Shirley JacksonS The Lottery Essays - Fiction, Literature

Shirley JacksonS The Lottery Essays - Fiction, Literature Shirley JacksonS The Lottery Shirley Jacksons The Lottery, raises many questions in the back of a readers mind towards the destructive yet blind rituals of mankind. The Lottery clearly expresses Jacksons feelings concerning mankinds evil nature hiding behind traditions and rituals. She shows how coldness and lack of compassion in people can exhibit in situations regarding tradition and values. Jackson presents the theme of the short story with the use of symbols and setting. The setting of The Lottery supports the theme. Settings are constructed to help build the mood and foreshadow things to come. In the lottery though, the setting foreshadows exactly the opposite of what is to come. The story begins with a description of a seemingly cheerful environment. Jackson creates a comfortable atmosphere by describing the activities of the residents of the town. She describes children breaking into boisterous play and their talk still of the classroom (310). Men and women are gathered in the center of the town talking about farming and taxes or into gossip. The date of the story is June twenty-seventh which Helen E. Nebeker states in American Literature, has symbolic overtones which alerts us to the season of the summer solstice with all its overtones of ancient ritual (102). Jacksons description of the setting supports the theme of the story by showing how mankind is capable of cruel acts regardless of their environment. Symbolism in the story also supports the theme of The Lottery. The very names of the characters in the story are laden with meaning. The names of Summers, Graves, Warner, Delacroix and Hutchinson hint at the true nature of the characters. Mrs. Delacroixs name means of the cross in Latin; therefore hinting at Tessies sacrificial killing. Even tough Mrs. Delacroix seems to be a friend to Mrs. Hutchinson it is she who is shown to pick up the largest rock and promotes other people to stone Tessie. Mr. Summers name symbolizes life but in reality it is he who is in charge of the lottery which instead of giving life to its winner it gives death. Graves is the man who carries in the black box and the three-legged stool. His name hints to what will happen to Tessie Hutchinson. It is also from Mr. Graves whom the citizens get the papers from, therefore it is almost like he is the one who has the most influence over whose grave it will be next. Old Man Warner, as his name indicates, warns the v illagers of the unknown danger of stopping the yearly ritual. The irony here is that even though the old are know for being wise, Old Man Warner seems to be a very ignorant and superstitious being who blindly follows tradition. The names of all the prominent characters in The Lottery support the idea that everybody hides their evil nature by way of hypocrisy. Tessie Hutchinsons character also provides considerable information on the theme of the story. Her name reminds one of the historical Anne Hutchinson not only because of the name but also because of the small town setting. Anne Hutchinson was a willing martyr who died for her religion and was exiled from her town. Tessie Hutchinson though may at first of the story appear to be a very good-natured and good human being by the way she comes in to the story. She comes in jokingly kidding with a friend of hers about how she almost forgot about the lottery but as soon as she remembered came running. Tessie seems to be a willing participant at the start but when her familys mane is drawn she shows her true nature. Instead of trying to protect her children she instead demands that her married daughter take part in the drawing just to improve her own chances of survival. Mrs. Hutchinson is a perfect example of how evil exists in everyone and when pushed it can take a mother to risk her own ch ilds safety. The symbolism found in the black box is a key point in understanding the importance of tradition in the theme of The Lottery. The introduction of the black box into the story changes the mood and atmosphere of the crowd of people. The reason

How to Pay for the Cost of a Fraternity or Sorority

How to Pay for the Cost of a Fraternity or Sorority Lets just be honest: Joining a fraternity or sorority can be expensive. Even if you dont live in the house, you likely have to pay dues, for social outings, and for all kinds of other things you werent expecting. So how can you manage to pay for the cost of going Greek if money is already tight? Fortunately, most fraternities and sororities understand that not every student can pay the full cost every semester. There are lots of places to look if you need a little extra financial help. Scholarships If your Greek is part of a larger regional, national, or even international organization, it may very well have scholarships available. Talk to some of the leaders in your campus chapter to see what they know or whom you should contact for more information on scholarships. Grants There may also be grants available, coming either from your larger organization or from organizations that simply want to support students who are involved in Greek life in general. Dont be afraid to do some searching online, check in with your campus financial aid office, and even ask other students if they know of good resources. Get a Job With the Organization on Campus If youre lucky, you can work within your fraternity or sorority and get an actual paycheck or things paid for indirectly (e.g., your room and board covered). Start asking around as soon as you realize you might be interested in this kind of arrangement; youll likely need to apply for positions in the spring if youd like to start working in them in the fall. Get a Job With the Larger Organization If your fraternity or sorority is very large on a regional or national scale, they likely need help keeping things running smoothly. Ask if there are positions that you can apply for- and work in- from your campus. The larger organization might need ambassadors, people who can write newsletters, or folks who are great at accounting. You never know what you might find open, so start asking around as soon as possible. Barter See if you can trade your skills for financial arrangements. Perhaps you have some mad skills at gardening. See if you can trade your labor in building, growing, and maintaining an organic garden for your sorority or fraternity in exchange for having your annual dues waived. Or if youre skilled in fixing computers, ask if you can work a few hours a week keeping everyones machines happy in exchange for a discount on your room and board costs. You got into college because youre smart and resourceful, so dont be shy about using those skills to help you create a financial arrangement that works for you and your desire to remain involved in your fraternity or sorority.

