Introduction to the microbial world history of microbiology Essay Example for Free

Introduction to the microbial world history of microbiology Essay Part A. This letter is in response to your story which was published in your website and broadcasted in your stations regarding Edward Jenner as the most prolific microbiologist that ever lived and have contributed much to the improvement of microbiology and public health. I would like to make a point that several other scientists have contributed much to that of the works of Jenner on eradicating small pox virus by vaccination. He may have started the use of vaccines which led to its eradication years later; however, it should not be mistaken to be the most significant microbiological contribution. Take an example the work of Joseph Lister on 1867 regarding antiseptics (Prescott et al., 2005). Like any other scientist during his time, works on antisepsis was not an overnight job; he worked carefully and tested his theories over and over again, until such time that he perfected it (Roediger, 1990). By thoughtfully thinking of what may cause pus formation in surgical wounds, he experimented with rags and phenol and used it as wound dressings. Sure enough, his patients did not develop gangrene after being dressed with carbolic acid or phenol treated rags. Later on, he improved on excluding bacteria from his operating suite by incorporation of clean environment as a prerequisite in aseptic surgery (Lister, 1909). See more: how to write an academic introduction In modern days, Lister’s work on antiseptic surgery had decreased much of the deaths caused by hospital-acquired infections brought about by practicing of good science (Pasteur and Lister, 1996). By applying his notion of the germ theory via his promotion of environmental cleanliness and sanitation, he inculcated the modern medical practitioners with standards of disease prevention that ultimately lead to reduction of major infections like tuberculosis (Osborn, 1986). Most notably, in his honor, Listerine ® was named after him. In recognition of his efforts, the British Medical Journal recently stated that â€Å"he saved more lives by the introduction of this system than all the wars of the 19th century together had sacrificed† (Nester et al., 2007). To conclude that Lister was more prolific than Jenner, the Jenner Institute of Preventive Medicine in Britain was changed to its current name, the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine (The Lister Institute). Another notable scientist is in the persona of Dr. John Snow. John Snow, in 1849 published his works entitled, â€Å"On the mode of communication of cholera.† In his research, Snow began to hypothesize that cholera was indeed transmitted by a common source, and sure enough he pin pointed it to a contaminated water pump in Broad Street (Thrusfield, 22007). Though highly criticized and much of his researches were dismissed, he never did falter in seeking out the truth. Despite of these obstacles, he never faltered to show the good qualities of an epidemiologist: good record keeper, determined, dedicated and highly skilled (Stanwell-Smith, 2002). A good record keeper, he was a very keen observer and he never did forgot to take into accounts this minute details that allowed him to solve the mystery of the cholera epidemic in London. Moreover, determined and dedicated to his work even though criticisms were all around him and yet a highly skilled scientist never did show attitudes that will hinder him from succeeding (Prescott et al., 2005). His works have led people to dub him as â€Å"the father of epidemiology.† Sure enough, epidemiology and public health cannot have gone a million step without the initiative of the medical doctor who was once criticized for hypothesizing something at that time which cannot be proven until later years where, the bacteria responsible for the disease was isolated. It may be another story of another scientist, but without Snow, nothing not even the prevention and determination of the occurrence of diseases can progress (Stanwell-Smith, 2002). Sure enough, Jenner may have helped in improving disease prevention by first creating the vaccine and subsequent studies leading to its development, it cannot be disclosed that Lister and Snow, did more achievements in the field of microbiology and public health per se. It may be fitting to say that Jenner may be a great microbiologist, it is only proper to also uphold and acknowledge other note taking efforts of these other microbiologists. Part B. In the summer of 1999, the first human case of West Nile Encephalitis in the western hemisphere was documented. By the end 0f 2002, the WNV epidemic have resulted to at least a total 4,156 human cases (with 2,943 meningoencephalitis case and 284 deaths), 16,741 dead birds, 6,604 infected mosquitoes and 14,571 equine cases. This epidemic was the largest recognized arboviral meningoencephalitis epidemic in the Western Hemisphere (CDC, 2003). The Virus Western equine encephalitis is a member of the Genus Flavivirus under the Family Flaviviridae (Tortora et al., 2007). The virions are spherical and around 50 nm in diameter. It is widely distributed throughout the Americas, especially after the onset of the epidemics in 2002. It is maintained in an endemic cycle involving domestic and passerine birds and Culex sp. serving as the vector host (Murphy et al., 1999 ).   WNV infection in humans produces either asymptomatic infection or mild febrile disease, sometimes accompanied by rash, which should be differentiated from dengue hemorrhagic fever. The human case-fatality rate in the U.S. has  been 7% overall with 10% of patients having neuroinvasive WNV disease (CDC, 2003). The Outbreak Although unknown how or when WNV was introduced into North America, international travel of infected people, importation of infected birds or mosquitoes or migration of infected birds are all possibilities and cannot be ruled out. Overwintering mosquitoes during the winter of 1999 to 2000 have been the mode wherein the virus has propagated throughout New York. It has then undergone several cycles of overwintering and by the end of 2002 has affected 44 states, including the District of Columbia. It has now been proven that the mosquito carry the virus and have traveled initially from New York to nearby states infecting other animals, most notably humans. (CDC, 2003). Control and Prevention Prevention and control of WNV encephalitis was accomplished effectively through a series of comprehensive efforts and programs including integrated pest management. It should be taken into consideration that the priority prevention for this type of disease is destruction of mosquito habitats which serve as the main vector. Likewise, sanitation and water management greatly reduced the total number of cases from that of 2002 to a tolerable one. (CDC, 2003)

