My opinion about Four Generations By Joyce Maynard Essay Example for Free

My opinion about Four Generations By Joyce Maynard Essay Joyce Maynard in The Four Generations has skillfully described her grandmother as a frail individual who used to be so dynamic once. Her style of writing makes her script colorful and does not let the reader get bored. She uses simple words yet implies deep meanings. In addition, not only does she bring examples to show the characters but she also uses the exact quotations to express the very same idea of them. Joyce Maynards strong ability to portray moments is another admirable skill of her in writing. Her use of words in simple sentences clearly shows the characteristics of her grandmother. We can realize that her grandmother was a naughty energetic woman who cracks nuts and was able to lift a car off the ground. She was also emotional, since she used to weep every time she had to say goodbye to her children, and nurse her relatives of her generation and even though she was old enough to forget everything, she wrote down notes to remind herself of her granddaughter and her child whom she had not seen yet. Instead of imposing an idea, Joyce Maynard brings examples to let the reader know her grandmother better. We can get from the text that she was determined. Though she never had much money she did not hesitate to let her daughter take piano lessons and elocution lessons; moreover, she sent her to college. We can see how caring she was, by paying attention to even a one-year-old child to see whether anybody takes care of her. And her physical power is stated when Joyce refers to a car accident where her grandmother lifted the car. The use of quotations is a good element to make her script more colorful. Many times Joyce brings exact words of her grandmother. To let the readers know her grandmother by her own tone of speaking. To show that she believed to be different -and in fact she was- Joyce repeats her own words at the illness bed when she was suffering from pancreatic cancer: Now I am different. Im yellow. And to show her firm character she states Im not always like this. Even though her grandmother had said she was ready to die, what she said in her last words to Joyce was I wish I had your hair  and I wish I was well. When Joyce wants to depict her grandmothers powerlessness in her last days, she mentions her body movements in a way that the reader can imagine it in all ways. Just like a puny baby, her grandmother waved to Joyces child in a kind of slow, finger-flexing movement and got the same reply from the little kid. Her way of speaking also shows that she wished to be better and enjoy the little childs presence. Finally Joyce illustrates the loss of her grandmother in a way that her own mother has lost a source of kindness and love. Her use of language and simple words and vivid examples and quotations made her essay more effective and powerful. She leaves the readers concentrating on the idea that once a mother passes away her beloved child is not a daughter anymore but just a mother who unquestioningly loves her own daughter.

Good and Evil in Good Country People Essay examples -- people

Good and Evil in Good Country People  Ã‚   In her short story, Good Country People,  Flannery O’Connor employs all the elements of humor, irony and, paradox intermingled within the system of Christian belief in evil and redemption. This is no more evident than in the character of Joy, the daughter, who had lost a leg in a hunting accident at the age of 12 and who now has a wooden leg in his place. Throughout the story, it becomes increasingly clear that Joy’s physical affliction is closely paralleled by a spiritual one as well. As the narrative unfolds, the great lengths Joy has gone to recreate her inner self, her soul, are revealed in painstaking detail. It appears she has succeeded in fashioning her own soul into a spirit that is as hard and unyielding as the prosthesis that now takes the place of her missing naturally soft and flexible appendage. In Christian society and belief, as well as many other religions, the one true possession that a person has total control over is their everlasting soul. It is this spirit that makes one truly unique from everyone else. The fight within one’s self between good and evil and the day to day struggle to ensure that the goodness prevails is the focal point of a true believer’s life. It is only by this triumph on goodness that he can achieve Salvation in the eyes of God. Joy, on the other hand, seems intent on building barriers around her soul that would make it as rigid and unfeeling as her wooden leg. As did the surgeon who had to perform the prosthetic surgery years before to replace a natural part of her physical body, she is apparently trying to perform this same function with the spiritual side of herself as well. She has taken great care to recreate her  «Ã‚  self  Ã‚ » into one th... ...ears were now completely useless. To be an atheist and realize, not that there is a God, but discover there is a Devil, must be a very chilling and disheartening experience. For if there is definitely one, there must be the other. Works Cited Asals, Frederick. Flannery O’Connor  : The Imagination of Extremity. The University of Georgia Press  : Athens, Georgia, 1982. Brinkmeyer, Robert H. The Art and Vision of Flannery O’Connor. Louisiana State University Press  : Baton Rouge, Louisiana  , 1989. DiYanni, Robert. Literature Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. McGraw Hill  : Boston, Massachusette, 1998. Eggenschwiler, David. The Christian Humanism of Flannery O’Connor. Wayne State University Press  : Detroit, Michigan, 1972. Feeley, Kathleen. Flannery O’Connor  : Voice of the Peacock. Rugers University Press  : New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1972.

