Death Among the Ibo Essay Example for Free

Death Among the Ibo Essay Although the book Things Fall Apart and The Joys of Motherhood cover about seventy years, the difference between life in 1880s Nigeria and Nigeria in the 1950s is extreme. The Ibo people change from a clan and tribal people to a much less closely knit people much like Europeans or North Americans. The change should not necessarily be construed as an improvement in the life of the Ibo people. When Things Fall Apart begins the Ibo people are much the same as they have been for presumably centuries. They are an agrarian people living close to the land without lives that have isolated and sanitized from death. Death is a natural part of life and is common. They have rules and traditions that have taught them how to deal with death. Although many of their beliefs may seem strange to people in the twenty-first century North America the seem to work well for the Ibo until their traditions are interrupted by European Christian missionaries. The Ibo beliefs have a certain innocence and simplified world view that is remarkably refreshing when compared to todays efforts to remove death away from society and to prolong death and aging as long as possible. There is a matter of fact character in the Ibo approach to death that makes death both real and normal. There are rules to be followed. When a man dies with a swollen abdomen and swollen limbs, he is not to be buried in the earth because his body would pollute the land (Achebe, 14-15). When an Umuofia girl is murdered, the leaders meet to decide what to do. After discussion they decide they should request compensation for the girls death. They elect Okonkwo a young leader who is a self-made man to visit the tribe of the man who has killed the girl and demand that a girl be sent to the Umuofia to replace the girl and another youth be given to the Umuofia as punishment for the murder. There is a balance here that lacks the vengeance of an eye for an eye of the Judeo-Christian culture. Instead it is more of a tit for tat response. Okonkwo visits the neighboring tribe and presents them with the demands of the Umuofia. Clearly there is the threat that war will result if their demand is not met, but it is not made in the do it or else manner common in the twentieth and twenty-first century western civilization. The tribe agrees to the demands of the Umuofia and gives a young girl who is given to the father of the murdered girl. A second youth, Ikemefuna sent to the Umuofia where he is given to the charge of Okonkwo with whom he lives for three years where he is treated like a son Three years later the leaders decide Ikemefuna should be killed to satisfy justice about the girls murder. Despite his having treated Ikemefuna as a son, Okonkwo participates in the slaying. He does this in spite of a warning of an elder not to participate because Ikemefuna calls Okonkwo Father. Okonkwo seems surprised about this warning. The decision has been made by the Umuofia leaders and therefore must be followed. There are several interesting attitudes about death and children. Certainly infant death is common among the Ibo. When a child survives infancy and it appears will live to become an adult, the child is said to be staying (Achebe, 42). Similar to this is a belief that some children are reluctant to be born into this world and retain a iyi-uwa that allows them to die so they can be reborn to their mother to torment them. To stop this cycle a medicine man will take the body of the deceased infant and mutilate it so that it will be unable to return, though some have been know to return with a missing finger or mark from the medicine mans action. Okonkwo who is a renown and admired member of the Umuofia accidentally kills a youth, he and his family are banished. When this happens Okonkwo appears to accept his sentence stoically because it is the established rule. During his banishment European, Christian missionaries move into the area and begin to civilize the Ibo. Laws are made and enforced by hanging and imprisonment. Ibo who suffer such punishment lose their dignity and are no longer the man he had worked to be. When Okonkwo knows that he is going to be killed by the Europeans, he hangs himself rather than submit to the white mans law. As one might expect from the title Emechetas book, The Joys of Motherhood ¸ is more concerned with childbirth and motherhood than with death. It is interesting that the perspective of this book is decidedly written from the female point of view and is concerned with life, instead of the masculine point of view expressed in Things Fall Apart where death is a more prominent concern. In this book death is treated much like it is today. The characters in this book no longer live in the tribal or clan community that Okonkwo lived in where death is considered a normal part of life. Instead they move to the city, Lagos, where they work for low wages doing the chores the more wealthy white people consider beneath them. Here death is not so common and not accepted so easily. When Nnu Egos son dies in infancy and she attempts to commit suicide, she is judged as insane until she is able to move on and continue her day to day life. Her dead sons body is taken away soon to be replaced by the birth of additional children. Death is less acceptable and hidden from the people because the British people dont want to think about it. Instead they sanitize it and move it away from day to day life. This happens to the Ibo as well as they move into the twentieth century British colonial lifestyle. Unlike the deaths occurring seventy years earlier where the clan is aware of each death and is able to accept it for the sake of the clan, Nnu Ego dies lying at the side of the road unrecognized. She is not missed by her clan or her people who are scattered throughout the country. The lack of concern about the rights of the individual regarding death in Achebes book is disturbing. Given todays sensibilities where the individual is more important than the society the idea of   replacing one murdered girl with another girl to take her place and the idea of offering a hostage as a response to having committed a crime is troubling. People today   want to move on and get on with their lives after death, almost as if they were to acknowledge death, they will be stricken with some horrible contagious disease. Acceptance of death is still a societal problem today. Americans today seem unable to accept it. However, after reading these books, one if forced to wonder which of the approached to death, the 1880s Ibo, the 1950s Ibo, or that of Americans in 2006 is best. In some ways the 1880s version with its innocent and almost nostalgic response to death seems to the best.

