Social Standing in To Kill A Mockingbird †English Essay

Social Standing in To Kill A Mockingbird – English Essay Free Online Research Papers Social Standing in To Kill A Mockingbird English Essay Social hierarchy is a very important part of any community, fictional or no. In Maycomb County, who the characters are, what they own, the color of their skin, and how they act on the public streets all contribute to their standing in Maycomb, among other things. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the people of Maycomb’s ability to see people as more than just their social standing is tainted due to patronizing attitudes towards people who are inferior to them on the social ladder, and thusly interfering with their ability to judge other people fairly and unbiasedly. In Maycomb, there is a definite separation between those who are higher and those who are lower on the social ladder. The populations of the poor and the blacks are normally lower on the ladder than the rich and the whites. As you go from the center of the town to the country, the neighborhoods slowly shift from a rich and white population to a poor and white population, finally stopping at the communities of the black population of Maycomb in the very country. First Purchase African M.E. Church was in the Quarters outside the southern town limits, across the old sawmill tracks. (99) Along with this physical separation, the townspeople’s attitudes towards the people living on the outer section of town are less than positive. The white rich folks look down upon those such as the Robinson family because they are black or the Ewell family because they are poor. These prejudices are a perfect example of why Mayella Ewell is â€Å"the loneliest person in the world†¦lonelier than Boo Radley, who hadn’t been out of the house in twenty-five years† (162). She is lonely because she is white and she is poor. When Atticus asked had she any friends, she seemed not to know what he meant, then she thought he was making fun of her. She was as sad, I thought, as what Jem called a mixed child: white people wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she lived among pigs; Negroes wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she was white†¦Maycomb gave [the Ewells] Christmas baskets, welfare money, and the back of its hand. (162) By that same token, not all of the lower-class families have a positive attitude towards the rich, as is demonstrated by Lulu’s actions at the church, asking Calpurnia why she was â€Å"bringin’ white chillun to [a] nigger church† then stating that Calpurnia â€Å"ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here† (100). With this sort of behavior going both ways in Maycomb, it is hard to break the stereotypes the social classes have for each other and, essentially, the barriers between classes. These stereotypes come to surface when Tom Robinson, a black man, is brought to court on charges of raping Mayella Ewell, a white girl. During the trial, Mayella Ewell gives evidence of the way other people treat her due to her social standing in the town by telling Atticus that she â€Å"won’t answer a word [he says] long as [he] keep[s] mocking me† (153). Although Atticus is not mocking her, but trying to be polite, Mayella is not used to being talked to politely unless the politeness in question is sarcastic. Mayella looked from under lowered eyelids at Atticus, but she said to the judge: â€Å"Long’s he keeps callin’ me ma’am and sayin’ Miss Mayella. I don’t hafta take his sass, I ain’t called upon to take it.† (153) Because Mayella is unused to polite treatment from others, she believes that the only reason Atticus is treating her nicely is because he’s making fun of her. This isn’t true, but it’s a stereotype that Mayella has towards all of the people who are in higher social classes than she is, even though not all of the people are like that. Also during the trial, substantial evidence is presented in favor of Tom Robinson’s innocence. However, while the deliberation is taking place, Reverend Sykes warns Jem not to â€Å"be so confident†¦I ain’t never seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man† (177). Sure enough, when the jury comes out of deliberation after three hours, they pronounce Tom Robinson guilty. By their logic, he is a black man, and black men can’t be trusted. Why? Because the stereotypes that the jurors have against Tom Robinson’s social class cloud their judgment. Black men are liars, they are crude, and they can’t be trusted; wouldn’t it be best to lock one up in case he actually does something? With these stereotypes in the way, characters and their attitudes are obviously biased in lieu of these opinions. â€Å"Well, coming out of that courthouse that night Miss Gates was†¦talking with Miss Stephanie Crawford. I heard her say that it’s time somebody taught ’em a lesson, they were gettin’ way above themselves†¦Jem, how can you hate Hitler so bad an’ then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home[?]† (210) The people living in the town of Maycomb aren’t naà ¯ve or stupid; they’re simply prejudiced. Prejudice in Maycomb is what one does in order to â€Å"fit it†; it isn’t so different than wearing the right brand of clothing or playing the right sport to gain leverage with the â€Å"in-crowd† in high school. If someone isn’t prejudiced, it’s considered â€Å"weird† or â€Å"not right†, unless you have a very high standing in the town. Then it’s â€Å"just their way† (162) of life. Nearly everyone in this book wants to â€Å"fit in†, and they’ll do whatever they need to do in order to reach that high status, even if it means giving an innocent black man a death sentence. Because of a primal urge to be one of the crowd, it is hard to judge someone without bias about who they are, what they own, the way they act on the public streets, and, maybe most importantly, the color of their skin. Research Papers on Social Standing in To Kill A Mockingbird - English EssayWhere Wild and West Meet19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Hockey GameCapital PunishmentQuebec and CanadaThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresStandardized Testing

