...Date: 04-26-2010 Miguel Street by V.S. Naipaul The History of Trinidad Trinidad was inhabited by Carib and Arawak people long before Christopher Columbus arrived, but the recorded history of Trinidad and Tobago begins with the settlements of the islands by Spanish. Both islands were encountered by Christopher Columbus on his third voyage in 1498. Tobago changed hands between the British, French, Dutch and Courlanders, but eventually ended up in British hands. Trinidad remained in Spanish hands until 1797, but it was largely settled by French colonists. In 1889 the two islands were incorporated into a single crown colony. Trinidad and Tobago obtained self-governance in 1958 and independence from the British Empire in 1962. It became a republic in 1976. The Author V. S. Naipaul (1932~, ) is a Trinidadian novelist and essayist of Indo-Trinidadian descent. He is widely considered to be one of the masters of modern English prose. He has been awarded numerous literary prizes including the Booker Prize (1971) and the David Cohen Prize for a lifetime's achievement in British Literature (1993). V. S. Naipaul was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001. In 2008, The Times ranked Naipaul seventh on their list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945". The Book Miguel Street is usually treated as a “semi-autobiographical” novel by V. S. Naipaul set in wartime Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Naipaul wrote it while employed at the BBC. Miguel Street won the 1961 Somerset...
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... SETTING 5 MAJOR CHARACTERS 7 Titus Hoyt 7 Laura (The Maternity Instinct) 9 Man-Man 10 MAJOR THEMES 13 Domestic Violence 13 Ambition 14 Gender Roles 17 Personal Views 19 Conclusion 23 INTRODUCTION The noble laureate V.S. Naipaul started his career as a freelance writer with his first written work of fiction; Miguel Street in the year 1959. Miguel Street is a semi-autobiographical novel set in war-time Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Naipaul wrote this novel while he was employed in the BBC. Miguel Street won the 1961 Somerset Maugham Award. As Trinidad is V.S. Naipaul’s childhood home, he minutely observed its tradition and culture. The readers are introduced to a galaxy of characters with different professions and features. They love to live in illusions and meet failures at every stage of their life. The whole novel is narrated by an unnamed fatherless boy who himself is a part of a group of kids on Miguel Street. He uses a humorous and satirist tone to describe the people who make up Miguel Street. The whole novel is divided into seventeen episodes and each episode describes the life and its situations targeting one character at a time. This approach of picking up one character at a time made this work easy to understand. The novel contains a number of characters with great ambitions that never went anywhere and are only left to be recorded in books. The novel is written in the first person...
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...Miguel Street V.S Naipual’s novel Miguel Street recounts the life of the narrator when he lived on Miguel Street. The narrator tells the tales of the people he came into contact. The caharacters mentioned have proven to have large personalities and this is seen in the 17 short stories written in the play. One of the short stories focuses on a man named Popo, his story tells of the development of a person when faced with the various ups and downs that life has to offer and touches on how the narrator now views him. This leads to the question can the hand you are dealt in life change you so drastically that you end up in a downward spiral and you can no longer be the person you once were. In the story, The thing without a name the character Popo was a carpenter in which the narrator came in contact with, however Popo never finished a task in which he began. This can be seen in the very beginning: “The only thing that Popo, who called himself a carpenter, ever built was a little galvanized-iron workshop under the mango tree at the back of his yard. And even that he didn’t quite finish.” (15) Popo was a man that struggled with the need to be accepted by his peers, those on Miguel street did not like Popo the considered “a man-woman. Not a proper man.” (17). He was also very insecure and didn’t have confidence in his profession even though he was so proud of his sign, “ Popo liked standing up in front of the sign. But he had a little panic...
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...Simile Bogart’s fame spread like fire through Port of Spain and hundreds of young men began adoptiong the harboiled Bogartian attitude. –This sentence refers to how quickly Bogart’s fame spread, similar to that of a wild fire which can spread very quickly. “He Smart like hell”- Hat (Pg11) Chapter I- Hat is referring to Bogart intelligence being similar to the strong blazing fires of hell. In Elias’s mouth litritcher was the most beautiful word I heard. It sounded like something to eat, something rich likechocolate. (Ch.4 Pg 41)- The writer compared the sound of Elias’ words to that of chocolate. When people think of chocolate, they think its charming and pleasant to have. Imagery “George was short and fat. He had a grey moustache and a big belly. He looked harmless enough but he was always muttering to himself and cursing….”(Ch,3 page 26)-The narrator gives a vivid description of the appearance of George, for the readers to imagine exactly what he looked like. It also gives a short description of his character “He was like the donkey he had tied in front of his yard, grey and old and silent except when it brayed loudly” (Ch.3 Pg. 26)- The author is comparing the mysterious attributes of the donkey to the character, George. Geogre is like the donkey because he too displays characteristics of unexpected bursts of chaos. “If you want to get a proper picture of Mrs. Bhakcu you must consider a pear as a scale-model. Mrs. Bhaku had so much flesh, in fact, when she held her...
