Progress og Women in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Progress og Women in China - Essay Example . Recently it has been in the news for its confrontations with its neighbors over territory, including the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as with another rising power in India, casting light on the growing power of China, and its growing intention to assert itself and its interests all over the world. It is interesting to find out just how women have fared historically and at present in this fascinating country, given the unusual set of historical, economic and cultural circumstances that women there find themselves in, and given the generally fascinating, strange, and multifaceted Chinese society and government (Parthasarathy; Manthorpe; Magistad; Wong; Pei). This paper explores the progress that women have made in various aspects of Chinese society, with emphasis on their progress in their professional careers, and in particular the progress, challenges, key issues and fresh opportunities for advancement by Chinese women in technical, scientific, mathematical and related career f ields. How have women fared in these respects historically? How much progress have they made in the recent past, vis-a vis the general progress that has been achieved in the Chinese national economy over the past few decades? How have the laws and the norms of Chinese society impacted women and their prospects at work and elsewhere? What are the issues that they face moving forward? What are their prospects moving forward, and what are the blocks to those? What tactics and strategies can they put to use in order to create a better future for themselves? (Parthasarathy; Manthorpe; Magistad; Wong; Pei; Amnesty International; Jacobs). II. China Overview China, with a labor pool of about 1.0024 billion workers as of late 2011, has the biggest workforce in the world. This, coupled by a booming economy backstopped by several decades of rapid growth, has propelled China into the ranks of the largest economies in the world, second only to the US by some metrics, and in some metrics already the largest world economy, poised to become even larger and more prosperous moving forward. A tangible result of this is raising prosperity for more and more of China's 1.34 billion population, as evidenced by rising per capita or per person GDP figures, estimated at $8,400 as of 2011. The scale of the country's progress economically is reflected likewise in gargantuan financial figures: GDP of $11.29 trillion dollars as of 2011, ranked third in the world by purchasing power parity metrics; a rate of growth of the economy of 9.2 percent in 2011; an official workforce of about 816.2 million people, greater than the total population of many large countries in the world; a current account balance of $280.6 billion, ranked first in the world; exports of $1.898 trillion in 2011, ranked first in the world; imports of $1.743 trillion in 2011, ranked first in the world; a rate of investment of about 54 percent of total country GDP, ranked second in the world. The range of its industries is summarized below (Central Intelligence Agency): world leader in gross value of industrial output; mining and ore

Human Motivation Essay Example for Free

Human Motivation Essay

Defining Good Advice :: Definition Essays

Defining Good Advice The first thing I know about good advice is that it can come from anyone. I found this out by looking at the narrative stories that we had to write in the beginning of this assignment. For example, J.Lutts got his advice from a friend, while Chris Lefstad got his advice from his uncle, and Nate Hilson and Nate Hall both got their advice from their parents. Although, Robyn Isaacs says, â€Å"Usually it (advice) is given to me by someone I know and trust on a personal level.† I don’t totally agree with this. I think that good advice can come from people we don’t know. For instance, take the three text book examples of giving advice on using contractions. I don’t personally know any of the people that are giving me this advice. The part that I do agree with Robyn is that you do need to trust the person on a personal level. I trust that the authors of these text books know what they are talking about when they give me advice on using contractions. I wouldnâ₠¬â„¢t take advice from a five-year old on when to use contractions, and when not to use contractions. The next thing that good advice depends on is how it is said. Sometimes when I get good advice, it needs to be expressed in an urgent way. Someone can yell at me to get out of the way when I am walking right into traffic. It is good advice and it needed to be hollered at me, otherwise I wouldn’t have paid attention to it, and I wouldn’t know how important this advice is to me. But other times, good advice needs to be said on the same level as I am on. I wouldn’t want my dad to yell at me when he was giving me advice on switching schools. I wouldn’t listen to him. He has to talk to me on the same level. I wouldn’t ask someone for advice if I didn’t think that they would give it thought, and suggest to me in an appropriate way, what their opinion on the subject is. That leads to another characteristic of good advice. When I seek good advice, I am going to go to someone that knows something about what I am going to ask. Chris Lefstad asked his uncle for advice on choosing a specific career in computers because his uncle went through the same thing.

