She Unnames Them by Ursula Le Guin, an Analysis

'She Unnames Them' by Ursula Le Guin, an Analysis Ursula K. Le Guin, a writer predominantly of science fiction and fantasy, was awarded the 2014 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. She Unnames Them, a work of flash fiction, takes its premise from the Biblical book of Genesis, in which Adam names the animals. The story originally appeared in The New Yorker in 1985, where it is available to subscribers.  A free audio version of the author reading her story is also available. Genesis If youre familiar with the Bible, youll know that in Genesis 2:19-20, God creates the animals, and Adam chooses their names: And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam would call every living creature, that was the name thereof. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. As Adam sleeps, God takes one of his ribs and forms a companion for Adam, who chooses her name (woman) just as he has chosen names for the animals. Le Guins story reverses the events described here, as Eve unnames the animals one by one. Who Tells the Story? Even though the story is very short, its divided into two separate sections. The first section is a third-person account explaining how the animals react to their unnaming. The second section switches to the first person, and we realize that the story all along has been told by Eve (though the name Eve is never used). In this section, Eve describes the effect of unnaming the animals and narrates her own unnaming.   Whats in a Name? Eve clearly views names as a way to control and categorize others. In returning the names, she rejects the uneven power relations of having Adam in charge of everything and everybody. So, She Unnames Them is a defense of the right to self-determination. As Eve explains to the cats, the issue was precisely one of individual choice. It is also a story about tearing down barriers. Names serve to emphasize the differences between the animals, but without names, their similarities become more evident. Eve explains: They seemed far closer than when their names had stood between myself and them like a clear barrier. Though the story focuses on the animals, Eves own unnaming is ultimately more important. The story is about power relations between men and women. The story rejects not just the names, but also the subservient relationship indicated in Genesis, which portrays women like a smaller part of men, given that they were formed from Adams rib. Consider that Adam declares, She shall be called Woman,/Because she was taken out of Man in Genesis. She Unnames Them Analysis Much of Le Guins language in this story is beautiful and evocative, often evoking the characteristics of the animals as an antidote to simply using their names. For example, she writes: The insects parted with their names in vast clouds and swarms of ephemeral syllables buzzing and stinging and humming and flitting and crawling and tunneling away. In this section, her language almost paints an image of the insects, forcing readers to look closely and think about the insects, how they move, and how they sound. And this is the point where the story ends. The final message is if we choose our words carefully, well have to stop taking it all for granted and really consider the world - and the beings - around us. Once Eve herself considers the world, she must necessarily leave Adam. Self-determination, for her, is more than just choosing her name; its choosing her life.  Ã‚   The fact that Adam doesnt listen to Eve and instead asks her when dinner will be served might seem a little clichà ©d to 21st-century readers. But it still serves to represent the casual thoughtlessness of taking it all for granted that the story, at every level, asks readers to work against. After all, unname isnt even a word, so right from the beginning, Eve has been imagining a world that is unlike the one we know. Sources Genesis 2:19. The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible, Bible Hub, 2018. Genesis 2:23. The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible, Bible Hub, 2018. Le Guin, Ursula K. She Unnames Them. The New Yorker, January 21, 1985.

