Chuck Berry and Teenage Culture in the 1950s Essay -- Biography Bio Mu

Chuck Berry and Teenage Culture in the 1950s Teenagers were a new species at the beginning of the 1950's. Before then, adolescents in America had traditionally gone to work to support their family or to start their own family as soon as they were old enough. However, the years of post-war prosperity and the expansion of suburbia provided teenagers (who were too young to remember the scarcities of the Depression and the war effort) with plenty of leisure time. At the same time, advances in technology made vinyl 45's cheap and easily accessible to both artists and listeners. White teenagers bought up pop hits coming off the Billboard 100, although many who were listening to black radio stations preferred rhythm and blues tunes which were always played by black performers. In fact rhythm and blues was pretty much used as a synonym for black music. Chuck Berry was one of the first black musicians to do well with a white audience. Because of his middle class background, his energetic performing style, and his youth-associated lyrics , Chuck Berry broke through the race barrier and became one of the first "rock stars." Berry became a representative of the teenage generation, even though he recorded his first single at the age of 29. His experience growing up, though he was almost 15 years older than many of his fans, was similar enough to the suburban experience that he could easily identify with the restless attitude of white middle class teens. Berry was "a city kid from St. Louis . . . not rooted in the rural past as were the country blues artists at Chess." (DeWitt, 140) The joys of fast cars, young love, and a rockin' beat that Berry prized as a teenager did not diminish with his age. Berry grew up around East St. Louis. Li... ...ve developed in the way it did, but without teenage fans, Chuck Berry might never have recorded a song. Bibliography Berry, Chuck. Chuck Berry: The Autobiography. New York: Harmony Books, 1987. Chapple, Steve and Rebecca Garofolo. Rock 'n' Roll is Here to Pay. Chicago: Nelson Hall, 1977. Cohodas, Nadine. Spinning Blues into Gold: The Chess Brothers and the Legendary Chess Records. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2000. DeWitt, Howard. Chuck Berry: Rock 'n' Roll Music. Freemont, CA: Horizon Books, 1981. Halberstam, David. The Fifties. New York: Villard Books, 1993. Hendler, Herb. Year by Year in the Rock Era. London: Greenwood Press, 1983. Reese, Krista. Chuck Berry: Mr. Rock and Roll. London: Proteus Books, 1982. Rudolph, Dietmar. A Collector's Guide to the Music of Chuck Berry: Lyrics. http://members.tripod.com/~buitendeboot/LYRICS.HTML. 2001.

