The Assistant free essay sample

An examination of Bernard Malamuds book The Assistant with special reference to the lead characters. Endurance and suffering are main themes as projected through the two lead characters in Bernard Malamuds The Assistant, a heartwarming mentor-student story set in early 20th century Brooklyn. The writer shows how Malamud threads a theme of suffering in order to attain a higher moral stature throughout the novel. It is set against the backdrop of the Depression era and it tells of a Jewish grocery-store owner and his Italian assistant. The relationship between these two characters is the focus of the paper. As is the case with many of his stories, The Assistant, By Bernard Malamud, tells the story of a simple man trying to make his life better through a struggle against bad luck. Through his characterizations in The Assistant, Malamud makes his themes of endurance and suffering. Malamud, perhaps best known for The Natural, which turned into a 1980s film starring Robert Redford, takes a turn at writing about those not in the limelight this time. We will write a custom essay sample on The Assistant or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

Indie Attitude

Indie Attitude While I’m on a Joel Friedlander high (last week’s issue), I had to sink my teeth into a piece he had on his blog recently. thebookdesigner.com/2014/05/the-secret-sauce-for-indie-publishers-attitude/ The blog post was titled The Secret Sauce for Indie Publishers: Attitude. Nina Amir was the author of that post, and she advised that an Indie attitude needed to consist of: 1) Willingness 2) Optimism 3) Objectivity 4) Tenacity I loved reading the comments afterwards, some from readers who obviously were not interested in an attitude adjustment, preferring to remain in their I-can’t-do-this or you-have-to-know-somebody mindset. Actually, the Indie attitude is just a healthy attitude toward life. You don’t have to be a writer, and your attitude doesn’t have to be about writing. And if you want to take attitude and   boil it down to one word, you can stop with the first in Nina Amir’s list: WILLINGNESS. If you are willing to do whatever it takes to change, try new things, learn new ways, attempt trial and error, and write until you figure out how to play this game and make a living at it, it just might happen. I had a long conversation with my editor the other day about more books, a new series, and how I view my writing career. In the exchange, I let her know that whether I’m published or not, I’ll write my stories. And if I cannot find a publisher, I’ll self-publish. It’s just what I do, and I’ll adapt to whatever I need to in order to keep doing what I’m doing. She was impressed at my â€Å"attitude† toward the future.  Frankly, I see my future no other way. Why not be willing to adapt . . . when it makes me better or more successful? Why not learn new ways . . . if old ones have quit working? Why not step outside my comfort zone . . . if staying inside it confines me to a routine that isn’t moving me forward? It’s all attitude. You’ve met those people in your life, the ones with a great outlook and a willingness to improve. They are exciting to be around. So why can’t that be you?

People at work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

People at work - Essay Example ACAS also helps the employees to resolve their workplace conflicts and offers them various services like mediation, conciliation and arbitration with their employers so that the employee gets the best services. There are mainly two areas where Andy requires advice: grievance related to work exploitation and insult; and threat of dismissal. Andy has genuine case of grievances. When ‘Whinnberry Clothing’ introduced new area of services and made Andy the sole person to manage the new line clothing which could be hired for special occasion, his service contract was not revised and he performed the new set of services without any helpers, while still continuing with the his previous duties. Apart from not having getting extra remunerations for the extra work, he was made to handle the huge and heavy packages single handedly at the great risk of his physical wellbeing and health safety which had indeed resulted in severe health problems which were deliberately not acknowledged by his manager. Another major reason was that he was also publicly humiliated by his manager when he refused to lift the heavy packages. The threat of unfair dismissal was another major area where Andy needed imminent advice and support from ACAS. Andy was earlier praised for making the new venture the successful and profit making but was not shown any consideration when he started having serious health problems due to hazardous nature of the work. Instead he was publicly humiliated and issued dismissal threat. The first step of grievance procedure that Andy must follow is to give a letter to his employers which would give a ‘stage 1 of statement of grievance(s)’ (emplaw.co.uk). This step is mandatory before the case can be put to employment tribunal. The step is designed to promote amicable settlement of grievances and dispute resolution with ‘out of court’ settlement, if any, between

