Outbox May 19, 2017

Inbox/Outbox May 19, 2017 Last week I worked a shift at a local bookstore, which I do every so often when they need me. I ransacked their collection of advance copies, so I acquired a lot of books. Perhaps too many. Good thing there’s a long weekend coming up (here in Canada, anyway). These are the books in my inbox and outbox this week, along with what’s in my queue to be read next. INBOX (BOOKS ACQUIRED) The History of Bees by Maja Lunde.  This novel, pitched as Station Eleven meets Never Let Me Go (yes, please), is already an international bestseller. It comes out in North America in August. There are  three parallel storylines involving beekeepers: one set in 1852, one in 2007, and one in 2098, after all the bees have died and humans have turned to hand-pollination in order to survive. I’m most intrigued by the last storyline, as it seems increasingly like we’re already living in a dystopian novel. I snagged the bookstore’s only advance copy of this before anyone else could. This Is Just My Face by Gabourey Sidibe.  Sidibe’s memoir is about growing up in New York, her early job as a phone sex worker, and how she got into acting, among other things. She was in Toronto this week, and I was lucky enough to attend the event and grab a copy of the book. I can report that Sidibe is hilarious, charming, and extremely stylish. And also has a very accurate interpretation of “Hotline Bling.” A trusted friend told me that her book is very honest, and I can’t wait to read it. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. I’ve heard nothing but good things about The Daily Show host’s memoir from a wide selection of friends and acquaintances with pretty different reading tastes. With a white father and a black mother, Noah was literally “born a crime” in apartheid-era South Africa. The essays in this book recount his path from this early life to his starring role in late-night American television. I have high expectations for this one. OUTBOX (BOOKS FINISHED) Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz.  I love Agatha Christie and classic British cozies, and evidently so does Horowitz, because this book-within-a-book is a clever homage to golden age detective fiction. The story begins in the present day with an editor, Susan Ryeland, settling in to read the latest manuscript from her troublesome star author, Alan Conway, who writes murder mysteries starring amateur detective Atticus Pund. Along with Susan, we too read the manuscript, a classic country house murder set in a small English village in 1955. But as she reads, Susan begins to suspect that there’s more truth than fiction contained in Alan’s new book… This one comes out in June, and I recommend it to anyone else who needs to wash those images of Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot out of their heads. Orchids on Your Budget by Marjorie Hillis.  This book of advice from 1937 was republished as Bubbly on Your Budget and appears to also be available under that title. I read Hillis’s first advice book, Live Alone and Like It, during a difficult time last year, and her practical and witty life advice was just what I needed. Orchids on Your Budget is more focused on moneyâ€"specifically budgeting and economizingâ€"and therefore a little bit less delightful, but still full of Hillis’s trademark one-liners. For example, here’s what she thinks about ignoring your present in favour of anticipating your future: “Things to which you look forward too long are almost invariably disappointing when you get them, and you might die first anyway.” IN THE QUEUE (WHAT I’M READING NEXT) Public Relations by Katie Heaney and Arianna Rebolini.  This book looks like fun weekend reading. It’s about a publicist, Rose, who suggests that up-and-coming young British singer Archie get into a “fauxmance” with another young celebrityâ€"and finds herself in over her head. I recommended that my library add it to their collection and just heard that they did. Thanks, Toronto Public Library! Solitude: In Pursuit of a Singular Life  in a Crowded World  by Michael Harris.  Looking at the latest neuroscience and behavioral research as well as his own personal experience, Harris investigates being alone: why it’s important, why we’re so bad at it, and why modern life makes it harder than ever. I’m excited to dig into this book over the long weekend, for which I have scheduled no plans. Just all these books, the new season of Master of None, and plenty of solitude. What’s in your inbox, outbox, and queue this week? Fellow Canadians, what’s on your long-weekend reading list?

Perceptions in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and The...