Tok ‘Habit Is Stronger Than Reason’ to What Extent Is This Tru in 2 Aoks

‘Habit is stronger than reason. ’ To what extent is this true in two areas of knowledge? Habit could be referred to as a tradition people have. Many people have habits that they are unaware of, for example, when people put their socks on, some people do the right first and some people do the left first. Habit is a factor that is present all through a person’s daily life. Habit represents the way in which we do things because we do it every day continuously. Habit is particularly important because learning something doesn’t make you better at it unless you practice it enough times.An old kung fu saying is â€Å"I’m not afraid of the man that known 1000 moves and practiced them all once, I’m afraid of the man that knows one move and practiced it 1000 times. † This quote means that when someone has a habit of doing something, the habit keeps getting stronger and stronger also meaning that it could become much harder to stop. When a person learns something new, there are a few stages which the brain as to go through. The first one being where you don’t know about it and you don’t know how to do it.Then there are a couple of steps where your brain learns to adapt to it and where you can practice something enough times but you still have to think about every step you are doing. The last step to this is where the all of it becomes automatic and that is when habit overpowers reason. An area of knowing where habit is much stronger than reason is in Ethics. My uncle who is a heavy smoker and knows all the consequences of smoking has obviously developed a habit of smoking and cannot stop it. My uncle comes home from work every day and the first thing he does is smoke a few cigarettes before eating or sleeping.Sometimes a habit can lead to an addiction where it can become dangerous showing how strong a habit can get. My uncle is aware that the habit has become too strong to stop it. He is aware of everything tha t he is putting himself into but refuses to stop smoking. He had told me last year that he feels that every part of his body is telling him to stop smoking and everyone around him tells him to stop smoking, but he said that it is something that helps him calm down even though he is causing harm to his body.This shows that when a habit has developed, it is hard to stop and you feel incomplete without it, as if something is not right. This is also another way in which we can say that habit is stronger than reason. Another way in which ethics shows that habit is stronger than reason is; when someone drops their books in front of you, a person’s instant response would be to help them pick the books up because it is the right thing to do and there is no harm in picking up someone’s books.However, if you had known that the person whose books just fell was a murderer, would you still pick up the books? Reason would indicate that you should run away from the murderer. Most peo ple though would never think that the person whose books just dropped would be a murderer (because of how good ethics and morals teach you that everyone is good on the inside and I someone needs help, the right thing to do would be to help them) which is why you would help the person pick up the books because no one would ever think of it being a murderer.This shows that people with good ethics and good morals never need a reason for doing the right thing, it can become a habit to be a ‘good person’, this includes opening the door for someone or helping an old lady cross the road. Moreover, another area of knowing where habit has been shown to be stronger than reason is in the Arts. In the arts, say theatre arts, dance and photography, habit can be a lot stronger than reason. They say practice makes perfect, like mentioned before. This does not mean that reason is no longer important. What it means is that habit takes priority.In movies for example when actors are pract icing their acting or musicians are practicing their instruments or when dancers are practicing their dancing, they would need to practice over and over again until the performance becomes a habit. Until the actors become their character and everything comes out natural and fluent and until the musicians practice their music enough times that they don’t need to read their notes because they remember every note of every song and it becomes unlikely that they will forget it and until the dance becomes something that becomes automatic and there is no need to think about when you are doing.This is an example of how a habit can be adapted on purpose and the person is fully aware that they have adapted this habit but they are still able to stop this habit without reasoning. There are cases where habits are shown to be much stronger than reason but there are some cases where reason is more powerful than habit. Where no matter what habit you have adopted, your reason is stronger and the habit becomes nothing. An example of this would be in Mathematics where reason is generally more important than habit. In math you would learn many different equations and finding the correct way to solve a problem.To approach a problem in mathematics, you would need to use reasoning to find out how to approach the answer. Even though you may need some form of habit to help you layout your answer, reason is much more important than habit in this case. Many answers in math require you to evaluate the question and understand a lot more than what the question is asking you to do and there can me a lot of information and many questions may require different processing skills so habit is not an important factor compared to reason in this case.Humans by design are creatures of habit. Every day we tend to go through the same ritual if daily life. It may be the same routine every morning (i. e: wake up, shower, change cloths, pack bag, put on shoes, etc) or it could be sitting in the sa me seat as you do every day even when you can move if you want to. Sometimes however, you can break out of your habit easily and sometimes it can be very difficult because it becomes a way of life.

John Proctor is a Tragic Hero in The Crucible by Arthur...

