Biblical Worldview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Biblical Worldview - Essay Example Paul suggests that ungodliness will lead to a severe divine reprimand. By not acknowledging God’s omnipotent force, the doubters invoke the wrath of God. Paul cites from the Wisdom of Solomon in explaining how faith is central to human identity. In terms of character traits, Paul attacks hypocrisy in humans, especially the pompous variety exhibited by Jews. He recalls how Jews have been critical of others for not obeying laws when in truth they are none better at it. He implores Christians and Jews alike not to be hypocritical. (2:2) Paul brings to bear his own composite identity on the content of the epistle. Paul was a Hellenistic Jew coming from a Pharisaic stock. Hence, even though a proponent of the message of Jesus Christ, Paul remembers his Jewish heritage. In an implicit fashion, Paul urges his audience to think about their identities in such broad and composite terms. Through the epistle, Paul makes a pitch for harmonious human relations. Having been distressed by the communal tensions between Gentiles, Jews, and Christians, Paul hopes to convey a message of human solidarity. Paul’s sincerity is evident in the ‘Jew first’ motto he employed in the address. He reminded the groups in the strife that they are all brothers and share the same genealogical and socio-historical origins. As for intimate relations, Paul condemns unnatural sexual acts. Such tendencies will reduce the moral and spiritual strength of the indulger and lead him toward depravity.

Investigation and evaluation of the opportunities of food retailer Essay

Investigation and evaluation of the opportunities of food retailer Tesco expending into Mumbai of India - Essay Example According to Czinkota and Ronkainen (2007) international marketing can be portrayed as a process of planning and carrying out transaction across the national boundaries, in order to create an exchange and to satisfy the needs of the organization. The forms of international marketing are generally export-import trade, wholly owned subsidiaries, joint ventures, licensing, management contracts and turnkey operations. This study aims to evaluate the opportunities of food retailer Tesco expending into Mumbai, India. In other words, the objective of the study is to uncover the opportunity for food retailer Tesco to setup its business in Mumbai. Tesco PLC, the UK based multinational general merchandise and grocery retailer is presently headquartered at Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, England (Yahoo Finance, 2012). It was founded by Jack Cohen in the year 1919. Based on its strong performance and determination, the company has been able to achieve colossal success in a short span of time. The compa ny is considered as one of the largest retailers of the world. Tesco is the second largest retailer in terms of net profit, just after Walmart, and the third largest retailer in terms of revenue, just after Carrefour and Walmart. ... Earlier the company used to position itself as a company which sells in large quantity and at low price. However the company has repositioned itself as a company that appeals to a mass customer through its wide range of products and value. The strategy paid off to a large extent as Tesco was successful in setting up 2000 stores more from the period of 1990 to 2005. Figure 1- Countries Where Tesco Operates (Source: DeadAnarchistPhil, 2012) With depressing economic environment, people are moving towards cheaper and value products. Some of the established players of Mumbai grocery retail industry such as Reliance Fresh, Aditya Birla’s MORE, Big Bazar, Metro Cash & Carry, and Marks & Spencer among others. (Source: Sood and Jashnani, 2012) Considering the present market conditions, the only way a company can earn profit is by satisfying the customers. Therefore proper segmenting and targeting the customers have become an indispensible task. In order to segment a market, companies n eed to consider factors such as psychographic aspect, demographic aspect, geographic aspect and behavioural aspect (Lao, 1998, p.114). According to the reports, the current strategy of the company is developed to compliment the vision, address the changing needs of the consumers and to satisfy the global nature of the company’s business. The strategy of the company is to create highly valued brands and customers with a variety of choice. This strategy helps the company to target customers from different segments of the society (Tescoplc, 2012). In addition, it also allows the company to realise economies of scale in the field of marketing and production. Moreover Tesco has the ability to sell products at a low price and therefore the company should deem catering to

Suicidal messages Essay Example for Free

