As I lay dying Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

As I lay dying - Essay Example Darl is not only a deep thinker, but very observant youth.(Wagner 1973) He immediately emerges as a unique character with what might amount to clairvoyance . Early on the reader is aware of this when Darl describes his younger brother Jewel who is behind him. He is able to discern that: â€Å"Jewel, fifteen feet behind me, looking straight ahead, steps in a single stride through the window. Still staring straight ahead, his pale eyes like wood set into his wooden face, he crosses the floor in four strides.’†(Faulkner 2000 p3) Be that as it may, Darl appears to be the sharper of the Bundrens and his philosophical nature may have confined him to a somewhat dreamy existence. While he says little, he is often times engaged in deep thought. It is indeed ironic that for a boy who has little to say, Darl conducts at least nineteen monologues throughout Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying. ‘†What you want, Darl?† Dewey Dell said, not stopping the fan, speaking up quick, keeping even him from her. He didnt answer. He just stood and looked at his dying mother, his heart too full for words†. (Faulkner 2000 p 26). It is the fear of the power associated with Darl’s clairvoyance that ultimately accounts for his family’s decision to send him to a mental institution. Darl alienates himself from the community and others fear getting too close to him. The fear is grounded in their knowledge that he will learn some ugly, hidden truth. A truth they do not wish to share with others. It is ultimately this fear that drives his family to have him committed to an institution for the mentally impaired by the end of the novel. Darl’s detachment and estrangement from his family after his mother’s death is explained by Darl in the following passage: "It is as though the space between us were time: an irrevocable quality. It is as though time, no longer running straight before us in a diminishing line, now runs

Reading the Text of the Photograph Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reading the Text of the Photograph - Essay Example The mother’s eyes are directed outside the window where she could be looking at something which caught her attention – or could just be lost in her thoughts. They both appear to be pensive as both their lips are curved downwards. Both are wearing white which glow as the sun shines on them. Two throw pillows neatly covered by a weaved pattern appear beside the mother, with one pillow directly providing cushion to her back. To their back, at the upper left portion of the photograph appears a top thin table containing picture frames which are about nine in number. There are bigger frames, numbering three, which are mounted on the wall above the thin table. Most of the background is obscured in contrast to the bright light focused on the mother and child. It is possible that this picture is taken either late morning (almost near noontime) – or immediately after lunch. The photographer could possibly be a member of the family – the father, or brother, or even a sister who wanted to capture the lazy, reposed mood of the members. It is possible that mother and child did not expect their photos to be taken, as they remain sober and melancholy. This photograph is taken inside an auditorium where two prominently seated men are close to the photographer. A total of seven men are clearly seen in this photo – all smiling. These men could be batch mates or members of an all male organization; maybe a fraternity or a professional civic organization. It is eminent that these men are viewing someone, possible a colleague or a person with great humor. There were not viewing a film as their eyes were not focused on a movie screen – but rather on someone directly in front of them. They could possibly be listening to a guest speaker or a batch mate talking about his previous experiences. The man on the right front seat was holding a snack (possible filled with peanuts) and he was seated in a slouching position

