Admissions Essay: I Spoon-fed Her Each Day :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

I Spoon-fed Her Each Day    Watching my grandmother get progressively weaker; not wanting to believe the doctors' diagnosis of terminal cancer and the prediction that she would live only for another year; separated by thousands of miles from my parents, who had moved to the United States while I stayed in China with my grandmother-I lived a life so different from that of the average seventeen-year-old.   In addition to caring for my grandmother, I was going to school and preparing for my final exams, the equivalent of the SATs.  Ã‚   Grandmother died on the day that I took the exam.   Of the one million students who took the exam that day, I was ranked thirty-fourth and won the national merit scholarship.   And yet I was in a state of complete shock: my grandmother was gone and I felt paralyzed. But eventually my memories of her inspired me to make a genuine difference in the lives of others. I decided to pursue a career in medicine.    I joined the rest of my family in the U.S. and within six months was enrolled in the honors program at Mississippi State.   Since there is no pre-med major, I was able to major in any subject and still complete the pre-med requirements; I was advised to major in Philosophy or Drama to boost my GPA.   Instead, I decided to major in Math, a subject I've always enjoyed.   Though many people told me I must be crazy and that my background would not have sufficiently prepared me for the difficulty ofthe pre-med classes, I have earned A-plusses in all of the ten math courses I have taken so far, five of which were advanced classes.    I have concentrated on opportunities that will prepare me for studies in clinical medicine, oncology and geriatrics.   I learned of a prestigious research fellowship at Harvard and, although it was open only to upperclassmen, I applied and was accepted.  Ã‚   I have taken honors classes in biology and have enjoyed the research work I've done.    Keeping in mind that my goal is ultimately to help people, I've also devoted a portion of my time to volunteer opportunities: I tutored math for high school students in my neighborhood and recently became a part-time volunteer at Memorial Hospital.   It was terribly difficult for me to leave China and create a completely new life after the death of my grandmother. Admissions Essay: I Spoon-fed Her Each Day :: Medicine College Admissions Essays I Spoon-fed Her Each Day    Watching my grandmother get progressively weaker; not wanting to believe the doctors' diagnosis of terminal cancer and the prediction that she would live only for another year; separated by thousands of miles from my parents, who had moved to the United States while I stayed in China with my grandmother-I lived a life so different from that of the average seventeen-year-old.   In addition to caring for my grandmother, I was going to school and preparing for my final exams, the equivalent of the SATs.  Ã‚   Grandmother died on the day that I took the exam.   Of the one million students who took the exam that day, I was ranked thirty-fourth and won the national merit scholarship.   And yet I was in a state of complete shock: my grandmother was gone and I felt paralyzed. But eventually my memories of her inspired me to make a genuine difference in the lives of others. I decided to pursue a career in medicine.    I joined the rest of my family in the U.S. and within six months was enrolled in the honors program at Mississippi State.   Since there is no pre-med major, I was able to major in any subject and still complete the pre-med requirements; I was advised to major in Philosophy or Drama to boost my GPA.   Instead, I decided to major in Math, a subject I've always enjoyed.   Though many people told me I must be crazy and that my background would not have sufficiently prepared me for the difficulty ofthe pre-med classes, I have earned A-plusses in all of the ten math courses I have taken so far, five of which were advanced classes.    I have concentrated on opportunities that will prepare me for studies in clinical medicine, oncology and geriatrics.   I learned of a prestigious research fellowship at Harvard and, although it was open only to upperclassmen, I applied and was accepted.  Ã‚   I have taken honors classes in biology and have enjoyed the research work I've done.    Keeping in mind that my goal is ultimately to help people, I've also devoted a portion of my time to volunteer opportunities: I tutored math for high school students in my neighborhood and recently became a part-time volunteer at Memorial Hospital.   It was terribly difficult for me to leave China and create a completely new life after the death of my grandmother.