Suicidal messages Essay However, the early 2000s werent as kind to Carey. After signing an 80-million-dollar deal in 2001 with Virgin the biggest record contract ever she experienced a very public personal and professional meltdown that included rambling; suicidal messages on her website; an appearance on TRL where, clad only in a T-shirt, she handed out Popsicles to the audience; and last but not least, the poorly received movie Glitter and its attendant soundtrack (which was also her Virgin Records debut). Both the film and the album did poorly critically as well as commercially, with Glitter making just under four million dollars in its total U. S. gross and the soundtrack struggling to make gold sales (Johnson, 2001). Following these setbacks, Virgin and Carey parted ways early in 2002, with the label paying her 28 million dollars. That spring, she found a new home with Island/Def Jam, where she set up her own label, MonarC Music. In December, she released her ninth album, Charmbracelet, which failed to become a success. The Emancipation of Mimi After more than a decade of hits that include the staggering success of 15 #1 singles, Carey released her most revealing album to date, The Emancipation of Mimi, in April of 2005. Entirely written and co-produced by the gifted Carey, her tenth studio album is an intimate portrayal of both the challenges and successes that she experienced during her rise to unparalleled fame. Carey explains the inspiration behind her new album, With this album, I am embracing my independence and celebrating the person that I have become. Over the years, I have evolved into a better person and an even better artist. For the first time in my life, I am proud and unafraid to be who I really am, and thats what the music of this album and its title reflect. By naming my album The Emancipation of Mimi andreferencing ‘Mimi a nickname only used by those closest to me, I am inviting my fans into my life. A brilliant artist who has co-written every song on each of her albums since 1990, Mariah Carey has consistently shown her willingness to express herself both as a remarkable vocalist and an acclaimed songwriter. The Emancipation of Mimi offers more than a glimpse into Mariahs world featuring tunes like the heartfelt Circles and Fly Like a Bird, with their positive messages of affirmation and hope. While being honest and vulnerable in expressing her emotions through songs like I Wish You Knew and Joyride, Mariah leaves no doubt that she is a woman who speaks her mind. The infectious, edgy Its Like That, co-produced by Jermaine Dupri is the albums first hit single and a definitive statement of where Mariah stands at this point in her life, and is her fastest climbing single in five years. At Present On April 15, 2008, Mariah released her latest album, entitled â€Å"Touch My Body†. Already well acclaimed by the critics, the album serves as a culmination of the fact that Mariah Carey is indeed back and better than ever. She has put all of her past ordeals behind, as is now just looking to push through with her ever increasing success. With â€Å"Touch My Body† as a number one hit, she overtook Elvis Pressly as having the most number one hit singles of all time. Truly, this was a sign of good things to come for the very talented singer and song writer. During the month of May, Mariah Carey married actor Nick Cannon in what was considered as one of the biggest shockers of the year. Cannon, who was more than a decade younger than Carey, is considered by many to be perhaps â€Å"the luckiest man†, with Mariah Carey estimated to worth tens of millions of dollars. Many doubt their marriage as a publicity stunt, but the couple has presented themselves to be well into their marriage. But only time will tell whether this marriage is built to last, or Cannon will be just another chapter in Mariah Careys roller coaster life. Charitable Works Apart from her musical achievements, Mariah Careys depth of person stems from her love and support of children in need; evident through her continuous involvement in a host of charities dedicated to ensuring their happiness and well being. Mariah is devoted to such charities as The Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Fresh Air Fund, Save the Music, and The National Adoption Center to name a few. With an unwavering effort through appearances, concerts, and donations to these organizations, Mariah has raised millions of dollars. Her generous involvement and on-going support of the Fresh Air Fund resulted in Camp Mariah, the funds first camp named in honor of an individual. Conclusion To conclude, Mariah Carey has indeed had a very colorful career since she broke into the music scene almost twenty years ago. She has proven time and time again that she is here to stay, and have weathered all the trials that have been thrown at her. With a voice that is unmatched and a song writing skill that is rare these days, Mariah has been able to reinvent herself in each single and keep her sound fresh for her fans. Of all the successes and failures that she has experienced, one thing is for certain: Mariah is not going to go down easily, and she will remain atop the charts until someone takes the throne away from her. References Mariah Carey – Awards (2008). IMDb. com. Retrieved 30 May 2008 from http://www. imdb. com/name/nm0001014/awards Mariah Carey – Biography (2008). IMDb. com. Retrieved 30 May 2008 from http://www. imdb. com/name/nm0001014/bio Johnson, Kevin C (2001). Mariah Careys New Glitter Is a Far Cry from Golden. † St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. F. 5.