Multiculturalism in Canada

Multiculturalism in Canada Introduction Canada as a nation has incorporated people from various backgrounds and ethnic diversities. In addition, the Canadian government has played its role in motivating and fortifying the coexistence of the different cultures present in Canada.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Multiculturalism in Canada specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Multiculturalism is suggested to have started in England and French nations; however, in Canada, the multiculturalism policy has incorporated the various diversities of Canadians by upholding social integration in terms of active participation in social, cultural, political, and economic activities. In the modern time, these activities are facilitated by the modern technology through the internet (Sugimoto University of Toronto 1). In Canada, multiculturalism concept pervades in the day-to-day life despite its meaning varying significantly in relation to its context. In the 1987 report which was referred to as Multiculturalism: Building the Canadian Mosaic, multiculturalism was defined as â€Å"recognition of diverse cultures of a plural society based on three principles: we all have an ethnic origin (equality); all our cultures deserve respect (dignity) and cultural pluralism needs support (community)†. In 1989, a government pamphlet published to educate the public on Multiculturalism act defined multiculturalism in a simpler manner by describing it as the daily working and living undertaken by Canadians in their day-to-day life (Sugimoto University of Toronto 5). History of multiculturalism Multiculturalism in Canada was not an official policy until in 1971, it has however been identified as a historical and social fact since the Canadian West settlement. The Canadian government had vigorously started promoting large-scale immigration during the nineteenth century second half. The sole aim of the immigration was to undertake development of the unsettled land and in particular in the Canadian West. As the Ontarian and French-Canadian migrants moved towards the west, some European groups also followed suit among which the Icelanders were part of. The groups were convinced to stay in Canada with the promise of attaining large tracts of land for their settlement as well as the promise of their culture and language been preserved (Neijmann 357). It took the First World War to initiate Canada into an era of strongly increased nationalism and self-awareness. High expectations surrounded the emerging Canadian nation that would include the best of Europe’s past. Publications in 1938 were used to enlighten the Canadian population on their cultures and customs (Neijmann 358).Advertising Looking for research paper on canada? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The revolutionary ethnic revival of the 1960s slowly took roots following a widespread of equality calls by the social movements. In Canada wave of Quebecois nationalism had begun sweeping the country and was led by Charles de Gaulle. This wave promoted an increase of awareness of Canadians of different backgrounds. These Canadians felt that it was their right to have their cultural preservations to be officially recognized. It was this time that Canada’s unity was considered to be invested in its diversity and its cultural reality was in fact a mosaic. The report that was published in 1969 on The Cultural Contributions of the Other Ethnic Groups by the royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism was used by the Canadian government to announce a policy of multiculturalism in 1971. From that year on, numerous boards have been established as well as provision of funds by the government in order to promote multiculturalism. In spite of generating a debate, it is now desirable and possible to have pride in one’s heritage of culture, immigrant background and above all take pride in voicing this pride in the public domain (Neijmann 358). The identification of forms and social cohesion of immigrants and minority communities that are racialized is normally a response that is complex in nature attributed to numerous factors. This therefore indicates that the state mediates them as well as its cultural practices. The mediation is undertaken by reality of exclusion and discrimination. The two mediations are indicated in the first and second faces of multiculturalism in Canada. The policy on multiculturalism has helped the state to undertake substantial steps in determining the nature of state and minority coexistence in a liberalized tradition that enhances equality and promotes communities’ social cohesion (Nelson Nelson 416). Multiculturalism in modern Canada In the modern Canada, social networks and connections are at the core of the integration system of Canadian community. The urban areas are comprised of mixed ethnic groups; this mak es it increasing difficult to create stocks of social capital as compared to rural areas that are less diverse. According to Dickerson et al, diverse community individuals in one way or the other reveal less trust in others as well as possess less willingness to integrate with their society. This therefore means that urban residents have a high possibility of isolating themselves from the rest of the community especially in societies whose diversity is high. The issue of integration of diverse cultures and immigrants is not a simple subject to address.