to retain the soft G and that is why an I sometimes replaces the E in conjugations.   Using the table, study the verb endings attached to the stem  dà ©rang-. Match the subject pronoun to the present, future, or imperfect past tense to find the correct form to use. For instance, I disturb is je dà ©range and we will disturb is  nous avons dà ©rangerons. Subject Present Future Imperfect je drange drangerai drangeais tu dranges drangeras drangeais il drange drangera drangeait nous drangeons drangerons drangions vous drangez drangerez drangiez ils drangent drangeront drangeaient The Present Participle of  Dà ©ranger The  present participle  of  dà ©ranger  is  dà ©rangeant.  This is done by simply adding -ant  to the verb stem. Beyond its usage as a verb, this can also become an adjective, gerund, or noun in some instances. Another Common  Past Tense Form   The  passà © composà ©Ã‚  is a common way to say the past tense disturbed in French. To use it, conjugate the  auxiliary, or helping verb  avoir  to fit the subject pronoun, then attach the  past participle  dà ©rangà ©. As an example, I disturbed is jai dà ©rangà © and we disturbed is nous avons dà ©rangà ©. Notice how the  ai  and  avons  are conjugates of  avoir  and that the past participle does not change. More Simple  Dà ©ranger  Conjugations The subjunctive verb mood is used when the verb has a level of uncertainty. Similarly, the conditional verb mood implies that the action is dependent on something else. These two verb forms are quite useful, especially with a verb like  dà ©ranger  where the disturbance may be questionable. Used with less frequency, you will often only come across the passà © composà © and the imperfect subjunctive in formal writing. Subject Subjunctive Conditional Pass Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je drange drangerais drangeai drangeasse tu dranges drangerais drangeas drangeasses il drange drangerait drangeas dranget nous drangions drangerions drangemes drangeassions vous drangiez drangeriez drangetes drangeassiez ils drangent drangeraient drangrent drangeassent To express  dà ©ranger  in an exclamation, demand, or request, the imperative form is used. For this conjugation, the subject pronoun is not required, so tu dà ©range can be shortened to dà ©range. Imperative (tu) drange (nous) drangeons (vous) drangez

Mathematics classes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mathematics classes - Essay Example Teachers, who study mathematics for the foreign speaking students, should be aware of the fact, that the knowledge they try to give, must be combined with clear explanation and patience. Various strategies exist for those who have to teach mathematics to the students in combination with the language problems. Thus, it would be interesting to observe the two different strategies, which two teachers have in this relation. The use of various strategies for teaching children mathematics is essential; it often appears at present that the knowledge and idea of mathematics are wrong between people, and thus the role of the teacher is to make the mathematical knowledge full, sufficient and clear. The strategies to use in teaching mathematics directly depend on the knowledge teachers have themselves, and the studies conducted in this connection, proved that the way the teachers were teaching their pupils mathematics, their structural and instructional decisions were directly dependent on the knowledge in mathematics they had themselves. In relation to foreign speaking students, it is even more important to have a closer look at the use of not only mathematics' teaching strategies, but also the use of LEP and ESOL. 'The current debate concerning what students should learn in mathematics seems to set proponents of teaching computational skills against the advocates of fostering conceptual understanding and re flects the wide range of beliefs about what aspects of mathematics are important to know'. (Liping, 1999) For example, Mrs L was teaching mathematics with a special accent on the multidigit multiplication. One of her strategies was to create the series of lectures (lessons), and the group which she taught was absolutely heterogeneous in relation to the level of skills and knowledge. She paid special attention to the children with exceptionalities, as there were two pupils who were able to perform this computation without any difficult and displayed exceptional abilities towards computation. These children, attending lessons together with the rest of the group, also acquired special tasks separately from the other pupils. The creation of this strategy has been caused by her deep knowledge of the structures in multidigit computation, as well as the wide range of combinations and the special approach towards problem-solving. She was able not only to teach students the necessary skills, but to teach them the general knowledge of problem-solving, giving them the basis for the further develop ment. Mrs B was able to create her own strategy of teaching children mathematics through the special accent on the negative numbers understanding. Making the foreign-speaking pupils understand negative numbers is a challenge, and she was successful in creating her own strategy. Her aim was not only to develop the knowledge of negative numbers, but to make her pupils successful mathematical thinkers. She was able to understand the ways of representing the key mathematical ideas to her pupils, through clear language and descriptive meanings. Her associations of negative numbers with magic peanuts and a frog on the number line, gave her own ideas for connecting negative numbers with the association of money and the similar building model. The choice of the models themselves was complex,

International Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Managment - Essay Example Zen meditation is all about focusing, inward, looking at yourself, your own soul and become one with oneself. This experience is a whole new philosophy that anyone can apply to any aspect of one’s life. Zen art has shown me the way, the true way to wisdom and knowledge and I’m not going to stop at any demented or passive thought of abandoning the journey of my life enlightenment. Zen is not just about seeing things as they are; mountains as mountains and rivers as rivers, it is much more than that (Borup, 2008). The second activity worth mentioning is giving an insight to others about my own country, Saudi Arabia. This time, I analyse my country as an outsider and see it in a different light. And show what secrets it holds for the people who are unfamiliar with this land that was once nothing but desert cones. But now the world knows Saudi Arabia as one of the key players in the world energy sector. There is so much more to discover in Saudi Arabia other than deserts an d oil. There is only a little that the world knows about the people of Saudi Arabia, its culture, religion, food, the way people live and communicate with each other, and how recent developments have changed the life of Saudis. This is how it should be; people should recognize a country for its diversity and not for just a specific thing or two. A country is not its products, its natural resources but its people. Activity I: New Cultural Experience The Zen Meditation Impression It would be better to introduce Zen before delving into the details of its meditation. Zen is one of the many schools of Buddhists teachings, called Mahayana Buddhism (Zen.rinnou.net). China was the birthplace of this meditation but now this practice is world popular. Zen is the key to the great wisdom of Asia (Johnston, 2003), an inner art and â€Å"design of the Orient† (Reps & Senzaki, 1998, pp. 17-18). The art of Zen awakens the student to the art of formless (Merton, 1968, pp. 6-7), which also mea ns not pondering at the pointed finger but observing what is being pointed at (Johnson, 2000, pp. 21-22). I have joined the Sydney Zen Center in Annandale, NSW. I’ve attended two gatherings there or more than two hours each. It has turned out to be a great cultural experience for me. I have come to know about the Chinese Buddhist culture and how it resonates in the life of an individual. The Zen philosophy is all about attaining inner peace, also known as enlightenment. The main focus is developing an insight into the Buddhist teachings. So it is not merely reciting some verses, or visiting the temple, it is about applying the principles of Zen in one’s life and seeing how it creates a difference in the everyday living. The first lesson given by the teacher was to defeat duality. I later read in book that the most important lesson of Zen is not to be dualistic (Suzuki, 2010). The feelings I experienced were incredible, I have never felt an inward observation towards my soul. Zen is magical and whoever journey’s it finds whatever they seek (Arokiasamy, 2005). The feelings were mostly of calm and peacefulness as if eliminating the negative energy out of one’s mind and filling it with the pure white energy. This white energy also fills the mind and the eyes, and that is how one starts to feel and see the world differently. The calmness of this energy put me to a state of mind where I stopped resisting and fighting for useless objectives. After the meditation session was over I felt as if we all engage in many

Dickens & education in Hard Times Essay Example for Free

Dickens education in Hard Times Essay In Hard times we see two versions of the world of education. The first view is that of Thomas Gradgrinds and his model school. A place where facts are valued and imagination is regarded as unimportant. This is the utilitarian view. The second view is contrasted with the utilitarian view and is that of Mr Slearys circus. This is a place with much knowledge valuing both imagination and education. A place without the wealth of the Gradgrinds but much in humanity. This is the fanciful world. I think Dickens is telling us that there are many different ways of bringing up and educating children. It is about getting the right balance between education and imagination. For example Sissy was brought up by her father and didnt go to school but was quite well educated as she used to read to him, but her father let her use her imagination as she read the wrong books from Gradgrinds point of view. Which were about Fairies and the Hunchback and the Genies. But when she went to Gradgrinds house to live there she was cut off from having an imagination, as so was struggling to learn facts. The reader knows this as Sissy says, I am O so stupid! when really she isnt stupid at all, it is just that she has been forced to be brought up the utilitarian way, which is the wrong way for her, as she is used to having a balance between education and imagination but Gradgrind hasnt allowed it. She became low spirited, but no wiser. This is because she has an emotional memory and so she cant learn the facts because she is being taught with a utilitarian view and so she cant attach a feeling to what she is being taught. This is how Dickens implies that different people learn different ways and at different rates. For Gradgrind it could be argued that it was the right way for him as he was educated by his father the utilitarian way. He became a model pupil and owned a school. The reader knows that he was a model pupil as Dickens tells us five young Gradgrinds were models everyone. And They had been lectured at from their tenderest years. And in Gradgrinds eyes this had worked so He intended every child to be a model. But what Gradgrind doesnt realise is that all children are different and need to be brought up different ways, which is what Dickens is suggesting to the reader.

