Teenage Suicide free essay sample

An examination of the phenomenon of teenage suicide through the use of a review of Dr. David Lesters book, The Cruelest Death: the Enigma of Adolescent Suicide. This paper uses this book as its main source to examine the trend of suicide among adolescents. By using two case studies, this paper explores the helplessness that some teenagers feel and how they resort to this final desperate measure. The paper compares trends between males and females and older and younger teenagers. It also examines psychological disorders which lead to suicide such as depression. Dr. David Lesters book, The Cruelest Death: the Enigma of Adolescent Suicide, presents alarming findings of fact about the third leading cause of death in the USA among those below 24 suicide. It points to the recent and dramatic rise in the incidence of the last 20 years as suggestive of an epidemic (Lester 1993) that warrants greater attention and sobriety among those who can and should do something about it. We will write a custom essay sample on Teenage Suicide or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is a frank inquest into the social phenomenon by providing information support to theory, research, management and intervention helpful to professionals particularly clinicians, crisis workers and parents and the entire family with greater insights that can help them device more effective, responsive and successful strategies in the clinic, school and at home, all with the end-view of reversing the trend.

The Definition of an Essay Including Writing Resources

The Definition of an Essay Including Writing Resources Essays are brief, non-fiction compositions that describe, clarify, argue, or analyze a subject. Students might encounter essay assignments in any school subject and at any level of school, from a personal experience vacation essay in middle school to a complex analysis of a scientific process in graduate school. Components of an essay include an introduction, thesis statement, body, and conclusion. Writing an Introduction The beginning of an essay can seem daunting. Sometimes, writers can start their essay in the middle or at the end, rather than at the beginning, and work backward. The process depends on each individual and takes practice to figure out what works best for them. Regardless of where students start, it is recommended that the introduction begins with an attention grabber or an example that hooks the reader in within the very first sentence. The introduction should accomplish a few written sentences that leads the reader into the main point or argument of the essay, also known as a thesis statement. Typically, the thesis statement is the very last sentence of an introduction, but this is not a rule set in stone, despite it wrapping things up nicely. Before moving on from the introduction, readers should have a good idea of what is to follow in the essay, and they should not be confused as to what the essay is about. Finally, the length of an introduction varies and can be anywhere from one to several paragraphs depending on the size of the essay as a whole. Creating a Thesis Statement A thesis statement is a sentence that states the main idea of the essay. The function of a thesis statement is to help manage the ideas within the essay. Different from a mere topic, the thesis statement is an argument, option, or judgment that the author of the essay makes about the topic of the essay. A good thesis statement combines several ideas into just one or two sentences. It also includes the topic of the essay and makes clear what the authors position is in regard to the topic.  Typically found at the beginning of a paper, the thesis statement is often placed in the introduction, toward the end of the first paragraph or so. Developing a thesis statement means deciding on the point of view within the topic, and stating this argument clearly becomes part of the sentence which forms it.  Writing a strong thesis statement should summarize the topic and bring clarity to the reader. For informative essays, an informative thesis should be declared. In an argumentative or narrative essay, a persuasive thesis, or opinion, should be determined. For instance, the difference looks like this: Informative Thesis Example:  To create a great essay, the writer must form a solid introduction, thesis statement, body, and conclusion.Persuasive Thesis Example:  Essays surrounded around opinions and arguments are so much more fun than informative essays because they are more dynamic, fluid, and teach you a lot about the author. Developing Body Paragraphs The body paragraphs of an essay include a group of sentences that relate to a specific topic or idea around the main point of the essay. It is important to write and organize two to three full body paragraphs to properly develop it. Before writing, authors may choose to outline the two to three main arguments that will support their thesis statement. For each of those main ideas, there will be supporting points to drive them home. Elaborating on the ideas and supporting specific points will develop a full body paragraph.  A good paragraph describes the main point, is full of meaning, and has crystal clear sentences that avoid universal statements. Ending an Essay With a Conclusion A conclusion is an end or finish of an essay. Often, the conclusion includes a judgment or decision that is reached through the reasoning described throughout the essay.  The conclusion is an opportunity to wrap up the essay by reviewing the main points discussed that drives home the point or argument stated in the thesis statement. The conclusion may also include a takeaway for the reader, such as a question or thought to take with them after reading. A good conclusion may also invoke a vivid image, include a quotation, or have a call to action for readers.

Special Pops Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Special Pops - Research Paper Example TSBVI is a public school that is helped by the state. It provides special education that is designed especially to the specific needs of their students. The school’s vision, mission and philosophy have been discussed all throughout the paper too. The story of success of one of its students has been stated and reflected. This paper defined the meaning of special education, its importance and some of its history. Special Education Education is something that each one should have or possess. It is actually one of the treasures that no one could ever steal in one’s life. Living without education is hard. Uneducated people will somehow feel like living in a place where everything is not so sure. The only basis of their decisions will only be their experiences. Without education, explanations in one’s head are not enough. One of the keys to live a life to the full is to have an explanation for everything. However, what if the world tries to stop the pursuance of it? Wh at if circumstances get along the way? People who are with disabilities should not be boxed inside their house where they are living in a new world which is then created by their own mind. The world where they and should be belong is here. They should be part of the society where they would be provided with the similar things that a normal one has. Moreover, when it comes to education, the right to have it should be given to them. But what type of education should a student with disabilities have? It is the special education. YouDictionary.com (nod) defines special education as, â€Å"a form of learning provided to students with exceptional needs, such as students with learning disabilities or mental challenges.† Addition to that, the site also defines it as having â€Å"educational programs and practices designed for students, as handicapped or gifted students, whose mental ability, physical ability, emotional functioning, etc. requires special teaching approaches, equipmen t, or care within or outside a regular classroom.† To discuss some of its history, specialednews.com (n.d.) discussed that, â€Å"The contemporary history of special education as we know it today began after World War II. It is at this time that advocacy groups formed such as The United Cerebral Palsy Association, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Civil Rights Movement. These groups began to advocate universal education of all children--even those with special needs. In the 1960’s, under President Kennedy, more schools granted access to children with handicaps. With advocacy and more children who had disabilities attending schools, the Education of all Handicapped Children Act was established. Also known as Public Law 94-142, it states that the federal government will support states in â€Å"protecting the rights of, meeting the individual needs of, and improving the results for infants, toddlers, children, and youths, with disabilities and their families. PL 94-142 requires schools to provide â€Å"free, appropriate public education to students with a wide range of physical and mental disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disorders.† Schools have to provide the most â€Å"least restrictive environment† possible. This is achieved through inclusion, mainstreaming, segregation, and exclusion.† In Texas, Mauro (n.d.) said that children who are three years old or older and are in need of special type of assistance in education can

