Personal delelopment in Accounting and Finance Personal Development Essay

Personal delelopment in Accounting and Finance Personal Development Essay Introduction Personal Development in Accounting and Finance course overall helps me to understand how did my career goal comes about, where do I stand now, and understand the journey and process which I will have to go through in order to achieve my career goal. 2. What did I learn / achieved in PDAF? In PDAF, Belbin lesson, I understand that a team role is a pattern of behaviour. Different team role have different characteristics and all team roles have both strengths and weaknesses. A person could be having a few team roles at a same time. Through the questionnaire, I manage to identify a few team roles which I will normally adopt at work, which include the specialist, the completer/finisher and the shaper role. I manage to identify what are my strengths and allowable weakness. As I am showing the shapers weakness therefore I hope to improve on this area. (See appendix 1). Through this MTBI personality test, I discovered that the personality type which I belong to is ISTJ (introverted sensing with extraverted thinking), whom is a duty fulfiller. This test also allows me to identify my strengths and weaknesses at work and home. I also realise that possible careers for ISTJ are accountants and financial officers which is what my career goal is. (See appendix 3). It was feedback from my group member that she feels that Im in the right career path as the ISTJs personality described me truly. 3. My Career journey thoughts feelings Looking back at my lifeline during lesson 2, I feel that whoever I am now depend on the decision which I had made when I was 19 years old. To choose between going to a polytechnic for engineering course or a private school for CAT made my career journey changed. It is also because of great interest on figures and influences from family, that why I decided to choose a private accounting school for CAT courses rather the other. (See appendix 2) I also feel that all these while in my career journey, I was consider quite lucky. I am lucky in a sense that, I have a lot opportunity to learn new things and gain experience on accounting field compared to the others. I started my first job as Account Assistant with no relevant working experience. Yet I have the opportunity to learn from scratch. I understand that not much company is willing to teach fresh graduate especially when this so called fresh graduate had not officially graduated at that point of time. My career goal is to be an accountant. After doing some website research on the responsibilities for this role, I realise the main duty for an accountant in Singapore public or private sector is about the same. I believe in term of working experience I should be able to fit in as I have pick up quite a valid experience in this area. But looking at the current market entry requirement, sad to comment, although I have the experience and skills in accounting software, I see myself in a non-favourable position in obtaining this position at the current moment. I will need to upgrade my qualification and that is to take up a degree course so that I can fit into the position. (See appendix 4) After working in accounting line for so many years, sometimes I do feel that my interest on my job had faded quite a lot. Sometimes I do not have the energy to move on. I feel that this might be due to long working period with no proper break or rest. As my career goal is to be an accountant, so I will not give up this goal so easily. If financially allows, I am considering of moving out of my working life temporary to have a good break while pursuing my degree course. I think by doing so, I can rest and replenish my energy level on my job, and I can place full time concentration on my study. My follow-up after PDAF After attending this Belbin lesson, I will like to improve on my weakness by showing more concern on the others. Now I tend to think twice before commenting remarks. Although is hard to do it, I hope I can do in time to be. (See appendix 1). I also hope that I can control my emotion (See appendix 2), by not being so affected when my close colleagues left the company. Im happy to know that I am in the right career path and see myself having more strengths than weaknesses being an ISTJ. Being someone whom honored our commitment, loyal and faithful, I hope I can continue this way especially toward my family. There is one weakness which had been around for quite a while and it had been happening quite often at work. It needs a lot of skill and effort in order for me to strengthen it. This weakness is having too strong sense of duty until I had difficult time to say no to others when I was given more work than what we can reasonable handle. I see the need for me to reduce this strong sense of duty image in front of others. I have to control it well so that my sense of duty still exist but yet I know how to say no to them when too much work is being passed down to me. (See appendix 3) I also realise I do not have a proper written cover letter, the current one which I have now contain only a few lines which does not state any impressive remarks to employers. I also did not amend the cover letter accordingly to fit well to each individual job requirement. Therefore I need to pick up some skills on improving my cover letter. My CV was not updated with my latest experience and skill which I have obtained in my previous company. I need to update it regularly or as and when I have done any special projects or obtain any extra skills. Appendices The Group Presentations Appendix 1 Team Roles (Belbin) Presentation content Through the Belbin questionnaire, the team role which I have normally adopts is the Specialist role. Based on the information located from the website http://changingminds.org/explanations/preferences/belbin.htm, specialists strength is it has expert knowledge and skills in key areas and will solve many problems while its allowable weakness is it can be disinterested in all other areas. I do agree on the questionnaire that most of the time at work I have been adopting the specialist roles strength. Example, in my current position, I am handling GL (general ledger) function. Due to job responsibility, I often have to provide knowledge and assistance to other colleagues especially colleagues whom handle Accounts Receivable and Payables on any un-cleared issues or problems. I do not agree that I have adopted specialist roles weakness as in not much of showing disinterest in other areas. Example, usually at work I am very concern about other areas as I often have to attend other departments queries. I agreed that another role which I have also adopted successfully is the Completer/Finisher role. Example, as my position covered month closing and reporting. I often have to do detail checking on entries for errors and omissions before presenting the data to my superior. Also I tend to worry too much when my colleagues do not finish their areas of work on time. Reflection In the Belbin lesson, I understand that a team role is a pattern of behaviour. Different team role have different characteristics and all team roles have both strengths and weaknesses. A person could be having a few team roles at a same time. Through the Belbin questionnaire, I manage to identify a few team roles which I will normally adopt at work. Beside the contributions side of the specialist and completer/finisher, I realise that sometimes I tend to adopt the Shaper role. This role is full energy and action, challenging others to move forwards. This role can be insensitive. Example, at work I often have to push other colleagues and make sure they meet the closing deadline on time, by doing so, I tend to show the shapers weakness which is being insensitive. I sometimes tend to comment blunt remarks show poor attitude to the others when jobs were not done in time or properly. Appendix 2 Job Motivation Presentation content Reasons why I have decided to have accounting as my career choice are because of my interest and influences from my family member. Since I was young, I always like figures and counting, solving problem sums in school. It is also due to my sisters influences, that why I chose to further my study in accounting and hoping to be an accountant. My sister is the first one who enlightened me. She convinced me to convert my interest into my career since my interest is on figures, and I am always being good at mathematics. A few values which are important to me, one of which is money. I personally feel that money comes in hand in hand with hard work so with the hard work I have put in; I will want a justifiable amount of salary. Next value is happiness at work and good relationship with colleagues. I feel that in order to achieve happiness at work, we must maintain good relationships with colleagues. By having that, it will help to motivate us to go to work. Finally is appreciation from superior and career advancement. I feel the needs to have good opportunity to learn and do more things, follow-by promotion. I also need appreciation from superior by recognizing my hard work. Co-workers are the ones whom will influence me at work. Relationship with them often will affect my mood of working. With close and good relationship with my colleagues, I feel happy and more motivated to go to work. As I am a very emotional person. I will feel affected if a close colleague left the company. I know because, in my current job, my mood was greatly affected when my accountant and a close colleague left the company. It is a sense of loss especially toward my accountant as she had given me very good appreciation and opportunity. When she left the company, I feel I have not only lost a good colleague/superior, I also lost my value. Market requirement will affect my career choice. I always feel that accounting roles are always valuable in the market as all companies have accounts department and therefore accounting staffs will never be jobless. Reflection After working for quite a number of years, I realise my interest on my career had faded. My interest on figures is no longer existed. I value my values especially money at work more than interest. I see the important of these values, when my values are being achieve, I tend to be more motivated to move on but when values are not being achieved, it will influence me by affecting my motivation and emotion. Appendix 3 MBTI Presentation content The personality test located from the website http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm shows that my MBTI type is ISTJ, the duty fulfiller. ISTJ primary mode of living is focused internally, where we take things in via five senses in a literal, concrete fashion. Our