An Unforgettable Night Essay

Mary Pittman Mr. Zemp English 101 January 20, 2010 Unforgettable Night What started out as a normal night, ended up as a night from hell. It was the day of graduation and everything was perfect. This day marked the beginning of the summer before my senior year. I had already made plans to go on trips to the beach with my family and friends. My friend, Bailes, was in town for graduation, as a surprise. She moved to Ohio her sophomore year and came to South Carolina when she could, which was not very often. That morning, when graduation was over, she texted me and said she was having a movie night at her house. She had invited the usual group of friends that we hung out with when she came into town. Her mom had recently moved into a new house, so I had never been there before. No one had ever been there. Bailes texted the directions to everyone’s phone so they would know how to get there. I had to work that day, so I was a little late getting to Bailes’ house. I was driving on dark and unfamiliar roads, so I was a little nervous. After a few wrong turns on Tower Road, I made it just in time. I walked in and was greeted by a huge hug from Bailes, whom I hadn’t seen in eight months. After talking to her for a few minutes to briefly catch up, I moved on to talk to everyone else. As time passed, more and more people started to arrive. Eventually, I found a nice, comfy spot on the couch. My friend Bart, whom I had known my entire life, came to sit beside me. It took us at least 15 minutes to decide what movie we should watch. The entire time everyone was deciding on a movie, Bart and I were joking around and acting like idiots. Bart had his own style. He wore socks that came up to his calf with shorts, which always amused me. I remember asking him jokingly, â€Å"Do you have a tan line from your socks? †. His response was, of course, â€Å"I don’t know. † Bart was a very mellow, carefree person. He just went with the flow and did what he wanted. I was still curious about the tan line, so I pulled down his socks, and there just happened to be a tan line. The whole room filled with laughter. Not even half-way through the movie Bart got a phone call from our friend Michael. Michael wanted Bart to meet him at the end of Tower Road; a road I will never forget. Bart got up to leave and I asked him if he wanted someone to ride with him. I did not want him to go by himself just in case something happened. I had never ridden with him before, so I had no idea how he drove. Tower Road is a road that has uneven pavement, potholes, very faint lines, and no helpful signs. It has many turns and hills. Bart was driving entirely too fast for that particular road, but, like an idiot, I said nothing to him about slowing down. We got to the end of the road and had to wait a few minutes because Michael was not there yet. While we waited we carried on casual conversation. Conversations, however, I will never forget. Michael finally got there and we started to head back to Bailes’. We were both unfamiliar with Tower Road. Bart was driving fast and glanced down at his cell phone for a split second; he never saw the curve coming. I looked ahead and saw the curve. A curve, on this awful road, that has changed my life forever. I screamed, â€Å"Bart! † trying to grab his attention, but it was a little too late. The next thing is the sound of shattering glass and the scraping of his Ford Explorer against trees. My body jerked forward and then backwards. Those few seconds seemed to last a lifetime. Then it was all over and everything was silent. I opened my eyes and looked around. I saw trees and broken glass. We had ended up in a ditch near a creek. I looked to my left and saw Bart. His eyes were closed and he did not look too banged up. I thought he was fine. I screamed for Michael to call 911 and tried to wake Bart up, yelling, â€Å"Bart, get up. We need to get out of here. † I kept calling his name, but never got an answer. Michael ran down the ditch to help us get out of the car. My door would not open, so he had to pull me out through the window, telling me, â€Å"Watch the glass. The glass was the least of my worries. I was bleeding from my face, but I felt nothing. Michael tried to get Bart out, but there was nothing we could do. The police, ambulance, and fire truck came. It seemed like an hour before they got there. They immediately looked at me and asked me questions about what happened, if I was ok. Stuff like that. I told them I was fine and to get my frie nd out of the car. I was taken to the hospital, where I was given x-rays and looked over. I kept asking about Bart, but no one ever said anything. My mom came in and then my sister. After a few minutes they told me Bart did not make it. I fell into tears. A little while later, I left the hospital. I went straight to my friend Blake’s house. Everyone had gone there to be together. I walked up to my friends who were crying their eyes out. The next day I went to the accident site with my friend Bailes. There was debris from the car all over the ground. In the ditch lay one of Bart’s socks and his shoes. The fast, hard impact of a tree we hit had blown them right off of him. After seeing the scene, Bailes and I went to Bart’s house to see his family. Considering the circumstances, they seemed to be ok. We left their house and went to see their car. Seeing the car was one of the most difficult things for me. I fell to my knees crying. The days that followed were filled with tears. The visitation was two days after the accident, the funeral three. After the visitation some of my friends and I put a cross on the curve where the accident happened. Since then, life has not been the same. I was not able to drive for two weeks after the accident. I was too afraid. Even today, I do not drive on certain roads or ride with many people. As for my friends, everyone seems to be okay now. We have all remained very close. We are there for each other, no matter what. Still, every day is a struggle. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about Bart or the accident. I remember every noise, every word, and every feeling– memories that haunt me on a daily basis; memories I wish I didn’t have. When I think about Bart, all of that goes away. Memories of him always put a smile on my face. He was such a wonderful, loving, and funny person. He was the best friend anyone could ever ask for. My love for him will never die. He is missed greatly.

Assessment of Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is a sophisticated and renowned Gothic romance novel. Its plot has many unconventional twists and turns and, although the novel has been widely accepted and appreciated in the world of classic literature, it has also had its share of controversy. From the beginning of the novel, it becomes clear that it does not perhaps preach the same religious values as other books written during its time (the 1800s), and some have taken the view that this aspect of the book is wrong and will poison the mind of every young, susceptible person who reads it.Some of this has to do with the fact that the novel centers around the growing love affair between a sardonic, brooding gentleman named Mr. Rochester and his governess and the main character of the book, Jane Eyre. The possible objections people might make to the novel are the differences in rank, connections and wealth between Mr. Rochester and Jane, not to mention the difference in age (Mr. Rochester is 20 years Jan e’s senior). Even more objectionable; however, is the fact that Mr. You can read also Analysis of Literary Devices of Jane EyreRochester proposes to Jane even though he is already married to a madwoman (his wife had a heritable condition that made her savage and insane), and is keeping her safeguarded in a room upstairs in the very house in which he met Jane. These objections are expressed succinctly in a criticism against the book found on a pro-book-banning website: â€Å"Readers of Jane Eyre often see Edward Rochester as a dashing, romantic hero–and therein lies the problem. Rochester is already married when he woos Jane, and he has locked his mentally ill wife into an attic.What kind of a person would do this, and do we really want impressionable teenage girls idolizing such a person as a romantic hero? † (CC2K 1). The website also states that it finds Jane Eyre to promote adultery and the abuse of the mentally ill. It’s all well and good for someone on a website to say that certain circumstances of the novel were socially or ethically immoral (especially when the circumstances were taken out of context and generalized), but one of the main reasons that the book was banned in some parts of England in the mid to late 1800’s (Jane Eyre was first published in 1847) was the fact that it was written by a woman.Charlotte Bronte first used the pen name of Currer Bell to avoid the prejudice against female writers, but it was eventually found out that she was a woman and certain readers found it disturbing â€Å"that a woman had written such a passionate novel and seemed so knowing sexually† (Brooklyn. cuny. edu 1). Some of the harsher reviews of the book state the reasons it was thought unfit to be read: â€Å"Jane Eyre is, indeed, one of the coarsest books which we ever perused.It is not that the professed sentiments of the writer are absolutely wrong or forbidding, or that the odd sort of religious notions which she puts forth are much worse than is usual in popular tales. It is rather that the re is a tendency to relapse into that class of ideas, expressions, and circumstances, which is most connected with the grosser and more animal portion of our nature; and that the detestable morality of the most prominent character in the story is accompanied with every sort of palliation short of unblushing justification (1848)† (Brooklyn. cuny. edu 2).Fortunately for the world; however, the voices of these critics were drowned out by the majority of the supportive and positive criticism of the novel. Personally, I found the novel to be a refreshing upheaval of many popular conventions that existed in the 19th century and that still exist in some places today. It is a story about two people who ignored the rigid vice that society had placed upon them and did what they truly felt to be right. The novel doesn’t ignore or refute morals, rather, it shows the reader the things that are truly important in life; some of the things we tend to forget.For example, neither Jane Ey re nor Mr. Rochester is considered physically attractive by their peers. Jane is considered plain and almost child-like (she is 18 when she becomes Mr. Rochester’s governess and has a small, slight frame) and Mr. Rochester is a dark, brooding, erratic 38-year-old man, so unlike his daintier male counterparts of the time. This is such an understated phenomenon that the two main characters in a romance were considered ugly. It means, for once, that beauty doesn’t mean everything; in fact, it means absolutely nothing at all. Jane and Mr.Rochester end up loving each other more strongly and completely than almost any other romance ever heard of. As for preaching immoral practices and ways of life, Jane Eyre exhibits the merits of strong will and self respect that people, and women in particular, may never have known was an option for them. Women were allowed few rights in the 1800s and when Jane refuses to marry Mr. Rochester because she has discovered that he is already ma rried to a woman who has gone insane (and therefore divorce is not an option) and she makes both herself and the man she loves absolutely miserable in the process, what bad message is a reader to find?Jane refused to give up her self respect, she refused to do what she thought was morally wrong, even though it was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do in her life. Some reviews of the novel clearly express the feminism it exhibits: â€Å"the story is very much about the nature of human freedom and equality, and if Jane was seen as something of a renegade in nineteenth-century England, it is because her story is that of a woman who struggles for self-definition and determination in a society that too often denies her that right† (EBooks 1). When Jane and Mr.Rochester do end up together at the end of the novel, it is only after his wife has accidentally died in a house fire (she jumped off of the roof and committed suicide) and Mr. Rochester had lost both an eye and a ha nd in the process. This signifies to the reader that Mr. Rochester couldn’t get away scot-free after trying to trick Jane into a false second marriage. He had to pay for some of his â€Å"sins† before he could be happy again, showing that those who act wrongly (even if they have good motives) do not profit from it. In the end, one of the most novel aspects of the book is the fact that Jane Eyre and Mr.Rochester are not brought together by worldly or material concerns. They are brought together by a true love and a desire to make themselves and each other happy. One of the reasons the novel was banned is also one of its greatest strengths; Charlotte Bronte’s use of love and passion in the novel allows the reader to connect to the characters and it causes the story to have meaning. This is expressed by one review of the novel in which it was highly praised: â€Å"This is not merely a work of great promise; it is one of absolute performance.It is one of the most p owerful domestic romances which have been published for many years. It has little or nothing of the old conventional stamp upon it †¦ but it is full of youthful vigor, of freshness and originality, of nervous diction and concentrated interest. The incidents are sometimes melo-dramatic, and, it might be added, improbable; but these incidents, though striking, are subordinate to the main purpose of the piece, which is a tale of passion, not of intensity which is most sublime. It is a book to make the pulses gallop and the heart beat, and to fill the eyes with tears (1847)† Brooklyn. cuny. edu 1). Jane Eyre is necessarily eccentric in its values and after reading it, one is convinced that if all of its values were adopted by the rest of the world, we would all live in a much better place. Given the above evidence, one could say that it is almost a sin in itself to ban the novel to young readers. Jane Eyre uses descriptive and sophisticated language, so it is probably ideal f or a young adult or adolescent’s eyes, but a reader of any age may benefit from it by being exposed to new thoughts, principles and ways of life.Charlotte Bronte managed to support rights for women, marriage for love, self-respect and the false value of beauty all in one novel. Jane Eyre is eccentric and one of a kind and should not be restricted from the world, but shared with it. Works Cited â€Å"Charlotte Bronte ‘Jane Eyre. ’† Brooklyn. cuny. edu. n. p. , 29 March, 2005. Web. 2 Feb, 2013. â€Å"Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. † Ebooks. n. p. , 18 Dec, 2010. Web. 2 Feb, 2013. Woodward, Beth. â€Å"Let’s Ban All the Books: An Argument for Book Banning. † CC2K. n. p. , 3 Oct, 2010. Web. 3 Feb, 2013.

