Jon Kabat-Zinn Essays

Jon Kabat-Zinn Essays Jon Kabat-Zinn Essay Jon Kabat-Zinn Essay Jon Kabat-Zinn, in his most recent book: Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the Mind Through Mindfulness is an important addition to the concept of self discovery. In an age when more and more people are looking for the all healing â€Å"self help book,† Kabat-Zinn offers a  more serious and scholarly look at the benefits of meditation, motivation, mindfulness and the ability to use them in every day life, not just to avoid stress in one’s life, but to reach a higher plain of understanding that is beyond what society has trained our minds to absorb every day. Kabat-Zinn teaches the reader to retrain their mind and to erase the years of harmful conditioning that many in the West have experienced. Kabat-Zinn brings together the many understandings of the self, not just from the Buddhist definitions but uses Western thinkers as well as cites them in his arguments. Some of his favorite Western sources included Einstein and Henry David Thoreau to name only a few. In the end, a book is most successful when the reader can take away from the work of the author, something of practical use in their life. Coming to Our Senses is one such book. In the areas of conflict  and conflict resolution, empathy, mindfulness, meditation and the authenticity of one’s self, Coming to Our Senses offers a helpful guide and reminder of what one can truly be when they allow their mind to be relaxed, void of any outside factors and to let it roam free from any such impediments. Only then can the self become alive and be allowed to roam free and which will help the individual to reach their full potential in all of the above mentioned categories. One of the most important points that Kabat-Zinn includes in his book is the concept of meditation. He defines meditation as: â€Å"a way of being, or, you could say, a way of seeing, a way of knowing, even a way of loving.†[1] In much of this chapter in meditation, Kabati-Zinn tries to dispel the common myths and misunderstandings about meditation which are so very common in Western thought. The growth of yoga and other alternative ways in which to become mentally and spiritually well, it has made some progress in pealing away the erroneous assumptions about meditation. In the event that the reader is not aware of this recent growth, Kabat-Zinn repeats what meditation is not: â€Å"Meditation is not relaxation spelt differently†¦. Mindfulness is the embrace of any practice, pain, or anguish, or for that matter boredom or impatience of frustration or anxiety or tension in the body†¦Ã¢â‚¬ [2] Kabati-Zinn goes on to try to explain meditation as: â€Å"It is the non- clinging, and therefore the clear perceiving and the willingness to act appropriately within whatever circumstance are arising that constitute this way of being that we are calling meditation.†[3]   Kabati-Zinn repeats that meditation is not just the ability to flip a switch in the brain and somehow, one is in a perpetual state of meditation. This is a simplified and incorrect belief on meditation and one which is perpetuated by the media and the culture of the West. Kabat-Zinn has been credited with trying to bridge the gap between the Western and Eastern thought and through his series of books on meditation and the self, many believe, has come very close in achieving this most lofty goal. My personal experience on meditation, I used to think, was relatively new. In a sense, I was enjoying the benefits of meditation without making a conscious effort to be meditating. This seems to be the reality of many people in America. Americans are now busier now then at any time in history. Despite having more cost and time saving appliances at our disposal than ever before, Americans have used these inventions to actually make people busier today than in the past. This, often times, leads to stress and therefore the need for periods of meditation are that much more important. Even as a teenager, I enjoyed being busy and productive but could not cope with my every day requirements and needs unless, at some time during that day, I was alone with my thoughts. Quiet walks at night, regardless of the weather, in which the events of the day are summed up and reflected upon, was always an essential part of my day. I discovered that those days in which I felt that I did not have the time for such things, I end up being more irritable and made careless decisions in the coming days. The positive effect of meditating on the events of the previous day or week and attempting to group them in a passive and indirect way, completely in tune with the guidelines of meditation, I found to be advantageous in every sense of the word. Therefore, not only is my opinion favorable towards the need for meditation, but I have seen it first hand in my own life and there existed a major difference in the level of happiness that I had when I made a habit of setting aside a portion of the day in which to meditate around my thoughts or more commonly, to just let my mind roam free; completely void of the numerous stimuli which often times, impedes one’s level of happiness in their daily lives. One of the next concepts which Kabat-Zinn covers in his book Coming to Our Senses is the idea of mindfulness. â€Å"Mindfulness meditation is most commonly taught and practiced within the context of Buddhism, its essence is universal†¦ Yet it is no accident that mindfulness comes out of Buddhism, which has as its overriding concerns, the relief of suffering and the dispelling of illusions.†[4] In this, Kabat-Zinn ties in the usefulness of mindfulness and meditation as it relates to the health and well being of the body and mind. In the introduction, Kabat-Zinn reminds the reader: â€Å"The journey towards health and sanity is nothing less than an invitation to wake up to the fullness of our lives as if they actually mattered.†[5] In a day when the cost of health care is skyrocketing and drug companies are charging insane amounts on single prescription doses; so much to the degree that often times, people have to chose between eating that day or taking one of the do zens of medications that their doctor has prescribed for them; not only for a month but many times, for the rest of their lives and as a result, placing the individual in a perpetual state of fiscal, mental and physical dependence upon an outside source other than one’s own mind. Kabat-Zinn teaches that through the preventative measure of defeating stress and in the pursuit of a deeper understanding of one’s own self, many of these diseases can be avoided. In each of the eight major sections of the Coming to Our Senses, Kabat-Zinn explores the many different areas of one’s ability to heal oneself. The power of the mind and the advantages of it being in a continued restful state, according to Kabat-Zinn, are advantageous on many different levels. In the spirit of this, Kabat-Zinn has developed an eight week program in which many of these issues are tackled. In 1979 I started a Stress Reduction Clinic. Thinking back to that era, I ask myself now, What stress? so much has our world changed since then, so much has the pace of life increased and the vagaries and dangers of the world come to our doorstep as never before. If looking squarely at our personal situation and circumstances and finding novel and imaginative ways to work with them in the service of health and healing was important then, it is infinitely more important and urgent now, inhabiting as we do a world that has been thrown into heightened chaos and speed in the unfolding of events, even as it has become far more interconnected and smaller.†[6] Its main focus is stress, the individual being able to identify it and to avoid its physical and mental dangers that stress can lead to in the individual. Kabat-Zinn also writes: â€Å"Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Zen master, mindfulness teacher, poet, and peace activist, aptly points out that one reason we might want to pra ctice mindfulness is that most of the time we are unwittingly practicing its opposite. Every time we get angry we get better at being angry and reinforce the anger habit. When it is really bad, we say we see red, which means we dont see accurately what is happening at all, and so, in that moment, you could say we have lost our mind. Every time we become self-absorbed, we get better at becoming self-absorbed and going unconscious.