The Three Elements of the Female Athlete Triad Essay -- Athletics Wome

The Three Elements of the Female Athlete Triad For an increasing number of women in the United States, a concern or preoccupation with body weight and size is a constant pressure. Female athletes, like most women in our society, are also often pressured to conform to certain ideal body sizes and shapes, as dictated by the entertainment and fashion industries. Female athletes, however, face a twofold pressure. They face the burden that our culture places on all women to be thin, but they also face the burden from coaches, parents, and other athletes to succeed in sports and look good doing so by maintaining an unrealistically low weight. When weight gain means removal from a team or elimination from competition, many female athletes turn to dangerous food restriction and excessive exercise. This pressure to achieve or maintain unrealistically low body weight underlies the development of a syndrome recently named the Female Athlete Triad. First identified by the American College of Sports Medicine in 1992, the Female Athlete Triad consists of three medical disorders commonly found in female athletes: disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. Alone each disorder is dangerous; in combination the triad disorders are potentially fatal. Eating Disorders in Female Athletes Before evaluating the available studies on the prevalence of disordered eating among female athletes, it is necessary to recognize the many limitations and problems that arise with such studies. First of all, there are a limited number of studies on this segment of females and their eating patterns. Also, many of these studies rely on self-reporting surveys, which inherently may be flawed due to the fact that many athletes may deny disordered eating b... ...74-1475. Smith, A. (1996). The female athlete triad. Physician and Sportsmedicine, 24, 67. Weight gain does not increase bone density in women with eating disorders. (2000) International Journal of Eating Disorders, 27, 29-35. Wiita, B.G., Stombaugh, I.A. (1996). Nutritional knowledge, eating practices, and health of adolescent female runners: a 3-year longitudinal study. International Journal of Sports Nutrition, 6, 414-425. Williams, N.I., Young, J.C., McArthur, J.W., Bullen, B., Skrinar, G.S., Turnbull, B. (1995). Strenuous exercise with caloric restriction: effect on luteinizing hormone secretion. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 27, 1390-1398. Yeager, K., Agostini, R., Nattiiv, A., and Drinkwater, B. (1993). The female athlete triad: Disordered eating, amenorrhea, osteoporosis. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 25, 775-777.

Interest Group

Interest Groups University of Hawaii West Oahu Haijuan Hanger 1/27/13 Well I have to say that this is a very old video nearly twenty five years old, although the information was well presented. The examples with the AARP and the NRA was good as to explain the difference between the broad and narrow along with the quick explanation of a single issue groups. It did not leave me with any question as to the different types of groups. It could have used a few more examples of interest groups of both broad and narrow to give a different comparison on real situation that actually took place.Additionally, How lobbyist take action in getting their issues to the three different branches of government. Such as reports on how much a single type of interest group faired with issues as a result of their lobbying and putting pressure on different congressmen as well as the interest groups personal gains and benefits as a result on issues that they supported. No indication was given as the how much money was spent nor the slightest indication of what congressmen benefited if any. This makes me wonder if there are discloser laws that should be in place to prevent any wrong doing. Not to say that there was.The video, as old as it is provided very basic definition and really could have used a more current video with recent and current related issues of today. I felt more trusting with the example of the broad type Interest Group of the AARP then I did with the narrow Interest group of the NRA. I felt that the AARP was actually working not just for the members best interest but, for the elderly people in general across the nation and their families real issues. When compared to the NRA, The organization of the AARP from what I understood from the video didn't use scare tactics in getting its members active and campaign for certain causes.I can see how the AARP is one of the largest organization in the country and that is because it is built a reputation for working hard on issues that affect not only a very large community of elderly people but, It will most definitely effect every American in the nation at one time or another. Social Security insurance has been promised to Americans sense the Roosevelt era that is nearly 80 years. It becomes a very touchy subject when so many elderly Americans depend on Social Security for survival. AARP continues as well to fight issues of Medicare coverage and discounts on prescription medicine.They have a large member support community that it can negotiate with many companies and organization on rates of services that can potentially bring a large group of consumers. While viewing the video one very interesting point really made me stop and think and collect my thoughts. This was when Pamela Sederholm was providing an over view of how interest groups work lobbyist work with the different branches of government. I felt that she had provided a very good overview as to how these interest groups operate in obtaining their g oals while working with the government. Just as if it came straight out of a text book.I felt that she was very young and very naive in the way she portrayed the system, I didn't feel that she had the experience for her position, although it did appear that she was well educated about the system. I may have felt more comfortable if it had been a person a little bit more mature. This was not what the video was about but, someone at the level she was at must have many years of experience . As far as the NRA and Mr. Paul Blackman interview in this video did not make me fell comfortable either. I am not a member of the NRA but, I do believe in the 2nd Amendment of the bill of rights that we Americans have the right to bare arms.I also have common sense when it comes to gun control. It is possible to have gun control and still retain the 2nd Amendment. I think that if the NRA was not so negative and using scare tactics in making people believe that every time we talk about gun control. i n its campaigning against any type of gun control it could work in a positive way in that could result in a safer nation and insuring that the 2nd Amendment is never taken away. We need to focus on the Types of guns that and individual can own for home protection and hunting. Really does one need an AK47 or an AR15 assault rifle to kill a deer or to protect ones home.Protect it from whom? Why is it called assault rifle and not a protection rifle. I wonder how is it that the NRA with less than half of the members than say the NRA, How can they be so powerful in congress. Do they represent gun manufactures or is it that they spend more money in fewer places. As narrated in the video that when the NRA supports a candidate through political action committees for an office they most generally win that office. I didn't quit understand the roll that political action committees play in the election of candidates or they are objective if it is not the objective of the interest group.This mak es me wonder why. Is it money or political connection. I do believe that The NRA works hard and long on issues that are not necessary the best interest for the nation and only what is best for its organization and its members. I can now understand more when it comes to many political issues how so many are killed by tying the up in law suits and clouding the issues in a bill and or for personal gain for its members. Another part of the video mentioned that Lobbyist are now referred to as professionals. They should be nothing but professionals so what where they referred to as before that.I do believe that there are a lot of good professionals that actively play a part in getting bills past and working hard for the country. As narrated in the video that there are a lot of professional institutions in that have experts in many different field that support the legislative and the executive branches of government. We need these professionals as I believe that it is totally ignorant to t hink that someone holding political office could be an expert on every issue that is introduced as a bill or police. I believe the it is always challenged by the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. References