Perceptions in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and The Story of an Hour In An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and The Story of an Hour, the authors use similar techniques to create different tones, which in turn illicit very distinct reactions from the reader. Both use a third person narrator with a limited omniscient point of view to tell of a brief, yet significant period of time. In An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Bierce uses this method to create an analytical tone to tell the story of Farquhars experience just before death. In The Story of an Hour, Chopin uses this method to create an involved, sympathetic tone to relay the story of Mrs. Mallards experience just before death. These stories can be compared on†¦show more content†¦This creates a suspenseful journey that seems to see him freed from his noose and carried almost home to the loving arms of his wife. As these thoughts, which have here to be set down in words, were flashed into the doomed mans brain rather than evolved from it†¦ (paragraph 7). This period of time in w hich we follow along in our minds seems to last through the day. In the end we find that the time was only in Farquhars head and was really only the last few seconds of his life as he saw it before the rope broke his neck. However, the hanging is not the most significant part of the story because Bierces third person narrator remains focused on the details of the perceived passing of the time rather than the action. Although the hanging is an action necessary to Farquhars experience, it remains in the shadows of the story, as we believe he escapes death and are drawn into his head to struggle with him towards home and freedom. This point of view entices the reader more deeply into the episode than would a less knowing point of view. Bierce plays a mind game with the reader that explores an impossible reality. Although it is not conceivable to be inside someones head to experience his or her thoughts, Bierces narrator does a commendable job of creating a fictional, yet believable example of this impossibility. Bierces method allows the reader to become deeply intimate with the details of the profound occurrence of Farquhars death. He creates aShow MoreRelatedAn Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Bierce1283 Words   |  6 Pages 1. â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge† by Ambrose Bierce Theme: Time can be the perception of each person at each different event in their life In this story one of the key factors is time and how Farquhar sees it.While mere seconds for the soldiers can be hours for the man about to be hanged, time is perceived to be different for each individual, â€Å"Its recurrence was regular, but as slow as the tolling of a death knell.† The idea that time can feel slower at one point and faster at anotherRead MoreAn Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Bierce1283 Words   |  6 Pages 1. â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge† by Ambrose Bierce Theme: Time can be the perception of each person at each different event in their life In this story one of the key factors is time and how Farquhar sees it.While mere seconds for the soldiers can be hours for the man about to be hanged, time is perceived to be different for each individual, â€Å"Its recurrence was regular, but as slow as the tolling of a death knell.† The idea that time can feel slower at one point and faster at another throwsRead MoreAn Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge1338 Words   |  6 PagesBierce’s short story, â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,† illustrates a theme of illusion versus reality distorted by the human mind. In the story, a man named Peyton Farquhar is about to be hanged on a railroad bridge towards the end of the American Civil War. Farquhar, a Confederate citizen eager to help the Confederate States of America’s cause, ventures out towards Owl Creek Bridge at the advice of a Union scout in disguise. Unbeknownst to Farquhar, Union troops captured the bridge and surroundingRead MoreRealism Unit Test2 466 Words   |  10 PagesRealism – Unit Test 1. Which of the following quotations from An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge reveals an objective point of view? A He was a captain. B He closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wife and children. C His whole body was racked and wrenched with an insupportable anguish! D He had not known that he lived in so wild a region. 2. Why does the author describeRead MoreLiterary Themes Of William Shakespeare s An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge Essay2276 Words   |  10 Pagesclassic stories that give the public not only a form of art but also ways to dissect the story and gain a better understanding of the author s intent. Literary themes allow us to explore meanings deeper than the surface level. Imagery is the author s use of wording that allows the reader to experience everything mentally as they read. This is not limited to sight, but all five of the senses. Without such graphic presentations of the scenes, the reader is not as easily drawn in to the story. As