Didions Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream Essay examples -- Didion Dr

Didion's "Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream" In "Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream," the author Didion uses fiery imagery to parallel the San Bernardino Valley to hell.   It is a place where the "hills blaze up spontaneously," and "every voice seems a scream." (p.3)   Didions hellish descriptions of the geography reflect the culture of San Bernardino Valley.   It is "where the hot wind blows and the old ways do not seem relevant, where the divorce rate is double the national average." (p.4)   In this culture, the importance of   the "old ways," such as a long-lasting marriage, are devalued.   It is a society where the "dream [is] teaching the dreamers how to live," (p.17) and where reality doesnt hamper peoples obsessions and greediness.   In the essay "Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream," the San Bernardino Valleys self-indulgent culture devaluates societys morals and ethics such as religion, law, love, and life. In the San Bernardino Valley, tele-evangelism, Christian gospel spread through television, is prominent.   It is "the California where it is easy to Dial-A-Devotion, but hard to buy a book." (p.4)   It is a society where anyone with money can buy a devotion to God with the dialing of a number.   The usage of religion as a money-making business defiles the sanctity of societys most sacred and cherished belief.   However, money is made so morals and ethics are ignored.   Another example of this immorality is Edward Foley, Lucilles Millers attorney.   He sa...

Levi Strauss Human Resource Management Essay

Levi Strauss & Company offers a dynamic, performance-driven work environment and a corporate culture characterized by ethical conduct and a commitment to social responsibility. They value and depend upon the diverse backgrounds, experience, knowledge and talents of all their employees, and embrace and reflect the ethnic, cultural and lifestyle diversity of the communities where they live and work. Their human resource programs and corporate initiatives distinguish them from others in their industry and in business. According to its mission statement, Levi Strauss balances profitability with product quality and service. The company focuses strategically on satisfying the customers’ needs from the stage of product design to its packaging and delivery. To accomplish this aim, large investments are being made in the latest technology, and the company is concentrating its efforts on clustering manufacturing and distribution units on a regional basis. This strategy has led to some rationalization of operations within the last few years, particularly in the United States. The HR role is vital to Levi’s commitment to customer satisfaction. â€Å"Management understands,† said the senior vice-president in 1992, â€Å"that people issues are business issues. You can go out and buy the technology, but if you don’t have the people trained and committed to using it, and making changes, changes aren’t going to happen.† At Levi Strauss in the 1990s, the HR focus has changed from being on the cutting edge to being more client-driven. For this purpose, the HR function is relatively decentralized and conceptually divided along strategic, operational, and tactical lines. In practice, those segments of responsibility interact and overlap so that the business partners may become fully integrated at all levels of the organization. The challenge is to balance all these requirements and determine what the priorities are. Although the HR function was reorganized in 1993, questions remain as to whether some of the functions could be outsourced – not to downsize in staff but to allow them to do different work. Contrary to what has happened in HR departments in other companies, most reorganization has not led to downsizing of the HR personnel but to an actual increase in staff. The HR specialists are primarily strategically focused to the long term. They are developing the strategies around compensation and benefits, recruitment, policy development, organizational design, and training. While most of their time is occupied by strategic thinking, a small portion of their work is also operational and tactical, in the sense that they provide counsel and advice to other directors and managers. In Canada, for instance, each of the five facilities –three sewing operations, a finishing plant, and a distribution center — has an HR manager on staff. A small team of three to five individuals serves as advisor to the HR manager. Members may have specific expertise and responsibilities and some of their responsibilities may also be tactical. In each of those facilities, there is probably lots of work which falls into the tactical aspect of HR, where it could be outsourced, whether it is benefits administration, new-hire orientation, etc. In addition, the personnel responsible for health and safety, management of change, or organizational development are also reporting to the HR function. The on-site HR staff ultimately reports to the facility manager, who has a dotted line of communication with the Canadian HR director. This line of accountability to the HR central office appears to be taking greater importance. The role of the HR director is to strategically orient the HR function so that it is aligned with the business. There is a dual responsibility to direct the work of the strategic and operational staff, while keeping current and influencing best practices within the industry. The responsibility is directing the HR organization on all the different dimensions, including recruitment, terminations, skill development, compensation, benefits, organizational development, and employee well-being. In addition, the director is a member of the management team, which allows the HR representative to be a partner in running the business.

