About some novels

“My name is Margaret” Summary “My Name is Margaret” was written by Maya Angelou who was American poet, actress, composer, novelist, dancer as well as a singer. The story is about Margaret who is put as slave to work for a European woman. Margaret’s name has been abbreviated by Mrs. Cullinan because of the belief that she owns her. It shows how the blacks are degraded by the white. Margaret and the other black servant called Hallelujah are owned as property, and Mrs. Cullinan calls them other names for the purpose of not revealing their true identity. However, that does not throw away their identity. In the first paragraph, there is an evidence that the whites are liberals and they are different from the blacks. It is evident in line one “Recently A WHITE woman from Texas, who would quickly describe herself as liberal, asked me about my hometown.” (40). Theme The main idea writer of “my name is Margaret” wants her reader to point is identity based on racism or skin color. She also educates about breaking of the silence that the whites have had over the blacks for a long period of time. The whites have taken control over the black and break their norms. The whites have overpowered the blacks to the extent of having the ability to change their names. Margaret is angry because she does not like her changed name. Cullinan calls her by “Mary for her convenience because Margaret is too long.” (44). Miss Glory also says that her name was changed “Twenty years, I wasn’t much older than you. My name used to be Hallelujah. That’s what Ma named me, but my mistress gave me ‘Glory,’ and it stuck. I like it better too.” (45) .it shows that the whites are of superior race and have power to mistreat the blacks. Response Racism has become a common problem in the entire world and in most cases, it is the blacks who have faced its consequences. The mistreatments that Margaret and Hallelujah were put through, but Mrs. Cullinan were unfair and inhuman. She should to treat them like her fellow human beings, despite of their black color. It does not matter the type of skin color that a person has, all should be equal, and none should be regarded along cultural lines. “Peak Performance: Why Records Fall” Summary “Peak Performance: why Record Fall” by Daniel Goleman focusses on how engagement in practice makes performance perfect. The article begins by talking about ‘practice, practice, practice.” (256). Dr. Michael Mahoney also says that “over the last century Olympics have become more and more competitive, and so athletes steadily have had to put in more total lifetime hours of practice” (257). Expert performance is accelerated by continuous and deliberate practice. For example, for players to perform their best, they must do constant and regular practices so that they become perfect. It is practice that provides a point of separation from average people and those who are of world-class. “innate capacities have very little to do with becoming champion.” (Dr. Charness), (261) presenting that a regular practice is a key for being elite performer. Theme The “peak performance” as written by Daniel Goleman wants to teach his reader about having an excellent performance or outcome through proper, effective and continuous practice. Professional practice is done with a purpose and is expected to bring change. The goal of doing practice is to result in an improvement. Another lesson that we can obtain here is that practice that is done in a mature ground with a guide and on purpose is considered to become deliberate. Practice helps people to acquire new things in their memory. “Repeated practice results in a prodigious memory for chess positions” (258). Response I strongly agree with writer idea, because it talks about a reality. It is true that continuous practice leads to better and best outcomes or performances, for example as student, we should have practice and repeatedly studying to learn more and get master to be. I can say that being a true expertise is not only a talent that is inborn, but it is also a result of the periods that a person undertakes in doing repeated practices. Those who want to experience progress in their works must develop in them the life to practice and do it continuously with the help of a good guide. “Shooting an Elephant” Summary “Shooting an Elephant” was written by George Orwell talk about how and why he shoots a terrorizing elephant. He wrote the article which gives a description of the experiences of the speaker, most likely to be him. Orwell is asked to shoot an elephant that is so aggressive. At this period, he works as a police officer in Burma. The locals expect him to do the job, though it is against his judgement “as soon as I sow the elephant I knew with perfect certainty that I ought not to shoot him.” (65). This shows that the narrator personality, doesn’t want to shoot the elephant and Couse it to painful death. But the crowded people behind him directly urges him to kill the elephant. As he sees the elephant die a slow and painful death, his suffering increases. He is being used to do dirty works like handling shameful convicts. Theme The writer Orwell wants his reader to demonstrate the ultimate devilish practices of colonialism in Burma. Other ideas that come out clear are conscience, colonialism, conqueror and conquered. He is an anti-imperialist writer, and he states that both conqueror and conquered are destroyed through imperialism. He talks about his stand with the colonial Britain: “I had already made up my mind that imperialism was an evil thing…I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British” (62). His point of view is that, it is the people that govern, and it does not matter what is done by the conqueror. Also, it is hard for colonialism and dynamics of power to be contained using one point of view. According to Orwell, he finds no ethical reason why the elephant should be killed because it is a harmless animal and should be valued. Response Orwell is guided by a true conscience, though he only kills the elephant due to the pressure from the locals. He is left with no option than to do it. He thinks well and has a rightful mind, unlike the others who do not have a caring heart. It brings forth the aspect of colonialism and imperialism as it has been indicated by Orwell. The work is relevant and significant to many of us today because it gives us a historical knowledge of the past happenings. Through that we can compare the kind of society that was then to today’s society. that we should be considerate of others and should be guided by our true conscience.