Leadership Theories Essay

Path-Goal: creating a shared, common goal or vision and following through to reach the goal or vision by determining the best path * defines goals, clarifies path, removes obstacles, provides support * designed to explain how leaders can help subordinates along the path to their goals by selecting specific behaviors that are best suited to subordinates’ needs * in theory, it provides a set of assumptions about how various leadership styles interact with characteristics of subordinates and the work setting to affect the motivation of subordinates; in practice, it provides direction about how leaders can help subordinates to accomplish their work in a satisfactory manner * positive features of the path-goal theory * provides a useful theoretical framework for understanding how various leadership behaviors affect subordinates’ satisfaction and work performance * it attempts to integrate the motivation principles of expectancy theory into a theory of leadership * provides a very practical model – it underscores and highlights the important ways leaders help subordinates * fairly straightforward – an effective leader has to attend to the needs of subordinates * provides a set of general recommendations based on the characteristics of subordinates and tasks for how leaders should act in various situations if they want to be effective; it informs us about when to be directive, supportive, participative, or achievement oriented * leaders should adapt their styles to the situation or to the motivational * a leader must carefully assess the subordinates and their tasks, and then choose an appropriate leadership style to match those characteristics * needs of their subordinates, as well as utilize not only one of the leadership traits, but a combination of them * Directive Leadership: characterizes a leader who gives subordinates instructions about their task, including what is expected of them, how it is to be done, and the time line for when it should be completed * a directive leader sets clear standards of performance and makes the rules and regulations clear to subordinates * Supportive Leadership: consists of being friendly and approachable as a leader and includes attending to the well-being and human  needs of subordinates * leaders using supportive behaviors go out of their way to make work pleasant for subordinates; in addition, supportive leaders treat subordinates as equals and give them respect for their status * Achievement-Oriented Leadership: characterized by a leader who challenges subordinates to perform work at the highest level possible * The leader establishes a high standard of excellence for subordinates and seeks continuous improvement * In addition to expecting a lot from subordinates, achievement-oriented leaders show a high degree of confidence that subordinates are capable of establishing and accomplishing challenging goals * Subordinate Characteristics: determine how a leader’s behavior is interpreted by subordinates in a given work context * Researchers have focused on subordinate’s needs for affiliation, preferences for structure, desires for control, and self-perceived level of task ability * these characteristics and many others determine the degree to which subordinates find the behavior of a leader an immediate source of satisfaction or instrumental to some future satisfaction * needs for affiliation – prefer supportive leadership because friendly and concerned leadership is a source of satisfaction * desires for control – path-goal theory suggests that for subordinates with an internal locus of control participative leadership is most satisfying because it allows them to feel in charge of their work and to be an integral part of decision making * subordinates perception of their own ability – as subordinates’ perception of their own abilities and competence goes up, the need for directive leadership goes down Social Change: change for the common good; individual, group, and societal values are fundamental to change * guides the design of a leadership development program that emphasizes clarification of values, development of self-awareness, ability to trust, capacity to listen and serve others, collaborative work, and change for the common good * basic premise is that values demand a conscious focus, that leadership ought to bring about desirable social change, that leadership is a process and not a position, that all students are potential leaders (principle of inclusiveness), and that service is a powerful vehicle for developing leaders * these premises differentiate this model from earlier theories as it does not focus  on the development of leadership skills * includes learning, developing, and implementing core values, the Seven Cs of Social Change, which are required in individual, group, and community leadership * Personal/Individual Values- * Consciousness of Self: means knowledge of yourself, or simply self-awareness; it is awareness of the values, emotions, attitudes, and beliefs that motivate one to take actions * Congruence: thinking, feeling, and behaving with consistency, genuineness, authenticity, and honesty toward others; consistent with their most deeply held beliefs and convictions * Commitment: implies intensity and duration in relation to a person, idea, or activity; requires a significant involvement and investment of self in the object of commitment and in the intended outcomes; it is the energy that drives the collective effort; essential to accomplishing change * Group Values- * Collaboration: a central value in the model that views leadership as a group process; increases group effectiveness because it capitalizes on the multiple talents and perspectives of each group member, using the power of that diversity to generate creative solutions and actions * Common Purpose: develops when people work with others within a shared set of aims and values; shared aims facilitate group members engagement in collective analyses of the issues and the task to be undertaken; best achieved when all members of the group build and share in the vision * Controversy with Civility: recognizes two fundamental realities of any group effort: first- differences in viewpoint are inevitable and valuable, second- such differences must be aired openly and with respect and courtesy; disagreements bring valuable perspectives and information to the collective group, but eventually need to be resolved * Societal and Community Value * Citizenship: names the process whereby the self is responsibly connected to the environment and the community; it acknowledges the interdependence of all involved in the leadership effort; recognizes that effective democracy requires individual responsibility as well as individual  rights Situational: involves using different types/styles of leadership at specific times which vary and are determined buy each situation; made of directive and supportive behavior * motivation is key * basically just changing leadership based on the situation * involves directive and supportive behavior * Directive Behavior: one way communication; helps group members accomplish goals, includes what is to be done and how it is to be done * Supportive Behavior: two way communication; helps group members feel comfortable about themselves, their coworkers, and the situation Tranformational: process where leader creates a connection with others to create a positive change * Developmental in nature * Attentive to the needs of the followers and aids them in reaching their full potential * Moves followers to accomplish more than what is usually expected of them * About positive change * a combination of idealized influence, individualized consideration, inspiration motivation, and intellectual stimulation * Pros vs Cons * Widely studied & accepted * Involves individuals and followers * Gives a broad view on leadership * Might be innate rather than learned * Might be abused * Pseudotransformational – leaders who are transformational in a negative way * Uses warped values to negatively lead followers (i.e. Hitler, Bin Laden, etc.) Ethical: involve virtuous values and morals in all decision-making * ethics is a dimension of all leadership theories * ethical leadership involves serving others, building community, justice, honesty, and respect * concept dates back to Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle * comes from Greek word â€Å"ethos† which translates to character References: Northouse, Peter Guy. Leadership: Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2010. Print.