Marxism Global Political Economy

Marxism Global Political Economy This paper is aimed at addressing and evaluating the theoretical perspectives of Liberal and Marxist ideas, as well as investigating their theoretical perspectives in relation to International Political Economy (IPE). Researchers studying IPE use a variety of theories for different purposes, such as predicting the stability of economical situations, or predicting economical growth of a state among others. Other political and economical analysts argue that valid predictions are almost impossible because there are too many factors that may have particular influence on the events. Nevertheless, all these people utilize their theoretical knowledge in attempt to get an understanding of the world. However, it is worth questioning the reason for such rich variety of theories being out there. According to Robert Cox (1986), there are two reasons: Theory always has a goal and serves the interests of particular people. For example, the goals of liberal theories are concerned with establishing cooperation and increasing capital, while critical theories (also labelled Marxist) are focused on removing the economic, gender or environmental differences within the society. Both Liberal theories have emerged in the 19th century in Britain during the period of industrial revolution in response to monarchical absolutism. Later in 19th century, Marxism has emerged as a response to the liberal thought. Wealthier states and individuals tend to favour liberal theories, which are in line with their interests and do not threaten their comfort, while those who are less satisfied with their socioeconomic position tend to adopt the critical theories point of view. It is worth noting that it is difficult and almost impossible to prove a theory right or wrong, therefore, evidence can be interpreted in different ways depending on ones goals and views (OBrien Williams, 2007). Therefore different conflicting theoretical perspectives, such as Marxism and Liberalism, have developed. Marxists an d Liberalist mainly differ in their views about the role of individual and role of state in IPE (Raico, 1992). Liberals are concerned about variety of actors ranging from a single individual to particular interest groups, firms and corporations, to state. Nevertheless, liberals starting point for analytical evaluation is the individuals needs; this idea is at the core of neoclassical economic theory. Therefore, liberals look at behaviour of states, firms and individuals in order to analyze global economy, while keeping in mind that the individual is the main actor. The idea is that individuals in their pursuit of self-profit within the competitive environment will benefit and therefore will increase the benefits economic exchange for the masses. Companies and firms play a very important role for the liberals, as they are perceived as a source of economic expenditure and wealth (Jackson Sorensen, 2003). As mentioned above, they believe that state cannot stand as a single actor, due to the idea that it is being influenced by many different factors. Liberals express negativity towards state, si nce they believe that politics should not get involved into the economics. They also, believe that if the market will be free of political influence, which is seen as the force that is distorting the benefits while producing additional costs to the market participants, and will not interfere with the consumption, production and exchange mechanisms then everyone will benefit. Economic liberalists Friedrich Hayeks (1992) slogan laissez-faire is a good example of the liberal view in relation the state. Pluralist (liberal) approach suggests that cooperation is the key and the way forward where people and states can benefit, opposed to the conflict suggested by class-analytic (Marxist) approach. They argue that conflicts should be avoided, and a peaceful resolution should be found through the course of action and agreement of sides that will benefit both, as in liberal view, the world political and economical mechanisms are interdependent rather than anarchical (Connell, 1995). Transnati onal Corporations (TNCs) are believed to benefit both host and home countries, where it boosts economies of host states by means of transfer of capital, access to market, and technology, as well as benefiting the home country where TNC is seen as a mix of capital management skills and technology. Such perspective is referred to as positive-sum game and the idea is that by means of cooperation everyone benefits and prospers. Liberal theorists highlight the fact that in their view the market is located in the centre of economic life and economic progress, which occurs because individuals are pursuing their goals. A liberal theory of comparative advantage suggests that even if one country is producing more goods than another country, trade between the two countries will benefit both. This view is opposed to Marxist theory of zero-sum game, which claims that in order for one to gain the other has to lose. Famous Liberal Political Economists, such as David Ricardo and Adam Smith advocate d state non-interference in free trade and economy. Various well-known slogans have emerged during that period, such as laissez