†[7] This moves into the practical use of being mindful of one’s own self. This will become truer, I feel, once I get older but it is a well established fact that stress leads to a wearing down of the body and as a result, makes the individual more suspect able to sickness and disease. This is an opinion of Kabat-Zinn to which I completely concur with as I have experienced such events in my own life and as a result, with the help of Coming to Our Senses, is more likely to identify these stressors in my life and their effects upon my own life. One example of this would be the time in which I was studying for my finals during on particular semester. I had made the mistake of many of my classmates in the fact that the knowledge that the final would be comprehensive was told to us a full month before the final was to be administered. I had been careless in my preparation for these examinations and had not used my time wisely or effectively. As a result, and which millions of college students from around the world have experienced as well, I was stressed out and rushed during that last week leading up to finals.   I was worried about the marks that I would receive in these classes; all of which were difficult classes which did not deal with my subjects of familiarity. As a result, during that last week, I was short tempered, was prone to anger and did not have a complete control of my emotions and senses. However, what would be a more lasting effect would be the average marks which I received on my exams as well as being physically and mentally run down by the time the process was complete. I did not have a heart attack or suffer a mental breakdown; two of the more serious results of an overstressed life, but by the end of final’s week, and perhaps even in the middle of my exams, I felt sick and run down. I had experienced high levels of stress in my life which affected my sleep pattern. This in turn, affected my mental and physical state which resulted in receiving only average marks on my exam. This did not stop the worry and st ress in my life but perpetuated it as I now began to worry about how these low grades would impede my future academic career and if it would help to set the course for a less than stellar academic career. Within this experience, there are obvious elements of responsibility and the importance of planning but there will also occur in one’s own life, elements of stress which came about from no fault of the individual. In those instances as well as in situations which could have been avoided, being in touch with one’s mindfulness and knowing the role that it plays in one’s life, is not only helpful, but essential according to Kabat-Zinn, if the individual wishes to remain mentally and physically stable. Another main point of Coming to Our Senses by Jon Kabat-Zinn is the idea that successful meditation and mindfulness is not an easy process which many believe to be so. This is an all important process which requires constant attention and effort on the part of the individual. If the book could be summed up in three words, they would have to be: â€Å"Stop, look and listen!† as these are repeated in Coming to Our Senses.   Successful meditation, despite there existing more knowledge on the subject than ever before in the West, is met with more hurdles and challenges than ever before as there are more stressors and competitors for an individual’s time than ever before. In one of the most important and insightful passages in the book, Kabat-Zinn gives what may seem to be a simple recipe for contentment but is really a profound statement and one which many people will try but fail to truly achieve: â€Å"So, from the point of view of awareness, any state of mind is a med itative state. Anger or sadness is just as interesting and useful and valid to look into as enthusiasm or delight, and far more valuable than a blank mind, a mind that is insensate, out of touch. Anger, fear, terror, sadness, resentment, impatience, enthusiasm, delight, confusion, disgust, contempt, envy, rage, lust, even dullness, doubt, and torpor, in fact all mind states and body states are occasions to know ourselves better if we can stop, look, and listen, in other words, if we can come to our senses and be intimate with what presents itself in awareness in any and every moment.†[8] When this is realized and understood, the individual possesses a profound advantage over his neighbor who does not realize that often times, people are their worst enemy. When one is able to listen to one’s own self to a greater degree, than that same individual cannot help but listen to others more deeply in the process. This is very helpful in conflict and conflict resolution. Often times, disputes between individuals or even entire countries, can come from an inability or unwillingness to fully listen to the other side. All over the world, disputes are beginning and often times, will have lasting effects, all because the individuals involved were not willing to listen to the other side. Kabat-Zinn, when talking about the importance of mindfulness, states: â€Å"By the same token, it has an equal capacity to influence the larger world within which we are seamlessly embedded, including our family, our work, the society as a whole and how we see ourselves as a people, what I am calling the body politic, and the body of the world, of all of us together on this planet. And all this can come about through your own experience of the practice of mi ndfulness by virtue of that much embedded ness and the reciprocal relationships between inner and outer, and between being and doing.†[9] It is important and many would say, self-evident that one recognizes the importance that mindfulness has, not only with then individuals involved, but in relation to the conflicts which currently plague the world. In the same way, one who implements these practices into their own daily lives, will have a greater sense of empathy towards others. Kabat-Zinn states: â€Å"See if you can give yourself gifts that may be true blessings, such as self-acceptance, or some time each day with no purpose. Practice feeling deserving enough to accept these gifts without obligation-to simply receive from yourself, and from the universe.[10] In this sense, people who respect themselves more, cannot help but respect others in the process. This also ties into the need for meditation as only in those quiet and personal times of soul searching can one free their minds in order to concentrate on their relationship with themselves and others. Through self evaluation, one can then be more readily available to possess empathy for others. Those who know nothing of themselves and their senses, cannot hope to learn and communicate the hurts of others in any consistent and successful way. This, at least, has been my exp erience. Stress and an individual’s inability to know one’s self, is at the root of many problems, both mentally and physically, internally and externally, within a community and the world. Stress leads to a disconnect from the senses as well as the inability to listen to the needs of one’s own mind and body. Kabat- Zinn writes in Coming to Our Senses as a fitting summation: â€Å"But for the particular exploration we will be undertaking together in these pages and in our lives, I find it is both useful and illuminating to draw upon the work of those special people on our planet who devote themselves to the language of the mind and heart that we call poetry.†[11] In the same way some of the great navigators explored the world or how scientists explore aspects of this world which will forever remain a mystery to the lay observer, it is thus, equally important for the individual to explore their own mind through meditation and mindfulness. This will not occur overnig ht and the process is much more arduous than popular culture may lead the individual to believe. However, Kabat-Zinn believes, that those who seek the truth within their own mind and who implement mind-body therapies within their own lives, will not only have an advantage over those who do not, but will be able to communicate on a higher plane with those who practice similar techniques and thus,   will come to a deeper understanding of one’s own self as the true ability of each individual’s five separate senses. In order to achieve this, constant and consistent effort on the part of the individual is required. However, Kabat-Zinn believes that the effort is easily worth the reward.