Conversation Using Reported Speech Lesson Plans

Conversation Using Reported Speech Lesson Plans Reported speech is also known as indirect speech and is commonly used in spoken conversations to report what others have said. A keen grasp of correct tense usage, as well as the ability to correctly shift pronouns and time expressions, is essential when using  reported speech. The use of reported speech is especially important at higher English levels. Students  are fine-tuning their communication skills to include expressing the ideas of others, as well as their own opinions. Students usually need to focus not only on the grammar involved but also on production skills. Reported speech includes some rather tricky transformations that need to be practiced repeatedly before students feel comfortable using reported speech in everyday conversations. Finally, make sure to point out that reported speech is generally used with the verbs say and tell in the past.   Hell help him with the homework. - She told me he would help me with my homework.   However, if the reporting verb is conjugated in the present tense, no reported speech changes are necessary. Im going to Seattle next week. - Peter says hes going to Seattle next week.   Lesson Outline Aim: Developing reported speech grammar and productions skills Activity: Introduction and written reporting activity, followed by spoken practice in the form of a questionnaire Level: Upper-intermediate Outline: Introduce/review reported speech by making simple statements and asking students to report what you have said. Make sure to emphasize reporting in the past (i.e., the teacher said, NOT the teacher says)Provide review sheet of principle reported speech transitions (included in lesson printout pages)Have students get into pairs and convert the reported speech paragraph into the direct speech form.Correct worksheet as a class.Ask students to divide up into new pairs and ask each other questions from the questionnaire. Remind them to take notes on what their partners say.Have students divide into new pairs and ask them to report what they have learned about the other students to their new partner (i.e., John said he had lived in Breubach for two years).Follow-up with class conversation focusing on problematic tense transformations. Reported Speech Study the following chart carefully. Notice how reported speech is one step back into the past from direct speech. Tense Quote Reported Speech present simple I play tennis on Fridays. He said he played tennis on Fridays. present continuous Theyre watching TV. She said they were watching TV. present perfect Shes lived in Portland for ten years. He told me she had lived in Portland for ten years. present perfect continuous Ive been working for two hours. He told me he had been working for two hours. past simple I visited my parents in New York. She told me she had visited her parents in New York. past continuous They were preparing dinner at 8 oclock. He told me they had been preparing dinner at 8 oclock. past perfect I had finished in time. He told me he had finished in time. past perfect continuous She had been waiting for two hours. She said she had been waiting for two hours. future with will Ill see them tomorrow. He said he would see them the next day. future with going to Were going to fly to Chicago. He told me they were going to fly to Chicago. Reported Speech Reference Time Expression Changes Time expressions such as at the moment are also changed when using reported speech. Here are some of the most common changes: at the moment / right now / now -  at that moment / at that time Were watching TV right now. - She told me they were watching TV at that time. yesterday - the previous day / the day before I bought some groceries yesterday. - He told me he had bought some groceries the previous day. tomorrow - the following day / the next day Shell be at the party tomorrow. - She told me she would be at the party the next day. Exercise 1: Put the following paragraph in the reported speech into the  conversational form using direct speech  (quotes). Peter introduced me to Jack who said he was pleased to meet me. I replied that it was my pleasure  and that I hoped Jack was enjoying his stay in Seattle. He said he thought Seattle was a beautiful city, but that it rained too much. He said that he had been staying at the Bayview Hotel for three weeks and that it hadnt stopped raining since he had arrived. Of course, he said, this wouldnt have surprised him if it hadnt been July! Peter replied that he should have brought warmer clothes. He then continued by saying that he was going to fly to Hawaii the following week, and he that he couldnt wait to enjoy some sunny weather. Both Jack and I commented that Peter was a lucky person indeed. Exercise 2: Ask your partner the following questions making sure to take good notes. After you have finished the questions, find a new partner and report what you have learned about your first partner using reported speech. What is your favorite sport and how long have you been playing/doing it?What are your plans for your next vacation?How long have you known your best friend? Can you give me a description of him/her?What kind of music do you like? Have you always listened to that kind of music?What did you use to do when you were younger that you dont do anymore?Do you have any predictions about the future?Can you tell me what you do on a typical Saturday afternoon?What were you doing yesterday at this time?Which two promises will you make concerning learning English?

Ethnic Identity in Social, Political and Economic Life Coursework

Ethnic Identity in Social, Political and Economic Life - Coursework Example The value of ethnic identity in the context of social, political and economic life is reviewed in this paper. Efforts are made so that the influence of ethnic identity on ethnic affiliations is clearly described. The various assumptions developed in regard to this issue, as identified in the relevant literature, are compared. It is made clear that ethnic identity is a core part of modern social, political and economic life but its power to influence key social, political and economic decisions worldwide is differentiated, a fact probably related to the different perceptions of people in each state in regard to the context of ethnic identity and its requirements, meaning the terms under which ethnic identity can be considered as secured. Also, different levels of freedom exist internationally in regard to the potential limitations of ethnic identity, a fact leading often too severe social, political and economic conflicts, either in the internal and the external environment of modern states.   The representation of ethnic identity in a variety of social, political and economic activities is extensive. Moreover, the literature published in this field leads to the assumption that the forms of ethnic identity in social, political and economic life can vary. Reference can be made for instance to the relationship between identity and language. In accordance with Fishman and Garcia (2010), identity is reflected in a series of identity practices, including specific linguistic choices (Fishman and Garcia 40). These identify practices, if viewed as a unit, constitute ethnicity, as a social phenomenon.