Semiotic Analysis

2012 Unit Profile Unit Code Unit Title Provider Unit Type Level of Study EFTSL Delivery Method SGY110 Australian and Global Society Macquarie University UGRD Undergraduate Level 1 0. 125 Fully Online Unit Overview Commence your studies of society by learning about the sociological framework and establish skills for life. You will be introduced to many of the ways in which sociologists think about the most intimate aspects of life – such as sexuality, the family and gender – as well as to larger and often impersonal structural features, such as social class, the labour market and social policy.You will also have the opportunity to use social research techniques such as interviews and observation in the real world, as well as to uncover the secrets often hidden in other sources of information and data. Topics 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. What is sociology? History of sociology and key ideas What is a social fact?Australian families Gender, language and dominatio n The life course – growing up in the 21st century Religion and social change Media, race and ethnicity Class and inequality Work, employment and society Crime and society Globalisation: the world as social context Learning Outcomes At the completion of this unit students will: 1. be familiar with the key sociological concepts as they are applied to the study of Australian society 2. be aware of existing patterns of social structure and the processes and nature of change currently taking place 3. ave developed a broad understanding of the nature and methods of social science 4. be able to use basic social research skills to undertake some types of original, primary research under supervision. Page 1 2012 Unit Profile Assessment – Non-Invigilated Exam – Take Home Exam (30%) Online Discussion (15%) Report1 – Investigative Report (40%) Report2 – Thematic Activity Report (15%) Textbooks Prerequisites Special Requirements This unit does not have a presc ribed textbook(s). – Broadband access Page 2