faire (the doctrine of unrestricted freedom in commerce) and mà Ã‚ ¾ndà Ã‚ µ và Ã‚ ° de lui-mà Ã‚ µmà Ã‚ µ (the world goà Ã‚ µs by itself) (Raico, 1977). Contemporary global political economy is mostly being governed according to the principles of liberal ideology. Most forms of economic activity are functioning according to the liberal rules and policy regulations and are based on the goal of free trade. It is evident that nowadays money flows almost freely in and out of countries via stock markets, banks, and big financial corporations. Nowadays liberalism cannot be described with a unitary definition, as different liberal movements have deviated from the core theoretical ideology of liberalism to certain degree thus producing neo-liberal theories that are somewhat different from the ones described by founding fathers of liberalism. It is worth remembering Fukuyamas (1989) work and his speculative prophesy of the end of history, where he argued that liberalism is about to become an only ideology of upmost significance thus ceasing the conflict between the theorists of global political economy. Despite Fukuyamas statement, today, aft er 22 years China one of the most developed economies in the world is still a communist state, as well as few other countries. Nevertheless, most of the countries in the world are dominated by private businesses and corporations with some involvement of the state, as described by Keohane (2002). Liberals suggest that open markets will produce more wealth and will aid economies expenditure around the globe benefiting the humanity. Economic failure is believed to be triggered by the disruptions caused from involvement of the state into the economy. Therefore, liberals are promoting globalization, which they perceive as a force of good that removes artificial boundaries and facilitates growth of production thus contributing to overall wealth of the society (Helleiner, 2003). A set of critical theories have emerged in response to growing popularity of liberalism in 19th century. Unlike liberalists who are looking at individuals and states, these theorists are looking at other units of analysis. The main units of analysis in Marxist theories are class and interest of working class rather than state. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels are the founding fathers of this political movement and the ones that unleashed the conflict between capitalists and workers. Resolution of this conflict was possible only if workers seized power (Marx and Engels, 1848). Marxist writers reject the significance of the individuals of liberal theory, and focus on the significance of the class instead. Marxists perceive capitalist relations being inherently exploitative (Raico, 1992). There has been a lot of debate in relation to definition of class in the literature; therefore, in this paper class is defined according to OBrien and Williams (2007) as à Ã‚ °rising from à Ã‚ ¾nà   µs pà Ã‚ ¾sitià Ã‚ ¾n in the structurà Ã‚ µ of prà Ã‚ ¾ductià Ã‚ ¾n. Karl Marx himself seen the society as a multi-layered cake, with the bourgeoisie (capitalists) sitting on top, owning and controlling the means of production, and proletariat (workers), who sell their labour to the capitalists as a bottom layer of the cake. Therefore, Marxist followers suggest that the firm and the capitalistic regime itself are exploitative and unfair in relation to working class. Marxists see transnational corporations (TNCs) as tools of oppression and exploitation of the working class, because of their power to centralize and concentrate capital, while expressing the dominance, which is the key feature of imperialism (monarchy). Such perspective suggests the state is representative of class interests and not the communal interests. In this respect, the state has a role of executive committee of the ruling class and sometimes referred to as an independent agent of exploitation by som e Marxist writers (Conway, 1987). This idea of exploitation and dominance among the societies and within them is central to Marxist theories global political economy. According to class-analytic approach to global economy, under capitalism workers are not fairly rewarded for their labour, economic relations are being conflicting and unstable. Meaning, that consequently, the rich will become richer and the poor will become poorer and the gap between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat will continue to increase (Gilbert, 2008). Such economical relations are believed to lead to decrease in wages of labourers, uneven development, as some centres increase their capital and growth at the expense of others, which in its turn leads to conflicts between countries, as well as insufficient consumption and overproduction thus affecting social stability and producing fluctuations in the business sector (OBrien and Williams, 2007). For example, dependency theory suggests that poor countries have faced barriers to further development as the consequence of being economically exploited by developed countries (Dos Santos, 1970). This refers to a zero-sum game described above. Therefore, the conflict between states is unavoidable because of the drive for profit. Consequently, liberals seek protection of their state, which in turn leads to