Examine the difference between integration and inclusion in terms of Essay

Examine the difference between integration and inclusion in terms of special educational needs provision in the UK - Essay Example History of Special education needs The history of special needs dates back decades ago, but the documented cases were evident in the beginning of the 20th century where ideas about the provision of education for children with special needs were based on a medical model of ‘defects’. This model was mainly focused on difference rather than nor ­mality, on illness rather than well being, and particularly on the ‘problem’ with the child (Lewis, 1999). Deficit rather than potential was used to categorize children with various needs. Therefore, the special education needs began with the establishment of separate special schools for children with special needs and required an extra care. The educational reforms of 1944 In 1944, significant educational reforms were developed; most of them were targeted to cater the educational need of each and every child. This educational act also addressed the needs and requirements that were thought essential to fulfill the eme rging need for special education. However, this pact had some drawbacks associated with it such as it did not liberate the needs of those with special needs as it did for the normal children. It still used the medical model of disability where deficit rather than potential was used. ... The approach stressed the work with children with spe ­cial needs moved towards an approach favored by behaviorist psychologists. They criticisized the medical approach and saw the operant technique more adequate since it stressed the importance and risks associated with the problems and issues related in fulfilling the needs of special children by putting that responsibility on teachers (Lewis, 1999). The behaviorist technique turned out to be very helpful as it was directly effective in helping the children as well as in suppressing their particular difficulties with more understanding. De?nition of Special Educational Needs Children have special educational needs if they suffer during the process of learning which naturally raises the need for the development of a special educational provision for them. Children encounter learning difficulty if they: a) face a greater difficulty in learning as compare to the other children of the same age group; or b) have a disability which kee ps them away or hinders them from facilitating themselves from the use of educational services of a kind generally provided for children of the same age group in schools and other institutes within the vicinity of the local education authority; c) are under obligatory school age and come within the de?nition at a) Or b) above or in case if the special educational provision was not developed for them. Children must not be discriminated on having a learning difficulty only on the basis of language or any form of language they speak at home which maybe different from the language or medium in which they will be taught. Special educational provision means: a) for children of 2 or over,

Movie review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 13

Movie review - Essay Example The two characters, Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis give a distinguished performance as maids and rack the entire audience sympathy. Since this is a feminist tale, all the male actors are invisible. Most of the women are on the right side of arguments displaying bravery and boldness while those on the wrong side are poor, timid and deluded bastards. Allison Janey plays Skeeter’s mother, the only three-dimensional character in this play, a core part of the redemption story and a truly confused figure. The movie gives a glance at the treatment African-Americans received back in the 1960’s when their rights had no value in the American Society. This film is in tandem with the US’s current state of affairs in the political arena. The fight between the right and wrong, Obama as the first black president and the same Southern fundamentalists’ racism today respectively, are vivid truths to the viewers. Unlike the 1960’s audience, it invites the today’s audience to support the right course and shun racism. Despite the few flaws in the movie, it is a true inspiration for blacks and whites living in the USA to rise above the pettiness of skin colour and condemn racism. As directed by Steve McQueen, the film offers an insight into the mistreatment that the slaves received. Chiwetel Ejiofor deserves Oscar award for his stunning performance in 12 Years a Slave, a fascinating, engrossing movie about the era of slavery in America. The movie is a realistic reflection and engaging throughout. One of the clear depictions of slavery, Ejiofor, and Lupita, have demonstrated phenomenon and sterling performances with Michael Fassbender distinctly standing out. Excellence and amazing cinematography from Sean Bobbit and a thrilling script by John Ridley greatly marries the modern orchestrated work with contemporary tunes underscoring the emotions. The film gives a deeper reflection of inhumane slave treatment. It

