Margaret Atwood Essays (1262 words) - Margaret Atwood,

Margaret Atwood ~MARGARET ATWOOD~ There is so much silence between the words... SOCI 4019 September 29, 1999. An Overview of Works, Styles, and Themes Margaret Atwood has written a great number of novels and other forms of literature. The major press editions are as follows: ~ WORKS~ Poetry ? 1964, The Cirle Game ? 1968, The Animals in That Country ? 1970, The Journals of Susanna Moodie ? 1970, Procedures for Underground ? 1971, Power Politics ? 1974, You are Happy ? 1978, Selected Poems ? 1978, Two-Headed Poems ? 1981, True Stories ? 1984, Interlunar ? 1987, Selected Poems II: Poems Selected and New, 1976-1986 ? 1990, Selected Poems 1966-1975 ? 1995, Morning in the Burned House Short Fiction ? 1977, Dancing Girls ? 1983, Murder in the Dark ? 1983, Bluebeard's Egg ? 1991, Wilderness Tips ? 1992, Good Bones Novels ? 1969, The Edible Woman 1985, The Handmaid's Tale ? 1972, Surfacing 1988, Cat's Eye ? 1976, Lady Oracle 1993, The Robber Bride ? 1979, Life Before Man 1996, Alias Grace ? 1981, Bodily Harm Children's Books ? 1978, Up in the Tree ? 1980, Anna's Pet ? 1990, For the Birds ? 1995, Princess Prunella and the Purple Peanut Non-Fiction ? 1972, Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature ? 1977, Days of the Rebels 1815-1840 ? 1982, Second Words: Selected Critical Prose ? 1995, Strange Things: The Malevolent North in Canadian Literature Edited ? 1982, The New Oxford Book of Canadian Verse in English ? 1986, The Oxford Book of Canadian Short Stories in English ? 1987, The Canlit Foodbook ? 1989, The Best American Short Stories ? 1995, The New Oxford Book of Canadian Short Stories in English ~ STYLE ~ Although many have used Margaret Atwoods style of writing poetry, not one has yet to compete with her words. Typically, Margaret sticks to formal style of poetry, using original text with separated stanzas. Margarets stlye of writing gives an overwhelming effect to the reader; moreover, her style of writing adjusts to the theme of the particular piece. ~ THEMES ~ The essential features of Atwood's fictions and poetry has been described as a search for a personal and national identity. Survival is a central theme throughout her works, as is the quest for self unity. Biography Margaret Atwood was born in Ottawa, Ontario, on November 18, 1939. Because her father was a forest entomologist, Atwood spent most of her childhood living in the Canadian Wilderness. During the eight months of each year that her father did insect research in the forest, the Atwood family lived in ?a cabin with a wood stove and several kerosene lanterns. There were bears and wolves and moose and loons? ( qtd. in ?Author Profile?). While this lifestyle was exciting, she did not have most modern conviences and technology. To entertain herself, Atwood read books. They became her only means for entertainment and escape. ?I read them all, even when they weren't supposed to be for children? (qtd. in ?Author Profile?). During this childhood of reading, Atwood also began to write. By the age of six, ATwood was writing poems, morality plays, comic books, and an unfinished novel about an ant. Ten years later, Atwood decided that she only wanted to write. She wanted to live a double life; to go places she had not been before; to examine life on earth; to come to know people in ways, and at depths, that were otherwise impossible; to be surprised; and to give something of what she had received. Two years after this life-altering decision, Atwood entered Victoria College at the University of Toronto. She received her bachelor's degree from Victoria College in 1961, and then went on to receive her Master's degree from Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Atwood also received education from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, during 1962-63 and 1965-67. Atwood began her career through self-publication. She sold these books for fifty cents each. During this period, Atwood married Graeme Gibson, a fellow writer who was born in London, Ontario, in 1934. Togehter, they have three grown children and two cats. Although Atwood both grew up and resides presently in Canada, she ahs lived in numerous cities throughout the world. The Canadian residences include Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Alliston, and Vancouver. In the United States, Atwood has lived in Boston, Massachusetts, and in Alabama. She has also lived and travelled in England, France, Italy , and Germany. Geographical, Historical, Political and Social Influences With respect to the fact that Atwood was raised, and spent most of her childhood in the Canadian wilderness, it is safe to say that her geographical surroundings influenced her in several ways. While residing in the wilderness