Since the times of the ancient Greeks, tragic heroes have been used to enhance the meaning of a play or literary work. Any character cannot be described as tragic hero. Several key characteristics are necessary for the tragic hero to possess in order to be characterized as such. He must be high-ranked or have a high standing in the community. He must have a weakness or a tragic flaw and be involved in a struggle. In the end, that struggle will lead to his downfall. Arthur Miller purposely incorporates these characteristics into John Proctor, one of the main figures in The Crucible. He masterfully portrays Proctor as a tragic hero even though he is a common man. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;A tragic hero is usually a member of the upper†¦show more content†¦He demonstrates all of a hero’s characteristics in some way or another. Although not upper class, he is still an upstanding member of the community. He is well respected and looked up to by those around him. As Miller describes him, â€Å"Proctor, respected and even feared in Salem, has come to regard himself as a kind of fraud.† (1098) He believes himself to be a fraud because of his tragic flaw: the affair with Abigail Williams. That affair is Proctor’s one weakness, and no one knows about it besides John, his wife, Elizabeth, and Abby. Another characteristic of a tragic hero is that he must be involved in some kind of struggle. Proctor is involved in two different struggles. One is the personal struggle between him and his wife. Elizabeth knows of his lechery and has a hard time forgiving him. Proctor tries to convince her of his love and faithfulness, but it is almost impossible. The other struggle Proctor faces is the social struggle that is going on throughout the whole town. The witchcraft hysteria has overtaken Salem, and Proctor struggles to stand out as an honest opposer of the hangings even though it may lead to his own downfall. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;John Proctor’s last characteristic that makes him a tragic hero is that his struggles eventually end in his downfall. His courage to stand strong in his beliefs leads him to death at the gallows. His personal struggle with Elizabeth is resolved as he makes his decision to refuse to confess toShow MoreRelatedThe True Tragic Hero: The Crucible’s John Proctor Essay1044 Words   |  5 PagesThe true tragic hero: The Crucible’s John Proctor A tragic hero is a noble man who commits a fatal flaw. The hero’s downfall is a result of their choices which leads to a punishment that exceeds the crime. â€Å"The difference between Proctor and Willy Loman is enormous; the former is the rather typical tragic hero who is defiant to the end, the latter is trapped in submission and is living a lie† (McGill 4). John Proctor is one of the main characters in The Crucible. he is married to Elizabeth ProctorRead MoreJohn Proctor as a Tragic Hero in The Crucible850 Words   |  4 PagesMcAlister Ms. Holder Comp Eng Honors 11 11/1/13 The Tragedy of John Proctor In the play by Arthur Miller The Crucible, the town of Salem is in pandemonium under the non-existent threat of witchcraft. Every character is either lying to save their lives or to end others, or dying for not admitting to a lie. One character who stands out among the chaotic conflagration is the tragic hero John Proctor. In Greek drama, a tragic hero is defined as â€Å"a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedyRead MoreAnalysis Of Arthur Miller s The Crucible 1457 Words   |  6 PagesPeriod 7 26 October 2014 Proctor’s Pride and Downfall A tragic hero is a hero in a story whose natural flaws or wrong judgments, associates with bad fate, causes his downfall or death. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, there are tragic heroes. In the late 1600s, there are a series of witch trials happens at Salem, MA. John Proctor, a farmer who lives in a farm with his wife Elizabeth Proctor, is the protagonist during the Salem witch trial. John is a candid, frank, but somewhat arrogant man. He hasRead MoreJohn Proctor as Tragic Hero of Arthur Millers The Crucible Essay798 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Proctor as Tragic Hero of Arthur Millers The Crucible In the play, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, John Proctor fits the classic Greek definition of a tragic hero.   Aristotle, one of the great Greek philosophers, teachers and writers, stated that one of the most important aspects of a tragedy was the tragic hero.   He defined a tragic hero as a noble person that goes from a state of fortune and happiness to a state of utter misery.   The character’s tragic flaw causes this changeRead MoreCompare And Contrast John Proctor In The Crucible773 Words   |  4 Pages The Crucible by Arthur Miller, is a play written to mirror the anti-communist hysteria and how Joseph McCarthy went on â€Å"witch hunts†, which was basically finding an innocent person who was accused of being a witch and punishing them. Throughout The Crucible you will see very similar actions that mirror the McCarthy era; like how Abigail gets mad John Proctor does not want to be with her and spreads a rumor that his wife is a witch. â€Å"A tragic hero is the main character in a tragedy,† directly describesRead MoreArthur Miller s The Crucible2214 Words   |  9 PagesJohn Proctor: A tragic hero A man s reputation in many forms is his, life’s work. To have your reputation dismantled is like taking away one s accomplishments and life’s work. Arthur Miller s The Crucible is a play about justice and injustice, and how our justice system can be easily corrupted. The story revolves around a man named John Proctor, the tragic hero of this story. John Protector is a symbolic character created by Arthur Miller, because he faced the justice system head on. Proctor’sRead More John Proctor is a Tragic Hero in The Crucible Essay863 Words   |  4 Pages John Proctor: A Tragic Hero A tragic hero is a literary character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy. In the play, The Crucible, Arthur Miller portrays John Proctor, the protagonist, as a tragic hero who has a major flaw—lust for Abigail, his teenage house servant. For fear of being exiled in a town where reputation is highly upheld, Proctor initially tries to hide his crime of adultery, but thisRead MoreThe Common Man in a Millerian Tragedy: A Study of Miller’s Conventions in a Millerian Tragedy673 Words   |  3 Pageswere† ( Tragedy and the Common Man). Arthur Miller follows his Millerian conventions of tragedy in the writing of The Crucible. Often literature uses tragedy to display a depressing theme represented by the tragic hero. Miller uses the conventions of self-recognition and the common man to complete his tragedy in The Crucible. Miller defines recognition to be the â€Å"need of man to wholly realize himself is only fixed star† (Tragedy and the Common Man), clearly, miller believes a self-recognition to beRead MoreJohn Proctor: A Tragic Hero952 Words   |  4 PagesNovember 2012 John Proctor: Tragic Hero As human beings, we each display specific traits and qualities that define our character and shape our personalities. The way in which we carry ourselves establishes our reputations, as well as how others identify us. We are each prone to making mistakes, and unfortunately, the mistakes we make can affect the way people see us as well. The struggle to regain a good name can be difficult and uncertain once someone’s reputation is tarnished. In Arthur Miller’s timelessRead MoreArthur Miller s The Crucible Essay1194 Words   |  5 Pages In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the normal criteria that a central character fits, is not met by the apparent protagonist, John Proctor. Common traits one might expect to find in a traditional hero are humility, patience and caring. John Proctor, while he is the principal, has many qualities that could instead assume him the role of the antagonist and land him in the adversary box. His background and slight character flaws cause h im to take on the personalities of both a protagonist and antagonist