Risk Assessment for Elderly Falls

Risk Assessment for Elderly Falls Q1: Part of your education includes experiences in different types of healthcare settings. How would your role in the primary care setting be different from your role in the acute care setting? Include in your discussion a definition of the philosophy of primary health care and the principles of wellness. Healthcare is provided at three levels primary care, secondary or acute care and tertiary care , each provides a structure for how healthcare services are organised and delivered for example primary care tends to be delivered in a GPS offices and community clinics and tertiary care is more commonly provided in hospitals and rehab facilities ( Crisp J Taylor C 1997). in recent years the term primary healthcare has been used interchangeably with primary medical care and primary nursing care although they are not the same ( Wass,2000 ). primary nursing care is focused on illness intervention. It is a pattern of care delivery in which a single nurse takes responsibility for a large group of clients, such is in an aged care facility.( Crisp J Taylor C 2005). where secondary and tertiary levels of care are provided in the hospital setting, in these settings, nurses work closely with all members of the health care team to plan , co ordinate and deliver care for people who are seriously ill. Nurses must constantly monitor and evaluate whether care is effective and how it can be improved, acute care nurses respond to clients needs expectations to form effective care partners. The principles of wellness a classic definition of health is that adopted by the world health organization (WHO ) which states that health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity â€Å"(WHO 1974:1).? Q2: Mr Alexopoulos, is 88 years old who has migrated from Greece and lives alone. He speaks very basic English only. In the past year he has fallen twice at home, once by tripping over a rug and once when he got up to go to the bathroom at night. He has become increasingly afraid of falling again and tends to restrict his activities in the home. He goes out only when accompanied by his son. QUESTION A. In the information provided, outline the data the nurse would use to complete a risk assessment for Mr Alexopoulos (include bio psychosocial and cultural health care considerations in relation to implementing primary health care). ANSWER . During the assessment the nurse obtains two types of data: subjective and objective. Subjective data are clients perceptions about their health problems only clients can provide that kind of information. For example the presence of pain or the meanings of an illness are subjective findings. Although only clients can provide information about symptoms frequency, duration, location and intensity. Subjective data may include feelings of anxiety physical discomfort or mental stress Objective data are observations or measurements made by the data collector the nurse (crisp et al 2005). to conduct a comprehensive and patient focused assessment possible risks to the patients safety including enviromental as well as individual risk factors should be taken into consideration. When assessing a home for hazards and risks indiviual needs of the patient should be considered, a walk through the home with the patient should be done to assess the possible risks of the enviroment and to the patient, a discussion between the patient and nurse should take place to find out how the patient conducts his daily living activities this should give an indication of the patients immediate needs, getting a sense of how the patient conducts his daily routine helps the nurse to identify hazards that may not be obvious,(crisp 2013 p 278). B. QUESTION What aspects of Mr Alexopoulos’ environment need to be assessed? ANSWER The home environment needs to be assessed such as furniture placement , lighting, removing the rug as it is a trip/fall hazard incorporate multidisciplinary team members such as assisted living. (crisp 2013 p 279). C. QUESTION. Design interventions to ensure Mr Alexopoulos’ safety in his home. ANSWER Assisted living, remove all trip and falls hazards with clients permission an ACAT assessment D. QUESTION In terms of evaluation, what findings indicate that Mr Alexopoulos should not live alone in the house? ANSWER due to the patients age and general health his two past falls,he can no longer care properly for himself E QUESTION What allied health and community services referrals would you suggest to assist Mr Alexopoulos to maintain his independence? ANSWER collaboration with other disciplines such as occupational therapy community nursing ,home care, meals on wheels, community transport physiotherapy may become an important part of the plan of care planning also involves an understanding of the patients needs and maintain his independence .the patient and nurse collaborate together to establish ways of maintaining the patients active involvement in the home.