secondary mode is external where we deal with things logically. Accountants and financial officers are the one of the possible career paths for ISTJ. One of the ISTJs strength is we are people whom honor our commitment. We are loyal and faithful. We are people who can be depended on to do the right things for our families. Another strength which is, we are stable, practical and down-to-earth. We tend to believe in laws and traditions. We often tend to believe that things should be done accordingly to procedures and plans. ISTJs have strongly-felt internal sense of duty which lends them a serious air and motivation to follow through on task. Because of this strong sense of duty, ISTJs may have difficult time saying no when we are given more work. Another weakness which we have is we will resist putting energy into things which dont make sense to us. I agreed the strength about believing that things should be done accordingly to procedures and plan. I usually like to do proper planning before proceeding. Example, I have habit of listing down the works I have to do for month end closing. I will note it as done once complete. Sometimes because of too many pieces of work coming in at the same time, I tend to state the items down and do it based on priority. I dont quite agree to the point that ISTJ tend to resist of putting energy on things which dont make sense, because perhaps I believe that sometimes at work, things might not be within our control so I often just continue to put in energy even if the things dont make any sense to me. Feedback from my group members One of my team-mate comments that I have performed well in the group presentation. While another feel that Im in the right career path as I fit truly well in ISTJ personality. Reflections Based on the personality test, I feel that I have chosen the right career choice. In term of personality at work, it reflected the very true side of me. It best described what kind of person I am at work or home. It highlighted to me what are the strengths and weaknesses I have. ISJT has such a strong sense of duty that we may have a difficult time saying no when we are given more work than what we can reasonably handle. Looking at this point, I realise that this had happened quite often in my working life. I never say no to my superior when I was given too much work to do. I feel that there is a need for me to reduce my strong sense of duty image to the others especially to those who had been taking advantage of me. Appendix 4 Careers Presentation content The job which I have chosen is accountant position. Employers for public sector include local authorities, schools and etc, while employers for private sector range from large multinational organizations to small local businesses. Accountants in both public sectors and private help to prepare examine and analyze financial statements and other financial reports. They check for accuracy in these records and this allows them to provide a clear picture of the companys financial activities. They report to the management regards to all the finances issues. They develop, maintain and analyze budgets. They also check and pay creditors invoices, collect debts and charge customers for goods and services. Although the duties for accountants in both sectors are similar, a public sector accountants main concern is not raising profit but to make best use of public money. They aim to balance the cost of public services against income. They may carry out internal audits if required. Another difference is as all limited companies must be externally audited therefore accountants for private sector are not allow do audit check. The entry requirement for accountant is at least a bachelors degree in accounting or a related field. In term of skills and abilities requirement, both sectors need the accountant to have a good level of numeric. They should be able to use spreadsheets and specialized finance-related software to analyze and interpret figures and explain them to laymen. Both will need good communication skills, in both spoken and written. They should process good problem-solving skills, and have the ability to work well under pressure. Reflections Looking at the market requirement, I feel that my market value had dropped a bit although I do have the relevant experiences. The reason is because entry requirement had changed compare to the past. In the current situation, a degree qualification is a must. Appendix 5 Job Adverts Presentation content My job ideals is to find a job which is of accountant level and its responsibilities should be similar to what I am currently handling, but it should have some extra work which I am able to gain some experience from it. I have chosen 3 jobs which are all accountant level position. They are accountant, finance for AIC (Agency for Integrated Care), accountant for NTUC (National Trades Union Congress) and accountant for Amanresorts International Pte Ltd. And the one which I have finally decided on is the accountant role for AIC. This roles responsibilities match with my current responsibilities. In this role, they are looking for someone whom will ensure timely month end activities as well as submission of financial and management reports. This role also needs to manage cash and banking matters, liaise with audit firms on audit matter and support budgeting and forecasting exercise. In term of skills and abilities, they are looking for someone whom has minimum 2 years experience in full set of account and knowledge of SAP accounting system. I had exposure on full set and SAP in my previous company, and I was there for more than 2 years. I feel that this job is suitable for me the role responsibilities are scopes which I had handle before and I am comfortable with. In term of accounting system, they are using SAP which I rather preferred. AIC is a private limited company under healthcare industry. It was set up by Ministry of Health but was now under National Healthcare group. In term of benefit, I feel that it should be well too. Reflections I feel that in term of experiences, I do have the opportunity to fit into accountant level position once I obtain my degree. Appendix 6 Draft CV How did I choose the format, layout and content of my CV, and what are the specific problems I have had in designing a targeted CV, The CV format which I have been using is the combination CV. I obtained this format from the website many years ago. The layout for combination CV shows both skills and abilities and employment history. The total pages for current CV I had with me now makes up of 5 pages. In term of contents, I state a bit on my skills on accounting software and Microsoft office, and very detailed employment histories. For the employment history wise, information on the work I had been doing was stated in point form with no strong words to attract interviewers attraction. The whole CV also reflected repeated job-scope as I am doing almost the same job-scope for my initial employment. Overall to comment is I find my CV a bit lengthy. The problem I faced in designing a targeted CV is I am not sure of how to make use of strong wording. Also sometimes I find it hard to describe the effort that we have put on a task on paper so that readers can understand. Assignment 2 Application Pack Introduction Job Title I have chosen to apply for the position of Accountant, Finance for Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). 1.2 Requirement of the Job The responsibilities include handle full set of accounts and ensure month end closing activities. This role needs to handle grant administration, manage cash and banking matters. She/He needs to liaise with audit firms and tax consultants on audit and tax matters. She/He needs to support budgeting and forecasting exercise. The entry requirement is a recognised degree in Accountancy or equivalent with minimum 2 years experience in full set of accounts. It will be an added advantage if she/he has knowledge of SAP accounting system. Job Advertisement This is the job advertisement for the position of Accountant, Finance which I am applying for: Advertised:23-7-10 | Closing Date:22-8-10 Accountant, Finance (Singapore) Responsibilities: You will report to Manager, Finance. Handle full set of accounts (GL, AP, AR and Fixed Assets) and ensure timely and accurate month-end closing activities as well as submission of financial, management and statutory reports, implementation and compliance with Internal Controls Handle grant administration, including prompt claims submission, disbursement and tracking Manage cash and banking matters Liaise with audit firms and tax consultants on audit and taxation matters, including preparation of audit and tax schedules Support budgeting and forecasting exercises Requirements: Recognised degree in Accountancy or equivalent with minimum 2 years experience in full set of accounts Knowledge of SAP accounting system will be an added advantage A team player who is meticulous and able to work independently Good communication and interpersonal skills Please do not use the buttons below to apply for the above position. Kindly forward your detailed resume in MS Word format only, stating full details of qualifications, experience, current and expected salary, to . Top of Form Bottom of Form   Ã‚  Company Information   Ã‚  Email to Friends   Ã‚  View Similar Jobs   Ã‚  Location Map   Ã‚  Save This Job   Ã‚  View Salary Report   Ã‚  All Jobs From Company   Ã‚  Report Advertisement Agency for Integrated Care 5 Maxwell Road #10-00 Tower Block MND Complex Singapore 069110 Website: http://www.aic.sg/ Reasons for choice of job Through searching for job advertisements from internet, I have set my focus on job advertisements for Accountant role. Among the advertisement that I have reviewed, I shortlisted 3 which are listed below: Company Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) Job Title Accountant, Finance (b) Company Amanresorts International Pte Ltd Job Title Accountant (c) Company National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Job Title Accountant These 3 were shortlisted because the job responsibilities are similar to the current job responsibilities which I am currently handling which is involve in month end closing activities and year end budgeting and forecasting exercise. I feel comfortable to advance my career in this scope of duties. Of the above 3, I have selected (a) as the one that I will focus on in Assignment 3. The reason for choosing this job is because the responsibilities for this position in AIC is not only something which I am familiar with but it also has some other responsibility which I will like to learn from. This is preparation of statutory reports. I will like to take this opportunity to pick up this skill. This