Background market and strategies of the nissin group business essay

Background market and strategies of the nissin group business essay Through the evaluation of the background, market situation and business strategies of Nissin Group, this paper provides the explanation on why Nissin instant noodles have achieved a fast development performance in the instant noodles business in Hong Kong The study of Five Forces and PESTEL analyses will lead to the understanding on how the macro-environment and micro-environment affect Nissin performance its business direction and strategy. A further study of the results from the perspective of an internal competence analysis to the results from the Five Forces and PESTEL will identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Nissin. These findings will then tell Nissin of what needs to be minimized, eliminated, and to reduce or neutralize risks. All these findings will add up the reasons to justify how Nissin sustains its market leader position in Hong Kong. Suggestions on improvement and implementation of corporate strategy will also be elaborated. 1o. Introduction Intrepid Japanese entrepreneur named Momofoku Ando established Nissin Foods around the middle of the 20th century with the name Chukosasa Co., Ltd. Foreseeing that Japanese society was being economically and socially reengineered toward production speed and efficiency, he also sought to reengineer the Japanese diet in response. His answer to the requisite of speed exerted and demanded of the modern Japanese was simple – the instant noodle. The invention revolutionized the food industry not only in Japan but also throughout the world. Now Nissin Foods, produce not only instant ramen noodles but also fresh and pre-packaged frozen food, and meals-ready-to-eat including cereals and spaghetti. But noodles remained the primary product draw. Mr. Ando stayed ahead of the competitive pack with remarkable innovations. In 1963, he introduced into the market the ramen Yakisoba, which had a separate flavoring packet. A decade later, Momofoku Ando invented cup noodles and in 1984, Nissin Foods established in Hong Kong (Nissin Foods Holdings, 2010). What has been Nissin’s strategy to address the various forces acting upon the instant food industry? How valid and viable would this strategy still be in an age of high technology and rapid global integration? And now, lets start to know the direct key stakeholders in Hong Kong. Management of Nissin – The Management receives strong support from Parent company who has made the sustainability much easier for a stronger market share. Staff of Nissin – They are the executors of the business. Staff would be happy to work for Nissin if the business is stable and with continuous growth. Hong Kong consumers – the market share is large amongst the younger generations and white collars as they accept new trendy food, especially from Japan. Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) of Hong Kong Government – the Government has to control the types of incoming food products for consumption, as a statutory body, FEHD will govern the quality of food items importing to Hong Kong. Hong Kong Consumer Council – it regulates the selling of consumer goods to the public in a fair trade practice. By supports of academic references, there will be a careful analysis of macro-environment and micro-environment undertaken by using Five Forces and PESTAL, plus a review of the internal analysis by strategic capabilities. The outcomes from external and internal environment analyses will be combined in a SWOT analysis. From the results of this analysis conclusion on overall business strategy, some improvement or implementation can be drawn through the methods of Porter’s Generic Strategies, Ansoff’s matrix and organic method.

Managing capability of Ford Motor Company Coursework - 1

Managing capability of Ford Motor Company - Coursework Example The paper tells that capabilities of an organization can be segregated into two deliverables including threshold capabilities and capabilities for gaining competitive advantage. These capabilities are driven by tangible and intangible resources that constitute of threshold and unique resources. Moreover, competencies are also a critical aspect of capabilities which entail core and threshold competencies. A complete amalgamation of these aspects and a well-organized organizational outlook can facilitate companies to manage capability for gaining the sustainable competitive advantage. Ford Motor Company has emerged as one of the major sustainable companies in the automobile industry which make utmost use of its resources and capabilities to derive competitive advantages. The company has focused on providing exceptional values to its customers all over the world. It has a unique combination of power and technology that makes its every vehicle a special one. A few of the very well known brands of Ford are Fiesta, Focus, and Fusion. Mobility Muse started Ford Motor Company in the year of 1903 with the investment of US$28,000. It used to manufacture classic elegant vehicles but now with the advancement of technology and in keeping with evolving trends, it is presently manufacturing high-tech business class vehicles. It also helps newer drivers all over the world to become safer drivers. In terms of its distinct capabilities, from the handling of vehicles to the elegant exterior finish and superior luxury interior, in every single aspect, Ford has been mostly able to meet the expectations of the national as well as global markets. It also manufactures trucks and utility vehicles. It always focuses to create a strong business periphery to serve the world better. In this endeavor, it has been taking initiatives for the betterment of the society by way of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Information Assurance and Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Information Assurance and Governance - Essay Example IT governance system established in many organisations is incongruent as it has been designed in several different patches of problem solving mechanisms. The designing activity of the governance system reduces the synergy level and limits the opportunities for strategic impact from IT. In order to deal with the issue it is important for the management of the organisation to design the IT governance procedure according to the goals and objectives of the organisation. The notion requires the management of the organisation to actively play part in the procedure. Without the proper support of the management the successful designing and implementation process of IT governance cannot be undertaken. Although it is not possible to actively redesign the overall governance mechanism but it is important to undertake mechanism reviews on regular basis. The Burton report recommends undertaking assessment of IT governance system on regular basis in order to implement security improvement processes at MOD. The report is full of recommendations for the change in the governance structure at MOD regarding the security of the IT infrastructure. It is also important to undertake change in the behaviour of the employees at the organisation according to the change in governance. The redesign in the governance system will although take some time but its effective implementation will lead to the final objective of making the security of data foul proof. The report has recommended a change in the organisation perspective according to the direction in which the IT governance system is redesigned. Failure to do so will stultify the whole change process. The Burton report also suggests training and education all across the organisation. Burton suggested reviewing all the current training on Data Protection and Information Management, and identifying the uptake by the relevant post-holders, in order to determine future training needs. The involvement of the senior management of the

The Evolving Role of Government in Education Essay - 2

The Evolving Role of Government in Education - Essay Example On the other hand, the federal government also grants the public schools’s funding; the government has a number of federal agencies, along with organizations, which are helpful in benefiting children educational necessities so as to effect their success (Sandars, 2000). In the past 2 centuries, momentous federal support of education existed, although slowly, but and steadily, while, at the same time, the increasing federal commitment to education regarding monies and policies turns to be impressive. The NCLB changes the role of the federal government within elementary, as well as secondary education by necessitating for the states, together with schools in measuring success in regards to student performance. Conversely, the federal government is also responsible for the provision of grants and scholarships to those people who are going through college or university pursuing higher education. Consequently, the NCLB also tends to be beneficial to children with a disability, since they have the similar rights and opportunities compared to other children who are not disabled of attending any school that is public, college or even university thereby enhancing their knowledge, while, at the same time, becoming successful individual (Fred & Allan, 2011). In the recent past, there was the consolidation movement whose intention was to eliminate school boards that were small, as well as rurally dominated. Although this was a perception that this was the beginning of the end, there are a number of people who perceive these efforts as education efficiency. Conversely, others view it as luck of the draw, with students, regardless of their background, tend to take an active role concerning their education, thereby getting what they desire from it (Sandars, 2000). However, the next significant move in education happens to be Board of Education vs. Brown during 1954 whereby this ruling reversed the 1896 Plessy vs. Ferguson ruling that founded the separate but

Six Essential Elements of Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Six Essential Elements of Geography - Essay Example Physical systems – this element of geography seeks to study physical processes such as volcanoes, glaciers, climate, and how they shape the earth. In addition, it seeks to study the interrelationships among plant and animal life and their natural environment that sustain life. Environment and the society – this element studies the impacts of human activities on the environment. In addition, geographers are also interested in knowing how humans use the environment and how the environment influences people’s lives. The uses of geography – this element show the importance of acquiring knowledge on geography. Geography is essential to humans in that it helps them understand the future as well as the past. This knowledge enables geographers to understand better the relationships between the environment, people and places (Swamson 56). The teacher can apply the first essential element of geography in describing the absolute or relative location of a particular object. For example, the teacher can inform the students that the Geographic information centre is located at 805 Sherbrooke Street West (absolute location) or Sherbrook Street West near the Catholic Church (relative location). The second element (places and regions) is applicable in distinguishing various parts of the world. For example, the teacher can use this element to explain the difference between the tropical regions and temperate zones. The teacher can apply the unique element of physical system by explaining to students the role played by natural phenomenon such as volcanoes, movement of glaciers and hurricanes. For example, volcanoes can produce rich soils that can support farming. On the flip side, volcanoes can cause destruction of natural vegetation and displace people. The teacher can apply human systems in explaining human settlements. For example, the teacher can be able to explain why there are so many

Assignment to Critique an Academic Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assignment to Critique an Academic Paper - Essay Example The article’s argument that entrepreneurs should have, â€Å"the will to conquer: the impulse to fight, to prove oneself superior to others, to succeed for the sake, not of the fruits of success, but of success itself† exaggerates the true nature of a successful entrepreneur (33). This is because the environment and the goals that an entrepreneur has set determine the level of the will applied and the willingness to fight. Wedgwood plays his role as an entrepreneur through application of the skills of hard work, focus, obsessive, demanding and intellectually curious (7). He had a vision of pioneering innovations that would enhance the status of entrepreneurship. Commencing the entrepreneurship skills at 11 shows Wedgwood’s potential of becoming a great entrepreneur in future. He overcame many challenges that threatened his quest to enhance his entrepreneurship prowess. This implies that the urge to become a successful entrepreneur should not be limited by any for m of challenges including disabilities. This is because entrepreneurial innovations can never be successful unless they overcome life challenges. Possession of a weakened knee due to small pox he suffered during his early childhood implied that Wedgwood could not turn a Potter’s wheel (8). In fact, he had to watch as his knee was amputated without the help of anaesthetics after it hampered his ability to apply and harness his entrepreneurial skills. The courage to have even his own body organ eliminated due to its negative impact on his life passion implies that he has the ability to overcome any challenges in the enhancement of his entrepreneurial skills. However, this could be unsustainable if the challenges being eliminated are ethical and beneficial to other people. Entrepreneurship is a passion that is not limited by time constraints. Entrepreneurs should apply their skills and expertise at a tender age. Although the article represents the rhetoric of a successful entrep reneur, it is crucial to point out that successful entrepreneurs do not always wait to attain a certain age period for them to venture into business i.e. 24 years in Wedgwood’s case (7). The fact that he started being a potter at the age of 11 implies that Wedgwood should have commenced his quest for attainment of his life dream at a younger age. Being a successful entrepreneur does not require sufficient flow of financial resources for commencement. The article stipulates that Wedgewood’s father allocated meagre financial resources in his will but he managed to beat all odds and became a successful entrepreneur. However, this does not imply that resources are not necessary for laying the perfect foundation for the establishment of a successful career and entrepreneurial skills. Availability of resources enables an entrepreneur to acquire the necessary equipment required in enhancing new ideas. It is also imperative for entrepreneurs to collude with other like-minded i nnovators to enhance their entrepreneurship skills. For instance, the article points out that Wedgwood formed a partnership with Thomas Whieldon, an eminent Potter. This enabled him to gain access to experienced potters that provided him with the competent skills in their respective fields. However, one should be careful of the type of people that they partner with because some