Fingers and Fingering

Fingers and Fingering Fingers and Fingering Fingers and Fingering By Maeve Maddox Because of their daily familiarity, body parts contribute to the language far beyond their literal uses. Finger is an especially rich source of expressions. There are the literal uses: ring finger, index finger, middle finger, little finger, and forefinger. The earliest use of finger as a verb (1450) was with the meaning â€Å"to point.† The sense â€Å"to touch with the fingers† dates from 1590. Because of the long, thin shape of a finger, the word is used for anything long and thin: The campground lies nestled on  a finger of land between  the banks of the Alabama River and Isaac Creek. Kids  will love this homemade version of  fish fingers. (small elongated breaded fillets of fish). Ladyfingers, also called sponge fingers are low density, dry, egg-based and sweet sponge biscuits  roughly shaped like a large finger. Idioms with finger: to lay a finger on someone (to harm) He was crying, but I never laid a finger on him. to finger (to incriminate) When these suspects were picked up they  fingered other  accomplices. to lift a finger (to make an effort to help) Melissa never lifts a finger around the house  unless I ask her. to raise a finger against (to offer violence against) Kostia Petrovitch  never raised a finger against his  children.   to cross one’s fingers (to trust to luck) As for Theresa,  her  way was to  cross her fingers  and fervently pray. to burn one’s fingers (to suffer financial losses) The young Benjamin Disraeli  burned his fingers  so badly on Mexican and South  American mining shares in 1824-5 that his financial affairs remained encumbered for almost the rest of his life. to point an accusing finger (to point with the forefinger as a gesture of blame) Randy Meadows pointed an  accusing finger  at  the defendant  and offered damning evidence against him. to make a slip of the finger (to make an unintentional movement of the finger) In the world of internet banking millions of electronic payments are made every day, but make one slip of the finger and you could end up sending a payment to the wrong account. to put one’s finger on a problem (to identify the crux of a matter) Voltaire put his finger on the problem when he said, â€Å"The secret to being a bore is to tell everything.†Ã‚   a finger of Scotch or other liquid (a unit of measurement approximately the width of an adult finger) Marcus rose and went to the sideboard,  pouring  three healthy  fingers of scotch  into two glasses. a wag of the finger (a gesture or statement of reprimand) Literally, the â€Å"finger wag† is the action of reprimanding or warning someone by moving the forefinger from side to side. Basketball player Dikembe Mutombo was noted for wagging his finger as a warning to opponents that they would not score against him. In a segment called â€Å"Tip of the Hat and Wag of the Finger,† comedian Stephen Colbert offered praise and censure on topics in the news. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Mostly Small But Expressive InterjectionsHang, Hung, Hanged50 Plain-Language Substitutions for Wordy Phrases