The Role Of Flexibility In The Work Place Management Essay

The Role Of Flexibility In The Work Place Management Essay Flexibility is a way to help people define how and when work is done, flexibility helps employers and employees work effectively to enable the organisation achieve its objectives. (Simonetta Manfredi, Director, Centre for Diversity Policy Research, Oxford Brookes University.) Flexibility is all about creating a situation where both the employer and employee benefit from the schedule of work, creating a balance between individual needs and delivering of service. (Helen Gibbs, Senior Personnel Adviser, London Borough of Sutton) Flexible working relates to working time, pattern of work and location of work (ACAS PAGE 6). Many employers in united kingdom have introduced a range of flexible working options for their employees. In (2004) the workplace employement relations survey (WERS) discovered that a good number of employees ( over 70 percent) gave some kind of flexible working option to employees and these has increased from the results of the survey carried out by workplace employme nt relations survey in 1998 ( Kersley et al, 2005). These increase in flexible working option by employers was propelled as a result of growing need for work life balance ( Bailyn et al, 2001). In the United Kingdom, legistlative support for parents who have young children that are disabled these would enable them to adapt a more flexible working practise because they offer employees the opportunity to choose where and where they want to work Vlasios Sarantinos (2007). For flexible working practise to work effectively there must be a transparent and accessible process that will be used to manage flexible request made by employees, this enables employees feel that the organisation is treating them fairly and their request for a different type of working arrangement is being looked into. In these essay i am going to be critically reviewing the role that flexibility can play in the work place. Building the culture Theres a clear set of shared values, including the service user comes first, and people mean business. Service users come to the office regularly so that backroom employees can meet them and have a sense of what the service is about. These values underpin the companys approach to flexible working. Employees feel they belong to something and are pushed to achieve their full potential. Management is hands on: managers will not hand work out to their staff unless they are able to do the work themselves. All managers have to do a care shift once a month so they dont lose touch with the needs of service users and employees. Internal communication is reinforced by open days, where the chief executive meets staff informally. Thirty per cent of managers diary time is non-prescribed, so as to leave time for informal contact with their staff. Peoples opinions are listened to. The number of managers has been halved from 24 to 12 and the company aims to recruit its managers from within. Finance Manager Steve Tuck believes that employees are motivated by seeing the improvement in the quality of life of service users. Its not unknown for people to take clients home for a meal. Put in ur own words. There are various forms of flexibility which organisations used to engage employees in an organisation Functional flexibility: These type of flexibility allows employees to make use of their competencies and skills to enable them move freely across the different channels of production. This type of flexibility is likely to be desired when the employee no longer has stable relationship with the organisation and it relies on training across the channels of production. Numerical flexibility: These flexibility depends on the ability of the organisation to increase or decrease its labour number as it chooses by hiring some temporary workers and employing people who will be given fixed contracts. Temporal flexibility: This type of flexibility involves adjustement of working hours to meet demands of production, part time working could be engaged in to handle intense peaks when needed. Financial flexibility: In financial flexibility labour cost is reduced with efforts put in by the organisation to secure profit making. Vlasios Sarantinos (2007) Below are examples of flexible working practise which employees make use of in an organisation: Part-time working: Its a form of work where employees are under a contract to work for less than the full time hours Term-time working: . in this working arrangement a staff remains on his or her permanent contract but can take paid/unpaid leave during school holidays. Job-sharing: This is a type of working arrangement where a job task is shared between two or more employees. Flexitime: in this working arrangements staffs are allowed to choose within a given time frame when they want to begin and end their work. Compressed hours: Compressed hours involve re allocating or reducing the set working hours into fewer and longer blocks during the week. Annual hours: The set time within which full-time staffs must work is defined over a whole year. Working from home on a regular basis: in this working arrangement the employees have a choice to work from home and report outcomes to their supervisor. Mobile working/teleworking: This allows staffs to work all or part of their working week at a location remote from the employers workplace. Career breaks: This are period in which the employee is allowed to go on break, it may be a career break or sabbatical. Chattered institute of personnel and development (2005) Flexibility is seen to be important in workplace to both employers and employees because it gives them an opportunity to organise the way they work in a way that will be comfortable with their personal lives. For employers flexible working can help retain staff who have the required and skill required by the employer, it also widens the talent pool in the job market enabling them to recruits potential workers with more skill and still retain the staffs that are loyal and committed which can lead to an increase in productivity and profitability(Confederation of British Industry 2009). Employers have realised that in order to provide quality services when needed by customers a flexible working system that involves the two parties is needed which makes the workforce flexible enough to adapt to changing business conditions. Recession has had an effect on organisation layout and operations causing a lot of people to loose their job and holding unto whatever they