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...A person needs to achieve certain goals in life, in order to be deemed successful. Success in my opinion means to achieve goals you have se t. I have set goals that I would like to achieve early in my lifetime. My dream career goal is to become an obstetrician/gynecologist, a physician who focuses on the health of the female reproductive system, specializes in pregnancy, birth and caring for new mothers. Since, my educational goal is directed at studying to become an OBGYN; hence my passion for the studying major of biology and chemistry. It is important for me to receive a good education. I plan to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry. In this subject, I will learn how to record medical history, examine, and make a diagnosis of all patients. After obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree, I will be qualified to work in hospitals and clinics under the supervision of physicians. This will be a beneficial hand on experience that will allow me to get a feel of different medical careers. Obtaining a Master’s Degree in Biochemistry would be next on my list, making it possible for me to become more educated in the field of science. I then intend to continue educating myself, acquiring a Doctoral Degree and then specializing in obstetrics/gynecology. I have chosen biochemistry as my major because I truly enjoy studying the subjects of biology and chemistry. I find these subjects very challenging, I intend to overcome any boundaries in these subjects and become highly skilled in both...
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...Miguel Street Part Two V.S. Naipaul by Jonathan Medina, Karen Montes, Nahir Robles, Pedro Díaz Setting Since Miguel Street is a semiautobiographical, it relates much of what the author went thru. In the novel it’s expressed that is in wartime in PortofSpain, Trinidad. The story plot involves man vs. society. All the social problems in this novel make the setting as a barbaric one, but it’s the same society that visualizes “these problems” as something normal to their everyday living. Social Aspects ∙ Masculinity: There was a constant need to prove this, in any way possible in many aspects: women, work, money, etc. ∙ Disregards towards women: as a way to prove masculinity, men had no respect whatsoever with the woman. ∙ Gender Identity: throughout the novel this works out with socialization and how both genders clash with each other, as masculinity needs to prove itself over feminism. ∙ Visualization of social problems by the narrator: it’s quite interesting when the narrator that grew up with all these problems, and how can he distinguish them as he grows up. Being a witness of this since childhood it what makes this a cycle of path, making these problems “seem okay”. Plot Summary Note: Consider every chapter as its own short story narrated from the point of view of the speaker. Chapter 9: Titus Hoyt was a natural guide, a philosopher, and an active member of the local board. First man the main character knew in Port of ...
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...In the novel Miguel Street by V.S. Naipaul, many individual roles are explored through the critique of Trinidadian society and culture. The characters of Miguel Street are obscure, in a sense that they are all so unique and lead very different lives, it may become a little difficult to understand these characters. However, the role of women plays a constant contradictory part in their being so crucial but also being incongruous to the male characters that seem to take over the novel. In the novel Miguel Street by V.S. Naipaul, many individual roles are explored through the critique of Trinidadian society and culture. The characters of Miguel Street are obscure, in a sense that they are all so unique and lead very different lives, it may become a little difficult to understand these characters. However, the role of women plays a constant contradictory part in their being so crucial but also being incongruous to the male characters that seem to take over the novel. In the novel Miguel Street by V.S. Naipaul, many individual roles are explored through the critique of Trinidadian society and culture. The characters of Miguel Street are obscure, in a sense that they are all so unique and lead very different lives, it may become a little difficult to understand these characters. However, the role of women plays a constant contradictory part in their being so crucial but also being incongruous to the male characters that seem to take over the novel. In the...
