James Baldwin’s Sonny’s Blues Essay

In James Baldwin’s short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† a young man questions his brotherly obligations after finding that his younger brother has been arrested for using drugs. In the attempt to rectify his younger brother’s behavior and life, the young man faces his own feelings for his brother and comes to terms with the life his brother Sonny lives. The developments of certain elements-plot, character, point of view, setting, symbolism-in the story help accentuate the narrator’s struggles and theme(s) of the story. One of the most important elements of this story is the setting. Taking place in the drug-plagued, poverty-stricken, and frustrated streets of Harlem in the 1950s, the setting aids any reader in understanding the obstacles and hardships the narrator and his brother faced growing up in Harlem. From the narrator’s description of the setting, we can infer that the violence, drug abuse, and indigence in the narrator’s community, Harlem, has had a deep emotional impact on him and his brother. Furthermore the setting can also be argued to have somewhat attributed to Sonny’s difficulties. The point-of-view also plays a pivotal role in providing an insight into the lives of the narrator and Sonny and the environment in which they were raised. The story is told in first person by Sonny’s brother, an unnamed narrator. Although the story’s title might invoke the sense that Sonny is main character, making the narrator a subordinate character, the story is as much about the narrator as it is about Sonny. Through the narrator’s perspective, we see the torn city of Harlem and the hurdles that Sonny has faced and will face. The narrator is more aware of Harlem’s dangerous and violent side. In numerous instances, he describes the poverty and crime that are rampant in the community. More importantly, the narrator’s point-of-view enhances the emphasis on the relationship between him and his brother. Furthermore, the narrator is an excellent narrator because he is able to give us a reliable glimpse into to Sonny’s life and his own. The development of the plot stands out as one of the most crucial elements of the story. From the very beginning, the narrator discovers that Sonny has been arrested for his drug use. This action engenders the narrator to reflect on his relationship with Sonny. The discovery of Sonny’s arrest quickly conveys to us a point that is so central to the story. Following the introduction of plot is the conflict. The conflict of the story centers around the narrator and Sonny arguing about Sonny’s decision to become a jazz musician. This conflict,however, has happened before the situation in the introduction of the story but is mentioned further in the story. Sonny’s desire to become a jazz player is seen as a waste of time by the narrator. Consequently, tension is formed between the brothers because of their lack of agreement on the issue. The tension between the brothers gets even more complicated when Sonny moves into the narrator’s apartment. During this part of the story, the narrator and Sonny try to come to terms with themselves and each other. The climax of the story is when the narrator and Sonny argue in the apartment. This is the most important part of the story because both brothers have a brutally honest argument. The narrator discusses Sonny’s drug use, his misunderstanding of Sonny as a musician, and Sonny’s frustration in life. This argument between the two brothers resolves when Sonny invites the narrator to come hear him play. The story concludes as the narrator sends Sonny a drink. The narrator finally understands how important music is to Sonny. The story leaves the readers with the impression that both brothers may finally find peace with each other. Another critical part of the story is the symbolism. Baldwin’s use of the light and darkness as two forces that are constantly clashing with each other is very symbolic in what it conveys. These two contrasting forces seem to highlight the hope and despair of the characters’ lives. At beginning of the story, Baldwin uses light to describe the room full church people. This suggest that light represents positive moments in life. In contrast, darkness represents the problems and struggles of the characters’ lives; it is also more pervasive in the characters’ lives than light. Sonny’s problems and the condition of Harlem are embodiment of the widespread darkness in the story. At the end of the story, the narrator sends a glass that he describes as â€Å"the very cup of trembling. † This very cup highlights the troubles and uncertainty Sonny currently has in his life. It symbolizes Sonny’s effort to redeem himself of the suffering he has caused and endured. Given its unique structure, â€Å"Sonny’s Blues stands out as one of Baldwin’s most critically-acclaimed works. Collectively, the elements of the story paint a picture of the atmosphere during one of Harlem’s renown periods. In conclusion, these elements of â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† enhance the story’s meaning and shed light on the difficulties Sonny and his brother faced.