can lay their hands on. Th e effect recession has on flexible working can be viewed as both negative and positive. Negative, because it has led to an increase in the number of people working part time that would love to take up a full time job and positive from the employers perspective because employers respond to more flexibility which indicates that that there is a tendency for organisations to embrace flexible working to have as a new way of working in the organisation. We need increased flexibility in the work place if the economy is to return back to stable and sustained growth, and in order to do this we need to develop all resources available especially man power to help increase productivity and give the economy a competitive advantage. Employers may find it expensive introducing flexible working because of the cost it might incur, the business premises may have to be open for a longer period of time thereby increasing cost of heating and lightning(Confederation of British Industry 2009) . Flexible w orking also plays an important role to employees because it enables them to balance their job at work alongside their responsibilities at home because in the society today both men and women want flexible jobs which involves minimal travel to enable them share the responsibilities of raising a family. Flexible working improves the moral of employees and gives some a feeling of worth, it also reduces absence and lateness to work(The Women and Work Commission 2006) Flexible working has been seen to affect business by playing an important role to make sure that shifts are fully covered and services are maintained flexible working is needed in organisations ( British chambers of commerce, 2007). A flexible human capital practise makes organisations more stable, skilled and enthusiastic free from distractions, flexible working practisces helps organisations to attract talents, with the difference in generation of workers with varying lifestyle and working conditions, companies have to re organise their recruitment efforts, benefits plan, productivity incentives, work processes and work schedules in order to recruit qualified hands. Technological advancement also require that we think of how we can connect with people more effectively, organise teams and measure employees work performance when they work from home. Focused and talented employees who are on flexible schedules are likely to give out their best and be more committed to the goals and ob jectives of the organisation and deliver great value to customers who when satisfied continue to patronize the organisation thereby improving sales and boosting the companys image. flexibility also helps reduce cost associated with health care, overhead, labor, turn over and legal fees. Cost involved with labor can be reduced and profitability can be increased by using a flexible human capital practise in which you boost the output of one employee and efficiency among groups across the organisation and reduce waste as a result of poor concentration, loss of work time and mistakes.it reduces labor cost for the same output thereby increasing profitability. Flexibility also reduces health care cost because staffs have sufficient resources to meet the demands when they have control of planning their time, these flexible working practise reduces stress and depression faced by most employees which directly reduces health cost of the company. BOOK IMPACT OF FLEXIBILITY ON ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE. To raise morale and job satisfaction: flexible working increases the morale of employers to perform at their utmost best because they feel they are treated as adults who have control of their life and their time and they tend to perform at their utmost best when they are at work. To improve productivity/Quality : the need for producing a good quality product must be of paramount importance because there are cost associated with poor quality which dents the image of the organisation and makes customers unsatisfied, flexible working arrangement ensures fresh and capable hands at the production line at all times. When an employer is worn out down and his her shift is over another employee takes and continues the process of production.It also inspires and increases commitment an loyalty from staffs( Alison and Lou, 2001) Opposing flexibility Traditionally, flexibility has been seen as a characteristic of poor quality jobs (see for example De Witte, 1999; Nolan et al, 2000; Purcell et al, 1999), where employers have sought to achieve organisational flexibility by means of using non-standard working practices, such as part-time work and temporary employment. Reduced absence and employee turnover: Flexible working enables employees to take care of their personal obligations leading to a decrease in frequent absenteeism because they have more options to which their time can be managed and it helps skilled workers remain in the organisation because staffs are more likely to stay in the organisation. (British chambers of commerce, 2007). Reduced training costs : by introducing flexible working organisations retain trained employees there by saving up expenses that would have been used in training new staffs if the trained staffs were to exit. Promoting customer satisfaction: Customer satisfaction can be improved where, customer service hours can be extended or shifted to periods when it is most required, and Workers with different skills can be attracted and retained because of the flexible work system in the organisation to help respond to diverse customer requirements. ( Success with flexible working practices, 1997). Book success with flexible work practise. Flexibility has been seen traditionally to characterise poor quality jobs De witte, 1999, Nolan et al, 2000; Purcell et al, 1999) because employers try to achieve flexible working environment in the organisation by using working practices that are not up to standard, It might have been predicted generally that access to flexible working arrangement would impact job satisfaction positively, it has also been discovered that a higher sense of responsibility and work completion affects job satisfaction positively ( Hyman and Summers, 2004; Igbaria and Guiraraes, 1999), However findings on the effect of remote working on job satisfaction varied, In some studies lack of social interaction has lead to a negative impact on job satisfaction due to feelings of isolation ( igbaria and Guimaraes, 1999), while some people tend to have a higher job satisfaction ( Baruch,2000). Igbaria meant that employees working in remote locations may perform low because they are not satisfied with their job and this may be due the fact that they