company is using SAP system, which is a well known accounting system. I feel more comfortable using SAP system compare to other software like Accpac (as per stated by Amanresorts International Pte Ltd). Skills Attributes My suitability for the job Skills My current accounting role with Volkswagen Group Singapore Pte Ltd includes handling month end closing activities. My duty also includes preparing month end financial reports. In my previous exposure in Hercules Chemical Solution, I handle full set of accounts for both Singapore and India accounts. In both company, I used SAP system. Personality Based on the MBTI, I realise that my personality type is ISTJ, which the possible career is being accountant or financial officer. I am someone whom has excellent ability to take on any task given by my superior. I will follow through the task till completion by organizing and planning. I am hard worker, who do now allow obstacles to get in my way of performing my duties. Motivation I am currently motivated mainly by values. Value like money is very important to me now. I hope to find a company which not only pay well but also give good staff benefit. Value like appreciation from superior and career advancement is also important to me. I hope to see myself being recognised through my hard work. Weaknesses What may hinder me in applying for this job My limitation for this job opportunity will be I do not have the experience in preparing statutory reports, which I am not sure if the company is willing to train me on this area. I also do not have the experience in working in healthcare industry. Cover Letter Name Tay Siew Ling Address Blk 684B Choa Chu Kang Crescent #11-330 Singapore 682684 Contact 92975400 (Mobile) Email [emailprotected] 09 August 2010 Agency for Integrated Care 5 Maxwell Road #10-00 Tower Block MND Complex Singapore 069110 Dear RE: Application for the position of Accountant, Finance Refer to your job advertisement on the  www.jobstreet.com.sg on 23 July 2010; I will like to express my interest to apply the position of Accountant, Finance. I am a CAT holder and currently pursuing the Bachelor of Arts in Accounting with University of Bedfordshire. In my current employment with Volkswagen Group Singapore, my responsibilities include handling month end closing and preparation of financial reports. I am also involved in year end budgeting and forecasting. In my previous employment with Hercules Chemical Solution, I am responsible in handling full set of account for both Singapore and India account independently in Singapore with reporting head in Shanghai. Additionally, I have hands-on experiences on SAP system, financial module for more than four years. With these exposures, I am confident that I will be able to perform well in AIC I greatly appreciate you taking the time to review my credentials and experience. I hope that youll find my experiences  intriguing enough to warrant a face-to-face meeting, as I am confident that I could provide value to you and your  company as a member of your team. Please feel free to contact me if you have any query. Hope to receive a favourable reply from you. . Yours sincerely, Language Proficiency Spoken Language: English and Mandarin Written Language: English and Chinese Skill Proficiency Well versed in Microsoft Office Software: Words and Excel. Proficient with accounting software: SAP system, Accpac Dos Version, Solomon and Incadea. Proficient with internet online banking: Citi-Direct, Bank of America online banking, Deustche online banking and DBS DEALS Education Qualification University of Bedfordshire Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Accounting (July 2010 to Jan 2012) The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) (1998 to 2003) Fairfield Methodist Secondary School Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education-Ordinary Level (O-level) (1996 to 1997) Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education-Normal Level (N-level) (1993 to 1996) Queenstown Primary School Primary school leaving examination certificate-PSLE Employment History Details Volkswagen Group Singapore Pte Ltd Account Executive (14 May 2008 to Current) Handle the full spectrum of General Ledger and Fixed Asset Ensure proper documentation for all fixed assets and depreciation amount was taken up correctly Month end journal preparation and posting. Ensure timely and accurate closing of monthly account Prepare and review monthly profit and loss statement and balance sheet. Analysis monthly expenses and common cost allocation for respective department. Prepare inter-company reconciliation and ensure AP Executive to follow-up on any invoices not received Prepare reconciliation on Receivable and Payable sub-ledger against General Ledger Prepare weekly cash position report Prepare monthly bank reconciliation Prepare monthly audit and closing schedules Responsible for Fixed Deposit placement and coordinate with AP Executive on any fund transfer and huge payments Quarterly GST preparation and submission Involve in bi-weekly COE bidding process Involve in year-end stock take for vehicle and parts inventories Assist in year-end budget and forecast Liaising with external auditors during yearly audit Assist the Finance Manager in all ad-hoc duties as assigned Achievement Back-dated perform bank reconciliation for January to May 2008 Manage to perform reconciliation between Incadea and SAP system, also reconciliation between AP/AR control account against sub-ledger Involvement in change of chart of account and roll-back project on the accounting system Energy Market Company Pte Ltd Account Executive (June 2006 to April 2008) Handle the full spectrum of Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable and Fixed Asset for EMCs operating account Handle partial spectrum of General Ledger Ensure proper documentation for all fixed assets and depreciation amount was taken up correctly Ensure timely and accurate closing of monthly operating account Ensure timely billings on Industrial Training program fee and seminars Ensure timely posting of all collections received Ensure all supplier invoices matches with purchase orders issued Ensure proper coding of GL code and posting of supplier invoices and staff reimbursement Ensure timely cheque and telegraphic transfer payments to suppliers and staff reimbursement Prepare cash position report Prepare monthly bank reconciliation Quarterly GST preparation Submission on Statistic survey for energy industry Involve in year-end fixed asset checking Liaising with internal and external auditors during quarterly and yearly audit Assist the Finance VP and Accountant in all ad-hoc duties as assigned Achievement Involvement in change of chart of account and update of accounting system Successfully roll-out the E-Fixed Asset module Attended the Microsoft Excel Expert course sponsored by company and was award a Microsoft Office Specialist at the Expert level from Microsoft Hercules Chemical Solutions Pte Ltd Account Executive (June 2004 to June 2006) Handle the full set of account for Singapore and India accounts (up to Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss) Ensure timely and accurate closing of monthly account for Singapore and India Ensure timely billings on services fees and royalty income to inter-company Ensure timely posting of all collections received Ensure all supplier invoices matches with purchase orders issued Ensure proper coding of GL code and posting of supplier invoices and staff reimbursement Ensure timely cheque and telegraphic transfer payments to suppliers and staff reimbursement Prepare and review monthly profit and loss statement and balance sheet including expenses analysis Month end journal preparation and posting. Prepare monthly audit and closing schedules Prepare monthly bank reconciliation Monthly Australia VAT preparation and submission. Quarterly Singapore GST preparation and submission. Quarterly preparation of reconciliation reports for SOX control requirement Liaising with external auditors during quarterly and yearly audit Liaising with tax agent from India on india tax issue Assist the Financial Accountant in all ad-hoc duties as assigned Achievement Involve in moving the manual set of account for India into SAP Involve in change of bank from Citibank to Bank of America SNP Corporation Ltd Accounts Assistant (June 2003 to June 2004) Handle the full spectrum of Accounts Receivable and credit control Ensure timely billings on non-stock related items example rental and advertisement Responsible for proper sort and filing of high volume of tax invoices and credit notes on stock related item Ensure timely posting of all collections received Responsible for customer code creation Prepare month end reports, example sales records and aging reports. Assist the Senior Accountant in all ad-hoc duties as assigned Tee Hai Chem Pte Ltd Accounts Assistant (January to May 2003) Handle the full spectrum of Accounts Receivable Responsib

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 3

Chapter 3 The angel will tell me nothing of what happened to my friends, of the twelve, of Maggie. All he'll say is that they are dead and that I have to write my own version of the story. Oh, he'll tell me useless angel stories – of how Gabriel disappeared once for sixty years and they found him on earth hiding in the body of a man named Miles Davis, or how Raphael snuck out of heaven to visit Satan and returned with something called a cell phone. (Evidently everyone has them in hell now.) He watches the television and when they show an earthquake or a tornado he'll say, â€Å"I destroyed a city with one of those once. Mine was better.† I am awash in useless angel prattle, but about my own time I know nothing but what I saw. And when the television makes mention of Joshua, calling him by his Greek name, Raziel changes the channel before I can learn anything. He never sleeps. He just watches me, watches the television, and eats. He never leaves the room. Today, while searching for extra towels, I opened one of the drawers and there, beneath a plastic bag meant for laundry, I found a book: Holy Bible, it said on the cover. Thank the Lord I did not take the book from the drawer, but opened it with my back to the angel. There are chapters there that were in no Bible I know. I saw the names of Matthew and John, I saw Romans and Galatians – this is a book of my time. â€Å"What are you doing?† the angel asked. I covered the Bible and closed the drawer. â€Å"Looking for towels. I need to bathe.† â€Å"You bathed yesterday.† â€Å"Cleanliness is important to my people.† â€Å"I know that. What, you think I don't know that?† â€Å"You're not exactly the brightest halo in the bunch.† â€Å"Then bathe. And stand away from the television.† â€Å"Why don't you go get me some towels?