School is Bad for Children Essays

School is Bad for Children Essays School is Bad for Children Paper School is Bad for Children Paper Is School Bad for Children? John Holt Education has always been an intense topic of discussion among many cultures and different groups of people. For many years it was believed that without formal structured education, academic success couldnt be achieved. Today that idea has been challenged and proved invalid by homeschooling, online classes and alternative learning of all sorts. In the article,†School is Bad for Children,† American author and educator John Holt talks about the failures and flaws within our traditional schooling system. In â€Å"School is Bad for Children†, Holt states that a child enters school with more willingness to learn and desire to figure things out for themselves than they will ever be at school. He says that children learn the most important thing they will ever need to know before they even go to school which is â€Å"the mystery of language†. That when you first go to school you want to be there and want to learn. Why Is School Bad? The author states that children do not learn own their own anymore, that their learning is done passively for them. Holt says that learning is separate from living and in other ways, he learns that he is abandoned and disloyal. Whatever you like or thinks important, its not. The only thing that matters is what the system wants and think is important. So the students learns not to ask questions and given no chances, he soon acknowleges the adults sterio-type of him. Children realize when at school, to be wrong or unsure is not adequate. The school only desires the correct answers and the student has to accomplish ways to â€Å"pry the answers out of the teacher.† Holt states that children are taught not to learn from each other, to ignore other students and to focus only on the teacher. Another controversial part of this essay by Holt is that he states that children learn from school how to shut their brains off, and that eventually leads them to drug use. Then Holt gets so bold as to suggest to abolish mandatory school attendance because that would cause the children not to be forced to go to school but to want to go to school. Furthermore, he offers many strategies to fix the school problem, including: remove children from schools and bring them out to the real world, take them to meet adults besides their parents and teaches, let children work together, and let children grade themselves. His final suggestion is to abolish curriculum altogether. In a nutshell, Holt argues boldly that the way our current educational system works is not best for children or their learning process. In the article Holt points out the specific flaws in modern education. He also offers alternative ideas for educating our youth. Through examples John Holt expresses the idea that children are much better learners without any formal teaching, before they ever set foot in a classroom. John Holt makes the statement, almost every child on the first day he sets foot in school is smarter, more curious, less afraid of what he doesn’t know, better at figuring things out, more confidant, resourceful, persistent, and independent than he or she will ever be again in school. Holt explains that without any formal education, by experimenting all alone, the child has done a task far more complicated and abstract than anything he will be taught. The child discovers and learns to use language independently. Holt goes further to argue that traditional schoolsà ¢â‚¬â„¢ impersonal and dull approach teaches the child that his or her experience, hopes, fears likes dislikes and opinions count for nothing. School tells our children that he only way they are capable of learning is by being properly taught from a teacher, and that without formal instruction; he doesn’t have the ability to figure things out and find answers on his own. The child learns not to ask questions, the author says, because only right answers are sought and Continue Reading

How to Introduce Yourself in Spanish

How to Introduce Yourself in Spanish No matter how little Spanish you know, its easy to introduce yourself to someone who speaks Spanish. Here are three ways you can do it: Introduce Yourself: Method 1 Simply follow these steps, and youll be well on your way to making a connection with someone even if that person doesnt speak your language: To say hello or hi, merely say Hola or OH-la (rhymes with Lola; note that the letter h is silent in Spanish).To introduce yourself, simply say Me llamo (may YAHM-oh) followed by your name. For example, Hola, me llamo Chris (OH-la, may YAHM-oh Chris) means Hi, Im Chris.To ask someones name in a formal way, say  ¿Cà ³mo se llama usted? or KOH-moh say YAHM-ah oo-STED. (The oo rhymes with moo.) This means, What is your name?In an informal setting, or if speaking to a child, say  ¿Cà ³mo te llamas? or KOH-mo tay YAHM-ahss. That also means, What is your name?After the person responds, you may say, Mucho gusto or MOOCH-oh GOOSE-toh. The phrase means much pleasure or, less literally, pleased to meet you. Introduce Yourself: Method 2 This second method may be a slightly less common way of introducing yourself, but its still perfectly acceptable and is easier to learn. Most of the steps are the same as above, but for the second step, where you actually introduce yourself, merely say Hola followed by soy and your name. Soy is pronounced basically the same as it is in English. Hola, soy Chris means Hello, Im Chris. Introduce Yourself: Method 3 The third method also isnt as common as the first in most areas, but it may be the most straightforward way for those who have English as a first language. For the second step, you can use Mi nombre es or mee