Identifying Leadership Theories And Applying Reflection Nursing Essay

Identifying Leadership Theories And Applying Reflection Nursing Essay There are almost as many different definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept ( Stodill, 1974:p.259).   Dubrin (2000) states that there 35,000 definitions of leadership in academic literature (Pye, 2005: p.32). Leadership is an art a performing art and the instrument is the self.   The mastery of the art of leadership comes from the mastery of the self .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jim Kouzes Gary Yukl in his sixth edition of Leadership In Organizations hope that, his book has seeded many ideas and questions, which will grow in the classroom , but more importantly, will find fuller meaning and come to life when the reader is engaged in the practice of leadership at work. When thinking about leadership styles one thing to consider is what defines a good leader.   Hood (2010) suggests that an effective leader influences and encourages others to achieve goal setting and goal attainment.   A good leader recognizes that there is always something new to learn.   Effective leaders set direction, build commitment and confront challenges through clear communication and soliciting staff feedback (http://www.oppaper.com/Leadership-Roles-In-Nursing).   Carroll (2005) proposed the following six most important attributes for nursing leaders: personal integrity, strategic vision and personal survival attributes,, management and technical competencies, people skills team-building and communication skills , and. action orientation It is clear so far that the definition of leadership depends on whom you ask.   Houser Player ( 2004 ) concluded in their study, amoung a dozen of nurse leaders as, nurse leaders did share common characteristics such as thoughtful, responsive, committed, creative, resilient, visionary, scholarly, courageous and innovative.   Tan (2006) means the idea of leadership as, influencing followers to do what is necessary to achieve organizational and societal goals. Two types of leadership are particularly relevant for nurse leaders.   Transformational leadership authentic leadership (Clark, 2009, p.17).   In transformal leadership mainly three elements contribute to help nurse leaders to create a tone and standard of practice for healthy work environment are Effective communication, collaborative relationships and shared decision making among nurses (Heath, Johanson et al, 2004).   American Association of Critical-care Nurses (2005) made a commitment to promote healthy work environment in the bias of authentic leadership are safe, healing, humane and respectful for patient, their families and nurses.   They concluded in their study as it is not too easy to become an authentic leader, moreover, it needs higher levels of organizational support. Perhaps It is identified in their study that authentic leadership as one of the six standards that are crucial to creating and sustaining healthy work environment. Among health care professionals, nurses are especially aware of the importance of reflective practice (Duffy, 2007; Manthey, 2001 et al).   Just as important is the practice of reflective leadership (Deutsch Sherwood, 2008).   By Oestreich (2009) reflective leaders are critically aware of how they connect with others, where they are in the progress of their own and organizational goals and how they are opening paths for clear Communication and goal fulfillment.   Drucker (1996, p.9) states that, great leaders have to walk alone sometimes. such aloneness can facilitate reflection.   Qualitative researchers speak of participant observation as a method of more distant reflection. Reflection benefits the individual leader, but more than that, can become spread with in the organization. Transformal leadership has been evidenced to be positively associated with followers commitment to improvement and change (Herold, Fedor et al., 2008).One of the important characteristics of a transformal leader is reflection (Marshall Coughlin,2010). Reflective Practice was introduced by Donald Schon in his book The Reflective Practitioner in 1983.   There are different models of reflection in practice.   In that I would like to discuss about the two models of reflection Gibbs model, 1988 Johns model, 1995.      GIBBS MODEL OF REFLECTION 1988 Gibbs model is a cyclic process of reflection, in that a practitioner describes the experience and must evaluate and analysis of how they were feeling during the experience.   By the evaluation and analysis of the emotions associated with the situation give the practitioner a chance to understand the situation and come to a conclusion of what else could be done, or what other options could have been taken.   Most importantly,in Gibbs model of reflection the final stage is the formulation of action plan, that give an idea about what actions would be taken if the situation happened again (W http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflective_practice). JOHNS MODEL It is a structured mode of reflection that provides a practitioner with a guide to gain greater understanding.   In this model of reflection, reflection carried out through the act of sharing of emotions with colleague or a mentor and it provides a faster rate of learning than reflection alone.   In order to achieve reflection looking in on ones thoughts and emotions and looking out at the situation experienced are important steps in this model of reflection.   Mainly five patterns of learning are included in to the guided reflection, that are the practitioners analysis about the aesthetic, personal, ethical, empirical, and the reflexive elements experienced through the situation. REASONS TO PREFER JOHNS MODEL OVER GIBBS MODEL I recommend Johns model of reflection is better than that of Gibbs model because, in Johns model practitioner get an opportunity to share with a colleague or mentor, about their thoughts and emotions of their own and about the situation experienced.   It seems to me that by the sharing of emotions definitely, we will get a clear cut idea about the feelings of the self and about the situation in a faster rate. Looking in and looking out become easier when the structured questions shared between a colleague or an experienced person.   But in Gibbs model of reflection, importance is for the evaluation and analysis of the emotions associated with the situation experienced and there is no sharing of ideas or emotions with anybody.   I feel that with out the sharing of emotions reflection occurs in a slower rate. LEADERSHIP THEORIES Historical development of leadership theories (1900-Present) P.37 The Great man Theory / Trait Theories (1900-1940) Researchers give importance to certain characteristics or personality traits of some people and assume that these traits make them better leaders than others. Moreover the effect of followers and the impact of the situation were ignored. Behavioural   Theories (1940-1980) During human relations era , researchers moved away from studying about the traits of a leader and give importance to their styles of leadership.   A major breakthrough occurred when Lewin(1951) and White and Lippitt (1960) isolated common leadership styles. Later, these styles came to be called authorisation, democratic and laissez-faire. Authorisation which is when the leader takes full control, Democratic is when the leader involves a team approach ; and Laissez-faire where the leader provides little to no direction (Hood, 2010). Situational and Contingency Leadership Theories (1950-1980)   In according to this theory leadership style should vary according to the situation or the individual involved. Authoritarian leadership results in well-defined group actions that are usually predictable, reducing frustration in the work group and giving members a feeling of security.   Productivity is usually high, but creativity, self motivation, and autonomy are reduced.   Authoritarian leadership, useful in crisis situations.  Ã‚   At the same time Democratic leadership, appropriate for groups who work together for extended periods, promotes autonomy and growth in individual workers.   This type of leadership is particularly effective when coordination between groups is necessary.   The Laissez-fair leadership is non directed leadership, the laissez- fair style can be frustrating; group apathy and disinterest can occur. Interactional Leadership Theories (1970-Present) The basic premise of interactional theory is that leadership behaviour is generally determined by the relationship between the leaders personality and the specific situation. To be successful, the leader must diagnose the situation and select appropriate strategies from a large repertoire of skills.   Leadership effectiveness, according to Hollander, requires the ability to use the problem solving process;   maintain group effectiveness; communicate well; demonstrate leader fairness, competence, dependability, and creativity; and develop group identification. Transactional and Transformational Leadership The transactional leader sets goals, give directions, and uses rewards to reinforce employee behaviours associated with meeting or exceeding established goals (Mc Guire and Kennerly,2006, p.180).   Transformational leaders have a view of   the future that will excite and convert potential followers (changingminds.org,2002-2006, para 3). Transformational leadership is defined as, One   who inspires and empowers everyone with the vision of what could be possible (Hood,2010, p 460).  Ã‚   Although transformational qualities are highly desirable, they must be coupled with the more traditional qualities of the day-to-day managerial role.   Both sets of characteristics need to be present in the same person in different degrees.   According to Bass and colleagues, the transformational leader will fail without traditional management skills.   Johns (2004) maintains that transactional traditional leadership is a deliberate process of seeking insight in self and practice in orde r to create conditions that foster the realization of desirable practice.