Global strategy case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global strategy - Case Study Example Another way would be through the development of a good customer base through adherence to the concept of value for consumers. Indian consumers have always been bent towards being satisfied by the quality of the services offered; ‘paisa vassol’. Even though India is not developed, Tesco should make an effort of avoiding bias and should treat the customers in India just as they do in their branches in developing countries. The development of branches in cities in the states all over India would also give Tesco an edge in the market while ensuring that she is able to reach more consumers. One of the conditions for the clearance by FIPB was that she should open retail outlets in cities with populations that reach a million (Chandrasekhar, 2014 p 3). There are many cities with such populations and the vibrant establishment of branches would ensure that Tesco has access to both a huge market and gains market influence over time. Tesco would also gain an edge through the creation of a cooperative partnership with her new partner, Trent Hypermarkets. Tesco should honor the shared venture and will definitely benefit from the relationship. This will be so because Trent has experience in the market especially in India and its success in many countries lends more credence to her credentials. Trent will help Tesco understand the Indian market and this knowledge be an added advantage if other competitors enter th e Indian market. Tesco was a world leader in the global hypermarket and had presence in many nations that needed her service of grocery and general merchandise retail. This global presence that she had developed over time has a chance to be utilized in the Indian market as a name definitely sells. Tesco used the hypermarkets in different countries since this in this way; profits could be realized in the shortest periods possible. This is because customers always

Organ Donation in USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organ Donation in USA - Essay Example Advanced countries have managed to create a balance between deceased and living organ donation while developing countries are accused of practices such as transplant tourism and organ commercialization leading to ineffective organ transplant practices. As such, the paper proposes tax policy implementation in order to address the issues facing the organ transplant practice in an effective manner globally. As replacement human kidneys was initialized in more than the past six decades, particularly the introduction of deceased-donation systems in the U.S. the Western model associated with organ donation is heavily linked to unpaid giving. This form of donation takes place due to altruistic reasons. This means that the donor of an organ does not do so to realize material gain. Since organ transplantation has spread to different parts of the world, the unpaid donation model has not followed the different social, medical, and legal settings. Nevertheless, in the past 25 years, professional and intergovernmental organizations have come forth to make organ donation a global ethical norm. Since this practice remains tenuous, the gains made to safeguard the interests of susceptible, desperate organ sellers from exploitation may be lost easily (Capron, 2014). Presently, organ transplantation is carried in more than 100 countries globally, although the rate at which it is carried out varies tremendously. In 2011, for instance, approximately 112,631 organ transplants were reported worldwide, an 11.6 percent from 2008, after the adoption of the Istanbul declaration targeting transplant tourism and organ transplant. Deceased organ replacement grew by more than 5.5 percent annually during this period. As such, World Health Organization (WHO) proposed that the organ transplantation practice should be implemented to its utmost therapeutic potential. Here, living donors are essential, particularly if they are legally,