Evolution of Dinosaurs to Modern Animals

Evolution of Dinosaurs to Modern Animals Dinosaurs didnt spring suddenly into existence two hundred million years ago, huge, toothy, and hungry for grub. Like all living things, they evolved, slowly and gradually, according to the rules of Darwinian selection and adaptation, from previously existing creatures- in this case, a family of primitive reptiles known as archosaurs (ruling lizards). On the face of it, archosaurs werent all that different from the dinosaurs that succeeded them. However, these Triassic reptiles were much smaller than later dinosaurs, and they possessed certain characteristic features that set them apart from their more famous descendants (most notably, the lack of a locked-in posture for their front and hind limbs). Paleontologists may even have identified the single genus of archosaur from which all dinosaurs evolved: Lagosuchus (Greek for rabbit crocodile), a quick, tiny reptile that scurried across the forests of early Triassic South America, and that sometimes goes by the name Marasuchus. Evolution During the Triassic Period Confusing matters somewhat, the archosaurs of the middle to late Triassic period didnt only give rise to dinosaurs. Isolated populations of these ruling reptiles also spawned the very first pterosaurs and crocodiles. For as much as 20 million years, in fact, the part of the Pangean supercontinent corresponding to modern-day South America was thick with two-legged archosaurs, two-legged dinosaurs, and even two-legged crocodiles- and even  experienced paleontologists sometimes have trouble distinguishing between the fossil specimens of these three families! Experts are unsure whether the archosaurs from which the dinosaurs descended coexisted with the therapsids (mammal-like reptiles) of the late Permian period, or whether they appeared on the scene after the Permian/Triassic Extinction Event 250 million years ago, a geologic upheaval that killed about three-quarters of all land-dwelling animals on earth. From the perspective of dinosaur evolution, though, this may be a distinction without a difference. Whats clear is that dinosaurs gained the upper hand by the start of the Jurassic period.  (By the way, you may be surprised to learn that therapsids spawned the first mammals around the same time, the late Triassic period, as archosaurs spawned the first dinosaurs.) The First Dinosaurs Once you climb your way out of late Triassic South America, the path of dinosaur evolution comes into much sharper focus, as the very first dinosaurs slowly radiated into the sauropods, tyrannosaurs, and raptors we all know and love today. The best current candidate for the first true dinosaur is the South American Eoraptor, a nimble, two-legged meat-eater akin to the slightly later Coelophysis of North America. Eoraptor and its ilk survived by eating the smaller crocodiles, archosaurs, and proto-mammals of its lush forest environment, and may have hunted by night. The next important event in dinosaur evolution, after the appearance of Eoraptor, was the split between saurischian (lizard-hipped) and ornithischian (bird-hipped) dinosaurs, which transpired just before the start of the Jurassic period. The first ornithischian dinosaur (a good candidate is Pisanosaurus) was the direct descendant of the vast bulk of the plant-eating dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era, including ceratopsians, hadrosaurs, and ornithopods. Saurischians, meanwhile, split into two main families: theropods (the meat-eating dinosaurs, including tyrannosaurs and raptors) and prosauropods (the slender, bipedal, plant-eating dinosaurs that later evolved into gigantic sauropods and titanosaurs). A good candidate for the first prosauropod, or sauropodomorph, is Panphagia, the name of which is Greek for eats everything. Ongoing Dinosaur Evolution Once these major dinosaur families were established, around the start of the Jurassic period, evolution continued to take its natural course. But according to recent research, the pace of dinosaur adaptation  slowed down drastically during the later Cretaceous period, when dinosaurs were more rigidly locked into existing families and their rates of speciation and diversification slowed. The corresponding lack of diversity may have made dinosaurs ripe pickings for the K/T Extinction Event  when a meteor impact decimated planetary food supplies. Ironically, just the way the Permian/Triassic Extinction Event paved the way for the rise of dinosaurs, the K/T Extinction cleared the way for the rise of mammals- which had existed alongside the dinosaurs all along, in small, quivering, mouse-like packages.

Morocco Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Morocco - Essay Example According to Alami (1), the type of education offered to graduates has left them ill-equipped for job access in the market. Additionally, Alami claims that the level of education offered to students depends entirely on the economic status of their parents. In relation to this assertion, it is apparent that the students lack equal chances of succeeding in Morocco. Despite all these, it is evident that over 6.5 million students have the chance of joining colleges after completing their schooling at elementary and high schools. In addition to this, 600,000 students are registered in higher education. From this, it is apparent that the number of unqualified graduates will increase significantly from the current number. The rate of unemployment among the Moroccans is very high. In tandem with this assertion, Aljazeera (1) claims that the unemployment rate in Morocco is 9.1%nationally, 16% for graduates and 31.4% for citizens below the age of 34 years. The poor quality of education offered to the graduates has contributed to them lacking access to job opportunities. In other words, the job market is very hostile to the Moroccan graduates. Corruption also plays a part in the high rate of unemployment in Morocco. According to Alami (1), money and network are very essential for one to get a job in Morocco. Additionally, the rate of unemployment among Moroccans is also as a result of high number of dropouts which is as a result of language shift. It is as a result of high number of Moroccans’ unemployment that many protests are experienced in Morocco. In relation to this, Aljazeera (1) reported that â€Å"five unemployed university graduates burned themselves during demonstration.† â€Å"Young unemployed graduates during a protest in 2011 against unemployment and the cost of living in front of the Moroccan Parliament in Rabat† Retrieved from

Paper 2 Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paper 2 Humanities - Essay Example Informatively, this essay discusses artists of the impression, a genre used by modern artists more often than the traditional art genre. Additionally, it will analyze an example of a work of art belonging to this genre by a renowned artist, Edgar Degas. History of the impressionists Nobody ever thought that what began as an insult in the year 1874 would grow into an internationally recognized and accepted genre of art. Impressionists were a diverse group of artists rejected by the art establishment, but were so much in love with art to give up. Determined to express themselves and prove their skills, they established their own exhibition, which allowed bright and multicolored paintings, which were different from the traditional exhibition art works. Impressionism, as artists of the French art exhibition described them, were artists too lazy to complete their paintings for gallery exhibition. These artists had no opportunity to stage their work in the French gallery. Most of them felt that the rules of exhibiting paintings in the art gallery were too rigid, allowing them no freedom of personal expression (Gonzales, et. al. 203). They believed that art was fun, but with the gallery defining rules for exhibition, it lost its interesting part, becoming a boring exercise. Characteristics of the impressionists The subject matter and technique of painting are the characterizing features of impressionist artists. Modernity is what the impressionists sought to express in their paintings (Moffett 86). Typically, they painted landscapes and scenes from both modern urban and suburban life, expressed in pure and bright colors. Preferring the use of the outdoor setting rather than a studio, these artists captured the actual setting they were presently in, in their paintings (Gonzales, et. al. 204). This made their work more engaging and interesting, unlike the studio artists, as the audience could relate to it better and more easily. Their work demonstrated the activities of everyday life, especially the middle class. In their paintings, they showed activities such as shopping, working, strolling, leisure, among other activities such as love. However, most of the impressionists painted about nature (Moffett 86). Their paintings were so simple that one did not require the services of an interpreter to know the ideas behind the reasoning of an artist (Gonzales, et. al. 204). Additionally, the simple nature of their artwork identified each artist with their work, an element absent from the traditional art genre. Significance of the impressionists Despite criticisms that the impressionists artists faced, they played a big role in the revolution of the modern art. The determination in which they had in fighting for their voice in art world paid off when the audience started appreciating their work. Although their first few exhibition projects did not pay off, the impressionists held top their dream of making their style known to the people (Salvi et al. 4). Now, modern artwork incorporates many features and characteristics of the impressionists’ artwork features. Modern artists freely use color, and prefer landscaping, urban and suburban lifestyles in their work. Some imaginatively however incorporate culture in their artwork. Salvi et al. (5) point out that the introduction of a new style of painting also did away with interpreters. In the French gallery, there were painting interpreters who guided the audience in

