Under the Gaslight: The Character of Laura Courtland Essay -- Under th

Under the Gaslight: The Character of Laura Courtland Under the Gaslight does indeed "acknowledge 'luck' or 'chance' or 'fate,' but it reinforces the importance of individual character at the same time that it suggests that integrity is not an absolute stay against the vicissitudes of circumstance" (159). This idea is mainly supported through the character of Laura Courtland--a symbol of both sides of the nature versus nurture debate. Laura was born into a prominent, upper class family, the Courtlands. Her mother, Mary, in particular is a kind and generous woman who instinctively knows when she has "a duty to perform" and acts on it (164). Laura seems to have inherited this determined and honorable manner. She has higher standards than the society she lives in. Regarding love, she realizes that true love is about loving what is on the inside and is not based on looks, class, or wealth. She says, "How happy must those women be who are poor and friendless, and plain, when some true heart comes and says 'I wish to marry you!''' (165). Laura is, as the saying goes, "...

Theme and Symbolism in American Music Essay -- Music Communication Ess

Theme and Symbolism in American Music Music defines our culture. As Americans, we listen to music while we drive our cars, are at work, doing housework, studying, etc. We have songs for special occasions: Christmas, Hanukah, birthdays, weddings, parties, etc. We have taken songs from the various cultures that make us diverse: Arabic, German, Mexican, Native American, etc. We have many genres: country, hip-hop, rap, pop, blues, jazz, rock, heavy metal, etc. And although we may think of music as simple and easy, looking at all this makes one realize how diverse and complex our music truly is. Two things that contribute to this diversity are theme and symbolism. Theme can be defined as the subject or topic of something. In relation to songs this would be the subject the author is concerned with in that particular song. By far, it is safe to say that the most popular theme in music is love. Whether it is finding love, the lack of love, lost love, or any other sub-topic of love, you will find countless songs dedicated to love. Interesting enough, the theme of love can be found in ...

Crime and Punishment as a Polyphonic Novel :: Crime Punishment Essays

The term 'polyphony' was introduced into literary theory by Mikhail Bakhtin in his à Ãƒ °Ãƒ ®Ãƒ ¡Ãƒ «Ãƒ ¥Ãƒ ¬Ãƒ » à ¯Ãƒ ®Ãƒ ½Ãƒ ²Ãƒ ¨Ãƒ ªÃƒ ¨ Äà ®Ãƒ ±Ãƒ ²Ãƒ ®Ãƒ ¥Ãƒ ¢Ãƒ ±Ãƒ ªÃƒ ®Ãƒ £Ãƒ ®. The polyphonic novel is dialogic rather than monologic; this means that multiple voices can be heard, and each voice represents an alternative version of 'the truth'. (NB. The use of dialogue as a formal device does not make a novel polyphonic in the Bakhtinian sense; genuine polyphony entails a sense of ambivalence, a situation where the different voices compete with one another and represent alternative viewpoints between which the reader cannot make a straightforward choice.) In Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov is the main focalizer: his point of view is adopted by the third-person narrator almost throughout (exceptions include a small number of episodes involving Svidrigaylov, and the relatively impersonal first chapter of the the Epilogue). The reader is thus allowed access into Raskolnikov's inner world, and although third-person narration is used, the novel as a whole comes close to being the central character's interior monologue. Nevertheless, there is also a strong tendency towards dialogue. This has several manifestations: (1) Actual dialogues between characters are of central importance in shaping not only the events but also Raskolnikov's mental processes; in relation to Raskolnikov, the other characters with their distinctive voices all represent alternative truths and alternative points of view. The other characters, and their ideas and values, are perceived through the prism of Raskolnikov's consciousness: their voices echo in his mind, and he reacts to the ideas put forward by these external voices, often entering into a mental dialogue with them. (2) Raskolnikov also conducts an endless dialogue with himself (frequently addressing himself in the second person); the voice of his shrewd intellect alternates with the voice of conscience, and a lucid understanding of his situation coexists with unaccountable (even contradictory) emotional reactions. (3) The reader also has access to Raskolnikov's subconscious mind (the voice of the subconscious) in the context of his nightmarish visions (see especially chapters I:5 and III:6) In all, Raskolnikov's mind becomes a battlefield where a number of different internal and external voices (representing different ideas and world-views, or different facets of Raskolnikov's personality) keep vying for supremacy.

