Open Boat vs. Hurricane Hugo :: essays research papers fc

Humanity tends to see itself as being somewhat important in the grand scheme of the Universe. We speak of "fate" as if we were put here for some reason, or purpose. We have our religions, which often serve as an engine to drive our lives and as a means to give meaning to them. But why do we think of ourselves in such a superior fashion? Would the Universe stop if we were suddenly taken away? In his short story, "The Open Boat," Stephen Crane shows us a Universe totally unconcerned with the affairs of humankind; it is an indifferent Universe in which Man has to struggle to survive. The characters in the story come face to face with this indifference and are nearly overcome by Nature's lack of concern.1 In a similar account, my family was faced with the same Universe and the damage that can be done without compassion. We were faced with a fight for our lives, and the battle was a tough one. 2 My family, like the characters in the story only survived through persist ence and cooperation. Crane said it best when he wrote, in our constant struggle for survival, all we have is, â€Å"stubborn pride—and each other.† 1 Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat" gives us a dose of reality that at first seems bitter, but it gradually induces a catharsis and in the end stands as testament to the human spirit. His claim that the Universe will never bend to the will of man is outweighed by his reassurances that we will always have each other. And when we contemplate "a high cold star on a winter's night"1 we will not need to feel alone, because we can always turn to another person. I learned this through my own personal struggle, but I was not alone, my family went through the same storm, and we survived together. 2 My family was resting peacefully in their beds Thursday, September 21, 1989, the night that Hurricane Hugo struck the South Carolina coast. Earlier in the evening my father kissed us goodbye and went to work the night shift at his job. My grandparents had come to our house because they were staying at Myrtle Beach for vacation and the coast had been evacuated in preparation for the storm. We lived in Columbia, which was centrally located in the state, so we thought that we were out of harms way.

Macbeth Essay Essay

Shakespeare uses ghosts and witches into many of his plays and work. But in no other play did he make them so horrible and demon like as he did the witches in Macbeth. The way in which they were described, made Macbeth a popular play. Superstition is a very shrewd belief in the supernatural. Supernatural is an attribute to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature. When it is referred to as â€Å"the supernatural†, then it means supernatural appearances or events. Both of the two terms that I have just explained, superstition and supernatural, are present a lot of the time during the play Macbeth, and many of the supernatural events which occur during the play tend to lead into other happenings. The witches are actually an important part of the play and the supernatural, because they start the play along with the supernatural. At the beginning of the play, Shakespeare sets the scene for the witches by using thunder and lightening and naming location of the scene â€Å"A Desolate Place†. â€Å"Upon the heath† and â€Å"there to meet Macbeth† The witches announce that they will meet with Macbeth upon a heath. They then disappear into â€Å"filthy air† as mysteriously as they arrived. Later in the play, Banquo refers to the witches exit as â€Å"the earth hath bubbles, as the water has, and these are of them† what he means by this is that the witches can disappear in the same way as bubbles do. In the first scene the supernatural theme is present due to the witches being there. They speak of Macbeth and involve him in supernatural matters, and we can tell that they influence him, and this also blooms as the play develops. The words that the witches use are also of a supernatural nature. Some link together sometimes in a chant like way, such as ‘Fair is foul, and foul is fair’, and this sounds rather unpleasant and evil. We can also blame them for some of the things that happen later on in the play which are involved in the downfall of Macbeth. Later in the play Macbeth is found echoing some of the phrases that the witches have used. This occurs just before the witches give their predictions to Macbeth and Banquo. This could be coincidence, but could also be because they have influenced him. Therefore, they could have influenced him in what to do, and what he does is evil. This is a good example of how the supernatural leads to his downfall. The main turning point in the play is when Macbeth meets with the witches when he is with Banquo and when the predictions are made. Macbeth is told that he shall be the thane of Glamis, then the than of Cawdor and shall then go on to be King. We can tell that he is interested as the first thing that he says after these predictions have been made is ‘Stay, you imperfect speakers. Tell me more’, which is meant to make Banquo and the audience to think that he does not believe them, but tells the witches to carry on as he is curious as to what they have to say, but they vanish and we know that he has taken them seriously as he desperate for them to come back. Banquo has a different view and says ‘The instruments tell us truths; win us with honest trifles, to betray in deepest consequence’. What Banquo means by this is that the witches may have only told them their possible future so that they act on what they have been told. By saying this, Banquo is implying that the witches have evil intentions. Banquo advises Macbeth to steer clear o the witches and what they have said, but he ignores him as he is greedy and over ambitious. This is where we know that the supernatural has influenced Macbeth and has begun to change him. At the time of the predictions Macbeth was already Thane of Glamis, and was shortly made the Thane of cawdor. This made him believe that the predictions were true. Macbeth believed that if the first two predictions were correct, the third prediction would also be correct. Lady Macbeth also helped Macbeth become a victim of his own destiny. She was behind him during the murder of King Duncan and was the reason for Macbeth doing it because she continued to assure that all would turn out in their favour. She also made him feel guilty and like a wimp by saying ‘Art thou afeard’ and ‘live a coward in thane own esteem’. This is quite an important thing as she is questioning his masculinity. Macbeth is at this time known as a warrior, and when he is faced with this comment he is going to try and prove it wrong. She can also be found using witchcraft when she asks the spirits to change her into a fearless, ruthless human being making her able to help Macbeth in killing Duncan. She says ‘Unsex me here’ and ‘Come you spirits’ which shows that she would be able to influence what Macbeth does, like the witches can. As the play continues we can see that they grow apart and Macbeth decides to make more important decisions on his own and does not include her. As I have already said, the witches build up a large part of the supernatural in the play, but other elements add to this, so we can not put it all down to the witches. Although they were responsible for directing Macbeth in the killing, and the hallucinations may have encouraged him, a character who was close to him was also involved, Lady Macbeth. However, when Macbeth murdered Banquo, and Macduff’s family, they were his own decisions. I think that he went solo because all of the predictions had been achieved, and now the supernatural has abandoned him. Before he could have blamed it on the supernatural but when he took matters into his own hands he was to blame. Macbeth starts to arouse suspicion as soon as he starts making decisions for himself and so, this is why he ends up dead because Banquo suspects him. You could say that all of the deaths in Macbeth were caused by the supernatural, because the witches had quite a lot to do with Macbeth, and the Murder of Duncan was directed by witchcraft. Macbeth was provoked by the witches and pressurised by his wife, who we know used witchcraft at some time during the play, and did carry out the actions herself, but we could say that it is not his fault. However, the witches may have just been making suggestions and so; Macbeth never had to follow them. After this of course, the murders are down to one man, Macbeth. I think that the supernatural does indeed lead to Macbeth’s downfall, but really, he is to blame, and becomes a monster. I think that the main reason is his own ambition.