How to Support Individuals With Specific Communication Needs

Support individuals with specific communication needs Unit 4222-324 (HSC 3029) 1 – Understand specific communication needs and factors affecting them 1. Explain the importance of meeting an individual’s communication needs Individuals who have communication problems need support to enable them to express themselves effectively. It is therefore important for the carer to be aware of the individuals preferred method of communication and also to support the individual to use their preferred method. Individuals have the right to communicate through their chosen method and their choice should be acknowledged and respected by supporting them. The individual’s right are particularly important when using specific communication methods and language because it’s their major way of communicating their needs and preferences. Communication is a basic human right. Without communication the individual is unable to realise or exercise their rights. Under the Human Rights Act 1998 all individuals have the right to ‘freedom of expression’. If unable to communicate they would be denied these rights. 2. Explain how own role and practice can impact on communication with an individual who has specific communication need As a carer it is your role and responsibility to support individuals to express themselves. The way in which you can do this is by assessing their needs, access information regarding their communication needs, providing the appropriate support, aids or equipment, encouraging and motivating communication, working with others and by monitoring the effectiveness of that support. Without the appropriate support the individual would be unable to express their needs or how they are feeling which can lead to both emotional and physical difficulties. By fully supporting individuals with specific communication needs you are able to support their rights. 3. Analyse features of the environment that may help or hinder communication It is difficult and frustrating to communicate effectively when there is background noise, therefore arranging the environment to aid communication is very important step to achieving effective communication with ndividuals. As a carer you should arrange the individual’s environment to facilitate effective communication and promote understanding. This can be done by ensuring privacy and going into a quiet room Some factors that can hinder good communication are:Poor lighting, individuals with poor sight are unable to see youBackground noise from the TV, radio, other individualsObstacles between you as a care worker and the individual eg furnitureInsufficient distance between you and the individual, leading to you encroaching on their personal space.4. Analyse reasons why an individual may use a form of communication that is not based on a formal language system Sensory disabilities Hearing loss Sight loss Learning disabilities Down’s syndrome Autism Physical disabilities Cerebral palsy Mental health problems Dementia Other mental health problems 5. Identify a range of communication methods and aids to support individuals to communicateBritish sign language (BSL)Picture exchange communication systems (PECS)Talking microwavesHearing aidsInterpreterTranslatorAdvocate1. Describe the potential effects on an individual of having unmet communication needs. Behaviour – If an individual is not supported to communicate effectively they can become increasingly withdrawn, depressed and isolated. This may affect their self-esteem and they may begin to develop feelings of frustration and uselessness. Their behaviour may change as they vent their frustrations with acts of anger or even violence. Others may become confused, angry and frustrated. These effects include:Physical and emotional problemsDepression Isolation, becoming withdrawn from othersFrustrationLow self esteemLoss of confidenceA feeling of uselessness2 – Be able to contribute to establishing the nature of specific communication needs of individuals and ways to address them 2.1 Work in partnership with the individual and others to identify the individual’s specific communication needsTalking to the individual or observing the individual interacting with others.Accessing previous records after permission has been sought from the appropriate person.Talking to colleagues who know the individual. Talking to family membersTalking to other professionals2.2 Contribute to identifying the communication methods or aids that will best suit the individual By observing the individual when they are communicating with you or others you will be able to identify the methods or aids which will best suit the individual. You may have noticed that the individual appears hard of hearing. You would then arrange a hearing test for the individual to establish if they have a problem and obtain equipment in the form of hearing aids, if needed. 2. Explain how and when to access information and support about identifying and addressing specific communication needs. During an initial assessment an individual’s ability and communication methods are established. This is done when an individual arrives into care. Everyone involved in the care of this service user is made aware of their needs and preferences regarding communication and any changes are recognised during reviews and shared with the team to ensure the individual’s needs are met. 3 – Be able to interact with individuals using their preferred communication 3. prepare the environment to facilitate communication 3.2 Use agreed methods of communication to interact with the individual 3.3 Monitor the individual’s responses during and after the interaction to check the effectiveness of communication By observing an individual’s communication cues (non-verbal signal used with or without speech to indicate the individual’s thoughts and feelings) and exercising effective listening, you will be able to determine if the individual has understood the communication. By asking closed questions you will be able to confirm that they have understood what has been said. Also by asking them to repeat what you have discussed you will be able to confirm their understanding. 3.4 Adapt own practice to improve communication with the individual. use closed questions to obtain yes or no answersuse open questions to encourage a more in-depth answeravoid asking too many things at once to prevent confusionallow the individual time to respondnot interrupt the individual whilst they are communicating or anticipate their responseshow the individual that you are interested in them.Use appropriate body language such as nodding, smiling and leaning towards the individual.Avoid using jargonBe aware of the different meanings of words e. g. Jam, could mean a preserve or could mean a blockage as in traffic jam.Keep communication simple4 – Be able to promote communication between individuals and others 4.1 Support the individual to develop communication methods that will help them to understand others and be understood by them As a carer you should encourage and motivate individuals to communicate by providing the correct support, aids and equipment. It is your responsibility to ensure that the individuals you provide care for and others involved in the individuals’ lives are able to communicate effectively. For communication to be effective everyone involved will need to have the same understanding of the communication method used. When supporting individuals with their communication you may need to support others with whom that individual wishes to communicate. This could include other carers, family, friends, peers or professionals. 