William Faulkners Barn Burning Essay -- Faulkner Barn Burning

William Faulkner's Barn Burning William Faulkner, recognized as one of the greatest writers of all time, once made a speech as he accepted his Nobel prize for writing in which he stated that a great piece of writing should contain the truths of the heart and the conflicts that arise over these truths. These truths were love, honor, pity, pride, compassion and sacrifice. Truly it would be hard to argue that a story without these truths would be considered even a good story let alone a great one. So the question brought forward is whether Faulkner uses his own truths of the heart to make his story "Barn Burning." Clearly the answer to this question is yes; his use of the truths of the heart are prevalent throughout the story and to illustrate this to the reader we will focus in on two of them love and pride. There are many places throughout the story which love clearly comes in conflict with morality, kinship, and even other truths of the heart. The first of these, and probably the most dramatic, is in the first few paragraphs of the story. A young boy named Sarty, who is the son of Abner Snopes, the barn burner of the story, is called to the stand to testify about his father's behavior. On his way to the stand the reader is clued into what the boy is thinking and it is very clear he is feircely aligned with his father or his "blood kin." As he approaches the stand Sarty has many thoughts running through his head about how the Judge is the enemy "our enemy he thought in that despair; ourn! Mine and hisn both! He's my father!" (Faulkner 161) It is clear that the love of his father is getting in the way of his thoughts of morality because he is almost willing to lie for his father. However Sarty nearly confesses that... ...t to enter, he tells him to "get out of my way"(Faulkner 166) as he steps into the house and tracks his horse manure all over their very expensive rug. Then when the lady of the house tells him to leave he quickly obeys her after swiveling around on his heel to grind the fecal matter in even further. As he is leaving he once again makes a derogatory remark to the butler. This is probably when Abner's motivation becomes the most clear. He only feels superior to blacks in which case meant everyone else around him was somehow superior and therefore he felt as though every action they took was a threat to him and damaged his pride in himself which forced him to retaliate the only way he knew how, burning barns. Citations Faulkner, William. Barn Burning. Literature A Portable Anthology. Ed. Janet E Gardner, et al. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2004. 161-175