Population Growth Essay Example for Free

Population Growth Essay According to the 2007 World Population record, there are around 6,606,970,166 people who live on earth (US Census Bureau, 2008). Majority of these people come from developing countries including China and India – the first and second most populated countries in the world, respectively. From among the top ten countries in the world which was comprised of up to 3. 8 billion people, around 3. 4 billion people of them was recorded to come from developing countries (US Census Bureau, 2008). Because of these figures and taking into consideration the economic, political and social status of developing countries, analysts are wondering why fertility rates continue to increase in developing countries compared to that of their counter part developed countries. The reason behind this involves various aspects of the developing countries society. Total fertility rate or birth rate basically means â€Å"the number of children an average woman have assuming that she lives her full reproductive lifetime† (Centre for Cancer Education, 2007). As stated earlier, it has been observed that the fertility rate in developing countries remains to be higher than those from the developed countries because of some familial circumstances. One of the reasons behind the fact that most parents from developing countries will have many children is that they expect that some of their children will inevitably die because of the high mortality rate and they wanted to be assured of having a child left to care for. Moreover, since many developing countries are labor-intensive and needs a large work force, having a big family will enable their business to run faster and be more efficient. Another observable reason behind the high fertility rate is attributed to the cultural traditions of many developing countries. Since most developing countries are strongly tied with their cultural heritages, their traditional practices are still observed today even in relation to childbirth and rearing. Ultra-Orthodox Jewish women, for example, was accounted to have a large fertility rate because of their cultural tradition that having twelve children symbolizes the twelve tribes of Judah and that their family will be more united (Rozenbaum Shlam, 2005). In addition to that, many parents assume that having many children will assure people to look after them in their old age and when they are sick. But more importantly, it is perceivable that fertility rate continues to increase because many families lack family planning facilities and programs to educate them (McNeill). On the other hand, developed countries are observed to have a lower fertility rate because the standard of living in these countries are higher and having a larger family would be very expensive. Also, as compared to many women in developing countries who are assumed to stay at home like the women in Israel, more women in developed countries tend to focus on their careers. Moreover, because of increasing sexual equality movements, many women are also observed to have greater control over their fertility. Furthermore, looking back at the premise that families in developing countries lack education on family planning, in developed countries, these facilities and programs are easily accesible and available to them including contraception or strategies to control birth like pills, cervical cap, etc McNeill). According to the World Bank, a â€Å"natural population increase† emerges when birth rate is observably higher than death rate (World Bank). However, with the changing envrionmental conditions, the mortality rate in developing countries is inevitably increasing. Some reasons include: poor housing conditions, unreliable water, poor access to medical services, some endemic diseases, and other health-related problems (McNeill). On the contrary, developed countries have lower death rates because they have better housing programs, accesible medical services, and nutritious food. In all these, it is perceived that when the developing countries are juxtaposed with developed countries, a big discrepancy is observed both in the figures and in its deeper sense. Moreover, it has also been noted how mortality rate is interdependent with the fertility rate to assume a natural population growth process. Furthermore, being aware of the hindrances to the proper population increase, it is therefore an imperative to create better programs and establish facilities to be able to enhance those which are already favorable to the growth system and transform those which challenges it.

Impact of Computers on Society :: Technology Society

Impact of Computers on Society Ever since the dawn of civilization, knowledge has been power. If you knew how to count, you could understand more than others. This still applies today. If you know more than another, you will have more power. Computers in the modern world are the main source of knowledge. From a simple calculator to the most powerful supercomputer, computers give man an edge over his/her rivals. Technology is all about being one step ahead of others. Being able to do advanced math before your opponents allows you to gain a strategic advantage in corporate competition or global politics. Supercomputers can compute missile trajectories while at the same time can be used to look for oil. The movie Hackers takes that into account when it refers to Gibson supercomputers being used to search for oil. You can analyze billions of pieces of data for a certain pattern and return the results in a comparatively short amount of time. Even though not everyone has a super computer, the ability to analyze large amounts of data is still there. Groups like SETI@HOME use thousands of computers at once to search for life elsewhere in the universe. This just shows how many applications a large amount of computing power has. I have been around computers my entire life almost. During the early days of MS-DOS, I was using a program called â€Å"Alpine Tram Ride.† Like all the other games I got latter on, this was educational. To tell you the truth I can’t even remember the game and what it taught, yet I do remember the fact that I did use it a lot and that it was helpful. Other programs taught math or geography. This was the beginning of computers in education at home. Today you can get courses on CD or be schooled over the internet. Home schooling would have been more difficult before computers. Computers increased one’s ability to teach him/herself. They have even created new fields of study such as Artificial Intelligence or the best field of all†¦Computer Programming in Perl taught by Dmitriy Genzel. =) These classes then spread into fields like engineering where users can use programs like AutoCAD and design things (I don’t know much about CAD programs so don’t know how or what they design). Computers have entered right into the classroom. If you use a calculator†¦that is a computer. Also programs like Excel (or other graphing programs) can allow you to graph certain functions that would be hard to do by hand.