Early Childhood Educational Philosophy

â€Å"It must be remembered that the purpose of education is not to fill the minds of students with facts †¦ it is to teach them to think, if that is possible, and always to think for themselves. † Robert Hutchins. It is very clear to me that a successful early childhood program must provide a safe and nurturing environment that promotes social, emotional, physical and cognitive development. Young children need a warm and inviting atmosphere to learn. Children must have their basic needs met before any learning can take place. Safety, nutrition, and shelter are a few needs which must be provided. Although early childhood centers may not directly provide these services outside the regular school day, administrators must connect with outside agencies in order to recommend and provide families with necessary services. Children need to be encouraged to express themselves though verbal communication, text/pictures, play, and through art. Children learn through manipulation of objects in their environment, creative play, and discovery of the world around them. It is through group play, role modeling, and through supportive teaching that children grow socially and emotionally. These group activities teach young children how to live, work and play together. Independent and guided problem solving and independent exploration help children gain greater independence. Children need both independent and teamwork skills to become a well rounded person Early childhood teachers need to understand that often they are the one person spending the majority of the time with the children they are teaching. Parents today are busy with work and trying to keep the household together. Released by the U. S. Census Bureau in November, 2009 there are approximately 13. 7 million single parent s in the United States today. These single parents are responsible for raising 21. 8 million children which is roughly 26% of children under 21 in the U. S. today. I strongly believe that early childhood teachers are responsible for forming a superior bond with each parent so they can work together to help each child grow as an individual, based on the child’s needs. A classroom is places where differences should be valued and children and their families are appreciated and respected. Each Classroom is diverse in many ways, including economically, and culturally. I believe each teacher, parent and administrator should be committed to promoting diversity in all its forms, including those related to racial and ethnic identity, gender, socioeconomic status, sexuality, age, family structure, religion, national origin and ability. I believe as educators we should actively seek to teach children tolerance of all forms of difference, and just as actively seek to dissuade children from bias about norms and stereotypes. Throughout the classroom as well as the center there should be displays that show diversity as a celebration of people, of differences and of ways of living. I believe in early childhood education the best form of assessment is performance records. Performance records are any documentation regarding the child’s development and learning. These records help the child care provider to notice patterns in a child’s behavior as well as learning patterns. It is important to document at various times of the day as well as with a variety of teacher directed and child directed activities. I feel in early childhood children develop at differently, some children develop faster than others and therefore standardize testing is not an accurate account of the children’s abilities. At this age in a child’s life children should not be measured against their peers. I believe that each child should be measured on an individual basis. I feel that the best approach to curriculum is the integrated curriculum approach which involves picking one topic that can be explored across more than one academic discipline. I do feel that children are going to be more interested if they have some choice in the topics. With preschool children they are at an age where they can express what they want. I feel that a teacher should include them in some of the topics they explore. Children should participate independently, with the entire group and cooperatively in small groups. Each day should be a balance of free-choice time and planned structured activities in specific time blocks. Activities throughout the day are either child-initiated or teacher-directed. This variety promotes independence, provides opportunities for children to practice and acquire social skills and fosters the development of a positive self-image. It is important for every teacher and administrator to remember that â€Å"In early childhood you may lay the foundation of poverty or riches, industry of idleness, good or evil, by the habits to which you train your children. Teach them right habits then and their future life is safe. † Lydia Sigourney. I truly believe that each child that walks into our lives is there for us to nurture and help grow and we may be the only one that is laying the foundations. We have a chance to change the life of every child that walks in our center.