What Is Periodicity on the Periodic Table

Periodicity is one of the most fundamental aspects of the periodic table of the elements. Here is an explanation of what periodicity is and a look at the periodic properties. What Is Periodicity? Periodicity refers to the recurring trends that are seen in the element properties. These trends became apparent to Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev (1834–1907) when he arranged the elements in a table in order of increasing mass. Based on the properties that were displayed by the known elements, Mendeleev was able to predict where there were holes in his table, or elements yet to be discovered. The modern periodic table is very similar to Mendeleevs table, but elements today are ordered by increasing atomic number, which reflects the number of protons in an atom. There arent any undiscovered elements, although new elements can be created that have even higher numbers of protons. What Are the Periodic Properties? The periodic properties are: Ionization energy:Â  the energy required to remove an electron from an ion or gaseous atomAtomic radius: half the distance between the centers of two atoms that are touching each otherElectronegativity:Â  the measure of the ability of an atom to form a chemical bondElectron affinity: the ability of an atom to accept an electron Trends or Periodicity The periodicity of these properties follows trends as you move across a row or period of the periodic table or down a column or group: Moving Left → Right Ionization Energy IncreasesElectronegativity IncreasesAtomic Radius Decreases Moving Top → Bottom Ionization Energy DecreasesElectronegativity DecreasesAtomic Radius Increases