NOHM-breh ess followed by your name. Thus, if your name is Chris, you can say: Hola, mi nombre es Chris. Whichever method you use, dont be afraid to sound silly. Youll be understood by following these directions, and in nearly any Spanish-speaking area even the feeblest attempts to speak Spanish will be honored. Spanish Introductions The most common way to introduce yourself in Spanish is to say  Me llamo followed by your name.Alternatives include Mi nombre es or Soy followed by your name.Hola can be used for either  hi or hello. Grammar and Vocabulary Behind These Introductions You dont need to understand the precise meanings of what youre saying or how the words relate to each other grammatically to introduce yourself. But if youre curious, or if youre planning on learning Spanish, you may find them interesting to know. As you might have guessed, hola and hello are basically the same word. Those who know etymology, the study of word origins, think the word goes back to at least the 14th century, before English and Spanish existed in their current form. Although it is unclear how the word entered Spanish, it probably originated with German as a way of trying to get someones attention. Me in the first method above means myself (obviously, theres an etymological connection with the English me), and llamo is a form of the verb llamar, which usually means to call. So if you say Me llamo Chris, thats a direct equivalent of I call myself Chris. Llamar is used in many of the same ways as to call is, such as for calling out to someone or calling someone on the telephone. In both Spanish and English, verbs in which the person is referring to doing something to him- or herself are known as reflexive verbs. The reason two methods are used with llamar for asking someones name is because Spanish differentiates between formal and informal (sometimes called formal and familiar) ways of addressing people. English used to do the same thing - thou, thee and thine were all informal terms at one time, although in modern English you and your can be used in both formal and informal situations. Although there are regional variations in how Spanish distinguishes between the two forms, as a foreigner you are safer in using the formal form ( ¿Cà ³mo se llama _____?) with adults and especially with authority figures. Soy is a form of the verb ser, which means to be. In the final method, mi nombre es is a word-for-word equivalent of my name is. Like soy, es comes from the  verb ser.

Melissa Richardson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Melissa Richardson - Essay Example While discussing in more details, it can be said that she was very well aware of the fact that the role of a sales manager goes much more beyond the job responsibilities of a normal sales executive. She was to some extent aware of the fact that the sales manager needs to supervise the work done by the team members and has to take in to account the review of the progress of each employee in regards to his or her target achievement. She also had the idea that as a sales manager, she needs to provide significant motivation to the sales executives on a regular manner, so as to enhance their performance on the job. It is important to highlight that there exists a significant difference between the roles and responsibilities handled by a sales executive and sales manager. Talking on this note, it can be said that the traditional job responsibilities of sales executive comprises of leading the sales force of the company for acquiring sales of the company’s products or services. The k ey roles of a sales executive involve planning, organizing, implementing and monitoring of the sales executive of the firm (Jeff 18). Talking in regards to the role of a sales manager, it can be said that the job responsibilities include hiring the sales force, managing and motivating the sales team, achieving the sales target for the company. It is also important to say that the sales manager has a very crucial role in managing the sales turnover of the company, planning the promotional activities and devising the sales strategy to generate product and service sales for the company (Miller 5). Talking from the view point of ColorTech Greenhouses, Inc., it can be said that the job role of the sales executives for the company comprises of developing the accounts or business prospects of the company from large as well as small customers. While talking about the job role of the sales manager, it can be said that apart from managing and motivating the sales team, a lot of paper work is also involved on the job role of the sales manager (Booth and Cates 3). 2. It can be said that Richardson in an attempt to develop a high level of compatibility for handling the new responsibilities in a job focused on doing a number of right things. The very first thing that has to be mentioned is the fact that Richardson enrolled herself for a sales manager training course. It has to be highlighted that this particular action of Richardson was fuelled by the expectation that the course will help her to learn the necessary steps that will help her to manage the new responsibilities. The second most important thing that was done correctly by Richardson is to use her time listening to Spanish language, since she expected it will help her to develop a high level of compatibility with the other employees of the company, who prefer to use Spanish for one to one interactions. The third correct thing that was done by Richardson was to develop and design a motivation program that will help to boost the motivation level of her sales team. It also has to be highlighted that Richardson in her interest to develop the level of compatibility with the new job requirements took a few wrong decisions. First of all, she should have dropped out from the previous sales management classes she was taking since she felt they did not add much value to her. Second, the issue of not taking Spanish language classes to develop her language compatibility was also a very wrong step. It can be said that Richardson should have dropped out from the first sales management course and should have opted for a small course on management. The small course on management would have helped her in developing a level of familiarity with sales, leadership as well as the issues related to the paperwork. Also, she should