† â€Å"I'll call down to the desk.† And he did. If I am to get a look at that book, I must get the angel to leave the room. It came to pass that in the village of Japhia, the sister village of Nazareth, that Esther, the mother of one of the priests of the Temple, died of bad air. The Levite priests, or Sadducees, were rich from the tributes we paid to the Temple, and mourners were hired from all the surrounding villages. The families of Nazareth made the journey to the next hill for the funeral, and for the first time, Joshua and I were able to spend time with Maggie as we walked along the road. â€Å"So,† she said without looking at us, â€Å"have you two been playing with any snakes lately?† â€Å"We've been waiting for the lion to lay down with the lamb,† Joshua said. â€Å"That's the next part of the prophecy.† â€Å"What prophecy?† â€Å"Never mind,† I said. â€Å"Snakes are for boys. We are almost men. We will begin work after the Feast of Tabernacles. In Sepphoris.† I was trying to sound worldly. Maggie seemed unimpressed. â€Å"And you will learn to be a carpenter?† she asked Joshua. â€Å"I will do the work of my father, eventually, yes.† â€Å"And you?† she asked me. â€Å"I'm thinking of being a professional mourner. How hard can it be? Tear at your hair, sing a dirge or two, take the rest of the week off.† â€Å"His father is a stonemason,† Joshua said. â€Å"We may both learn that skill.† At my urging, my father had offered to take Joshua on as an apprentice if Joseph approved. â€Å"Or a shepherd,† I added quickly. â€Å"Being a shepherd seems easy. I went with Kaliel last week to tend his flock. The Law says that two must go with the flock to keep an abomination from happening. I can spot an abomination from fifty paces.† Maggie smiled. â€Å"And did you prevent any abominations?† â€Å"Oh yes, I kept all of the abominations at bay while Kaliel played with his favorite sheep behind the bushes.† â€Å"Biff,† Joshua said gravely, â€Å"that was the abomination you were supposed to prevent.† â€Å"It was?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Whoops. Oh well, I think I would make an excellent mourner. Do you know the words to any dirges, Maggie? I'm going to need to learn some dirges.† â€Å"I think that when I grow up,† Maggie announced, â€Å"I shall go back to Magdala and become a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee.† I laughed, â€Å"Don't be silly, you are a girl. You can't be a fisherman.† â€Å"Yes I can.† â€Å"No, you can't. You have to marry and have sons. Are you betrothed, by the way?† Joshua said: â€Å"Come with me, Maggie, and I will make you a fisher of men.† â€Å"What the hell does that mean?† Maggie asked. I grabbed Joshua by the back of his robe and began to drag him away. â€Å"Don't pay any attention to him. He's mad. He gets it from his mother. Lovely woman, but a loony. Come now, Josh, let's sing a dirge.† I began improvising what I thought was a good funeral song. â€Å"La-la-la. Oh, we are really, really sad that your mom is dead. Too bad you're a Sadducee and don't believe in an afterlife and your mom is just going to be worm food, la-la. Makes you think that you might want to reconsider, huh? Fa-la-la-la-la-la-wacka-wacka.† (It sounded great in Aramaic. Really.) â€Å"You two are silly.† â€Å"Gotta go. Mourning to do. See you.† â€Å"A fisher of women?† Josh said. â€Å"Fa-la-la-la, don't feel bad – she was old and had no teeth left, la-la-la. Come on, people, you know the words!† Later, I said, â€Å"Josh, you can't keep saying creepy things like that. ‘Fisher of men,' you want the Pharisees to stone you? Is that what you want?† â€Å"I'm only doing my father's work. Besides, Maggie is our friend, she wouldn't say anything.† â€Å"You're going to scare her away.† â€Å"No I won't. She's going to be with us, Biff.† â€Å"Are you going to marry her?† â€Å"I don't even know if I'm allowed to marry at all, Biff. Look.† We were topping the hill into Japhia, and we could see the crowd of mourners gathering around the village. Joshua was pointing to a red crest that stood out above the crowd – the helmet crest of a Roman centurion. The centurion was talking to the Levite priest, who was arrayed in white and gold, his white beard reaching past his belt. As we moved into the village we could see twenty or thirty other soldiers watching the crowd. â€Å"Why are they here?† â€Å"They don't like it when we gather,† Joshua said, pausing to study the centurion commander. â€Å"They are here to see that we don't revolt.† â€Å"Why is the priest talking to him?† â€Å"The Sadducee wants to assure the Roman of his influence over us. It wouldn't do to have a massacre on the day of his mother's funeral.† â€Å"So he's watching out for us.† â€Å"He's watching out for himself. Only for himself.† â€Å"You shouldn't say that about a priest of the Temple, Joshua.† It was the first time I ever heard Joshua speak against the Sadducees, and it frightened me. â€Å"Today, I think this priest will learn who the Temple belongs to.† â€Å"I hate it when you talk like that, Josh. Maybe we should go home.† â€Å"Do you remember the dead meadowlark we found?† â€Å"I have a really bad feeling about this.† Joshua grinned at me. I could see gold flecks shining in his eyes. â€Å"Sing your dirge, Biff. I think Maggie was impressed by your singing.† â€Å"Really? You think so?† â€Å"Nope.† There was a crowd of five hundred outside the tomb. In the front, the men had draped striped shawls over their heads and rocked as they prayed. The women were separated to the back, and except for the wailing of the hired mourners, it was as if they didn't exist. I tried to catch a glimpse of Maggie, but couldn't see her through the crowd. When I turned again, Joshua had wormed his way to the front of the men, where the Sadducee stood beside the corpse of his dead mother, reading from a scroll of the Torah. The women had wrapped the corpse in linen and anointed it with fragrant oils. I could smell sandalwood and jasmine amid the acrid sweat of the mourners as I made my way to the front and stood by Joshua. He looked past the priest and was staring at the corpse, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He was trembling as if taken by a chill wind. The priest finished his reading and began to sing, joined by the voices of hired singers who had made the journey all the way from the Temple in Jerusalem. â€Å"It's good to be rich, huh?† I whispered to Joshua, elbowing him in the ribs. He ignored me and balled up his fists at his sides. A vein stood out on his forehead as he burned his gaze on the corpse. And she moved. Just a twitch at first. The jerk of her hand under the linen shroud. I think I was the only one who noticed. â€Å"No, Joshua, don't,† I said. I looked for the Romans, who were gathered in groups of five at different points around the perimeter of the crowd looking bored, their hands resting on the hafts of their short swords. The corpse twitched again and raised her arm. There was a gasp in the crowd and a boy screamed. The men started backing away and the women pushed forward to see what was happening. Joshua fell to his knees and pressed his fists to his temples. The priest sang on. The corpse sat up. The singers stopped and finally the priest turned to look behind him at his dead mother, who had swung her legs off of the slab and looked as if she was trying to stand. The priest stumbled back into the crowd, clawing at the air before his eyes as if it some vapor was causing this horrible vision. Joshua was rocking on his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks. The corpse stood, and still covered by the shroud, turned as if she was looking around. I could see that several of the Romans had drawn their swords. I looked around and found the commanding centurion standing on the back of a wagon, giving signals to his men to stay calm. When I looked back I realized that Joshua and I had been deserted by the mourners and we stood out in the empty space. â€Å"Stop it, now, Josh,† I whispered in his ear, but he continued to rock and concentrate on the corpse, who took her first step. The crowd seemed to be transfixed by the walking corpse, but we were too isolated, too alone now with the dead, and I knew it would only be seconds before they noticed Joshua rocking in the dirt. I threw my arm around his throat and dragged him back away from the corpse and into a group of men who were wailing as they backed away. â€Å"Is he all right?† I heard at my ear, and turned to see Maggie standing beside me. â€Å"Help me get him away.† Maggie took one of Joshua's arms and I took the other as we dragged him away. His body was as stiff as a walking staff, and he kept his gaze trained on the corpse. The dead woman was walking toward her son, the priest, who was backing away, brandishing the scroll like a sword, his eyes as big as saucers. Finally the woman fell in the dirt, twitched, then lay still. Joshua went limp in our arms. â€Å"Let's get him out of here,† I said to Maggie. She nodded and helped me drag him behind the wagon where the centurion was directing his troops. â€Å"Is he dead?† the centurion asked. Joshua was blinking as if he'd just been awakened from a deep sleep. â€Å"We're never sure, sir,† I said. The centurion threw his head back and laughed. His scale armor rattled with the tossing of his shoulders. He was older than the other soldiers, gray-haired, but obviously lean and strong, and totally unconcerned with the histrionics of the crowd. â€Å"Good answer, boy. What is your name?† â€Å"Biff, sir. Levi bar Alphaeus, who is called Biff, sir. Of Nazareth.† â€Å"Well, Biff, I am Gaius Justus Gallicus, under-commander of Sepphoris, and I think that you Jews should make sure your dead are dead before you bury them.† â€Å"Yes sir,† I said. â€Å"You, girl. You are a pretty little thing. What is your name?† I could see that Maggie was shaken by the attention of the Roman. â€Å"I am Mary of Magdala, sir.† She wiped at Joshua's brow with the edge of her shawl as she spoke. â€Å"You will break someone's heart someday, eh, little one?† Maggie didn't answer. But I must have shown some reaction to the question, because Justus laughed again. â€Å"Or perhaps she already has, eh, Biff?† â€Å"It is our way, sir. That's why we Jews bury our women when they are still alive. It cuts down on the heartbreak.† The Roman took off his helmet, ran his hand over his short hair, and flung sweat at me. â€Å"Go on, you two, get your friend into the shade. It's too hot out here for a sick boy. Go on.† Maggie and I helped Joshua to his feet and began to lead him away, but when we had gone only a few steps, Joshua stopped and looked back over his shoulder at the Roman. â€Å"Will you slay my people if we follow our God?† he shouted. I cuffed him on the back of the head. â€Å"Joshua, are you insane?