(crisp 2013 p 280). Q 3 Choose one of the theories listed below and explain how it would apply in these different healthcare settings: Aged Care; Palliative Care; Mental Health; Hospitals 3.Hildegard Peplaus theory (1952)is focused on the nurse and the interactive process with the patient so a relationship can be established between the two , according to Peplaus model the patient is an individual with specific needs and nursing is the interpersonal and therapeutic process. The nurses goal is to educate the patient and their family to help the patient reach personal development. The nurse develops a relationship with the patient so she can help the patient with resources needed for their care. This theory can also be applied to other healthcare settings such as aged care, pallitive care, mental health and hospitals for goals to be set in the above institutions the nurse must develop the same interpersonal relationship with the patient so effective care can be optimized for the patient. (Crisp 2013 p 49) Q4: Many countries suffer health inequalities, including Australia – specifically within the ATSI community. In Western societies social issues continue to emerge as the gap between those with and those without economic resources grows. In what ways do you think an individual’s financial status affects their ability to access health resources? A. Socioeconomic factors: social and psychosocial factors can increase the risk for illness and influence the way a person defines and reacts to illness. One of the most powerful variables is economic status. Economic variables may affect a clients level of health by increasing the risk of disease and influencing how or at what point the client enters the healthcare system. (Crisp et al 2013 p). B. The most significant effects of economic status are more often experienced by those at the extreme lower end of the economic scale, racial (ATSI) and ethnic minorities are considered high risk groups for illness because of their economic status (Evans and stoddart, 1994;najman, 1993), (crisp et al 2001) Q5: Discuss the following features of the Australian health care system: State vs Federal health care funding A. The Australian Government is chiefly responsible for health service funding; control of health products, services and workforce; and national health policy leadership. The states and territories are essentially responsible for the delivery and management of public health services (including public hospitals, community health and public dental care), and the standard of health care providers and private health facilities. Local governments fund and deliver some health services such as environmental health programs. (Australian bureau of statistics, 2012). The Australian and state and territory governments fund and deliver a range of other health services including universal healthcare programs, community health services, health and medical research, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services, mental health services, health workforce and health base. (Australian bureau of statistics, 2012). B. MEDICARE VS PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE, The face of the Australian public Health care system, Medicare, is run by the Federal Government. Medicare started in the 1970s under the Whitlam government as ‘Medibank’ and was renamed in 1984. The Medicare system allows free, universal hospital cover for eligible persons in public hospitals. (GCIT, 2014a) eligible persons means all Australians and the majority of people of low socioeconomic circumstance who may not be able to afford private healthcare Private health care is also available in Australia under a ‘user pays’ system, whereby Medicare will cover some costs, the private health company covers other costs and the patient pays the remainder or ‘gap payment’. Private health care insurers and providers receive the majority of their funds from charging their members. Private hospitals receive minimal to no funding from the government and are funded through the user pay system of private health insurance. They receive the Medicare benefits identified for the treatment provided, but no more than that (even if the cost of the procedure to the hospital was $500 more). This is why there is a gap payment with private health. The private health system also benefits from a 30% private health rebate to all people who purchase private health insurance, which is paid for by the Federal Government. This rebate is aimed at encouraging more participation in the private health system, to take some of the pressure of the public health system. Private health insurance works alongside Medicare and can be used in both public and private hospitals. Patients have the right to elect to be admitted as a public patient even if they have private health insurance within public hospital facilities. (GCIT, 2014a)? C. AGED CARE, Australia’s aged care system is structured around two main forms of care delivery, residential (accommodation and various levels of nursing and/or personal care) and community care (ranging from delivered meals, home help and transport to intensive coordinated care packages for people who otherwise would need residential care). Residential services are mainly in the non-government sector, about half being operated by religious and charitable organizations. Residential aged-care funding in Australia: that is day-to-day operations of facilities are governed by both Commonwealth and state government policies. (Australian Government, 2011) D. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is an extension of Medicare and allows prescription medications to be purchased by Australians at differing rates, depending on their income. There’s a threshold and once this threshold is met, the pharmaceuticals can be purchased at a discounted rate. (GCIT, 2014a) ? Q6: Access DMF A4 nursing summary guide -2010from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia website: (click on this link to be taken directly to the article – â€Å"Nursing practice decisions summary guide†) http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/Codes-Guidelines.aspx#professionalpracticeguidelines Use this scope of practice decision-making summary to assist you to identify the issues outlined in the following case study: This evening when you report for your shift on to your general medical ward, the charge nurse tells you that you need to assist on the orthopedic ward. You have not had any recent experience with orthopedic patients. When you arrive on the orthopedic ward, the charge nurse allocates you patients who require special techniques for getting out of bed and who need to do exercises using specialized equipment during the shift. You are not familiar with the techniques or the equipment. The charge nurse tells you that the patients can explain it to you. 6. A. according to DMF A4 summary guide Does the person who is to perform the activity have the knowledge, skill, authority and ability (capacity) to do so either autonomously or with education, support and supervision. no I would not accept this assignment as I have had no recent experience with orthopedic patients and I should not have to rely on the patients to tell me how to transfer them or to use the equipment? ? B. DMF A4 Select appropriate, competent person to perform the activity C. ACTION †¢ Consult/seek advice (eg NUM, DON other health professional) OR †¢ Refer/collaborate OR †¢ Plan to enable integration/practice changes if appropriate (including developing/implementing policies, gaining qualifications as needed) ? Within each nursing level, there are standards of practice and scopes of practice issued by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council. These guidelines and competencies are issued by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). (GCIT, 2014a) Ensuring that you practice within your scope and role, within your place of employment is essential. Furthermore, it should be made abundantly clear that all health care facilities will have policies and procedures that must be followed in order to undertake care provision or procedures. (GCIT, 2014a) ? Q7: Identify 2 community health promotional strategies and evaluate their effectiveness. Health promotion at a population and community level another main area of nursing intervention. (Crisp 2013 p 310) for example a health promotion strategy is get set for life The get set for life health promotion strategy was developed as a handbook / guide that provides realistic information to help parents and carers to interact with their child in developing and strengthen the value of establishing healthy life habits. The handbook also has useful resources for parents/carers to obtain further information regarding the health and development of their children. The aim of the Healthy Kids Check is to ensure all four-year-old children in Australia have a basic health check to see if they are healthy, fit and ready to learn when they start school. The Healthy Kids Check promotes early detection of lifestyle risk factors, delayed development and illness, and introduces a direction for healthy life styles and early intervention strategies (Australian Government, 2009.) The Healthy Kids Check can be undertaken by a doctor but not including a specialist or consultant physician, or a practice nurse on behalf of a GP. (Australian Government, 2009.).? Another health promotion that is community based is active after school communities program this program was established by the Australian sports commission, the aim of the health promotion is to get kids moving and enjoying sport. The Active After-school Communities (AASC) program, which is the largest Government initiative of its kind. The program is designed to engage non-active kids, or those not involved in mainstream sport. To start to participate in sport and enjoy playing sport A positive introduction to all varieties of sport to children may inspire a passion for sport and more importantly it can help develop mobility skills Evaluation of the effectiveness of the program Since 2005, nearly 400 000 children have been given this introduction to sport and over half a million sessions have been delivered around the country. Currently, there are up to 150,000 children participating in the program, which is run in up to 3250 schools and after-school care locations in every state and territory in Australia. (Australian Government, 2009.) Q8: When you graduate, identify where you could find out about employment opportunities. Outline the interview process and materials/Information required to apply for a position 8. To find jobs, the best information resources are newspapers (both print and online), the Internet, hospital internal vacancies and government websites. (GCIT, 2014a) Once you have found a job you would like to apply for, you’ll need to create a resume. It can be a difficult task to list all of your attributes and education, without sounding ‘over the top’! A resume should include the sections that portray you at your best, outlining your experience in not only nursing, but other relevant areas of employment. Always ask for the position description before applying for a job. Also note that many organisations have specific selection criterion to be addressed when applying for a position, depending on the institution (e.g. state or private) and the job description. (GCIT, 2014a) If your application appeals to the employer, the next step will probably be an interview. There are particular processes involved in a nursing job interview. A panel of selected nursing and non-nursing peers will review your application and ask you a series of questions related to both your experience and the role you’re applying for. (GCIT, 2014a)