Gwen Harwood Essay

Gwen Harwood’s poetry is steeped in Romantic traditions and is underpinned by humanist concerns. My personal interpretation is that Harwood’s poetry engages readers through its poetic treatment of loss and consolation as well as its exploration of universal themes about human existence and the processes of life. Harwood’s poetry validates the consoling influence of childhood experiences upon adult development evident in ‘At Mornington’ which explores one sense of loss and consolidation experienced in the cycle of life from birth to death. Harwood explores one transitory nature of life in her lyrical poem ‘The Violets’, revealing the way in which memory can illustrate past experiences that will resonate in the present offering consolation. Furthermore Harwood’s poetry is characterised by an over-arching existential quest for meaning and consolation as experienced through her exploration of love in ‘A Valediction.’ Whilst the notion that Harwood’s poetry engages readers through its poetic treatment of loss and consolation resonates with my own interpretation of her poems, readers are also engaged through Harwood’s exploration of universal truisms. A contemplation of human existence and one way in which one cycle of life is characterised by loss and consolation as a pervading theme throughout Harwood’s poetry. In ‘At Mornington’ past, present and future experiences are united through the poems fragmented structure and poetic treatment experiences of loss of naivety and consolation in order to encapsulate the cycle of life characteristic of one human experience. Furthermore, Harwood uses biblical allusions â€Å"secure in my father’s arms† to convey the universality of human existence, engaging the reader. The poem begins in the persona’s past with her childhood innocence and naivety, which is conveyed in her belief in her own invincibility. â€Å"I remember believing as a child I could walk on water.† Harwood’s use of biblical imagery evokes the idea of  Jesus walking on water and the consoling effect this had on the speaker’s childhood self, to represent her naà ¯ve, childish outlook. This water imagery becomes a sustained motif. The speaker draws on the image of the â€Å"flood† on which â€Å"memories of early childhood are born† through a contemplative tone of spiritual replenishment as she â€Å"stands among avenues of the dead,† engaging the reader through the poetic treatment of both loss and consolation. In accordance with the Romantic tradition, the speaker acknowledges the restorative capabilities of the natural elements conveyed in the image of a â€Å"pitcher of water† which becomes a metaphor for replenishment and revitalisation. As the poem shifts to the present tense, the reader is further engaged as the persona finds herself in a graveyard and coming to terms with the death and loss of a loved one. The persona comes to a peaceful acceptance of life’s transience and her own mortality as she acknowledges the inevitable passage of time â€Å"that brings us to that time of our lives where our bones wear us† offering her a sense of consolation. The poem concludes with a projection into the future, with the existential tone â€Å"no hand will save me† evoking the realisation that death and loss is one inevitable end of the cycle. Harwood’s poem ‘At Mornington’ engages readers through its poetic treatment of loss and consolation and the way in which these themes recur throughout the cycle of life. Harwood’s poems elucidate themes of memory and recollection, highlighting the way these transcend time, death and loss and eventually offer consolation. In one nostalgic poem ‘The Violets’ the speaker revisits a seminal childhood experience that affirms adult perspectives and engages the reader by identifying the importance of memories of filial love in sustaining the adult self, providing consolation. The child’s naà ¯ve question â€Å"Where has morning gone?