Thursday, October 31, 2019

Position of Women in Society in a Doll's House Essay

Position of Women in Society in a Doll's House - Essay Example In A Doll’s House, Ibsen explores the realism of women’s social position. Nora enjoys a doll’s roles and attitudes, until she learns that a doll’s life is neither appealing nor fulfilling. This paper analyzes the symbolisms and theme of A Doll’s House. Symbolisms, as well as Nora’s and Torvald’s characters, depict the theme of women’s position in society as dolls, which Nora reverses as she reclaims her humanity. One of the strongest symbolisms in the play is the house, which represents the only private space where women actively work, but also remain duly suppressed as genuine actors of society. The title itself talks about a doll’s house. Nora seems to be playing the lead role, since girls play with dolls and she is seen as a mere girl by all men in her life. But Kashdan underscores that she is not an actor, but a doll inside this house, where men see women as: â€Å"†¦dolls to be housed in toy mansions and be ind ulged, but only sparingly† (Kashdan 3). Nora is one of the dolls in society that must be controlled. Men are the ones who do the controlling. When they marry, they treat their wives like dolls that they put into their houses. Men, as traditional breadwinners, own these houses. They are masters, while their wives are followers, most often than not, they are slaves. Before, Nora enjoys being in this house. The house stands for her feminine domestic duties, which she dutifully follows. Gillian Brown calls this as the â€Å"domestic cult of true womanhood† (Lee 623). Nora’s main goal is to create and maintain a â€Å"beautiful, happy home† (Ibsen Act 1). Later on, Nora becomes the breadwinner of the house to make ends meet- a gender role reversal. She is supposed to stay inside the house, a prisoner of the private space where women can only exist with the secondary social roles in life. Torvald, however, does not appreciate his wife’s sacrifices and eff orts. For him, this house is his house to control alone. As Monrad points out that Monrad believes in nature: â€Å"†¦nature, which again is the creation of God, for ever given and unalterable† (Langas 150). Torvald does not want altered gender roles, because it threatens his power and superiority. The door and Tarantella dance represent Nora’s way out of her doll-like existence and an entry into her humanization. One of the ways that Nora humanizes herself is when she diverges from her doll’s roles. Lee says: â€Å"Nora’s ‘humanity’ relies on a sense that she is the exclusive owner of herself, her body and her work† (623). She becomes independent when she takes matters into her own hand and uses lies to save Torvald’s ego and life. Then, she also secretly works and earns money, another act of defiance and autonomy. Nora, however, is not yet aware of her humanity. She does not even use the word human being to describe herse lf until Act 3. During this time, she says: â€Å"I believe that before all else I am a reasonable human being, just as you are--or, at all events, that I must try and become one† (Ibsen Act 3). When she closes the door, she takes control of her life as a human being. MacPherson stresses that people reach their selfhood through their freedom, and Lee interprets this that for Nora, it entails being a â€Å"proprietor of her own capacity (624). She becomes a person, a human being with free will and civil liberties. Nora’

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Impact of New Technologies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Impact of New Technologies - Assignment Example This fact is applicable to art as well and not only in the disciplines. Just like conventional methods of creating art, digital artists require time fulfil their goals and accomplish masterpieces. For instance, Andrew Liszewski reveals how 3-D scanning can upgrade Renaissance cultures. Liszewski describes the entire creation as a â€Å"painstakingly long computer-controlled milling procedure† (Liszewski 2014). The same description is relatively applicable to traditional artworks such as Leonardo da Vinci’s â€Å"Monalisa† and Michelangelo’s painting â€Å"The Creation of Adam,† which took several years to complete. Tangibility has often been a pivotal aspect of art but is no longer a main concern. Digital techniques are a disruptive innovation in the field of art ITN (Source 2007). However, this technology does not disrupt their fineness in comparison with traditional methods of creating art. One can easily compare 3-D scanning and conventional methods of creating art to achieve a critical analysis both formal arts. However, competing both forms of art makes it difficult to justify the digital methods of creating art. Barry X Ball’s final product is helpful because original sculpture lost a number of elements over the years (Museum of Arts and Design 2013). This effort makes the ready scanning artist’s creation and almost necessary endeavor for admirers of the original sculpture. Whether the above artists’ works are used in graphic projects or for commercial reasons is important. When 3-D scanning or digital methods are used to create art, the products are considered applied arts. As a result, proponents of traditional methods of creating art would argue that such applied arts are not at par with traditional works of art. For example, Barry X Ball employs a different style of art with different methods in contrast to the creator of the original sculpture. Ball uses art concepts used