Characteristics Of Bullying Behavior Psychology Essay

Characteristics Of Bullying Behavior Psychology Essay The behavior of bullying carries a significant social, financial and a medical cost for its victims as well as perpetrators. Data demonstrates it to be a highly prevalent behavior, with powerful and long lasting psychological and social impact [1]. It crosses boundaries of age, gender, ethnic, and other sociodemographic categories, and has been shown to occur within settings as different as elementary school and corporate boardrooms [2]. Involvement in bullying can impair and degrade the quality of life for both victims and perpetrators. This is underscored with work done by Connoly and colleagues [3] that showed children who bully at higher risk of developing severe relationship problems as adults. The trauma of bullying has been shown to be associated with severe and chronic psychiatric pathology, including mood and anxiety disorders, including PTSD, alcohol and drug abuse as well as personality disorders [4]. The most alarming sequela of bullying is its association with increased risk of suicidal behavior [5]. Thus, given the high cost of this behavioral phenomena, bullying should be approached with a collaborative, multidisciplinary effort as a prevalent source of severe trauma, with very high individual and social costs [5]. Definition: The definition of bullying is by no means monolithic, with nuances varying between different researchers, and socio-demographic settings. The principal, overarching framework of the definition of bullying, is established and accepted by the community of researchers involved with this subject matter. Olweus et. al [6] defines bullying as a specific form of aggression, which is intentional, repeated, and involves a disparity of power between the victim and perpetrators. This aggression can be physical, verbal, gestural or through intentional exclusion from a group, without apparent provocation on the part of the person being targeted. What sets bullying apart from other forms of abuse, such as child abuse and domestic violence, is the social context in which it occurs and the imbalanced power relationship of the parties involved [6]. Demographics and characteristics of bullying behavior: Wang and colleagues [7] recently showed that among US adolescents, the prevalence of having bullied others or having been bullied at school for at least once in the last 2 months were 20.8% physically, 53.6% verbally, 51.4% socially, or 13.6% electronically. Males were more involved in physical or verbal bullying, whereas girls were more involved in relational bullying. Boys were more likely to be cyber bullies, whereas girls were more likely to be cyber bullying victims. Compared with 6th graders, 9th and10th graders were less involved in bullying for physical (bullies, victims, or bully-victims), verbal (victims or bully-victims), relational (victims or bully-victims), or cyber form (bullies). African-American adolescents were involved in more bullying (physical, verbal, or cyber) but less victimization (verbal or relational). Higher parental support was associated with less involvement across all forms of bullying. Having more friends was associated with more bullying and less vic timization for physical, verbal, and relational forms but was not associated with cyber bullying. Lemstra et al. [8] investigated bullying in 4,197 youth subjects; in which 23% reported being physically bullied at least once or twice in the previous four weeks. They demonstrated that being male, attending a school in a low-income neighborhood, perception of having unhappy home life, arguments with parents and feeling like leaving home have been found to be associated. It is also important to recognize that bullying affects people other than children and adolescents at school setting. Murhtar and colleagues [9] found that almost 70% of medical students in their study had experienced some form of bullying in the past 6 months. Balducci et al. [10] demonstrated that bullying is a prevalent behavior in a workplace, and study of Norwegian workforce by Nielsen and colleagues [11] have show that almost 5% of people see themselves as victims of bullying, with nearly 7% report that they are exposed to a high degree of bullying behaviors, and 1% are exposed to sever bullying. Bullying and Suicidal Behavior: As previously mentioned, the most striking and dire outcome of bullying for both victims and perpetrators is an increased risk of suicidal ideation, attempts and completed suicide shown to be associated with this behavior. A study that involved 838 youth in 9th-12th grades attending public high school demonstrated that subjects involved in bullying as a perpetrator, victim, or victim-perpetrator were more likely than controls to report having seriously