In a 2 page essay, explain the origin, development, struggle, and Essay

In a 2 page , explain the origin, development, struggle, and future of the communities and cities in our country over the past 200 years - Essay Example In half of the 18th century, there was totally disturbance in the political section of the United States. Slavery was so much common in the United States. Declaration of independence was written by Thomas Jefferson who himself had more than 200 slaves. In 1787, the constitution convention explains the rights of blacks in the society. According to that they did not have a right to vote as well as they did not take admission in public schools. After 20 years after the revolution many Southern freed their slaves. When the United States grew, slavery was also extended. In 1793, cotton gin was invented which, permitted the cultivation of short staple cotton in Inland areas. In 1830, majority of the blacks were free in thee United States approximately they were319, 000. Many of the people in the black community lived in poverty, but some had established their successful bossiness (Smallwood,

Art history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Art history - Essay Example Aerial perspective is the technique of creating a work of art that shows how atmospheric conditions influence perception of distance objects. Objects closer to the horizon have lighter tones, and less detailed than objects far from the horizon. A good example is looking at the sky whereby the part directly above a person looks bluer, but looking towards the horizon the color fades and appears lighter. Evidence of application of aerial perspective can be seen in architectural drawings such as a city plan. Artists realized that moisture and dust in the atmosphere caused the light passing through it to scatter. The most scattered is the short wavelength, which is blue, and the least scattered is the long wavelength, which is red. This results in far looking objects to appear bluer, paler, and hazier. Landscape painters utilized this principle to present the atmosphere between the viewer and distant objects such as mountains. The atmosphere makes distant objects appear with less distinct edges and outlines than objects nearer to the viewer. Among the first painters to utilize this technique was Leonard Da Vinci who invented the term aerial perspective. In the painting of by Masaccio, Tribute Money, there is evidence of change in color and value of the composition as the viewer’s eyes move from the foreground backwards. As the viewer looks backward, the hills in the painting become lighter and lighter, and also bluer. Moreover, the objects in the background appear cooler than the foreground objects.