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Multiculturalism in Canada specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In Canada, multiculturalism policies have assisted cultural groups in overcoming the difficulties that prevent them from integrating fully into the community. Assistance has been established is ensuring one of the two official languages is learnt thereby making it the corner stone of the policy. Canada has one of the highest levels of per capital immigration in the world. The 2006 census indicated that for every five Canadians that are born one is normally a foreign born. The fact that 95 percent of the immigrants normally settle in urban areas means that national unity and integration are the dominant issues in the political domain (Dickerson et al 55 56). According to Good, StatsCan predicted that by 2017 with the ongoing trend of immigration, the percentage of visible minority Canadians will have grown to 19 to 23 percent up from the 16.2 percent recorded during the 2006 census. The statsCan report also noted that immigration was the critical factor that will reflect the rise in population of Canada’s visible minority. From a policy dimension, the impact of multiculturalism will strongly depend on its ability to undertake ethno cultural diversity that is brought about by immigrant cultural practices. Although extensive research is stil l needed to comprehend the existing relationship between immigrant integration and public policies, the research on multiculturalism that has already been undertaken clearly indicates that success has been achieved so far in immigrant and ethnic integration (Good 9). According to Wilson and Dissanayake, the practice and discourse of multiculturalism has been an integral operation of administrative normalization. This is because various types of traditions are indicated as necessarily contradictory which means that there is need for regulation. The state extends its power by identifying these traditions as norms that need to be embraced and managed. In the last two decades update forms of production and deregulation have resulted to countless movement of people, commodities and as well as capital across different nation’s borders (Wilson Dissanayake 219).Advertising Looking for research paper on canada? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion In Canada, the Pierre Trudeau’s Liberal government undertook the multiculturalism policy in 1971. This was attributed by the report of Royal commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, which was portrayed by a cross section of the people as putting much of its efforts on English-French issues that had little significance to other elements that have an impact in the Canadian population. In 1982, multiculturalism was also given recognition in section 27 of â€Å"Canada’s Charter of rights and freedom†; the Charter was to be interpreted as in a way that will be â€Å"consistent with the preservation and enhancement of the multicultural heritage of Canadians† (Dewing and Leman Para. 17). The conservative government of Brian Mulroney passed the multiculturalism act in the year 1988 and later on established a department of multiculturalism. The functions of this multiculturalism department were later transferred to Department of Canadian heritage. In the modern time, multiculturalism is a different entity of program in the department of Canadian Heritage. One of its major functions is to extend grants to ethnic societies associations for their numerous types of public discussions, cultural performances, French and English training and above all integration into the Canadian community. The main objective declared by Multiculturalism in line with their Canadian Heritage is to prevent nourishment of different identities but rather to assist immigrants develop their lives in Canada by ensuring their own cultural heritage is part and parcel of the mainstream of the social Canadian Community. The various usage of multiculturalism, has led to uncertainty among the Canadian citizens on what the concept really means. Dewing, Michael and Leman, Marc. â€Å"Canadian Multiculturalism.† Parliamentary information and Research Service. 16 March 2006. 03 April 2011. https://lop.parl.ca/sites/PublicWebsite/default/en_CA/ Dickerson O. M et al. An Introduction to Government and Politics: A Conceptual Approach. Toronto: Nelson Education Ltd. 2010. Good, Kristin. Municipalities and multiculturalism: the politics of immigration in Toronto and Vancouver. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 2009. Neijmann, Daisy. The Icelandic voice in Canadian letters: the contribution of Icelandic-Canadian Writers to Canadian Literature. Carleton: Carleton University Press. 1997. Nelson, Charmaine and Nelson, Antoinette C. Racism, Eh? a critical inter-disciplinary anthology of race and racism in Canada. Ontario: Captus Press Inc. 2004. Sugimoto, Sayaka and University of Toronto. Multiculturalism: A discourse analysis of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Canadian Heritage websites. Ottawa, Heritage Branch.2008. Wilson, Rob and Dissanayake, Wimal. Global/local: cultural production and the transnational imaginary. NY: Duke University Press. 1996.