Pregnancy and Birth Control Essay Example for Free

Pregnancy and Birth Control Essay Birth Control is the Best Way to Fight with Teenage Pregnancy Teen pregnancy is frequently discussed all over the country and the efforts have not reduced the numbers, as teens continue to have unsafe sex which eventually leads to pregnancy. These developments led different experts to consider the issue of abstinence, abortion, and general sex education in order to reduce the rates of pregnancy among teens. The average teen will be curious about sex when he or she starts puberty and begins to be aware of his or her body. There are different strategies for dealing with teenage pregnancy such as sex education, abstinence, or abortion but the most effective strategy involves the careful use of birth controls. There are lots of factors that lead to teenage pregnancy. The first factor arises from a lack of parental guidance. Most parents evade their children when it comes time to talk about sex. In some cases, they provide false information regarding sex and discourage their children to participate in any informative discussion about sex. However, in other cases, teenagers are not well educated about sex before they get pregnant. This then leads to lack of communication between parents and their children. A second cause of teenage pregnancy is due to the adolescent’s sex behavior. In this case, peer pressure is a major factor that encourages teenagers to engage in sexual activities. Early dating is also another behavior that can cause unwanted pregnancy in teenagers. â€Å"According to research, 29% of teens were pressurized to have sex, 33% of teens were sexually active and that they felt things moving fast sexually (What are the Causes of teenage Pregnancy? 2009).† A third cause of teenage pregnancy is not having enough knowledge about safe sex. Most adolescents are unaware about safe sex. They have little or no information about how to prevent pregnancy. The main reason behind that is that they are too embarrassed or shy to seek information about it. â€Å"Research found that there are more than 80% of teenage pregnancies are unplanned (What are the Causes of teenage Pregnancy? 2009).† A fourth cause of teenage pregnancy is due to social economic factors. In this case, teenagers who belong to poor families are more likely to become pregnant because they do not usually get enough education about sex and birth control. Another cause of teenage pregnancy is contraceptive failure. This is a very common cause of teenage pregnancies today. There are many brands and types of contraceptives and birth control pills that are available in the market, but they are not guaranteed for  complete safety. Sometimes, not knowing how to use a contraceptive properly can lead to unwanted teenage pregnancy. There are also many side effects from contraception including physical changes in the body which can sometimes result in miscarriage or newborn defects; â€Å"emotional trauma of handling a child at such an early age, changes in life styles, and also termination of pregnancy affects the general health (Admin).† So, one should think about all this before he or she gets involved in sex. In addition, there are many ways to help prevent teenage pregnancy. The advice for parents and other groups that directly work with teens is to educate them on the dangers of sex before marriage and that abstinence is the best way to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Abstinence is now a trend in the states and different studies have been conducted to evaluate the usefulness and results of abstaining from sex before marriage. A University of Pennsylvania sociologist, John Jemmott, explained the result of the different abstinence sessions conducted on the teen pregnancy issues. â€Å"In a sample this size, the difference between the comprehensive class and the abstinence class – Thirty-three percent vs. Forty-one percent – was not statistically significant†, said Jemmott, so it is accurate to say they perform comparably. The issue of abstinence is being challenged by some groups who say that abstinence only makes teenagers less aware of safe sex if they find themselves in such situations, and that the rate of teenage pregnancy is not high enough to make abstinence the major direction discussed in sex education (Flam, 2010). Bill Albert, the chief program officer of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy says even adults who know better about pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases still have sex before marriage, Studies shows that only eight percent of adults wait until marriage (Flam, 2010). Abortion is another major factor in the increasing rate of teenage pregnancy. Abortion can be described as the elimination of a zygote before it develops to its full stage. Teens have changed their attitude towards sex because of the availability of abortion and this has led to an increase of more teens becoming pregnant. According to Collison, the teenagers, who were abstaining from premarital sex before the introduction of abortion, are now engaging in it because they know that if they happen to get pregnant, there is a way to get out of such a situation. Some other experts argue that abortion is a positive factor that  has to be put in place if teenage pregnancies are to be reduced, because most of these teens do not have the financial or moral standard to take care of their babies in the normal way (Collison, 2001). â€Å"From 1995 to 1997, the abortion rate decreased 3.9 percent among females younger than 15 years of age (from 2.8 to 2.7 per 1,000), 10.1 percent among females 15 to 17 years of age (from 18.2 to 16.3 per 1,000), and 5.4 percent among females 18 to 19 years of age (from 39.6 to 37.5 per 1,000) (Teenage pregnancy, birth, and abortion. (2002) (Fact 52)† Furthermore, the bad name given to abortion has made it almost impossible for teens to get rid of unwanted pregnancies which could ruin their lives. Research has shown that some teens who cannot abort unwanted pregnancies decide to kill the baby after birth, which is infanticide. An example of this kind of situation is the story of two college students, Amy and Brian who drove from New Jersey to Delaware and rented a motel room. There, Amy gave birth to a baby boy. Brian, it was reported, beat the baby to death, stuffed him in a plastic bag, and threw him in a trash container. (Collison, 2001). Birth control has its negative and positive effects, but one thing is for sure, it is a very effective way of preventing pregnancy. For the first time in fourteen years teen pregnancy rose in the year 2007 (Stacey, 2009). Researchers are discovering that there are certain patterns in teen’s behaviors that are connected to a higher and more consistent birth control use. A study in 2007 published in the journal â€Å"Demography†, Contraceptive Use Patterns across Teen’s Sexual relationships: The Role of Relationships, Pa rtners, and sexual histories provides information on teen birth control usage. According to the study many teens use birth control inconsistently (Manlove, Ryan, Franzetta, 2007). In fact, four out of ten teens do not use contraceptives