† Justus narrowed his gaze at Joshua and the smile went out of his eyes. â€Å"Whatever they tell you, boy, Rome has only two rules: pay your taxes and don't rebel. Follow those and you'll stay alive.† Maggie yanked Joshua around and smiled back at the Roman. â€Å"Thank you, sir, we'll get him out of the sun.† Then she turned back to Joshua. â€Å"Is there something you two would like to tell me?† â€Å"It's not me,† I said. â€Å"It's him.† The next day we met the angel for the first time. Mary and Joseph said that Joshua had left the house at dawn and they hadn't seen him since. I wandered around the village most of the morning, looking for Joshua and hoping to run into Maggie. The square was alive with talk of the walking dead woman, but neither of my friends was to be found. At noon my mother recruited me to watch my little brothers while she went to work with the other women in the vineyard. She returned at dusk, smelling of sweat and sweet wine, her feet purple from walking in the winepress. Cut loose, I ran all over the hilltop, checking in our favorite places to play, and finally found Joshua on his knees in an olive grove, rocking back and forth as he prayed. He was soaked in sweat and I was afraid he might have a fever. Strange, I never felt that sort of concern for my own brothers, but from the beginning, Joshua filled me with divinely inspired worry. I watched, and waited, and when he stopped his rocking and sat back to rest, I faked a cough to let him know I was coming. â€Å"Maybe you should stick with lizards for a while longer.† â€Å"I failed. I have disappointed my father.† â€Å"Did he tell you that, or do you just know it?† He thought for a moment, made as if to brush his hair away from his face, then remembered that he no longer wore his hair long and dropped his hands in his lap. â€Å"I ask for guidance, but I get no answer. I can feel that I am supposed to do things, but I don't know what. And I don't know how.† â€Å"I don't know, I think the priest was surprised. I certainly was. Maggie was. People will be talking about it for months.† â€Å"But I wanted the woman to live again. To walk among us. To tell of the miracle.† â€Å"Well, it is written, two out of three ain't bad.† â€Å"Where is that written?† â€Å"Dalmatians 9:7, I think – doesn't matter, no one else could have done what you did.† Joshua nodded. â€Å"What are people saying?† â€Å"They think that it was something the women used to prepare the corpse. They are still going through purification for two more days, so no one can ask them.† â€Å"So they don't know that it was me?† â€Å"I hope not. Joshua, don't you understand that you can't do that sort of thing in front of people? They aren't ready for it.† â€Å"But most of them want it. They talk about the Messiah coming to deliver us all the time. Don't I have to show them that he has come?† What do you say to that? He was right, since I could remember there was always talk of the coming of the Messiah, of the coming of the kingdom of God, of the liberation of our people from the Romans – the hills were full of different factions of Zealots who skirmished with the Romans in hope that they could bring about the change. We were the chosen of God, blessed and punished like no other on earth. When the Jews spoke, God listened, now it was God's turn to speak. Evidently, my best friend was supposed to be the mouthpiece. But at that moment, I just didn't believe it. Despite what I'd seen, Joshua was my pal, not the Messiah. I said, â€Å"I'm pretty sure the Messiah is supposed to have a beard.† â€Å"So, it's not time yet, is that what you're saying?† â€Å"Right, Josh, I'm going to know when you don't. God sent a messenger to me and he said, ‘By the way, tell Joshua to wait until he can shave before he leads my people out of bondage.'† â€Å"It could happen.† â€Å"Don't ask me, ask God.† â€Å"That's what I've been doing. He's not answering.† It had been getting darker by the minute in the olive grove, and I could barely see the shine in Josh's eyes, but suddenly the area around us was lit up like daylight. We looked up to see the dreaded Raziel descending on us from above the treetops. Of course I didn't know he was the dreaded Raziel at the time, I was just terrified. The angel shone like a star above us, his features so perfect that even my beloved Maggie's beauty paled by comparison. Joshua hid his face and huddled against the trunk of an olive tree. I guess he was more easily surprised by the supernatural than I was. I just stood there staring with my mouth open, drooling like the village idiot. â€Å"Fear not, for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all men. For on this day, in the city of David, is born a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.† Then he hovered for a second, waiting for his message to sink in. Joshua uncovered his face and risked a glance at the angel. â€Å"Well?† the angel said. It took me a second to digest the meaning of the words, and I waited for Joshua to say something, but he had turned his face skyward and seemed to be basking in the light, a silly smile locked on his face. Finally I pointed a thumb at Josh and said, â€Å"He was born in the city of David.† â€Å"Really?† said the angel. â€Å"Yep.† â€Å"His mother's name is Mary?† â€Å"Yep.† â€Å"She a virgin?† â€Å"He has four brothers and sisters now, but at one time, yes.† The angel looked around nervously, as if he might expect a multitude of the heavenly host to show up at some point. â€Å"How old are you, kid?† Joshua just stared, smiling. â€Å"He's ten.† The angel cleared his throat and fidgeted a bit, dropping a few feet toward the ground as he did so. â€Å"I'm in a lot of trouble. I stopped to chat with Michael on the way here, he had a deck of cards. I knew some time had passed, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  To Joshua he said, â€Å"Kid, were you born in a stable? Wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger?† Joshua said nothing. â€Å"That's the way his mom tells it,† I said. â€Å"Is he retarded?† â€Å"I think you're his first angel. He's impressed, I think.† â€Å"What about you?† â€Å"I'm in trouble because I'm going to be an hour late for dinner.† â€Å"I see what you mean. I'd better get back and check on this. If you see some shepherds watching over their flocks by night would you tell them – uh, tell them – that at some point, probably, oh – ten years or so ago, that a Savior was born? Could you do that?† â€Å"Sure.† â€Å"Okey-dokey. Glory to God in the highest. Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.† â€Å"Right back at you.† â€Å"Thanks. Bye.† And as quickly as he had come, the angel was gone in a shooting star and the olive grove went dark again. I could just make out Joshua's face as he turned to look at me. â€Å"There you go,† I said. â€Å"Next question?† I suppose that every boy wonders what he will be when he grows up. I suppose that many watch their peers accomplish great things and wonder, â€Å"Could I have done that?† For me, to know at ten that my best friend was the Messiah, while I would live and die a stonecutter, seemed too much of a curse for a ten-year-old to bear. The morning after we met the angel, I went to the square and sat with Bartholomew the village idiot, hoping that Maggie would come to the well. If I had to be a stonecutter, at least I might have the love of an enchanting woman. In those days, we started training for our life's work at ten, then received the prayer shawl and phylacteries at thirteen, signifying our entry into manhood. Soon after we were expected to be betrothed, and by fourteen, married and starting a family. So you see, I was not too young to consider Maggie as a wife (and I might always have the fallback position of marrying Joshua's mother when Joseph died). The women would come and go, fetching water, washing clothes, and as the sun rose high and the square cleared, Bartholomew sat in the shade of a tattered date palm and picked his nose. Maggie never appeared. Funny how easy heartbreak can come. I've always had a talent for it. â€Å"Why you cry?† said Bartholomew. He was bigger than any man in the village, his hair and beard were wild and tangled, and the yellow dust that covered him from head to toe gave him the appearance of an incredibly stupid lion. His tunic was ragged and he wore no sandals. The only thing he owned was a wooden bowl that he ate from and licked clean. He lived off of the charity of the village, and by gleaning the grain fields (there was always some grain left in the fields for the poor – it was dictated by the Law). I never knew how old he was. He spent his days in the square, playing with the village dogs, giggling to himself, and scratching his crotch. When the women passed he would stick out his tongue and say, â€Å"Bleh.† My mother said he had the mind of a child. As usual, she was wrong. He put his big paw on my shoulder and rubbed, leaving a dusty circle of affection on my shirt. â€Å"Why you cry?† he asked again. â€Å"I'm just sad. You wouldn't understand.† Bartholomew looked around, and when he saw that we were alone in the square except for his dog pals, he said, â€Å"You think too much. Thinking will bring you nothing but suffering. Be simple.† â€Å"What?† It was the most coherent thing I'd ever heard him say. â€Å"Do you ever see me cry? I have nothing, so I am slave to nothing. I have nothing to do, so nothing makes me its slave.† â€Å"What do you know?† I snapped. â€Å"You live in the dirt. You are unclean! You do nothing. I have to begin working next week, and work for a lifetime until I die with a broken back. The girl I want is in love with my best friend, and he's the Messiah. I'm nothing, and you, you – you're an idiot.† â€Å"No, I'm not, I'm a Greek. A Cynic.† I turned and really looked at him. His eyes, normally as dull as mud, shone like black jewels in the dusty desert of his face. â€Å"What's a Cynic?† â€Å"A philosopher. I am a student of Diogenes. You know Diogenes?† â€Å"No, but how much could he have taught you? Your only friends are dogs.† â€Å"Diogenes went about Athens with a lamp in broad daylight, holding it in people's faces, saying he was looking for an honest man.† â€Å"So, he was like the prophet of the idiots?† â€Å"No, no, no.† Bart picked up a small terrier and was gesturing with him to make his point. The dog seemed to enjoy it. â€Å"They were all fooled by their culture. Diogenes taught that all affectations of modern life were false, that a man must live simply, outdoors, carry nothing, make no art, no poetry, no religion†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Like a dog,† I said. â€Å"Yes!† Bart described a flourish in the air with the rat dog. â€Å"Exactly!