conflict and war. For example, the famous Marxist theory about imperialism written by Vladimir Lenin (1917/1969) encapsulates two explanations of capitalist development. First part of his theory is concerned with growth of financial capital and the coalition of industrial capital and finance to form monopolies that sought to produce profit by means of overseas lending. The second part of Lenins theory is concerned about insufficient consumption in domestic market. Insufficient demand on domestic markets has forced capitalists to enter foreign markets due to inability to maintain their profit rates. Such perspective have lead Lenin to a conclusi on that such competition would inevitably lead to conflict and consequently to war. Marxists also tend to argue against globalization, which in their view represents an ideological intervention into global economy, which acts in support of free markets as well as a tool used to pursue interests of the capitalist power over labourers. Some researchers argued, that globalization facilitated by the neoliberal political movements is an instrument of global management and liberalization and is based on misinformation and deception of the masses (Cox, 1996; Gill, 1993). Another clash between the ideologies has occurred in the 21th century, when members of world elites have tried to alter constitutional laws in favour of neoliberal principles in various institutions, including International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization. Neoliberals met the opposition of social political movements trying to protect environmental policy, raise work standards, and facilitate gender equity and seek economic justice (OBrien and Williams, 2007). According to economic liberals, market economy is the way to prosperity for all, and should be run according to its own economic laws without the interference of the state. Global market economy is a sphere described by a positive-sum game model, which advocates that economic exchange will maximise profits of firms, individuals and households, and consequently all members of society will benefit from it. Marxists see the economy as an instrument of exploitation of lower social classes (workers); these interactions are highlighted by the inequalities between proletariat and bourgeoisie. Critical theories advocate, the political strategies are being determined by socioeconomic context. The class that exercises economical power also controls the political power of the state. Marxists believe that capitalist development is uneven and is bound to produce conflicts between states and individuals. Global Political Economy can be defined as the relationship between states and markets on an international scale. Research of this relationship has given birth to conflicting Marxist and Liberal theories discussed in this paper. As it was already mentioned above, each theory serves the interests of particular groups of people with particular goals, and unless the major part of the international political society will come to some sort of an agreement and find a way to cooperate, conflicts will always emerge, and conflicts will always result in losses for someone.

Youth Rebellion and Counterculture :: Papers

In both of the books, there are some central themes. Among them are self expression through music and sex. The media also plays a role in both of the books, however much more so in Douglas's. Douglas is more of a activist from within, more of a bystander than is Janis Joplin. Janis, from the start, is a rebel who did not want to be confined by the shackles of society. She was rebellious from high school and continued to be throughout her life. People like Janis, who participated in many movements as well as became a well-known icon, was able to get in touch with the youth. Women looked to Janis, as well as many others, for inspiration. Janis cut through many racial and gender lines with her music and public displays of sexual and individual freedom. Unfortunately, Janis did not live long enough to see the women's movement, in which she played a notable role. In Where the Girls Are, Susan Douglas talks about herself as part of the baby boom generation. From the beginning of the book, she concentrates on the media's role in the female psyche. She begins by describing the fact that her generation was extremely large, and the media knew it. Douglas talks about the media's role in programming young girls to believe that they are "the chosen people," and that they could do anything. They were told that they have opportunities beyond their mother's wildest imaginations. The television, however, sent mixed messages, as the news demonstrated the conflict, inequality, and insecurity in the world. This confused these children because none of this was shown on the shows. Moreover, the shows depicted the women's role as her husband's keeper. Cartoons, particularly Disney cartoons, showed the same types of bias and sexism. In 1961, Jacqueline Kennedy became first lady, and she became an important symbol for the baby boom girls. Douglas, being exposed to all of this media, knew one thing for sure, she didn't want to end up like her mom. In this respect, the media played a huge role in the lives of Douglas as well as millions of other people.