properly. Teens that have used birth control in the past are shown to be more likely to use it in the future. This proves that teens may learn from their past relationship experiences. However, teens in romantic relationships are more likely to use birth control for the first time, but fail to use it anytime after that. Approximately 67 percent of teens 12 to 19 years of age feel that if they were to offer advice to leaders in Washington regarding teen pregnancy, they would suggest greater emphasis on both encouraging teens not to have sexual relations and on birth control or protection (Teenage pregnancy, birth, and abortion, 2002 (Fact 71). Forty percent of women who  use birth control experience side effects for the first three months. After the first three months, side effects seem to diminish (Theresa, 2001). Mild negative side effects of the pill include: irregular menstrual bleeding, missed periods, spotting between periods, nausea, weight gain or weight loss, headaches, dizziness, breast tenderness, mood changes, and an increase in vaginal infections. The more serious negative effects of the pill include: blood clots, stroke, heart attack, worsening of migraine headaches, gall bladder disease, increase in blood pressure, and a rare liver tumor. Any person who smokes, is older than thirty-five, has diabetes, high blood pressure, heart or vascular disease, high cholesterol and triglyceride abnormalities is at a much higher risk for the birth control side effects. Even though there may seem to be negative side effects, not all are harmful. Many women in fact are put on the pill to help with cycle problems rather than to prevent pregnancy (Theresa, 2001). Positive side effects of the pill include: lighter menstruation, reduction of cramps, improvement of acne, protection against non-cancerous breast growth, reduction in anemia and ovarian cysts, decreased risk of uterine cancer, decreased risk of infection of the fallopian tubes, decreased risk of ectopic pregnancy and less incidence of rheumatoid arthritis. The bad side effects of the pill are very rare. Using birth control pills is a reliable way to prevent teen pregnancy, and has a success rate of 99.9%. When a young teen weighs the pros and cons of birth control, most see the pros out weighing the cons. Abstinence is the only way to be completely sure to not get pregnant and to be 100% safe, however birth control is the next best method. Teen pregnancy is a very hot topic that concerns many people and organizations, who are trying to slow the epidemic. There are many reasons why teen pregnancy needs to be reduced in America. Many pregnancies are not planned which lead to a number of problems for the mother and family members. 88% of teens 12 to 19 years of age think the number of teenage pregnancies in the United States is a serious problem (Teenage pregnancy, birth, and abortion (2002) (Fact 67). The United States has almost double the amount of teen pregnancies that Canada has. This is reflected by the many programs and ways that U.S. organizations are trying to lower teen pregnancy rates. One of the most popular programs that are used to reduce teen pregnancy is sex education in schools. According to Finger, sex  education is the best way to reduce teen pregnancy. Sex education needs to be taught to every child starting at a young age by trained professionals in school (Finger, 2002). In a study done in a low income rural neighborhood, children from five to eighteen years of age were put through sex education classes over a three year period. After three years, pregnancies in teens fell from sixty out of every 1,000 kids to twenty-five out of every 1,000 kids (Finger, 2002). This is a good sign that sex education can help lower teen pregnancy by more than half. Most students are taught at an average age of sixteen and a half. This is too late; at that point many kids have already experimented sexually and have formed their own opinions about sex. From kindergarten to twelfth grade kids only spend forty-six hours in health classes which is where sex education is taught (Roleff). One of the largest issues is training professionals to teach sex education. â€Å"Training teachers is a key element of successful sex education programs, and the lack of good training has been a big problem† says Dr. Waszak (Finger, 2002). Sex education is the best way to prevent teen pregnancy and with these few adjustments it can be very effective. On the other side are people that say teens will have sex no matter what they are told and do not want to waste the time and money. This point is validated in a study which is done every twelve years. In 1980, federal and state governments spent $350 million in sex education. In 1992, that number has risen to 645 million dollars (Kasun, 2000). No numbers were available from 2004, but were estimated to have grown in cost. That is a lot of tax money being spent on such a controversial topic. A large problem is there is no time in school for sex education. With Math and English classes taking importance over most subjects in a college and career based school system there is no room for sex education. The last problem is where to get professionals to teach sex education classes. This will cost tax payers even more money to hire a professional or to train a current teacher. The most important thing is to just educate kids about sex and teen pregnancy. Sex education, abstinence, and abortion are the ways to lower teen pregnancy rates. There are different strategies for dealing with teenage pregnancy such as sex education, abstinence, and abortion, but the most effective strategy involves the careful use of birth controls. Some of these are very expensive ventures, but teenage pregnancies have cost our society billions of dollars in the  last thirty years. Divorce, single parent families, teen suicide, sexually transmitted diseases, juvenile crime, child abuse, and abortion, have all at least doubled from thirty years ago (Collison, 2001). Knowledge is power and the awareness that different options are available gives power to teens to make the right decisions. Bibliography: Collison, Joseph. (2001). The Legalization of abortion had influenced teen attitudes toward sex. Flam, Faye. (2010, February 22). Study offers nuanced view of abstinence education. Finger, James. (2002). Teenage pregnancy is a serious problem [Vol I]. (Adobe Digital Edition Version). Kasun, Jacqueline. (2000). Sex education promotes teen pregnancy. Manlove, Jennifer; Suzanne, Ryan; Kerry, Franzetta. (2007). Contraceptive use patterns across teens’ sexual relationships: the role of relationship, partners, and sexual histories. [pp. 603-621]. (Adobe Digital Edition Version), Doi: Demography 44. Roleff, Mark. (n.d.). Sex education can prevent teenage pregnancy. Stacey, Dawn. (2009). â€Å"Teen birth control- Teen pregnancy prevention and contraception decision –making†. 2 â€Å"Teenage pregnancy, birth control and abortion.†(Fact Sheet). (2002), SIECUS Report 30.0. 39+ Academic One File. 22. Theresa, H. (2001). Love to know pregnancy [pp 34-36]. (Adobe Digit al Edication Version). â€Å"What are the causes of teenage pregnancy?† (2009, March 12).