have no one to interact with however Baruch said that some employees may actually enjoy working in remote locations and it tends to enchance their job performance. Flexible working offers employees choices to help them achieve a work life balance that is satisfactory. Stress which is one of the problems employees face has been linked to flexible working but flexible working does not seem to have an effect on reducing stress levels. Stress and anxiety may also be created by flexible working because an employee that works for a smaller amount of time or hours reduces but still has the same level of workload as someone working full time this tends to put pressure on the employee which might stress him or her out trying to cope with the work load (Dr Claire and Deirdre, 2008) It has been suggested by some researchers that people who spend more time working remotely tend to have lower job stress ( Raghuram and Wiesenfeld, 2004) however (Mann and Holdsworth, 2003) said that people working remotely show more signs of mental ill health than those working in organisational premises. Some evidence was found by Tietze and musson (2005) of some worker who work remotely experiencing stress, they tend to experience stress which was linked with the self organisation required of their work, because it created new demands on them. An analysis linked to stress pointed the fact that flexible working time or flex time affected absenteeism positively, while compressed working practise had no effect Baltes et al, (1999).Baltes was saying that when workers were allowed to work with flexitime that means choosing when to resume and close work within a set time frame that it enabled them to always show up for work because they could adjust their schedule to meet up with the ti me they choose and that compressed working did not affect absenteeism positively or negatively. Remote workers were worried about the lack of opportunities to develop themselves which the employer denied them having including mentoring from senior colleagues and informal learning Cooper and Kurland (2002). Cooper discovered that concerns began to grow among workers working remotely that their absence was not felt by the organisation and they were neglected with no further course or training to further develop their skills, and because of these flexible workers tend to have lower long term career potential Frank and Lowe (2003).Although Mc Closkey and igbaria (2003) brought a contrasting a view saying dat flexible working had no direct or indirect effect on career prospects of employees. Cohen and Single (2001) found that professional staffs who worked reduced working hours were less able to spend time developing their skill which is one of the business factors important for a succes full career(Dr Claire and Deirdre, 2008). Meaning that the less time professional workers spend in their workplace the less opportunity they get to learn new things. Business impact of flexible working The companys policies towards flexible working are reflected in its business outcomes. Since 1997, employment at the company has gone up from 60 to 280 staff and turnover has increased from  £1 million to  £9.5 million. Sickness absence has been reduced to 0.6 days a year, well below that for the care sector as a whole, which produces significant financial savings. The company also sees direct benefits in terms of staff recruitment and retention. Sandwell CCT came second in the Sunday Times 100 best companies to work for list in 2007, and first nationally in the work-life balance category. It also came first in the categories of managers who listen, managers motivating staff to give their best and training making a difference. It believes that this success has boosted the companys image as an employer. Employee turnover at Sandwell CCT is now 4%, compared with 20% or more across the care sector generally. Because staff enjoy their jobs, there is a high level of employee engagemen t and this is reflected in the quality of service and value for money. PUT IN UR OWN WORDS.

Problems of Doping in Sport

Problems of Doping in Sport Doping is becoming a very serious problem, not only within the united states but around the world too. A lot people do not actually understand the term of doping well doping is when an athlete takes a drug that improves his/her playing ability.So many athletes around the world have been accused of doing this which brings up the question.Should athletes who have been caught doping be allowed to keep their trophies and medals. A great example would be weight lifters.There have many situation where weight lifters have been question to see if they used drugs to help them win.(The use of performance-enhancing drugs, or doping, by professional athletes has been acknowledged as a problem since at least the 1960s.Since then there have been multiple cases where athletes have been caught doping (The number of records that have been broken has led to allegations of use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports. ).So its saying that all these record holders are all being accused of doping..Which proves the point that athletes are using these drugs to win. Another example would be Lance Armstrong. Lance armstrong is a world famous cyclist who has won a record holding seven tour de france titles. Recently lance has been stripped of all the titles because come to find out he was doping. (Lance Armstrong, (born September 18, 1971, Plano, Texas, U.S.), American cyclist, who was the only rider to win seven Tour de France titles (1999-2005) but who was later stripped of all his titles after an investigation revealed that he was the key figure in a wide-ranging doping conspiracy while he compiled his Tour victories.)(Alex Rodriguez admits to using performance-enhancing drugs while playing for the Texas Rangers).(Three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador is stripped of his 2010 title for doping).(The USADA bans sprinter Justin Gatlin for eight years after he tests positive for banned substances a second time. Gatlin is also forced to forfeit his 100-meter world record).