Murray Siskind: Wise Man Or Raving Mad? Essay -- essays research paper

Is Murray Siskind a raving lunatic or a wise, but somewhat eccentric man? Does he ever have a point, or is he just mindlessly rambling? He’s neither of those things. The first impression he gives is of someone who’s in between, but that proves not to be the case. He’s actually a very cunning man, one who has become the â€Å"devil† voice of Jack Gladney’s conscience. Eventually he’d like to become Jack. He covets not only his position and standing in the university, but also his wife, Babette, and he makes no secret of it. Why else would he do something to lewd as to sniff her hair and grope her the way he does? He tells Jack that the only way to seduce a woman is with clear and open desire. Well, it don’t get no clearer than that. All those things become apparent later on. First, we find out who Murray Jay Siskind is. He’s an ex-sportswriter from New York. He’s Jewish. He was briefly married once during his sportswriter days. We know he is now a visiting lecturer on â€Å"living icons† at College-on-the-Hill. Physically, he is â€Å"a stoop shouldered man with little round glasses and an Amish beard† (DeLillo 10). He’s hairy, but does not have a moustache, only a beard. He dresses almost entirely in corduroy. He likes his men simple and his women complicated. He â€Å"is trying to develop a vulnerability that women will find attractive† (DeLillo 21), but so far has only managed to create sneaky and lecherous expression. For him, sex seems very matter-of-fact, like a business transaction. Just flat out lust. He even reads a magazine called American Transvestite. Murray is, by his own admission, â€Å"a solitary crank who marrons himself with a TV set and dozens of stacks of dust-jacketed comic books† (DeLillo 52). He shares a house across the street from an insane asylum with boarders who seem like they ought to be confined there too. Not that he minds, though. He’s â€Å"totally captivated and intrigued †¦ totally enamored of †¦ the small town setting† (DeLillo 10). At first, Murray seems like a deep person with interesting quirks (he takes pleasure in sniffing food labels in the supermarket). He’s deeper than the other pop culture professors who read nothing but cereal boxes and have food fights while discussing the culture of public toilets and reminiscing where they were when James Dean died. Murray has theories. Lots of theories. In an odd way, some of them make sense. For exa... ...mps out the fragments of Jack’s mind and fills it with his own devious thoughts. Jack is not a killer, and under normal circumstances Jack would never have been a killer. Murray is a killer, if just psychologically. He proves it once and for all when he forces Jack to â€Å"elicit the truths [he] already possess† (DeLillo 293), that a dier can become a killer. He disguises himself - â€Å"I’m only a visiting lecturer. I theorize, I take walks, I admire trees and houses† (DeLillo 293), and prefaces nearly every sentence with â€Å"in theory† or â€Å"theoretically† but he knows what the outcome will be. When Jack shoots Willie Mink, Murray is as guilty as if he pulled the trigger himself. Murray probably hoped Jack would be sent to prison for shooting Willie, freeing up Babette for himself. I stated in the beginning that Murray was cunning. People who are cunning possess a strong ability to mesmerize and manipulate. They can, on some levels, seem very logical. Hitler is often described as a cunning man. Murray is not wise. Murray is bad. He manipulated minds, he played with peoples’ lives. In hindsight none of it worked out in his favor, but that doesn’t change that facts. It was an evil thing to do.