Liberalism vs Conservatism essays

Liberalism vs Conservatism essays In the world of politics there are two very essential concepts that govern political thought and create policies and laws. These two concepts are conservatism and liberalism. Liberalism supports a more active role of government, policies to help minorities and the disadvantaged, higher spending and more regulation and policies to redistribute wealth through taxation. Conservatism supports a greater reliance on the free market, a market in which the disadvantaged and minorities can support themselves, fewer government regulations, and lower taxes. Liberalism and conservatism have been political ideas and thoughts from the very birth of our democracy. Their views and points of the governments role in a democratic society have changed over the years, but the basic ideas and principles have remained the same. There are many different degrees of liberalism and conservatism as almost anyone can be labeled. Some individuals are radical and extreme while others stand on more of a neutral te rritory, but the debates between the understood ideas of each group have continued throughout the history of the United States. Liberty, rights, justice and equality are ideals liberalists view as the most important aspects in the democracy of America. One cause for the break down of democracy in America stems from the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George Bush. Because of the Cold War era and the insecurities it brought to the American people, the administrations thought it was necessary to tighten down and take control. To do this they called for more powers to the executive branch. As a result, liberals began to see more of an authoritarian government take shape, and the term imperial presidency was created. . They also feel America has recently drawn away from these ideals and is therefore not as democratic as it once was or can be in the future. There are many issues, in wich liberals have their views to. Liberals are pro-...