Relationship Between Leadership and Employee Performance

Relationship Between Leadership and Employee Performance The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of leadership on employee performance considering the five factors of leadership development that are coaching, training and development, empowerment, participation and delegation. Therefore these form the independent variables that are affecting employee performance which is the dependent variable. The hypotheses stated in the study are relating leadership to employee performance considering these five different factors. Since this whole study revolves around the importance of leadership development and its impact on employee performance, the relationship between these variables of leadership with the employee performance have been studied and researched upon. Exploratory research is done and a convenience sampling technique is used. Questionnaires were also circulated and SPSS-14 is used for data analysis. Pearson Correlation and Regression analysis is also performed. The study proved a strong positive relationship between leadersh ip development with employee performance. A manager must possess leadership qualities in order to conform to the performance standards set by the company. All the six hypotheses established are accepted and are positively related to employee performance, with training and development the strongest variable of leadership impacting employee performance. Vigoda-Gadot, Eran. 2005-2006. Leadership Style, Organizational Politics and Employees Performance: An Empirical Examination of Two Competing Models. This study aims to investigate the role of organizational performance as a mediating factor between leadership style and the employees performance. Therefore, the independent variable is leadership; the dependent variable is employee performance whereas organizational performance is a mediating variable. Questionnaires were circulated and a survey was taken. A Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire measure was used. Exploratory Factor Analysis and a correlation analysis were also done. The study has six hypotheses. One hypothesis states that transformational and transactional leadership are positively related with in-role performance and OCB (Eran, 2006), another state that transformational leadership will have a stronger relationship with and more influence on formal performance and OCB than transactional leadership (Eran, 2006). Another hypothesis is that perceptions of organizational politics are negatively related to employees in-role performance (Eran, 2006). Also, there is a hypothesis that perceptions of organizational politics mediate the relationship between transactional and transformational leadership, on one hand, and in-role performance and OCB on the other (Eran, 2006). It was also tested whether the relationship between leadership and performance was direct or indirect. A positive relationship was found between transformational leadership and performance; however transactional leadership and performance had a negative relationship. Conclusively, organizational politics has been considered an influential mediator between leadership and performance. According to the study, transformational leadership has a more direct positive effect on employees performance. Hayward. A. Brett. (2005). Relationship between Employee Performance, Leadership and Emotional Intelligence in a South African Parastatal Organization. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between leadership, emotional intelligence and the performance of employees. Thus, the two independent variables are leadership and emotional intelligence whereas the dependent variable is employee performance. A sample of 160 leaders and 800 raters was taken and a statistical analysis was done using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire measure and the Emotional Competency Profiler. A linear regression was run and a correlation analysis was carried out. Four different hypotheses were formed but two of them are important for my study. First, there is no significant positive linear relationship between employee performance and an emotionally intelligent transactional leader (Brett, 2005) and that there is a significant positive linear relationship between employee performance and an emotionally intelligent transactional leader (Brett, 2005). The second hypothesis states that there is no significant positive linear relationship between employee performance and an emotionally intelligent transformational leader (Brett, 2005) and that there is a significant positive linear relationship between employee performance and an emotionally intelligent transformational leader (Brett, 2005). The results show that there is a significant linear relationship between employee performance and an emotionally intelligent, transactional leader. However, a significant linear relationship between employee performance and an emotionally intelligent transformational leader does not exist and also that there is insufficient evidence to indicate that. This whole study and its findings are, however, contradictory to other studies that have been conducted that show a positive relationship between employee performance and a transformational leader. A. Oluseyi, Shadare and Hammed, T. Ayo 2009. Influence of Work Motivation, Leadership Effectiveness and Time Management on Employees Performance in Some Selected Industries in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of the three independent variables; work motivation, leadership effectiveness and time management, on employee performance that is the dependent variable. A total of 300 staff members were selected through stratified random sampling and the data was collected through Work Motivation Behavior Profile, Leadership Behavior Rating Scale and Time Management Behavior Inventory. A multiple regression was run and correlation matrix was used. The study answers the three basic research questions. First, the relationship is identified between each independent variable and employee performance. Also, the composite and relative effect of each of these variables on employee performance is analyzed. The results show that each of the three inde pendent variables have a positive and significant impact on employee performance, with leadership effectiveness showing the strongest correlation, followed by work motivation. Therefore leadership plays a vital role in enhancing the performance of the employees. Sribenjachot, Suteera. 2007. Impact of Leadership Style on Follower Performance in Direct Selling Industry in Thailand. This study inspects the impact that transactional and transformational leadership has on performance. Both leadership styles have different effects on performance. Performance is the dependent variable which is influenced by the leadership style which is the independent variable. Another variable is defined as leader outcome that is influenced by the leadership styles and impacts performance. A survey research design of Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) was used. The date was collected through MLQ-5X. Path analysis was performed and a statistical program known as Analysis of Moment Structure was used. Several hypotheses were formed; transformational leadership has no effect on follower performance (Suteera, 2007), transactional leadership has no effect on follower performance (Suteera, 2007), transformational leadership has no effect on leader outcome (Sute era, 2007), transactional leadership has no effect on leader outcome (Suteera, 2007) and leader outcomes have no effect on follower performance (Suteera, 2007). The results show a negative relationship between transactional leadership and performance, and no relationship between transformational leadership and performance. Both leadership styles have a positive impact on leader outcome, and that outcome affects the performance of the followers or the employees. Amran G. Tiena and Kusbramayanti, Putri. 