Characters in Chinua Achebe’s Books Essay

Chinua Achebe shows the custom, especially, African values and attitudes through his characters in his novel, Things Fall Apart. Okonkwo is an ideal Ibo man who achieves wealth and fame out of nothing, but this causes him to be conceited and disdainful of less successful. Pride is a noble quality that man should have, but sometimes, when the source of that pride is fear and insecurity instead of true faith in oneself, pride could be destructive. In the book, Chinua Achebe uses the direct characterization, character dialogue and foil to reveal how Okonkwos incorrigible pride led him to his own destruction. First of all, Achebe uses direct comments from the narrator to describe Okonkwos thoughts and action so that the author would effectively show his characters proud nature. When Okonkwo returns from the exile, the narrator tells the readers about his plan in detail that he says Even in his first year in exile he had begun to plan for his return. The first thing he would do would be to rebuild his compound on a more magnificent scale. Then he would show his wealth by initiating his sons into the Ozo society. Only the really great men in the clan were able to do this. Okonkwo saw clearly the high esteem in which he would be held, and saw himself taking the highest title in the land (Achebe 172). When Okonkwo was exiled, he had a hard time because he had to start a new life while he already became old and not as strong as before. The narrator shows that even though Okonkwo had hard time to adapt himself in Mbanta, he still wanted to show people that he is a successful man. This shows his proud nature that the narrator illustrates Okonkwo not only desires to reveal his achievement to impress other people but also tries to regain his power in the society. By using the method of direct characterization, the readers can exactly see the traits of a character and what is going on in his mind without interpreting. In this case, the narrators direct comments of Okonkwos thoughts and action effectively show his inveterate pride that he always wants to show off his success. Secondly, Achebe uses Unoka as the foil to strengthen Okonkwos character; his meekness is contradictory to Okonkwos brash and arrogant pride. Unlike Okonkwo, his father, Unoka, is a peaceful, friendly but lazy man who was  considered to be a failure by the Ibo society. Okonkwo is very ashamed of and disgusted at him; I have done my best to make Nwoye grow into a man, but there is too much of his mother in him. too much of his grandfather, Obierika thought, but he did not say it. The same thought also came to Okonkwos mind. But he had long learned how to lay that ghost. Whenever the thought of his fathers weakness and failure troubled him he expelled it by thinking about his own strength and success. And so he did now. His mind went to his latest show of manliness. (Achebe 66). Okonkwos abhorrence of his father strengthens his intractable pride because this reflects that Okonkwo sees himself as a successful man but his father as a failure. Furthermore, his fear of resembling his father caused him to stand against his fathers trait including gentleness and humility. Thus, by comparing two opposite characters, Achebe not only exaggerates Okonkwos brash and arrogant pride but also explains the reason behind as well. Lastly, through emphatic dialogue, Achebe further strengthens his description of Okonkwos hard, sometimes distorted, and often destructive, pride. After the death of Ikemefuna, Okonkwo is still bothered by it that he says When did you become a shivering old woman, Okonkwo asked himself, you, who are known in all the nine villages for your valor in war? How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he has added a boy to their number? Okonkwo, you have become a woman indeed. (Achebe 65). Okonkwo is telling himself that he has turned into a â€Å"woman†- meaning soft-hearted and emotional, and he feels ashamed. Through this monologue, Achebe lets the reader understand more of Okonkwo’s way of thinking. He obviously thinks that a man should only be strong and unemotional, and he measures a man’s sense of pride by his ability in battle and toughness of his heart. Since his pride is not from the true confidence of himself, but from the fear of not being what he thinks about an ideal man, it is twisted- wrong, destructive. Achebes excellent use of dialogue shows Okonkwos distorted pride that the readers can connect that it would eventually lead to his downfall. Ultimately, Okonkwos inveterate pride led him to death that at the end of the novel he commits suicide. He finds himself unable to see his falling and weakness and adapt to changing society that he could not play an important role anymore due to the arrival of the white men. Okonkwo is a memorable character as he shows true-to-life strengths and true-to-life flaws. Through Achebes excellent use of direct method of characterization, effective use of foil and his robust dialogues, the reader not only sees Okonkwos character, but understands it as well. Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart : A Novel. New York: Broadway Books, 1994.