Video Game Violence Therapeutic Outlet or Perpetuating...

The video game world is full of wonders, fantasy worlds, and even real life scenarios that we see on television. There are games based off of television shows, popular movies, and even comic book universes. In David Perry’s speech and presentation, â€Å"Are Video Games Better Than Life?† he brought up a lot of points about gaming both from its humble beginnings to where we are today. However, he made it clear that the discussion was to be about the video game world. Are video games better than reality? This is a hard question with various and diverse answers. It is something that people from just about all walks of life have an opinion about. Through the use of a media presentation, he showed the diverse evolution of games; how since†¦show more content†¦The most popular games, like Grand Theft Auto IV offer what’s called â€Å"free play†. The ability to go where you want and do what you want in the gaming environment. The bigger the virt ual world, the more exciting this can be. There are no signs, however, that tell you to punch or shoot someone† (Ulanoff). While Highland talked about how playing video games enough will â€Å"make you believe† you can actually do what you are doing inside the game, it goes hand in hand with something that Jones said in his article, Violent Media is Good for Kids. â€Å"Suddenly, I had a fantasy self to carry my stifled rage and buried desire for power. I had a fantasy self who was a self: unafraid of his desires and the world’s disapproval, unhesitating and effective in action† (Jones 195). This realization of games being our way of releasing our worries and anger onto the world being the primary reason that video games have become very appealing over the years and their evolution as an escape. Despite any regulations set out by the Entertainment Software Rating Board, or ESRB, video games have been becoming more of a part of people’s lives than ever before, just as Michael Highland stated about his own life. Still, there are opponents to the notion of violent video games being a necessary therapeutic release. According to the article contained in the Harvard Mental Health Letter, Violent Video Games and Young People, they argue against this notion of therapeutic release.Show MoreRelatedGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 PagesDemocrats were likely to win) †¢ Anonymity: given free rein to publish any thought that comes to mind †¢ E.g. For every worthwhile video present on the site (think Annie Leonard’s â€Å"The Story of Stuff†) there are a multitude of videos featuring otherwise inane and banal individuals indulgently banging away at their pianos or doing less-than-funny spoofs of music videos (think the Two Chinese Boys in their dormitory room) †¢ E.g. Temasek Review: an anti-government news portal †¢ E.g. PoliticalRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesthe organizational identity Understanding organization culture through symbols Introduction – two ways of exploring culture Communicating cultures Negotiation of meaning influences organizational design Ideology, rhetoric and negotiation Arenas and games Conclusions 301 302 304 314 314 314 320 320 323 324 Chapter 8 Reflexive organization theory: critical theory and psychoanalysis Introduction The development of critical theory as a challenging perspective in organization theory Critical theoryRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesdata for each assessment. †¢ Updated the research supporting key points in each chapter. †¢ Added a Resource Locator table at the beginning of each chapter in the Instructors Manual, organized according to a chapter’s learning objectives. †¢ Added new video clips and exercise recommendations in the Instructors Manual. †¢ Enhanced the test bank by adding more application questions. †¢ Revised the PowerPoint slides. A MESSAGE TO STUDENTS: Why Focus on Management Skill Development? Given that a â€Å"skill