2007. Leadership and Organizational Culture Relationship Analysis on Job Performance and Satisfaction using SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) at Pt. Carita Boat Indonesia. This study aims to examine the direct influence of leadership and organizational culture on job performance and its indirect impact on job satisfaction. Also, it studies the impact of job performance on job satisfaction. Therefore, all these elements of the study form the basic variables. A survey was taken and data was collected through questionnaires. A sample of 100 workers was taken. Structural Equation Modeling was used for the analysis of the data. The study has four hypotheses. The quality of employee job performance is positively influenced by leader-member relations (Tiena and Putri, 2007). The quality of employees job performance is positively influenced by organizational culture (Tiena and Putri, 2007). The quality of working satisfaction is positively influenced by performance (Tiena and Putri, 2007). The results show that leadership has a positive influence on the quality of performance and that in turn has a positive effect on work satisfaction. Leadership also has an impact on work satisfaction and it motivates an employee. The leader-member relationship influences both leadership style and employee job performance. Goh Yuan Sheng Victor, Geoffrey N. Soutar. 2005. The Role of Ethical Behaviors in the Relations between Leadership Styles and Job Performance. This study relates the three elements of leadership styles, ethical behaviors and job performance. The two leadership styles, transformational and transactional, are discussed and their relationship with performance is studied. Ethical behaviors that include deontology and teleological ethics are also examined. This article reviews how the leaders use these ethical values and form judgements. Therefore these ethical values play a mediating role in forming the relationship between leadership (independent variable) and employee performance (dependent variable). The measures used were the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, Role-Based Performance Scale and Analysis of Moment Structure. A path analysis was performed and a variance-covariance matrix was used. The study has six hypotheses. Transformational leadership is positively associated with employees job performance (Soutar and Victor, 2005). Transactional leadership is positively associated with employees job performance (Soutar and Victor, 2005). Transformational leadership is positively associated with Deontological ethical approach (Soutar and Victor, 2005). Transactional leadership is positively associated with Teleological ethical approach (Soutar and Victor, 2005). Deontological ethical approach will mediate the relation between Transformational Leadership and employees job performance (Soutar and Victor, 2005). Teleological ethical approach will mediate the relation between Transactional Leadership and employees job performance (Soutar and Victor, 2005). The results of the study show that ethics are a defining element of leadership. Leaders must be ethically responsible and this ethical behavior is an important mediating factor between leadership styles and performance of the employees. Mahmmod A. Bodla and Hussain , Ghulam. 2010. Need for Leadership: Empirical Evidence from Pakistan. This study was conducted to focus on the moderating role of the need for leadership on the relationship between leadership and the subordinates outcomes or employees performance. Thus leadership and its characteristics are once again the independent variable, with subordinates outcomes and employees performance being the dependent variables. Need for leadership is the moderating variable between the two. The followers need for leadership is determined and based on that a particular leadership style is adopted, which results in required performance by the employees. Various leadership characteristics are defined and their relationship studies. A sample of banking officers was used from 550 different branches of banks and questionnaires were distributed for the collection of data. A statistical analysis was performed using the multiple regression. There was one main hypothesis of the stu dy; need for leadership will moderate the relationship between leadership characteristics and subordinates work outcomes (Bodla and Ghulam, 2010). The results show that need for leadership is important and it must be understood before implementing any leadership practices. On various grounds, the need for leadership has been considered as a substitute of the relationship between leadership and performance. Dr. Mohammed S. Chowdhury and Nurul A. Mohammed. 2000. Relative Importance of Employee Values, Attitudes and Leadership Behaviors in Employee Motivation. An Empirical Investigation. Employee motivation is one factor that influences the performance of the employees. That motivation is derived from various other factors. This study is therefore conducted to look at the importance that those factors such as values, attitudes and leadership behavior have in influencing employee work motivation and performance. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is defined and various styles of leadership are considered. Employee motivation is therefore the dependent variable and the independent variables are employee values, attitudes and leadership behavior. The data was collected through questionnaires constituting a sample of 140 employees. Statistical analysis was performed and a regression was run. Various techniques were used to measure the different variables. The study has four hypotheses. The gr eater the extent to which the key values are perceived to exist in the organization, the greater will be the employees intrinsic motivation (Chowdhury and Mohammed, 2000). The greater the extent to which key job attitudes are perceived to exist in the organizations, the greater will be the employees intrinsic motivation (Chowdhury and Mohammed, 2000). The greater the extent to which positive achievement motivation behavior of the leader is perceived to exist in the organization, the greater the job satisfaction and extrinsic motivation (Chowdhury and Mohammed, 2000).The greater the extent to which arbitrary and punitive behavior is perceived to exist in the organization, the greater the job dissatisfaction and de-motivation of the employees (Chowdhury and Mohammed, 2000). The study concludes that the values and attitudes of employees influence the intrinsic motivation of employees while leadership behavior affects the extrinsic motivation of employees. Cyril H. Ponnu and Tennakoon Girindra. 2009. The Association between Ethical Leadership and Employee Outcomes the Malaysian Case. This research was carried out in order to determine the association between ethical leadership behavior and employee outcomes. It has considered two basic outcomes, that of organizational commitment and trust in leaders. These factors eventually affect the work performance of the employees. The independent variable is the ethical leadership behavior whereas employee organizational commitment and employees trust in leaders are the dependent variables. A sample of 172 managerial employees was taken. The different measures used were the Ethical Leadership Scale, Organizational Commitment Questionnaire and the Trust Scale. A correlation analysis was done and the data was also analyzed using SPSS version 14.0. the study has two hypotheses. There is a significant relationship between ethical leadership behavior and employees organizational commitment (Ponnu and Girindra, 2009). Ethical leadership behavior is positively associated with employees trust in leaders (Ponnu and Girindra, 2009). The first hypothesis was held true. There was a significant and a medium positive relationship between the two variables. The second hypothesis was also held true as the two variables showed a strong positive relationship. Therefore, ethical leadership has a positive effect on both organizational commitment of employees and their trust in leaders. Hence, it can also be concluded that these employees will eventually perform better and work towards achieving the goals of the organization.