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...04-26-2010 Miguel Street by V.S. Naipaul The History of Trinidad Trinidad was inhabited by Carib and Arawak people long before Christopher Columbus arrived, but the recorded history of Trinidad and Tobago begins with the settlements of the islands by Spanish. Both islands were encountered by Christopher Columbus on his third voyage in 1498. Tobago changed hands between the British, French, Dutch and Courlanders, but eventually ended up in British hands. Trinidad remained in Spanish hands until 1797, but it was largely settled by French colonists. In 1889 the two islands were incorporated into a single crown colony. Trinidad and Tobago obtained self-governance in 1958 and independence from the British Empire in 1962. It became a republic in 1976. The Author V. S. Naipaul (1932~, ) is a Trinidadian novelist and essayist of Indo-Trinidadian descent. He is widely considered to be one of the masters of modern English prose. He has been awarded numerous literary prizes including the Booker Prize (1971) and the David Cohen Prize for a lifetime's achievement in British Literature (1993). V. S. Naipaul was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001. In 2008, The Times ranked Naipaul seventh on their list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945". The Book Miguel Street is usually treated as a “semi-autobiographical” novel by V. S. Naipaul set in wartime Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Naipaul wrote it while employed at the BBC. Miguel Street won the 1961 Somerset...
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...Manager’s Hot Seat Case 13: Listening Skills: Yeah, Whatever The Meeting M: Pilar, hey. I just came down the street and I was stopped by 3 different people. We’re a hit. I mean we are a huge hit. I can’t believe how beautiful this is. P: That means it’s all over the place right? M: Absolutely. P: Congratulations. M: I mean it looks right. It looks exactly; I couldn’t even have imagined it. P: Yeah, I saw it, it was great. M: So what did you want to see me about? P: Ok, well. First of all, I wanted to congratulate you. M: Oh, thanks, thanks so much. I called my mom and dad I was so excited. P: I’m really happy with your work. And I also want to talk to you a little a bit about how I think, for us to organize ourselves a little bit better… M: Did you see this? P: Yes, I saw it, I loved it. M: Of course you have. P: Of course. You know, with the few campaigns you have been working on, there was a tiny complaint by the client that you went over budget by quite a bit of money. Now, I know that they were not told in advance. It was 11 grand over budget. M: Oh come on, that’s nothing. You know that’s nothing. That’s a drop in the bucket to these people. P: But they were upset about it. And you know that we have to… M: Oh, hold on. P: …cater a little… M: I was buzzing, I just… P: Yeah, ok. M: Oh, oh it’s Scott and Abby. P: Miguel, let’s turn our cell phones off while we’re in the meeting if you don’t mind. M: Oh my god. No, I’m just kind of on cloud nine still...
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...LANCE ARMSTRONG1 On July 24, 2005, Lance Armstrong became the first person ever to win the Tour de France seven times. Armstrong’s unprecedented achievement was all the more remarkable for the fact that in 1996 Armstrong was treated for testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. Even without cancer, Lance Armstrong was not an obvious candidate for title of the greatest cyclist ever. Despite certain natural advantages – notably a heart 30% larger than normal with an abnormally slow beat rate (32 times per minute while at rest) – Armstrong’s aerobic rate was less than that of cycling greats such as Miguel Indurain and Greg LeMond. For most of his career, Armstrong was not the world’s preeminent cyclist. He won the world championship just once (1993) and his Olympic best was a bronze medal in 2000 Sydney games. Armstrong’s seven-year dominance of the Tour de France resulted from a combination of factors, not least of which was his singleminded focus, not just on cycling, but on a single race. Between his 1999 and 2005 Tour de France victories, Armstrong was overall winner in only five other cycle races. Armstrong raised planning for the Tour to a new level of sophistication. His meticulous preparations included: “. . . computer calculations that balanced my body weight and my equipment weight with the potential velocity of my bike,” and “careful computer graphs of my training rides, calibrating the distances, wattages, and thresholds.” Armstrong abilities were well-suited...
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..."The code of the streets is actually a cultural adaptation to a profound lack of faith in the police and the judicial system. The police are most often seen as representing the dominant white society and not caring to protect inner- city residents. When called, they may not respond, which is one reason many residents feel they must be prepared to take extraordinary measures to defend themselves and their loved ones against those who are inclined to aggression. Lack of police accountability has in fact been incorporated into the status system: the person who is believed capable of "taking care of himself" is accorded a certain deference, which translates into a sense of physical and psychological control. Thus the street code emerges where the influence of the police ends and personal responsibility for one's safety is felt to begin. Exacerbated by the proliferation of drugs and easy access to guns, this volatile situation results in the ability of the street oriented minority (or those who effectively "go for bad") to dominate the public spaces." (Anderson, Code of the Street). Anderson main argument in his research is that the behavior of many youths is influenced by the street culture or code. This “code” governs how youth from the inner city will react in a violent manor when faced with impersonal attacks or any show of disrespect. Through Anderson’s study he was able to give us the day to day struggle for some inner city children, and why they were unable to express nothing...