Free Essays on Adoption

Adoption When a person decides to adopt, he takes the responsibility of raising a child who is not biologically his own. There are various reasons why people decide to adopt. Some say adoption is the best thing for certain children and many successful stories prove it to be true. However, there are also numerous tragic reports of adopted children being abused. â€Å"Basically, what adoption meant, and still means, is that someone (the adoptive couple) is promising to assume all responsibilities for taking care of someone else† (Powledge 4). How the adoptive parents go about raising the child is completely up to them. Although there are many different types of families in today’s society, one special kind of family that has become more and more common are the families created through adoption. There are various and somewhat difficult processes and laws concerning adoption. New laws are being created year after year to make this process easier and the outcome positive. Adoption is not exactly new; the idea of adopting has been around for a long time. â€Å"The oldest written set of laws is the Babylonian Code of Hammarabi, which contains a long, sophisticated section on adoption† (Benet 23). It is hard to pin point when and how adoption first originated but Governor Sir William Philips of Massachusetts was considered the first adoptive father in the original thirteen colonies, he adopted in 1693 (Academic XXI). Americans adopt more than 100,000 kids a year (Harnack 13). This may seem like a large number of adoptive families but there are still over 400,000 kids left in foster care or in shelters. With this in mind it seems like Americans should be desperate to place the homeless kids in a family. But through trial and error it has become known that only certain famil ies should be allowed to adopt and in some cases kids are better off left in foster care. â€Å"In 1917 Minnesota was the first state to require an agency or state welfare ... Free Essays on Adoption Free Essays on Adoption Adopting a child is an experience that promises to bring great joy as it changes a couple or individual’s life forever. But what happens if the mother of that child wants to endorse their child? Those are the issues that many adopting parents and birth-right mothers are facing today. Many biological mothers want their child back. There are many concerns for adopting parents to know- that there is the possibly that the birth mother may file for the child. As a birth mother or the adopting parent one must realize consequences that could lay ahead. The legal and social transfer of all parental right, responsibilities, and roles from one parent or parents, usually biological, to a nonbiological parent or parents is the definition of adoption. In such a transfer, adoptive parents accept the same rights and responsibilities as the child’s birth parents would have had, while the child becomes a member of a family that provides the social, emotional, and physical nurturing that children needs to grow up to be healthy, functioning adults. But there are some legal issues or opinions that can lead to a halting backfire in the adoption process. But, as the biological parent(s) and adopting parent(s), they must be ready for the quickly, approaching pros and cons. Throughout the adoption journey, the gardein must be prepared and know what is best for them and their child. There are many positive feedbacks to adoption. Children are in need of adoption because some birth parents are unable or unavailable to provide adequately for the needs of their child. Birth parents may feel they cannot take on the responsibility of an unplanned child because they are too young or because they are financially or emotionally unable to provide proper care. They do not feel ready or able to be good parents. Most adopting parents, although, feel confident that most birth-right mothers will not seize their child back. Chris Intagliata, a mother of two adopted... Free Essays on Adoption Adoption Ever since the Pharaoh’s daughter plucked the baby Moses from the bulrushes of the Nile and raised him as her son, adoption has been a part of our civilization (Lasnik 5). Every parent possesses certain rights and responsibilities to his or her child. The law grants these rights and imposes these responsibilities from the moment the child is born. If a parent does not wish to fulfill these obligations, they may opt to place their child up for adoption. Adoption is the legal process by which these rights and responsibilities are given to a person to whom is willing to take that child as their own, and love and care for that child that was not born unto them (Sifferman 1). Adoption is a topic that many are uniformed on. To truly understand adoption, one must understand topics such as, why people adopt, who can adopt, special adoptions, the overall adoption process, and post-adoption adjustments. One specialist talked about why someone would choose to adopt by saying â€Å"often times couples choose to look into adoption for a variety of reasons.† One reason may or may not be because a couple are not able to have a baby together and want to love and care for a child. Sometimes couples already have children of their own, but still want to adopt another child because they love children so much (Luther Online). Another specialist once emphasized that most adoptions are made because couples want to either start a family or expand a family. Although some adoptions take place because a couple may want to get a child out of a particular lifestyle and give him or her better opportunities in life (Goldstein 36). Sifferman has often commented on why a parent might choose to place their child up for adoption. There are many reasons why birthparents choose adoption. Many singles mothers feel their child could benefit from having two stable parents, so they choose to put their child up for adoption. Some couples choose to pu... Free Essays on Adoption Adoption When a person decides to adopt, he takes the responsibility of raising a child who is not biologically his own. There are various reasons why people decide to adopt. Some say adoption is the best thing for certain children and many successful stories prove it to be true. However, there are also numerous tragic reports of adopted children being abused. â€Å"Basically, what adoption meant, and still means, is that someone (the adoptive couple) is promising to assume all responsibilities for taking care of someone else† (Powledge 4). How the adoptive parents go about raising the child is completely up to them. Although there are many different types of families in today’s society, one special kind of family that has become more and more common are the families created through adoption. There are various and somewhat difficult processes and laws concerning adoption. New laws are being created year after year to make this process easier and the outcome positive. Adoption is not exactly new; the idea of adopting has been around for a long time. â€Å"The oldest written set of laws is the Babylonian Code of Hammarabi, which contains a long, sophisticated section on adoption† (Benet 23). It is hard to pin point when and how adoption first originated but Governor Sir William Philips of Massachusetts was considered the first adoptive father in the original thirteen colonies, he adopted in 1693 (Academic XXI). Americans adopt more than 100,000 kids a year (Harnack 13). This may seem like a large number of adoptive families but there are still over 400,000 kids left in foster care or in shelters. With this in mind it seems like Americans should be desperate to place the homeless kids in a family. But through trial and error it has become known that only certain famil ies should be allowed to adopt and in some cases kids are better off left in foster care. â€Å"In 1917 Minnesota was the first state to require an agency or state welfare ... Free Essays on Adoption At the present time, facing the issue of adoption ethics forces us to confront a highly uncomfortable situation. This case is especially true of international adoptions. A critical analysis of adoption practices as they relate to adoption within Canada as well as between Canada and Romania will follow. Encompassed within this will be the changing trends that have occurred with regards to the rights of the child and privacy of information exchanged between the adopting parties. In this field the rights of the child are not always clear cut and obvious. In recent years, the issue of opening sealed adoption records has presented a challenge to secrecy and anonymity. The implications for community rehabilitation practitioners are numerous. Nowhere has a shift of values and powers been more apparent than in the practice of adoption. Intercountry Adoption Intercountry adoption has become an important social policy issue in Canada. Almost unheard of until post World War II period, the numbers have grown from less than 10 a year when records were first kept in 1970 (Altstein, 1991) to an estimate of more than 2400 a year in 2001 (Tepper, T. et al. 2002). This means that nonrelative adoptions in Canada are now as likely to involve children who were born outside of Canada as those born within Canada. Most of the children from out-of-country have a different racial background. The question for policymakers, service deliverers, prospective adoptive parents, and biological parents deciding whether to relinquish their child, is whether there is enough information exchanged or not in the best interests of the child. With the increase in the number of children being adopted internationally, and the shift in the primary motivation for adoption, discussion has surfaced with respect to what Tizard (1991) has called the â€Å"morality† of intercountry adoption. Three major positions have emerged in the debate; one which opposes intercountry adoption,...