The Culture Of An Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Culture Of An Organization - Essay Example Its leaders should be charismatic and quick at decision-making. Motivation Motivation refers to the force that influences people’s action. The theories are aimed to make the workers work diligently and be fruitful. In my case, I am going to use The Mayo’s theory of Human Relations. Mayo’s theory believes that pay alone cannot be sufficient to motivate and boost the performance of an employee in the workforce. He believes that the social needs of the workers should also be put into consideration. Transformational Leadership Transformation leadership is formed through the four ‘I’s’, that is idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual simulation and individual consideration. Idealized influence is displayed when a leader act as the role model to their follower. When the leader articulates his vision, to his followers then this is referred to as inspirational motivation. Intellectual simulation is achieved when a leader undertakes his followers through some challenges. Individual consideration is reflected when a leader attends to the needs of the follower in person. Transformation leader can therefore be said to pay attention to their followers, change awareness and inspire their follower. Transformational type of leadership is said to work because it engages leader and their followers to be creative. Leader and follower strategize on their goals and therefore they are in better positions of achieving the set goals. Unlike charismatic leadership where vision is only stated, transformation leadership provides an attractive view of the future. In terms of commitment, it can be noted that in transformational type of leadership, both the leader and the follower are usually committed in undertaking their activities (Kark, Shamir & Chen, 2003). Motivation theory In my case, I would use Mayo’s Theory of Human Relations to address the issues in the police department. According to Mayo’s theory, change s in the working condition or financial rewards had little effect to the performance of employees. Workers are instead motivated by the way; they interact with each other, working in teams that aid them in decision-making. The mayo’s theory encouraged interaction between the different levels of management and the entire workforce. This makes it easy for the management to easily solve the grievances facing their employees. Employees should also be treated in a more caring and humane manner to maximize on their productivity. Organizational structures Organization plays a major role in any organization, its can determine the success or failure of an organization. Organizational structures therefore refer to the major methods that an organization uses to coordinate its activities; the type of devolution used within that organization in terms of subordinates’ involvement in decision making of the organization. There are three common organizational structures. These are simp le, bureaucracy and matrix organization structures. Simple Structure This uses direct supervision, and employs vertical and horizontal centralization. Its organizational structure consists of the top manager and a few workers in the workforce. The number of staff is usually small thus forcing them to perform overlapping tasks. There are no job specifications to an individual (Weber, 1947). Simple structures are used mostly in small corporations, new

Interpersonal Relationship Essay Example for Free

Interpersonal Relationship Essay Introduction Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations. American Nurses Association (ANA) An interpersonal relationship is an association between two or more people that may range from fleeting to enduring. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpersonal_relationship). Seemingly to Hildegard Peplau, nursing is an interpersonal process because it involves interaction between two or more individuals with a common goal. Peplau, emphasized the nurse-client relationship as the foundation of nursing practice. A therapeutic nurse-patient relationship is defined as a helping relationship thats based on mutual trust and respect, the nurturing of faith and hope, being sensitive to self and others, and assisting with the gratification of your patients physical, emotional, and spiritual needs through your knowledge and skill. This caring relationship develops when you and your patient come together in the moment, which results in harmony and healing. Effective verbal and nonverbal communication is an important part of the nurse-patient interaction, as well as providing care in a manner that enables your patient to be an equal partner in achieving wellness. (Pullen Mathias 2010) Patient-centered communication is a basic component of nursing which facilitates the development of a positive nurse-patient relationship and along with other organizational factors, results in the delivery of quality nursing care. In most instances, a nurse plays an essential role in the life of a patient. The concerns and cares they give to their patients is a big factor that uplifts each one’s spirit, therefore the goal of the nurses of Olivarez College BSN IV is to create a harmonious relationship between their patients through a well organize and meaningful interactions. The study of the relationship between patient and nurse is important to see how efficient a patient recovers, to understand his illness fully; whether there’s a chance of recovery or nothing to expect at all. Moreover, the role of the nurse is to lessen the emotional and physical pain of every patient. In dealing with these, a need for better communication strategies and methods should be applied. There may be some existing practices exercised by hospitals for their nurses and patients, but a thorough study to improve it better is an advantage. (Cruz, JA 2010) One good way of communicating with a patient is by merely listening to them. Letting them express their thoughts and anxieties may help them feel better. Furthermore, an understanding smile, a good sense of humor, a compassionate outlook and friendly gestures can alleviate their pain and anxiety. The focus of this research is the patient’s perception of an effective nurse-patient relationship. The most common method of interaction is communication. Communication is the sending of ones information to another and may be done verbally or non-verbally. Background of the Study An internal problem of nurses is common. There are so many things to adjust especially working with people that they knew for the 1st time. An interpersonal problem not only occurs with co-workers, it can also be applied with nurse-patient relationship. Everyday different types of patient are being encountered by the nurses. This study gives interest to the researchers to develop and enhanced interpersonal skills and confidence during nurse-patient interaction in the area. Mostly, nurses do not practice good communication skills because of low-self esteem to deal with the patient, resulting to the insufficient gathering of important details and information on the patient’s data. Nursing students should practice well on developing nurse-patient relationship to be an effective and a qualified nurse. Nurse has important role enhancing communication skills. Nurses play an important role in health communication. They are the ones who are always in close contact with the patients. Having effective communication skills and being able to employ them in communicating to the patients is very essential for every nurse. A nurse must be able to communicate effectively to the patient, its family and their co-workers, as well. It is important for health care personnel to understand the doubts, fears and the anxieties of the patients who come to them for treatment. It is equally important to talk in an understanding tone to those who have not voiced their fears but are obviously scared. Patience is also essential in dealing with hard headed and unbeliever patients especially when the patient is suffering and in pain during medication and they tend to refuse taking medicines anymore. Nurses feel a sense of accomplishment when they give a positive influence on their client’s health status. Learning experiences with simulation offer the nursing student an opportunity to further develop knowledge, skills and critical thinking abilities prior to practicing in the clinical setting. Role play, as well as manikin use, can enhance the nursing student’s ability to respond to a variety of patient care scenarios before actually encountering them in the clinical setting (Billings Halstead, 2005). Active learning with immediate feedback reinforces the nursing student’s performance and confidence in relating to patients and other professionals in the healthcare setting (Billings Halstead, 2005). A student nurse can easily relate to the situation of their patients in terms of their know-how and further sturdy of their illnesses. This study aims to know how patients can perceive and cooperate for the fulfilment of their rehabilitation. Cutcliffe and McKenna (2005) reported that during treatment, hospital and community patients interact more with nurses than with any other health professional in the multidisciplinary team. These authors also highlighted that nurses are continuing to expand their role into medical and even surgical practice. Nursing proves as difficult to define as ‘care’, which means that the role of the nurse and how it is differentiated from other health professions is often misunderstood. Perhaps nurses provide care and doctors provide trea tment, but (McMahon 2007) argues that neither addresses the skills and knowledge needed in modern nursing to provide good-quality care, nor explains why students take three years to train before they become qualified nurses. Since Florence Nightingale’s time, nursing could be seen as having moved from a task-oriented practice towards a therapeutic process that encompasses a wide range of nursing roles, focused on the individual patient and his or her health and well-being. (McMahon 2007) attempts to define therapeutic nursing abilities as being characterized by six skills: developing the nurse-patient relationship; caring and comforting; using evidence-based physical interventions; teaching; manipulating the environment; adopting complementary health practices. These are all the skills developed by nurses during their pre-registration education; all of them demand good communication skills for effectiveness. It appears that this argument supports the notion that ‘nursing’, in addition to the applied knowledge and attitude, is underpinned essentially by communication skills. Review of Related Literature and Studies FOREIGN The relationship between the nurse and the patient is often seen as a therapeutic relationship in itself that is based on partnership, intimacy, and reciprocity (McMahon, 2007). Its purpose is different from a social relationship in that it has a focus on the patient’s well-being as a priority, and the nurse and the patient do not need to have anything in common or even like each other (Arnold and Boggs, 2006). This relationship can last only five minutes in an accident and emergency department or primary care practice, or can continue and develop for months or years during chronic illness management. It can be intensely personal when breaking bad news, or quite superficial such as when directing a patient to the appropriate clinic room. However, all of these scenarios are nurse-patient encounters that impart to the patient something of the support and meaningfulness of their engagement with health care. They tell the patient whether they are viewed as important and valued, and whether they will be listed to or discriminated against. Since Florence Nightingale’s time, nursing could be seen as having moved from a task-oriented practice towards a therapeutic process that encompasses a wide range of nursing roles, focused on the individual patient and his or her health and well-being. (McManhon 2007) attempts to define therapeutic nursing abilities as being characterized by six skills: developing the nurse-patient relationship; caring and comforting; using evidence-based physical interventions; teaching; manipulating the environment; adopting complementary health practices. These skills are developed by nurses during their pre-registration education; all of them demand good communication skills for effectiveness. It appears that this argument supports the notion that ‘nursing’, in addition to the applied knowledge and attitude, is underpinned essentially by communication skills. For instance, reticence from the others may prompt encouraging remarks of prompt questioning timing of social responses: This requires the communicator to know when to speak, when to listen, when to interrupt or prompt, or when to take the lead or be led. Self-presentation: A good communicator has self-awareness and is able to use this self-knowledge to present themselves to the other. This gives the other feedback about who the communicator is and therefore how to interpret and respond to them. For instance, sitting in a forward-leaning position assures the other that they are being listened to. Rewardingness: This is the ability to engage the other in the communication and know how to reward communication behaviour. For instance, using nods, smiles, and eye contact encourages someone to talk about themselves. For instance, if they realize that being dressed formally is off putting to a young teenager, they can respond by removing a tie or rolling up their sleeves. Argyle breaks communication skills down into behavioural skills rather than skills of insight, understanding, and cognition. Another definition of good communication comes from (Becker et al.) who suggest that skilful communicator ‘must be able to identify the emotions or intent expressed by the other person and make sophisticated judgements about the form and timing of the appropriate response ‘. In this definition, the skilled communicator uses accurate perception and good judgement to understand the interactions and know how to make appropriate judgements. It may be that all of these factors are part of the skills of a good communicatorthat skills are made up of a good sense of reality, awareness of self and others, accurate reading of situations, good timing, and ability to use the self to facilitate meaningful and positive communication. Many of these skills can be learnt and developed through the practice and through personal development by improving self-awareness, and awareness and understanding of other people and heir cognitive and emotional states. Related Studies Patients’ Perceptions of Interpersonal Continuity of Care by Nancy Pandhi, MD and John W. Saultz, MD (2005) this is the qualitative and quantitative study of Interpersonal continuity of care is important to a majority of patients, particularly those from vulnerable groups. Patients value the relationship with their physician, their physician’s knowledge about them, and the ability to communicate their concerns. Over time, contact with a physician seems to lead to the development of trust and confidence. However, continuity of care is not valued by all patients or across all settings. Nurse-patient relationship: analysis of problems Encountered by the nursing students of Olivarez College (2010). In this study the purpose of descriptive studies is to observe, describe and document aspects of a situation as it naturally occurs and sometimes to observe as a starting point for the hypothesis be it as general or theory development. The survey analyzed the data of the faculty needs of the nursing college department, the degree on which these needs were met. Synthesis Patients’ Perceptions of Interpersonal Continuity of Care by Nancy Pandhi, MD and John W. Saultz, MD (2005) this is the qualitative and quantitative study of Interpersonal continuity of care is important to a majority of patients, particularly those from vulnerable groups. Patients value the relationship with their physician, their physician’s knowledge about them, and the ability to communicate their concerns. Over time, contact with a physician seems to lead to the development of trust and confidence. However, continuity of care is not valued by all patients or across all settings. The studies utilized results quantitative (19/36), qualitative (16/36), or mixed methods (1/36). The largest number of the studies (15/36) took place in the United States. Several took place in the United Kingdom (8/36), The Netherlands (4/36), and Canada (4/36). The remainder took place in other European countries (2/36), Australia (2/36) or both the United States and England (1/36). All recruited patients from ambulatory settings. A summary of results from these studies regarding our contextual questions is reported below. Nurse-patient relationship: analysis of problems Encountered by the nursing students of Olivarez College (2010). In this study the purpose of descriptive studies is to observe, describe and document aspects of a situation as it naturally occurs and sometimes to observe as a starting point for the hypothesis be it as general or theory development. The survey analyzed the data of the faculty needs of the nursing college department, the degree on which these needs were met. According to researchers, this study is a qualitative phenomological research to a patient-centered communication is a basic component of nursing which facilitates the development of a positive nurse-patient relationship and along with other organizational factors, results in the delivery of quality nursing care. In most instances, a nurse plays an essential role in the life of a patient. The concerns and cares they give to their patients is a big factor that uplifts each one’s spirit, therefore the goal of nurses of Olivarez College BSN IV is to create a harmonious relationship between their patients through a well-organized and meaningful interactions. Theoretical Framework This study is based on Hildegard Peplau’s Theory of Interpersonal Relations. The Theory of Interpersonal Relations is a middle-range descriptive classification theory. It was influenced by Henry Stack Sullivan, Percival Symonds, Abraham Maslow, and Neal Elger Miller. The four components of the theory are: person, which is a developing organism that tries to reduce anxiety caused by needs; environment, which consists of existing forces outside of the person, and put in the context of culture; health, which is a word symbol that implies forward movement of personality and other human processes toward creative, constructive, productive, personal, and community living. The nursing model identifies four sequential phases in the interpersonal relationship: orientation, identification, exploitation, and resolution. The orientation phase defines the problem. It starts when the nurse meets the patient, and the two are strangers. After defining the problem, the orientation phase identifies the type of service needed by the patient. The patient seeks assistance, tells the nurse what he or she needs, asks questions, and shares preconceptions and expectations based on past experiences. Essentially, the orientation phase is the nurses assessment of the patients health and situation. The identification phase includes the selection of the appropriate assistance by a professional. In this phase, the patient begins to feel as if he or she belongs, and feels capable of dealing with the problem which decreases the feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. The identification phase is the development of a nursing care plan based on the patients situation and goals. The exploitation phase uses professional assistance for problem-solving alternatives. The advantages of the professional services used are based on the needs and interests of the patients. In the exploitation phase, the patient feels like an integral part of the helping environment, and may make minor requests or use attention-getting techniques. When communicating with the patient, the nurse should use interview techniques to explore, understand, and adequately deal with the underlying problem. The nurse must also be aware of the various phases of communication since the patients independence is likely to fluctuate. The nurse should help the patient exploit all avenues of help as progress is made toward the final phase. This phase is the implementation of the nursing plan, taking actions toward meeting the goals set in the identification phase. The final phase is the resolution phase. It is the termination of the professional relationship since the patients needs have been met through the collaboration of patient and nurse. They must sever their relationship and dissolve any ties between them. This can be difficult for both if psychological dependence still exists. The patient drifts away from the nurse and breaks the bond between them. A healthier emotional balance is achieved and both become mature individuals. This is the evaluation of the nursing process. The nurse and patient evaluate the situation based on the goals set and whether or not they were met. The goal of psychodynamic nursing is to help understand ones own behavior, help others identify felt difficulties, and apply principles of human relations to the problems that come up at all experience levels. Peplau explains that nursing is therapeutic because it is a healing art, assisting a patient who is sick or in need of health care. It is also an interpersonal process because of the interaction between two or more individuals who have a common goal. The nurse and patient work together so both become mature and knowledgeable in the care process.