Banning Guns Is Not the Answer: Gun Control Is

Banning Guns Is Not the Answer: Gun Control Is Gun control is and has been a controversial issue for many years. Many American citizens believe that if gun control is strictly enforced it would quickly reduce the threat of crime. Some people believe that gun control is a plot to take away guns. Other People state they would not be able to hunt. Many citizens want to be able to protect their home or family. The Second amendment grants Americans the right to bear arms. Many people believe that with gun control it would be harder for dangerous people to get guns. Gun control may lead to mutual agreement. As an American you have the right to bear arms. But not everyone should have the right to own a gun. In order to clearly understand why some gun control may be the answer it is important to understand the history of gun control. Many gun control activists believe that the solution is simple; ban all guns and there won’t be any crimes committed with guns. This solution seems to be simple and could quickly be implemented. There are a lot of people that know this would never work. Criminals appear to have the association to sleazy persons to get guns. A criminal does not care if the crime he or she is committing is with an illegal weapon or not. The criminal is already committing a crime, having an illegal weapon is not going to encourage or discourage the action of the criminal. A majority of crimes committed with guns are committed with illegally bought firearms. If the law were to ban guns completely the only people that would not have guns are the laws abiding citizens who want to protect themselves. The U. S. Department of Justice reported in 1992 offenders armed with handguns committed a record 931,000 violent crimes. Handgun crimes accounted for about 13% of all violent crimes. From 1987 to 1992 victims reported an annual average of about 341,000 incidents of firearm theft. Enforcing gun banishing is not going to have an effect on the crime rate, because it will not keep criminals from purchasing or stealing weapons. If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. Many people say the government is plotting to take away guns. That statement is a chant by extremist. Research found this was opinion only and bore no valid facts. Unfortunately these types of people do get attention. However, one must keep in mind that there are radicals on both sides of the picture. While on group states taking away our guns is a overnment plot, the other group believes these people are plotting to kill Americans. Until the middle of the 20th century, most constitutional scholars held a Collective Rights position. They believed that the Second Amendment only protects the collective right of the states to maintain armed militias. This is regarded as the liberal stance. Conserv ative scholars hold an Individual Rights position. They believe that the Second Amendment also grants an individual's right to own guns as personal, private property, and that many restrictions on buying and carrying guns unconstitutionally impede individual rights. The National Rifle Association (NRA)’s mission is the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights. The NRA also promotes firearm ownership rights marksmanship, firearm safety, the protection of hunting, and self-defense in the United States. The NRA has many supporters (lawyers, politicians, actors †¦) that work to ensure people the right to be able to hunt and that Citizens will be able to protect their home and family. The NRA actively supports the second amendment. The Second amendment grants Americans the right to bear arms. The Second Amendment reads: â€Å"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. † There are many lawsuits that have been filed against the second amendment. Not many of the cases against the second amendment have been won. Many key acts have been produced. The history of gun control is important to understand. While many disagree with gun control it is obvious why there is some type of gun control needed. Listed are Acts that have been passed in respect to gun control: †¢In 1934 the â€Å"National Firearms Act† was passed. This law imposed a tax on the sale of machine guns and short-barrel firearms. This law was initiated in reaction to public rage over gangster activity. The main reason for this act was to stop American gangsters who were members of a crime syndicate organizations dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging of liquor and other illegal activities during the Prohibition Era of the 1920s and 1930s. †¢In 1938 the â€Å"Federal Firearms Act† required licensing of gun dealers. †¢The assassinations of John F. and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr brought political focus on U. S. gun control laws. In 1968 the â€Å"Gun Control Act† expanded laws to include licensing and record-keeping; banned felons and the mentally ill from buying guns; and banned the mail order sale of guns. †¢In 1993 Brady Bill implemented the creation of a system to complete background checks to help prohibit domestic violence. †¢In 1972 â€Å"The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms† was created to oversee federal regulation of guns. †¢1986 the â€Å"Firearms Owners Protection Act† eased some gun sale restrictions, reflecting the growing influence of the NRA under President Reagan. In 1993 the â€Å"Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act requires gun dealers to run background checks on purchasers. This Act establishes a national database of prohibited gun owners. †¢In 1994 the â€Å"Violent Crime Control Act† banned the sale of new assault weapons for ten years. The Act was sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Rep. Carolyn Mc Carthy (D-NY), However, the Republican-led Congress allowed the law expire in 2004. †¢In 2003 the â€Å"Tiahrt Amendment† protects gun dealers and manufacturers from certain lawsuits. †¢In 2007 the National Instant Criminal Background Check System was initiated. Congress was able to close loopholes in the national database after the mass shooting at Virginia Tech University. Banning guns is not the answer. As Americans, our forefathers created the second amendment for a reason. Times have not changed enough that we can completely feel safe in our homes. Many people believe that by banning guns it would be harder for dangerous people to get guns. But the fact is criminals will still be able to acquire guns. Banning of guns, as shown above by the U. S. Department of Justice, would not reduce crime. Hunters do have the right to hunt for food and pleasure. Americans do have the right to protect their home and family. As an American you have the right to bear arms. But not everyone should have the right to own a gun. Gun control, not banning of guns needs to be the answer. Reference: U. S. Department of Justice, http://www. ojp. usdoj. gov/bjs/guns. htm, accessed 29-11-2009. US Liberals, Pros and Cons, http://usliberals. about. com/od/patriotactcivilrights/i/ProConGunLaws. htm, 28-11-2009. National Rifle Association, http://home. nra. org/#/home, 29 11 2009.