Maya Angelou - Poet, Author, Actress, Playwright

Maya Angelou - Poet, Author, Actress, Playwright Maya Angelou was an African-American author, playwright, poet, dancer, actress, and singer.  Her illustrious 50-year career included publishing 36 books,  including volumes of poetry and three books of essays. Angelou is credited for producing  and acting in several plays, musicals,  movies, and TV shows.  Ã‚  She is best known, however,  for her first autobiography,  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969). The book depicts the  tragedies of Angelous traumatic childhood,  detailing a brutal rape at 7 1/2,  and an early  adulthood encumbered by teenage pregnancy. Dates: April 4, 1928 to May 28, 2014 Also Known As:   Marguerite Anne Johnson (born as), Ritie, Rita A Long Way From Home Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Anne Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri,  to Bailey Johnson Sr., a porter and navy dietitian,  and Vivian Bibbie Baxter, a nurse. Angelou’s only sibling, one-year-older brother Bailey Jr. was unable as a child to pronounce Angelou’s first name, Marguerite, and thus nicknamed his sister Maya, derived from My Sister. The name-change proved useful later in Mayas  life. After her parents separated in 1931, Bailey Sr.  sent three-year-old Maya and Bailey Jr. to live with his mother, Annie Henderson, in segregated Stamps, Arkansas. Momma, as Maya and Bailey called her, was the only black female storeowner in rural Stamps and was highly respected. Despite the fact that severe poverty abounded, Momma prospered during the Great Depression and World War II by supplying basic staples. In addition to running the store, Momma took care of her paralyzed son, whom the children called â€Å"Uncle Willie.† Although smart, Maya was extremely insecure as a child, viewing herself as awkward, unwanted, and ugly because she was black. At times, Maya sought to hide her legs, greased them with Vaseline, and dusted them with red clay   deeming any color  was  better than black. Bailey, on the other hand, was charming, free-spirited, and extremely protective of his sister. Life in Stamps, Arkansas Momma put her grandchildren to work in the store, and Maya watched the exhausted cotton-pickers as they trudged to and from work. Momma was the chief stabilizer and moral guide in the childrens lives, giving them valuable advice in picking their battles with white people. Momma warned that the slightest impertinence could result in lynching. The daily indignities manifested through entrenched racism made life in Stamps  miserable for the displaced children. Their shared experience of loneliness and longing for their parents led to a strong dependence on each other. The childrens passion for reading provided a  refuge  from their harsh reality. Maya spent every Saturday in  Stamps library, eventually reading every book on its shelves. After four  years in Stamps, Maya and Bailey were surprised when their handsome father appeared driving a fancy car to take them back to St. Louis to live with their mother.   Maya watched curiously as  Bailey Sr.  interacted with  his mother  and brother, Uncle Willie making them feel inferior  with his boasting. Maya did not like it, especially when Bailey Jr. the splitting image of his father acted as if this man had never abandoned them. Meet Me in St. Louis Vivian was devastatingly beautiful and the children instantly fell in love with her, especially Bailey Jr.  Mother Dear, as the children called her,  was a force of nature  and  lived life to the fullest, expecting everyone else to do the same.  Although Vivian had a nursing degree, she made  a nice  living playing poker in gambling parlors. Landing in St. Louis during Prohibition, Maya and Bailey were introduced to underworld crime figures by their maternal grandmother (â€Å"Grandma Baxter†), who entertained them. She also had clout with the citys police. Vivians father and four brothers had city jobs,  rare for black men, and had a reputation for being mean. But they treated the children well and Maya was awed by them, finally feeling a sense of familial belonging. Maya and Bailey stayed with Vivian and her  older boyfriend, Mr. Freeman. Vivian was strong,  vibrant, and independent like Momma, treating her children well. However,  she was dispassionate and Maya could not establish a close relationship. Innocence Lost Maya craved her mothers affection so much that she began confiding in Vivians insecure  boyfriend. Mayas 7 1/2-year-old innocence was shattered when Freeman molested her on two occasions, then raped her- threatening to kill Bailey if she told. Although he was found guilty at a hearing and sentenced to one year in jail, Freeman was temporarily released. Three weeks later, Maya overheard police telling Grandma Baxter that Freeman had been found beaten to death, presumably by her uncles. The family never mentioned the incident. Thinking she was  responsible for Freemans death by testifying, confused Maya resolved to protect others by not speaking. She became mute for five years, refusing to speak to anyone except her brother. After a while, Vivian was unable to deal with Mayas emotional state. She sent the children back to live with Momma in Stamps, much to Baileys discontent. The emotional consequences caused by the rape followed Maya throughout her lifetime. Back  to Stamps and a Mentor Momma wasted no time getting Maya help by introducing her to Bertha Flowers, a beautiful,  refined, and educated black woman.  The great teacher exposed Maya to classic authors, such as Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and James Weldon Johnson, as well as black female authors. Flowers had Maya memorize certain works by the authors to recite aloud- showing her that words have the power to create, not destroy.   Through Mrs. Flowers, Maya realized the power, eloquence, and beauty of the spoken word. The ritual  awakened Mayas passion for poetry,  built confidence, and slowly goaded  her out of silence. Once reading books as a refuge from reality,  she now read books to understand it. To Maya, Bertha Flowers was the ultimate role model- someone she could aspire to become. Maya was a great student and graduated with honors in 1940 from Lafayette County Training School. An eighth-grade graduation was a big  occasion in Stamps, but the white speaker  insinuated that  the black graduates could only succeed in sports or servitude, not academics. Maya  was inspired, however, when the class valedictorian led the graduates in Lift Evry Voice and Sing,  listening for the first time to the songs words. Its Better in  California Stamps, Arkansas was a town entrenched in severe racism. For instance, one day, when Maya had a severe toothache, Momma took her to the only  dentist in town, who was white,  and  to whom she had loaned money during the Great Depression. But the dentist refused to treat Maya,  proclaiming that he would rather stick his hand in a dogs mouth than in black Mayas. Momma took Maya outside and stamped back into the  mans office. Momma returned with $10 she said the dentist owed her in interest on his loan and took Maya 25 miles to see a black dentist. After Bailey came home terribly shaken one day,  having been forced by a white man to help load a black mans  dead, rotting body onto a wagon, Momma  prepared to get her grandchildren  away from further dangers. Never having traveled more than 50 miles from her birthplace, Momma left Willie and her store to take Maya and Bailey to their mother in Oakland, California. Momma stayed six months to get the children settled before returning to Stamps. Genuinely glad to have her children back, Vivian  threw  Maya and Bailey a welcoming  party at midnight.  The children discovered their mother was popular and fun-loving, with many male suitors. But Vivian  chose to marry  Daddy Clidell, a  successful businessman who moved the family to San Francisco. Upon Mayas entrance into Mission High School, she  was  advanced a grade and later transferred to a school where she  was one of only three blacks. Maya liked one teacher, Miss Kirwin, who treated everyone  equally. At 14, Maya received a full college scholarship to the California Labor School  to study drama and  dance. Growing Pains Daddy Clidell was the owner of several apartment buildings and pool halls, and Maya was enthralled  by his quiet dignity. He was the only true father figure she ever knew, making Maya feel like his cherished daughter. But when  Bailey Sr.  invited her to stay with him and his much younger girlfriend Dolores for the summer, Maya accepted. When she arrived, Maya was shocked to discover they lived in a low-class trailer  home. From the outset, the two women didnt get along. When Bailey Sr. took Maya to Mexico on a shopping trip, it ended disastrously with 15-year-old Maya  driving her inebriated father back to the Mexican border. Upon their return, jealous Dolores confronted Maya, blaming her for coming between them. Maya slapped Dolores for calling  Vivian a whore; Dolores then stabbed Maya in the hand and stomach with scissors. Maya ran from the house bleeding. Knowing she couldnt hide her wounds from Vivian, Maya did not return to San Francisco.  