Country Lovers Essays

Country Lovers Essays Country Lovers Essay Country Lovers Essay â€Å"Country Lovers† written by Nadine Gordimer is a story of an inter-racial love between a slave and her master’s son. It demonstrates how the prejudice and racism destroys the innocent. To have a deeper understanding of the story, and understand what the author seeks to communicate through it, one must analyze the underlying theme (Clugston, 2010). â€Å"Country Lovers† is a story set in the time when owning African Americans was acceptable in society. In this story, children of slaves and slave owners would play together until they went off to school.A love grew between Thebedi, a slave’s child, and Paulus, the son of the slave owner. As the children grew, so did their love for one another although, the relationship between the two was not socially acceptable in this time (Trump, 1986). When Paulus came home from college for the Christmas holidays, Thebedi and Paulus met down by the river. Together they shared in an intimate relationship which resulte d in Thebedi becoming pregnant, of which she kept secret from Paulus.Thebedi married Njabulo when she was about eighteen years of age and two months later the baby was born. It was not a dishonor for a black woman to be pregnant before marriage; often times sexual relations occurred before marriage in order to assure the woman was able to have children. When the child was born it was evident that it was a mixed child, but Njabulo did not complain and went out and purchased diapers, clothes, and powder.Paulus, knowing nothing of a child, comes home from boarding school and overhears the servants talking of Thebedi and her child. He goes to see Thebedi and finds the rumors to be true. The next day Paulus returns to find the infant sick. Thebedi remains outside but can hear soft grunts from the baby. The next morning the baby is found mysteriously dead. The theme of racial prejudice is rich throughout this story. The story opens, and within the first paragraph, one recognizes that bias es are a sign of

10 Companies That Offer Part Time Jobs With Benefits

10 Companies That Offer Part Time Jobs With Benefits Want or need to work part-time, but need benefits? Get the work-life balance you need while still being able to get health insurance. There are a growing number of big companies and corporations that are offering benefits to part-time employees- even retirement plans. If you need this kind of job, here are a few great places to look first.1. Barnes NobleSweet discounts aside, part-time employees at this bookstore megachain receive personal days, PTO, vacation time, holidays, and sick days after only 6 months of employment. There are also optional medical, dental, FSA, and 401(k) plans available (with 4% employer contribution).2. CostcoYou’ll have to wait a little longer than full-time employees here for benefit eligibility (180 days instead of 90), but this retailer offers a very competitive package- including even child care assistance, life insurance, and prescription medication discounts. And your premiums are withheld pretax.3. Land’s EndLand’s End offers a ton of benefits to part-time employees in its 300 stores or corporate headquarters. So go ahead and snag the home and auto insurance discounts, backup child care centers, employee purchase programs, and access to a group legal plan, lower-cost eye surgery, and of course the obligatory merchandise discounts.4. NikeAfter a year of working steadily at 20 hours or more each week, Nike employees are eligible for a health plan, basic dental and vision, plus a stock purchase plan, 401(k), PTO, long-term care insurance, and profit-sharing. And if you work 30 hours a week or more, you’re eligible for the same benefits as full time employees.5. StaplesThis company’s part-time worker benefit plan doesn’t meet the standards of the Affordable Care Act, but it’s better than nothing- and includes limited dental and vision, short-term disability, stock purchase, 401(k), employee assistance for child and elder care, and legal and professional services to employees whoâ₠¬â„¢ve worked 500 hours in a six month period.6. StarbucksStarbucks employees are all called â€Å"partners.† And if you work 20 hours per week or more, you’re entitled to a benefits package specifically tailored to meet your needs. Work 240 hours in a three month period, and hand pick between comprehensive health care, discounted stock purchase, matching 401(k), educational savings, and time off. Plus, all eligible U.S. Starbucks â€Å"partners† can earn an online Bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University with full or partial tuition coverage. And at bare minimum, all partners get an in-store discount, plus a pound of free coffee per week.7. UPSThis shipping company’s website boasts that it offers full-time benefits for part-time employees- from health care to tuition assistance, plus insurance programs, FSA, work life balance programs, etc. Part-time employees are also allowed to take advantage of their tuition assistance program called Ear n and Learn, which gives employees up to $5,250 per year with a lifetime max of $25k.8. Whole FoodsPTO, health and life insurance, and stock option retirement plans are but a few of the benefits offered to employees working 20 hours per week or more and have completed a probationary period. Not to mention: employees and their spouses/domestic partners get a 20%+ in-store discount.9. Trader Joe’sYou have to be super friendly to land a gig here. But if you work 30 hours a week or more, you’re eligible for medical, prescription, and dental coverage. If you only work 15 hours per week, you’re still eligible for basic dental and vision, which is a sweet little bonus for relatively little time on the job.10. REIREI is just about as good as it gets. The REI Flex Plan is offered to any employees who work more than 20 hours per week, and gives core health services (preventative care, etc.) at no cost. It also pays for 85% of premiums for employee-only medical and dental. The Path Plan, for workers averaging 15 hours per week, covers 60%. A healthy lifestyle is important to REI, who believes that a healthy workforce is a strong workforce. Expect a rewards system of points for completing â€Å"health and stewardship activities.† Get healthy and get paid!