Ronald Dworkins Liberal Morality Essay -- essays research papers fc

Dworkin begins by roughly defining liberalism according to the New Deal: â€Å"It combined an emphasis on less inequality and greater economic stability with more abundant political and civil liberty for the groups campaigning for these goals.† Dworkin states that such a definition is inadequate and goes on to elaborate on liberalism in more depth. The liberal, in economic policies, demands that the inequalities of wealth be reduced through social programs such as â€Å"welfare and other redistribution financed by a progressive tax.† Liberals also take a Keynesian policy toward the governments stabilizing intervention in the economy, such as controlling inflation and unemployment. And liberals support freedom of speech, racial equality and are â€Å"suspicious of criminal law.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dworkin states that in a society, liberty and equality, the most important political ideals, often come into conflict with one another. â€Å"In these cases, good government consists in the best compromise between the competing ideals, but different politicians and citizens will make that compromise differently.† Liberals tend to favor equality more than liberty than conservatives do. But the former statement is a tricky one according to Dworkin because liberty, unlike equality, cannot be shown because we lack a concept of liberty that â€Å"is quantifiable in the way that a demonstration would require.† Because of this, it would be mistaken of us to state that conservatives favor liberty more t...

A Game of Thrones Chapter Forty-one

Jon You are as hopeless as any boys I have ever trained,† Ser Alliser Thorne announced when they had all assembled in the yard. â€Å"Your hands were made for manure shovels, not for swords, and if it were up to me, the lot of you would be set to herding swine. But last night I was told that Gueren is marching five new boys up the kingsroad. One or two may even be worth the price of piss. To make room for them, I have decided to pass eight of you on to the Lord Commander to do with as he will.† He called out the names one by one. â€Å"Toad. Stone Head. Aurochs. Lover. Pimple. Monkey. Ser Loon.† Last, he looked at Jon. â€Å"And the Bastard.† Pyp let fly a whoop and thrust his sword into the air. Ser Alliser fixed him with a reptile stare. â€Å"They will call you men of Night's Watch now, but you are bigger fools than the Mummer's Monkey here if you believe that. You are boys still, green and stinking of summer, and when the winter comes you will die like flies.† And with that, Ser Alliser Thorne took his leave of them. The other boys gathered round the eight who had been named, laughing and cursing and offering congratulations. Halder smacked Toad on the butt with the flat of his sword and shouted, â€Å"Toad, of the Night's Watch!† Yelling that a black brother needed a horse, Pyp leapt onto Grenn's shoulders, and they tumbled to the ground, rolling and punching and hooting. Dareon dashed inside the armory and returned with a skin of sour red. As they passed the wine from hand to hand, grinning like fools, Jon noticed Samwell Tarly standing by himself beneath a bare dead tree in the corner of the yard. Jon offered him the skin. â€Å"A swallow of wine?† Sam shook his head. â€Å"No thank you, Jon.† â€Å"Are you well?† â€Å"Very well, truly,† the fat boy lied. â€Å"I am so happy for you all.† His round face quivered as he forced a smile. â€Å"You will be First Ranger someday, just as your uncle was.† â€Å"Is,† Jon corrected. He would not accept that Benjen Stark was dead. Before he could say more, Haider cried, â€Å"Here, you planning to drink that all yourself?† Pyp snatched the skin from his hand and danced away, laughing. While Grenn seized his arm, Pyp gave the skin a squeeze, and a thin stream of red squirted Jon in the face. Haider howled in protest at the waste of good wine. Jon sputtered and struggled. Matthar and Jeren climbed the wall and began pelting them all with snowballs. By the time he wrenched free, with snow in his hair and wine stains on his surcoat, Samwell Tarly had gone. That night, Three-Finger Hobb cooked the boys a special meal to mark the occasion. When Jon arrived at the common hall, the Lord Steward himself led him to the bench near the fire. The older men clapped him on the arm in passing. The eight soon-to-be brothers feasted on rack of lamb baked in a crust of garlic and herbs, garnished with sprigs of mint, and surrounded by mashed yellow turnips swimming in butter. â€Å"From the Lord Commander's own table,† Bowen Marsh told them. There were salads of spinach and chickpeas and turnip greens, and afterward bowls of iced blueberries and sweet cream. â€Å"Do you think they'll keep us together?† Pyp wondered as they gorged themselves happily. Toad made a face. â€Å"I hope not. I'm sick of looking at those ears of yours.† â€Å"Ho,† said Pyp. â€Å"Listen to the crow call the raven black. You're certain to be a ranger, Toad. They'll want you as far from the castle as they can. If Mance Rayder attacks, lift your visor and show your face, and he'll run off screaming.† Everyone laughed but Grenn. â€Å"I hope I'm a ranger.† â€Å"You and everyone else,† said Matthar. Every man who wore the black walked the Wall, and every man was expected to take up steel in its defense, but the rangers were the true fighting heart of the Night's Watch. It was they who dared ride beyond the Wall, sweeping through the haunted forest and the icy mountain heights west of the Shadow Tower, fighting wildlings and giants and monstrous snow bears. â€Å"Not everyone,† said Halder. â€Å"It's the builders for me. What use would rangers be if the Wall fell down?† The order of builders provided the masons and carpenters to repair keeps and towers, the miners to dig tunnels and crush stone for roads and footpaths, the woodsmen to clear away new growth wherever the forest pressed too close to the Wall. Once, it was said, they had quarried immense blocks of ice from frozen lakes deep in the haunted forest, dragging them south on sledges so the Wall might be raised ever higher. Those days were centuries gone, however; now, it was all they could do to ride the Wall from Eastwatch to the Shadow Tower, watching for cracks or signs of melt and making what repairs they could. â€Å"The Old Bear's no fool,† Dareon observed. â€Å"You're certain to be a builder, and Jon's certain to be a ranger. He's the best sword and the best rider among us, and his uncle was the First before he . . . † His voice trailed off awkwardly as he realized what he had almost said. â€Å"Benjen Stark is still First Ranger,† Jon Snow told him, toying with his bowl of blueberries. The rest might have given up all hope of his uncle's safe return, but not him. He pushed away the berries, scarcely touched, and rose from the bench. â€Å"Aren't you going to eat those?† Toad asked. â€Å"They're yours.† Jon had hardly tasted Hobb's great feast. â€Å"I could not eat another bite.† He took his cloak from its hook near the door and shouldered his way out. Pyp followed him. â€Å"Jon, what is it?† â€Å"Sam,† he admitted. â€Å"He was not at table tonight.† â€Å"It's not like him to miss a meal,† Pyp said thoughtfully. â€Å"Do you suppose he's taken ill?† â€Å"He's frightened. We're leaving him.† He remembered the day he had left Winterfell, all the bittersweet farewells; Bran lying broken, Robb with snow in his hair, Arya raining kisses on him after he'd given her Needle. â€Å"Once we say our words, we'll all have duties to attend to. Some of us may be sent away, to Eastwatch or the Shadow Tower. Sam will remain in training, with the likes of Rast and Cuger and these new boys who are coming up the kingsroad. Gods only know what they'll be like, but you can bet Ser Alliser will send them against him, first chance he gets.† Pyp made a grimace. â€Å"You did all you could.