She was also afraid that Vivian and her family would cause trouble for Bailey Sr., remembering what happened to Mr. Freeman. Bailey Sr. took Maya to get her wounds wrapped at a friends house. Determined never to  be victimized again, Maya fled the home of her fathers friend and spent the night in a  junkyard. The next morning, she  found  there were several runaways  living there.  During  her month-long stay with the runaways, Maya learned to not only dance and cuss  but to also appreciate diversity,  which influenced the rest of her life.  At summers end, Maya decided to return to her mother, but the experience left  her feeling  empowered. Movin On Up Maya had matured from a timid girl into a  strong young woman. Her brother Bailey, on the other hand, was changing. He had become obsessed  with winning his mothers affection, even beginning to  emulate the lifestyles of the men  Vivian once kept company with. When Bailey brought a white prostitute home, Vivian kicked him out. Hurt and disillusioned, Bailey eventually left town  to take a job with the railroad. When school started in the fall, Maya  convinced Vivian  to let her  take a semester off to work. Missing Bailey terribly,  she  sought a distraction and  applied for a job as a streetcar conductor,  despite racist hiring policies.  Maya persisted for weeks, eventually becoming  San Franciscos first black streetcar operator. Upon returning to school, Maya began to mentally exaggerate her masculine features and became worried that she might be a lesbian.   Maya decided to get a boyfriend to convince herself otherwise. But all of  Mayas male friends  wanted slim, light-skinned, straight-haired girls, and she possessed none of these qualities.  Maya then  propositioned a handsome neighbor boy, but the unsatisfying encounter didnt allay her anxieties. Three weeks later, however, Maya discovered she was pregnant. After calling Bailey, Maya decided to keep her pregnancy a secret. Afraid that Vivian would make her quit school, Maya threw herself into her studies, and after graduating from the Mission High School in 1945  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹confessed her eighth-month pregnancy. Claude Bailey Johnson, who later changed his name to Guy,  was born shortly after 17-year-old Mayas graduation. A New Name, New Life Maya adored her son and, for the very first time, felt needed.  Her life became more colorful as  she worked to  provide for  him by singing and  dancing in nightclubs, cooking, being a cocktail waitress,  a prostitute, and  a brothel madam. In 1949, Maya married  Anastasios Angelopulos, a Greek-American sailor. But the interracial marriage in 1950s America was doomed from the start, ending in 1952. In 1951, Maya studied modern dance under greats  Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham, even  teaming with Ailey to perform at local  functions  as Al and Rita. Working as a professional calypso dancer  at the Purple Onion in San Francisco, Maya was still called Marguerite Johnson. But that soon changed when, at the insistence of her managers, Maya combined her former husbands surname and Baileys nickname of Maya,  to create  the distinctive name,  Maya Angelou. When Angelou’s beloved Momma passed away, Angelou  was sent into a tailspin. Distraught,  but vowing to live fully,  Angelou turned down a contract for a Broadway play, left her son with Vivian, and  embarked on a 22-nation  tour with the opera Porgy and Bess (1954-1955). But Angelou continued to hone her writing skills while traveling, as she found  solace in creating poetry. In 1957, Angelou  recorded her first album, Calypso Heat Wave. Angelou had been dancing, singing, and acting  throughout San Francisco, but then moved to New York and joined the Harlem Writers Guild in the late 1950s. While there, she befriended literary great James Baldwin,  who encouraged  Angelou to  focus directly on a writing career. Triumph and Tragedy In 1960, after hearing civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speak,  Angelou wrote along  with Godfrey Cambridge,  Cabaret for Freedom,  to benefit Kings Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Angelou was a great asset as a fundraiser and organizer;   she was then appointed SCLCs Northern Coordinator by Dr. King. Also in 1960,  Angelou took a common-law husband, Vusumzi Make, a South African anti-apartheid leader from Johannesburg.  Maya,  her 15-year-old son Guy, and new husband moved to Cairo, Egypt, where Angelou became an editor for The Arab Observer. Angelou continued taking teaching and writing jobs as she and  Guy adjusted. But as her relationship  with Make came to an end in 1963,  Angelou left Egypt with her son for Ghana. There, she became an administrator at the University of Ghanas School of Music and Drama, an editor for The African Review, and a feature writer for  The Ghanaian Times. As a result of her travels,  Angelou was  fluent in French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Serbo-Croatian, and Fanti (a West African language). While living in Africa,  Angelou  established a great friendship with Malcolm X. Upon returning to the States in 1964 to help him build the newly  formed Organization of African American Unity, Malcolm X was assassinated soon thereafter. Devastated,  Angelou went to live with her brother in Hawaii but returned to Los Angeles during the summer of the 1965 race riots.  Angelou wrote and acted in plays until  she returned to New York in 1967. Hard Trials, Great Achievement In 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. asked Angelou to organize a march, but the plans were interrupted when King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 –  on Angelous 40th birthday. Reeling and vowing never to celebrate the date again, Angelou was encouraged by James Baldwin to overcome her grief by writing.   Doing what she did best,  Angelou wrote, produced, and narrated Blacks, Blues, Black!,  a ten-part documentary series about the link between the blues music genre and black heritage.  Also in 1968,  attending a dinner party with Baldwin, Angelou was challenged to write an autobiography by Random House editor Robert Loomis.  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelous first autobiography,  which was published in 1969, became an immediate bestseller and brought Angelou worldwide acclaim. In 1973, Angelou wed the Welsh writer and cartoonist Paul du Feu. Though Angelou never spoke openly about her marriages, it was  deemed by  those closest  to be her longest and happiest union. However, it ended in amicable divorce in 1980. Awards and Honors Angelou was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1977 for her role as Kunta Kintes grandmother in Alex Haleys television miniseries, Roots. In 1982, Angelou began teaching at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina,  where she held the first lifetime Reynolds Professorship of American Studies. Past presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton requested Angelou to serve on various boards. In 1993, Angelou was asked to write and recite a poem (On the Pulse of the Morning) for Clintons inauguration, winning a Grammy award and  being the second individual after Robert Frost (1961) so honored. Angelous numerous awards include  the Presidential Medal of Arts  (2000),  the Lincoln Medal (2008), the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama (2011), the  Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation (2013), and the Mailer Prize for Lifetime Achievement (2013). Though her educational pursuits were limited to high school, Angelou received 50 honorary doctorates. A Phenomenal Woman Maya Angelou  was highly  respected by millions as  an  astounding  author,  poet,  actor, lecturer, and activist.  Starting  in the  1990s and continuing to shortly before her death,  Angelou made  at least 80 appearances annually on the lecture circuit.   Her comprehensive body of published works include  36 books, seven of which are autobiographies, numerous collections of poetry, a book of essays, four plays, a screenplay- oh,  and a cookbook. Angelou once had three  books- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, The Heart of a Woman, and Even the Stars Looked Lonesome- on New York Times bestseller list for six consecutive weeks, simultaneously. Whether through a book, a play, poem, or lecture, Angelou inspired millions,  especially women, to  use the negative experiences they survived  as a  catapult to impossible achievements. On the morning of May 28, 2014, frail and suffering from a heart-related  extended  illness, 86-year-old Maya Angelou was  found unconscious  by her caretaker.  Accustomed to  doing things her way, Angelou had instructed her staff to not resuscitate her in such a condition.   The memorial ceremony in  Maya Angelous honor, hosted by Wake Forest University, included many luminaries. Media mogul Oprah Winfrey, Angelous long-time friend and protege,  planned and  directed the heartfelt tribute. The town of Stamps renamed its only park  in Angelous honor in June 2014.