considered or attempted suicide within the past year [12]. Fisher and colleagues [13] demonstrated in twin studies that exposure to frequent bullying predicted higher rates of self injurious behavior even after controlling for pre-morbid emotional, behavioral problems and environmental risk factors. A study by Winsper et al. [14] showed that pre-adolescence subjects involved in bullying, especially in the role of being both a bully and a victim were at increased risk for suicidal ideation, suicidal and self-injurious behavior. Some dat a suggests thathrough novel or worsening psychopathology. Brunstein and colleagues [15] suggested that bullying behavior in the absence of depression or suicidality is not an independent risk factor, but rather amplifies inherent risk of suicidal behavior associated with depression. Intro to bullying and psychiatric pathology: Whether or not bullying increases the risk of suicidal and self-injurious behavior directly, it is important to report that it is positively and directly correlated with different psychiatric conditions. Kumpulainen et al. [4] showed that young subjects involvement in bullying, are more likely to struggle with disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. Bullying and depression: Multiple studies have demonstrated a clear correlation between involvement in bullying and a higher risk of developing a depressive disorder. Lemstra and colleagues [16] showed that children who were physically bullied multiple times per week were 80% more likely to develop symptoms of depression in comparison to children who never experienced bullying. A retrospective study by Lund et al. [17] claimed that adult men with a self reported history of being bullied at school were significantly more likely of being diagnosed with a depressive disorder later in life; and a prospective study that looked at 2348 boys [18] demonstrated that boys who were both perpetrators and victims of bullying were at higher risk for developing depression, and suicidal behavior later in life. Bullying and PTSD: Bullying, although not considered to be a form of acute trauma, has also been shown to be associated with symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) [19]. Positive correlation between symptoms of PTSD and exposure to bullying were demonstrated among subjects who experienced bullying at work [20]. Another study that attempted to assess prevalence and intensity of PTSD symptomatology among victims of bullying at work, and tried to show whether victims of bullying were more vulnerable to other distressing life events demonstrated that more than 70% of bully victims developed symptoms of PTSD, and displayed a moderate or severe impairment in social functioning [21]. Bullying and other anxiety disorders: People involved in bullying appear to be at a higher risk of an anxiety disorders other than PTSD. One study demonstrated that social phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder and panic disorder were all positively associated with severe teasing and bullying experiences [22]. Kumpulainen et al. [23] showed that among children victims of bullying anxiety symptoms were as frequent as 8.7%; a number that is significantly higher than controls. Another study demonstrated that being a bully, victim of bullying, or having a role of being both a bully and victim in preadolescence (age period 10à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬12) significantly predicted development of anxiety symptoms in adolescence (age period 10à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬17 years) [24]. Data also supports a strong , positive correlation between involvement in bullying and development in anxiety symptoms in younger children, in grades five through eight [25], and students age12-17 [26]. Bullying and substance and alcohol abuse and dependence: Finally, research has consistently demonstrated that subjects involved in bullying are more likely to use alcohol and illicit psychoactive substances. In one large sample, it was shown that substance use and bullying behaviors co-occurred among 5.4% of adolescents in the United States [27]. Another study, a nationally representative survey of U.S. children in 6thà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10th grades, found that alcohol use was associated with increased odds of bullying [28]. A study that consisted of adolescents aged 12à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬17, who were admitted to an inpatient psychiatry unit showed that the use of any substance (i.e.,tobacco, alcohol and drugs) was generally more common among bullies [29]. Finally, a large study based on schoolchildren demonstrated that students who were engaged in bullying were more likely to be smokers and to have had a history of alcohol use [30].