† â€Å"All we could wasn't enough,† Jon said. A deep restlessness was on him as he went back to Hardin's Tower for Ghost. The direwolf walked beside him to the stables. Some of the more skittish horses kicked at their stalls and laid back their ears as they entered. Jon saddled his mare, mounted, and rode out from Castle Black, south across the moonlit night. Ghost raced ahead of him, flying over the ground, gone in the blink of an eye. Jon let him go. A wolf needed to hunt. He had no destination in mind. He wanted only to ride. He followed the creek for a time, listening to the icy trickle of water over rock, then cut across the fields to the kingsroad. It stretched out before him, narrow and stony and pocked with weeds, a road of no particular promise, yet the sight of it filled Jon Snow with a vast longing. Winterfell was down that road, and beyond it Riverrun and King's Landing and the Eyrie and so many other places; Casterly Rock, the Isle of Faces, the red mountains of Dorne, the hundred islands of Braavos in the sea, the smoking ruins of old Valyria. All the places that Jon would never see. The world was down that road . . . and he was here. Once he swore his vow, the Wall would be his home until he was old as Maester Aemon. â€Å"I have not sworn yet,† he muttered. He was no outlaw, bound to take the black or pay the penalty for his crimes. He had come here freely, and he might leave freely . . . until he said the words. He need only ride on, and he could leave it all behind. By the time the moon was full again, he would be back in Winterfell with his brothers. Your half brothers, a voice inside reminded him. And Lady Stark, who will not welcome you. There was no place for him in Winterfell, no place in King's Landing either. Even his own mother had not had a place for him. The thought of her made him sad. He wondered who she had been, what she had looked like, why his father had left her. Because she was a whore or an adulteress, fool. Something dark and dishonorable, or else why was Lord Eddard too ashamed to speak of her? Jon Snow turned away from the kingsroad to look behind him. The fires of Castle Black were hidden behind a hill, but the Wall was there, pale beneath the moon, vast and cold, running from horizon to horizon. He wheeled his horse around and started for home. Ghost returned as he crested a rise and saw the distant glow of lamplight from the Lord Commander's Tower. The direwolf s muzzle was red with blood as he trotted beside the horse. Jon found himself thinking of Samwell Tarly again on the ride back. By the time he reached the stables, he knew what he must do. Maester Aemon's apartments were in a stout wooden keep below the rookery. Aged and frail, the maester shared his chambers with two of the younger stewards, who tended to his needs and helped him in his duties. The brothers joked that he had been given the two ugliest men in the Night's Watch; being blind, he was spared having to look at them. Clydas was short, bald, and chinless, with small pink eyes like a mole. Chett had a wen on his neck the size of a pigeon's egg, and a face red with boils and pimples. Perhaps that was why he always seemed so angry. It was Chett who answered Jon's knock. â€Å"I need to speak to Maester Aemon,† Jon told him. â€Å"The maester is abed, as you should be. Come back on the morrow and maybe he'll see you.† He began to shut the door. Jon jammed it open with his boot. â€Å"I need to speak to him now. The morning will be too late.† Chett scowled. â€Å"The maester is not accustomed to being woken in the night. Do you know how old he is?† â€Å"Old enough to treat visitors with more courtesy than you,† Jon said. â€Å"Give him my pardons. I would not disturb his rest if it were not important.† â€Å"And if I refuse?† Jon had his boot wedged solidly in the door. â€Å"I can stand here all night if I must.† The black brother made a disgusted noise and opened the door to admit him. â€Å"Wait in the library. There's wood. Start a fire. I won't have the maester catching a chill on account of you.† Jon had the logs crackling merrily by the time Chett led in Maester Aemon. The old man was clad in his bed robe, but around his throat was the chain collar of his order. A maester did not remove it even to sleep. â€Å"The chair beside the fire would be pleasant,† he said when he felt the warmth on his face. When he was settled comfortably, Chett covered his legs with a fur and went to stand by the door. â€Å"I am sorry to have woken you, Maester,† Jon Snow said. â€Å"You did not wake me,† Maester Aemon replied. â€Å"I find I need less sleep as I grow older, and I am grown very old. I often spend half the night with ghosts, remembering times fifty years past as if they were yesterday. The mystery of a midnight visitor is a welcome persion. So tell me, Jon Snow, why have you come calling at this strange hour?† â€Å"To ask that Samwell Tarly be taken from training and accepted as a brother of the Night's Watch.† â€Å"This is no concern of Maester Aemon,† Chett complained. â€Å"Our Lord Commander has given the training of recruits into the hands of Ser Alliser Thorne,† the maester said gently. â€Å"Only he may say when a boy is ready to swear his vow, as you surely know. Why then come to me?† â€Å"The Lord Commander listens to you,† Jon told him. â€Å"And the wounded and the sick of the Night's Watch are in your charge.† â€Å"And is your friend Samwell wounded or sick?† â€Å"He will be,† Jon promised, â€Å"unless you help.† He told them all of it, even the part where he'd set Ghost at Rast's throat. Maester Aemon listened silently, blind eyes fixed on the fire, but Chett's face darkened with each word. â€Å"Without us to keep him safe, Sam will have no chance,† Jon finished. â€Å"He's hopeless with a sword. My sister Arya could tear him apart, and she's not yet ten. If Ser Alliser makes him fight, it's only a matter of time before he's hurt or killed.† Chett could stand no more. â€Å"I've seen this fat boy in the common hall,† he said. â€Å"He is a pig, and a hopeless craven as well, if what you say is true.† â€Å"Maybe it is so,† Maester Aemon said. â€Å"Tell me, Chett, what would you have us do with such a boy?† â€Å"Leave him where he is,† Chett said. â€Å"The Wall is no place for the weak. Let him train until he is ready, no matter how many years that takes. Ser Alliser shall make a man of him or kill him, as the gods will.† â€Å"That's stupid,† Jon said. He took a deep breath to gather his thoughts. â€Å"I remember once I asked Maester Luwin why he wore a chain around his throat.† Maester Aemon touched his own collar lightly, his bony, wrinkled finger stroking the heavy metal links. â€Å"Go on.† â€Å"He told me that a maester's collar is made of chain to remind him that he is sworn to serve,† Jon said, remembering. â€Å"I asked why each link was a different metal. A silver chain would look much finer with his grey robes, I said. Maester Luwin laughed. A maester forges his chain with study, he told me. The different metals are each a different kind of learning, gold for the study of money and accounts, silver for healing, iron for warcraft. And he said there were other meanings as well. The collar is supposed to remind a maester of the realm he serves, isn't that so? Lords are gold and knights steel, but two links can't make a chain. You also need silver and iron and lead, tin and copper and bronze and all the rest, and those are farmers and smiths and merchants and the like. A chain needs all sorts of metals, and a land needs all sorts of people.† Maester Aemon smiled. â€Å"And so?† â€Å"The Night's Watch needs all sorts too. Why else have rangers and stewards and builders? Lord Randyll couldn't make Sam a warrior, and Ser Alliser won't either. You can't hammer tin into iron, no matter how hard you beat it, but that doesn't mean tin is useless. Why shouldn't Sam be a steward?† Chett gave an angry scowl. â€Å"I'm a steward. You think it's easy work, fit for cowards? The order of stewards keeps the Watch alive. We hunt and farm, tend the horses, milk the cows, gather firewood, cook the meals. Who do you think makes your clothing? Who brings up supplies from the south? The stewards.† Maester Aemon was gentler. â€Å"Is your friend a hunter?† â€Å"He hates hunting,† Jon had to admit. â€Å"Can he plow a field?† the maester asked. â€Å"Can he drive a wagon or sail a ship? Could he butcher a cow?† â€Å"No.† Chett gave a nasty laugh. â€Å"I've seen what happens to soft lordlings when they're put to work. Set them to churning butter and their hands blister and bleed. Give them an axe to split logs, and they cut off their own foot.† â€Å"I know one thing Sam could do better than anyone.† â€Å"Yes?† Maester Aemon prompted. Jon glanced warily at Chett, standing beside the door, his boils red and angry. â€Å"He could help you,† he said quickly. â€Å"He can do sums, and he knows how to read and write. I know Chett can't read, and Clydas has weak eyes. Sam read every book in his father's library. He'd be good with the ravens too. Animals seem to like him. Ghost took to him straight off. There's a lot he could do, besides fighting. The Night's Watch needs every man. Why kill one, to no end? Make use of him instead.† Maester Aemon closed his eyes, and for a brief moment Jon was afraid that he had gone to sleep. Finally he said, â€Å"Maester Luwin taught you well, Jon Snow. Your mind is as deft as your blade, it would seem.† â€Å"Does that mean . . . â€Å" â€Å"It means I shall think on what you have said,† the maester told him firmly. â€Å"And now, I believe I am ready to sleep. Chett, show our young brother to the door.†