Learning Styles and Strategies :: Teaching Education Essays

Learning Styles and Strategies My learning style is generally well balanced between active, reflective, sensing and intuitive learning. However, I have a more moderate preference toward the visual learning over verbal and the sequential over global learning. The results of my test did not surprise me. I realize that I comprehend better when shown how to do something over reading directions from a text. I feel the assessment of my test was very valid and the questions that were asked were relative to the process. I believe that my test results were very accurate. As a learner the instructional strategies that work best for me are the visual along with sequential and I would use these in a classroom with games, graphs, pictures, charts, films, and other tools. To help students that do not learn in the same way, an instructor must incorporate other strategies in the classroom to accommodate each of the different learning styles. This would include using the reflective learning style by giving the student a chance to think about a subject and come to a conclusion to bring to class a discussion. It would also include addressing the verbal learning style by assigning reading material of different types the student could address in class. An evaluation quiz could be used in the classroom utilizing each learning style to access the different learning styles of the students, giving the instructor information about her students learning skills. This information could then be used to better structure the class material so that each student is accommodated. There are many different technologies out there that can be helpful in today’s classroom to address the different learning skills of students.

Accepting Personal Responsibility – Essay

Chapter 2 Accepting Personal Responsibility There is great value in perceiving ourselves as the primary creators of the outcomes and experiences of our lives. At the very least, we are responsible for how we respond to any event, whether the event is of our creation or not. When academic outcomes and experiences are negative, many students blame others, often teachers. When academic outcomes and experiences are positive, many students credit others. Since the cause of their results is seen as existing outside of themselves, these students have no reason to evaluate and possibly change their own behaviors.Students like this typically wait for the world to change while they complain, blame, make excuses, and repeat ineffective behaviors. They may even blame themselves, all the while thinking there is nothing they can do to change their fate. By offering students the opportunity to see how their own choices contribute to their past, present, and future outcomes, we empower them to appro ach life with the beliefs and behaviors of a Creator, thus giving up the passivity and bitterness of a Victim.Empowers Students to . . . 1. Accept a Creator role, taking responsibility for creating the outcome and experiences of their lives (including their education), and reject the Victim role, giving up complaining, blaming, excusing, and paralyzing self-judgment. 2. Master Creator language, understanding that Creators and Victims choose different ways of thinking and speaking about their experiences, consequently changing both their perceptions of reality and the outcomes that they create. . Live more consciously, becoming more aware of their inner aspects—Inner Critic, Inner Defender, and Inner Guide, among others—and the corresponding inner dialogue that dictates students’ subsequent actions. 4. Make wise choices by consciously recognizing important decision points in their lives, identifying all possible options at this point, and making decisions with aw areness of their future consequences. 5.Make mature decisions, choosing to make long-term gain more important than immediate pleasure or immediate escape from discomfort. 6. Replace outer authority with inner authority, and resistance with cooperation. 7. Gain greater control over the outcomes of their lives. Engaging students in the exploration of JOURNAL ENTRIES, CASE STUDIES, ONE STUDENT’S STORY, EMBRACING CHANGE, ON COURSE AT WORK, QUOTATIONS, CARTOONS, FOCUS QUESTIONS, CHAPTER-OPENING CHARTS and STUDY SKILLS.

Mhr Individual Case Study

1. You are the consultant. Clark has asked you to submit a proposal for a PS plan for Maple Leaf Shoes. You wonder about the appropriateness of such an incentive system for Maple Leaf Shoes, but you promised to look into it. What will you tell Robert Clark? A profit sharing plan is a plan that gives employees a share in the profits of the company. Each employee receives a percentage of those profits based on the company's earnings.The textbook defines profit sharing plan as â€Å"A system whereby an employer pays compensation or benefits to employees, usually on an annual basis, in addition to their regular wage, on the basis of the profits of the company† (Page 352). This plan can either be a really great plan or a terrible plan because it ultimately depends on the profits earned by the company in a given time period.Let’s say for a certain month the company is doing really great in profits and business is good than the employees will be really happy and earn a lot mor e than they’ve earned in the past, But if the company fails to generate a lot of profit the next year than wages for the employees will decrease and be more lower than it was before which will make employees upset and earn less money. The idea of imposing a PS plan is so that employees are motivated to work hard so that they can make money as possible and the company can be profitable.It’s a drive to get employees to help the business become successful so ultimately it’s a win-win situation between the employees and company. I would tell Robert Clark to continue with his plans on proposing this idea of making a PS plan. This PS plan will be great for this Maple Shoes Company because it will motivate employees to work hard and become more productive in their work field so that Maple Shoes can make as much money as possible and results to a good company image. 2.Do you see a possibility of convincing Maple Leaf Shoes' unions to buy in on a PS plan? I believe the u nion members will not buy into the PS incentive plan because it ultimately depends on how much the company makes over a certain period of time. There is always a possibility that there will be no profits or low profits during a period of time. The amount of profit Maple Leaf Shoe is making is highly unstable but one moment you might be getting a lot of money and another moment you will be getting paid under what you used to get paid.This plan has a lot of ups and downs but it’s really like gambling because you can win a lot of money and lose a lot also. I can see how this plan might be able to increase production of employees because it will motivate employees to work harder to help the company earn more profits. But sometimes the employees will do everything their supposed to do and maybe the company doesn’t make profits because of other reasons like competitions or other factors that employees can’t control.Also Maple Leaf Shoe production costs are steadily in creasing which means they need to make a lot more money to cover their high costs. There is a low possibility that Union will accept this PS plan because there is too much gamble and risk. 3. What other incentive plans are suitable for Maple Leaf Shoes? The three incentive plans that will be more beneficial to the Maple Leaf Shoes company is production incentive plans, employee stocks ownership plans (ESOPs), and Scanlon plan.Production incentive plans are plans that â€Å"allow groups of workers of workers to receive bonuses for exceeding predetermined levels of output† (Page 351). This will motivate employees to work harder and be more productive than they were before. Employees would want to work more than there supposed to so that they earn more money and the company benefits because it will have a lot of employees that will do a lot more for them that will ultimately generate more profits.Employee stocks ownership plans (ESOPs) is a plan that gives employees ownership of the company and gives them voting rights within the company. This is advantageous because it allows employees to feel that they are part of the company instead of being related to as an asset to the company. Employees would want to work for a company that they represent and have ownership in because they will treat the company as their own and do whatever it takes to get the company more profits. The two plans previous are all determined on factors that employees can’t control with is the profit the company makes.Scanlon plans as stated in the textbook is â€Å"An incentive plan developed by Joseph Scanlon that has as its general objective the reduction of labour costs through increased efficiency and the sharing of resultant savings among workers† (Page 352). This plan is great for employees because it rewards them based on the labour costs, a factor they can control. Works Cited List Schwind, H. F. , Das, H. , & Wagar, T. H. (2010). Canadian human resource managemen t: a strategic approach (9th ed. ). Whitby, Ont. : McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