4.2 Provide opportunities for the individual to communicate with others 4.3 Support others to understand and interpret the individual’s communication 4.4 Support others to be understood by the individual by use of agreed communication methods. For communication to be effective all the people involved will need to have the same understanding of the communication method used. When supporting individuals with their communication you may need to support others with whom that individual wishes to communicate. Support may involve the use of human aids, symbolic aids and technical aids. You will need to explain the appropriate communication method and also show the others how the communication aids work. Wherever possible the support given should encourage the individual to do as much of the communicating as independently as possible. 5 – Know how to support the use of communication technology and aids 5.1 Identify specialist services relating to communication technology and aids Aids and equipment are often provided through the social services department of your local council. The National Health Service (NHS) Hospital Eye Service can also prescribe a range of aids for people with partial sight. All blind and visually impaired people are entitled to a health and social care assessment from their local council. This means someone from social services  will assess their needs to make sure you get the equipment and services that are right for them. The local social services department can put them in touch with a rehabilitation worker, who can help individuals to communicate more easily 5. Describe types of support that an individual may need in order to use communication technology and aids Support may be provided in various forms. Some users will require regular support and advice with regard to use of the communication aid. Support can also come from within the user’s own family. It is important to identify the level of support each individual user has within their own environment. Family members can be of great help in supporting the user especially in the initial stages of using the communication aid. In order to ensure that the user obtains the maximum benefit from the new technology, training must be provided. The most important training needs for the user is competence in the use of the communication aid. This should consist of instruction in the operation of the particular communication equipment as well as maintenance and charging of the equipment if necessary. It may be important to provide training to all the carers, or it may be appropriate to select a few to be trained to deal with different aspects of the communication aid and its use in the environment. Explain the importance of ensuring that communication equipment is correctly set up and working properly. As a carer it is important that you ensure any equipment the individual use’s to communicate with, is available, working and is in a safe condition. With regards health and safety, electrical communication equipment should be checked by a qualified and approved electrician to ensure it is fit for use. The equipment should have a label attached to it stating when the equipment was tested, who by and when the next check is due. 6 – Be able to review an individual’s communication needs and the support provided to address them 6.1 Collate information about an individual’s communication and the support provided The initial assessment will be carried out as stated earlier collating all risks and preferences from the individual. This information together with the communication method the individual prefers and any aids which they use to support their communication will then be written into the individuals care plan so that any changes to the base line can be monitored. This record should include the nature of their communication differences, how they show themselves and ways which you have found are effective in overcoming the differences. 6.2 Contribute to evaluating the effectiveness of agreed methods of communication and support provided The agreed methods of communication and support are only effective for as long as the individuals communication skills remain the same. If their skills change then so do their support needs. As a carer you will be expected to recognise and report on changes to the individual’s communication skills. 6. Work with others to identify ways to support the continued development of communication. It is important that everyone involved in the care of the individual works as part of a team to establish the best support for that person. When changes occur it is important that the correct help and support is obtained immediately so that the individual does not feel frustrated or isolated by being unable to communicate effectively. Significant changes in an individual’s ability to communicate should be referred to the speech therapist or GP involved in the individual’s care for professional investigation and monitoring.

People often complain about life in the U.S. Essay

People complain when most of their needs are not met. The irony of it lies when complaints are just piled up without any further insights on how to solve such problems. In the long run, complaints become a part of the lifestyle of people who are good at pointing at the loopholes most especially of the government, and of the leaders. As there would always be a reason for every action that is done, and for every result that is produced, man is also by nature never contented. Furthermore, the will to seek for the ‘best’ is always an intention to make life worth living. Power, fame, and money tops the priority of why people choose the option of fulfilling their daily agenda from dusk ‘til dawn. Although, with the exception of the few who does their work for the common people’s welfare and interest. It may also be considered a selfish ambition to seek good only for one’s self advantage and leave or ignore others behind while they struggle for the well being of everyone. From birth, the very basics of life are taught –following instructions, and that it is in the individual’s prerogative to obey, and afterwards reap the consequences of such actions. On the other hand, citizens do have their obligations and responsibilities. From simple instructions of following the rules and regulations or by becoming a â€Å"law abiding citizen† then, at least one is a big step ahead of