(1996 Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis admits using performance-enhancing drugs to win his title. Race organizers tell him to return his yellow first-place jersey).Showing that Lance Armstrong is one of the many who have been caught doping. (Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs-including eryt hropoietin (EPO) and human growth hormone-and distributed drugs to other cyclists.)Not only has he been caught doping but also of distributing the drug to other cyclist, which mean there are more of them out there who have yet to be caught.Lance Armstrong a man who could of had a great career and could have accomplished a lot of good things decided to dope and throw his career away. Not only that but the things he WORKED so hard for to get (his medals and trophies) got takes away from him in a instant, proving that athletes who use doping as a way to get an advantage should be striped of the tiles and trophies. Now losing their trophies is not the only negative thing that comes out of doping along with the fact that you are teacher the younger generation to cheat but doping also affects you physically and mentally. Some of the side effects can be very little and some have been know to end in death.(Anabolic steroid abuse has been associated with a wide range of adverse side effects ranging from some that are physically unattractive, such as acne and breast development in men, to others that are life threatening, such as heart attacks and liver cancer.)There are still few cases where people have died doping. Results may vary depending on your gender, for example if you are a male the results can be (infertility, breast development, shrinking of the testicles,male-pattern baldness). Now for females results can be (anabolic steroids cause masculinization. Breast size and body fat decrease, the skin becomes coarse, the clitoris enlarges, and the voice deepens. Women may experience excessive gro wth of body hair but lose scalp hair).Showing that doping once again will cause nothing but harm to yourself.What is the point of doping knowing eventually you will get caught, not only are they losing trophies and medals but now they are slowly losing your life. Now Doping can not only hurt you physically but it can hurt you socially as in the people and things around you. First off it can send a bad message to the younger generation, a lot of these kids grow up in bad environments and do not have much going for them so sports is kind of there way out of that harsh place and when they see their favorite athletes doping they are going to grow up thinking that it is okay cause that is what they grew up watching. (Alex Rodriguez admits to using performance-enhancing drugs while playing for the Texas Rangers). Alex Rodriguez is a very famous baseball player who played for the new york yankees and the texas ranger and is a really big icon to all the little baseball player. Now do you think they will react when they hear that he has been caught doping? They will probably think it is cool and want to do it when they get older. Which is not the message the athletes want to be sending but that is how they will take it when they keep hearing about some athlete who got caught doping. Oddly enough some people in society believe doping should be allowed be allowed in sports because they think it will make it more interesting. (others believe that athletes should be free to improve their performances as they see fit and that sports would be better served if the drugs were legitimate and safe). These are the people who have already been poisoned thinking that doping is a good thing as long as it is safe which no doping is safe. Now there are some people who think it is dump and destroys the integrity of the game. (Many people support the idea that the use of performance-enhancing drugs weakens the integrity of sports). Which shows that a lot of believe that no good comes from doping. Doping is a serious that has been on the rise for a while now ,many athletes have been caught doing it and it can cause health problems. Some people have accepted that it is a thing and believe they should be allowed to do it and most people with common sense thinks it is dumb and should not be allowed. Answer this is doping worth it, knowing that it will cost all the medals and trophies they worked so hard to get and possibly even their life. Make a difference in the world and stop doping References Abt, Samuel. Lance Armstrong. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc., 18 Jan. 2013. Web. 13 Feb. 2017 Doping in Sports, SIRS Discoverer: Pro/Con Leading Issues, 2016, SIRS Discoverer, http://discoverer.prod.sirs.com Https://www.facebook.com/NIDANIH. What Are the Health Consequences of Steroid Abuse?What Are the Health Consequences of Steroid Abuse? | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.. Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Fast Facts. CNN Wire, 26 Jan. 2017. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOFsw=wu=j020902v=2.1id=GALE%7CA478998268it=rasid=28f23581c01e163516b36105e6f71b31. Accessed 6 Feb. 2017.

Theres One In Every Group :: essays research papers

There's one in every Group As time passes many of us will experience an array of trials and tribulations. As we go on our many journeys though out life you’ll find that you have to be strong to make it though hard times. During Elaine’s adolescence’s she is abused physically and mentally by her peers, but later gains self-confidence. Many people may find the novel Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood to be very disturbing at certain times in the book. When we are first introduced to Elaine, we learn that she is a shy, young girl that doesn't have friends, all she had was her brother Stephen and her Parents. The war has just ended, and Elaine and her family have finally got a house to call there own. The only thing that Elaine is unhappy about is that she has no friends. But that would soon change. Elaine meets 3 girls from he neighborhood Grace, Cordelia, and Carol, and these are the three girls that would change Elaine's life forever. As the friendship between the 4 girls gets older, we begin to see a change. Cordelia slowly begins to take charge of the group, becoming the ringleader. " Don't do it like that or Cordelia will punish you" is the attitude that you begin to get. As time carries on in the book we see that Elaine is the one that is always getting singled out, the one that is always being picked on. The 4 girls decided to put on a play, Elaine plays the headless Mary Queen of Scots, Cordelia has been digging the hole for a while, and has collected boards to cover the hole with. "They pick me up by my the underarms and the feet and lower me in into the hole. They arrange the boards over the top. The daylight air disappears, and there's the sound of dirt hitting the boards†¦ Up above outside I can here their voices, and then I can't here them. I lie there wondering when it will be time to come out. Nothing happens. When I was put into the hole I new it was a game; now I know it is not one." Here were we see the Physical abuse, just one of the many harsh incidents that takes place in Elaine's Childhood. As time carries on in the book we notice that the relationship between the girls has changed a great deal.