How to Change Your Habits and Improve Your Grades

How to Change Your Habits and Improve Your Grades Its disappointing to receive low scores on a big test or a homework assignment, but you dont need to let small setbacks get you down. There is always time to make things better. Steps to Take If It Isnt Over Yet If youve received a few low grades on assignments throughout the year and youre facing a big final, then you still have time to bring up your final grade.   Sometimes, a good grade on the final project or exam can increase your final grade dramatically. Especially if the teacher knows youre really trying. Gather all your work assignments to determine exactly how and why you earned the low grades. Identify your weak points. Did your grades suffer because of careless grammar or poor writing habits? If so, be more mindful of grammar and structure during the final.Visit the teacher and ask her to go over your assignments with you. Ask her what you could have done differently.Ask what can you do for extra credit. By trying to take charge of your destiny, you are showing responsibility. Teachers will appreciate this.Ask for advice from the teacher. Teachers can direct you to resources that are topic-specific.Put all your energy into the final test or project. Find a tutor to help you. Ask the teacher to explain the format of the test. Will it be an essay exam or a multiple choice test? Target your study accordingly.Join a study group. Discuss the final exam with other students. They may have notes that you missed or they may have better insight into the teachers preferences when it comes to test questions and answers. Improve memory skills. There are many techniques to improve your memory. Find one that is best for you and the material youre studying.Get serious. Dont be late to class. Get some sleep. Turn off the TV. Talk to your Parents If you know a bad grade is imminent, then it might be wise to talk to your parents first. Let them know that you are trying to make a change and improve your performance. Get them involved. You may want to discuss creating a homework contract with your parents. The contract should address time commitments, homework help, supplies, and other issues that affect grades. Looking Toward the Future If you have just received your end-of-year grades and youre looking forward to improving your performance next year, there are plenty of things you can do. Get organized. Keep a journal of assignments to identify strengths and weaknesses. Organize your supplies and establish a good study space.Try to use color-coded supplies to stay organized.Identify your personal learning style. This is critical to improving your study habits. Dont waste valuable study time using ineffective study methods.Talk to your counselor about your schedule or your diploma program. You may be enrolled in a program that isnt right for you. Are you taking courses that are too difficult because your diploma program requires it?Review your schedule. Cut out extracurricular activities that dont help you reach your true goals. If youre involved with that team or club just for fun- then you may need to make some tough decisions.Improve your writing skills. Students sometimes complain because they are penalized for poor writing in courses other than English. Teachers dont have much patience for this complaint! Good writing skills are critical for every class.Join a stu dy group. Be Realistic If you are stressing out about a possible B grade, you should know that perfect grades arent everything, and expecting them isnt very realistic, either. While it is true that some colleges place a lot of value in grades, it is also true that they are interested in recruiting humans, not machines.If you are hoping to get into a specific, highly competitive college and you are worried about getting a B, then you are smart enough to make yourself stand out in another way. For instance, you could use your creativity to craft an essay that stands out.Give yourself credit if youre doing your best. If you have tried everything, but you just cant become the perfect student you want to be, perhaps you should give yourself a break. Identify your own strong points and make the best of them.Dont give yourself a bad reputation. If you arent happy with a grade or a report card, you can discuss this with a teacher. However, if you make a habit out of visiting your teacher to complain, then you may be making a pest of yourself.

The attitude of American public towards GM food Research Paper

The attitude of American public towards GM food - Research Paper Example GMO food production has identified seven main areas which concern the human safety test in the consumption of the foods and include the study of the DNA and the nutritional contents which are introduced in the new food product and the analysis of the chemical composition of the plant parts as well as the allergens. The human safety test also includes the estimate of the toxicological or nutritional problems which may be encountered by the consumer and the risk of transferring microorganisms in the gene transfer process (Weise, 44). The use of genetically modified (GM) ingredients in food production has attracted a lot of controversy. Public attitude towards these products has being highly negative in most of the developing countries especially Japan and some European countries. The consumer negative attitude in these countries has being attributed to the skepticism on the unknown health and environmental effects of the GMO foods (Tait 4). The negative attributes of the GMO foods has being identified as the spre4ad of the pest resistance herbicide, body allergic responses and the herbicide tolerance on the wildlife plants and the consequent toxicity of the wildlife. However, the full benefits of biotechnology will only be realized when the producers consider the GMO foods to be safe to their health and beneficial. Although many public attitudes towards the GMO foods have been done in the recent past, the public attitudes towards biotechnology seem to be sharply different between countries and the time of the study (Knowledge 5). The consumer attitudes towards biotechnology have been surveyed in Europe and USA over the past decades. From the global perspective, GMO foods have been one of the contentious issues in the society due to economical and technical benefits which are offset by the human health and the environmental impact (Nikki 34). The increase in multinational corporations and economic power of the GMO manufacturing companies has impacted the quality o f the GMO foods and threatened the traditional farming in rural societies in most of the rural developed countries. This paper will review the attitudes of the American public towards the GMO foods over the recent years. Studies in US have indicated that consumers have positive attitude towards the GMO foods compared with consumers in Europe and Japan. For instance, a study carried out by Daniel and Mark in 2001 indicated that 70 percent of the respondents were willing to pay a higher price for GMO foods (Heslop 214). In the US, the consumer makes the decision to purchase the GMO foods based on the uncertainties and the probabilities which are assigned to the consumer risk of the consumption of the GMO foods. The consumption of the foods results to certain payoff utilities which the consumers perceive to receive from the consumption (Macilwain 54). The perceived risks from the consumption of the GMO foods are derived from the future costs which the consumer expects to incur from the decision to consume GMO foods and carry probabilities which are different from one consumer to the other. The perceived risk stems from one of the following sources with the first one being the influence of the media in the