Stereotyping And Prejudice Of Blacks Essay - 1406 Words

Over the past few centuries, Blacks have been portrayed as â€Å"a violent underclass† (Hurwitz Peffley, 1997, p. 380). Scholars have reviewed the racial threat theory to illustrate and understand this phenomenon. It has been argued that â€Å"Whites are more supportive of punitive sanctions because they perceive an increasing threat to their economic, political, and social hegemony in the presence†¦ of large numbers of minorities† (Blalock, 1967; Mancini, Mears, Stewart, Beaver, and Pickett, 2015). The impact of stereotyping and prejudice of Blacks being perceived as threat has caused many Whites to acquire defensive and demining reactions towards Blacks. The media and society has a tendency to shy away from or almost ignore the crime of Whites and instead shift to highlight the crime of Blacks and minorities. Entman (1992) discovered during a six-month period in Chicago, news reports about Black perpetrators in violent offenses, like homicide, occurred 84% of th e time while 71% of White reported crimes were violent. Another study of a local news media reporting crime found not only that â€Å"African Americans were twice as likely as Whites to be depicted as perpetrators, 6 times more likely to be portrayed as perpetrators than as law enforcement officers, and overrepresented as criminals,† but that they also represent â€Å"close to 37% of the perpetrators depicted† while only totaling one fifth of all arrestees. (T.L. Dixon Linz, 2000; Mancini, Mears, Stewart, Beaver, andShow MoreRelatedSterotyping in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay1093 Words   |  5 PagesTopic 1: Stereotyping. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is based on the experiences of one girl, Scout, growing up in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. The novel explains some conflicts in Scout’s life. Scout, the main character, learns that things are not always morally correct and is confronted with the reality of prejudice and stereotyping. Scout struggles with understanding the prejudice and stereotyping she witnesses. Atticus Finch, Scouts father, with his strongly held convictionsRead MoreStereotyping Is Bad For Kids And People979 Words   |  4 Pagesare still prejudice and stereotypical on the things they view in their daily lives. (James, 2012). Psychologists say that stereotypes are nothing but racism, sexism, and prejudice all summed up together making it a whole. Stereotyping is something that an individual acts upon someone that is weaker, lower status, or minors; furthermore, stereotyping can harm another person’s self-esteem, self-control, confidence, and performanc e in a task (Robles, 2012). Another problem is that stereotyping is almostRead More sting of prejudice Essay651 Words   |  3 Pages Sting of Prejudice nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee there are many characters whose lives and thoughts about one another are distorted by prejudice and stereotyping. Three of the many characters whose lives were affected by prejudice are Bob Ewell, Tom Robinson and Dolfus Raymond. Bob Ewell’s mind is distorted in his view of other races. Tom Robinson is a victim of prejudice and is treated unfairly because of the color of his skin. The third characterRead MoreRacial Bias And Racial Stereotypes Essay1127 Words   |  5 Pagesof stereotyping and bias in ethnic minorities. Yet the concept of moral panic and deviancy amplification is used in news reporting. Moral panic is a concept suggested by theorist Stanley Cohen in his book Folk Devils and Moral Panics in 2002. Stan Cohen (2002) suggests moral panic occurred when something, for example, a condition, a person or a group of people, was ascertained as a threat to the societal values and benefit, it s chara cters will be presented in stylization and stereotyping by theRead MoreA Social Psychological View Of The Help. The Movie, The1423 Words   |  6 Pagesand it is about the experiences black women had as maids for white families. These women decided to risk it all and tell their stories in an effort to show what is was really like for them (Taylor, 2011). The Help illustrates how these women fought racism and prejudice by becoming unified with one another. This paper will address how prejudice, discrimination, stereotyping, and inequality affect the characters and their relationships in the story. Prejudice Prejudice is defined as â€Å"negative feelingsRead MoreEssay on Is Stereotyping Inevitable?1740 Words   |  7 PagesPrejudice, discrimination, and stereotyping are important topics at the cause of debating within social psychology. A stereotype is a generalization about a group of people, in which certain traits cling to all members, regardless of actual individual variation (Akert, Aronson, Wilson, 2010). As humans, people assign objects and individuals into categories to organize the environment. Individuals do this for not only organization, but also survival. Is stereotyping inevitable? That is theRead MoreStereotyping : Can We Prevent Stereotypes?1557 Words   |  7 PagesStereotyping is one of the few activities that must be prevented at all costs, due to the fact that it brews rage and hatred amongst the people in our daily society. First things first, Stereotyping is basically a belief of a certain group of people, for example, all African-Americans are excellent i n sport activities. Stereotype is similar, but not the same, to prejudice, the feeling of a person based off of their social status , and discrimination, the action of treating others different basedRead MoreStereotypes, Conformity, And Discrimination1742 Words   |  7 PagesPrejudices and Discrimination in American History X Abstract Stereotyping, prejudice, conformity, and discrimination are well portrayed in the movie American History X. The negative attitude held by Derek towards to black people is greatly influenced and learned from his father who was a racist. Derek also transfers these prejudice attitudes towards his younger brother Danny as he grows up seeing the racism practiced in his family and his brother. Although these attitudes are based on propagandaRead More##yping In Brent Stapless Black Men In Public Space1433 Words   |  6 PagesIn his short essay, â€Å"Black Men in Public Space†, Brent Staples captures his own experiences working as a tall black journalist in a predominantly White neighborhood. Staple’s experiences highlight how he is stereotyped and intimidated in the public due to his skin color even though he is a bright young man and a graduate student at the University of Chicago (Staples). Staples further shows that even though he is well versed and academically accompl ished, the predominant and affluent White communityRead MorePrejudice And Stereotyping : A Social Psychological Perspective1160 Words   |  5 Pages Prejudice Stereotyping: A social psychological perspective The ability and desire to relate to someone or compete with others, is a fundamental norm and a common aspect in everyday life. The notion to discern ‘us’ from ‘them’ is a way we make inferences of the people we meet and engage with. These everyday inferences affect the way we think, use, and interpret information which guide us to behaviors and beliefs. We use prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination all too often and