fulfilling his obligations and responsibilities. Other concerns such as the payment of taxes for which some would dare not to are obligations that are intentionally forgotten. These are just simple, and few to mention that when taken for granted are enough reasons for making a citizen’s life fluctuate. Self-examination is important and should be carried before bursting in dismay the various injustices committed by the government and by the leaders or officials. For whatever reasons people complain about life in the U. S. is according to their own generalization and judgement on whatever situation or experiences they are basing it. On the other hand, a patriot will readily and passionately criticize his government when it is evil, corrupt, and infamous; and that refusing to do so is considered treason. It is the duty of every citizen to criticize, censure and scourge the political fiends that pretend to serve the public when those villainous brutes serve only tyranny, greed, hatred, and prejudice. In addition, complaints may have been germinated and nurtured from the compost heap of tyranny, imperialism, and international widespread liberal acts of butchery, despotism, and horror. The exposure of such a regime and its operations has become a primary duty of citizens who still believe in the Rule of Law and in the freedoms, which a country is supposed to represent. On the other hand, as a citizen who loves his country, his nation or his homeland, such complaints should be put aside and instead â€Å"take part† in the reforms that are taking place and â€Å"be a part† of whatever changes that will occur. For what would one gain complaining against the government – it only leads to further chaos and destruction that would later affect the stability of a country. Instead, an action of commitment is necessary for a change. Citizens cannot be required to take part in the political process, and they are free to express their dissatisfaction by not participating. However, without the lifeblood of citizens’ action, there can be no hope of making life much better. Teamwork is at its best when everyone participates in the fulfillment of such goals and objectives. For this reason, citizens play a very major role in the development of a country or a nation. Their â€Å"actions† speak â€Å"louder† when joined in one voice for the rehabilitation and development of their country. Most often, people are only joined on an aftermath, citing the 9/11 as an example. World leaders were heard on radio and seen on television joining against terrorism as worldwide threat to political-economic progress of every state or nation. Citizens therefore, should not take their responsibilities only as an option but as a mandate for which they should put into action and make commitments. US enjoy a government whereby the supreme power lies in the body of citizens who are entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them. In which case, election of public officials is the most visible and common form of participation for which people could exercise their genuinity as citizens. However, there are problems faced by the electorate before and during election that would stop or make them have a second thought in casting their votes. Thus, the agenda of â€Å"making life better† by taking part in the election is at stake. Needless to say, as a citizen who loves his country, taking part on a crucial endeavor is worth an honor for standing on such beliefs and life principles – taking part for the better. In other areas, opportunities in which to participate to be able to have a part in the development and rehabilitation of a country and make it a better place to live is to take advantage of joining a host of private organizations, associations, and volunteer groups. For which many of these are concerned with issues of public policy and pay close attention to public opinion, making every effort to widen their base of support as they seek simultaneously to educate the public and influence government policies. The right of individuals to associate freely and to organize themselves into different sorts of nongovernmental groups is fundamental in shaping a better society, a better environment. When people of common interest band together, their voices can be heard and their chances of influencing the political debate increases. As there are no perfect leaders and perfect government that provides and meets the demands and expectations of its citizens, there are the advantages of opportunities vested upon the people to exercise their civil rights whenever it is necessary and while maintaining public order and countering attempts that ignites violence. Every circumstance that an individual faces everyday is a part of the spices of life that one should face courageously. That with his body, mind, and his character, should consider it as strengths for further growth and development. To make life better entails a long practice of patience and humility from which one could invest and influence others to follow. History records of people who have done it, and were able to successfully pursue their agendas after a long historic battle. Furthermore, citizens have the option of either to criticize and act, or to criticize and watch how complaints get piled and returns like a boomerang that backfires. It takes time, effort and most often investing money to make a goal successful. However in the long run, it pays an action for a legacy worthy for future generations. As the world advances, and so do the expectations of every individual, of every citizen. In addition, as government leaders occupy government offices from time to time, new agenda are always sought. Accordingly, to the best interest of the people! Whosoever leads, citizens’ action makes a difference when joined with a common goal – to make life better. REFERENCES: Felkins, Leon. â€Å"How to Avoid Wasting Your Vote†. The Election. 26 May 1996. 19 http://www. spectacle. org/1096/felkins. html Kettenhofen, Colleen. â€Å"Difficult People: Dealing with Difficult People 101†. Beyond Better Communications. 19 March 2007 http://www. livingbeyondbetter. com/difficult101. html â€Å"Politics, Economicsc, and Pluralism†. USINFO. STATE. GOV. 19 March 2007 http://usinfo. state. gov/products/pubs/whatsdem/whatdm8. htm

Modern Tragedy