The uppsala model a poor guide

The uppsala model a poor guide   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Uppsala model is one of the best known models of how firms set about the internationalisation process. It presents a sequential approach, meaning that the firm internationalises incrementally. The model assumes that there is a lack of knowledge of the foreign market which is detrimental to internationalisation, therefore it suggests that a firm should firstly establish itself in its domestic market, then increase its commitment and resources in the target country in stages, progressing to the next stage once sufficient understanding and knowledge of the foreign market conditions have been attainted. The four stages identified by this model are referred to as the establishment chain. Step 1 is when the firm has no regular export activity; step 2 is when the firm begins to export to the target country through agents or independent representatives; step 3 involves the establishment of sales subsidiaries and finally the 4th step is starting to produce and or manuf acture in the target country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This framework also relies heavily on the concept of psychic distance, defined as the factors preventing or disturbing the flows of information between firms and markets. (Tayeb, M. International business P141) This suggests that firms are more likely to build international relations with countries which appear to have the most similarities to them. These factors could include language, culture, political systems, educational systems and industrial development. Psychic distance is often linked with geographical distance, but this is not always the case. One example of this is the relationships between United Kingdom with countries like New Zealand and Australia; the countries have a relatively small psychic distance as they speak the same language, have similar cultures and also similar political and educational structures, and yet are geographically far apart.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So how useful is this model, the authors themselves do not state that it can be used in all circumstances.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the first criticisms of the Uppsala model is that it can be connected to both the firm and the market. The study carried out by Johanson, J and Wiedersheim-Paul in 1975 highlighted the internationalisation process of the four firms involved, however the model itself tends to the internationalisation of a firm in a specific market. expand   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The model suggests an identical step-by-step process for the internationalisation of the firm, which is intended to be repeated for each country that the firm tries to enter into. (Firms tend to enter new markets with successively greater psychic distance) However this view does not suggest a degree of difficulty from step to step, nor from country to country. Furthermore It assumes that the quantity and type of knowledge required is identical in each market, when in fact some knowledge will be transferable and apply to more than one market. On the other hand some markets will be vastly different. The model is a fairly good guide to internationalisation as it encourages incremental learning which reduces some of the uncertainties linked with foreign markets. However it could be criticised because it fails to take in to consideration that some of the information obtained is transferable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Uppsala model also fails to consider the specific market environment and industry characteristics in the target country. This includes economies of scale, research and development intensity and also government regulations. expand Internationalisation can start at any stage skips stages, an example? Of an FDI W/out export etc. Mixed empirical support, especially ‘stages e.g. evidence of ‘leapfrogging, acceleration SMEs for example often begin the internationalisation process when they relatively small and gradually increase their international presence. The majority of SMEs have a lack of international knowledge, as they are traditionally domestic businesses resulting in limited international experience. Therefore the decision to launch themselves internationally is more risky than that of larger firms, this is also due to the required investment needed to internationalise, inadequate management and lack of brand recognition. For these firms it seems that the Uppsala model allows them to gain this essential experience in stages, increasing their knowledge of the international markets and allowing them to analyse the opportunities and problems which exist. By allowing the firm to familiarise itself with the market, with relatively low risk exports the Uppsala model removes or reduces most of the disadvantages that SMEs face when trying to internationalise, however it does not deal with the pote ntial lack of finance facing many of these firms. The firm may also encounter problems with instability of exchange rates, local laws and regulations or political shocks; however this is not exclusive to SMEs. This suggests that the model is quite an efficient guide for SMEs however with a lack of capital the SME may find it difficult to progress to the 3rd of 4th stages unless the exports have generated them sufficient profits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Edwards and Buckley (1988) found that most Australian firms who had invested in British factories or facilities had not passed through an export phase. The Uppsala model highlights internationalisation as a slow and steady process of learning through experience, but thanks to the advances in technology, education and travel many new businesses have vast amounts on international knowledge, thanks to relations with MNCS. This highlights that companies with experience, or entrepreneurial firms would find the Uppsala model a poor guide to internationalisation, as they already have sufficient knowledge and resources to skip stages and invest in a foreign country. The Uppsala model does not consider the use of strategic alliances or joint ventures as pathways to internationalisation. Joint ventures allow firms to share each others skills and knowledge of each others markets, thus reducing the risks. One example of this is NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing Inc), this is the joint venture between General Motors and Toyota. Toyota would benefit from access to the US market, and General Motors would benefit from Toyotas technological knowledge and its renowned management structures. (Czinkota, M, Global Business P414) The rise of born global firms Maybe some positives?! Conc. How good/poor is it as a guide. Why? Refer to arguments   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Internationalisation is the process of â€Å"increasing involvement in international operations† (Welch and Luostarinen). Welch, D.J./Luostarinen, R., Internationalization: Evolution of a Concept, Journal of General Management, 14(2), 1988, pp. 36-64 Clegg J, Internationalisation strategies P193-196 (1997) Macmillan Press Tayeb, M. International business (2000) P141, Prentice Hall Johanson, J and J-E Vahlne, (1977) The internationalisation process of the firm P23-32 Johanson, J and Wiedersheim-Paul (1975) The internationalisation of the firm P305 322 Czinkota, M, Ronkainen, I, Moffett, M and Moynihan, E (2001) Global Business P414, Harcourt College Publishers

Pre 1914 Short Stories :: The Red Room H.G. Wells Gotchi Horror Essays

Pre 1914 Short Stories Short stories were very popular in those times because they were published in magazines for house wives to read because they had nothing else to do other then clean the house while their husbands were working. Also the husbands would read them when they got home. In ghost stories the typical setting is usually a dark place or somewhere in the middle of nowhere. ‘The Red Room’, by H.G Wells is a classic gothic horror story set in the nineteenth century. Wells conveys the experience of fear in ‘The Red Room’ in many ways. The narrator first starts off by making a bold statement in which he mentions that ‘it would take a very tangible ghost’ to scare him. Since he knows that ghosts are thought to be invisible, he mentions tangible instead. Notice he says tangible. It could mean that a ghost wouldn’t scare him, as ghosts (according to others) aren’t tangible. Furthermore he shows his fearlessness by describing the old people in a ghostly way and yet he himself is not showing any fear at this stage. Wells also uses clever manipulation, for he manipulates the reader into thinking that fear is not present at all, which is not the case, because that aspect of fear is around him with the old people. So by him showing such a contrast in the fearless character of the narrator, and the fearful environment or people, he makes the narrator stand out and be thought of as very gallant indeed. There is an unusual and sudden increase in the build-up of fear as the old lady mentions something about so much to be seen in the castle and sorrow for what has been seen by the naked eye. Maybe the old woman means sorrow for the young duke who had to die. She might have also meant that so many people have tried to come out of ‘the red room’ alive and abolish the myth of the room being haunted, but much sorrow is felt each time when they don’t make it out alive. A sense of suspicion is built-up by the old folks in the castle, for the boy suspects them of enhancing the ‘spiritual terrors’ of the house by using their repetitive insistence. The narrator’s character at the beginning is one of a more bold nature, for, he mentions that if he is to see a ghost then he will become wiser for he would know what lays behind the door. Here you can notice that the narrator takes a much more tranquil approach to the situation, when he mentions as

Do you understand? :: Essays Papers

Do you understand? There are many bases of discrimination. Some people are treated unfairly because of gender, race, religion, language, weight, education, height, etc. Stay with me as I ask the question, "Do you understand?" Do you understand what it is like to be treated unfairly because of how you look? Do you understand how it feels to go to a restaurant to eat, only to be told that "people of your color are not allowed to eat here"? Do you understand how it feels not to be allowed to sleep in a hotel because of your color? "Kaffirs are not allowed to sleep in this hotel," said the hotel manager to my cousin Jabu. Perhaps you don't understand how it feels to be made into an issue instead of a human being. Well, I understand. I know how hurtful it felt when I was told, "Boy! People of your color do not swim in this part of the ocean. It is reserved for Whites only. Go away from here." I know what it is like to pay taxes yet be denied the right to vote. I know what it is like to apply for a job and to be told that the jobs are reserved for whites only. Dr. Verwoed, the former South African President, was once quoted as saying, "Blacks are inferior from birth to death." Don't you think it is depressing to be treated as less than a human being in your own country? You see, education for Africans in South Africa is inferior. It has made Africans slaves of circumstances instead of masters of circumstances. I know you will be astounded to learn that Africans pay more for their inferior education than whites pay for their education. If one would write a paper like this, that person would be making an open invitation to be jailed without trial. Discrimination of any kind is evil, whether it is about race, gender, religion, language, education, etc. I cannot change my color. I had no say in the matter when I was formed. I love my country. I abhor the system. I refuse to be the target of all injustices because of my color.