† emphasises the power of dreams to distort time and evokes the speaker’s sense of loss. The child’s loss is countered by the memory of her parents’ unconditional love. The use of enjambment creates a sense of continuity as the violets transport the speaker back to a time when she was lovingly comforted, thus continually engaging the reader. The maternal image of the mother who â€Å"dried my tearful face† and the visual image of â€Å"stroking, golden brown hair† conveys the tenderness of this memory. Through the  recurring motif of the â€Å"violets in our loamy bed† Harwood shifts between past and present experiences of loss and consolation. Literary critic Elizabeth Lawson suggests â€Å"identifying its ability to control moment s in time by transforming consciousness of the present.’ The speaker realises that although memories are â€Å"ambiguous† and time can be â€Å"stolen†, ultimately, as is portrayed in the personification â€Å"Years cannot move the lamplit presences† of her childhood. The poem concludes with a final natural image of â€Å"the faint scent of violets drifts in the air† conveying the persona’s awareness that the memories of her parents’ love transcends the power of death. In ‘The Violets’ Harwood’s poetic treatment of loss and consolation through the motif of the violets engages the reader on an emotional level. The theme of love and its permanent, passionate nature resonates within Harwood’s poetry, engaging readers through its poetic treatment of the experiences of loss and consolation associated with love. Similar to ‘At Mornington’ which expresses one cycle of life and the acceptance of its inevitable processes, ‘A Valediction’ expresses the journey of maturation through reflection that leads the speaker from adolescent sentimentality to an appreciation of the enduring nature of love. The intertextual reference to John Donne in the poems title foreshadows the exploration and poetic treatment of the experience parting from a loved one and the emotional repercussions of this loss. The persona’s adolescent sentimentality is evoked through her ritual of seeking solace in her anthology of Donne’s poetry. The memories of her youth are metaphorically â€Å"inked in with aches from adolescence.† Harwood explores the nature of love in her representation of two significant female figures and it is from their contrasting reactions to their experiences of love that informs the persona’s more mature perception of love and loss. One the one hand, Harwood gives representation Salome, whose indifference to the grand passion of love is conveyed in the flippant tone of her comment â€Å"whether I kissed Nietzche on Monte Sacro I find I do not now remember.† On the other hand, Harwood depicts Saint Therese, a nun who dedicated her life to selfless love as conveyed in the sentimental tone of her comment â€Å"when I love it is forever.† Harwood’s juxtaposition of these women’s perspectives on love highlights the folly of both ideals and consolidates the persona’s understanding that it is  rationalism and moderation that offer the most valued appreciation of love. The persona’s direct address â€Å"dear ladies shall we meet half way between sanctity and liberation?† conveys her awareness that there should be a balance between disinterest oversentimentality. The poem concludes with an idyllic scene that encapsulates the persona’s sense of contentment and maturity beyond her emotional angst. â€Å"let me walk at sunset in the pasture feeding my geese† engages the reader through the poetic treatment of loss and consolation as it is associated with the theme of love. Modernist poet Gwen Harwood adheres to the literary conventions of the Romantics in her anthology of poems, employing poetical devices and form to give expression to the themes of loss and consolation as well as other timeless themes. Harwood continues to engage readers through her exploration of universal themes of human existence evident in ‘At Mornington’, ‘The Violets’ and ‘A Valediction.’