Capital Punishment is Necessary :: Papers

Capital Punishment is Necessary Capital punishment is necessary in order for justice to prevail. Capital punishment is the execution of criminals for committing crimes that is in regard as so bad that death is the only acceptable punishment. Capital punishment servers to lower the murder rate, but also has value as a form of retribution. Its fairness is determined by the judicial system. As a form of punishment, it saves money when compared to a life sentence. The death penalty deters murder and puts the fear of death into would be killers. A person is less likely to kill, if he fears a possible sentence for his action. Another way the death penalty may help deter murder is the fact that if the killer is death, he or she will not be able to kill again. There are two different opinions on the death penalty. There are those who think that murders deserve to live and serve a life sentence in jail, and those who are supporters of the death penalty as a form of revenge. Both groups want to make examples out of offenders so that the threat of death will be enough to deter from capitol offenses. Some people prefer to give the murder life in prison. Others argue that the punishment does not out the crime. In support of their position, they point the fact that many prisoners do not serve their full sentence. Some prisoners even live very comfortable. Thus burdening taxpayers with the cost of their incarceration some people feel that it is ok and others feel that criminals live in prison off of other people's hard money. In the ending, criminals must think about consequences before they kill someone. To give a killer the death penalty would reassure the family of victims as well as the problems.

Effects Of Creatine Essay -- essays research papers

The Effects of Creatine   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Creatine has been used in sports throughout time. Athletes have always had a fascination with being excellent at what they do. With the banning of steroids from competitive sports and the implementation of random drug testing in most sports, most athletes are still somehow hoping to gain an edge on their competition. This edge that they are using is creatine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to understand how creatine works, we must discover what creatine is. Creatine is an energy producing nutrient found in our bodies. It is synthesized from three amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine. These amino acids are primarily found in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys. It is also consumed in our everyday diets from fish, meat and other animal products. Creatine is not considered an essential nutrient in our diets. In general, we consume approximately one gram of creatine per day in our diets (www.healthlink.mcw.edu).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Creatine helps provide the energy our muscles need to move, especially movements that are quick and explosive. Approximately ninety five percent of the body’s creatine supply is found in the skeletal muscles (www.pacific-nutrition.com). The other five percent is spread throughout the body, but mainly found in the heart, brain and testes. Creatine is easily absorbed from the intestinal tract into the blood stream.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Creatine was first discovered in 1832 by a French scientist, Cevreul. In 1847, it was noticed that the meat from foxes killed in the wild had ten times more creatine than meat from inactive foxes. The conclusion from this was that creatine accumulates in muscles due to physical activity. It was discovered in the early twentieth century that not all creatine consumed was excreted in the urine, but in fact, stored in the body. In 1912, researchers found that ingesting creatine can dramatically boost the creatine content of muscle. Fiske and Subbarow discovered creatine phosphate in 1927, and determined that creatine is a key player in the metabolism of skeletal muscle. Most studies focusing on creatine and sports performance have only been done since the early 1990’s (www.pacific-nutrition.com).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When we use our muscles everyday we use oxygen to make energy. This energy is created by breaking... ...rity. It claims to increase muscle strength and to delay fatigue, allowing athletes to train harder and longer. Companies promoting creatine supplements also claim that creatine can help burn fat and increase muscle mass. Annual sales of creatine in the United States alone are well over $100 million (Performance Enhancing Substances). Although creatine use in athletes is expected to increase because it is not on the list of banned substances as of yet, it is possibly going to be banned from professional sports, as well as NCAA sports, as early as next year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I feel like creatine is great and should not be banned. How are athletes going to gain a competitive edge without a supplement that will allow their muscles to train harder? I have used creatine and I am still currently using creatine. I have seen the gains in muscle mass already only after two weeks of taking creatine. Drinking plenty of water is the key. As long as you take creatine as suggested, there should be no problems. There are no known serious side effects, therefore, I don’t think that creatine should be banned. Creatine is a great supplement for athletes to gain that competitive edge!

School Dress Code

School uniforms give the identity of the school. A certain design, style of a uniform initially gives an impression about the school. Usually, schools which require their student to wear coat and tie every day are dubbed as the exclusive schools. In America, those schools which have uniforms are private schools and somehow provide a status symbol for people. The aesthetics of a school uniform is just a bonus. A school uniform provides formality in education. This is why the teachers and the staff in an educational institution also wear uniforms. However, the public schools in the country do not require their students to wear uniforms. Instead, they just wear casual clothes to school (Brunsma, 2004, p. 50). The importance of having school uniforms is highlighted when it comes to the safety of the students. It is relevant that the student be given school uniform for easier identification when outside of the school campus. A modified school uniform per year level will also help. An example of this would be providing color-coded ribbons for each grade school. This will better help in identifying the students especially in a big school. In school gatherings and announcements, this helps in organizing the students in such big events (Brunsma, 2004, p. 55). When outside the campus, a student in uniform can easily be identified if he or she should be in or outside the campus. Once caught, the school can easily take action for the student's wrongdoings. Thus, uniforms help make the administration's jobs easier in maintaining the discipline of the students. It will also give the students a second thought on cutting classes and doing nasty things especially when they are carrying their school's name. Although this may be just a glitch, the problem that will probably be faced in having a school uniform is that it will somehow give more schoolwork to the institution. With these being said, it is just important that schools have uniforms. The above reasons are more than enough to justify the importance of school uniforms.