HIV Treatments and Reducing Drug Resistance Essay -- Biology Medical B

HIV Treatments and Reducing Drug Resistance Abstract HIV is a retrovirus that will constantly attack human’s immune system once an individual is infected and will eventually develop to AIDS, often a deadly sexually transmitted disease. Currently, there are different kinds of antiretroviral treatments available for patients who are tested to be HIV positive as well as patients with AIDS. HIV can easily develop resistance to its treatment through mutation each generation, which leads to ineffectiveness in treatment. The only way to continue to fight off HIV is to change treatment that is still available. Patients have to cooperate with experienced doctors by adhering to their professional recommendations, while doctors are responsible for closely monitoring the patient’s conditions through test results and their body’s response to treatment, as well as helping them to live healthily without serious damage to their immune system over a long period of time. Human Immunodeficiency Virus, commonly known as HIV, is the retrovirus that causes a desperate worldwide epidemic that afflicts human beings – Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, abbreviated as AIDS. When the body is infected with HIV, the immune system will respond by making antibodies to fight against this particular infection (AIDS.org, 2003). As a result, to determine whether a person is infected, a sample of blood is extracted and the test will look for antibodies fighting against HIV. This kind of blood test is known as HIV testing. Even though HIV is the actual cause of AIDS, a person who is positive in the HIV Testing does not necessarily mean that the person has AIDS (AIDS.org, 2004). When a person is infected with HIV, the virus will gradually damage the immune sys... ...s.org/factSheets/102-HIV-Testing/html AIDS.Org. (2004, August). Immune Restoration Overview. Information Fact Sheets. July 17, 2005: www.aids.org/factSheets/470-Immune-Restoration-Overview.html AIDS.Org. (2004, September). Opportunistic Infections. Information Fact Sheets. July 17, 2005: www.aids.org/factSheets/500-Opportunistic-Infections.html AIDS.Org. (2004, March). Viral Load Tests. Information Fact Sheets. July 17, 2005: www.aids.org/factSheets/125-Viral-Load-Tests.html AIDS.Org. (2003, November). What is AIDS?. Information Fact Sheets. July 17, 2005: www.aids.org/factSheets/101-What-is-AIDS.html Avert.Org. (2005, July). Continuing Antiretroviral Treatment. Continuing HIV Treatment. July 21, 2005: www.avert.org/couttrt.htm The Body. (2003, April). Living with HIV/AIDS. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. July 17, 2005: www.thebody.com/cdc/living.html

Themes in “The Three Questions” by Leo Tolstoy

Leo Tolstoy was a renamed writer known for his moralistic views and humane beliefs. He wrote many great short stories and most of them revolve around ethical principles and values by which every person should live. In a sense, everything related to the search for the true meaning of life, are recurrent themes that stand out. The story, â€Å"The Three Questions† is like a parable because it illustrates universal truths as it narrates a tale that reflects three golden rules that are fundamental for a meaningful, exemplary and successful life.The story begins with a king that was puzzled by three questions:When is the best time to do each thing?Who are the most important people to work with?And what is the most important thing to do at all times?He strongly believed that the answers of these interrogations were going to provide him the ultimate wisdom to avoid failure in anything he’d undertake and also he considered that they were essential to know how to lead a successf ul life of good. Men from all over the kingdom tried to answer the king’s questions but they couldn’t satisfy him so he decided to consult a wise old hermit with the hopes that this old man would bring light to his doubts.When the king arrived, the hermit was working laboriously and didn’t answer when he asked the questions. The king offered to help him dig and after some time, he asked his questions again. Before the hermit could answer, a man emerged from the woods bleeding from a terrible stomach wound. Immediately, the king succored him, and they stayed the night in the hermit's hut. The next morning, the wounded man was doing better, but was incredulous at the help he had received. He confessed that he recognized the king, and revealed that he had come to kill him to have revenge, for the king had executed his brother and seized his property.The man praised the king and thanked him. Then for the last time, the king asked the hermit his questions, and the ol d man responded that he just had them answered. The king realized that the solution to his doubts lied in his everyday actions towards his neighbors. The answers were simple: the most important time is the present because it is the only time over which we have power, the most important person is whoever you are with and the most important thing is to do good to that person you are with.The mayor themes in this story are the powerful ethical messages that it holds which can be considered the universal commandments that should guide the actions of every individual. Just like the king, many men have wondered about the purpose of life and the things that need to be done in order to make it as pleasant as possible. Sometimes the answers to these interrogants might seem very complex and hard to find but to our surprise, they actually come in rutinary and random ways in our daily living. The fulfillment of life lies in serving others and in forsaking self-interest to bring joy to those aro und us at that moment.This is the path we must take to cover all our mental, spiritual and emotional needs that will ensure a good life. As you forget yourself and serve others you'll find that, without seeking it, your own cup of success and happiness will be full and the resulting feeling will be very gratifiying. No matter how much we stress over the past or future, nothing can be done about them so we must embrace the present and be aware of the necessities of our neighbors to deliver to them. It’s also important to point out that the king found these true principles for success and happiness amidst a humble environment.He left his luxuries behind and discovered the recipe for a meaningful life. Superfluous things like riches only bring ephemeral pleasure and sometimes blind us and forbid us to see the real important things in life. The answer to the first question of the king tells us that the most important time is now, which means that all our concerns should be center ed on the present. The present is where we all live in, it’s the state we are in, the person we represent altogether with our ideas, beliefs, feelings and suppositions.This is the only time over which we’ve got power because it develops according to our actions at the moment. When we live in the present doing things right, rather than regretting the past or worrying about what is to come, our hearts will have peace knowing everything that should happen will. The second answer is that the most important person is whoever you are with now and the final answer is that the most important thing to do is to be cordial and charitable towards that person.We must take in account that we’re all part of this big world that is changing day by day, and if we cease helping and giving a hand to each other, everything will fall apart. Sometimes we live very alienated to our surroundings because we concentrate entirely on our daily problems and we forget to be considerate toward s others. It's all about opening our eyes to reality and focusing on treating those around like we want to be treated. The satisfaction triggered by acts of kindness can’t compare to the satisfaction brought by other activities. Even though this is sometimes a thankless job, it remains a reward in itself.If we observe and consider the questions of the king and the answers to them, we'll find that these are some universal moral values that all humans should adopt in order to live the best life they can. These themes show that we must live in the present and treat everyone with love, respect and dignity for that is the path we must take to achieve success.â€Å"Not the maker of plans and promises, but rather the one who offers faithful service in small matters. This is the person who is most likely to achieve what is good and lasting. † – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe.

Free Will Essay

Vilayandur S. Ramachandran came from a distinguished family in Tamil Nadu, India, and was neuroscientist, which is a field of study encompassing the various scientific disciplines dealing with the nervous system. Ramachandran’s views on the brain and how it works are discussed in his work â€Å"The New Philosophy†. In his essay he discusses the nature of consciousness, discussing the effects of certain mental states and their influence on the body and the brain. One of his main topics, however, is the Ramachandran’s view of free will. He suggest that â€Å"†¦ neuroscience intersects with philosophy because the question of free will has been a philosophical problem for hundreds of years and more† (Jacobus 569). He discusses the significance of the brain imaging that shows a â€Å"readiness potential† and what it really means to have a free will. Through his essay, though, it is interesting to point out where religion and Christianity stands on the issue of free will and whether Christians are puppets under God’s command. Ramachandran poses this question about free will: â€Å"Is your brain the real one in charge, making your free will only a post-hoc rationalization; a delusion..? † When a special experiment was underway, it was discovered that when a person was told to move their finger within the next ten minutes at their own free will, their brain would kick in almost a second before the actual willingness to move the finger. This posed the original question stated above and brought on other questions as well. If this person is now shown the screen displaying the signal from the EEG scanner hooked up to your brain, they can then see their free will. They will then have three options: 1) They will experience a sudden lack of will, feeling as though the machine is controlling them, making them feel like a puppet. 2) They will refuse to have their belief of their free will to be altered but instead believe that the machine has some â€Å"paranormal precognition by which it is able to predict your movements accurately† (Ramachandran 559-60). 3) The person will reconfigure the experience in their mind, and cling to their sense of freedom, denying what their eyes have seen as evidence and maintain that â€Å"the sensation of will precedes the machine’s signal, not vice versa† (Ramachandran 560). The point when the brain would â€Å"kick in† before the movement is called the â€Å"readiness potential†. The â€Å"readiness potential† is what happens when there is a change in the electrical activity of the brain that occurs before the subject’s conscious decision to move a muscle (medical-dictionary. thefreedictionary. com). Ramachandran believes that â€Å"†¦ there is an inevitable neural delay before the signal arising in one part of the brain makes its way through the rest of the brain to deliver the message†¦ natural selection has ensured that the subjective sensation of willing to delay deliberately to coincide not with the onset of the brain commands but with the actual execution of the command by your finger† (Ramachandran 560). Ramachandran is a firm believer in evolution, believing that the events must have some sort of evolutionary purpose. â€Å"On one hand,† he says, â€Å"this experiment shows that free will is false and cannot be causing the brain events because the events kick in a second earlier. But on the other hand, the pause must have some purpose, otherwise why would the delay have evolved† (Ramachandran 560). Though these events have a purpose, evolutionary is not the answer. In Joshua 24:15 it says â€Å"Choose for yourselves this day who you will serve, as for me and my household we will serve the LORD. † God gives mankind a choice to follow Him and so free will is a gift from God as something to be accepted. Humans have the gift of God to reject or take the free gift that He offers. If humans really are descendants of apes, then when did the gift of free will come into the evolutionary chain of today’s mankind? John 7:37 says â€Å"Anyone who is thirsty may come to me. † It is an offer. Not a demanding command. ‘Anyone who is thirsty may come to me’, shows us that God does not want us to be without his living water and without him, but it is our choice whether we choose to accept God’s free gift of salvation. When studying free will in the Bible and through works of literature like Vilayandur S. Ramachandran, there will always be people on both sides of the argument. Do we have control of our own destinies or are we merely puppets in God’s giant game of the world? My personal beliefs on the subject are as I have stated in this paper: Though God has a control over the destiny of the world and each of our lives, he gives us a chance to make a decision to follow him or to ignore the free gift of his son that he has offered to us. John 3:16 it says: â€Å"For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believed in him would have eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. † Works Cited Jacobus, Lee A. A World Of Ideas. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008. Print. The Free Dictionary. Medical Dictionary. Online source. http://medical-dictionary. thefreedictionary. com/readiness+potential Bible. New Living Translation.

Importance of Literature Essay

There are a lot of things that come to mind when a person hears the word literature. Usually, one thinks of a book, story, classical work or some variation of the aforementioned but to ask someone to define the term literature, proves to be a much trickier task. Many are stumped when asked this question. People often answer by giving examples of literary works but fail to actually give an encompassing definition of the term. Welcome to the world of Webster (Dictionary that is). Webster’s Dictionary defines the term literature as the body of written works of a language, period, or culture. This definition seems be broad but continuing on in the definition there was one part that really stood as a more adequate representation of what literature is about. The definition reads as follows; Â…the body of written work produced by scholars or researchers in a given field. This particular definition seems to hit at the core of literature; scholarship and specialization. Some feel that that all written works are forms of literature. I contend that a true work of literature must be written by a person who has studied a given field (specialization) and produced a work that allows the reader to gain some form of a lesson or viewpoint (scholarship), whether agreeing with the writer or taking an opposing stance of the information set fourth in the work. This is not to say that these types of works do not have any entertainment value but they have a type of entertainment that wraps the lesson, argument or viewpoint in an engaging style rather than being force-fed the authors’ stance. A true work of literature should evoke some form of discussion on the works main point. A work of literature needs all of the above, not only to be called a true work of literature but to also cement its place in history, which is the last piece of the puzzle when defining the term. Literature stands the test of time and can be discussed by great grandchildren as well as great grandmothers and all those in between. This all goes to say that the importance of literature is its ability to connect  a community known as the human race. Classical works of literature have been translated so that all human beings can share in a great piece, even being translated to an audio, so that those who can not read will not be stopped from participating in the act of community that literature provides. It is amazing that even though some might not share the same culture as others, they could start a discussion around a piece of literature. The literature in this instance acts as a unifier rather than just a book or story, thus proving the power of literature and the overall power of the written word. A true work of literature must have scholarship, specialization, a unifying human element and an entertaining delivery in order to stand the test of time. The points mentioned above give literature criteria on which to be compared. The importance of literature goes far beyond just having â€Å"a good read.† Literature possesses an intangible that can have a great impact on people’s lives. Great works of our time have brought nations together, stopped feuds, healed wounds, and have even taught humans how to be â€Å"human† again. Literature is extremely important and necessary to the growth of this world and for a creation of a global society.