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Consumer Buying Behavior: Digital Marketing

Consumer Buying Behavior: Digital Marketing A very important aspect related to the online marketing is its ability to contact potential customers irrespective of time and location. A major transformation has occurred due to the evolution of the mobile phone. Mobile marketing has been defined as the utilization of a medium that is wireless to ensure that consumers have access to information that is real time-based, location-sensitive and personalized, which aims towards promoting products, services, and ideas, thus proving beneficial for all stakeholders (Robinson, Wysocka, Hand, 2007). According to (Shukla, 2010) mobile marketing will prove to be extremely popular on account of the fact that the mobile phone will be used as a personal device. Mobile commerce has been the outcome of the swift development of the mobile phone. ]]]/|}|}Definitions related to mobile commerce alike in all existent literature. Mobile commerce transactions refer to all transactions conducted through a mobile communication network using monetary values. According to Robinson, Wysocka and Hand, (2007) (Robinson, Wysocka, Hand, 2007) any e-commerce transaction that uses the media of mobile devices and that is conducted through wireless telecommunication networks and other wired e-commerce technologies may be termed mobile commerce. According to Frolick and Chen, (2004) (Frolick Chen, 2004) mobile commerce maybe defined as any form of mobile communication that occurs between a business and its customer. Dholakia and Dholakia opine that mobile commerce is used to carry out electronic commerce-transactions throuvgh mobile phones and wireless terminals. Finally, (Balasubramanian, Peterson, Jarvenpaa, 2002)define any transaction that is carried out over a wireless telecommunication network, either directly or indirectly, as mobile commerce. Thus, to conclude, mobile commerce may be considered to be a business model that enables a consumer to undergo all the steps of a commercial transaction simply using a mobile phone. The media through which consumers will be able to conduct their transactions have the potential to undergo transformation primarily due to the development and usage of mobile commerce as a technology that is gradually emerging. Not just consumers but marketers too are attracted to mobile commerce that is based on wireless communication technology. The availability of this new technology will provide for a complete make-over in the fields of advertising, retailing and shopping in the domain of marketing. Companies that desire to conduct business operations in mobile markets must then, be ready to adopt mobile marketing and mobile commerce. Mobile commerce will be similar in many respects to the internet-based e-commerce but it will also be distinct in some aspects. These are: Ubiquity- The ability that makes it possible for mobile commerce to be availed of anywhere and at any time. Personalization- Mobile hardware undoubtedly is limited by its memory capacity. However, software can be used in such a way that the users needs are satisfied. Flexibility- Users can conduct transactions and/or receive information even when they are engrossed in other activities, such as, travel or work. Dissemination- It is quite possible that the people who act as the origins of information (for example, local retailers) may make use of the wireless network of mobile commerce so that the customers get the required, specific information. Convenience- Users can operate mobile phones very easily. Instant connectivity- Marketers can use the mobile phones to connect with target users just by clicking a button. Location- It is possible to provide location-specific information and products using a mobile phone. The channels related to mobile commerce and mobile marketing need to be comprehended and further analyzed although a number of companies utilize these channels extensively. This research aims at drawing the attention of entrepreneurs towards the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) operators as well as towards the opportunities that exist in the domain of mobile commerce and mobile marketing. This research will focus on (1) mobile commerce and concepts related to mobile marketing (2) tools available for mobile marketing (3) the significance of mobile marketing in India and (4) the comprehension and examination of consumers attitudes towards mobile marketing tools. The digital world has introduced a new aspect of marketing and branding and this has seen an increase in the number of consumers who have turned to the digital space to get their daily dose of entertainment, education, media, and more. The Internet, social media, interactive television, CDs, DVDs, and cell phones are all various aspects of the digital world and these will be preferred extensively by people in the context of digital marketing. The usage of digital media will prove to be an extremely cost-effective measure that will efficiently enhance the online presence of a business thereby increasing it manifold. The popular saying that there is no such thing as a free lunch has been negated by the digital media. This is because marketing using social media and blogs will be seen to help an individual reach out to professionals who were thus far untouched. Also this will increase the visibility among the users of the websites. Consumers will be b able to avail of these services at no cost (Cheung, 2006). If I refer to the