Communication and Social Work Essay

This essay will identify and discuss key communication skills in the context of social work practice. The importance of communication skills will be acknowledged by talking about three different skills of communication. The subjects discussed will be non-verbal communication, effective listening and questions, what these skills are and why they are important. It is essential for a professional social worker to hold effective communicative skills as one will encounter people from all different walks of life and the aim to treat a service user as an individual and enable empowerment is paramount to meeting a person’s needs. There is also the need to communicate effectively with colleagues, agencies, professional bodies and the accuracy of one’s communication is essential if the possibility of appearing in court was to be encountered. Communication within social work practise is essential in the way of addressing a person’s needs to enable improvement on one’ s quality of life. Effective communication can build trust, respect and self esteem and this can help a service user to becoming more independent. Good communication skills can also create psychological safety and aid a person to retain and establish links with friends, family and society. (Moonie, 2000). Buggins, Cornwall and Cunnane discuss that psychological safety is created in leadership so staff are able to discuss and raise issues that are of concern without fear (2013). Transferring this to the context of a social worker and a service user can enable the service user to engage in a more open conversation with a feeling that one is being viewed as trying to rectify mistakes instead of being seen as incompetent. There are different elements of communication and a distinct part is non-verbal communication, such as body language, how one dresses, timekeeping for example being too early or too late, touch, distance between people, eye contact and face expression. (Cooper, Lymbery, Ruch and Wilson 2011) Face to face contact with service users who are hard of hearing is particular important in reading one’s expression o f the face or lip reading. Also in this instance sitting closer and the use of touch may be useful and necessary to visually impaired people. On the contrary though as stated by Koprowska (2008) people with autism find face to face contact difficult and may not be able to judge expressions on a face and this may seem strange if it is unfamiliar to a person until some other way of contact is found. Another important part of communication is effective listening. As Rayudu (2010) puts forward,  effective listening is not an attribute that one is born with, but a skill that is learned with practice, experience and training. A guideline for effective listening is paraphrasing which is when the listener repeats what a person has said in one’s own words. The importance of this is to keep control over listening and ensuring accuracy. An equally important skill when effectively listening is mirroring, referred to in a training paper developed for the government, National Park Service (2011) which helps build empathy and trust. Mirroring is when a person’s verbal and non verbal actions are matched subtly. This can ma ke the speaker unconsciously like the listener as the speaker thinks that there are similarities between the listener and the speaker and that the listener is in touch with who they are. Listening skills come in to play when asking questions and the many types of questions that are asked are very helpful to retrieving information from a service user. Another aspect in order for the questioning to work is that a person must show that one is interested in the answer which is why effective listening as referred to earlier plays a big part. Trevithick (2005) There are different types of questions such as open questions, closed questions and leading questions or maybe the non use of leading questions. Although these questions can be helpful they can result in putting words in to a person’s mouth. Open questions result in broad answers and can result in an in-depth expression of thoughts, feelings and opinions and can be left up to the respondent as to how to answer the question. Hargie (2006). These questions encourage service users to talk more in-depth or deeply about any concerns. Opposed to the open ended questions there are closed questions which usually resul t in one word answers being given. These questions can be good for retrieving very specific information. Although these questions should be used carefully as stated in scie (2008) the service user may want to expand on an answer but maybe unsure of how to interrupt. It also limits information and may not give answers to information needed in order to learn about the service user. On discussing the different skills on communication this essay has shown why each skill is important when communicating with a service user or professional body. For a person to feel that they are being listened to and that what one says is not being judged or seem inept is paramount to realising concerns and not missing information. The skills are acquired through training and experience and are needed to get the fullest  and most accurate picture. References Buggins, E, Cornwall, J and Cunane, D.(2013). Create a culture of ‘psychological safety’. Health Service Journal. Issue 8th January. Retrieved from http://www.hsj.co.uk/resource-centre/leadership/create-a-culture-of-psychological-safety/5052550.article#.Um5qk3CG4-o Cooper, A, Lymbery, M, Ruch, G and Wilson, K. (2011). Social Work: An Introduction to Contemporary Practice. (2nd ed). Essex. Pearson Education Ltd Hargie, O. (2006). The Handbook of Communication Skills. (3rd ed). London. Routledge Koprowska, J. (2008). Communication Skills and Interpersonal skills in social work.(2nd ed). Exeter. Learning Matters Ltd. Moonie, N. (2000). Health and Social Care.(3rd ed).Oxford. Heinemann Educational Publishers. National Park Service. (2011). â€Å"Advanced Communication Skills Building and Maintaing Trust† : Module II, Part 2 – Cohort B : Consulting Skills Curriculum for HR Specialists. Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/training/tel/Guides/Adv_Comm_Skills_Trust_M od2_CB_Part2.pdf Rayudu,C,S. (2010). Communication. Mumbia, IND. Global Media Scie. (2008). elearning : Communication Skills, Gathering information. Retrieved at http://www.scie.org.uk/assets/elearning/communicationskills/cs04/resource/index.html Trevithick, P. (2005).Social Work Skills. (2nd ed). Berkshire. McGraw-Hill