The Most Dangerous Game And Porrphyrias Lover Analysis

Isnt it crazy that some people can be so insane that they think that murder is okay? Believe it or not, in some cases this is what people believe. Two examples of this are the stories, The Most Dangerous Game, and Porphyrias Lover where the authors clearly show this satanic message. Through the use of characterization, and detail the authors Connell, and Browning contend that in some minds people believe murder is acceptable. Both stories, The Most Dangerous Game, and Porphyria’s Lover use characterization to convey how psycho the characters are. General Zaroff is portrayed to be delusional and crazy because of the fact that he is a murderer. At one point General Zaroff exclaims†¦ We try to be civilized here. Zaroff says that he is†¦show more content†¦Zaroff is proven crazy through the use of detail when he describes killing humans as hunting. Why should I not be serious? I am speaking of hunting. Zaroff had gotten bored of hunting animals because they were no t able to reason, which led him to try hunting humans which is murder. In his mind he sees no wrong in killing people and is astonished when Rainsford bashes on his idea of the new hunt. The Poem Porphyria’s Lover also used detail to show how the characters ideas and beliefs are different than others and that he doesnt see the wrong in murder. In stanza 60 he says†¦ And thus we sit together now, And all night long we have not stirred, And yet God has not said a word! He thinks that because god has not showed a sign that killing a person is wrong, that no wrong is being done. Again the authors show the idea of murder being accepted but now using detail to show the way the characters act. Through the use of characterization, and detail the authors Connell, and Browning proved that in some minds people believe murder is acceptable. The idea of this satanic behavior from people is seen in the real world every single day. An act of this violence just recently occurred in the las vegas shooting, where a psychotic man decided to gun down a crowd at a concert from a hotel window. They still havent found out why he committed this random act of violence which just proves how delusional and crazy some people can be to the point where