Extra Hamlet Scene Essays

Extra Hamlet Scene Essays Extra Hamlet Scene Essay Extra Hamlet Scene Essay Essay Topic: Hamlet Friend: Ophelia, I got your message. What’s the matter? Ophelia: I’ve ruined it. I can’t do it anymore. I want this all to be over. Friend: What? Ophelia you know you can tell me anything, it’s me. Ophelia: No, No I can’t even bring myself to say it. PAUSE OPHELIA IS ABOUT TO SAY. HAMLET ENTERS. OPHELIA BURSTS INTO TEARS. Ophelia: I don’t want him here. Get him out! Friend: Look she’s in a bad way. I think you should leave. Hamlet: What? Why? I want to know what’s going on. Ophelia: No Hamlet just go, please, you’ve done enough already. (Through tears) Hamlet: What’s that supposed to mean? Ophelia: I can’t do this right now. (Runs out) Friend: Ophelia! Wait! (Runs after Ophelia) HAMLET STANDS BEWILDERED/CONFUSED. PAUSE. GERTRUDE AND CLAUDIUS ENTERS. Gertrude: Hamlet, there you are we’ve been looking for you eHamlet? Son, what’s wrong? HAMLET DOESN’T ANSWER. Gertrude: Come on Hamlet I can tell when something is wrong. HAMLET STILL DOESN’T ANSWER. Claudius: Just leave him. He’s probably just still grieving. That boy and his issues.. Hamlet: What did you just say? Who do you think you are?! The only issues I have are with you. Gertrude: Hamlet that’s enough! Claudius: No Gertrude. Let the boy say what he has to say. (LONG PAUSE HAMLET SLOWLY WALKS CLOSE TO CLAUDIUS) Hamlet: I wouldn’t waste my breath. No words will ever come close to describing how I feel about you. (HAMLET GOES TO TURN AWAY BUT COME BACK FIST CLENCHED IN THE AIR ABOUT TO PUNCH CLAUDIUS – CLAUDIUS GRABS HIS WRIST AND HOLDS IT IN THE AIR) Claudius: I can understand you’ve had your problems Hamlet. We all have. But your attitude is going too far for my liking. (CLAUDIUS DROPS THE HELD ARMS IN THE AIR) Gertrude: (frantically panicking) Both of you please just stop this! Hamlet: No mother! This has been long overdue. Claudius: Was I not clear? I know my place in this family. It’s time you learnt yours. Hamlet: Family?! You call this a family? You are no family of mine. Claudius: He’s gone he’s dead I think once and for all you need to accept that! Hamlet: â€Å"He† See you can’t even bring yourself to say my father’s name, and I know why she is just too blind to see it. Gertrude: Hamlet! What on earth! That is no way to talk to your father or your mother! (HAMLET SHOUTS) Hamlet: He is not my father! Claudius: Yes I am! END