figures from Internet World Stats dated March 2008, Internet usage is said to have risen to 91.3% between 2000 and 2008. The spurt in Internet usage has been seen as enabling companies to grab the chance to interact with global customers through online advertising thus resulting in spending of over USD 60 billion in 2008. (Media, 2008) The aspect of digital marketing is quickly automated and adapted to. Digital marketing unlike its other counterparts will be available 24 hours a day, and will not be disrupted by weekends, holidays, hangovers, late lunches, etc. Digital marketing will be easy to connect to and will follow all commands without questioning. It will target prospects, who are interested in the products displayed that very moment (Nicopolitidis, Obaidat, Papadimitriou, Pomportsis, 2003).. Digital marketing will be most preferred because advertising space online will be much cheaper than the print version and will offer better visibility.. The content however will have to be framed in such a manner as to be of use to consumers or else it may have a negative impact. This low-cost marketing technique is expected to be useful to small businesses too. Marketing prospects will increase because of the availability of information through digital media. It will now be possible to decide the target consumers and use a mix of various measures, examinations and profiling of consumers/segmentation to enable a two-way communication process (Thomas Gillenson, 2003). 2. Background The interactive digital advertising perspective includes presentation of information using means that depend on digital technology. Using digital technology makes it possible to create an immediate communication process between marketers and consumers (Stewart, 2004). Consumers can control advertising through interactive digital media by manipulating what they view on the screen while surfing online (Stern, 1994). Given that it can be measured easily, it is precise, customized, and personalized apart from being able to target consumers easily (Iii Woodside, 2005), interactive digital marketing ends up being a very good potential tool for advertisers (Radzeviciute Sliburyte, 2005). Tools that refer to interactive digital advertising include the: Online community, short messaging systems, and the transfer of photographic images using computers that have internet access and mobile phones, which are commonly used today (Stewart, 2004). It can be clearly seen that interactive digital advertising will explore and further strengthen the connection between computers with internet access and mobile phones. Advertising using the above-mentioned media will also be sub-divided into internet-based e- and email advertising, and mobile-phone-based SMS- and MMS-type advertising. 3. Research Aims The main objective of the research will be to examine the attitudes of the consumer towards the four different types of interactive digital advertising including: Internet-based e- and email advertising apart from the mobile-phone-based SMS- and MMS-type advertising. 4. Research Objectives The chief aims of the research include: To estimate if there have been changes in the Indian customers buying behavior due to digital marketing. To evaluate the attitude of the consumers in the context of interactive digital advertising. To analyze different marketing models. To study the various strategies and policies that organizations are likely to follow in this dynamic Indian market. 5. Literature Review Given the prolific use of digital media interactivity amongst advertisers and consumers, marketing activity has been upwardly impacted. Any form of advertising that includes the chances of interacting with consumers is known as interactive digital media. A producer can use this medium to interact with consumers by conducting campaigns related to his products (Schlosser, Shavitt, Kanfer, 1999). The TV-like experience is no longer relevant today. Consumers now demand much more given the rapid inroads being made by interactive digital advertising. Consumers also prefer options like In-Stream, In-Game, HD interactive video, IPTV, interactive kiosks, and mobile advertising platforms (Cho Cheon, 2004). This undoubtedly heralds a change in marketing and the shifts are obvious. Though these run parallel to the increased expectations of consumers these in no way put any boundaries as there may be new and modern forms of advertising that may evolve in the future. The main aim of any Digital Advertising medium will be to draw the attention of the consumer by inventing new and creative advertisements that enable development of personal relations. New technology will enable agencies and advertisers to make use of, evolve and reach new levels of brand-awareness and consumer commitment (Martin, van Durme, Raulas, Merisavo, 2003). This new medium of advertising will pave the way for agencies and advertisers alike to command increased values in terms of worth that is returned. Using the internet as a medium for advertising will now gain significance for gathering consumer information as there has been a rise in the number of internet users (Cheung, 2006). Mobile phones will ensure that targeting consumers becomes even more accurate compared to what it was like before and advertisers will be able to reach potential clients at places and times that are most suitable for the marketing campaign, while at the same time ensuring high interactivity (Nicopolitidis, Obaidat, Papadimitriou, Pomportsis, 2003). The internet advertising industry will thus take