† The little dog made as if to upchuck from the motion. Bart put him down and he wobbled away. A life without worry: right then it sounded wonderful. I mean, I didn't want to live in the dirt and have other people think me mad, like Bartholomew, but a dog's life really didn't sound bad. The idiot had been hiding a deep wisdom all these years. â€Å"I'm trying to learn to lick my own balls,† Bart said. Maybe not. â€Å"I have to go find Joshua.† â€Å"You know he is the Messiah, don't you?† â€Å"Wait a minute, you're not a Jew – I thought you didn't believe in any religion.† â€Å"The dogs told me he was the Messiah. I believe them. Tell Joshua I believe them.† â€Å"The dogs told you?† â€Å"They're Jewish dogs.† â€Å"Right, let me know how the ball licking works out.† â€Å"Shalom.† Who would have thought that Joshua would find his first apostle among the dirt and dogs of Nazareth. Bleh. I found Joshua at the synagogue, listening to the Pharisees lecture on the Law. I stepped through the group of boys sitting on the floor and whispered to him. â€Å"Bartholomew says that he knows you are the Messiah.† â€Å"The idiot? Did you ask him how long he's known?† â€Å"He says the village dogs told him.† â€Å"I never thought to ask the dogs.† â€Å"He says that we should live simply, like dogs, carry nothing, no affectations – whatever that means.† â€Å"Bartholomew said that? Sounds like an Essene. He's much smarter than he looks.† â€Å"He's trying to learn to lick his own balls.† â€Å"I'm sure there's something in the Law that forbids that. I'll ask the rabbi.† â€Å"I'm not sure you want to bring that up to the Pharisee.† â€Å"Did you tell your father about the angel?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Good. I've spoken to Joseph, he's going to let me learn to be a stonecutter with you. I don't want your father to change his mind about teaching me. I think the angel would frighten him.† Joshua looked at me for the first time, turning from the Pharisee, who droned on in Hebrew. â€Å"Have you been crying?† â€Å"Me? No, Bart's stench made my eyes water.† Joshua put his hand on my forehead and all the sadness and trepidation seemed to drain out of me in an instant. He smiled. â€Å"Better?† â€Å"I'm jealous of you and Maggie.† â€Å"That can't be good for your neck.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Trying to lick your own balls. It's got to be hard on your neck.† â€Å"Did you hear me? I'm jealous of you and Maggie.† â€Å"I'm still learning, Biff. There are things I don't understand yet. The Lord said, ‘I am a jealous God.' So jealousy should be a good thing.† â€Å"But it makes me feel so bad.† â€Å"You see the puzzle, then? Jealousy makes you feel bad, but God is jealous, so it must be good, yet when a dog licks its balls it seems to enjoy it, but it must be bad under the Law.† Suddenly Joshua was yanked to his feet by the ear. The Pharisee glared at him. â€Å"Is the Law of Moses too boring for you, Joshua bar Joseph?† â€Å"I have a question, Rabbi,† Joshua said. â€Å"Oh, jeez.† I hid my head in my arms.

Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen: Perspective on Religion

In the 1920s, the somewhat genteel world of American poetry was shaken to its foundations when the Harlem Renaissance started. During those times, all over the United States, there was an outburst of strong black voices, writing with African-American cadences and rhythms. Moreover, during that period, generally different and diverse subject matters and styles subsisted in poetry. Furthermore, the blues and jazz clubs in Harlem served as an opportunity for the up-and-coming Black writers who wrote to increase the awareness of the Negro people and inculcate pride in their African heritage. Among these writers were Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes. These writers employed the political, religious, and social facets of the African American happenings as springboard for poetic illustration. Nevertheless, these two writers differ in their life influences, style, and language usage. A proclaimed poet of the Harlem Renaissance, Countee Cullen, uses his poem, Yet Do I Marvel, to send a very strong and passionate message. The poem is a first-person monologue in which a Black poet, indistinguishable from Cullen, voices doubt and confusion about the world, about the relationship between God and man, and about this particular poet's place in the world. No audience is addressed directly. The poet begins by professing his belief in a God who is all-good, good-intentioned and almighty. He also affirms that God has reasons for everything that happens in the world, even if these reasons are often difficult for humans to understand. In particular, the poet wonders why such an all-good Supreme Being could allow things like physical disabilities and death. In the two quatrains the poet observes several examples of worldly imperfection. He mentions the blindness of the mole and the mortality of human flesh. He also refers to the never- ending punishments of two figures from Greek mythology: Tantalus, plagued by unquenchable hunger and thirst in the midst of unreachable food and drink; and Sisyphus, faced with the impossible task of rolling uphill a rock which ontinuously slips back to the starting-point before the task is finished. In the sextet the poet wonders whether there is any way to explain the blindness of the mole, the punishments of Tantalus and Sisyphus or the death of human beings and decides that only God has a satisfactory explanation for these worldly imperfections. The ways of God are beyond understanding and human beings are too distracted by the everyday cares of life to see reason behind the migh ty hands of God. The poet does not mention that he is Black until the final couplet. The â€Å"I† at the beginning of the poem is an anonymous human. At the end of the poem this â€Å"I† proudly reveals himself to be not only a poet, but a Black poet. This revelation transforms the poem from a general comment upon the human experience to personal reflection. Of all the incomprehensible actions of God, the most amazing for the poet to understand is that God made him both a poet and Black. The strong mood of religious reflection in this poem stems in large part from the central position of the Christian church in the culture of Afro-Americans. Intensity of religious fervor and a vivid sense of divine anthropomorphism are common themes in the poetry of Black American poets. A second important theme for Cullen is his race. Blackness is a focal point of the poem. It is the last of a series of imponderables in the human condition. On the one hand, the poet's black skin is included in the same category as the blindness of the mole or the punishments of Tantalus and Sisyphus. It is another example of the mysterious ways of a God who inexplicably made humans of different skin color. On the other hand, the blackness of the poet is a source of pride, a gift of that Almighty Creator whose ways are always right. Thus Cullen, a poet of the Harlem Renaissance in the early part of the twentieth century, was asserting the mysterious beauty of black skin long before the Civil Rights movement made Black pride fashionable later in the century. At the same time, Cullen's experience as a Black man is set in the context of his role as a poet. He is a poet made Black, not a Black made a poet. Like his black skin, Cullen's poetic talent is a mysterious source of both pain and joy. This poet who fashions a highly polished poem filled with sophisticated allusion is, at the same time, a member of an oppressed race often denied the opportunity to acquire such erudition and poetic skill. Indeed, Cullen emphasizes the involuntary nature of his poetry. He did not choose to be a poet any more than he chose to be Black. It was God who made him both a poet and Black. It is God who commands him to sing. The poet cannot help himself anymore than he could change the color of his skin. The source of his poetic power is divine and lies outside him. While some poets find this source in nature or in the personal subconscious, Cullen attributes this power to the Supreme Being who dominates this poem. Cullen's insistence upon the divine inspiration of the poet is appropriate in a poem which combines themes from Classical and Biblical sources, for both traditions affirm the ability of supernatural beings to speak through humans. The Greeks called these deities of inspiration Muses while the Biblical God inspires prophets with warnings for humans. A similar God bids Cullen to sing. In the end, the poem offers more than the personal perspective of a Black poet. It speaks not just of the Black condition but of the human condition. All humans feel the irony of a life filled with petty cares, with mysteries, with struggle and with death, but a life brimming with the marvel of God's great deeds, with the excitement of divine inspiration, and with an appreciation for the beauty of a poem well made. Langston Hughes was one of the first black men to express the spirit of blues and jazz into words. An African American Hughes became a well known poet, novelist, journalist, and playwright. Because his father immigrated to Mexico and his mother was often away, Hughes was brought up in Lawrence, Kansas, by his grandmother Mary Langston. Her second husband (Hughes's grandfather) was a fierce abolitionist. She helped Hughes to see the cause of social justice. As a lonely child Hughes turned to reading and writing, publishing his first poems while in high school in Cleveland, Ohio. The speaker in â€Å"The Negro Speaks of River† delivers his claims in a cosmic voice that extends throughout all time and space. This voice includes all peoples. Hughes' ancestry included three major race groups; he lived as an African-American (Hughes referred to himself as â€Å"colored† or â€Å"Negro,† because he was writing before the term â€Å"African-American† was accepted widely); his parents were African-Americans. But Hughes' interests far exceeded racial limitations. He embraced all of life. He suffered the color-line, when racism was strong in early twentieth-century America, but he rose above racial hatred and felt love and compassion for all races. His acceptance is especially evident in â€Å"The Negro Speaks of River† spoken by a cosmic voice that includes and unites all people. The poem begins, â€Å"I've known rivers: / I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the / flow of human blood in human veins. † The river symbolizes the linkage of all human life from the earliest time to the present. He continues naming rivers that represent the history of Western culture. From the Euphrates to the Mississippi, the history of mankind from Biblical times to the period of the American Civil War is represented. The Euphrates is considered the cradle of Western civilization. The speaker of the poem claims to have â€Å"bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young. Thus the cosmic voice begins at the origin of civilization. The speaker then moves westward to the Congo claiming, â€Å"I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep. † Here he focuses on the African experience, as he does in the following line, â€Å"I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it. † Neither claim limits the voice to a black voice, becau se the white and yellow races have lived along the Congo and were among the slaves employed by the ancient Egyptians in constructing the pyramids. Hughes' cosmic voice unites the races in one cosmic person. He highlights the American experience claiming, â€Å"I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln / went down to New Orleans . . . .