Discuss the relationship between accountability, risk management and user-centered care Free Essays

For the purpose of this TMA, I intend to look at how the use of risk management may assist and hinder practitioners accountability within the community mental health team I work in, to explore how risk management assists and hinders the relationship between social workers, employers and service users. Within the CMHT risk management is based upon guidance in Clinical Governance which states â€Å"Anticipate and prevent potential problems to learn from critical incidents and complaints and to provide systems to help clinical staff to reflect and develop their practice.† (RCN, 1998 Book 1, Chapter 9, p. We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss the relationship between accountability, risk management and user-centered care or any similar topic only for you Order Now 3). Risk assessments within the team are seen as positive tools that enable good communication between the social worker and patient. The assessment provides a basis from which a plan can be formulated to protect the patient from risk but also to extend the barriers of risk in a planned way, enabling the patient to explore and develop new coping strategies empowering them to cope with their mental illness. In these situations there is a balance to be drawn between patient’s safety and autonomy. There is however another side to the risk management processes in that practitioner’s feel â€Å"You’ve got to watch your step and cover your back! Document everything! Make sure you follow the guidelines and you keep the patient’s safe! That’s the bottom line – you’ve got to be safe. (L.Finlay, personal communication, 12 March 1999 Book 1, Chapter 9, p.187). It is this fear of punitive action that dissuades practitioners from exposing service users to avoidable risks, and risk assessments are viewed as documents providing good evidence of assessments to be accessed if ever there were questions about the care of the patient. The British Association of Social Workers gives guidelines for social workers accountability. For the purpose of this TMA accountability can be defined as â€Å"to be in a position to give an explanation for one’s actions – with reasons and justifications.† How to cite Discuss the relationship between accountability, risk management and user-centered care, Papers