of mice and men :: essays research papers

"Of Mice and Men" is a skillful novel, which deals with the theme of `outsiders', that is, individuals who do not fit into the mainstream of society. The novel portrays this idea of loneliness throughout John Steinbeck's stimulating and exciting novel. When Lennie kills Curley’s Wife, Steinbeck describes Curley's wife as a prettier figure. He writes, "The meanness and the planning’s of the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face." (p.128) This shows that now Curley's wife is dead, she now looks happy and has escaped from her loneliness. Even though Curley's wife is mentioned frequently, we never know what her name is. This just shows how people do not care for others, leading to loneliness. I think all the men do not consider her as a normal human being, but and object, this object refers to the picture since in the picture there stands one tree in the middle of no where thus representing loneliness. All of the men are to scared to talk to her in case Curley becomes jealous and wants to start a fight. She has no female friends on the ranch, so the men are her only option, but they do not want to become friends with her. She spots out Lennie and wants to start a friendship with him as all of the others fear Curley and will have nothing to do with her. She says to Lennie â€Å"Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever once in a while?† This shows that she is trying to tell Lennie that she desperately needs to talk to somebody as she hardly does ever talk to anyone because they do not listen to her. The dreams that so many of Steinbeck’s characters have are ultimately covering pains and difficulties that they may be enduring. Curley’s wife is the only main character that Steinbeck did not provide a name for. This could be for the reason that the men at the ranch saw her as a nobody and a tramp; therefore Steinbeck is showing she should not be issued with her own name. I am given the impression that she is living in two lives. In reality she is living in a boring ranch, with no companionship in isolation. However, she also believes that she would make it to the movies one day. She says to Lennie "I aint used to livin like this. of mice and men :: essays research papers "Of Mice and Men" is a skillful novel, which deals with the theme of `outsiders', that is, individuals who do not fit into the mainstream of society. The novel portrays this idea of loneliness throughout John Steinbeck's stimulating and exciting novel. When Lennie kills Curley’s Wife, Steinbeck describes Curley's wife as a prettier figure. He writes, "The meanness and the planning’s of the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face." (p.128) This shows that now Curley's wife is dead, she now looks happy and has escaped from her loneliness. Even though Curley's wife is mentioned frequently, we never know what her name is. This just shows how people do not care for others, leading to loneliness. I think all the men do not consider her as a normal human being, but and object, this object refers to the picture since in the picture there stands one tree in the middle of no where thus representing loneliness. All of the men are to scared to talk to her in case Curley becomes jealous and wants to start a fight. She has no female friends on the ranch, so the men are her only option, but they do not want to become friends with her. She spots out Lennie and wants to start a friendship with him as all of the others fear Curley and will have nothing to do with her. She says to Lennie â€Å"Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever once in a while?† This shows that she is trying to tell Lennie that she desperately needs to talk to somebody as she hardly does ever talk to anyone because they do not listen to her. The dreams that so many of Steinbeck’s characters have are ultimately covering pains and difficulties that they may be enduring. Curley’s wife is the only main character that Steinbeck did not provide a name for. This could be for the reason that the men at the ranch saw her as a nobody and a tramp; therefore Steinbeck is showing she should not be issued with her own name. I am given the impression that she is living in two lives. In reality she is living in a boring ranch, with no companionship in isolation. However, she also believes that she would make it to the movies one day. She says to Lennie "I aint used to livin like this.