† Lincoln reminds us of the process of emancipation of slaves, and the Mississippi River symbolizes the human blood of all races. The speaker repeats â€Å"My soul has grown deep like the rivers. † Because the soul is the life force of the body, the stream of energy, the person who recognizes that his soul has grown deep recognizes his own identity. In this poem the river symbolizes the link of mankind as the blood in the body is believed to be linked because we are all children of God, and thus we have the common ancestry originating with Adam and Eve, the symbolical first parents. The cosmic speaker portrays selfhood and recognizes his roots, his identity as a child of not only one set of biological parents but as a child of the cosmos (or of God), and he is linked with all humanity, all races, all creeds for all time through the depth of his own soul. Susan Glaspell lived in a time where the most evident social issue was the inequality between men and women, and that women greatly relied on men in order to live. Glaspell, as a budding writer and feminist, tried to prove them wrong by writing plays regarding the freedom of women against the gender roles that the society dictates. With the help of her husband and friends, she started the Provincetown Players, where they are able to experiment on new plays which explores sensitive social issues like gender inequality. Glaspell’s Trifles is a good example of these plays. This play depicts the role of women in the society during the time it was made. During that time, men are still considered to be superior to women. It is also the time when men usually undermines the capabilities of women, as well as question their decision-making ways . The play showed how women were usually ruled by their emotions and intuitions, which they used to successfully unmask the case . The story revolves around the case of the murdered John Wright, who was strangled with a rope while he sleeps in his farmhouse. The main suspect was his was wife, Minnie Wright, who was already arrested and is not portrayed in the play anymore. The problem of the characters would be to prove whether Minnie Wright was really guilty of murdering her husband. Susan Glaspell was born on the late 19th century, where women are not yet recognized as equals of men. Her writing style is influenced by her Midwestern background. The first career she took after graduation was a reporting job for a daily newspaper. The play Trifles was based on an actual murder case that she has worked on during her days as a reporter. After she quit her work as a reporter, she began writing fiction novels. Susan Glaspell became open to radical ideas when she met George Cook, a married man from Davenport. She was able to work on the traditional gender roles, just like what is being tackled on Trifles. Glaspell and Cook developed an affair, and were married afterwards. With Cook being a nonconformist, Glaspell was able to freely do what society restricts her to do because of her gender and class. It was also through Cook and some of her friends that she was able to exercise her literary freedom and come up with plays that talk about societal issues of her time. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a self-proclaimed philosopher, writer, educator and an intellectual activist of the women's movement from the late 1890's through the mid-1920's. She demanded equal treatment for women as the best means to advance society's progress. She was an extraordinary woman who waged a lifelong battle against the restrictive social codes for women in late nineteenth-century America. â€Å"The Yellow Wall-Paper†, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, reflects women's role in the Nineteenth Century. Women were controlled by their husbands and other men. Women did not have much social life. Women did not have any. Gilman uses many complex symbols, such as, the house, the bedroom, and the wallpaper to forces on the major theme of the story. The story is an interpretation how women are oppressed by males in society. Gilman attempts to reveal this oppression through her use of male imposed confinement. One woman's struggle with both mental and physical confinement represents the greater battles between women and men. Confinement represents classic male oppression and the woman represents all women and their struggle to break free from male dominance. The significance of the confinement is seen in both the vivid descriptions which symbolize the male dominance and the woman's subsequent reaction to this incarceration. The yellow wallpaper paints a distinct picture of confinement in both the physical and symbolic sense. Physically the house itself serves to lead to feelings of isolation. It represents the classic institution, that part of society which attempts to constrain the individual. Symbolically the narrator being confined to the room by her husband is representative of opportunity to see the oppressive society in its truest light. Within the pattern the narrator sees nursery complete with â€Å"rings and things† in the walls and a bed nailed to the floor. It is in this men had over women, the ability to ensure a woman's dependence on a man through exerting the began to tear down the walls of female oppression that exist to this day. She broke free from the confinement that suffocated her and for a moment showed society its greatest flaw, inequality. Completely in the end as her insanity dominates her, she does begin the process, a process which his wife to the nursery John exercised this dominance over his wife. The story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is about a woman who fights for her right to express what she wants, and fights for her right for freedom. The story also shows the uneven balance of power between husband and wife in the Nineteen Century. Gilman uses many symbols to show the readers women's social condition, lives, and all unfair treatment they had in the Nineteenth Century at different level of scopes. By using symbols, Gilman represents the effect of the oppression of women in society in late the Nineteenth Century. This story is primarily existential in nature. Gilman believes that with the fight, she can be free; all women can get freedom from the male dominated world. From her story, she does not agree women have to accept the unfair truth. She believed women can change their own situation. Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois, both early advocates of the civil rights movement, offered solutions to the discrimination experienced by black men and women in the nineteenth and twentieth century. Despite having that in common, the two men had polar approaches to that goal. Washington, a man condoning economic efficiency had a more gradual approach as opposed to Du Bois, whose course involved immediate and total equality both politically and economically. For the time period, Washington overall offers a more effective and appropriate proposition for the time whereas Du Bois's approach is precedent to movements in the future. Both have equal influence over African Americans in politics. Washington's proposal excels in reference to education while Du Bois can be noted for achieving true respect from white Americans. Du Bois urged African Americans to involve themselves in politics. Gaining this power would be essential to immediate beseeching of rights. Political association would prevent blacks from falling behind because â€Å"when the Negro found himself deprived of influence in politics, therefore, and at the same time unprepared to participate in the higher functions in the industrial development which this country began to undergo, it soon became evident to him that he was losing ground in the basic things of life† (Doc I). Du Bois also directly challenged Washington when he stated â€Å"that the way for a people to gain their reasonable rights is a not by voluntarily throwing them away and insisting that they do not want them† (Doc E). W. E. B. Du Bois goes on to criticize that â€Å"that the principles of democratic government are losing ground, and caste distinctions are growing in all directions† (Doc F). All of these political demands are comprehensible but Du Bois desired a radical change; â€Å"Negroes must insist continually, in season and out of season† (Doc E). This is close to nagging, which was surely unfavorable among primarily white politicians. The effectiveness of perpetual complaining would steadily decrease. Washington avoids political involvement which in general is a neutral action neither promoting nor causing defacement of the Negro population. In 1880 the percentage of 5-19 year olds enrolled in school for whites was approximately 60% while the percent of blacks was roughly half that, which was a vast improvement over just thirty years before when black enrollment was around zero (Doc A). Although black students appear to be bettering themselves, it is still quite unfortunate; there may be more black students enrolled but their education system was still below that of white folk. This in effect explains why the illiteracy rate of the white population was at 10% while the percentage of the black population unable to read sky-lined at 60% (Doc B). Both Washington and Du Bois recognized the gap but took completely different approaches to achieve a remedy and also had differing views of what necessary education was. Washington believed that if blacks focused their attention on striving economically they would eventually be given the rights they deserved. To do this, he encouraged attending trade schools like the ones which he worked with. The Tuskegee Institute of Alabama, which he founded, was where â€Å"no time [was] wasted on dead languages or superfluous studies of any kind†. Then he proposed working either industrially or agriculturally since their education would be based on â€Å"what is practical† and â€Å"what would best fit [the] young people for the work life† (Doc G). Du Bois, on the other hand, had grown up well rounded culturally. A historian specializing in the history of blacks