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...- What is an ideal job? - There is no basis for any comparison, in other words, standard of an “ideal job” to all people, to all of us, to all the community. - The definition of the “ideal job” depends on each individual’s view. 1. One may think an ideal job is an occupation that gives him/her opportunities to communicate with many interesting people, or to travel around the country, or all over the world. In order that he/she can exchange the relations, raise his/her knowledge about many things, make friendship, etc. 2. Many Vietnamese students now who live and study in Viet Nam consider their ideal jobs as jobs that provide them a guarantee of constant monthly payment, which would allow them to have money enough to afford their lives (Regardless of the fact that they don’t love their jobs at all) Students care about the degrees they get when they finish colleges and universities. A student wants to have a job to earn money enough to maintain a normal life. As long as he will have enough money from what he does, regardless of his interest of any careers else, he would go for it. So that is his ideal job. Thence, right at the beginning, students tend to apply to faculties those regarded as the “hot majors” in the community. Such as Finance and Accounting, Banking, Business, etc. These majors seem to be promise to them to enter the right careers of their lives that make them earn a lot of money. 3. Some may say that if they went for their ideal jobs, they did what they...
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...Running Head: REVITALIZING CULTURAL HERITAGE Revitalizing Cultural Heritage Conservation of Merewether Tower & its impact on urban morphology Qurat-ul-Ain Rehman Abstract The past should never be forgotten as it constitutes an important part of the civilization of mankind. Historic monuments may contain some bitter and sweet memories therefore it should be preserved for future generations to know the life their ancestors were living. Although important, many historic sites are usually torn down in order to make room for development but there are people who believe that these sites should be saved from the hammer. Conserving these sites takes a lot of hard work and dedication from the local authorities but it can transform the morphology of the region and reward the developers for their hard work. Karachi was home to British troops in the 19th century and is therefore rich in Victorian era buildings. Most of these buildings are in a bad shape but the government is working to preserve them. Although the pace of redevelopment is slow, the fact that work is going on gives a person relief that the historic buildings of the city will be preserved. One such building is the Merewether tower; this iconic structure is one of few structures that are in a good condition, but sources claim that from the inside, it is slowly being degraded. Once the gateway to the city, it has been forgotten by many although its name is very common. The objective of this research is to document...
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...and Working on the Streets Thailand believes that it is crucial that measures are taken to protect and promote the rights of children living and working on the streets. Thailand has recognized that 0.0002% of the street children on a global basis are from Thailand. Thailand also believes that there is an increasing amount of street children due to poverty, natural calamities and the economic crises that has had a large impact on Thailand. Thailand will now emphasize on these major issues. First-off Homelessness, more than 60,000 children are living in the nine refugee camps along the Myanmar border of Thailand. Almost 7,400 of them are separated from their parents. Secondly, Natural calamities. Secondly, The Tsunami that took place in Thailand in 2004 killed 5,395 people which lead to1,480 children being orphaned and on the streets. This overwhelming flow also destroyed 4,806 houses, another clear example that proves the fact that children can end up on streets in such a sad manner. Thirdly, The Economic Crisis. This Crisis that took place in 1997 had a massive impact on Thailand as result of The Prime Minister back in 1997 Mr. Chavalit Yongchaiyudh who refused to devalue the thai baht. This not only halted Thailand’s booming economy but lead to the disaster of the decade. Thailand Laid off approximately 600,000 foreign workers from all the industries combined. During this period of time even the mid-class families were technically tossed into the streets. After a long span...
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...Life in the city is full of activity. Early in the morning hundreds of people rush out of their homes in the manner ants do when their nest is broken. Soon the streets are full of traffic. Shops and offices open, students flock to their schools and the day's work begins. The city now throb with activity, and it is full of noise. Hundreds of sight-seers, tourists and others visit many places of interest in the city while businessmen from various parts of the world arrive to transact business. Then towards evening, the offices and day schools begin to close. Many of the shops too close. There is now a rush for buses and other means of transport. Everyone seems to be in a hurry to reach home. As a result of this rush, many accidents occur. One who has not been to the city before finds it hard to move about at this time. Soon, however, there is almost no activity in several parts of the city. These parts are usually the business centres. With the coming of night, another kind of actịvity begins. The streets are now full of colorful lights. The air is cooler and life becomes more leisurely. People now seek entertainment. Many visit the cinemas, parks and clubs, while others remain indoors to watch television or listen to the radio. Some visit friends and relatives and some spend their time reading books and magazines. Those who are interested in politics discuss the latest political developments. At the same time, hundreds of crimes are committed. Thieves and robbers who wait...
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