The American Dream

The American Dream is the idea that hard work and commitment will result in prosperity and completion of personal goals. It is perceived by many to be an easy way of pursuing and following through on their goals in life. Beginning in the late 1800s immigrants came into the United States looking for employment and the opportunity to succeed. These new opportunities would help lead them towards fulfilling their American Dream. The social class system in America determines the lifestyle and outcome of one’s life.The majority of people who are born into a low social class will continue to be poor throughout the rest of their lives. These people may have a goal to become wealthier, but these goals will never be fulfilled because of their negative ascribed and achieved characteristics. Positive ascribed and achieved characteristics help push people ahead in society and the social class structure. Negative ascribed and achieved characteristics hold people back and force them to overc ome these obstacles in order to succeed. Ascribed and achieved characteristics greatly affect the pursuit the Dream for people. The Great Gatsby, by F.Scott Fitzgerald, and Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck perfectly portray the effect of the social class system and these personal characteristics on the American Dream. Determining one’s success or failure is based upon these characteristics and ultimately determines the social class in America. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, contains many different circumstances in which these characteristics affect their pursuit of the American Dream. Jay Gatsby, the main character of the book, pursues his dream by becoming wealthy. Born into a poor family, Gatsby tries to earn his dream girls’ love by making money.For five years he makes a great amount of money only to try and impress this woman’s expectations. He faces the problem of not realizing that the past is gone and he cannot get things that are impossible to reach. The book, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, shows the effect of social class and personal drive to reach the American Dream. Lennie, who is mentally retarded, faces an obstacle he will never be able to overcome. Although his dream is simple, it will never be reached because of this ascribed characteristic. Another character in the book is Curley’s wife. An ascribed characteristic that she strives from is her beauty.A negative characteristic that holds her back from achieving her dream is her low social class and the fact that she’s a woman. All of these characters have different limitations, but they will all affect their pursuit of the American Dream and result in the same outcome. The Great Gatsby shows the effect of ascribed and achieved characteristics upon the upper class. Jay Gatsby was born into a low social class. He falls in love with Daisy Buchanan who is very wealthy. His desire for love is an impossible feat that he cannot obtain because of his low social class. â€Å"Rich girls do not marry poor boys, Jay Gatsby† (Movie: The Great Gatsby).He pursues his dream by becoming wealthy and hoping that she will accept him as the same social class. A positive ascribed characteristic that will help him is the fact that he is a white male. This helps him because white men have a better chance of getting what they desire over any other gender or race. A negative ascribed characteristic is the fact that he was born into a lower class family. This will hold him back and greatly affect his pursuit of the American Dream. A positive achieved characteristic that Jay Gatsby, is the fact that he is rich after overcoming an extraordinary obstacle of beginning in a lower class position in society.His rise in the social structure from lower to upper-lower only took him five years to obtain. This is an astonishing feat in which he has succeeded and pushed himself ahead in pursuing his dream. â€Å"Almost five years! [†¦] It had gone by her, beyond everything† (Fitzgerald 101). Although he had become extremely wealthy, there is a negative side to his climb in the social structure. His negative achieved characteristic is the way in which he got all his money. The way that he made his fortune was through drugs and illegal actions. He lied to many people he was close to about his past because he knew that the truth would intrude upon his goal. I am the son of some wealthy people in the mid-west [†¦] San Francisco† (Fitzgerald 69). Gatsby figures that the only way to pursue his dream is to lie about his past. Jay Gatsby could never overcome his obstacles so he was unsuccessful in pursuing his American Dream. He focused on obtaining Daisy’s love and undoing the past. â€Å"Gatsby believed in the green light [†¦] tomorrow we will run faster, stretch our arms out further† (Fitzgerald 189). The biggest problem that Gatsby faces is the fact that he cannon overcome his unrealistic purs uit of Daisy.Jay Gatsby’s failure is a full result of pursuing something that he will never get; therefore, his dream cannot be fulfilled. The book, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck portrays the effect of ascribed and achieved characteristics on people in the lower class. Lennie and George travel together in order to find employment and make a living. This story takes the reader through the pursuit of a dream by two men and what they go through along the way. Their mutual dream is to â€Å"get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres and a cow and some pigs and—† (Steinbeck 14).Lennie is a very strong, hardworking man who has a simple dream. The biggest problem he faces is that he is retarded. This negative ascribed characteristic is an impossible obstacle to overcome. A positive ascribed characteristic that somewhat helps him is the fact that he is a white male. A positive achieved characteristic is that he is extreme ly hardworking. â€Å"He’s awright. Just aint bright [†¦] But he can do anything you tell him† (Steinbeck 22). His problem is keeping a job in order to make money and earn a living plays a big role in his pursuit of the American Dream.His friend, George, says â€Å"If I was alone I could live so easy [†¦] I could get a job an’ not have no mess† (Steinbeck 103). His retardation leads to his problem with keeping a job and not being able to function in normal society. Not only did his negative ascribed characteristic of being retarded affect the pursuit of his dream, it ultimately led to his death. These obstacles are impossible to overcome. In result, he cannot follow through with his American Dream. Curley’s wife has extremely high expectations for her American Dream. One positive ascribed characteristic that helped her was her beauty. Her looks helped her throughout life.She was born into a low social class and later on in life she marrie d into the lower class. These are both negative ascribed and achieved characteristics of Curley’s wife. Another negative achieved characteristic of Curley’s wife is that she is a whore. She has the â€Å"eye† for other men. â€Å"She gonna make a mess [†¦] She’s a jail bait all set on the trigger† (Steinbeck 51). Before she got married to Curley she had a chance of obtaining her dream as an actress. She missed out on the opportunity and married Curly, a ranch hand. â€Å"I tell ya I could’a went with shows [†¦] she was breathless with indignation† (Steinbeck 78).When she looks back on it she finds herself to be very disappointed in her decision. She does not approve of Curley because he does not make enough money and is not up to her standards. â€Å"Spends all his time sayin’ what he’s gonna do [†¦] Think I’m gonna stay in that two-by-four house? † (Steinbeck 78) Even though she is in the lo wer social class, she visualizes herself in a higher position above others with whom she associates herself with. If it was not for her low social status I believe that she would have been successful in her dream as an actress.Her beauty took her a long way in life and it helped her become close to her desired goal. Even though her dream was not very realistic, she had many qualities that helped her. The biggest setback that she had was the fact that she was a woman in the lower section of the social structure in America. Her ascribed characteristic of being poor determined the difference between her death and fulfilling her American Dream. Throughout the novels Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, and The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many characters portray the effect of personal characteristics upon their pursuit of the American Dream.Jay Gatsby’s personal achievement could not overcome all of the obstacles he had to work around in order to obtain his dream. Even th ough he became rich, the past was over and he could not retrieve Daisy’s love. Lennie had some extremely helpful qualities, but he could not overcome his ascribed characteristic of being retarded. For Lennie, it wasn’t his personal achievement, but instead it was his ascribed characteristics which held him back from his American Dream. Curley’s wife had the desire to become an actress, but instead she married a ranch hand who was in the lower class like herself.Her negative ascribed characteristic of being born into the lower social class held her back from reaching her goal. These characters all contained their own distinguishable problems, but they all had the same outcome. Ascribed and personal characteristics determine the future and outcome of one’s desired goal and for these three characters, this was true. Personal achievement and effort cannot always overcome all obstacles and for many the American Dream is just an impossible destination to reach. â€Å"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past† (Fitzgerald 189). The American Dream The American Dream: Money, Success, and A Home The American Dream changes over time, always based on society. In the 40's and 50's the American Dream was to have a white picket fence, a dog, a two parent home, and a couple of children. Today, it's a little bit different, the American Dream is to have money, cars, fame and success. The things I would have to say would never change about the American Dream and what It consists of would be money, success, and a home.The American Dream consists of money. I would have to say the American Dream consists of money because in todays society of money because in oday's society money talks. The more money you have, the more power you have. Money and power are what bring some advantages in America. It allows you to get your house, your cars, and your connections (the people you know). The American Dream today Is to have all these things, when you have money and power you tend to think you're invincible and at times in society you are.With all of this money and power you're not going to keep it a secret. Which brings me to my next topic, in which the American Dream consists of. Success and fame more importantly Success. The American Dream consists of success because in society seems to be one f the main goals. In everything we do we are told to succeed. Whether be sports, education, and our Jobs. So It wouldnt be a wonder that begng successful and known would be a part of the American Dream.Although gaining success would be reaching a personal goal and gaining money and power, success will not get you the last thing the American Dream consists of†¦ A home. Through all the years and times one thing has continued to be wanted and dreamed up, and that is a home. Not a house, not a mansion, but a home. A home is made up of love, care, and kindness. Everybody reams of having a home with a moderate sized family filled with love and compassion. A secure, serene, and yet free environment.That is a home, one of the things that t he American Dream is made of. In conclusion, The American Dream has changed over the times, but some things are clear. the dream is to have money, success, and a home. Money to gain power, ands with that money and power comes success and fame. All those things can never get you a home though. What does society say about what the American Dream Consists of: Society says the American Dream should say that you should have almost nothing but money. Money, ig mansions, a whole bunch of cars.To hang out with the celebs and Just be famous and known The American Dream By aminahpeacel 998 change about the American Dream and what it consists of would be money, success, todays society money talks. The more money you have, the more power you have. Dream today is to have all these things, when you have money and power you tend to of the main goals. In everything we do we are told to succeed. Whether it be sports, education, and our Jobs. So it wouldn't be a wonder that begng successful and known Dream has changed over the times, but some things are clear, the dream is to have The American Dream 1. In text two â€Å"Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalls Lesson From 25 Years as a U. S. Citizen – Learn English, Participate in Politics, and Give Back† by Arnold Schwarzenegger we are presented to the writer himself as an immigrant. He informs us about the responsibilities as an immigrant. As an immigrant you can’t come to America and take the best the nation have to offer without giving something back. You will succeed at the American Dream with hard work and determination and because of the generosity of the American people. We are introduced to the way to become a great American citizen.You have to learn the language and blend in with the culture but in the meantime you can still be proud of your own heritage. You also have to participate in the political process. To maintain a strong democracy with real change you have to be involved. It is a way to freedom and many Americans have sacrificed their lives in war to preserve their freedom. Last but not least you hav e to give something back. As well as former great immigrants who performed a great service for the nation, new immigrants ought to do the same. There is no limit on what you can achieve.In text three â€Å"Whose American Dream Is It, Anyway? † by Anya Kamenetz we become aware of the fact that Americans are more pessimistic about their lives now than at any time in the past half-century. One of the most fundamental assumptions of the American Dream is the belief that money and ownership of material things will increase. But this is no longer how the situation is. We reached a point where this will not make us any happier. In addition to this fact it seems that the planet can’t take the increasing pollution which follows.We are presented to a prediction that young people will choose a scaled down lifestyle and trade money for time. We need a new American Dream that will restore the social safety net and we need optimism for that. Text four â€Å"Is the American Dream St ill Possible? † by David Wallechinsky comes across the question written in the title. The question is based on the fact that many Americans are struggling financially. Nevertheless they still take responsibility for their own financial destiny. This is showed by an example with a single mother providing for 4 children. 2. Compare language, tone and style in texts 1 and 2.The two texts â€Å"What is the American Dream† and â€Å"Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalls Lesson From 25 Years as a U. S. Citizen – Learn English, Participate in Politics, and Give Back† are very different in their way of influencing the readers. In text one is used a very eloquent language which indicates that we are dealing with a well-educated writer. Another sign of the fact that he is well-educated is the use of difficult words which mean that you have to know synonyms of the words to fully understand the text. The text contains alliterations, a definition and a lot of quotes from well- known authorities.The style of the text is to question some relevant elements but on the other hand it expresses a really certain way of using the words. It makes you give everything an extra thought. The form of the text gives you the impression that the American Dream is attainable for everyone because of the fact that we all have unalienable rights. Contrary to text one text two is more personal. This is indicated by the use of many personal pronouns like â€Å"I† and â€Å"you† in the language. The language is very common which means that everyone can understand. Therefore the text approaches a wider target group.A lot of alliterations are used: â€Å"Honor, heritage†, â€Å"learn language†, and â€Å"died defending†. The text also contains a lot of positive words as freedom and the American Dream. The style of this text is more convincing, personal, and average so everyone can participate and understand, than text two. It is a very obliging an d explanatory tone. It expresses that everyone is worth something great. 