Othello Plot Analysis

Bynum ENG 201-02 22 April 2013 The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice: Plot Analysis Title: The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice Type:Play/Tragedy Author:William Shakespeare Theme:Jealousy is the theme. From the beginning to the very end of this play, every major conflict was caused because of jealousy. If it was not for the envy of one’s job, wife or money, many deaths could have been averted. Exposition:In this play, the author must identify the relationships and previous conflicts between the characters, and background on each major character.In The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice, Shakespeare identifies the relationship between the characters in the beginning of the play with a character list which included the character’s name, title and relationship to whomever. The conflicts between characters where emphasized in the characters words to one another or in the character’s aside. Protagonist:Othello, The Moor of Venice, is the Protagonist. Besid e the obvious, Othello is the main character in this play because all conflict surrounds him.Being the odd one out by being of skin color, having such a high social class standing, and being one of the best warriors all around causes him to be the center of attention. Antagonist:Iago, the Moor’s ensign, is the Antagonist. In everything Iago did, he was conniving and manipulative. He stepped on any and every one to make his underlying plan work. Every move he made was for his own gratification. He was sincere to none, not even his own wife. Major Conflict:Othello and Desdemona marry against many people’s wishes and it angers quite a few people.As Iago is manipulating Othello into believing that his wife Desdemona has been betraying him in his bed, Granziano and Lodovico (kinsman of Brabanzio, Desdemona’s Father and Senator of Venice) come to bare news of the Duke of Venice. The news stated for Othello to return home and his lieutenant, Michael Cassio, to take his place in power. Misconception causes Othello to strike Desdemona and in a turn of events, leads to the slaughter of Desdemona, Cassio, Roderigo and many more. Conflicts:(1) Man vs. Man: In Act 4 takes place a sword fight between Roderigo and Cassio.Bother were tricked by Iago to fight one another in the dark. Resulting in Roderigo’s death. (2) Man vs. Nature: In Act 3, Iago planned to have Othello listen in on a conversation between himself and Cassio. Iago led Othello to believe the conversation between Cassio and him was about Desdemona, although it was really about Bianca. It just so happened that Bianca barged into the scene with the handkerchief Othello gave to Desdemona. Iago had no idea, it would play out to his advantage but it just so happened it did. (3) Man vs.Self: After Othello kills Desdemona, it is discovered that Desdemona was in fact faithful to him and never lied. He then cries and explains his sorrow. Inciting Incident:Iago was passed by for the position o f Lieutenant by, his good comrade, Othello and it was given to Cassio. Also hearing that Othello took his wife to bed, Iago develops a grudge against him. Iago conceives a plan involving a sting of lies and misconception in a pursuit to take down Othello and Cassio. Major Dramatic Question:Will Iago’s true intentions ever be discovered?Crisis:Once again, by Iago’s lies, Roderigo and Cassio were tricked into fighting each other in the dark. Neither one knowing whom they were fighting. Riderigo was murdered and this led to the imprisonment of Bianca, Cassio’s mistress. Climax: Othello, still under misconception that Desdemona is unfaithful, kills her. Emilia, Iago’s wife, enters and call for help. In attempt to find the truth or the reason behind this killing, Iago starts to be revealed. Othello comes to the realization that he has been misled and weeps for his dead wife.A commotion breaks out and Iago kills his wife Emilia. Resolution:After Iago is discove red of his devious ways, Lodovico orders Othello back to Venice, places Granziano as his heir and puts Montano in charge of Iagos execution. In the end, Othello kills himself. Emotional Satisfaction: Othello was a very interesting play. The fact that it was a tragic love story caught my attention the most. Although written so many years ago, the story line can very much relate to situations in today’s relationships.