recourse to mobile phones (Thomas Gillenson, 2003). Advertising within these two potential channels may be of four types and will include: Internet-based advertising through the website (e-advertising), emailing (email advertising), and mobile-phone-based advertising (m-advertising) of the SMS- (short messaging service) and MMS-types (multimedia messaging service). If I consider the two communication media forms, interactive and individual,, they will comprise what I call interactive digital advertising. It is important to understand consumer behavior towards this medium as the attitudes of the consumer will impact consumer exposure, attention, and reaction to individual advertisements (Schlosser, Shavitt, Kanfer, 1999). There have been a few instances of empirical studies carried out in the context of consumer attitudes and e-advertising (Ravi, 2005). Yet, a majority of the literature fails to include email advertising in its research. Many are unsuccessful in distinguishing email advertising from other forms of advertising. Still, there is limited research which emphasizes email advertising (Martin, van Durme, Raulas, Merisavo, 2003). If I consider advertising, there exist a small number of articles that focus on consumer attitudes towards SMS-type m-advertising, including the study by Tsang, et al., (2004), Rettie, et al., (2005), and Carroll, et al., (2007). The new generation MMS-type m-advertising has received practically no attention from the academic aspect. The fact is that consumer markets and communication media will become fragmented to a great extent (Karson, et al., 2006) so it is important that the differences between the media in the advertising domain be noted. Any analysis that is carried out, which focuses on these differences will enable the marketers to get in-depth information related to the application and suitability of individual sub-types of interactive digital advertising. It will also help choose between the four available sub-types of interactive digital advertising channels to ensure that the message is communicated correctly to the customers. Still, empirical studies related to this subject are rarely found. This research will help aid further study into consumer attitudes related to interactive digital advertising. Actually, this research will aim at identifying the differences that are present in consumer attitudes, which may be related to these four sub-types of interactive digital advertising. I can conclude by stating that the research questions in this study will be designed so as to elucidate whether the attitudes of the consumers differ when it comes to internet-based e- and email advertising, and mobile-phone-based SMS- and MMS-type advertising. Today, when the media are so fragmented there are several ways that can be used to create advertising campaigns that use Interactive Digital Advertising. Interactive Digital Advertising will be inevitable given the Internet is becoming an inseparable and intrinsic part of our lives. 6. Research Methodology Research methodology is the core behind any research that is conducted. I will opt for the Questionnaire method since the primary data suits the needs of this research. There were 20 questions included in the questionnaire that were simple to comprehend. The questions were all close-ended. This has eased the workload of both the researcher and the respondents.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Toni Morissons The Bluest Eye Essay -- Toni Morisson Bluest Eye Essay

Toni Morisson's The Bluest Eye Toni Morisson's novel The Bluest Eye is about the life of the Breedlove family who reside in Lorain, Ohio, in the late 1930s (where Morrison herself was born). This family consists of the mother Pauline, the father Cholly, the son Sammy, and the daughter Pecola. The novel's focal point is the daughter, an eleven-year-old Black girl who is trying to conquer a bout with self-hatred. Everyday she encounters racism, not just from the White people, but mostly from her own race. In their eyes she is much too dark, and the darkness of her skin somehow manifests that she is inferior, and according to everyone else, her skin makes her even "uglier." She feel she can overcome this battle of self-hatred by obtaining blue eyes, but not just any blue. She wants the bluest of the blue, the bluest eye. Pecola Breedlove is an innocent little girl who, like very other young child, did not ask to be born in this cruel world. It is bad enough that practically the whole world rejects her, but her own parents are guilty of rejection as well. Her own father, who is constantly drunk, sexually molests his daughter more than once. The first time he has sexual intercourse with his daughter, he leaves her slightly unconscious, and lying on the kitchen floor with a guilt covering her frail, limp, preteen body. The next time he performs the same act, but this time he impregnates her. Of course, the baby is miscarried. This is obviously not a love a father should be sharing with a daughter. This act displays hatred in the worst way. Her mother's rejection is subtle yet potent. When Pecola tells her mother about the molestation, Mrs. Breedlove does not believe her own flesh and blood. Pecola calls Pauline Mrs. Breedlove... ...n females read this book because I am very curious about how they would react. I feel that they could relate to, and benefit most from this novel, and I bet every young African-American female can relate to at least one character in this book. Toni Morrison was born in Lorain, Ohio in 1931. Her birth name was Chloe Anthony Wofford. She attended Howard University, where she received her B.A. She also received an M.A. from Cornell University. Besides being a writer, she teaches as well. She is now a professor at Princeton University. She is known for such novels as Sula, Beloved, and Tar Baby. She has won numerous awards, such as the Pulitzer Prize for her novel Beloved and the Nobel Prize for Literature.1 Works Cited: 1Kennedy, X.J., Dorothy M. Kennedy, and Sylvia A. Holladay. The Bedford Guide for College Writers. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin Press.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Digital Learning vs Traditional Essay