Post Colonialism And the Kite Runner free essay sample

The Kite Runner takes place in Afghanistan, where conflict between the Sunni-Muslim Pashtuns and the Shiite Hazaras is very heavy. But this rivalry is not against only the Shiite Hazaras, but it includes all kinds of the Hazara people, including minorities of Sunni Hazara and Ismaili Shia Hazara. In 1747 when Afghanistan was originally founded, Pashtun had the vast majority of the state. It wasnt until the Hazaras immigrated to Kabul in the second half of the twentieth century, that their religious, ideological, economic, geographic, and linguistic characteristics were threatened. The idea of their culture being over ruled, forced the Pashtun to hate the Hazara and attempt to hinder their ways. The way the Pashtun saw the Hazara was the same way the Hazara had seen the Pashtun; wrong. If at first two people collide because of religious differences, chances are they will never get along. How can one expect others to accept their religion and way of life, when they cannot accept that of others? Being born and brought up learning a certain religion, the mind is not open to other cultures because they are given the idea that basically, what they know is correct and acceptable, while anyone who goes against it is supposedly wrong. We will write a custom essay sample on Post Colonialism And the Kite Runner or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Cultural difference is heavily focused on between the Pashtuns and the Hazaras. Throughout the novel the main character Amir is somewhat embarrassed to admit Hassan, his best friend, was a Hazara in fear of judgement. Pashtuns and Hazara have heavy conflict and the issues date back centuries before Amir and Hassans time. Pashtuns are Sunni Muslim and caucasian, while the Hazaras are Shiite Muslim and mainly asiastic, looking mongolian or chinese. The two are very easily distinguished because of the large difference simply by their appearance. It is hard to accept one another because of the many differences they have, and being raised to believe that another religion that conflicted with yours, was wrong. However, Amir was raised by Baba, an open-minded man accepting of the Hazara religion. One of Babas closest friends Ali, is the father of Hassan, is Hazara. Hazaras are often considered outsiders by other Afghans: Shiite Muslims in a mostly Sunni Muslim nation. The others or the strangers in the Kite Runner are the native Hazaras and Pashtu. The natives are being shoved out and dehumanized by the Taliban and the Russians. Taliban and Russians are attacking the natives from every angle; from attacks induced by religious differences to attacks that are simply economical and/or for the power. The reason for russians invading Afghanistan, was because the Soviet Union wanted better access to the Indian Ocean for trade and their naval fleet. Control of Afghanistan would make trade with India and the Middle East easier. Afghanistan has important natural resources such as natural gas, uranium, iron ore and copper; all which the Soviets wanted. These russians saw themselves as superior to the Afghans because they were the ones with the weapons. For example, in the Kite Runner, Baba and Amir are riding a truck to Jalalabad when a russian there on the truck requests 30 minutes with one of the Hazara women also on the ride. If it werent for Baba speaking out against such a disrespectful request, this woman would have no choice but to submit to him and follow the russians orders. Throughout the novel, punishments are given to the natives by the over-ruling Taliban. These cruel and unusual punishments make me feel upset and give me no choice but to stand against the Beard Patrol. In chapter 21, the book explains one of the Talibs games at the soccer match (p 271), The Talib, looking absurdly like a baseball pitcher on the mound, hurled the stone at the blind folded man in the hole. The man not knowing when he will be struck with the stone represents weakness to the Talib. How submissive this man is forced to be, actually excites and empowers the Talib. For a man to have fun, killing another man really disgusts me and in no way could I see a good side to the Talibs. Colonial opression is explicitly shown throughout the Kite Runner. It is easy to notice the troubled times that Afghanistan is going through. The Taliban are slowly but surely turning Afghanistan into exactly what they want; soon enough all the Hazaras will be killed off, and the Taliban will have control. Theyve already banned kite running due to kites being un-Islamic on all levels. This clearly shows an example of how the Taliban is forcing their culture and practices onto the natives. Because of the colonial opression, Afghans seek the freedom elsewhere, such as America. If the Talibans found out a Pashtun or Hazara planned to move to America, they would find it disrespectful to Afghanistan and exterminate them.