This essay is a view on the tragedy and the common man, primarily circling around Death of a Salesman and All my Sons. It’s divided into three parts. First we’ll talk about Arthur Miller and his life and what could have motivated to write these plays, the second will be an analytical view of his plays. And the third part will give detailed idea on why it can be called a tragedy. The structure of tragedy has been altered time to time to suit the timeline of the society.The time when Arthur Miller writes the social scenario is rational and more psychoanalytical, hence the subject of the tragic hero also changes, from being a conventional tragic hero from a high status. Arthur Miller’s plays have a common man as the tragic hero. This paper will elaborate on the views of Arthur Miller and his idea of a tragic hero. We will keep in mind the timeline and the scenario of the society and the country of the time Miller wrote his plays to understand the idea behind the pla ys. Basic theme in both his plays Death of a Salesman and All my sons is related to the almighty illusion of American dream. The dream which plays a major role in downfall of both tragic figures, Willy Loman and Joe Keller.LIFE OF ARTHUR MILLERArthur Miller was born on October 17, 1915 in New York and died on February 10, 2005 in Connecticut, United States. He is a very well-known playwright and essayist; he got immensely popular during late 1940s to early 1960s. Arthur Miller’s family was a victim of the Economic fall, he belonged to a very wealthy family, his father owned a women’s clothing manufacturing company and had around 400 employees, they had all the wealth , a summer house etc. But because of the Market Crash they lost almost everything and Miller had to deliver bread before attending school in order to help his family, and had to do several menial jobs to pay up for his college tuition fees.What is a tragedy?According to the dictionary tragedy is â€Å"A p lay dealing with tragic events and having an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character.† Tragedy is basically the downfall of the hero, for the actions  he has taken in the past, or some fallacy in him, causing him his misfortune. According to Aristotle in poetics;â€Å"Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action of high importance, complete and of some ampli ­tude; in language enhanced by distinct and varying beauties; acted not narrated; by means of pity and fear effectuating its purgation of these emotions.† However, the definition of tragic hero has changed from the Ancients and the Elizabethan times to now. Both these times[ Elizabethan and the Greeks] potrays the tragic hero as a man of rank and high stature, a king or a noble man, on whom the entire nation depended, but in modern times the hero of the tragic fall especially in Miller plays is the common man, under the pressure of society, illusions, and liar to himself and t he society.The notable differences between the three timeline is that the ancients had a religious aspect playing a major role in it, and the fate of the gods did matter a lot, the Elizabethan or especially Shakespearean tragedies were self-inflicted, because of the tragic hero’s one quality that makes him powerful and weak. Modern times the tragedy surely is self-inflicted, but it is more society oriented, and man thinking in term of keeping his status in the society. The hero in both Greeks and Elizabethan period are the same, coming from high ranks, but the in the modern tragedy it has drastically changed, portraying the hero from a common class.I am only keeping Arthur Miller in picture and not everyone in the modern times to justify the characteristics of the tragic hero as the common man. Ultimately tragedy what in general is that which depicts the down fall of the protagonist after a lengthy suffering of him, provoking the emotions of pity and fear in the audience. Art hur Miller’s idea of tragedyIn Arthur Miller's essay, â€Å"Tragedy and the Common Man,† he outlines his ideas on what a tragedy and tragic hero are today. He says that the tragic hero does not have to be a king or of a noble background, but instead, the common man can be considered a tragic hero. Miller makes the point that the tragic flaw is the idea that the tragic hero is unable to accept anything that may affect their status or self-image. Miller also states that tragedy is not supposed to be pessimistic, but rather an optimistic display of human qualities. â€Å"I believe that the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were.†-Arthur Miller â€Å"Tragedy and the Common Man†In his first argument, Miller states that the tragic hero does not need to be royal or noble, for the common man can fit the role as aptly. Miller explains that this is now obvious through the concepts such as the Oedipus complex, which were origin ally â€Å"enacted by royal beings, but which apply to everyone in similar situations†. He believes that if tragedy were to only apply to kings, then it would be impossible for everyone else to cherish and comprehend it.The most crucial characteristic of a tragic hero according to Arthur Miller is that of the character possessing a sense of personal dignity. This is his notion of having a tragic hero not from high stature or rank. He is modifying the characteristics of tragic hero from the ones in Ancients and Elizabethans. â€Å"I think the tragic feeling is invoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down his life, if need be, to secure one thing — his sense of personal dignity.†-Arthur Miller, â€Å"Tragedy and the Common Man†Arthur Miller believes that if tragedy were to only apply to kings, then it would be impossible for everyone else to comprehend with it. The only quality needed for a character to be a tragic hero, according to Miller, is the readiness to â€Å"lay down his life, if need be, to secure one thing-his sense of personal dignity† This concept of the average man being a tragic hero is evident in The Crucible, through John Proctor, a local farmer.The play is about witchcraft practices in a small town, and towards the end John Proctor gets trapped in the wrong accusation that he forced his maid to sign the devil’s book. In the end of The Crucible, Proctor is supposed to sign a confession which will be put on Church notice board, but he refuses that because he doesn’t want to be in that position because it is not true; that is how Proctor's sense of personal dignity is conveyed when he tears his confession in order to preserve his good name, even at the cost of his life.According to Miller there is not anything like tragic flaw in particular, it is but â€Å"his inherent unwillingness to remain passive in the face of what he conceives to be a challenge to his dig nity, his image of the rightful status.† Meaning the tragic fall is occurred because, it comes to gaining his rightful social status. The common man, like in All my Sons, Joe Keller is lying to himself and to the society about his involvement in the faulty plane parts so that he can his rightful position of being a businessman back in the society. He elaborates on this point by saying, â€Å"The quality in such plays that does shake us, however derives from the underlying fear of being displaced, the disaster inherent in being torn away from our chosen image of what and who we are in this world. Among us today this fear is strong, and perhaps stronger, than it ever was. In fact, it is the common man who knows this fear.