Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Freedom from Reality Essay -- Mark Tw

In Mark Twain’s, Huck Finn, Huck seeks to escape oppression from his father and manages to fake his own death and run away. Just after his escape, Huck meets Jim, a familiar runaway slave to who he regretfully decides to help. Along their journey they travel down the Mississippi River which comes to serve as an asylum away from the influences of society. While the river initially appears to offer freedom from the wrongs of society, it ironically brings them closer towards the oppression of southern society. Initially the river offers Huck and Jim physical and mental liberation from society. Searching for freedom, Huck and Jim learn that they need to use the river as their path to freedom. On the river, they find beauty, peace, and also discover that they make their own rules: Sometimes we'd have that whole river all to ourselves for the longest time†¦maybe you could hear a fiddle or a song coming over from one of them crafts. It's lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened. (1325) In this passage, we see how life on the river opens them up to pondering new ideas and discovering new found appreciation for nature. Through a physical separation they are able to appreciate the friendship and liberation that nature offers. They recognize that they are away from society and now have only the stars, the sky and the river to guide them. This physical separation also gives them a sense of mental separation, where they are able to make their own rules and become open to ideas. When Huck says, â€Å"I was boss of it, it all belonged to me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1267), we see that Huck fee... ..., Huck’s journey down the river opens his eyes to the ugliness of human nature and the danger in losing sight of reality. Huck’s illusion of the river as being a genuine escape from society is cut short by the quick invasion and the steady influence southern society has. The invasion of southern society to life on the river tears down the physical and mental barriers and once again attempts to enslave them to the influences of society. Until that point, their journey down the Mississippi is just another one of Tom’s adventures. It is through this placement back into the realms of reality that Huck and Jim finally are able to challenge ideas of not only southern society but also human nature. Works Cited Clemens, Samuel. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter, et al. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Lexington: Heath, 1994.

The Food Wars by Walden Bello

Food insecurity is linked to various issues such as poverty, low income, poor infrastructure, inequitable access to land, water, credit and markets. Food security is also threatened due to natural disasters such as floods, droughts and further exacerbated by internal conflicts which can dislocate rural and farming communities. These issues and challenges are the normal and repetitive debates among the global community of practice regarding food security while the needs and necessities of the peasant farmers, who are responsible for the majority of food production around the globe, are not addressed. In The Food Wars, Walden Bello presents the important and burning issues of the North-South power gap and hierarchy regarding food security. Bello depicts and argues the role of the Bretton Woods institutions influencing agricultural policies in developing countries, organizations such as the WTO designing rules and regulations that exclude developing nations and their smallholder farmers, while donor organizations such as USAID heavily persuade developing nations to adopt unfriendly domestic policies. Most importantly, Bello closes the gap between the policies made by multilateral institutions, developing government ministries and their implication on the peasant farmer. The structural adjustment had massive implication and consequences in Mexico and the Philippines. According to Bello, the structural adjustment tore apart the traditional corn farmers of Mexico and turned a nation that was once the original place of corn domestication to a major corn importer. Furthermore, the creation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in an attempt to create liberalization of agricultural trade further displaced smallholder farmers. Policies imposed by the North have diverted the traditional farming practices of the peasant farmer that has existed for decades to commercial agricultural practices in an attempt to increase agricultural efficiency and strengthen food security. Following the structural adjustment and NAFTA Mexico experienced severe food insecurity while the young labor force from rural farms stated migrating to the US. Bello also discusses the Philippines experience regarding the rice shortage. The Philippines once a major rice exporter nation owing to the government echnical services geared towards peasant farmers became a major food importer due to the effects of structural adjustments. Philippines entry to the WTO increased the country’s payment to its debts, extracting funds from various government services including towards peasant farmers while the nation’s food insecurity increased. Bello states: â€Å"Today, the status of the Philippines as a permanent importer of rice and, mo re generally, a net food importer is implicitly accepted by a government that does not view the countryside as an essential element in the nation’s economic development†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Bello, 67). Bello also discusses the impact of the structural adjustment in the African agriculture. In what Bello labeled â€Å"Destroying African Agriculture†, he discusses the transformation of the African continent as a major exporter of food to a major importer. The aim of the structure adjustment in Africa was to loosen governments’ involvement in rural agriculture such as subsidized fertilizers. The ultimate goal was to attract the private sector into the agriculture economy so that ultimately agriculture productivity increases through industrialized mode of agriculture instead of the peasant agriculture. However, according to Bello, the private sector failed to step in to fill in the gaps. In the case of Malawi, the extreme influence over the government to adopt structural adjustment led the extreme food insecurity of the country and eventually led to famine. Prior to giving into the World Bank’s and IMF’s pressure to adopt to these adjustments, Malawi had a fertilizer subsidy program that provided peasants farmers with affordable fertilizers. After surrendering to the structural adjustment, the government of Malawi withdrew its support to peasant farmers with the hope of the private sector stepping in. However, food production declined tremendously while the nation turned to aid. Malawi finally refused to abide by these adjustments and continued to provide subsidized fertilizer which was followed by three years of crop surplus. Furthermore, Bello emphasizes the contradicting approaches between the WTO and the structural adjustment of the Bretton Wood Institutions. While the World Bank and the IMF were forcing governments to abandon the various subsidies they have set up in place for the peasant farmer, the WTO failed to eliminate subsidies by the US and European governments. Bello states: â€Å"Subsidies now account for 40 percent of the value of agricultural production in the European Union and 25 percent in the United States† (Bello, 76-77). Smallholder farmers were in no position to compete in such unfair market environment and thus the rise in food insecurity around the globe. Agrofuels were once considered the remedy to the massive consumption of fossil fuels and the green alternative. However, as Bello mentions and debates: â€Å"†¦that US and EU agrofuels policies were responsible for three quarters of the 140 percent increase in food prices between 2002 and February 2008† (Bello, 123). Agrofuels become an opportunity of major profit making for multiple multinational corporations. Government officials and development workers indorsed this magical solution with the hope of aiding their beneficiaries. However, the serious demand of agrofuel consumption and production led to extensive environmental damage, pollution and threats to biodiversity. Furthermore, the production of agrofuels failed to be sustainable for it exploits more energy than it produces. However, corporate agriculture and various privileged politicians are the primary beneficiaries to agrofuels and the main drivers to projects and policies that are favorable to it. According to Shepard Daniel and Anuradha Mittal’s article â€Å"The Great Land Grab: Rush for World’s Farmland Threatens Food security of the Poor,† the demand for land has driven investors from around the globe to the current land grab: â€Å"Attracted by this big demand and market, investors- mainly from the private sector and OECD member countries- are targeting vast tracts of land to produce crops for agrofuels in developing countries,†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Daniel and Mittal, 4). The land grab in various developing nations is not only coming from the usual â€Å"Northern† countries but rather from emerging economies of China, India, Saudi Arabia and UAE. Furthermore, pressured by the international institutions and foreign investors, developing countries governments fail to make the appropriate decisions that favors smallholder farmers. More and more evidence is indicating that there is not much room for smallholder farmers in this global rush to massive land grabs. Peasant farmers are being forced out of their lands, forced to work on industrialized agriculture while losing their family/ traditional values. The global land grab is not only eliminating traditional farming heritages but is also creating a severe food shortage and insecurity in the most vulnerable areas of the world. Walden Bello presents a holistic argument regarding international food insecurity as influenced by various global players of the North. It offers an extensive analysis of the power hierarchy that exists between the North- South divide and its contribution to the various failed endeavors and attempts to achieving global food security. Bello also emphasizes on food sovereignty as the right of each nation and its citizens to sustain and advance its own capacity to produce basic food, while respecting environmental, productive and cultural diversity. Most importantly, the book emphasizes on the importance of the participation of peasant farmers in decision and policy making being key to achieving food security and healthy economic growth as a whole.