Realistic Dual Natures in Louisa May Alcotts Little Women Essay

Realistic Dual Natures in Alcott’s Little Women â€Å"Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual†²s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is† - Carl Jung Each of us has the capacity for virtue or vice, and our daily actions reflect the combination of both.   In literature, however, people are sometimes depicted as being completely one or the other, giving us inaccurate views of human nature.   We identify better with characters who are more like us--neither completely good nor bad.   Meg, Jo and Amy March in Alcott’s Little Women do not flatly portray complete good or complete evil, but their realistic dual natures increase their believability and intensify their moral influence on us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This character duality is first evident in Margaret, the eldest sister, as we receive a description detailing her looks and countenance.   Meg is â€Å"very pretty† with â€Å"large eyes, plenty of soft, brown hair, a sweet mouth, and white hands, of which she was rather vain† (Alcott[1] 5).   This description leads the reader through sweetness and innocence, finishing with a flaw.   From the beginning, her vanity glares at us as her most obvious fault.   Yet, in â€Å"spite of her small vanities, Margaret had a sweet and pious nature, which unconsciously influenced her sisters† (LW 16).   Contrasting the negativity in Meg’s personality is a kind and remarkable side.   Both vanity and kindness represent themselves throughout the novel as we evaluate the effects this duality has upon our judgment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Leading the novel, Meg’s vanity manifests itself in her desires for Christmas.   Times are difficult and money is tight, yet Meg has ideals of her own regarding the Christmas money.   She explains to ... ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The implications of the novel may not fully impact us until later, after we take the time to examine the flaws and strengths we see in Meg, Jo, and Amy.   Like us, these three March girls are completely human--possessing dual natures of both good and evil--and because of their realistic natures, they have a greater moral influence on us.   Once we fully examine the characters, we examine ourselves and have the responsibility to act on the characters’ influence.   We can learn willingly from these characters and use their experiences to recognize our faults, like the March girls who are always quick to note their own shortcomings. Note: 1 All further references to Alcott’s Little Women are to the edition listed in the Works Cited and will be labeled simply LW followed by page numbers. Work Cited Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women. New York: Signet, 1983. Realistic Dual Natures in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women Essay Realistic Dual Natures in Alcott’s Little Women â€Å"Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual†²s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is† - Carl Jung Each of us has the capacity for virtue or vice, and our daily actions reflect the combination of both.   In literature, however, people are sometimes depicted as being completely one or the other, giving us inaccurate views of human nature.   We identify better with characters who are more like us--neither completely good nor bad.   Meg, Jo and Amy March in Alcott’s Little Women do not flatly portray complete good or complete evil, but their realistic dual natures increase their believability and intensify their moral influence on us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This character duality is first evident in Margaret, the eldest sister, as we receive a description detailing her looks and countenance.   Meg is â€Å"very pretty† with â€Å"large eyes, plenty of soft, brown hair, a sweet mouth, and white hands, of which she was rather vain† (Alcott[1] 5).   This description leads the reader through sweetness and innocence, finishing with a flaw.   From the beginning, her vanity glares at us as her most obvious fault.   Yet, in â€Å"spite of her small vanities, Margaret had a sweet and pious nature, which unconsciously influenced her sisters† (LW 16).   Contrasting the negativity in Meg’s personality is a kind and remarkable side.   Both vanity and kindness represent themselves throughout the novel as we evaluate the effects this duality has upon our judgment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Leading the novel, Meg’s vanity manifests itself in her desires for Christmas.   Times are difficult and money is tight, yet Meg has ideals of her own regarding the Christmas money.   She explains to ... ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The implications of the novel may not fully impact us until later, after we take the time to examine the flaws and strengths we see in Meg, Jo, and Amy.   Like us, these three March girls are completely human--possessing dual natures of both good and evil--and because of their realistic natures, they have a greater moral influence on us.   Once we fully examine the characters, we examine ourselves and have the responsibility to act on the characters’ influence.   We can learn willingly from these characters and use their experiences to recognize our faults, like the March girls who are always quick to note their own shortcomings. Note: 1 All further references to Alcott’s Little Women are to the edition listed in the Works Cited and will be labeled simply LW followed by page numbers. Work Cited Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women. New York: Signet, 1983.

Brotherhood in “Sonny’s Blues” Essay

Since I was a small child, around two years old, I have had the privilege and sometimes the complete terror of being an older brother. This has been a rewarding experience for me, and has given me many learning opportunities and teaching opportunities in my fairly short life. Because of my experience as an older brother I was more fully able to understand and appreciate the struggles and triumphs that the two brothers in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† endured. While I have never personally had to deal with the extreme experiences and responsibilities that the narrator dealt with, I can still relate simply as an older brother myself. Throughout the short story I found myself questioning how I would deal with Sonny if he were my brother. I finally came to the conclusion that if I had dealt with Sonny, I would have probably handled him in nearly the same way as the narrator did. While I questioned his judgment at times, I feel that the older brother played his role well or at least to the best of his ability. Regardless of how the narrator dealt with his brother the final outcome is the most important aspect of the story, and it shows that brotherhood is capable of overcoming hardship and misunderstanding because it is so important in regard to human survival and success. The fact that brotherhood prevails over all things is an important theme, and one that rings so very true. The first struggle that the reader is introduced to in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† is the distinct age difference between Sonny and his older brother. â€Å"The seven years’ difference in our ages lay between us like a chasm. I wondered if these years would ever operate between us as a bridge.† (Baldwin, 44 – hereafter referred to as page number only) The so-called â€Å"chasm† is the hurdle that must be cleared in the story, and that â€Å"clearing of the hurdle† is the key to forming a solid, emotional relationship between the brothers. The â€Å"bridge† is finally formed when the narrator attends Sonny’s performance at the jazz club. The fact that we get to see the interaction between the two brothers is important, but even more important is that the reader sees the narrator’s realization of his brother’s talent in the first person. This allows us to feel how deeply it touches the narrator, and gives us a perspective of his overflowing of emotion. â€Å"For, while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we  may triumph is never new, it always must be heard. There isn’t any other tale to tell, it’s the only light we’ve got in all this darkness.