Georgia OKeefe (includes annotated bibliography) Essay -- art, America

Georgia O’Keefe (word count includes annotated bibliography) Georgia O’Keefe is a famous American painter who painted beautiful flowers and landscapes. But she painted these images in such a way that many people believed she was portraying sexual imagery. â€Å"O’Keefe’s depictions of flowers in strict frontality and enlarged to giant scale were entirely original in character . . . the view into the open blossoms evoked an image of the female psyche and invited erotic associations.† (Joachimides 47) O’Keefe denies these allegations and says that she â€Å"magnified the scale of the flower only to ensure people would notice them.† (Haskell 203) O’Keefe’s artwork was misinterpreted because of cultural prejudice, her non-traditional lifestyle, and gender bias art criticism. But despite these accusations, Georgia O’Keefe’s artwork was not based on sexuality.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   O’Keefe was born on November 15, 1887 in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Her parents were dairy farmers and throughout her childhood she lived on her family’s farm. Georgia had a rough childhood growing up on the farm. Her mother did not especially like her and when she was not busy ignoring her, she treated her very badly. Although her mother disliked her, Georgia’s father loved her unconditionally and gave her the love her mother deprived her of. But he also molested her, a tramatizing drawback that would follow her for the rest of her life. Although she knew what her father was doing was wrong, she refused to admit this to herself because he was the only loved one she truly had. So, when Georgia’s father left, she was heartbroken (Hogrefe 14). â€Å"The abandonment she must have felt when he left the family had repercussions for the rest of her life as she refused to get close to many of her male companions . . .her closest male friends were homosexual . . . a nd she spurned men who sought sexual intimacy with her.† (15) After her father left, Georgia was sent to live with her aunt who punished her frequently by secluding her in her room and often by slapping Georgia in the face. When she was a teenager she was sent to an all girl’s boarding school. This is where she was finally able to receive art classes and build on her talent. Georgia’s mother did not allow her to be cultured, because it was forever trapped in the ways of the late 1800’s and if you were a lady, it was not worth it (17). Georgia O’Keefe was brought ... ...o capture the true essence of a flower you needed to be able to see it up close for a more personal, intimate effect. To examine something as simple as a flower up close, you only then realize the extreme complexity that makes such an inconsequential thing so beautiful. Robinson, Roxana. Georgia O’Keeffe: A Life. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1989.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book goes through Georgia’s life in detail. I found a lot of personal quotes in this book that Georgia said about her work and the criticism it received that really caught my eye. She was very opinionated about her art, but at the same time, she could care less about what any art critic had to say about it. Art critics at the time of her career’s peak were predominantly male and this book expresses the fact that male chauvinism was a huge impact on the criticism of her work. This book also goes into the impression her constant change in her surroundings had on her work. Georgia her constant change in her surroundings had on her work. Georgia lived in several different parts of America, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arizona, California, New York, etc. and with each move, her style change and reflected this new place. Georgia OKeefe (includes annotated bibliography) Essay -- art, America Georgia O’Keefe (word count includes annotated bibliography) Georgia O’Keefe is a famous American painter who painted beautiful flowers and landscapes. But she painted these images in such a way that many people believed she was portraying sexual imagery. â€Å"O’Keefe’s depictions of flowers in strict frontality and enlarged to giant scale were entirely original in character . . . the view into the open blossoms evoked an image of the female psyche and invited erotic associations.† (Joachimides 47) O’Keefe denies these allegations and says that she â€Å"magnified the scale of the flower only to ensure people would notice them.† (Haskell 203) O’Keefe’s artwork was misinterpreted because of cultural prejudice, her non-traditional lifestyle, and gender bias art criticism. But despite these accusations, Georgia O’Keefe’s artwork was not based on sexuality.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   O’Keefe was born on November 15, 1887 in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Her parents were dairy farmers and throughout her childhood she lived on her family’s farm. Georgia had a rough childhood growing up on the farm. Her mother did not especially like her and when she was not busy ignoring her, she treated her very badly. Although her mother disliked her, Georgia’s father loved her unconditionally and gave her the love her mother deprived her of. But he also molested her, a tramatizing drawback that would follow her for the rest of her life. Although she knew what her father was doing was wrong, she refused to admit this to herself because he was the only loved one she truly had. So, when Georgia’s father left, she was heartbroken (Hogrefe 14). â€Å"The abandonment she must have felt when he left the family had repercussions for the rest of her life as she refused to get close to many of her male companions . . .her closest male friends were homosexual . . . a nd she spurned men who sought sexual intimacy with her.† (15) After her father left, Georgia was sent to live with her aunt who punished her frequently by secluding her in her room and often by slapping Georgia in the face. When she was a teenager she was sent to an all girl’s boarding school. This is where she was finally able to receive art classes and build on her talent. Georgia’s mother did not allow her to be cultured, because it was forever trapped in the ways of the late 1800’s and if you were a lady, it was not worth it (17). Georgia O’Keefe was brought ... ...o capture the true essence of a flower you needed to be able to see it up close for a more personal, intimate effect. To examine something as simple as a flower up close, you only then realize the extreme complexity that makes such an inconsequential thing so beautiful. Robinson, Roxana. Georgia O’Keeffe: A Life. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1989.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book goes through Georgia’s life in detail. I found a lot of personal quotes in this book that Georgia said about her work and the criticism it received that really caught my eye. She was very opinionated about her art, but at the same time, she could care less about what any art critic had to say about it. Art critics at the time of her career’s peak were predominantly male and this book expresses the fact that male chauvinism was a huge impact on the criticism of her work. This book also goes into the impression her constant change in her surroundings had on her work. Georgia her constant change in her surroundings had on her work. Georgia lived in several different parts of America, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arizona, California, New York, etc. and with each move, her style change and reflected this new place.