Law Torts in economic sense Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Law Torts in economic sense - Essay Example Law Torts in economic sense The value that the law comes up in terms of property and treasure are mainly determined by economics. The law mainly entails making decision and providing guide lines according which the economic activities can operate. Without law people could conduct their business without discipline, thus it brings discipline in the field. To discuss the relationship between the two concepts we shall discuss the main components of law which include; law of torts, law of contract, law of property and the concepts of justice. Law Torts in economic sense This is any wrongful act done to a person hence resulting into losses and therefore the person is liable to some compensation due to the loss incurred. Tort laws are the most unintentional unlike the criminal laws. The tort laws may be divided into two categories either intentional or negligent torts. Torts that result to negligent include actions that touch on intangible resources attached to a person e.g. infringing someone’s safety, while i ntentional including occupying and building on someone’s piece of land. Law of contract and the economics This is a legal binding between two or more people. The law usually recognizes these bindings and any breach of these legal bindings could lead to one be charged in a court of law. The law of contract includes the process of buying and selling of commodities, and signing to long-term supplying agreements between companies and individual suppliers. (Princeton & OverDrive, 2013). Law of property and economics This law entails the ownership by an individual person of anything that is of value. This law tries to bring out the relationship between the person and the object. The important items to this law are possession and transfer of ownership. Possession mainly entails to be established in persons whose possession a particular property belongs, while transfer of ownership is taking the ownership of a particular person to another person (Princeton & OverDrive, 2013). Concept s of justice and economics Justice is doing right according to the society, there are several concepts to justice, these include; social perception, the consequences and the processes involved. In most societies they have, their own perception of what is just and what is not justified, the perception of rape can be justified in some societies while some societies do not entertain the vice at all. Justice is judged depending on the consequences of a particular action. The result from a particular action could lead one to see if it is justified or not. The worse the consequences the more they are not justified by the society. The steps involved in doing a particular action also determines if the action is justified or not (Princeton & OverDrive, 2013). In most countries, laws are legislated by acts of parliament. Thus means that the most powerful and decision-making body in any state is the legislature. This usually explains why some laws are different from other countries. Most state s make their laws depending on the mission and vision statement of the given country. Religion also plays a big role in the determination of the laws of a particular country. This is because religion plays a big role in the life of nay living human being (Princeton & Over

Discussions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Discussions - Essay Example Aside from this, he also uses the word â€Å"come† recurrently to employ a sense of enticement, which perhaps does not just pertain to his condition while he was having this experience but also for people such as me who are reading his works to be pulled in to the story. What really works for me in the story, besides its interesting paradoxical nature, is the subtle restrain of emotions by the author. Hughes, instead of describing the sentiments of the protagonist, expounds on the surroundings of the character, mainly using verbs to push the story forward and into transition. This then makes the reader read between the lines and more sensitive to what the main character would feel given the circumstances, hence what the author really asks of his audience is to be human and to feel for the person if he or she was placed in a particular situation. Because of this, I could definitely relate to the story as I myself have experienced waiting for something that will never seem to come. Characteristically human as well, I have lied to myself and others to suppress what I am feeling inside of me. Human nature is generally paradoxical in this way: hope is simultaneously our strength and weakness. Though waiting only gives me disappointment, I still wait for something to save me; I still hope that it is coming, my salvation. The article that I have chosen has the heading â€Å"From Swine Flu to Bubonic Plague, Epidemics have always stirred Fear and Terror† by Richard Martin, a staff writer from the St. Petersburg Times. His introductory lines go: â€Å"So far, swine flu has infected fewer than 200 people, scattered across the United States. Most havent needed hospitalization. But the signs of fear are everywhere.† Many have been doing necessary, or as the writer might imply, unnecessary precautionary measures to avoid swine flu such as wearing of surgical masks in public places,