African Americans Face Discrimination Free Essays

African Americans, especially women have been discriminated against for decades. For many years even after receiving legal rights things like segregation held African Americans back. In Margot Shetterly’s book Hidden Figures she highlights the true struggle of Black women in the times around WWII. We will write a custom essay sample on African Americans Face Discrimination or any similar topic only for you Order Now Shetterly make the point that Black women contributed greatly to the war effort and not just, that they were a great part of our society and yet were still discriminated against. Shetterly begins the book with an opening prologue connecting her life and her families experiences to the story that the book tells. She then dives into the 1940’s, Explaining that around this time how as many men were enlisted and there were not many highly educated people in the field of math places like Langley needed many more people she writes â€Å". This establishment has urgent need for approximately 100 Junior Physicists and Mathematicians, 100 Assistant Computers, 75 Minor Laboratory Apprentices, 125 Helper Trainees, 50 Stenographers and Typists,† (1) this is a primary source of a newspaper ad that shows the need for people to help, she then goes on to write about how women had been filling these rolls and were discriminated by men even if they were white. â€Å"First female computing pool, stated in 1935 had caused a uproar among the men† (4). As the book continues she introduces Dorothy Vaughan a 32 year old African American woman who decided to work at Camp Picket for some extra money, she says how though it may be a menial task it was a great contributor as many of those jobs were. In the summer of 1943, Dorothy jumped at the chance to head to Camp Pickett and earn extra money during the school break† (10) Dorothy worked as a teacher, it was one of the few jobs that African American women could get that paid well enough and still it wasn’t much. Dorothy didn’t have to take the job at camp picket but she did, she wanted to earn more money for her children and she wanted to contribute. The perspective is of a intelligent woman in the era of WWII that just wanted what was best for her family, she uses pathos here appealing to emotion and we see through her eyes as a woman and African American in this time. Dorothy got her chance in May of 1943 to work at Howard Institute, it was a job that would pay her more than double of what she was earning and her intelligence and her preparation would allow her to get the job and succeed as seen when shetterly wrote about her applying † How soon could you be ready to start work? She knew the answer before her fingers carved it into the blank: 48 hours, she wrote. I can be ready to go within forty-eight hours.† (17) Shetterly then introduces Katherine, another Black teacher and though Katherine was younger than Dorothy, the two women’s families knew one another from the close knit communities that there were in black neighborhoods and, though they didn’t know it yet, their paths would cross many times in the future. This shows the ties among middle-class black families. Shetterly also puts the lives of these women in perspective, she gives a quote from African American people on the front and those helping out country â€Å"What are we fighting for? they asked themselves and each other. The question echoed† () and although they were risking their lives for their country at the front and on the battlefield, at home, they weren’t granted the same rights as white citizens. She shows the social issue of discrimination still very prevalent. Shetterly goes on and talks about langley and their involvement in the war. â€Å"The NACA sought nothing less than to crush Germany by air, destroying its production machine and interrupting the technological developments that could hand it a military advantage.† (52) She uses this to explain the background of langley and how The Langley laboratory gains prominence among important cultural figures, indicating its status in the fight against the Axis forces. The lab saved the city of Hampton from economic collapse after Prohibition. The American Aircraft industry had grown predominantly in the years from 1938-1943. Though Langley was progressive in hiring black computer’s woman especially it still had rampant segregation that Shetterly highlights â€Å"Most groups sat together, for the west computers it was mandatory a white cardboard sign on a table in the back beckoned them† (43) reading COLORED COMPUTERS marks the west computers table so even though Langley allows the women to work for white engineers, the facility keeps them separate under Virginia’s â€Å"separate but equal† statutes. She here supports her argument, even though they worked so hard and were a very valuable member of the Langley team they were separated from their white counterparts. Introducing a woman named Mary Jackson into the scene with learning of her past and what lead her here such as her dedication to community service, her parents, and her husband and son. setting up the idea that her accomplishments belong not just to her, but also to the community she’s a part of and that helped shape her. â€Å"Mary Jackson managed the USO’s modest financial accounts and welcomed guests at the club’s front door. Her daily schedule, however, usually overflowed well beyond the job’s narrow duties, since the club quickly became a center for the city’s black community.† (95) Shetterly introduces another one of the amazing women into the story explaining more about her background and we see how the women connect. Then as Mary begins to work at Langley and proves herself â€Å"Dorothy Vaughan sent Mary to the East Side, staffing her on a project alongside several white computers.† () Mary, will face opposition in the form of racism, segregation, and prejudice in her quest to build a career for herself at Langley. Technology has changed but policies surrounding race have not. Thus proving her argument. A black man named James Williams cme to work at Langley around the same time as Mary, whe wished to be a engineer after falling in love with planes when he was younger. However â€Å"Williams had had to convince the guards at the Langley security gate that he wasn’t a groundskeeper or cafeteria worker † (113) this shows how institutional racism impacts both men and women ways. black male engineers, have to endure daily embarrassment simply to do their jobs. However, the black men at Langley don’t quite benefit from the support of others as many of the computers do, while still we see the fact that black women don’t have as many chances to prove themselves that men may have. This proves more about the social stigma but also supports how she keeps saying about the segregation almost 100 years after gaining rights. As we move from the events placed such as ww2, its aftermath and the cold war the new technology it places how these things affected computers and really the whole of the american people. She brings this history into context saying â€Å"With the complexity that attended the relentless advance of aeronautical research came the need for a new machine. In 1947, the laboratory bought an ‘electronic calculator’ â€Å"and as the space industry continues to grow and thrive and many technological advances are opening path for innovations at Langley still the end of WWII threatened the jobs of women and African Americans, the accelerating technology of the Cold War threatens to put many female computers out of work. Shetterly explains Katherine and her determination but also how things like The Flight Research Division is doing some of the most innovative work of its time and the fact that Kathrine as a Black woman in this time got to attend things like the Editorial Meeting is a huge step, as the civil rights movement was gaining speed, there was still a long way to go. When she says † â€Å"Why can’t I go to the editorial meetings?† she asked the engineers. A postgame recap of the analysis wasn’t nearly as thrilling as being there for the main event. How could she not want to be a part of the discussion? They were her numbers, after all.† Then shetterly puts things like what happened in brown v. board and little rock nine in the context of the book â€Å"So far as the future histories of this state can be anticipated now, the year 1958 will be best known as the year Virginia closed the public schools,† () The very same goals NASA tries to pursue are undermined by the state’s refusal to provide an equal education to all children, regardless of race. By shutting children of color out of white schools that offer more resources and better opportunities, the state reduces its own potential and not only that just proves how rampant the discrimination is. Shetterly also takes the context of history, as during the cold war when the U.S and the Soviet Union were fighting over technology and who was more advanced, though she brings civil right movement into this with the quote â€Å"All that money—and for what? †¦Negro women and men could barely go to the next state without worrying about predatory police, restaurants that refused to serve them, and service stations that wouldn’t let them buy gas or use the bathroom. Now they wanted to talk about a white man on the Moon?† () she compares this time to previous times throughout american history, these events are important because black activists see it as further evidence that the US government doesn’t care about the lives of its black citizens. Shetterly ends the book with this † Dorothy played it close to the vest, she had expected to serve out her last few years as a section head, What a triumph it would have been to return to management, but as the head of a section that employed both men and women, black and white. The section head position was given to Roger Butler, a white man. In 1971, there were still no female directors at Langley† It’s upsetting that Dorothy’s story ends in this way, but Shetterly notes that it doesn’t really end here instead it continues through the women who work at Langley in the years during and after she leaves, and who are only able to be there because of the opportunities she helped make possible. As she focused on Dorothy the most, to see how it ended and how Dorothy felt you can really feel it from her perspective In conclusion i thought this book did a amazing job on taking the perspectives of women and african americans during this time period, and i believe Shetterly had good context in her book. One criticism i have of the book personally is that i believe it moved a little slowly. So overall i would give the book 4.5 stars, this is because of its good writing style, use of historical sources, connecting to the modern audience of african american women, those who still to this day face the discrimination that was prevalent throughout the book, and good use of the social history frequent through this time. How to cite African Americans Face Discrimination, Papers