Drowning Ruth essays

Drowning Ruth essays Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz is a chilling, haunting debut about the ties that bind families together and thesecrets that can tear them apart. The main characters, Amanda Starkey and Ruth Neumann were brilliant in their escalating encouters. Both experiencing love, hate, life and death; holding on to each ither in their own way and determined to keep those whom they love close. THe novel portrays two sisters. Amanda and Mathilda Starkey, whose lives were drastically changed on a cold winter night of the year 1919. Amanda, (Mandy for short) the elder of the two, worked at a hospital as a nurse who coaxed soldiers back into proper shape. She considered herself to be a brilliant nurse, until one day, she had been laid off, not permanently, but because of her hallucinations and various accidents that concerned both her and those around her. She later decided to return home to the farm with her family in Nagwaukee. Mathilda, (Mattie for short), being eight years younger, instead decided to get married, help her parents on the farm, and raise a family. Both Mandy and Mattie shared a close relationship. So close that they were almost inseparable. But things began to change when Carl stepped on to the scene. Amanda became very jealous of her sister and grew hatred toward her sister's boyfirend Carl. It seems that Mandy's parents made it very clear that Mattie was their favorite child. For example, when Mattie was sent to do her chores, she instead went parading with her boyfirend while everyone worked. IF it were Mandy, she would've been severely punished. Mandy tried her best to please her parents, but instead was constantly responded to in a hostile and unpleasant manner. Soon Amanda realized that the bond that was shared between her and Mattie had been replaced. Mattie and Carl had gotten married sex months after they met. Feeling all alone, Mandy looked around and felt as if her services were no longer nee ...

The choice of toy(s) is up to you (except for Barbie). You can analyze Research Paper

The choice of toy(s) is up to you (except for Barbie). You can analyze gender-neutral toys. To what extent, if any, is gender-sp - Research Paper Example These gender norms define what acceptable masculine and feminine behaviors are in a given culture. Likewise the way in which a person becomes a part of society in the form of a male or female is the gender identity. It defines who we really are and becomes an integral part of our inner selves (Ryle, 2011). We may say that the process of gender socialization begins right at the time of our birth, when parents name their kids and we are assigned either a boy or a girl attribute. Then as a child grows he/she begins to understand the distinct specifics of both genders through, for example the surrounding events, interactions, education and entertainment. Family conditions and norms also shape up the gender role. This may include different treatments for siblings of other genders, like a boy may be allowed to go out more often than his sister, and perhaps the sister being scolded less harshly than her brother. The surrounding environment also play a great role, for example the color room, either blue or pink, may define the gender roles for children at an early stage. Then there is a wide variety of gender-specific toys and there preference for kids, like Barbie dolls versus Power Rangers. Gender-specific role is also emphasized in boys and girls through their gatherings and there topic of conversations. Boys often meet and play in larger groups as compared to girls’ preference for small groups and they often exchange information that is completely different. Through these differences we gradually collect information throughout our lives that define distinct gender roles. Hence interaction through the process of gender-socialization is important in defining the gender-specific roles. The above discussion is a brief reflection on what most of the social constructionists believe. They believe that the gender-specific roles are indeed learned through society and experience. They believe that certain behaviors such as ferocity and aggressiveness are more characte ristic of masculine than feminine gender, so boys often prefer to go with toys like cars, guns that fire fake bullets, robots and action figures etc. Conversely feminine gender is more characteristic of beauty, spontaneity, emotionality and like emotions hence they prefer toys like Barbie dolls, kitchen sets etc. However, Deborah Blum argues that the biology does play an important role in defining gender roles and establishing gender role identities. This is discussed in the following part of the paper. It has been experimentally shown that even very little kids respond different to the gender-specific toys. While this might be a great hint that some of the gender differences are biological and in-born, we cannot deny that socialization plays a major role in distinguishing gender roles after the birth. So it is rarely just one thing that accounts for the cumulative effect. We may view it as an interaction of genes with the environment. So to think that gender is entirely dependent o n socialization may be misleading because some of the differences are natural and in-born (Ridley, 2004). How Toys Promote Traditional Gender Roles There are rich and obvious sex differences in children toys and these are same across majority of cultures. Girls are heightened to play with dolls

Identify three ways that diversity impacts organizational policies Research Paper

Identify three ways that diversity impacts organizational policies - Research Paper Example This class of diversity can be defined in terms of â€Å"gender, race and ethnicity, and whether or not one is disabled† (Davidson, 2004, p. 4). Each of the classes has minorities that requires special treatment such as protection in an organization. Similarly, the need to recruit human resource with the organization’s most desired qualities encourages organizations to develop avenues of attracting both the majority and minority social groups. Organizations therefore develop policies that protects and encourage participation of minority groups. Such would include special consideration in procedures for recruitment, selection, and even employee management. Diversity in an organization also reflects on the organization’s image in the society, a factor that can influence market control due to the society’s reaction to the organization’s composition by social factors. This means that organization’s policies will aim at promoting diversity in orde r to obtain a diversified quality human resource and a strong corporate image that is representative of the organization’s market. Social aspects therefore influence an organization’s policy through the need for quality input that may be hidden in a minority social class or through the need to relate with different social classes for corporate image (Davidson, 2004). Diversity also influences an organization’s policies through legal requirements to which organizations are bound. Anti discrimination laws for instance protects groups from discrimination based on their nature such as gender, race, sex and age among others. As a result, an organization’s policy must be consistent with legal provisions for fair treatment of individuals from different social groups. Formulation and implementation of policies must therefore take care of interest of every group in an organization in order to