Gender Stereotypes in Science and Technology Essay -- Media Stereotype

Gender Stereotypes in Science and Technology The experiences we have and the ideas we formulate as children can and do have a tremendous impact on what we do with our lives as adults. One thing that we studied during this course was the differences between toys that boys play with and those that girls play with. When little boys are given things to play with like chemistry sets and erector sets, they are given tools to develop skills like mechanical ability and spatial perception. More importantly, in my opinion, this sets up a stereotype about what activities are suitable for boys and which activities are suitable for girls. Just as boys who play with dolls are seen as being unusual, little girls who do "boy things" and play with boys toys are seen as being weird and are therefore discouraged from doing so. When I first began researching this project I was looking for information on tomboys. I was hoping to answer the following question: How does having the label of a tomboy as a child effect what career choices a woman makes as an adult? It was my belief that if young girls think of tomboys in a negative light, girls who are labeled tomboys by their peers will be discouraged from engaging in activities that perpetuates that image of them. If these activities include playing with legos and building forts, then women who may otherwise have gone into technological fields like engineering and computer science will be deterred by the fact that these fields are sterotypically male. An initial literature search yielded disappointing results. The articles which I found fell into basically two categories: first-person narratives about growing up as a tomboy in magazines like Redbook and Southern Living and a few scattered art... ..., and a new generation of women with female role models began entering college. This idea about the gradual shift in beliefs that is currently going on probably explains why I was not able to find any current research on "tomboyism.' in academic journals. Ideas about gender, particularly for women, perhaps not as much for men, have become increasingly fluid in recent years. Women who play sports and enjoy 'male' activities are not only no longer seen as unusual, but are actually seen as having the preferred image. Many advertising firms have been specifically marketing the "tomboy look", because that image of women is now the 'in' image. Though women of my generation have grown up with the word "tomboy' in our vocabularies, perhaps the next generation of young girls will not even realize that playing sports and fixing cars represents gender deviancy on their part.

Speech Analysis -- essays research papers

This short paper will discuss my analysis of the Informative Speech I gave in class. I will cover posture, voice – volume and distinction, eye contact, and overall analysis. Posture   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the beginning of my speech I think my posture was good. However, I do think it had is weaknesses. I stood straight and didn’t move around for example. I could have used my movements and better posture to get a more knowledgeable perception to the audience. I had my back towards the audience on the left of me when I was pointing at things on the slide show. I know this is a big NO-NO but I guess I didn’t realize at the time that I was doing it. Voice   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have always felt like I possess a loud voice, but people tend to tell me that I am very soft s...