King Lear Assignment Essays - King Lear, Literature, Fiction, Arts

King lear Assignment Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear is a detailed description of the consequences of one man's decisions. This fictitious man is Lear, King of England, who's decisions greatly alter his life and the lives of those around him. As Lear bears the status of King he is, as one expects, a man of great power but sinfully he surrenders all of this power to his daughters as a reward for their demonstration of love towards him. This untimely abdication of his throne results in a chain reaction of events that send him through a journey of hell. King Lear is a metaphorical description of one man's journey through hell in order to expiate his sin. As the play opens one can almost immediately see that Lear begins to make mistakes that will eventually result in his downfall. The very first words that he speaks in the play are :- "...Give me the map there. Know that we have divided In three our kingdom, and 'tis our fast intent To shake all cares and business from our age, Conferring them on younger strengths while we Unburdened crawl to death..." (Act I, Sc i, Ln 38-41) This gives the reader the first indication of Lear's intent to abdicate his throne. He goes on further to offer pieces of his kingdom to his daughters as a form of reward to his test of love. "Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn, And here are to be answered. Tell me, my daughters (Since now we will divest us both of rule, Interest of territory, cares of state), Which of you shall we say doth love us most? That we our largest bounty may extend where nature doth with merit challenge." (Act I, Sc i, Ln 47-53) This is the first and most significant of the many sins that he makes in this play. By abdicating his throne to fuel his ego he is disrupts the great chain of being which states that the King must not challenge the position that God has given him. This undermining of God's authority results in chaos that tears apart Lear's world. Leaving him, in the end, with nothing. Following this Lear begins to banish those around him that genuinely care for him as at this stage he cannot see beyond the mask that the evil wear. He banishes Kent, a loyal servant to Lear, and his youngest and previously most loved daughter Cordelia. This results in Lear surrounding himself with people who only wish to use him which leaves him very vulnerable attack. This is precisely what happens and it is through this that he discovers his wrongs and amends them. Following the committing of his sins, Lear becomes abandoned and estranged from his kingdom which causes him to loose insanity. While lost in his grief and self-pity the fool is introduced to guide Lear back to the sane world and to help find the lear that was ounce lost behind a hundred Knights but now is out in the open and scared like a little child. The fact that Lear has now been pushed out from behind his Knights is dramatically represented by him actually being out on the lawns of his castle. The terrified little child that is now unsheltered is dramatically portrayed by Lear's sudden insanity and his rage and anger is seen through the thunderous weather that is being experienced. All of this contributes to the suffering of Lear due to the gross sins that he has committed. The pinnacle of this hell that is experienced be Lear in order to repay his sins is at the end of the play when Cordelia is killed. Lear says this before he himself dies as he cannot live without his daughte r. "Howl, howl, howl! O, you are men of stones. Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so That heaven's vault should crack. She's gone for ever! I know when one is dead, and when one lives. She's dead as earth. Lend me a looking glass. If that her breath will mist or stain the stone, Why, then she lives." (Act V, Sc iii, Ln 306-312) All of this pain that Lear suffered is traced back to the single most important error that he made. The choice to give up his throne. This one sin has proven