and a renowned sociologist, at the age of 93 he became a member of the communist party and exiled himself to Africa. Du Bois had high hopes for the â€Å"Talented Tenth†: after thorough education they could succeed. The fight for first class citizenship could be earned through the university educated Negro through the court systems. Although it is a well thought out solution, the number of black college students enrolled was still quite low at the time. He believed along with others, â€Å"that industrial education [would] not stand [African Americans] in place of political, civil, and intellectual liberty† (Doc H). It is true that being cultured is important but for the time, labor was the necessity and would bring supposed status. W. E. B Du Bois, however, is able to surpass Washington in the area of overall respect and morality concerning white folk. Booker T. Washington made a point that if blacks could prove themselves useful, they could achieve their rights. Washington stated, â€Å"No race that has anything to contribute to the markets of the world is long in any degree ostracized. It is important and right that all privileges of the laws be ours, but it is vastly more important that we be prepared for the exercise of those privileges. The opportunity to earn a dollar in a factory just now is worth infinitely more than the opportunity to spend a dollar in an opera house†. In theory, Washington concluded that in order for African Americans to succeed, it was imperative for them to befriend the white men. Only then would the struggle for blacks end. He continually sounds of begging when stating to the white men: â€Å"Casting down your bucket among my people, helping and encouraging them as you are doing on these grounds and to education of head, hand, and heart†¦ While doing this you can be sure in the future, as in the past, that you and your families will be surrounded by the most patient, faithful, law-abiding, and unresentful people that the world has seen†. All this had been said in his Atlanta Compromise Address in 1895 (Doc D). It was also apparent to everyone African American who did not totally agree with Washington's idea that this was a sign of submission for the black race. The submissive part was, if none else, the fact that we were to accept that black people were going to continue to use their hands as a means to be productive to a white society. Many blacks turned away from such a statement and this is where W. E. B. Du Bois came to relieve them. Although Fortune stated, â€Å"It is impossible to estimate the value of such a man† (Doc G), Du Bois rejected the philosophy of Booker T. Washington declaring that he was â€Å"condemning their race to manual labor and perpetual inferiority†. He argues â€Å"that the way for a people to gain respect is not by continually belittling and ridiculing themselves† (Doc E). The De Facto segregation, such as a separate water fountain â€Å"for colored only† (Doc J) proposed by Washington did alleviate white and black tension but nonetheless was degrading. He presents that â€Å"the wisest among my race understand that the agitation of questions of social equality is the extremest folly, and that progress in the enjoyment of all the privileges that will come to us must be the result of severe and constant struggle rather than of artificial forcing† (Doc D). Barnett criticized that â€Å"[Washington], one of the most noted of their own race should join with the enemies† (Doc H). Such attitudes from Washington could truly be appreciated by Southern whites who in no way would want to be equivalent to a Negro. Although both men approached the topic differently, the advancement of civil rights would not be as far along today if it were not for both simultaneous views. Each needed the other to achieve his agenda. However, the most experienced in dealing with the sensitivity of the prejudices was Washington. He seemingly knew what buttons to push and how far he could push them. Curiously, the year Washington gave his Atlanta Compromise Address in 1895, the number of blacks lynched dropped from 170 the previous year to just above 120. It is also interesting to note that after Du Bois gave his speech about The Niagara Movement in 1905, the numbers began to steadily increase again (Doc C, D, F). Du Bois' approach of â€Å"ceaseless agitation, unfailing exposure of dishonesty and wrong† (Doc F) was not ready for the time where Washington is more rational in his gradual approach.

Online Degrees Grow in Popularity and Prominence

Until recently, an online degree was more likely to be associated with a diploma mill than a legitimate institution of higher education. Granted, in some cases, this reputation was well-earned. Many for-profit online schools are unaccredited and have been the target of federal investigations and lawsuits as a result of their fraudulent practices, which include charging outrageous fees and promising jobs they can’t deliver. However, many of those schools have been driven out of business. And now, online degrees and certificates are becoming more popular with students and employers. What’s responsible for the change in perception? Prestigious schools Such Ivy League schools as Yale, Harvard, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, and Dartmouth offer either online degrees or certificates. Some of the many other top-rated schools with online programs include MIT, RIT, Stanford, USC, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Purdue, and Penn State. â€Å"More prestigious universities are embracing the online degree,† according to Dr. Corinne Hyde,  assistant professor for USC Rossier’s online masters in teaching degree. Hyde tells ThoughtCo, â€Å"We now see top-ranked schools taking their degree programs online and delivering very high quality content that is equivalent to, if not in some cases better than, what they’re delivering on the ground.† So, what’s the lure of online education to top schools? Patrick Mullane, executive director of Harvard Business School’s HBX, tells ThoughtCo, â€Å"Universities see online education as a way to broaden their reach and more effectively fulfill their missions.† He explains, â€Å"They see mounting evidence that when online programs are done well, they can be as effective as in-person education.† Natural progression of technology As digital technology becomes more ubiquitous, consumers expect their learning options to reflect this level of pervasiveness. â€Å"More people in all demographics are comfortable  with  the on-demand nature of technology and the quality of product or service it can deliver,† Mullane says. â€Å"If we can buy stocks, order food, get a ride, purchase insurance, and speak to a computer that will turn on our living room lights, then why can’t we learn in a way very different from how most learned in the past?† Convenience Technology has also produced an expectation of convenience, and this is one of the primary benefits of an online education. â€Å"From the student’s perspective, there is a massive appeal to being able to pursue a desirable degree without having to pick up and move across the country, or even without having to commute across town,† Hyde explains. â€Å"These degrees are generally highly flexible in terms of where students can be while completing the work, and they offer access to the same high-quality resources and faculty that students would receive if they were in a brick and mortar classroom.† While juggling school with work and other demands is challenging at best, it’s obviously easier when not tethered to a physical class that is offered at times that are set in stone. Quality Online programs have also evolved in terms of quality and implementation. â€Å"Some people immediately think of impersonal, asynchronous courses when they hear ‘online degree,’ but that couldn’t be further from the truth,† Hyde says. â€Å"I have taught online for eight years and build outstanding relationships with my students.† Using  webcams, she sees her students live for weekly class sessions and routinely has one-on-one video conferences when not in class. In fact, Hyde believes that online education provides greater opportunities for connecting with her pupils. â€Å"I can see the environment in which students are learning – I meet their kids and their pets – and I engage in conversation and application of the concepts to their own lives.† While she might not meet her students in person until the commencement program, Hyde says she has developed relationships with them long before then – and often, these relationships continue afterward. â€Å"I work very hard to create a true community of learners in the classroom by engaging in deep, thoughtful conversation, mentoring them in their work, and staying connected with them on social media once my class is complete. Learning Approaches Online programs are as diverse as the schools that offer them. However, some colleges and universities have taken online learning to another level. For example, HBX focuses on active learning. â€Å"As in a Harvard Business School classroom, there are no long, drawn-out faculty-led lectures,† Mullane says. â€Å"Our online business courses are designed to keep learners engaged throughout the learning process.† What does active learning entail at HBX? â€Å"Open responses† is one of the exercises that allows students to think through decisions as though they were the business leader in a given situation, and describe the choices they would make. â€Å"Interactive exercises like random cold calls, polls, interactive demonstrations of concepts, and quizzes, are other ways HBX utilizes active learning.† Students also take advantage of technology platforms to ask and answer questions among themselves, in addition to having their own private Facebook and LinkedIn groups to engage with each other. Just in case learning Even when students don’t pursue an online degree program, they can get advanced training that can often lead to career advancement or meet the requirements of an employer. â€Å"More and more students are turning to online credential or certificate programs to learn a specific skillset, rather than going back to school for a master’s program or second bachelor’s,† Mullane says. â€Å"A colleague of mine has called this shift one from  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœjust in case learning’ (which is characterized by the traditional multi-discipline degree) to  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢just in time learning’ (which is characterized by shorter and more focused courses that deliver specific skills).† MicroMasters are an example of credentials for employees who have a bachelor’s degree and might not want to pursue a full-blown graduate degree.    Check out this list of the most popular online degrees.