3. As it is questioned in text four â€Å"Is the American Dream Still Possible? †: â€Å"Does the dream survive? I believe that everyone has a dream. It might not be the same dream but it is there.We all believe in our dream and hope for it to come true. We do our very best to achieve our dream. We do this with optimism even though times can be tough and the means can be poor. Our dream will show us the way back from tragedy and depression, our dream is where we are headed. The American Dream is a common dream. Many people unite around the fact that they have the same dream. It is a good dream because dreams keep our hopes up and lead us in the right direction. So I find the American dream a positive and good focal point in our lives. If we lose sight of our own dreams we still have the American Dream.It is of great value for those who lost track and need something good to believe in. We can affect the American Dream by making it our own dream. Therefore I believe that the American Dream will survive, it will survive in many of us. When going through rough times is when we realize that the dream is most needed. The dream of something better than you are going through at the time, is what you need. Which dream you have chosen to follow is not the important part. You will be recognized for your effort whether you have chosen the American Dream or another dream, as long as you have a dream. The American Dream 1. In text two â€Å"Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalls Lesson From 25 Years as a U. S. Citizen – Learn English, Participate in Politics, and Give Back† by Arnold Schwarzenegger we are presented to the writer himself as an immigrant. He informs us about the responsibilities as an immigrant. As an immigrant you can’t come to America and take the best the nation have to offer without giving something back. You will succeed at the American Dream with hard work and determination and because of the generosity of the American people. We are introduced to the way to become a great American citizen.You have to learn the language and blend in with the culture but in the meantime you can still be proud of your own heritage. You also have to participate in the political process. To maintain a strong democracy with real change you have to be involved. It is a way to freedom and many Americans have sacrificed their lives in war to preserve their freedom. Last but not least you hav e to give something back. As well as former great immigrants who performed a great service for the nation, new immigrants ought to do the same. There is no limit on what you can achieve.In text three â€Å"Whose American Dream Is It, Anyway? † by Anya Kamenetz we become aware of the fact that Americans are more pessimistic about their lives now than at any time in the past half-century. One of the most fundamental assumptions of the American Dream is the belief that money and ownership of material things will increase. But this is no longer how the situation is. We reached a point where this will not make us any happier. In addition to this fact it seems that the planet can’t take the increasing pollution which follows.We are presented to a prediction that young people will choose a scaled down lifestyle and trade money for time. We need a new American Dream that will restore the social safety net and we need optimism for that. Text four â€Å"Is the American Dream St ill Possible? † by David Wallechinsky comes across the question written in the title. The question is based on the fact that many Americans are struggling financially. Nevertheless they still take responsibility for their own financial destiny. This is showed by an example with a single mother providing for 4 children. 2. Compare language, tone and style in texts 1 and 2.The two texts â€Å"What is the American Dream† and â€Å"Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalls Lesson From 25 Years as a U. S. Citizen – Learn English, Participate in Politics, and Give Back† are very different in their way of influencing the readers. In text one is used a very eloquent language which indicates that we are dealing with a well-educated writer. Another sign of the fact that he is well-educated is the use of difficult words which mean that you have to know synonyms of the words to fully understand the text. The text contains alliterations, a definition and a lot of quotes from well- known authorities.The style of the text is to question some relevant elements but on the other hand it expresses a really certain way of using the words. It makes you give everything an extra thought. The form of the text gives you the impression that the American Dream is attainable for everyone because of the fact that we all have unalienable rights. Contrary to text one text two is more personal. This is indicated by the use of many personal pronouns like â€Å"I† and â€Å"you† in the language. The language is very common which means that everyone can understand. Therefore the text approaches a wider target group.A lot of alliterations are used: â€Å"Honor, heritage†, â€Å"learn language†, and â€Å"died defending†. The text also contains a lot of positive words as freedom and the American Dream. The style of this text is more convincing, personal, and average so everyone can participate and understand, than text two. It is a very obliging an d explanatory tone. It expresses that everyone is worth something great. 3. As it is questioned in text four â€Å"Is the American Dream Still Possible? †: â€Å"Does the dream survive? I believe that everyone has a dream. It might not be the same dream but it is there.We all believe in our dream and hope for it to come true. We do our very best to achieve our dream. We do this with optimism even though times can be tough and the means can be poor. Our dream will show us the way back from tragedy and depression, our dream is where we are headed. The American Dream is a common dream. Many people unite around the fact that they have the same dream. It is a good dream because dreams keep our hopes up and lead us in the right direction. So I find the American dream a positive and good focal point in our lives. If we lose sight of our own dreams we still have the American Dream.It is of great value for those who lost track and need something good to believe in. We can affect the American Dream by making it our own dream. Therefore I believe that the American Dream will survive, it will survive in many of us. When going through rough times is when we realize that the dream is most needed. The dream of something better than you are going through at the time, is what you need. Which dream you have chosen to follow is not the important part. You will be recognized for your effort whether you have chosen the American Dream or another dream, as long as you have a dream. The American Dream The American Dream is the idea that hard work and commitment will result in prosperity and completion of personal goals. It is perceived by many to be an easy way of pursuing and following through on their goals in life. Beginning in the late 1800s immigrants came into the United States looking for employment and the opportunity to succeed. These new opportunities would help lead them towards fulfilling their American Dream. The social class system in America determines the lifestyle and outcome of one’s life.The majority of people who are born into a low social class will continue to be poor throughout the rest of their lives. These people may have a goal to become wealthier, but these goals will never be fulfilled because of their negative ascribed and achieved characteristics. Positive ascribed and achieved characteristics help push people ahead in society and the social class structure. Negative ascribed and achieved characteristics hold people back and force them to overc ome these obstacles in order to succeed. Ascribed and achieved characteristics greatly affect the pursuit the Dream for people. The Great Gatsby, by F.Scott Fitzgerald, and Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck perfectly portray the effect of the social class system and these personal characteristics on the American Dream. Determining one’s success or failure is based upon these characteristics and ultimately determines the social class in America. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, contains many different circumstances in which these characteristics affect their pursuit of the American Dream. Jay Gatsby, the main character of the book, pursues his dream by becoming wealthy. Born into a poor family, Gatsby tries to earn his dream girls’ love by making money.For five years he makes a great amount of money only to try and impress this woman’s expectations. He faces the problem of not realizing that the past is gone and he cannot get things that are impossible to reach. The book, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, shows the effect of social class and personal drive to reach the American Dream. Lennie, who is mentally retarded, faces an obstacle he will never be able to overcome. Although his dream is simple, it will never be reached because of this ascribed characteristic. Another character in the book is Curley’s wife. An ascribed characteristic that she strives from is her beauty.A negative characteristic that holds her back from achieving her dream is her low social class and the fact that she’s a woman. All of these characters have different limitations, but they will all affect their pursuit of the American Dream and result in the same outcome. The Great Gatsby shows the effect of ascribed and achieved characteristics upon the upper class. Jay Gatsby was born into a low social class. He falls in love with Daisy Buchanan who is very wealthy. His desire for love is an impossible feat that he cannot obtain because of his low social class. â€Å"Rich girls do not marry poor boys, Jay Gatsby† (Movie: The Great Gatsby).He pursues his dream by becoming wealthy and hoping that she will accept him as the same social class. A positive ascribed characteristic that will help him is the fact that he is a white male. This helps him because white men have a better chance of getting what they desire over any other gender or race. A negative ascribed characteristic is the fact that he was born into a lower class family. This will hold him back and greatly affect his pursuit of the American Dream. A positive achieved characteristic that Jay Gatsby, is the fact that he is rich after overcoming an extraordinary obstacle of beginning in a lower class position in society.His rise in the social structure from lower to upper-lower only took him five years to obtain. This is an astonishing feat in which he has succeeded and pushed himself ahead in pursuing his dream. â€Å"Almost five years! [†¦] It had gone by her, beyond everything† (Fitzgerald 101). Although he had become extremely wealthy, there is a negative side to his climb in the social structure. His negative achieved characteristic is the way in which he got all his money. The way that he made his fortune was through drugs and illegal actions. He lied to many people he was close to about his past because he knew that the truth would intrude upon his goal. I am the son of some wealthy people in the mid-west [†¦] San Francisco† (Fitzgerald 69). Gatsby figures that the only way to pursue his dream is to lie about his past. Jay Gatsby could never overcome his obstacles so he was unsuccessful in pursuing his American Dream. He focused on obtaining Daisy’s love and undoing the past. â€Å"Gatsby believed in the green light [†¦] tomorrow we will run faster, stretch our arms out further† (Fitzgerald 189). The biggest problem that Gatsby faces is the fact that he cannon overcome his unrealistic purs uit of Daisy.Jay Gatsby’s failure is a full result of pursuing something that he will never get; therefore, his dream cannot be fulfilled. The book, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck portrays the effect of ascribed and achieved characteristics on people in the lower class. Lennie and George travel together in order to find employment and make a living. This story takes the reader through the pursuit of a dream by two men and what they go through along the way. Their mutual dream is to â€Å"get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres and a cow and some pigs and—† (Steinbeck 14).Lennie is a very strong, hardworking man who has a simple dream. The biggest problem he faces is that he is retarded. This negative ascribed characteristic is an impossible obstacle to overcome. A positive ascribed characteristic that somewhat helps him is the fact that he is a white male. A positive achieved characteristic is that he is extreme ly hardworking. â€Å"He’s awright. Just aint bright [†¦] But he can do anything you tell him† (Steinbeck 22). His problem is keeping a job in order to make money and earn a living plays a big role in his pursuit of the American Dream.His friend, George, says â€Å"If I was alone I could live so easy [†¦] I could get a job an’ not have no mess† (Steinbeck 103). His retardation leads to his problem with keeping a job and not being able to function in normal society. Not only did his negative ascribed characteristic of being retarded affect the pursuit of his dream, it ultimately led to his death. These obstacles are impossible to overcome. In result, he cannot follow through with his American Dream. Curley’s wife has extremely high expectations for her American Dream. One positive ascribed characteristic that helped her was her beauty. Her looks helped her throughout life.She was born into a low social class and later on in life she marrie d into the lower class. These are both negative ascribed and achieved characteristics of Curley’s wife. Another negative achieved characteristic of Curley’s wife is that she is a whore. She has the â€Å"eye† for other men. â€Å"She gonna make a mess [†¦] She’s a jail bait all set on the trigger† (Steinbeck 51). Before she got married to Curley she had a chance of obtaining her dream as an actress. She missed out on the opportunity and married Curly, a ranch hand. â€Å"I tell ya I could’a went with shows [†¦] she was breathless with indignation† (Steinbeck 78).When she looks back on it she finds herself to be very disappointed in her decision. She does not approve of Curley because he does not make enough money and is not up to her standards. â€Å"Spends all his time sayin’ what he’s gonna do [†¦] Think I’m gonna stay in that two-by-four house? † (Steinbeck 78) Even though she is in the lo wer social class, she visualizes herself in a higher position above others with whom she associates herself with. If it was not for her low social status I believe that she would have been successful in her dream as an actress.Her beauty took her a long way in life and it helped her become close to her desired goal. Even though her dream was not very realistic, she had many qualities that helped her. The biggest setback that she had was the fact that she was a woman in the lower section of the social structure in America. Her ascribed characteristic of being poor determined the difference between her death and fulfilling her American Dream. Throughout the novels Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, and The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many characters portray the effect of personal characteristics upon their pursuit of the American Dream.Jay Gatsby’s personal achievement could not overcome all of the obstacles he had to work around in order to obtain his dream. Even th ough he became