Discussion #1: Theme Analysis

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Purpose: To analyze the conflict, plot, and theme of a story.

All fiction is driven by conflict. In the story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, the oldest daughter Dee (later renamed “Wangero”) experiences conflict with her family regarding her racial and cultural identity. In deciding to adopt a more authentically African identity, Dee/Wangero undermines the African American identities of her mother and sister. This conflict is ultimately resolved, revealing a theme about heritage and identity.

WRITING PROMPT: For your discussion this week, make an argument that identifies at least ONE theme “The Yellow Wallpaper” by considering what the protagonist’s main conflict and how she attempts to resolve this conflicts.

Remember, a conflict can come from multiple sources; a protagonist could be in conflict with another character, society at large, the natural world, fate or a god, or as is often the case, himself/herself. Start your analysis by considering with what/whom Jane ( the protagonist in “The Yellow Wallpaper”) is in conflict. Address how she deals with the conflict and whether she is successful. From this, draw a conclusion about the theme and what Gilman was trying to show readers.

For example, in “Everyday Use,” one of the conflicts the narrator, Mama, faces pertains to familial relationships: she must choose whether to give the old quilts – made by she and Grandma Dee – to her eldest daughter, Dee, or her youngest daughter, Maggie. On one hand, Dee has the family namesake of her grandmother and great grandmother; however, Dee changed her name to Wangero, saying “I couldn’t bear it any longer being named after the people who oppress me” (483, par. 27). Of course, she is referring to the historical practice of slave owners naming their slaves, which she directly links to an African American heritage that she seeks to reject in exchange for an African identity. Though her family members did not oppress her, she seeks to disassociate from their history of oppression.

On the other hand, Maggie is immersed in her African American identity. Maggie may not consider how problematic this identity continues to be, but she also does not recoil from it. While Wangero believes Mama and Maggie don’t understand their heritage, it is actually she who has negated it in lieu of another heritage. I would argue that because of Mama’s characterization, she is successful in resolving this conflict by not allowing Dee to take the quilts, instead preserving them for Maggie, who has immersed herself in learning to make quilts and who appreciates them for “everyday use,” as opposed to reducing them to cultural artifacts to be hung on a wall. In this, Mama has made an assertion for upholding her family’s heritage and honoring the daughter who has consistently done the same. One theme that Gilman is suggesting, I believe, is that people should not abandon their personal history and heritage regardless of how unpleasant and unjust it is.

Allow the theme to come to you as you work through the conflicts and plot in the story. Don’t try to start with a theme and see how the plot events fit it. The theme I gave above is only one possible theme among many, and so you all may come up with different themes, based on the conflict you focus on and the way you interpret the resolution of the conflict. (For instance, those who feel that the narrator of “Everyday Use” has failed to embrace her true African heritage because she acquiesces to expectations of a white society would come up with a different theme for the story than those who see Mama as representing the richness of African American culture.)

Do not use any outside research for this discussion; your analysis should be completely original.

*********Essay is done below *******VVVVVV

NOTE: For this paper, do not explicate the same passage you analyzed in Discussion #3.

For this assignment, you are going to explicate a passage from one of the short stories we have read thus far. As the textbook explains, explication involves spelling out the implications of what has been written. In other words, you will carefully explain a passage from a short story by spelling out the meaning of the specific details, setting, events, characters, actions, imagery, themes, or dialogue. In this way, you will interpret the literary work for your readers, presenting them with your unique reading experience.

For explication, you will choose a meaningful passage from a story – one that is central or critical to the overall meaning of the story. A passage can range anywhere from a paragraph to a page. Please consider the following:

• What is the significance of the plot, setting, characters, theme, or symbols/imagery in the passage?
• What does the passage do? How does it work with respect to plot, theme, characterization, imagery, and/or dramatic effect (as relevant)?
• What is significant about this passage to the literary work as a whole?
• How does the author engage readers at the level of language, ideas and style?

Walk your reader through the passage, commenting upon and quoting specific words and phrases as you go, and be sure to delve more deeply where you see the greatest significance to the meaning of the story overall. Your essay should be structured in a way that explains the passage chronologically – as it appears in the text – so the reader can follow your points and keep your analytical thread if they were to read the story themselves.

Along with your explication of the passage, you should explain how your reading of this passage impacts and enriches your understanding of the text as a whole. If you are able to draw from prior knowledge, feel free to explore the additional layers of meaning related to historical, cultural, or social phenomena surrounding the production of the work. You may use the first person “I” for this section, but do not seek “help” from outside sources.

Let me repeat: Please DO NOT use secondary sources for your explication. I am only interested in your own honest interpretation and close reading of a story, and I will respect your attempts to make meaning of it using your own close reading and critical thinking.