Cherry orchard vs. endgame essays

Cherry orchard vs. endgame essays Three men: a Greek philosopher, a Russian playwright, and an Irish man who speaks English but writes in French (kind of absurd isnt it?) are standing in line at a vending machine. The Greek philosopher, upon realizing that he doesnt have any quarters, turns to the others in line and asks, Can either of you change a five? The Russian playwright and the native Irishman, who now lives in Paris where he writes in French and then painstakingly translates his works into English by himself (what is this guys deal?), look at each other pensively for a moment and then say, No. Get it? In both Anton Chekhovs The Cherry Orchard and Samuel Becketts Endgame there is a complete lack of change in any of the characters lives. Under normal circumstances this lack of one of the most important elements of theatre would result in two plays that are utterly worthless and simply not deserving of the effort that one would expend while reading them. However, these are not normal circumstances, and these are certainly not your everyday, average playwrights. In both plays, the absence of any change is a deliberate choice that each author has made. In The Cherry Orchard the characters simply refuse to accept that the world around them is changing, and therefore never undergo any changes themselves while in Endgame Beckett uses numerous ambiguous elements to simply prevent any change from being achievable. Chekhovs manifests the absence of change in The Cherry Orchard through the characters simple refusal to change. The dialogue in the beginning of the play informs the reader that the Cherry Orchard and the estate must be sold because of Lyubov Andreevna Ranevskayas and the rest of the familys inability to pay their debts. From this simple circumstance the reader can infer that Ranevskaya was once wealthy but no longer is. This leads to another important factor of the p...

7 Reasons to Become an Occupational Therapy Assistant

7 Reasons to Become an Occupational Therapy Assistant You might be familiar with what an occupational therapist does, but you might not be aware of what an occupational therapy assistant does- or even that such a position exists. But this crucial role does exist and open positions are actually on the rise across the country. It’s one of the most in-demand jobs out there in the health care field. If you still need convincing, here are a few of the many great reasons to become a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA).1. Increasing Quality of LifeMost people don’t value their ability to do the normal day-to-day functions; they just do them. Occupational therapy assistants help patients who have been injured, disabled, or otherwise lost function through age or disease. And when their patients are able to perform even the most basic functions- which contribute so much to quality of life- it is a major victory. Their contributions are enormous in people’s lives and help them rebuild confidence and meaning in thei r lives.2. Working with the Whole PersonPlenty of health care professionals don’t have the kind of quality time to deal with their patients as people. COTAs, on the other hand, have a special patient-provider relationship that deepens and develops over time. They get to watch their patients do something today that they couldn’t do yesterday, and keep helping them to better their daily lives.3. Working with AnyoneCOTAs are not restricted to working only with one age group. They’re able to work with pediatrics, geriatrics, and everything in between. For sheer diversity of clients, this job cannot be beat.4. Responsibility and OversightA lot of jobs give you tons of responsibility, but very little oversight. COTAs work closely with OTs, which means they almost always have help, while still directing much of their own one-on-one work with their patients.5. Creative PotentialAn OTA never finds their job dull. It requires a great deal of creative thinking and guarante es that no two days will be the same. There are even a wide range of toys and smartphone apps to help both patient and provider.6. High DemandOTAs are in high demand. Nearly 80% of OTAs find a job within six months of graduating from a program. You can usually find work with just an associate’s degree, and salaries are on the rise.7. Low StressNot only is there great job security in this field, with COTA roles growing faster than the national average, the day-to-day work remains rather low-stress in comparison with other health care jobs. And is overwhelmingly rewarding.