An Introduction to Literary Nonfiction

An Introduction to Literary Nonfiction Literary nonfiction is a type of prose that employs the literary techniques usually associated with fiction or poetry to report on persons, places, and events in the real world without altering facts. The genre of literary nonfiction, also known as creative nonfiction, is broad enough to include travel writing, nature writing, science writing, sports writing, biography, autobiography, memoir,interviews, and familiar and personal essays. Literary nonfiction is alive and well, but it is not without its critics. Examples Here are several examples of literary nonfiction from noted authors: The Cries of London, by Joseph AddisonDeath of a Soldier, by Louisa May AlcottA Glorious Resurrection, by Frederick DouglassThe San Francisco Earthquake, by Jack LondonThe Watercress Girl, by Henry Mayhew Observations The word literary masks all kinds of ideological concerns, all kinds of values, and is finally more a way of looking at a text, a way of reading...than an inherent property of a text.(Chris Anderson, Introduction: Literary Nonfiction and Composition in Literary Nonfiction: Theory, Criticism, Pedagogy)Fictional Devices in Literary NonfictionOne of the profound changes to have affected serious writing in recent years has been the spread of fiction and poetry techniques into literary nonfiction: the show, don’t tell requirement, the emphasis on concrete sensory detail and avoidance of abstraction, the use of recurrent imagery as symbolic motif, the taste for the present tense, even the employment of unreliable narrators. There has always been some crossover between the genres. I am no genre purist, and welcome the cross-pollination, and have dialogue scenes in my own personal essays (as did Addison and Steele). But it is one thing to accept using dialogue scenes or lyrical imager y in a personal narrative, and quite another to insist that every part of that narrative be rendered in scenes or concrete sensory descriptions. A previous workshop teacher had told one of my students, Creative non-fiction is the application of fictional devices to memory. With such narrow formulae, indifferent to nonfictions full range of options, is it any wonder that students have started to shy away from making analytical distinctions or writing reflective commentary?(Phillip Lopate, To Show and to Tell: The Craft of Literary Nonfiction) Practical Nonfiction vs. Literary NonfictionPractical nonfiction is designed to communicate information in circumstances where the quality of the writing is not considered as important as the content. Practical nonfiction appears mainly in popular magazines, newspaper Sunday supplements, feature articles, and in self-help and how-to books...Literary nonfiction puts emphasis on the precise and skilled use of words and tone, and the assumption that the reader is as intelligent as the writer. While information is included, insight about that information, presented with some originality, may predominate. Sometimes the subject of literary nonfiction may not at the onset be of great interest to the reader, but the character of the writing may lure the reader into that subject.Literary nonfiction appears in books, in some general magazines such as The New Yorker, Harpers, the Atlantic, Commentary, the New York Review of Books, in many so-called little or small-circulation magazines, in a fe w newspapers regularly and in some other newspapers from time to time, occasionally in a Sunday supplement, and in book review media.(Sol Stein, Stein on Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies) Literary Nonfiction in the English DepartmentIt might be the case that composition studies...needs the category of literary nonfiction to assert its place in the hierarchy of discourse comprising the modern English department. As English departments became increasingly centered on the interpretation of texts, it became increasingly important for compositionists to identify texts of their own.(Douglas Hesse, The Recent Rise of Literary Nonfiction: A Cautionary Assay in Composition Theory for the Postmodern Classroom)Whether critics are arguing about contemporary American nonfiction for historical or theoretical purposes, one of the primary (overt and usually stated) aims is to persuade other critics to take literary nonfiction seriously- to grant it the status of poetry, drama, and fiction.(Mark Christopher Allister, Refiguring the Map of Sorrow: Nature Writing and Autobiography)

Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Article Example The approved measured was very controversial because it went against the principles of free trade. The U.S historically has prided itself in being a country in favor of free trade. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the tire tariff on Chinese imports and to determine the impact of this policy. The U.S. government and President Obama promised the American people that they would protect the country against the threat the Chinese economy poses. I agree with the President’s decision to impose a tariff on Chinese tire imports. The reason that I believe this was the right decision is because the tire industry in the U.S. had reached a point in which it needed governmental intervention to salvage a dying industry. Between 2005 and 2009 the U.S tire industry lost 5,000 jobs. The tire industry is a byproduct of the automobile industry. The U.S. has always prided itself in the accomplishments of the Big 3 automakers. The policy to protect the U.S tire industry by imposing a tariff seems like a logical move because Chinese imports were cannibalizing the U.S. market. During the last five years Chinese imports of tires had tripled in volume. The new tariff on Chinese tire imports benefits the U.S tire manufactures that have operations in the United States territory. ... This new policy should help ignite job creation in the U.S. tire industry. Another stakeholder group that benefits from the policy is low price tire manufactures outside of China. The group that is hurt the most by this policy is Chinese tire manufactures. Another stakeholder group that is potentially hurt by this policy is the consumers of tires because they will not able to purchase Chinese imported tires at rock bottom prices anymore. The decision to impose a tariff on Chinese tires was a difficult one because the U.S. typically does not believe in the use of protectionism. Protectionism can be defined as the government’s placing of tariffs or quotas on imports to protect domestic industries from global competition2. If the government were to impose tariffs of all goods imported into the United States then the U.S. would be in complete violation of the WTO and it would not be promoting free trade. Another negative consequence of imposing tariffs on all goods imported is tha t it would raise the prices of all consumer goods which would lead to inflation and higher cost of living for the American people. If tariffs were imposed on all items coming into Broward County my life would be very different because I probably would have to get a second job just to pay for my living expenses. The prices of consumer goods would skyrocket at Broward County. Governments often have to make tough decisions that may have political and economical backlash. President Obama made the right choice to impose a tariff on Chinese tire imports because China was cannibalizing the market by flooding it with millions of cheap tires. The excess amount of cheap tires in the marketplace was hurting this industry as American companies could not make a profit due to the

Violence in Modern Drama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Violence in Modern Drama - Essay Example Both works deal with different forms of racism, hatred and violence. Both the works try to show the futility of violence and hatred. In both the works, the mental turmoil faced by teenage boys due to frustration and confusion is highlighted .In "Master Harold and the Boys"' the cause of the violence is the policy of Apartheid followed by the government of South Africa , which fanned the anger and hatred between the blacks and the whites. In "American History X" written by David McKenna and directed by Tony Kaye, the death of their father who was shot while he was doing his duty as a fireman, turns the sons violent and full of hate for the other races. Athol Fugard has written a semi- autobiographical play in "Master Harold". The entire play takes place in a restaurant, St.George's Tea Room, in Port Elizabeth in South Africa . The year is 1950, when South Africa still followed a policy of apartheid. The play begins when the seventeen year old boy Hally (Harold), who is the son of the owner of the restaurant, comes back from school. Hally treats Sam and Willie, the two black employees as his friends. Sam is his special friend because Sam allows himself to be taught by the boy. Hally's father is an alcoholic and Hally does not like him. In fact, he hopes his father will stay some more days in the hospital where he is admitted. The friendship between Hally who is white and Sam and Willie who are black is quite sincere. Sam had taught the boy how to make a kite and fly it. Making and flying a kite had increased Hally’s self confidence. Hally teaches Sam what he learnt in school, and Sam teaches Hally real life skills, like a father. Sam is an admirable character, who attempts to transcend the hate. He thinks life is like a dance where nobody knows the steps. In the racist environment of South Africa, Hally's role model is Sam, since his own father is not an admirable character. Hally who lacked self confidence, is taught by Sam to make and fly the kite .By the act of flying a kite, Hally gains self confidence. He says, ".I still can't believe my eyes.It was flying.I was so proud of us." (Fugard 1092) In the mid twentieth century, South Africa followed a policy of apartheid which humiliated the blacks. Sam says, referring to a "WHITES ONLY" bench on which Hally was sitting, "I couldn't sit down there and stay with you". (Fugard 1091) Growing up in such an environment, Hally is a confused person. Hally's father who is a cripple and a racist besides being an alcoholic, makes him do horrible tasks like cleaning pot full of phlegm Finally , when Hally hears that his father is returning from the hospital that day, his confusion turns into rage, and he ends by spitting in Sam's face. He forgets all the teachings of Sam to consider life like a dance, and turns violent. The policy of apartheid and his father's blatant racism are too much and they push him towards violence. The film "American History X" also deals with violence caused among young people by hate and intolerance. Written by David McKenna and directed by Tony Kaye, "American HistoryX" is a powerful