rich, the past was over and he could not retrieve Daisy’s love. Lennie had some extremely helpful qualities, but he could not overcome his ascribed characteristic of being retarded. For Lennie, it wasn’t his personal achievement, but instead it was his ascribed characteristics which held him back from his American Dream. Curley’s wife had the desire to become an actress, but instead she married a ranch hand who was in the lower class like herself.Her negative ascribed characteristic of being born into the lower social class held her back from reaching her goal. These characters all contained their own distinguishable problems, but they all had the same outcome. Ascribed and personal characteristics determine the future and outcome of one’s desired goal and for these three characters, this was true. Personal achievement and effort cannot always overcome all obstacles and for many the American Dream is just an impossible destination to reach. â€Å"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past† (Fitzgerald 189). The American Dream The American Dream is the idea that hard work and commitment will result in prosperity and completion of personal goals. It is perceived by many to be an easy way of pursuing and following through on their goals in life. Beginning in the late 1800s immigrants came into the United States looking for employment and the opportunity to succeed. These new opportunities would help lead them towards fulfilling their American Dream. The social class system in America determines the lifestyle and outcome of one’s life.The majority of people who are born into a low social class will continue to be poor throughout the rest of their lives. These people may have a goal to become wealthier, but these goals will never be fulfilled because of their negative ascribed and achieved characteristics. Positive ascribed and achieved characteristics help push people ahead in society and the social class structure. Negative ascribed and achieved characteristics hold people back and force them to overc ome these obstacles in order to succeed. Ascribed and achieved characteristics greatly affect the pursuit the Dream for people. The Great Gatsby, by F.Scott Fitzgerald, and Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck perfectly portray the effect of the social class system and these personal characteristics on the American Dream. Determining one’s success or failure is based upon these characteristics and ultimately determines the social class in America. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, contains many different circumstances in which these characteristics affect their pursuit of the American Dream. Jay Gatsby, the main character of the book, pursues his dream by becoming wealthy. Born into a poor family, Gatsby tries to earn his dream girls’ love by making money.For five years he makes a great amount of money only to try and impress this woman’s expectations. He faces the problem of not realizing that the past is gone and he cannot get things that are impossible to reach. The book, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, shows the effect of social class and personal drive to reach the American Dream. Lennie, who is mentally retarded, faces an obstacle he will never be able to overcome. Although his dream is simple, it will never be reached because of this ascribed characteristic. Another character in the book is Curley’s wife. An ascribed characteristic that she strives from is her beauty.A negative characteristic that holds her back from achieving her dream is her low social class and the fact that she’s a woman. All of these characters have different limitations, but they will all affect their pursuit of the American Dream and result in the same outcome. The Great Gatsby shows the effect of ascribed and achieved characteristics upon the upper class. Jay Gatsby was born into a low social class. He falls in love with Daisy Buchanan who is very wealthy. His desire for love is an impossible feat that he cannot obtain because of his low social class. â€Å"Rich girls do not marry poor boys, Jay Gatsby† (Movie: The Great Gatsby).He pursues his dream by becoming wealthy and hoping that she will accept him as the same social class. A positive ascribed characteristic that will help him is the fact that he is a white male. This helps him because white men have a better chance of getting what they desire over any other gender or race. A negative ascribed characteristic is the fact that he was born into a lower class family. This will hold him back and greatly affect his pursuit of the American Dream. A positive achieved characteristic that Jay Gatsby, is the fact that he is rich after overcoming an extraordinary obstacle of beginning in a lower class position in society.His rise in the social structure from lower to upper-lower only took him five years to obtain. This is an astonishing feat in which he has succeeded and pushed himself ahead in pursuing his dream. â€Å"Almost five years! [†¦] It had gone by her, beyond everything† (Fitzgerald 101). Although he had become extremely wealthy, there is a negative side to his climb in the social structure. His negative achieved characteristic is the way in which he got all his money. The way that he made his fortune was through drugs and illegal actions. He lied to many people he was close to about his past because he knew that the truth would intrude upon his goal. I am the son of some wealthy people in the mid-west [†¦] San Francisco† (Fitzgerald 69). Gatsby figures that the only way to pursue his dream is to lie about his past. Jay Gatsby could never overcome his obstacles so he was unsuccessful in pursuing his American Dream. He focused on obtaining Daisy’s love and undoing the past. â€Å"Gatsby believed in the green light [†¦] tomorrow we will run faster, stretch our arms out further† (Fitzgerald 189). The biggest problem that Gatsby faces is the fact that he cannon overcome his unrealistic purs uit of Daisy.Jay Gatsby’s failure is a full result of pursuing something that he will never get; therefore, his dream cannot be fulfilled. The book, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck portrays the effect of ascribed and achieved characteristics on people in the lower class. Lennie and George travel together in order to find employment and make a living. This story takes the reader through the pursuit of a dream by two men and what they go through along the way. Their mutual dream is to â€Å"get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres and a cow and some pigs and—† (Steinbeck 14).Lennie is a very strong, hardworking man who has a simple dream. The biggest problem he faces is that he is retarded. This negative ascribed characteristic is an impossible obstacle to overcome. A positive ascribed characteristic that somewhat helps him is the fact that he is a white male. A positive achieved characteristic is that he is extreme ly hardworking. â€Å"He’s awright. Just aint bright [†¦] But he can do anything you tell him† (Steinbeck 22). His problem is keeping a job in order to make money and earn a living plays a big role in his pursuit of the American Dream.His friend, George, says â€Å"If I was alone I could live so easy [†¦] I could get a job an’ not have no mess† (Steinbeck 103). His retardation leads to his problem with keeping a job and not being able to function in normal society. Not only did his negative ascribed characteristic of being retarded affect the pursuit of his dream, it ultimately led to his death. These obstacles are impossible to overcome. In result, he cannot follow through with his American Dream. Curley’s wife has extremely high expectations for her American Dream. One positive ascribed characteristic that helped her was her beauty. Her looks helped her throughout life.She was born into a low social class and later on in life she marrie d into the lower class. These are both negative ascribed and achieved characteristics of Curley’s wife. Another negative achieved characteristic of Curley’s wife is that she is a whore. She has the â€Å"eye† for other men. â€Å"She gonna make a mess [†¦] She’s a jail bait all set on the trigger† (Steinbeck 51). Before she got married to Curley she had a chance of obtaining her dream as an actress. She missed out on the opportunity and married Curly, a ranch hand. â€Å"I tell ya I could’a went with shows [†¦] she was breathless with indignation† (Steinbeck 78).When she looks back on it she finds herself to be very disappointed in her decision. She does not approve of Curley because he does not make enough money and is not up to her standards. â€Å"Spends all his time sayin’ what he’s gonna do [†¦] Think I’m gonna stay in that two-by-four house? † (Steinbeck 78) Even though she is in the lo wer social class, she visualizes herself in a higher position above others with whom she associates herself with. If it was not for her low social status I believe that she would have been successful in her dream as an actress.Her beauty took her a long way in life and it helped her become close to her desired goal. Even though her dream was not very realistic, she had many qualities that helped her. The biggest setback that she had was the fact that she was a woman in the lower section of the social structure in America. Her ascribed characteristic of being poor determined the difference between her death and fulfilling her American Dream. Throughout the novels Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, and The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many characters portray the effect of personal characteristics upon their pursuit of the American Dream.Jay Gatsby’s personal achievement could not overcome all of the obstacles he had to work around in order to obtain his dream. Even th ough he became rich, the past was over and he could not retrieve Daisy’s love. Lennie had some extremely helpful qualities, but he could not overcome his ascribed characteristic of being retarded. For Lennie, it wasn’t his personal achievement, but instead it was his ascribed characteristics which held him back from his American Dream. Curley’s wife had the desire to become an actress, but instead she married a ranch hand who was in the lower class like herself.Her negative ascribed characteristic of being born into the lower social class held her back from reaching her goal. These characters all contained their own distinguishable problems, but they all had the same outcome. Ascribed and personal characteristics determine the future and outcome of one’s desired goal and for these three characters, this was true. Personal achievement and effort cannot always overcome all obstacles and for many the American Dream is just an impossible destination to reach. â€Å"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past† (Fitzgerald 189). The American Dream 1. In text two â€Å"Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalls Lesson From 25 Years as a U. S. Citizen – Learn English, Participate in Politics, and Give Back† by Arnold Schwarzenegger we are presented to the writer himself as an immigrant. He informs us about the responsibilities as an immigrant. As an immigrant you can’t come to America and take the best the nation have to offer without giving something back. You will succeed at the American Dream with hard work and determination and because of the generosity of the American people. We are introduced to the way to become a great American citizen.You have to learn the language and blend in with the culture but in the meantime you can still be proud of your own heritage. You also have to participate in the political process. To maintain a strong democracy with real change you have to be involved. It is a way to freedom and many Americans have sacrificed their lives in war to preserve their freedom. Last but not least you hav e to give something back. As well as former great immigrants who performed a great service for the nation, new immigrants ought to do the same. There is no limit on what you can achieve.In text three â€Å"Whose American Dream Is It, Anyway? † by Anya Kamenetz we become aware of the fact that Americans are more pessimistic about their lives now than at any time in the past half-century. One of the most fundamental assumptions of the American Dream is the belief that money and ownership of material things will increase. But this is no longer how the situation is. We reached a point where this will not make us any happier. In addition to this fact it seems that the planet can’t take the increasing pollution which follows.We are presented to a prediction that young people will choose a scaled down lifestyle and trade money for time. We need a new American Dream that will restore the social safety net and we need optimism for that. Text four â€Å"Is the American Dream St ill Possible? † by David Wallechinsky comes across the question written in the title. The question is based on the fact that many Americans are struggling financially. Nevertheless they still take responsibility for their own financial destiny. This is showed by an example with a single mother providing for 4 children. 2. Compare language, tone and style in texts 1 and 2.The two texts â€Å"What is the American Dream† and â€Å"Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalls Lesson From 25 Years as a U. S. Citizen – Learn English, Participate in Politics, and Give Back† are very different in their way of influencing the readers. In text one is used a very eloquent language which indicates that we are dealing with a well-educated writer. Another sign of the fact that he is well-educated is the use of difficult words which mean that you have to know synonyms of the words to fully understand the text. The text contains alliterations, a definition and a lot of quotes from well- known authorities.The style of the text is to question some relevant elements but on the other hand it expresses a really certain way of using the words. It makes you give everything an extra thought. The form of the text gives you the impression that the American Dream is attainable for everyone because of the fact that we all have unalienable rights. Contrary to text one text two is more personal. This is indicated by the use of many personal pronouns like â€Å"I† and â€Å"you† in the language. The language is very common which means that everyone can understand. Therefore the text approaches a wider target group.A lot of alliterations are used: â€Å"Honor, heritage†, â€Å"learn language†, and â€Å"died defending†. The text also contains a lot of positive words as freedom and the American Dream. The style of this text is more convincing, personal, and average so everyone can participate and understand, than text two. It is a very obliging an d explanatory tone. It expresses that everyone is worth something great. 3. As it is questioned in text four â€Å"Is the American Dream Still Possible? †: â€Å"Does the dream survive? I believe that everyone has a dream. It might not be the same dream but it is there.We all believe in our dream and hope for it to come true. We do our very best to achieve our dream. We do this with optimism even though times can be tough and the means can be poor. Our dream will show us the way back from tragedy and depression, our dream is where we are headed. The American Dream is a common dream. Many people unite around the fact that they have the same dream. It is a good dream because dreams keep our hopes up and lead us in the right direction. So I find the American dream a positive and good focal point in our lives. If we lose sight of our own dreams we still have the American Dream.It is of great value for those who lost track and need something good to believe in. We can affect the American Dream by making it our own dream. Therefore I believe that the American Dream will survive, it will survive in many of us. When going through rough times is when we realize that the dream is most needed. The dream of something better than you are going through at the time, is what you need. Which dream you have chosen to follow is not the important part. You will be recognized for your effort whether you have chosen the American Dream or another dream, as long as you have a dream.