†Though the tragic hero commonly receives punishment for his or her way of being, Miller finds the connection between tragedy and pessimism to be a misconception. According to Miller, tragedy promotes â€Å"a condition of life, a condition which the huma n personality is able to flower and realize itself,† and therefore does not correctly associate with pessimism. Because according to Miller Tragedies do not promote pessimism but it strengths the viewpoints of the spectator towards the human. â€Å" There is a misconception of tragedy with which I have been struck in review after review, and in many conversations with writers and readers alike. It is the idea that tragedy is of necessity allied to pessimism.Even the dictionary says nothing more about the word than that it means a story with a sad or unhappy ending. This impression is so firmly fixed that I almost hesitate to claim that in truth tragedy implies more optimism in its author than does comedy, and that its final result ought to be the reinforcement of the onlooker's brightest opinions of the human animal.†-Arthur Miller, â€Å"Tragedy and the Common Man†Miller has written plays which have a social context to it, because he was influenced by Henrik Ibs en. In All My Sons he uses the similar style of bringing the past into present, the action taken in the past become the consequences of the present. The action of no facing the lawsuit and ship the engines resulting something grave in the present. Likewise, incepting the idea of success with well-liked also results into a present failure. But these consequences which end in a tragedy is not pessimistic because it corrects the general audience to some extent. G.B Shaw’s plays although not tragedy did show the audience the contemporary scenario of his time reflecting the society. Likewise Arthur Miller shows the audience the present scene of society, blindly believing in American dream, and sense of personal dignity are some factors of it.Keeping in mind the two famous plays by Miller All My Sons [1947] Death of a Salesman [1949]; we will see how Arthur Miller has portrayed his tragic hero as an average man.Analysis on Death of a SalesmanIn Death of a Salesman Willy Loman is tr ying to achieve American dream blindly without believing in hard work and associating the success with being well liked, to some extent that is his flaw or Hamartia. I am using this term just to make the concept more straight forward, as we learnt that Miller doesn’t believe in tragic flaw. However trying to achieve the illusion of America Dream is what Willy Loman wants because that is what he wants his social image to be, to be a well-liked businessman. He fails to do so because of his misinterpreting the dream into being well-liked.Even though this play does follow most of Aristotle’s tragic conventions which are the unity of time, place and action; o bloodshed on the stage; instead of chorus use of music, action beginning from the middle; it fails to justify Willy as the classical tragic hero because even towards the end he doesn’t realize that this was the flaw [the will to attain the dream]. It was just a misconception. He does not realize that and commits suicide so that his son Biff gets Willy’s insurance money. And the social status varies in ancients and modern tragedies. Willy Loman can therefore be called a Modern Hero not the classic. Language and Style:-In Death of a Salesman because it is a box play with the possibility of props it didn’t have chorus to constantly comment on the play but the play uses the help of music and lights to highlight the past and present phase so that  the audience doesn’t get lost. The play also starts from the middle and we are made aware of the story with the use of past and present, due to the technological revolution since the Greek times, the play has a lot of symbolism using the stage props hence it is very much the visual connection which the audience can make rather than depending on simile and metaphors. For example in Death of a Salesman at the end of Act I, a magnificent contrast has been given in the speech and the light adjustment where Willy is talking about the greatness of Biff in football when he was young and Biff is standing in the darkened kitchen corner.Analysis on â€Å"All my Sons†In Miller’s other play All My Sons the tragic hero is Joe Keller, his downfall is caused because of his narrow point of view which is always about being rich and about his family, and to live up to the fact that he is living an American dream. All My Sons shows us images of the American dream and it really happens as Joe belongs to the lower class of society, rises up and achieves all the luxuries for him and his family. But his narrow minded thought process leads him to ship damaged aircraft engine cylinder heads so that he does not run out of business.Besides shipping off the parts, he does not accept the responsibility in the courtroom, making the excuse that he was ill the day it was shipped off and the blame goes to his partner Steve Deever. Well this can be connected to the scenario of Miller’s age when after the World War II d uring Nuremberg trials, the Nazi who were accused of certain charges were executed. Some of them committed suicides, other people did go through the trials and face the execution. Because of Keller’s decision of shipping faulty aircraft parts his son Larry Keller feels absolutely disgusted with him and we know of that at the very end of the play, and that is where the reversal of action comes.Because till now Larry Keller is not shown to the audience and Joe doesn’t know about his death, he is trying to escape the reality and go back to the normal life. But in the end when he hears the letter out from his other son Chris Keller, Joe is completely shattered and takes the blame on himself and kills himself. The letter was written to Ann Deever, who was supposed to marry Larry.   Larry in this letter states that he is extremely disgusted by his  father’s deed, and because of his father he can not face anyone, and he is going on a mission from which he is never going to come back. We some to a conclusion that Larry committed suicide, because he could not face what his father did to the military for his own benefit.Language and StyleThis particular play does not take us back and forth in past and present like death of a Salesman does, but it reveals the events occurred in the past through conversation, like Henrik Ibsen does, in A Doll’s House which is the story of Nora and Torvald Helmer. The language in this play is very straightforward making it sound natural. And the action takes place in a backyard of a house, which is symbol in itself. The play is about the ugly truth that lies behind the American dream. A backyard can be significant in one of two ways.One, it could imply the â€Å"backdoor† idea, which is selfish and ethically wrong ideas. It could also mean backyard being one of the center of American families and a happy place, but where all the ugly truths come out and where the perfectly happy, normal living the Ame rican Dream family crumbles and experiences downfall. This play is about the betrayal, about American families, about guilt, about denial, about money, about needs, about egotism, about father and son relationship.According to the Ancients and the Elizabethan playwrights the protagonist is always of a high position or stature i.e. king, prince or an important person from the army, Miller excluded this notion from his plays by making the average man the protagonist. We will call this average man the common man- someone who is like us, who has a regular life and whose tragic fall is not going to affect the whole nation.Arthur Miller has highlighted American dream in both these plays and has also successfully made it the cause of tragedy. Both these plays have followed many tragic conventions making them tragic plays even after changing the idea of having a tragic hero belonging to the noble family yet invoking the particular set of emotions in the audience.What is American Dream?I wou ld like to highlight the major idea in Miller’s plays, the action of these two plays are based on the American Dream. The well-known definition of American dream is ‘The traditional social ideals of the United States, such as equality, democracy, and material prosperity.’ But this idea is deeply rooted in the American history. â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed;† -Thomas Jefferson, United States Declaration of Independence [1776]â€Å"The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper c lasses to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.† – James Truslow Adams, The Epic of America [1931]In The Epic of America James Truslow Adams Coined this term called ‘American Dream’. He says that the American Dream is not about the motor cars and high wages, the dream is about the social order, that everyone can achieve the maximum of what they are capable of, and people will recognize them for it. It does not matter how fortunate they were when they were born. Well but these definition has resulted in having a dream of materialistic values. Even widely pictures depicting American dream shows the lux urious objects in it like a car, a big house, two children and a dog and so on. Well the pictures only show white families in it, so American dream is also misinterpreted as having a white family with all the luxurious amenities. So there has been an idea of how American dream looks like, but even California Gold rush in 1849 has contributed to the modern definition.â€Å"The Ð ¾ld American Dream †¦ was the dream of the Puritans, of Benjamin Franklin's â€Å"Poor Richard†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ of men and women content to accumulate their modest fortunes a little at a time, year by year by year. The new dream was the dream of instant wealth, won in a twinkling by audacity and good luck. This golden dream †¦ became a prominent part of the American psyche only after Sutter's Mill.† -W.H BrandsMost people know about the Sutter’s Mill, as it was one of the foremost mills to dig out gold. Sutter's Mill was a sawmill owned by 19th-century pioneer John Sutter in partnership with James W. Marshall. It was located in Coloma, California, at the bank of the South Fork American River. Sutter's Mill is most famous for its association with the California Gold Rush. On January 24, 1848, Marshall found several flakes of gold that began the transformation of California from a sleepy outpost to a bustling center of activity. Sutter tried to keep the discovery secret, but eventually the word got out. During the next seven years, approximately 300,000 people came to California (half by land and half by sea) to seek their fortunes mining for gold or selling supplies like picks and shovels to the gold prospectors.The idea can be applied to Willy Loman’s older brother Ben from Death of a Salesman. As he goes to the forest of Africa and finds diamonds there, because of his hard work and he was lucky. Looking at these definitions now we might have an idea of images associated to the American dream, these ideas were converted to the will of possessing good wealth and good family. But this American dream fell flat on its face during the Great Depression.Because after the economic fall people started to disbelieve in the America Dream of ‘anyone’ can reach the top. And this was when Arthur Miller had hardships in his life. Hence he tries to criticize this illusionary concept of the American dream in Death of a Salesman as well as in All My Sons. This dream was largely held by common men, because the images of this dream showed him there, hence every average man wanted to attain this dream that is what was performed in Miller’s play Death of a Salesman. And Joe Keller achieves it in All my sons.ConclusionRaymond Williams in his Modern Tragedy had come up with a concept of tragedy and social disorder. In this he talks about revolution, revolution which is in general violent but it is to reshape the conditions, and it is honored and justified; but only successful revolution becomes epic. When the revolution is in progress it is chaotic and tragic. Hence it is not an epic in time of its progress but it is tragic. If we apply this theory of revolution in the society and the tragic effects to it, we can makes sense out of Arthur Miller’s both the characters i.e. Willy Loman and Joe Keller, as these characters are present in the time of capitalism, depending on the new world’s economy.Now I being from the post-modern world can see this revolution of economic change as an epic; but keeping in mind the Arthur Miller’s timeline and the characters based on the same timeline, it is tragic. Seeing revolution as the powerhouse of chaos they are tragic heroes, but seeing the change as an epic they are revolutionary heroes. But this idea of seeing them as revolutionary heroes can only happen now, because we see from a different age. Maybe Miller chooses the tragic hero as a common man because the time when he wrote the concept of royal people and their tragedy was out of fashion.Because Arthur M iller was an American playwright and because America has functioned in a democratic way, so there is not only one person at the highest and there is no monarchy. And the people of New England had started thinking rationally, even the literature of that era had begun to talk about psychoanalysis and sociology and the audience had become more literate because of the printing press and the daily newspaper service, and also because of the explosion of novel writers and readers. People started to have a voice of their own and a thought process of their own because America was a democratic country, they might have not wanted the tragic hero of a high stature but a tragic hero that they could connect to.The age had seen the sudden economic twist, like a tragic story, one day you know that there is The Great Gatsby like scenario with the economic boom and the parties and richness and happiness and the very next day you know people jumping off the building due to stock market crash. Maybe th is could have made Arthur Miller to write about the current tragic hero which is common man. Ultimately his experiment did achieve the success, as the audience did appreciate seeing common man as the tragic hero.