Teachers are a school’s most critical resource. Research continues to show that effective teaching is the most important school-related factor in student achievement, yet access to effective teaching remains widely uneven and inequitably distributed. The teaching profession faces multiple challenges while serving at the front line of improving outcomes for students. First, the nation’s teaching force is increasingly less experienced; today’s typical teacher has just one to two years of experience, compared to fifteen years in 1987. 15 Compounding the lessening content and pedagogical experience in the classroom, school districts also face shortages of teachers in critical areas like physics and chemistry, meaning that many students do not have access to those courses taught by an experienced, certified teacher. In 2007–08, nearly 60 percent of public school classes in high school physical science were taught by teacher who did not major in that subject area. 16 The challenge of finding certified teachers is particularly difficult in rural areas. The state of Georgia, for example, has 440 high schools but only 88 physics teachers. 17 Even Minnesota, which is considered a high-achieving state, has only 182 certified physics teachers for its 971 high schools. 18 And it is not surprising that schools with lower socioeconomic status have a harder time filling vacancies in key areas such as science. 19 Faced with increased administrative, bureaucratic, academic, and social responsibilities with fewer years of experience, teachers find they are not always able to personalize instruction as much as they would like. Fewer than half (46 percent) of math teachers say they can differentiate instruction a great deal. Seventy percent of teachers who say their students are likely to go to college report that they can offer significantly differentiated instruction, compared to only 50 percent of teachers who are in schools with less of a college-going culture. Even more worrisome, 45 percent of students who say they have considered dropping out of school Simply slapping a netbook on give their teachers a D or an F in differentiating top of a textbook, however, will instruction to meet students’ individual needs. not necessarily lead to significant Recent studies of high-performing urban schools outcomes. and evaluations of successful high school reform models have identified â€Å"personalization† and â€Å"instructional improvement† as the twin pillars of high school reform. Creating a personalized high school experience requires high expectations for all students, reliable information about school performance and students’ needs and interests, the capacity to individualize instruction and support, and multiple pathways to a high school diploma. 20 Research continues to indicate that student engagement is critical to preventing dropouts. 21 Growing Opportunities to Improve Learning for All Students Multiple forces are converging to create a significant opportunity with the power to affect education greatly within the next two to three years. First, the technology available for instruction is improving continuously. Second, the cost of the technology continues to decrease. This paper would become dated instantly if it listed exact items and prices, but the price of computer memory is a useful reference. In 1980, a gigabyte of information cost around $200,000. In 2011, a terabyte—more than a thousand gigabytes, and about 2,000 hours of high-quality audio data—cost around $100. 22 Additionally, more and more students today are what could be called â€Å"digital natives,† already accustomed to the rapid feedback, collaborative nature, and ease of use of many digital technolgies. 23 Page 7 Alliance for Excellent Education Meanwhile, forty-six states and the District of Columbia have adopted the common core state standards, affecting 90 percent of the nation’s students. The commitment to ensuring that students graduate from high school college and career ready will require unprecedented work to implement new content, instructional strategies, teacher preparation, and assessments. The benefit is that curriculum developers, who have had to address fifty different sets of standards in the past, can work from one clear set of standards. Sustained professional learning for teachers will also be able to utilize this uniform set of expectations. Just as significantly, almost all states are now working through two assessment consortia to develop online assessments for the common core state standards to be put in place by 2014. The technology exists to make this implementation possible and to lead a significant transformation of the nation’s education system. The Gap Simply slapping a netbook on top of a textbook, however, will not necessarily lead to significant outcomes. Critical for learning success with digital learning