The Handmaids Tale

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale takes place in a post Cold War society plagued by infertility. Atwood presents the reader with â€Å"The Republic of Gilead†, the Christian theocracy that overthrew the United States government. Narrated by a woman renamed Offred, the reader gets an idea of a future in which women are no longer women, but are solely needed for reproduction. Atwood uses a system of vocabulary established under the Republic of Gilead in order to manipulate and dehumanize women and men throughout the text. Under this new society women are efined under their gender roles.No longer are women allowed to hold Jobs, make an income, or have control over their body. Men on the other hand are referred to by their military rank. Women are then placed into the group in which the Republic of Gilead finds fitting. Some sent off to reproduce children, others to work and wait for a slow cruel death. Offred is what the Republic of Gilead labels a handmaid. A handmaid's sole purpose is to produce a child for elite families of the Republic. Handmaids are stripped from their own clothes and are forced to wear all red.A floor length dress that gives the handmaid no shape, red shoes, and red gloves. The color red is extremely symbolic towards their position in society. The red clothing could be interpreted in a multitude of ways. Red is the color of a women's menstrual blood. Therefore the wearing of red deems the handmaids one of the few fertile women among society. However, in history red has been a marker of sexual sin. The handmaids are essentially having sex with married men. All handmaids are immediately stripped of their birth name and put under possession of the commander.Offred receives this name because her commander's name is Fred, and she is â€Å"of† Fred. This is the Republic of Gilead's way of literally dehumanizing and stripping the handmaid's from any personalization. I looked up the definition of the word â€Å"handmaiden†, and it is defined as such, â€Å"A handmaiden is a personal maid, female servant, or a subordinate thing†. Under this new society, these women who are able to produce life, are literally referred to as â€Å"things† and â€Å"possessions†. In the beginning of this new society handmaidens arrive at a place called â€Å"the red center†.It is here they learn to be trained by what the Republic of Gilead labels â€Å"Aunts†. Aunts attempt to promote the handmaid's as an honorable Job and position in society. The term â€Å"aunt† is appropriately used and applied by Atwood throughout the novel. Their Job is to train, reform and advise handmaids in order to prepare them for their new life. One activity the aunt's used in attempt to brainwash and manipulate the handmaid's was â€Å"testifying†. It was during this time handmaid's told their apparent â€Å"faults† from their previous lives and was then taunted for it.Offred tells one han dmaid's story from â€Å"testifying as such, â€Å"It's Janine, telling about how she was gang-raped at fourteen and had an abortion†. The other handmaids chant in unison claiming it is â€Å"her fault, her fault, her fault†. Offred explains how during the last time Janine told the story she burst into tears. However, during this weeks testifying she immediately takes responsibility tor being raped claiming, â€Å"It was my tault It was my own fault, I led them on†. The aunt's have completed their Job by manipulating the handmaids into believing that a rape was wanted.Upon entering a commander's home there are no longer aunts, but â€Å"Marthas†. The Handmaid's Tale is laced with biblical references throughout the entire novel. Atwood's use of the name â€Å"Martha† comes directly from a story in Luke 10:38-42 in which Jesus goes to visit his mother Mary and Martha. While Mary sits and listens to Jesus speak, Martha is too busy with all of the dut ies she had to accomplish. This is exactly what the Martha's are seen doing while working in the commander's home. The Marthas, Cora and Rita, are to fulfill all domestic roles in the house, exactly likeMartha had done in the bible. While Marthas take care of the house, the commander's wives are not expected to do the same. Wives are superior to all women, and it is made clear to Offred right away. However, while living in the commander's home it is apparent that even though the handmaidens are forced into a situation unwanted, so have the wives. Wives are to lay with the handmaiden while the commander has sex with the handmaiden. Labeled as, â€Å"the ceremony', this event is emotionally scarring towards both females in the situation.After one of the ceremonies Offred even wonders, Which of us is it worse for, her or me†. The act of the â€Å"ceremony' directly shows how the Republic of Gilead has dehumanized both low ranking and high-ranking women. Sex is no longer perform ed for love and passion, but only to produce a child. On one hand, Offred has no say over her body and what is happening to her. Offred even states, â€Å"It's only the inside of our bodies that is important. The outside can become hard and wrinkled for all they care†. On the other hand, the commander's wife, Serena Joy, has to lie there while her husband has sex with another woman.While dealing with those struggles seem unfair and unjust, other women are worse off. Deformed babies, sterile women and former feminists are not even given a chance in this society. Denoted with the labels of â€Å"unwomen† and â€Å"unbabies†, they are sent to â€Å"the colonies†. The colonies are places in which agriculture is produced and also a place of deadly radiation and pollution. The Republic of Gilead immediately sends them there because they have no use for them in their supreme society. The Republic of Gilead does not only oppress women, but men too.Offred's ormer friend Moira explained to her in detail the colonies, â€Å"All of them wear long dresses like the ones at the Center, only gray. Women and the men too, Judging from the group shots. I guess it's supposed to demoralize the men having to wear a dress†. Under this society, if you do not fit their standards, you are deemed unnecessary. Atwood also uses certain vocabulary to define certain religious rituals that take place throughout the novel. â€Å"Praywaganzas,† â€Å"Salvagings,† and â€Å"Particicutions† are a few of the rituals used to manipulate handmaidens into practicing the societies beliefs. The