American Violet Movie Review

The movie â€Å"American Violet set in Hearne County Texas, depicts the victimization of innocent second class citizens who are subject to racial bias and police corruption. Hearne county, a small town run by a corrupt D. A. was conducting military type drug raids on low income housing units that targeted the African American population, and this was no coincidence. Shockingly, this all took place not many years ago, just in the year 2000. The culture in the south was still apparently highly prejudice and racists, even in the criminal justice system, causing much harm to innocent people.Due to the type of people they were targeting, the working class, the trickle down effect of who was being affected by these arrests was everlasting. Dee Brown, in the movie, a single mother of four, is a prime example who was the only source of income for her children and was only a waitress at that. The victimization process in this movie is incredible, and seems almost unreal how insensitive the D . A. was to these people, using them and manipulating them the way he did without any sign of guilt.This relates directly to our victimization class in how these people are victimized. First, falsely accused and arrested on charges by a single conformant, then forced into a plea bargain or almost a certain conviction. Victimization within the criminal justice system is still a big problem today, as the majority of cases are never sent to trial and almost always settled in a plea bargain. This is corruption within the system and needs to be fixed, but still nothing is done.And in order to save time and money judges push for public defenders to push the plea bargain upon uneducated clients who cannot afford their own attorney. Thus, in order for the public defenders to make any money they must hear many cases, and in order to do this they cannot waste their time taking cases to trial. Even if their client may in fact be not guilty, they cannot run the risk of losing, and also more imp ortantly angering the judge. Therefore the reason to the never-ending vicious cycle of corruption within our criminal justice system which all comes down to power and money.Which was apparently a major reason to why these drug raids were happening in Texas. Federal money was going to the counties with the most drug convictions, and having someone in charge of the D. E. A. with racial bias to the African American community made these projects easy pickings. In a small town in Texas, going against the D. A. was simply asking for a lawsuit to brought up against yourself, and to the reason why these raids went on for years, without anyone speaking up for these poor people being served injustice.I believe we are far from an uncorrupt criminal justice system, but are working in the right the direction. The sad thing is, that behind all the corruption within the system, their will always be victims, and when dealing with corruption many times it is innocent people being victimized. Racial factors also will always be an issue no matter what era we are in, and would be naive to overlook it as the nation did so for so long in Texas, not believing that such racial discrimination could still exist in the 21st century.

Meli Marine Case Study Essay

†¢ Global commerce trade is primarly dependent on trans-ocean shipping; roughly 90% of general cargo is shipped via container Based on the container shipping value chain, there are several segments to expand and integrate the business and enter the market. This would provide benefit of business diversification hence decreasing risks According to the volume of growth of shipping lanes (Exhibit 6), every lane has steadily increased during the last years and is expected to grow further in the future Meli Marine’s Strategy to Compete in The Industry 1) Greater flexibility in the cost structure by selling older vessels, adding smaller more efficient vessels and reducing the total fleet owned (consolidation) 2) Shifting the focus from feeder to line services (intra-Asia). This brought the advantage to also cover spoke-to-spoke lanes and not only hub-to-spoke 3) Priorization: a narrower set of costumers and shipping products (commodities and perishable products). Hence, investment in specialized containers such as insulated, refrigereted, etc†¦ to back-up the business (core competence) 4) Meli Marine built out its own freight forwarder arm: seamless door-to-door service using an integrated chain service with other transportation systems, achieving a more complete service to the costumers 5) The previous strategies, in particular from 2 to 4, allowed Meli Marine to create its own industry standard that became an added value. In fact, costumers did not switch eventhough the competitors offered the same services to a cheaper price Meli Marine Performance Compared to Key Competitors †¢ Meli Marine is the smallest player in the market in terms of revenues and capital, mainly due to concentration on the intra-Asia lanes. Indeed, constant revenue growth (67%) indicates that there is less opportunities for expansion and growth in Revenues the intra-Asia†¦

Get a Life...and a Career Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Get a Life...and a Career - Essay Example Career planning is an important stage in life of every high school student, and it usually starts from setting development goals and self assessment. Speaking about myself, my possible future career is teaching in college or university. As "education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" (Dunkan), I would like to make my own contribution to giving the knowledge and skills to other people, who will use them to create their own lives and careers. Besides, the profession coincides with my personal characteristics, as I like to get acquainted with other people, communicate with them, be with them, be aware of what is happening in the world, ask and answer the questions. In addition, I like to look for new materials, read interesting books and learn news on different topics, which is important, if I want to write my PhD dissertation and keep my lectures up-to-date with the changes in the world. I understand that to become a good professor, I need to work hard and spend a lot of time, before I gain experience and knowledge to teach. However, the time spent for preparations will pay off in future. And there is a place for further development in the career, as I may become engaged in research work, take part in conferences, exchange programs, trainings, write and publish books. My future goals and plans are the following. During the first 10 years I will be working hard on finishing a college, taking part in students exchange programs, entering a post-graduate course, writing a dissertation, starting my research work, establishing contacts with other researchers in my field of knowledge, and starting to work. In 20 years I see myself as an Associate Professor of a University, teaching several courses to students. I take part in different conferences, publish articles, and cooperate with foreign professors and researchers. This is also the time, when I want to settle down