is developing a comprehensive strategy that has a foundation of involvement and sustained career training for teachers—not occasional professional development—which concentrates not just on the technology, but also on the pedagogical skills needed to use the technology in teaching and learning. As Greg Whitby, an executive director of schools in Australia who is implementing a widespread digital learning program across a 40,000-student district in Sydney, stressed, â€Å"It’s first about the pedagogy, then comes the technology. †24 As this paper will demonstrate, effective digital media combined with powerful teaching, rich content, and engaged students has the potential to take learning in the United States to a much higher level and provide all students with experiences that allow them to graduate prepared for college and a career. But education is still slow to adopt these technologies. While the National Center for Education Statistics reports that 97 percent of all teachers had access to a computer in their classroom in 2009, only 72 percent of all teachers, and 64 percent of secondary school teachers, said they used computers for instruction. 25 The use of technology—defined as information technology such as computers, devices that can be attached to computers (e. g. , LCD projector, interactive whiteboard, digital camera), networks (e. g. , internet, local networks), and computer software—for higher-order skill development was much lower.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Wendell berry, “that distant land”

In Wendell Berry’s short story â€Å"That Distant Land,† the narrator returns to his rural childhood home to help tend his dying grandfather and gets back in touch not only with the land, but with the work of tobacco farming. The story conveys not only a love for the land, but also insights to how farming as a vocation attests to farmers’ special qualities. Though the narrator has lived and worked in an unnamed city for years, he returns to take care of his elderly grandfather and assist with running his tobacco farm.Though forced to return to the country, he speaks of it with reverence and without seeming to miss city life; there is clearly no sense of the city’s superiority, and he never looks down on farmers as ignorant, backward, or any other derogatory trait. Much of the story focuses on the tobacco harvest, in which neighboring farmers help each other cut and load the year’s crops. Here, Berry gives clear insights on the vocation of farming an d sees it as rather noble in its own way, and very distinct from white-collar careers. First, he sees his neighbors’ work as a craft, even an art: â€Å". . .[They] worked well, as smoothly and precisely as dancers. To see them moving side by side against the standing crop . . . was momentous and beautiful, and touchingly, touchingly mortal† (315). They also approach the work seriously but without formality or decorum; the men are free to be themselves yet are valued for their hard work and skill. Often, they sing or tell stories as they go, working steadily but without a sense of pressure or dislike for their labor. They seem at one with the land and each other, and while they could make it competitive, they refrain from this, which shows a degree of respect for the older, slower-moving men.In this capacity, even elderly Jarrat is valued; as he says of himself, â€Å"I’m old and wore out and not worth a damn. But every row I cut is a cut row† (314), mean ing that while he can no longer compete, he can still contribute, and he is respected for this. A strong sense of community guides this, allowing anyone who can contribute to do so and declaring no one redundant if they can work. The narrator finds that while his presence is welcomed, he is also kept in his place by older men, who subtly remind him that he lacks not only his grandfather’s age, but also the wisdom and experience that accompany it.When he wears a pair of his grandfather’s shoes to the fields one day, an older neighbor sidles up in a friendly manner and tells him, â€Å"making the truth plain and bearable to us both: ‘You can wear ‘em, honey. But you can’t fill ‘em’† (316). Here, he realizes that, despite his education and former white-collar career, he is not his grandfather’s equal, since his grandfather’s lifelong success as a farmer speaks volumes about the differences between the two men. In farmin g, skill and longevity matter most.When the narrator’s grandfather dies, it reveals not only his neighbors’ affection for him, but also attests to the kind of leadership that exists among farmers. Age is the key to the hierarchy, not education or other non-essential attributes, since longevity at the vocation attests to one’s success. The grandfather had been the town’s oldest male; upon his death, the mantle of leadership passed to the oldest survivor without any discussion. The narrator describes the moment when they learn of his grandfather’s passing: â€Å"We were, I realized, waiting on Jarrat.It was Elton’s farm, but Jarrat was now the oldest man, and we were waiting on him† (318). They seem to instinctively equate age with experience and authority. The story shows farming not as drudgery, but as a strongly communal activity, almost as an art. It bonds people to the land and each other in a non-competitive way and respects age a nd experience as much as hard work, and it gives those engaged in it a sense of perspective and where they belong within their community. Berry, Wendell. That Distant Land. Washington DC: Shoemaker Hoard, 2004.