† (61) This particular passage was very striking to me, because it showed that the narrator finally realized that Sonny had a story too. He realizes that Sonny has suffered, but he has also triumphed many times, and in many ways. The narrator had a blanketing view of Sonny, in which Sonny could never be successful at anything. While Sonny is playing he tells his brother that they are more alike than they know, and that they both have the same story, just with different details. The brothers have finally found a bond, a common thread, and that is one of the most important things that brothers can have. James Baldwin was a writer of his past. He used his personal experiences to more effectively write his detailed and emotional stories and essays. One important aspect to his writing in general, but more specifically in his early stories is poverty stricken Harlem, New York. Baldwin uses personal experiences and opinions to make his characters a part of the Harlem he lived through. The idea that Harlem is in a vicious cycle of destroying generation after generation, and the constant desire of youth to find a way out are two very important themes in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues.† Harlem is a place that repeats itself over and over, like a scratched record. Yet no one is willing to help the other out. For each generation the tragedy of Harlem is new, for the older people are reluctant to inform the young ones of the condition of the black race (Goldman, 1). The narrator repeatedly observes that nothing has changed across generations, not the buildings or the lives of those who grow up in them† (McBride, 201). The narrator also compares Sonny’s heroin addiction to prison and then compares them both to Harlem, truly showing the dire situation that he and his brother find themselves in. The restriction and oppression of Harlem is an important element in explaining the stranglehold that is on their lives from the time they are young. It is a theme that I wish Baldwin would have explored more because the environment a child is placed in is very important to the kind of person they become in life. In some ways I was disappointed with the way in which the narrator dealt with Sonny and his heroin addiction. I found it questionable that he waited until after his daughter’s death to write to Sonny. But at the same time, this provides a great example of his inherent need for his brother in his time of hurt. The narrator was in need of Sonny to help him through his tough time, and maybe at the same time realized his own failures to Sonny when he was struggling himself. The most important thing that comes from the letter to Sonny was that contact was finally made, which is the first and most important step to rekindling the brotherhood. While music becomes the integral part of bringing the brothers back together, it had a shaky start as a part of their relationship. Sonny had started playing the piano while living at his brother’s in-laws. He became quite talented but heroin addiction got in his way, and eventually tripped him up. One important conversation the brothers had was after their mother’s funeral, Sonny’s brother notes: â€Å"I simply couldn’t see why on earth he’d want to spend his tine hanging around nightclubs, clowning around on bandstands, while people pushed each other around a dance floor. (50)† Readers understand how indifferent and ignorant the narrator is in regard to Sonny’s music. Sonny’s brother dissents with Sonny’s idea of making a living as a musician and insists he should finish school first. Finally, Sonny’s frustration explodes, â€Å"He slammed the window so hard I thought the glass would fly out, and turned back to me. ‘And I’m sick of the stink of these garbage cans! (52)'† The narrator describes the feelings and emotions of this exchange vividly so the reader understands the strong emotions and disagreement that exists. We see the difference in attitudes about life and music, which deepens the â€Å"chasm† between them. This difference leads to the long span of silence and misunderstanding. The silence is finally broken after the narrator’s daughter dies of polio. Sonny’s brother writes him in prison, breaking himself out of his emotional defense towards his brother. â€Å"My trouble made his real (55),† states the narrator speaking of his letter and the new contact. The first step is taken, and from there the relationship starts building new foundations. Finally, after Sonny leaves prison, he comes to visit his brother in Harlem.  When Sonny comes home the narrator momentarily feels â€Å"that icy dread again† as he watches his brother for signs of drug addiction, hating himself for being so suspicious but unable to prevent it (Bernardo, 1). This begins the road back to a true brotherhood for Sonny and the narrator, despite the questions that Sonny may be asked by his brother and the questionable future he may have. While Sonny is visiting his brother in Harlem, the two brothers take a walk and happen upon a street revival where a group of musicians are playing. The brothers stop to listen, and the reader is given the suggestion that the brothers seem to come to a realization while listening. While watching, the narrator states that the music â€Å"seemed to soothe a poison out of them† which suggests his understanding of Sonny’s need for music. This scene then leads to Sonny’s invitation for his brother to come watch him play at the jazz club (Goldman, 232). Later that evening when Sonny and his brother arrive at the club the narrator is stricken by the celebrity that Sonny seems to hold at the club. Sonny’s brother notes: â€Å"It turned out that everyone at the bar knew Sonny, or almost everyone; there were some musicians, working there, or nearby, or not working, some where simply hangers-on, and some were there to see Sonny play. I was introduced to all of them, and they were all very polite to me. Yet it was clear that, for them, I was only Sonny’s brother. Here, I was in Sonny’s world. Or rather, his kingdom. Here it was not even a question that his veins bore royal blood.† (59) This statement alone is telling of the humbling experience Sonny’s brother is about to endure. He has finally realized that there is more to Sonny than heroin, piano, and failure. He is a successful person and he has a distinct and impressive talent for playing the jazz piano. Finally the music begins, and as Sonny is sitting at his piano, slightly illuminated by an indirect light, the adventure starts for both Sonny and his brother. The first set is not one in which Sonny triumphs, but in the second, begun with â€Å"Am I Blue,† he takes the lead and begins to form a  musical creation. He becomes, in the narrators words, â€Å"part of the family again† (61). The family that he joins is questionable, but I believe it is truly both families. He joins the family of jazz players, from whom he has been gone for so long, but he also rejoins his namesake family and reinstates his place with his brother. The set continues, with Sonny expressing himself with wildly flowing statements on his piano. He is dripping with sweat, dripping with the loss of his pent up emotion and his relief of finally getting to play for his brother. The jazz begins to take on deeper meaning for the brothers, and the life they have led becomes one life, theirs as brothers. They no longer lived as individuals with separate lives and understandings. They finally reached an understanding of each other that only brothers could have between themselves. The music is simply a vehicle for arriving there. The description Baldwin gives of the musical exchange is a work of beauty in itself. It is a statement of the power of the artist as a poet, the power of the musician. The ability to create out of oneself, to take the chaos of the world – especially the world Sonny lives in – into the self and represent it as the universal narrative (McBride, 200). The passage would not be nearly as effective if there had only been a simple overview of the scene. He brings music and emotion and brotherhood all together in one tight little package, making for one of the most moving scenes in American literature. The final scene in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† is striking and is dripping with real life emotion. The idea that one set of blues can bring together two brothers who have not talked in years is amazing, but so very true. The brothers have nothing in common between them apart from the same parents but they are forced through familial obligation to push aside those differences and show compassion and understanding for each other. These are the enduring qualities of brotherhood and they show that no matter how hard a person may try they still are in need of family. This desire within the two brothers brings them together and allows them to truly understand what being a brother is really all about. The differences in the brothers eventually lead to their similarities and that is an amazing thing. Brotherhood transcends time, age, intelligence, failure, success, and grief. It is more than a  choice and it is more than an obligation. Brotherhood is carnal and never-ending, and â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† captures the essence of brotherhood beautifully.