Handmaids Tale Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale takes place in a post Cold War society plagued by infertility. Atwood presents the reader with â€Å"The Republic of Gilead†, the Christian theocracy that overthrew the United States government. Narrated by a woman renamed Offred, the reader gets an idea of a future in which women are no longer women, but are solely needed for reproduction. Atwood uses a system of vocabulary established under the Republic of Gilead in order to manipulate and dehumanize women and men throughout the text. Under this new society women are efined under their gender roles.No longer are women allowed to hold Jobs, make an income, or have control over their body. Men on the other hand are referred to by their military rank. Women are then placed into the group in which the Republic of Gilead finds fitting. Some sent off to reproduce children, others to work and wait for a slow cruel death. Offred is what the Republic of Gilead labels a handmaid. A handmaid's sole purpose is to produce a child for elite families of the Republic. Handmaids are stripped from their own clothes and are forced to wear all red.A floor length dress that gives the handmaid no shape, red shoes, and red gloves. The color red is extremely symbolic towards their position in society. The red clothing could be interpreted in a multitude of ways. Red is the color of a women's menstrual blood. Therefore the wearing of red deems the handmaids one of the few fertile women among society. However, in history red has been a marker of sexual sin. The handmaids are essentially having sex with married men. All handmaids are immediately stripped of their birth name and put under possession of the commander.Offred receives this name because her commander's name is Fred, and she is â€Å"of† Fred. This is the Republic of Gilead's way of literally dehumanizing and stripping the handmaid's from any personalization. I looked up the definition of the word â€Å"handmaiden†, and it is defined as such, â€Å"A handmaiden is a personal maid, female servant, or a subordinate thing†. Under this new society, these women who are able to produce life, are literally referred to as â€Å"things† and â€Å"possessions†. In the beginning of this new society handmaidens arrive at a place called â€Å"the red center†.It is here they learn to be trained by what the Republic of Gilead labels â€Å"Aunts†. Aunts attempt to promote the handmaid's as an honorable Job and position in society. The term â€Å"aunt† is appropriately used and applied by Atwood throughout the novel. Their Job is to train, reform and advise handmaids in order to prepare them for their new life. One activity the aunt's used in attempt to brainwash and manipulate the handmaid's was â€Å"testifying†. It was during this time handmaid's told their apparent â€Å"faults† from their previous lives and was then taunted for it.Offred tells one han dmaid's story from â€Å"testifying as such, â€Å"It's Janine, telling about how she was gang-raped at fourteen and had an abortion†. The other handmaids chant in unison claiming it is â€Å"her fault, her fault, her fault†. Offred explains how during the last time Janine told the story she burst into tears. However, during this weeks testifying she immediately takes responsibility tor being raped claiming, â€Å"It was my tault It was my own fault, I led them on†. The aunt's have completed their Job by manipulating the handmaids into believing that a rape was wanted.Upon entering a commander's home there are no longer aunts, but â€Å"Marthas†. The Handmaid's Tale is laced with biblical references throughout the entire novel. Atwood's use of the name â€Å"Martha† comes directly from a story in Luke 10:38-42 in which Jesus goes to visit his mother Mary and Martha. While Mary sits and listens to Jesus speak, Martha is too busy with all of the dut ies she had to accomplish. This is exactly what the Martha's are seen doing while working in the commander's home. The Marthas, Cora and Rita, are to fulfill all domestic roles in the house, exactly likeMartha had done in the bible. While Marthas take care of the house, the commander's wives are not expected to do the same. Wives are superior to all women, and it is made clear to Offred right away. However, while living in the commander's home it is apparent that even though the handmaidens are forced into a situation unwanted, so have the wives. Wives are to lay with the handmaiden while the commander has sex with the handmaiden. Labeled as, â€Å"the ceremony', this event is emotionally scarring towards both females in the situation.After one of the ceremonies Offred even wonders, Which of us is it worse for, her or me†. The act of the â€Å"ceremony' directly shows how the Republic of Gilead has dehumanized both low ranking and high-ranking women. Sex is no longer perform ed for love and passion, but only to produce a child. On one hand, Offred has no say over her body and what is happening to her. Offred even states, â€Å"It's only the inside of our bodies that is important. The outside can become hard and wrinkled for all they care†. On the other hand, the commander's wife, Serena Joy, has to lie there while her husband has sex with another woman.While dealing with those struggles seem unfair and unjust, other women are worse off. Deformed babies, sterile women and former feminists are not even given a chance in this society. Denoted with the labels of â€Å"unwomen† and â€Å"unbabies†, they are sent to â€Å"the colonies†. The colonies are places in which agriculture is produced and also a place of deadly radiation and pollution. The Republic of Gilead immediately sends them there because they have no use for them in their supreme society. The Republic of Gilead does not only oppress women, but men too.Offred's ormer friend Moira explained to her in detail the colonies, â€Å"All of them wear long dresses like the ones at the Center, only gray. Women and the men too, Judging from the group shots. I guess it's supposed to demoralize the men having to wear a dress†. Under this society, if you do not fit their standards, you are deemed unnecessary. Atwood also uses certain vocabulary to define certain religious rituals that take place throughout the novel. â€Å"Praywaganzas,† â€Å"Salvagings,† and â€Å"Particicutions† are a few of the rituals used to manipulate handmaidens into practicing the societies beliefs.