Financial derivatives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial derivatives - Essay Example While common types of derivatives include assortment of financial contracts which are; Future contracts, options, deposits, forward contracts and swaps. However, derivatives are categorized into three main parts including financial instruments, equities (stocks and shares) and debt (mortgages and bonds). Foreign exchange risk is the risk embodied to earnings or capital arising from change of foreign exchange rates. Foreign exchange risk is related to cross- border investing and operating activities. Position-taking and Market-making in foreign currencies should be placed under price risk. Foreign exchange risk is also branded as translation risk. The risk ascends from holding accrual accounts with foreign denomination currency, including bonds, debts and deposits. This also embodies foreign currency denominated derivatives such as structured deposits, synthetic investments, structured notes, and off-balance-sheet derivatives used to mitigate accrual exposures (Shim & Siegel, 2008). Accounting conventions need periodic revaluation of these accounts at current exchange rates. Periodic revaluation decodes the foreign- denominated accounts into U.S. dollar currency. Banks should record these accrual-based products under appropriate systems that detect, calibrate, monitor, and regulate foreign exchange exposure. This may be useful to banks in managing Foreign exchange risk (Shim & Siegel, 2008). Financial derivatives are used either for management of risk i.e. hedging risk by provision of compensation in case of unwanted situation arbitrage between markets. Derivatives can be used for speculation purposes i.e. making financial bet. This difference is vital because risk management is a discreet aspect of financial management and operations for a lot of companies across different industries while speculation purpose offers managers and investors a risky chance to increase profit, which may not be revealed appropriately to

Duke Ellington Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Duke Ellington - Essay Example â€Å"gotta hurry home†.  These records did not  hit  as they expected, and it was until 1926 when Irving mills became their  manager  that they had their massive hit.  They  later  recorded â€Å"black and tan fantasy† a song that associated with Ellington throughout his career. Later he  was  put  at the  top  by his  acceptance  to be a  house  band for cotton club. This made him well known in America and contributed to financial security that his  band  needed. It left cotton club in 1931 to  tour  the world; they managed to change with time. In 1930s swing music  hit, New York and Ellington managed to change from  hot  jazz of 1920s to this genre. The  record  Ã¢â‚¬Å"doesn't mean a thing if it  ain't  got that swing† created that  era. In 1940s, the  band  strength  increased even more, and  new  soloist joined them (Pinkney & Pinkney). They recorded various records including â€Å"per didoà ¢â‚¬ , and â€Å"jump for joy†. In 1943, Ellington gave his first  hall  concert debuting â€Å"black, brown and  beige†. In late 1940s, his music continued to be of high quality, and his  band’s turnover increased. Many influential bands broke up during this time due to the rise of bebop. In spite of, Ellington’s  band  never broke up. In 1950s, he had his worst moment of his career, but it was not a problem with his art. The band struggled for a while, but in 1955, they realized "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" which brought him back to  fame. Duke brought various innovations to the music industry back then; making it acceptable for a black person to succeed in music. He was among the earliest jazz singers to make a  record  that took more than three minutes. His songs were more untraditional and had  different  modulations from what people  were used  to back then. The melodies of... The biggest contribution of Duke was his effect on the black community; he was able to show the world that blacks too had talent. His discipline was also notable; this is has been explained his ability to keep the band together until his death. His contribution, however, went beyond music; he contributed a lot to his culture as a black person. He fought for racial equality and even became part of civil rights movements. Duke contributed an immense deal in making blacks feel worthy, and he was quoted saying that his race was his inspiration. He was able to influence many musicians including Thelonious Monk whose piano style was influenced by Ellington. Monk is a modern jazz musician, as well as a pianist. His unique arranging concepts influenced a number of modern day composers. Even if, Duke's main forte was jazz, he also composed for ballets, films, operas and church services. He was kind hearted and would regularly display his musicians; enabling them to make a strong impact on the ir own jazz styles. Ellington received various Grammy awards all the way through his career and many other awards. He continued to perform until his demise after suffering from cancer. His band continued with his legacy headed by his son Mercer. Ellington's legacy was to remain the greatest jazz musician of all time, and he has done that considering his name is, as vital, as it was then. His influence to musicians has remained strong and relevant. Until today musicians revisit his work for inspiration and as a bedrock to their own careers.