Moving To Foriegn Land Essay

The idea of leaving the life behind you had lived for 19 years and moving to another country and start your life from scratch never attracted me. Looking back 3 years ago before leaving my home country, Pakistan and moving to Singapore my life was very different. When my father first disclosed the news that we will be moving to Singapore I remember how excited everyone in my family was, except for me. I was living a life that I always wanted and loved, surrounded by most loving grandparents and relatives, growing up with my best friends, and studying in Fashion School. The fact that I had to leave everything behind and start up new, moving to unknown city, unfamiliar to the culture, unknown traditions, making new friends, inter cultural communication barriers, how will I fit in new school scared me. I always had this idea in my head that starting up new is impossible for me and I was not self-motivated for the change Moving from high-context culture to low-context culture is a big change. First thing I did after moving, I started comparing everything to how it is back home. Then I could not get in fashion school, which caused having low self-esteem in me. I was not very familiar to the culture as well, new places, new challenges and new people. All this led me to isolating myself and being pessimist about everything. After my family successfully convinced me to take a Diploma in Business I got admission in one of the private institute, few early weeks I was the shy and quite student in the class, there were a lot of things going on in my head and because I was not self-motivated I never initiated to talk to people or make friends. After a while I became friends with these 2 girls in my class (both belonged from different culture). Both of them were very helpful and understanding. From there I started being open and interacting with people from different other countries and culture. Dwyer (2013a, p. 117), defined culture as â€Å"shared views of people belonging from to that society†. Dwyer (2013b, p. 118) I realized, just like me most the students in my class were immigrants too and pretty much have been through the same difficulties and experience. They all were unknown to my culture (Language, religion, social culture etc.) as  I was unknown to theirs. All of them were away from their homeland and some of them were also living without their families. As time passed I started realising positive aspects of this experience. Growing up in a certain culture means you become customized to those beliefs, values and norms they appear very normal – everyday activities, behaviors, and you do not think about them as part of a culture. Singapore is a land of multi cultures, due to which I have made friends from different countries, with time I started soaking up culture references, trying different foods, learning different languages, known to different religions, celebrating different cultural and religious festivals, trying their clothes, sharing the customs and traditions. I found myself eager to learn about it and not only me but my class mates where equally interested in my culture. After a while I realized I started adopting the habits I never thought I would embrace. I got to know myself better because there were things I used to believe in which was just the cultural heritage of the society I grew up in and not my own beliefs. Furthermore, as I had an art background, studying business for the first time was also a new experience for me and had some difficulties in the beginning but with the help of my teachers I managed to clear my concepts. When a person has lived a part of their life in another country especially their teenage, it is a challenge moving to different country and starting from the scratch but now after spending 3 years in Singapore I have realised how it was one of the best decision of my life. What I wanted was to spend my whole life in a shell and never let myself think outside the box. I can say that I was the one making this process difficult for myself, it all depends on a person’s will. Since the day I got to know about moving I was being hard on myself and never let myself think positively about it. It certainly is difficult to start all over again when our lives already exists elsewhere but It depends on a person to overcome the change and make it comfortable. It is all a process of learning, expecting the unexpected and fighting through the challenges. . I never knew before that I could be flexible with the changes and see this as an opportunity one day. Through this transformation of experience, I can conclude that after moving from my homeland to Singapore, I may have faced difficulties in adjusting with the culture and other challenges in the beginning but looking at  positive side I have only learnt from it and came out of it as a better and mature person intellectually and more exposed toward the cultures. This experience helped me in learning so many new and different things, about myself, about other than my own culture which I never knew even existed, and that is one of the best parts about leaving your home country and moving to a foreign land. It has been a life-changing experience for me and I will never go back to how I was. And now I can say that I’m ready to face further challenges in my life. References: Dwyer, J 2013a, Communication for business and the professions: Strategies and skills, 5th ed., Pearson Australia. – 2013b, Communication for business and the professions: Strategies and skills, 5th ed., Pearson Australia.