The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me

â€Å"The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me† Reading â€Å"The Joy of reading and Writing: Superman and Me,† gave me a different perspective of reading and writing. Sherman Alexie, who grew up on the Spokane Reservation in Wellpinit, Washington, explains his life as an Indian boy, and how reading and writing helped his life to succeed. Alexie purposes is to discuss how he first learned how to read and write, his intelligence as a young Indian boy, and Alexie as an adult teaching creative writing to Indians children. Alexie learned not only how to read but to love reading. He used his love of reading to propel himself through the school system, removing himself from the stereotypical to be dumb, quiet, poor, and to fail in life. Alexie begins his essay with a self confidence tone. Alexie, while growing in the Indian Reservation, at the age of three he learned how to read by using Superman comics. Alexie taught himself how to read the comic books by looking at the pictures and dialogue and pretending to say aloud what he thinks the story might be saying. I look at the narrative above the picture. I cannot read the words, but I assume it tells me that Superman is breaking down the door. Aloud, I pretend to read the words and say, Superman is breaking down the door† (14). Alexie learned quickly how to read while many other Indian kids struggled to read basic words and vocabulary. â€Å"He reads Grapes of Wrath in kindergarten when other children are struggling through Dick and Jane† (15 ). After Alexie established his self confidence tone, Alexie shows his determination tone. Indian children were stereotypically supposed to fail in the classroom and most did. Indian boys who fail were accepted; those who did not were not accepted. Alexie was smart and he refused to fail, he never got intimidated, he always participated with the non-Indian peers in class. â€Å"I fought with my classmates on a daily basis. They wanted me to stay quiet when non-Indian teacher asked for answers, for volunteers, for help† (15). Alexie loved to read, he read everything he possible could, even if they were not books. Alexie wanted to be educated and refused to fail. â€Å"I refused to fail. I was smart. I was arrogant. I was lucky† (15). Alexie’s tone at end of the essay, he was proud and surprised of himself because he became a writer. Becoming a writer, Alexie started to write books for children and he started to teach creative writing at Indian Schools. Alexie is proud because he has the opportunity to help other Indian kids to succeed in life. â€Å"These days, I write novels, short stories, and poems. I visit schools and teach creative writing to Indian kids† (15). Most of the children in the Reservation read his books and write their own poems, and that makes Alexie proud of himself. But there are some of the children that who have already given up hope on themselves and sit in the back of the classroom and do not care anything for reading and writing. â€Å"Then there are the sullen and already defeated Indian kids who sit in the back rows and ignore me with theatrical precision† (16). Alexie is trying to break down their locked doors, and he is trying to save their lives by teaching them to read and write. Alexie refused to fail, instead he read different kind of books and he became strong reader and a smart Indian. Alexie read everything and everywhere he went. This is probably one of the reasons Alexie never fail in school and his succeed life, because he loved to learn. He also committed to help other Indian in the Reservation by helping them to learn how to read and write. Alexie purpose was to try to save their lives. â€Å"I am smart. I am arrogant. I am lucky. I am trying to save our lives† (16).

Causes of Happiness

Happiness is an emotional or affective state that can be individual or shared with other people. Each person has own definition of happiness. For example, some people think that happiness comes from having a lot of money, and some think that happiness can come from simple things such having a friend.Happiness can affect your health, the people around you, and it can make you have a positive life. There are three causes of happiness such as being successful, eating chocolate, and being optimistic. The first cause of happiness is being successful.Successful life can lead to happiness. For instance, if you are a successful student, you are going to be happy. That is because you are going to feel accomplished which is one of the reasons that lead to happiness. Being successful could also mean having good relationships with other. In other words, if you show good manners everywhere you go, you will make people like to have a friendship with you. As a result, you are going to have a relati onship with your friends, and friends can be one of the reasons that lead to happiness. The second cause of happiness is eating chocolate.Eating chocolate can make you be happy. For instance, researcher have found that chocolate has the property of increasing levels of some hormones. These hormones can cause feelings of happiness and well being.Also, the researchers found that eating 40 grams of dark chocolate every day for two weeks can reduce the stress. In other words, the levels of stress hormones will be reduced which can make you feel happy. The third cause of happiness is being optimistic. Optimism is one of the reasons that lead to happiness. Optimism is a hopefulness and confidence that things will work out.Also, it can help us to move from the past and not fear the future. If you are a pessimist, you are going to think that things will not work out. As a result, the pessimist can lead to less happiness and make you have sadness in your life.In conclusion, it seems that we have three causes of happiness such being optimistic, eating chocolate and being successful. Happiness is very important to our life because it can make our life meaningful. It can affect our life and the people around us, so people have to be happy and optimistic in order to have a comfortable life.