Above all, your essay must promote a clear controlling idea about the significance of the passage to the overall meaning of the story, as well as demonstrate coherent organization and thoughtful, thorough development. The paper should be formatted in MLA and organized as a standard academic essay, with an introduction that contains the thesis, a multi-paragraph body, and a conclusion. Each body paragraph should be unified; topic sentences will help you do this. Use a clear order of supporting details, and provide transitions between paragraphs.

The paper must be a minimum of 1,000 words long, but there is no maximum limit. Save the paper in .doc, .docx, or .pdf. I will not be able to make marginal comments in other file formats.

To view the rubric for this assignment, click the following links: “Grades” (to the left) > “Explication Paper” > “Show Rubric” (upper right corner).

Your response should be 2-3 paragraphs and incorporate at least one outside reference. You will NOT be able to see others responses until you make the initial posting. You are then encouraged to engage in the discussion as frequently as possible. Provide citations.

book used for this class: Accounting Tools for Business Decisions with WileyPLus Edition: 7th Author: Kimmel ISBN:9781119598381

The double-entry process of recording accounting transactions has been around for many, many years. Why do you think the process has remain unchanged? Are there any changes in technology, for instance, that may alter the way the system works?

We can see that something remarkable happened to us as humans, as we look at the cultural and architectural works that remain from the early artifacts of civilization.

Archaeologists and historians interpret the structures and places where we live today, dig into the earth and find both the daily items used by those before us, and excavate buried grave goods to understand how our ancestors lived their lives and to try to understand what they believed to be the nature of their existence.
Please write eight to ten sentences discussing what you believe to be similar in
the way we live compared to the way our ancestors lived.

Please include any sites and images that you find in your online research.

Case 4: The Audit

Conduct a strategic analysis using the Executive Summary template. Prepare and submit a three-page executive summary that discusses what strategic alternatives are available and provide a recommended strategy.

You are to work alone to analyze and prepare the Executive Summary for the case. NOTE: Click “Submit Assignment” in the upper right-hand corner of your screen to turn in your Executive Summary no later than Sunday, midnight CT. Name your file with your name and the unit number, i.e. Jones1 or Brown1. Your file should be in either Microsoft word (.doc or .docx) or rich text (.rtf) format.

The following information will be required for the Executive Summary. TEXTBOOK CASE ANALYSIS GUIDANCE(CAG) and the TEXTBOOK BUSINESS CASE ANALYSIS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TEMPLATE These files are required for the unit textbook case studies.

Synopsis of the Case: The content of the synopsis should present relevant background facts about the case under examination.

Relevant Factual Information about the Problem or Decision the Organization Faced: State the precise problem or decision the organization faced. The section should include information that addressed the business issue under examination. This section should be no longer than a single paragraph.

Explanation of Relevant Concepts, Theories and Applications Derived from Course Materials: This section should be the bulk of your paper. Analysis of the business problem or decision in light of the course concepts must be presented, as well as the business lesson another organization could learn from this situation. Besides citation to the text, learners must conduct research in the University library related to the top. Citing the textbook only is not enough to demonstrate you understand and can apply the course objectives. Here is where comparative and contrasting positions should be considered and examples and illustrations provided.

Recommendations: Provide logical recommendations to address the business lesson identified above. The recommendations need not to be specific to the organization examined, but should consider how other organizations, if similarly situated, could lessen the impact of the problem or decision identified. Recall, that the organization under examination has already moved pasted this problem so any recommendations made, at this point, are fruitless. The focus of this section should be on what other companies should be aware of to address similar problems or decisions. Citation to the textbook alone is insufficient for analysis in this section. Learners should conduct research in the University’s library to support their positions. Depth of scholarship is not demonstrated by providing personal opinions alone, but by using examples, analogies, comparison and illustrations from the academic literature. Not only does this synthesize the material to assist the reader’s understanding, it is an effective way to present the academic sources and extend the discussion of your ideas. This section should be a paragraph or two.

Alternative Recommendations: This section is not a continuation of the prior. Provide suggestions for how to avoid the problem or decision the examined organization faced. Analysis here should be may be forward- thinking, predictive or, most likely, preventative in nature but tied to the thesis statement. Again, opinion is insufficient to provide the required academic analysis. Sources, other than the text, must be provided to sustain the statements made. This section should be a paragraph, at most.

Conclusion: End the assignment with a summary of the important points made in the document. No new information may be presented. Writing a conclusion can be done by rewording the opening or reformulation the topic sentences of each paragraph to make a summary for the reader. This section should be a paragraph, at most.