Tips for Building Better Work Relationships

Tips for Building Better Work Relationships Better work relations can make going to work a pleasurable experience no matter where you are in your current career path. Even if you already love the job that you do, improving the relationships with others around you will increase both your personal and professional level of fulfillment. These six tips will help you in building better work relationships. 1. Positive Body LanguageSmile, stand up straight, and look people in the eye. Show interest and be engaged when you are communicating with others instead of simultaneously checking your email when they are talking to you. According to psychologist Albert Mehrabian, 93% of our communication is non-verbal, so make sure that you display a friendly demeanor and have approachable body language.2. SocializeSocializing doesn’t have to mean going to happy hour every Friday with your coworkers, but you do need to participate in company events. Take your boss up on that lunch invitation, even if it means you will be working a little bit later that day. Being an active participant shows interest and investment in your company.3. Be Helpful to EveryonePleasing your boss and clients are important, but extending yourself beyond your department is also an important part of building work relationships outside your current network. If you have a slow day, reach out to someone in another department that you don’t come in day to day contact with to see if they could use your help.4. Avoid GossipAvoiding bad habits is just as important as having good ones. Do not partake in activities that revolve around negative comments and behaviors towards others. Spreading rumors is unkind and will also give you a reputation as untrustworthy, making it difficult to build relationships.5. Be HonestHonesty is the foundation of any good relationship including ones with your coworkers, supervisors, and clients. Inevitably you will be asked to perform a task you don’t know how to do. Just make sure you tell your client or supervisor that you will research it and get back to them, but don’t give them information that is not correct. If you cannot make a deadline, then always be upfront instead of making promises you know will be almost impossible for you to follow through on. You will gain a lot of respect from others if you are an honest person they can depend on.6. Be GraciousCarry out all of your tasks graciously. Asking someone for help on something can be a difficult thing for many people. When someone reaches out to you, and you agree to assist them, do so graciously. If you have a negative attitude towards helping someone, they will pick up on it. It will not only make them sorry that they reached out to you, but it will also steer others away from you.Final ThoughtsBuilding better work relationships is a balance between verbal and non-verbal communication that requires you to invest your time in yourself and others. According to Anthony Robbins, â€Å"The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.† The investment you make will give you and others around you tons of personal fulfillment, besides creating a reputation for yourself that makes your coworkers, clients, and supervisors come to you for anything they need.

Analysis of online community Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Analysis of online community - Thesis Proposal Example But it is vital that all of us ask this from ourselves. Is this all really for the ‘good’? Should we keep allowing eradication of family and moral values in the name of technology? It is time we start considering the real issues that we face from technology. In this paper we will discuss Facebook and why how much popular it is among the young generation of today. We will also discuss the problems social networking in general and Facebook in particular is causing to the society. Facebook is posing great danger to human society and is destroying the youth by engaging them in futile activities and hindering intellectual development of younger generation. The internet age has provided the world with newer activities. It has contributed to a change in daily life. People prefer to use internet technology to communicate with each other instead of meeting people in person. Now the generation that has been born in the age of technology generally prefers to communicate through internet. This generation is also technology oriented therefore they want to make their lives easier. Companies have made use of this technology to cater to this market. Many online games and social networking sites have come up in order to provide entertainment to the people that are technology oriented. In this wave of internet activities many social networking sites have also come up and the most famous social networking site of today is Facebook. The social networking site has 700 million users worldwide (Paul para 1). This number shows how popular the networking site is throughout the world. It has attracted people through its unique feature. People can upload and share pictures, and the status sharing feature is particularly famous among the young people. It has actually given the young generation everything they wanted. They can talk to their friends share pictures and upload videos. It has actually catered to the demands of the younger generation and