New York Passes a Married Womens Property Act, 1848

New York Passes a Married Womens Property Act, 1848 Enacted: April 7, 1848 Before married womens property acts were passed, upon marriage a woman lost any right to control property that was hers prior to the marriage, nor did she have rights to acquire any property during marriage. A married woman could not make contracts, keep or control her own wages or any rents, transfer property, sell property or bring any lawsuit. For many womens rights advocates, womens property law reform was connected to suffrage demands, but there were supporters of womens property rights who did not support women gaining the vote. Married womens property law was related to the legal doctrine of separate use: under marriage, when a wife lost her legal existence, she could not separately use property, and her husband controlled the property.   Although married womens property acts, like that of New York in 1848, did not remove all the legal impediments to a married womans separate existence, these laws did make it possible for a married woman to have separate use of property she brought into marriage and property she acquired or inherited during marriage. The New York effort to reform womens property laws began in 1836 when  Ernestine  Rose  and Paulina Wright Davis began to gather signatures on petitions. In 1837, Thomas Herttell, a New York city judge, attempted to pass in the New York Assembly a bill to give married women more property rights. Elizabeth Cady Stanton  in 1843 lobbied legislators to pass a bill. A state constitutional convention in 1846 passed a reform of womens property rights, but three days after voting for it, the delegates to the conventions reversed their position. Many men supported the law because it would protect mens property from creditors. The issue of women owning property was linked, for many activists, with the legal status of women where women were treated as the property of their husbands.   When the authors of the  History of Woman Suffrage  summarized the New York battle for the 1848 statue, they described the effect as to emancipate wives from the slavery of the old common law of England, and to secure to them equal property rights. Before 1848, a few laws were passed in some states in the U.S. giving women some limited property rights, but the 1848 law was more comprehensive. It was amended to include even more rights in 1860; later, married womens rights to control property were extended still more. The first section gave a married woman control over real property (real estate, for instance) she brought into the marriage, including the right to rents and other profits from that property.   The husband had, before this act, the ability to dispose of the property or use it or its income to pay for his debts.   Under the new law, he was not able to do that, and she would continue her rights as if she had not married. The second  section dealt with the personal property of married women, and any real property other than she brought in during marriage.   These too, were under her control, although unlike real property she brought into the marriage, it could be taken to pay debts of her husband. The third section dealt with gifts and inheritances given to a married woman by anyone other than her husband.   Like property she brought into the marriage, this also was to be under her sole control, and like that property but unlike other property acquired during marriage, it could not be required to settle her husbands debts. Note that these acts didnt completely free a married woman from economic control of her husband, but it did remove major blocks to her own economic choices. The text of the 1848 New York Statute known as the Married Womens Property Act, as amended in 1849, reads in full: An act for the more effectual protection of the property of married women: §1. The real property of any female who may hereafter marry, and which she shall own at the time of marriage, and the rents, issues, and profits thereof, shall not be subject to the sole disposal of her husband, nor be liable for his debts, and shall continue her sole and separate property, as if she were a single female. §2. The real and personal property, and the rents, issues, and profits thereof, of any female now married, shall not be subject to the disposal of her husband; but shall be her sole and separate property, as if she were a single female, except so far as the same may be liable for the debts of her husband heretofore contracted. §3. Any married female may take by inheritance, or by gift, grant, devise, or bequest, from any person other than her husband, and hold to her sole and separate use, and convey and devise real and personal property, and any interest or estate therein, and the rent s, issues, and profits thereof, in the same manner and with like effect as if she were unmarried, and the same shall not be subject to the disposal of her husband nor be liable for his debts. After the passage of this (and similar laws elsewhere), traditional law continued to expect a husband to support his wife during the marriage, and to support their children.   Basic necessaries the husband was expected to provide included food, clothing, education, housing, and health care.   The husbands duty to provide necessaries no longer applies, evolving because of an expectation of equality of the sexes.