Most Important Themes in Great Gatsby, Analyzed

Most Important Themes in Great Gatsby, Analyzed SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Need to write about a theme for a Great Gatsby assignment or just curious about what exactly a theme is? Not sure where to start? Learn here what a theme is, what the main themes in The Great Gatsby are, and what the best tips for writing about themes for your English/Language Arts class essays are. We will also link to our specific articles on each theme so you can learn even more in-depth about themes central to Gatsby. What Is a Theme? Why Should You Care? First things first: what exactly is a theme? In literature, a theme is a central topic a book deals with. This central topic is revealed through plot events, the actions and dialogue of the characters, and even the narrator’s tone. Themes can be very broad, like love, money, or death, or more specific, like people versus technology, racial discrimination, or the American Dream. In short, a book’s theme can usually answer the question, â€Å"what’s the point of this book?†. They’re the â€Å"so what?† of literary analysis. Also, note that books can definitely have more than one major theme – in Gatsby we identify seven! Knowing a book’s major theme(s) is crucial to writing essays, since many assignments want you to connect your argument to a book’s theme. For example, you might be asked to write an essay about a prompt like this: â€Å"How does the life of Jay Gatsby exemplify (or deconstruct) the idea of the American Dream?† This prompt has you connect specific details in Jay Gatsby’s life to the larger theme of the American Dream. This is why many teachers love theme essays: because they encourage you to connect small details to big ideas! Furthermore, the AP English Literature test always has an essay question that has you analyze some aspect of a book and then â€Å"compare it to the theme of the work as a whole.† (If you want specific examplesyou can access the last 15 years of AP English Literature free response questions here, using your College Board account.) So this skill won’t just help you in your English classes, it will also help you pass the AP English Literature test if you’re taking it! So keep reading to learn about the major themes in Gatsby and how they are revealed in the book, and also to get links to our in-depth articles about each theme. Overview of Key Themes inThe Great Gatsby Before we introduce our seven main themes, we’ll briefly describe how the story and characters suggest the majorGreat Gatsbythemes. Remember that the story is set in the 1920s, a period when America’s economy was booming, and takes place in New York: specifically the wealthy Long Island towns of West Egg and East Egg, as well as Manhattan and Queens. As you should know from the book (check out our summary if you’re still hazy on the details!), The Great Gatsby tells the story of James Gatz, a poor farm boy who manages to reinvent himself as the fabulously rich Jay Gatsby, only to be killed after an attempt to win over his old love Daisy Buchanan. Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan, and they’re both from old money, causing them to look down Gatsby’s newly rich crowd (and for Tom to look down at Gatsby himself). Meanwhile, Tom is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson, the wife of mechanic George Wilson. Through the Wilsons, we see the struggles of the working class in dismal Queens, NY. As if they didn’t already have it hard enough, Myrtle is killed in a hit-and-run accident (caused by Daisy Buchanan), and George, who’s manipulated by Tom to believe that Jay Gatsby was both his wife’s lover and her murderer, ends up shooting Gatsby and then himself. The whole story is told by Nick Carraway, a second cousin of Daisy’s and classmate of Tom’s who moves in next to Gatsby’s mansion and eventually befriends Jay and then comes to deeply admire him, despite or perhaps because of Jay’s fervent desire to repeat his past with Daisy. The tragic chain of events at the novel’s climax, along with the fact that both the Buchanans can easily retreat from the damage they caused, causesNick to become disillusioned with life in New York and retreat back to his hometown in the Midwest. Aside from havinga very unhappy ending, the novel might just ruin swimming pools for you as well. The fact that the major characters come from three distinctclass backgrounds (working class, newly rich, and old money) suggests that class is a major theme. But the rampant materialism and the sheer amount of money spent by Gatsby himself is a huge issue and its own theme. Related to money and class, the fact that both Gatsby and the Wilsons strive to improve their positions in American society, only to end up dead, also suggests that the American Dream and specifically its hollowness is a key theme in the book as well. But there are other themes at play here, too. Every major character is involved in at least one romantic relationship, revealing thatthey are all driven by love, sex, and desire a major theme. Also, the rampant bad behavior (crime, cheating, and finally murder) and lack of real justice makes ethics and morality a key theme. Death also looms large over the novel’s plot, alongside the threat of failure. And finally, a strong undercurrent to all of these themes isidentity itself: can James Gatz really become Jay Gatsby, or was he doomed from the start? Can someone who is not from old money ever blend in with that crowd? Could Gatsby reallyaspire to repeat his past with Daisy, or is that past self gone forever? In short, just by looking at the novel's plot, characters, and ending, we can already get a strong sense of Gatsby's major themes. Let's now look at each of those themes one by one (and be sure to check out the links to our full theme breakdowns!). The 7 Major Great GatsbyThemes Money and Materialism:Everyone in the novel is money-obsessed, whether they were born with money (Tom, Daisy, Jordan, and Nick to a lesser extent), whether they made a fortune (Gatsby), or whether they’re eager for more (Myrtle and George). So why are the characters so materialistic? How does their materialism affect their choices? Get a guide to each of the characters’ material motivations and how they shape the novel. Society and Class:Building on the money and materialism theme, the novel draws clear distinctions between the kind of money you have: old money (inherited) or new money (earned). And there is also a clear difference between the lifestyles of the wealthy, who live on Long Island and commute freely to Manhattan, and the working class people stuck inbetween, mired in Queens. By the end of the novel, our main characters who are not old money (Gatsby, Myrtle, and George) are all dead, while the inherited-money club is still alive. What does this say about class in Gatsby? Why is their society so rigidly classist? Learn more about the various social classes in Gatsby and how they affect the novel’s outcome. The American Dream: The American Dream is the idea anyone can make it in America (e.g. gain fame, fortune, and success) through enough hard work and determination. So is Jay Gatsby an example of the dream? Or does his involvement in crime suggest the Dream isn’t actually real? And where does this leave the Wilsons, who are also eager to improve their lot in life but don’t make it out of the novel alive? Finally, do the closing pages of the novel endorse the American Dream or write it off as a fantasy? Learn what the American Dream is and how the novel sometimes believes in it, and sometimes sees it as a reckless fantasy. Love, Desire, and Relationships:All of the major characters are driven by love, desire, or both, but only Tom and Daisy’s marriage lasts out of the novel’s five major relationships and affairs. So is love an inherently unstable force? Or do the characters just experience it in the wrong way? Get an in-depth guide to each of Gatsby’s major relationships. Death and Failure:Nick narrates Gatsby two years after the events in question, and since he’s obviously aware of the tragedy awaiting not only Gatsby but Myrtle and George as well, the novel has a sad, reflective, even mournful tone. Is the novel saying that ambition is inherently dangerous (especially in a classist society like 1920s America), or is it more concerned with the danger of Gatsby’s intense desire to reclaim the past? Explore those questions here. Morality and Ethics:The novel is full of bad behavior: lying, cheating, physical abuse, crime, and finally murder. Yet none of the characters ever answer to the law, and God is only mentioned as an exclamation, or briefly projected onto an advertisement. Does the novel push for the need to fix this lack of morality, or does it accept it as the normal state of affairs in the â€Å"wild, wild East†? The Mutability of Identity:Mutability just means â€Å"subject to change,† so this theme is about how changeable (or not!) personal identity is. Do people really change? Or are our past selves always with us? And how would this shape our desire to reclaim parts of our past? Gatsby wants to have it both ways: to change himself from James Gatz into the sophisticated, wealthy Jay Gatsby, but also to preserve his past with Daisy. Does he fail because it’s impossible to change? Because it’s impossible to repeat the past? Or both? How to WriteAbout The Great GatsbyThemes So now that you know about the major themes of The Great Gatsby, how can you go about writing about them? First up: look closely at your prompt. Sometimes an essay prompt will come right out and ask you to write about a theme, for example â€Å"is The American Dream in Gatsby alive or dead?† or â€Å"Write about the relationships in Gatsby. What is the novel saying about the nature of love and desire?† For those essays, you will obviously be writing about one of the novel’s major themes. But even though those prompts have big-picture questions, make sure to find small supporting details to help make your argument. In the same way a tree would look really silly if it was just a trunk with no branches and leaves, your essay won't be that great withoutsmaller details to support the larger argument about the theme. For example, if you’re discussing the American Dream and arguing it’s dead in the novel, don’t just make that claim and be done with it. Instead, you can explore Gatsby’s past as James Gatz, George Wilson’s exhausted complacency, and Myrtle’s treatment at the hands of Tom as examples of how the American Dream is treated in the novel. Obviously those examples are far from exhaustive, but hopefully you get the idea: find smaller details to support the larger argument. On the other hand, many essay prompts about Gatsby will look like a question about something specific, like a character or symbol: Explore Tom and Daisy as people who ‘retreat into their money.' What does the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock represent? How does its meaning change throughout the novel? Show how Fitzgerald uses clothing (and the changing of costumes) to tell the reader more about the characters and/or express theme(s). These prompts are actually a chance for you to take that detailed analysis and connect it to one of the larger themes – in other words, even though the prompt doesn’t state it explicitly, you should still be connecting those more focused topics to one of the big-picture themes. For example, if you talk about Tom and Daisy Buchanan, you will definitely end up talking about society and class. If you talk about the green light, you will end up talking about dreams and goals, specifically the American Dream. And if you discuss clothing to talk about the characters, you will definitely touch on money and materialism, as well as society and class (like how Gatsby’s pink suit makes him stand out as new money to Tom Buchanan, or how Myrtle adopts a different dress to play at being wealthy and sophisticated). In short, for these more specific prompts, you start from the ground (small details and observations) and build up to discussing the larger themes, even if the prompt doesn’t say to do so explicitly! What’s Next? Now you're an expert on themes, but what about symbols? If you need to write about the important symbols inThe Great Gatsby,check out our symbols overview for a complete guide. Want a full analysis of Jay Gatsby and his backstory?Not sure how his story connects with the American Dream? Get the details here. Want to go back to square one? Get started with Chapter 1 of our Great Gatsby plot summary. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

4 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

4 questions - Essay Example do you feel like are safe? Are you in favor of protectionism? Are you willing to pay more for products if they are made in the U.S.? The jobs which are still safe within the U.S. are related with the state machinery, the labor domains, the teachers, the normal business fraternity and so on. I am in favor of protectionism because it allows the Americans to protect their own selves. Indeed I am willing to pay an extra dime if the products are made in the U.S. This is significant as it will mean the countrymen and women are doing something worthwhile for the U.S. and benefiting the nation. 3. Do you think the United States has an energy crisis? What do you think are the best alternative energy solutions? Would you be willing to pay a $4 a gallon tax if that money would be used to research new alternative energy solutions? It is true that the United States has an energy crisis from which it has to get out. The best alternative energy solutions are in the form of coal exploration and water-based plants which will bring in more energy reservoirs for the country. One would be willing to pay extra if the research for new alternative energy solutions is ensured because this is the need of the hour. It would be the basis of the American nation in terms of success. 4. What is so special about healthcare that requires government intervention? Is access to healthcare a basic human right? What do you think would happen if healthcare was an unregulated free market? Do you think you would be better off or worse off? The thing that is special about healthcare that requires government intervention is that the lives of the people depend entirely on the steps undertaken by the government and hence the need is made essential. Indeed access to healthcare is a basic human right because human beings deserve to live their lives to the fullest with good health and positive energy. If healthcare was an unregulated free market, it