Rubric

Unit 2 – 8 Homework Rubric

Unit 2 – 8 Homework Rubric

Criteria	Ratings	Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeOrganization	5.0 pts Written work is remarkably well organized with clear headings and subheadings. Tables and charts are easy to understand. 4.0 pts Written work is well organized with clear headings and subheadings. Tables and charts are easy to understand. 3.0 pts Written work is well organized with clear headings and subheadings. Tables and charts are easy to understand. 2.0 pts Good but some sections seem out of place. Some headings may be missing. Tables difficult to understand. 1.0 pts Frequent misspelled words, serious grammatical errors.	5.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeDepth	5.0 pts Relevant, telling, quality details give important information that goes beyond the obvious or predictable. 4.0 pts Supporting details and information are relevant, but one key issue or portion of the answer is unsupported. 3.0 pts Supporting details and information are relevant, but several key issues or portions of the answer are unsupported. 2.0 pts Supporting details and information are unclear or unsupported 1.0 pts Supporting details and information are very unclear or not related at all to the topic. There are no supporting details or information.	5.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWriting Style	5.0 pts Writing style is extremely uniform throughout the paper and appropriate for this type of paper. 4.0 pts Writing style is uniform throughout the paper and appropriate for this type of paper. 3.0 pts Writing style is uniform throughout the paper and appropriate for this type of paper. 2.0 pts There are noticeable spelling and grammatical errors. Some formatting errors. 1.0 pts Frequent misspelled words, serious grammatical errors.	5.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeGrammar, Spelling and Formatting	5.0 pts The plan has been very thoroughly spellchecked and proofread. Almost no grammatical or spelling errors. No formatting errors. 4.0 pts The plan has been thoroughly spellchecked and proofread. Very few grammatical or spelling errors. Few formatting errors. 3.0 pts The plan has been spellchecked and proofread. Few grammatical or spelling errors. Some formatting errors. 2.0 pts There are noticeable spelling and grammatical errors. Some formatting errors. 1.0 pts No citations. No reference page.	5.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeReferences	5.0 pts Material used in the writing of this plan which is taken from external sources is very appropriately referenced both within the document and on the reference page. 4.0 pts Material used in the writing of this plan which is taken from external sources is well referenced both within the document and on the reference page. 3.0 pts Material used in the writing of this plan which is taken from external sources is fairly well referenced both within the document and on the reference page. 2.0 pts Some Material not referenced. Mistakes on reference page 1.0 pts No citations or references, or very limited.	5.0 pts
Total Points: 25.0

TEXTBOOK CASE ANALYSIS GUIDANCE (CAG)

TO BEGIN, PLEASE PRINT THIS FORM FOR REFERENCE

This supplement to the syllabus is provided to assist you; HOWEVER, it is also a directive on how to adequately accomplish a case analysis. The case format guidelines MUST be followed.

CRITICAL THINKING AND ANALYSIS – As a business/management major, or other major for that matter, and soon to be college graduate, one of the most important skills/abilities you should possess is the ability to engage in critical thinking and analysis (using the skills and knowledge you have learned throughout your education and applying them). You will never have everything presented to you when you are a junior manager/executive, but you are expected to take what you have and use your knowledge and skills to make decisions and to arrive at valid and accurate conclusions, which may and should include “thinking outside the box”.

To those who think you may have some problems, here are some suggestions and guidance to aid you in your case study preparation:

______________________________________________________________________

The information provided below is designed to assist you in case analysis.

Don’t make anything up; just take information from the case and the time frame of when the case was written. You are required to use problem solving and critical thinking skills in this analysis. If something isn’t specifically stated, then consider the likelihood of it being a possibility for this given firm considering the timeframe that the case is taking place in, and the type of industry that the firm operates in.

Also, DO NOT go on the Internet and look at where the firm is today. The only information about the company that I want you to use in your case analysis is what is contained in the textbook or in any approved outside sources specifically listed.

a. The case analysis will be based on the time frame of the case. For example, if the case was written in 2006, then students will use information from 2006 or earlier publications.

b. Students will use for references other sources of information as well as the textbook.These sources should include business magazines and professional journals.Online sites such as Wikipedia, Portable MBA, Quick MBA are not acceptable references for case analysis in this course.

c. Students should use any of the following magazines and publications as references:

Barron’s, Business Week, Fast Company, Forbes, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal. However, these aren’t the only outside sources that might be applicable, so don’t limit yourself to just these few. Using Google or other Search Engines can certainly assist you. For assistance in how to locate articles in the above publications, email and/or call the Park Library, toll free at (800) 270-4347.

d. Make sure that you cite and reference the Case Authors, and NOT the Textbook authors when giving credit for information obtained from the case.

CASE ANALYSIS TOOLS

Use the tools listed in the textbook for your analysis.

Name:	Student Name
Assignment:	Textbook Case Analysis Executive Summary – Week
Date Submitted:
Course (include the section number:	MG495 Business Policy
Statement of Academic Integrity: I certify that: I prepared this document specifically for this class; I am the author of this document; I am fully disclosing and giving proper credit to any outside assistance received in its preparation; I cited sources of information (e.g., data, ideas, charts, etc.) and used this material to support this document. I did not receive any assistance / help / guidance from others.
Student’s Signature (type your full name):