The Liberation Of Women's Bodies In Modern China Research Paper

The Liberation Of Women's Bodies In Modern China - Research Paper Example Attitude towards foot binding varied in accordance with family status. While great families favored foot binding, lesser families often followed them in imitation (Hong 2013, p.48). The historical evidence shows that the foot binding as a custom flourished in between the 10th and the 20th centuries and many women practiced it even after it was outlawed in 1912 thinking that it would bring good suitors for their daughters. Mothers impressed upon their daughters that the mark of a woman’s attraction reside more in her character more revealed in the bind of her feet than in the face of physique with which nature had endowed her (Blake 683). A very significant thing to note that ‘Her selection in marriage was the task of her prospective mother-in-law, whose criterion for a good daughter-in-law was the discipline that the bound foot represented’ (Pruitt 22). This throws light on the fact the young women during this period were denied the right to think freely and indep endently and were under chains. Aesthetic appreciation of the small foot was the major driving force for the practice of foot binding in China; foot binding was also promoted to sustain male erotic interest and was regarded as an effective tool to maintain gender distinctions and to ethnically differentiate civilized Chinese from northern barbarians (Mackie 1996, p.1002). The proposed study is conducted on the grounds that foot binding was very common among the Chinese people for a long time and it was once regarded as a symbol of beauty. But it is evident that the foot binding caused for everlasting pain for the womenfolk and they were merely treated as a tool for sex, disregarding their individuality and potentiality as a working class.