Cultural Aspects In British Culture Cultural Studies Essay

Cultural Aspects In British Culture Cultural Studies Essay Since the 1950s Britain has gone through an intense period of accelerated social and cultural transitions. These changes come from the results of the disintegration of the British Empire, the expansion of the Commonwealth and the movement of people from various nationalities, languages and cultures. These phenomena have supported the progressive globalization of life and conceived a multi-ethnic and multicultural society, with a strong plurality of identities and heritages. One of the most driving motions through this period has been the womens movement. Their entrance into the labour market and their growing autonomy has designed fundamental changes in their role in society and their relations with men. Similarly, the emergence of youth as an identifiable group with a very different lifestyle to members of older generations, has contributed substantially to the changing social and cultural profile of the country. The younger generation has a more equality view of the role of women in society. The Hofstede analysis for Britain reports strong feelings towards individualism and masculinity. On the other hand, the power distance and uncertainty avoidance are ranked considerably low. Long-term orientation ranks the lowest. This study indicates potential change that Britain is willing to achieve rapidly with the new generations. Men and women mix freely, with independent relationships to one another. In the football club girls are all very open, they can get in touch with strangers very easily, undress without any shame. And Jess behaves on the contrary. The most vivid example of the British youths independence is the fact that parents cant interfere in Juless private life, even when it deals with her sexual orientation. According to Halls scale of levels of cultures, British culture is a low level context culture because the messages are clear and the words carry most of the information in most communication (for example, when the coach sees that Jess has problems with her parents because of football, he goes there and tells them about his opinion, without any rituals, very directly). More interpersonal connections of shorter duration exist in Britain. Even choosing football in this movie seems to refl ect the low level context British culture is experiencing. Football is one of the most rule and goal-oriented, strictly defined and team playing games (where each has its own job). According to Halls cultural theories, British culture seems to be the mix of the past-oriented and future-oriented cultures. Old generation is still trying not to lose traditions, they are still very conservative but the younger people are much more future-oriented, as it is very obvious from Bend it like Beckham. In conclusion, British culture is definitely an individualistic one, due to its high level of individual independence, goals and concept of individuality over group goals. Individuals have universal communication and equal attitude to everyone, in the family and in everyday life where men and women enjoy equal rights. Its also a feminine culture with several specific features of male culture. British culture is a low level context one where people play by external rules, they have separation of time, space, activities, relationships; more interpersonal connections of shorter duration; almost everything is task-centered (decision and activities focus around what needs to be done, division of responsibilities) and so on. Indian culture Indias history has forged its culture. Its particular geography and the assimilation of customs, traditions and ideas from some of its neighbors have been shaping the country, as well as maintaining its ancient heritages, from the Indus Valley Civilization onward. India enjoys a great diversity of practices, languages, customs, and traditions, which are the results of a unique and particular cultural blend over the past five millennia. The family plays an important role in teaching and transmitting values and traditions. The respect for elders is a major component in Indian culture. They represent the familial driving force and pass on the Indian culture within us. India is a high contest culture with close connections between people, less verbally explicit, more indirect verbal interaction, less written and formal communication and more relationship focused. The respect to one another is also a strong pillar. Power Distance score for India is synonymous with high level of inequality of power and wealth within the society. This situation is at some point accepted by the population as a cultural norm. In contrast, people tend to promote interdependent relationship with each other as collectivistic cultures do, by embracing interdependence, family security, social hierarchies, cooperation, and low levels of competition. Indian scores a long term orientation dimension, which is indicative of a perseverant and parsimonious culture. It is also oriented toward masculinity, which reinforces a greater gap between values of men and women. India scores low towards the uncertainty avoidance dimension, which indicates a culture more open to unstructured ideas and situations, as well as fewer rules and regulations towards. The head of the Indians family is male oriented, the father or husband. We can see here male culture, but also with some elements of female culture. The woman in Indian culture is a symbol of house. Jesss mother shows us how real Indian wife has to behave, as