intoruduction for research paper

You hear voodoo you'll most likely think of voodoo dolls connected to the soul of humans body right? Voodoo in all honesty isn't bad you know. Like yin and yang,  good and evil, and good and bad. Newton's Law states for every actual action has an equal reaction. Voodoo can be used for good purposes. I have a Puerto Rican friend whose grandmother practices is voodoo. When I asked her why do you do voodoo and where did it come from she said, " my mom taught me and we used it to cure sicknesses and talk to those on the other side for help in this realm." She completely forgot to mention the African roots of voodoo and its from what my friend tells me they do not claim to be black. This is a problem not only the Dominican Republic as well. Dominicans are indeed black and voodoo in Dominican Republic does have its roots in Africa.

BP4 what i've learned

The Dominican Republic is a very interesting island with not only beautiful scenery but a beautiful culture. The Dominican republic ancestry goes back to mainly the Congo and other African countries like Nigeria and Ghana. Most if not all Dominicans are mulattos (mixture of European and African descent.) It currently has the 9th largest economy in Latin America. Before Dominican Republic became a country, jointly with Haiti was named Hispaniola and is the earliest settlement in the Americas. Also I learned that not only did the Spanish rule over Dominican Republic over a certain period of time the Haitians also had rule over them as well. The Dominicans after the war gained their independence  in February 27, 1844 they've had some bad blood with their next door neighbors. Foods that Dominicans eat include sancocho, mangu, Arroz blanco ( white rice), habichuelas guisadas (stewed beans), and more. Dominicans are mostly Roman Catholic with some other religions like Santa Maria and voodoo. The Dominicans Have one of the highest literacy rates in the world Dominicans are actually quite smart.

The main points that I want to touch on my research paper is the African traces of Voodoo in the Dominican Republic. The reason why I choose this topic is because most of the Caribbean countries like Puerto Rico, Costa Rica etc. Deny their African heritage. Upon the slavery they lost their native tongue appearance and way of live and was brainwashed to not only take upon Spanish religion but speak their language. So in my paper I have researched and found about seven to eight cited and annotated work cited websites to back up my argument. It’s important to me because to know your African heritage is to know yourself because Africans are the original people and I’m writing this paper to prove African importance in the making of Todays Dominican republic.

BP3 " Little Cog-Burt " and "Cotton Candy " Comparison

In “Cotton Candy” by Dora Alonso, there was a young woman named Lola who sexual desires are not allowed by her mother that won’t let her grow up  and be out on her own  as a result of her over protectiveness. Lola would name butterflies after men’s she would like to be in a relationship with but couldn't have due to the personality of her mother. Lola grows older with her sexual desire and finds happiness as she watch animals mate at the zoo that reminded her of the times when she herself was young. Once she became an old lady she herself young again in the mirror with an older black man.

In “Little Cog-Burt”, there was a little boy who cries all the time. This boy is known as Cog-Burt. He is a small individual and is often seen as spoiled . He  got a gift but did not accept it Cog-Burt wants a fairy on the top of the Christmas tree. The woman host a Christmas party and think the fairy is so pretty that she couldn’t give Cog-Burt the ornament. She eventually gives in and notice the little boy will never grow any larger.

In “Cotton Candy” the story was unclear at the end weather Lola get happiness from a man or not, but in the “Little Cog-Burt” the little boy want an item and he eventually get it. Both of these stories begin with another person not giving them what they want. Lola mother won’t allow her grow and the hostess won’t give Cog-Burt the fairy. Later on in the story the little Cog-Burt does receives the item he ask for. At the end of “Cotton Candy” saw her desire as a young woman again with black man but we not sure that they have any sexual relation.

Lola and Cog-Burt are both shown as unattractive and unable to communicate their desires and wants. The authors Phyllis Shand Alfrey and Dora Alonso use the element of being unattractive to show the reader that appearance matters. The mothers in both story play a big part. One mother was helpful and the other was to strict.

BP2 tetiyette and the devil

“Tetiyette and the Devil” is the story about a teenage girl who is honestly never satisfied. She is 17 years old and is in her country that is old enough to get married. There are several men who come the see her that she references as a “goat (Pg.1)" and a “pig (1)" she denies doing anything with these referenced men because of appearance matters. However, a devil comes a long and is dressed in gold and catches her attention. This conveys a message that she is more worried about appearance rather than what innately makes up a person . 

In the story, the mother tries to warn her daughter of the potential evil of her husband. The daughter then lies to her mother by telling her that everything is fine when in actual reality it was not . When the daughter lies to the mother it makes it clear that appearance and wealth  is more important to the 17 yr old  rather than her honesty towards family. 

Later in the story, the daughter cries out for help to her mother as her husband starts consuming her. “Oh, Mama! Oh, Mama! Bel-air-drum! The man to whom you married me, Bel-air-drum! Is a terrible devil! Bel-air-drum (3)!" He’s eating me up! Bel-air-drum! The mother is showing her daughter tough love by not helping her. Her mother proclaims, “As far as I’m concerned, I had also warned her to beware (4)." 

During the story there is repetition of the phrase “Bel-air-drum (3),” and this can be used to make the reader or audience remember the story. The intended audience of this story would most likely be for young Guadeloupean girls or teenagers approaching the age of marriage. It’s a folk story to warn the young women of Guadeloupe of a potential love based on appearance, because everyone is not who they appear to be. Also, it informs these women that if they get themselves into trouble the closest people to you may not help, as they have warned you. It also shows, that you must be responsible for your own actions. 

At the end of the story the girl is almost fully consumed, until her brother comes upstairs and cuts the devil open, then his sister emerges whole. Even though the sister lied to their mother, the brother is a forgiving person by helping her. The audience is in a conflicted state because the unforgiving mother is just in her own right, but the brother is the savior of the sister. So, who do you side with? 

about me

My name is Ricky Chime. I’m 21 currently going to ggc. My major is finance and i plan to be and independent entrepreneur. I’m nigerian and i love my culture. My goal is to be financially independent to make money and be with my kids and leave an inheretence for my kids and kids kids.

BP1

When you go on vacation where would you go? 7/10 times you'll maybe go to the island resorts to look at the beautiful scenery and foreign life of places you’re not used to. Well, has anyone been to the Dominican Republic? If you have you'll never forget your visit beautiful people, food and life. The thing is people come to this island for the vacation but most people that visits the country don't even know the facts and history of the people. Like every pretty face has a personality behind, like a book that tells a story behind the beautiful cover art, let's find out a little more about this beautiful island called the Dominican Republic.

                                     Let's start with some interesting facts, is a country that shares the same island with Haiti. The Dominican Republic is a predominantly a Spanish speaking country with its own dialect. The currency of the Dominican Republic is the Dominican peso which is equivalent to 0.020 U.S. dollars.  Hispaniola believe it not is the oldest English settlement in the America's. Dominican Republic's Independence Day is February 27, 1844. Coffee, sugar and tobacco are the country's main source of income and of course tourism is starting to play a good hand in the income of the country as well. The citizens of Dominican Republic prefer to live in joint families. Voting in the country is permitted to the armed forces and the national force. Santo Domingo is the oldest city in the new world.  “Dominican Flag” is the name of a traditional dish made of chicken, rice and beans. Merengue is the name given to the Dominican Republic’s music its English translation is whipped egg whites in sugar. It has the largest economy in the Caribbean and central American region, it is the tenth largest economy in Latin America.