Gurus and other Teachers

Gurus and other Teachers Gurus and other Teachers Gurus and other Teachers By Maeve Maddox A reader expressed her disappointment when I left guru off my list of English words that end in u. I’ll endeavor to make up for the omission with this post about guru and other terms for teachers. 1. teacher I’ll begin with the generic word teacher, an Old English word related to token. A token is something that serves to indicate a fact. â€Å"To teach† is to show in the sense of â€Å"to guide, to show the way.† To teach something is to convey knowledge or give instruction. 2. tutor The Latin noun tutor derived from a Latin verb meaning â€Å"to watch or guard.† A tutor was a protector. In Roman law, a tutor was the guardian of a legally incapable person. The English word has been used in the sense of â€Å"custodian of property,† but its most familiar use is as â€Å"a person in charge of looking after or instructing a young person.† In modern American usage, a tutor is a paid or unpaid teacher who provides one-on-one instruction. Tutor is also used as a verb. 3. mentor The word mentor is an eponym, a word derived from the name of a person. When Odysseus left for the Trojan War, he placed his son Telemachus in the care of a wise old friend named Mentor; the goddess Athena, disguised as Mentor, guides and counsels Telemachus. A mentor, therefore, is a person who guides and advises another–usually younger–person. In American usage, the word is often used to refer to an experienced person in a company who trains and counsels new employees. College students are assigned mentors to help them settle into academic life. Mentor is also used as a verb. 4. sage A sage is a person of profound wisdom. The word derives from a Latin verb meaning â€Å"to be wise†; the verb’s present participle, sapiens, means wise. The noun sage is not much used in modern English, but the adjective sage is often seen, especially in the clichà © â€Å"to offer sage advice.† 5. maestro English has its own version of this word: master. A master or maestro is one who has achieved eminence in a skill or a profession. Taken from the Italian, maestro [MY-stro] usually refers to an eminent musician. Note: Several words borrowed by English to denote a wise person–including guru– derive from Sanskrit. 6. pundit This word for â€Å"a person who makes authoritative comments or judgments† is from a Sanskrit word meaning learned or skilled. In modern India, the word survives as pandit: â€Å"a learned person; a Hindu priest or teacher.† In modern American speech, the word pundit is usually applied to people who comment on current affairs or specialized fields. 7. guru Originally an adjective meaning â€Å"weighty, grave, dignified,† Sanskrit guru came to mean a Hindu spiritual teacher or head of a religious sect. In modern American usage, the word is used loosely to refer to just about anyone who knows a lot about some subject. 8. swami The Hindu word swami translates as â€Å"master, lord, prince† and is used by Hindus as a term of respectful address. Swami can also refer to a Hindu temple, idol, or religious teacher. 9. sadhu If you’ve read Kim by Rudyard Kipling, you’ve seen this word spelled saddhu. A sadhu is an Indian holy man or saint. The word comes from a Sanskrit adjective meaning â€Å"effective, correct, good.† 10. rishi A rishi is a holy seer, specifically one of the holy poets or sages credited with the composition of the Veda writings. 11. maharishi A maharishi is a â€Å"great rishi,† a Hindu sage or holy man. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi achieved worldwide fame as guru to  the Beatles,   Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Computer Terms You Should KnowWhen to Form a Plural with an Apostrophe20 Slang Terms for Law Enforcement Personnel