mother and housewife. Her main goal is to give her daughters all knowledge that she knows. Communication style The Indian culture is oriented toward collectivism and group goals. Their pillar is traditional house holding and the family. We can see that Jess has a huge amount of relatives who really are happy with her sisters wedding. We can see with Jess sisters wedding the role and active participation the family plays in Indian culture. We can see also that the status is very important for Indians. In the episode Jesss coach comes to talk to her family about football trainings. Jesss father was telling his attitude to football and to problems that he had many years ago because of the football, at the same time Jess interrupted him and tried to say some her own opinions, but it was prohibited because father is the head of the family. So Jesss mother made the reprimand: It is your father, you cant talk while your father is talking. This moment shows us the respect and the importance of the status. Attitude to other cultures Strong differences and reluctances exist between the Indian and other cultures. Indians are conservative and dont attempt to mix culturally. Jess sisters wedding shows the Indian reluctance to include other culture in their traditional ceremony. Jesss mother teaches her daughters to married Indians sharing the same values, culture and traditions. Jess will find all along the movie to evolve from those cultural practices with her relationship with her coach. British Asian Culture In the previous parts, we discussed two main cultures English and Indian. Both of the cultures have strong traditions and deep values which people are trying to keep alive today. It is not easy as everything is changing. But even harder it is for Jess who tries to honour her father Indian roots but at the same time wants to be fully accepted in the English society. This trend is called the new British Asian generation. The term British Asian is used to denote a person of South Asian ancestry or origin, who was born in or was an immigrant to the United Kingdom. Britain has a large Southern Asian population due to British India once being the most populous portion of the former British Empire. That is shown as well in the movie where Jess parents want that she attends university and gets good education as doctor. They have no problems with seeing themselves as British. Mainly they are not accepted as British from the point of old people from Britain. But at the same time they say that they do not even want to be accepted. Their first language is really English. The most important thing they have been brought up there. In addition, the young people see their way of life as different from life in India as well as from their parents. New British Asian generation do not think of gender identity. That is also the biggest issue in Bend it Like Beckham, where Jess is eager to play football. In India that is only men job. Even though Indians might have lived all their lives in Britain the differences are remaining. High expectation of loyalty to strong family is common theme among British Asians. It is seen as the biggest culture differences between Asian and English values. Basi cally if you have grown up in England, there is no family unit which at the same time is totally different for Asian families where you reflect on your family. Individualism versus family values is a dichotomy difficult to reconcile. If you are judged by who is your family or your family is judged by your actions, what do they do then, when they do not want to become doctors, lawyers or just want to smoke weed (very popular thing in UK). That is where the youth of British Asian struggle. For some it even results in exclusion from the family structures because they refuse to accept collectivism pressure. The other issue in British Asian society is marriage. Still most of traditional families want arranged marriages and assessed that those arranged marriages are quite misconceived. An arranged marriage is not a forced marriage. Religion is another British Asian issue. Even though they have grew up with very religious background the 2nd generation is more questioning and searching. They are trying to adapt it by keeping some of its values and foundations to a more modern approach. Also, the new language Asian and English form should not be seen as a mixing of heritages, but as the creation of a potential new heritage. England is a multicultural society, not a multitude of cultures living together and separately from each other. This young generation is redefining their values and reinterpreting what it is to be British. They are not British Asians. Not even British Caribbean or Caucasian. They are second generation and want to make their own mark. This attitude can be seen in the movie where Jess is bright example of British Asian representative. She proves that at the end it is possible to make happy every part of society and be happy herself. She and her British Asian friends show that they are creating their own culture from adapting their strong family values and involving their new sides of English culture. They are taking the most important element they need from both of the cultures. The Movie Genre and Structure The film combines different genres: sports movie, Coming-of-Age, music clip, but primarily British comedy and Bollywood film. These so-called Bollywood films follow the formal and substantive traditions. A key issue is the preservation of the tradition. The older family members embody the forces of tradition. As an important event, there is often an opulent and glamouros wedding-scene. Music and dance in Bollywood films push the emotions of the characters. They are also the moral censorship, because they help to disguise