Sweetness and Power Essays - 610 Words

Sweetness and Power Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History Some of the most brilliant minds have made many unorthodox suggestions. This is the case with Sidney Mintz’s thesis in Sweetness and Power: The Place of Modern History. Mintz’s suggestions that industrial capitalism originated in the Caribbean sugar plantations may seem to contradict the European version of world history fed to most of the Western world, but is nevertheless supported by substantial evidence. In general, Western education has conditioned students to believe that everything productive originated in Europe. Mintz begins by explaining the process of obtaining granular sugar from the liquid extracted from the sugar cane. There was†¦show more content†¦Similar to factory workers, cheap labor was used for mass production of commodities to meet the growing demand. As a result, Mintz completely transformed my ideas on industrial capitalism. As a consumer and lover of sugar, I have now given a considerable amount of thought to the sugar that I consumed so often. The extent to which the Caribbean people and land were exploited is unfathomable. When speaking of a â€Å"plantation†, Americans usually think and refer to the cotton plantations in the South. Even those Americans with roots in the Caribbean are completely unaware of the exploitation of their land and people. The long-term effects of this exploitation led to the underdevelopment of these Caribbean countries. These effects are still evident today as most of the Caribbean islands are labeled as â€Å"Third World Countries†. In addition, Mintz mentions the separation of the production from consumption. The Major consumers of sugar were not the hard workers on the plantation, but the far removed citizens of England. The plantation workers were not able to profit from the fruit ofShow MoreRelatedEssay on Sweetness and Power624 Words   |  3 PagesBy: YP Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History Some of the most brilliant minds have made many unorthodox suggestions. This is the case with Sidney Mintzs thesis in Sweetness and Power: The Place of Modern History. Mintzs suggestions that industrial capitalism originated in the Caribbean sugar plantations may seem to contradict the European version of world history fed to most of the Western world, but is nevertheless supported by substantial evidence. In general, WesternRead MoreSweetness and Power2050 Words   |  9 Pages#9;Sweetness and Power is a historical study of sugar and its affect on society and economy since it was first discovered. Sugar has had a large impact on society and the economy that is not noticeable unless thoroughly studied. The following is an analysis of the work done by Sidney W. Mintz in his attempt to enlighten the quot;educated laypersonquot;. #9;Mintz uses a very basic system for organizing the tremendous amount of data found within in the book. The book is divided into 5 chapters:Read More Sweetness And Power Essay1968 Words   |  8 Pages amp;#9;Sweetness and Power is a historical study of sugar and its affect on society and economy since it was first discovered. Sugar has had a large impact on society and the economy that is not noticeable unless thoroughly studied. The following is an analysis of the work done by Sidney W. Mintz in his attempt to enlighten the amp;quot;educated laypersonamp;quot;. amp;#9;Mintz uses a very basic system for organizing the tremendous amount of data found within in the book. The book is dividedRead MoreSweetness and Power by Sidney Mintz873 Words   |  4 PagesSweetness and Power by Sidney Mintz This part basically focuses on how Mintz tries to tie together the disparate geographies from Northern Europe up to the Caribbean. 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Production of this craving has lead to an over abundant consumption. Consumption so great that is has defined humans through culture and history. The journey has marked the path of this once less then famous compound into a substance that is inRead MoreRacism In Racism1214 Words   |  5 Pagesway blacks viewed themselves. While American society has come very far in terms of civil rights, unfortunately discrimination between blacks still continues. Lighter blacks consider themselves superior to darker ones. Toni Morrison’s short story â€Å"Sweetness† portrays how racism still exists; specifically it describes black on black racism, which is also referred to as colorism. After the Civil War, blacks were supposed to be guaranteed justice under the law. In reality, however, especially in the southRead MoreTaking a Look at Stevia800 Words   |  3 Pagesalso known as sweet herb- have long been used as a natural sweetener and herbal medicine in the plant’s native South America (Horowitz 36).† The artificial sweetener Stevia is becoming more popular. Stevia is an herb with about 300 times more sweetness power than sugar. There are many benefits to stevia such as helping those maintain a healthy blood pressure, helping diabetic patients and those who are on a low carb and low sugar controlled diet. â€Å"Previously only available as dietary supplements inRead MoreEnders Game Response Essay1070 Words   |  5 Pagescirculation of features in the different phases of the story starting from the beginning to the last chapter. The femininity and masculinity are represented in opposite ways in the beginning. The femininity is represented in a way that shows sweetness and love because females are considered generally emotional and passionate. We can see that from Valentine who takes care, protects, and encourages her brother. For example, when Peter says that he will kill Ender, Valentine protects Ender and says