University of Denver Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

The University of Denver is a private research university with an acceptance rate of 56%. Located about seven miles from downtown Denver, the University of Denvers main campus offers students easy access to both outdoor activities and an urban center. For its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, DU was awarded a chapter of  Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. DU offers over 100 undergraduate degree programs and 120 graduate degree programs. In athletics, the University of Denver Pioneers compete primarily in the NCAA Division I  Summit League. Winter sports such as skiing and hockey are particularly strong at DU. Considering applying to University of Denver? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, University of Denver had an acceptance rate of 56%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 56 students were admitted, making DUs admissions process competitive. Admissions Statistics Number of Applicants 20,475 Percent Admitted 56% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 13% SAT Scores and Requirements University of Denver has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants to DU may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required.  During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 56% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 590 690 Math 580 680 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that of those students who submitted scores during the 2017-18 admissions cycle, most of University of Denvers admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to University of Denver scored between 590 and 690, while 25% scored below 590 and 25% scored above 690. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 580 and 680, while 25% scored below 580 and 25% scored above 680. While the SAT is not required, this data tells us that a composite SAT score of 1370 or higher is competitive  for University of Denver. Requirements University of Denver does not require SAT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, note that DU participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. University of Denver does not require the essay portion of the SAT or SAT Subject tests. ACT Scores and Requirements University of Denver has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 56% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 25 33 Math 24 29 Composite 26 31 This admissions data tells us that of those who submitted scores during the 2017-18 admissions cycle, most of DUs admitted students fall within the top 18% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to University of Denver received a composite ACT score between 26 and 31, while 25% scored above 31 and 25% scored below 26. Requirements Note that University of Denver does not require ACT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, University of Denver participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all ACT test dates. DU does not require the ACT writing section. GPA In 2019, the middle 50% of University of Denvers incoming class had high school GPAs between 3.6 and 4.0. 25% had a GPA above 4.0, and 25% had a GPA below 3.6. These results suggest that most successful applicants to University of Denver have primarily A grades. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph University of Denver Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to University of Denver. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances University of Denver, which accepts just over half of applicants, has a competitive admissions pool. However, DU also has a  holistic admissions  process and is test-optional, and admissions decisions are based on much more than numbers. A strong  application essay  and  glowing letters of recommendation  can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful  extracurricular activities  and a  rigorous course schedule. The college is looking for students who will contribute to the campus community in meaningful ways, not just students who show promise in the classroom. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades and scores are outside of University of Denvers average range. In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. You can see that most admitted students had high school GPAs of A- or higher, a combined SAT score of 1100 or higher, and an ACT composite score of 22 or better. Your chances improve measurably if your grades and test scores are above this lower range. If You Like University of Denver, You May Also Like These Schools: Boston UniversityNew York UniversityUniversity of OregonUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Washington - SeattleHarvard UniversityPepperdine UniversityNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of Colorado - BoulderColorado College All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and University of Denver Undergraduate Admissions Office.