the love scenes. The British comedy derives its humor from the surreality of everyday life and works with a lot of wit and quick word dialogues. Many protagonists are coming from the working class and middle class, discussed their everyday problems in heavily story-line-orientated stories. Bend it like Beckham juggle with both narrative: Thematically it refers to one of the classic Bollywood themes, the conflict between tradition and modern world. The wedding in the movie is the culmination depicted, but equivalent to the other peak, the football final. This shows the film tradition and modern life with the same weighting. Again, the parents embody the classic values, the father does, however, a conversion and finally supports the willingness of change of the daughter. The conquest of a male-domain Football in Europe is the undisputed leader sport millions of people are excited about. This is true at least for the male version. Although there are now more and more female players, the womens football is not in the same form and will be hardly recognized. In the film, this conservative attitude is represented by the mothers. Jules mother is convinced that playing football diminishes the chances of their daughter in the marriage market. As there is a conversation between Jess and Jules, she even feared that the two are lesbian. Jess mother thinks that sports clothes are improper and would prefer that her daughter learn how to prepare Indian dishes. The mothers are trying to stop their daughters from playing football symbolized in the release of Jess, who sees her female family members in the wall during a freekick. Mixed Culture appearing in the movie Jesminder Bhamra (Parminder Nagra) is deeply admiring of the professional skills David Beckham exposes as a Manchester United star. Nobody can bend it like Beckham is her leitmotiv motivation. She is in a total discordance with her parents vision of her future, and her older sisters path traditionally engaged to marry within weeks. While schooling other girls, she explains that Indian girls arent supposed to play football, and is replied that Thats a bit backwards, by one of her teammates. Jess finally justifies that Its just culture, thats all. She is navigating from cultures all along the movie, looking for emotional stability, a sense of belonging and great ambitions to fulfil. The movie successfully shakes all those expectations and their challenges by shaping Jess experience. The film follows its two main characters by developing a strong panel of contrasts and similarities, exploring the divergences in their respective backgrounds, and most importantly, the ways they will achieve this absorption of traditions taught by their environment with the mix of other cultures and changing times. Through crisis and conflicts, the movie finally brings a disparate epilogue that crosscuts between a final football match and Jess sister traditional wedding. This picture shows the divergent clash of these cultures that finally converge responsively to one another in a universal approach. Music In the film the producer mixes Indian and Western pop music. The Indian music accentuated the conservative or traditional areas of life, the western represent the New Age. When Jess and Jules are shopping for the first time and having a beer in a pub, Mel C. sings Independence Day. The trip to Hamburg is musically connected with the group Blondie Your hair looks beautiful. Indian music is essential in the Hindu celebrations, but also when Jess is forced to do the kitchen work by her mother, one can hear the Indian way of music. During the parallel-creation of the wedding and the final game, first Indian and later English music is used for those scenes. The goal kick and the enthusiastic viewers are accompanied with a piece from Puccinis opera Turandot background. The movie and the cultural aspect all together Jess ´ situation based on her relationship to her family Bend it like Beckham picks a topic, which is relevant for adolescents, regardless of their cultural context. It is about the creation of self-determination and the own conceptions of life, independent from external expectations, and thus linked to questions of identity and personal values. For Jess, that leads to a special conflict, because her culture traditionally admits less freedom. From a dramaturgical perspective, it allows to enhance the universal conflict. Through the culture movement the film tells about, the understanding and tolerance for differences in other cultures are encouraged. Seemingly effortlessly the film combines conflicts, which are characterized by the close social contact of cultural values and role models, which went through strong developments in European societies over the past decades. Jess situation according her future and the realisation of her life-concept On the one hand, Jess embodies the whole dilemma of the so-called second generation, as one can see in all European countries in which the children of emigrants were born. They are linguistically and culturally much closer to the culture of occident. However they are still in contact with the original homeland and the traditions of their parents generation. For this generation it is necessary to make pioneering work, to prevent prejudices on both sides, as Jess practiced in the movie. Jess accepted the cultural values of her parents lives and also the traditional religious wedding ceremony of her sister Pinky. At the same time, Jess asks for respect to her lifestyle, but it is quite clear that her mother can never really understand, what kind of life she is trying to live. Jess has reached the allowance to play football and the relationship with her coach Joe, is the next cultural barrier that she will need to overcome.