Thinking in Early Adulthood-Post formal Stage

From the standpoint of developmental psychology, there have been several different sets of theories regarding the process of thinking in early adulthood. While the majority of sources hold consensus that the development of thought processes within human beings is complete in adolescence, there are also theories that a stage of cognitive development lies beyond the conventional wisdom to include what is commonly referred to as a post formal stage, which, simply put, involves the human mind processing thought beyond logic and being able to critically analyze, evaluate various options, and choose an option based upon analysis (Arack).In this essay, the question of whether or not the post formal stage exists will be answered. To begin, an irony occurred to the researcher in the consideration of the answer to this question itself, and that irony is the fact that in order to be able to answer the question, the ability to analyze various pieces of information on their merit and develop an o pinion/answer to this question seems to indicate the existence of post formal stages in itself.If everything past adolescence was acted upon based on what was formed in the mind up to the time of adolescence, it is doubtful that this essay would have much substance at all. Going beyond the theoretical, however, the researcher will now justify the assertion that post formal exists. The very essence of the human experience indicates that post formal is something that plays a vital role in human development, from birth to adulthood and into old age.This is evidenced by the fact that many people find themselves changing their opinions on a virtually endless number of topics and situations as their life experience increases, outwardly defeating the idea that we are on a sort of psychological auto-pilot once adulthood approaches and that the mind at that point is merely a clearinghouse for thoughts, with no ability to change thought processes.Another key consideration and evidence of post formal existence are the many examples of people who learn skills and pursue additional education late in life, which would be impossible if the mind were not able to embrace new ideas and information, referred to by those who are advocates of the existence of post formal as â€Å"shifting gears† (Arack). In closing, both from the standpoints of example and academic research, there is sufficient evidence to support the existence of post formal stages. While many of the complexities of the human mind may never be understood, this seems to be something that can be objectively proven.

Prisoner Education

The education of prisoners is a topic that is riddled with complications. One of the major barriers in the way of prisoner education is public indifference and ignorance. It seems that people are almost happy to simply lock people away rather than actually confront problems such as recidivism and community reintegration. Our paper argues that prisoner education is not only a good thing, but is necessary to fix the underlying problems within the United States prison system.There is definitely a lack of education programs in our prison system today. Furthermore, even in those institutions that have education programs have many different problems such as; courses that are interrupted or terminated on the personal whims of prison administrators; the absence of libraries; waiting lists for programs; limited or no access to training in information technology; vocational courses that are dated paths to nowhere.By looking at effective existing programs, field studies at Massachusetts prisons , and actual prisoner interviews we will attempt to outline a model program and argue that educating prisoners is a means by which to help save out failing prison system. As we have talked about in class, the United States has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, but we also possess one of the highest crime rates. If the previous statement is true, there is an enormous problem with our system, and we believe that education is the key to solving it.In order to properly critique our prison system it is important to look at existing educational and vocational programs in our area. The Massachusetts Department of Correction’s has a mission statement which reads, â€Å"The Massachusetts Department of Correction’s mission is to promote public safety by managing offenders while providing care and appropriate programming in preparation for successful reentry into the community. † They do this by following their four step program â€Å"Manage – Ca re – Program – Prepare. We found that some of the programs offered may fit this mission, but others need tweaking. The first prison we decided to research was MCI Norfolk. MCI Norfolk utilizes a myriad of different programs, from adult basic education to Welding. However, the sheer number of programs offered does not always indicate a successful educational system. In our research we found that Norfolk, although possessing a wide verity of programs, is one of the worst educational programs in the Massachusetts Department of Corrections.However, MCI-Norfolk does offer a few programs that we thought were very unique and would be helpful in designing a model program. For example, MCI Norfolk offers a program called the â€Å"Responsible Fatherhood Program† which seeks to raise the awareness of male inmates’ parental responsibility. The program tries to emphasize the value and importance that a father’s presence can have on a child. The program lasts e ight weeks and requires a minimum of eight hours of structured curriculum driven activities.The RFP program works in three stages, with the ultimate goal of reunited father’s with their children, and strengthening their bond as father and child. The â€Å"Fatherhood Graduate Maintenance Program† is for graduates of the RFP program, which allows inmates to practice and discuss the skills they were taught in the previous stage. Once they have passed the FGMP stage, the inmate moves onto the Father/Child Visitation Component, which is a structured and staff facilitated visit for inmates who have completed the first two steps of the program.What we liked about this program is not only that it seeks an important goal (preparing inmates to become better fathers), but it is very extensive and requires a lot of dedication from the inmate. Another program that we liked was the â€Å"Employment Readiness Program† which is a 10-day workshop that is designed to assist inmat es in the development of the necessary skills that are needed for successful transition back into the community. The program runs 2. 5 hours per day for inmates who are within one year of their earliest possible release date.Throughout the course the participants are taught; resume building, cover letter writing, job application processes, mock interviews and how to maintain employment. Also includes social support, housing plans, financial awareness and budgeting, education referrals, criminal impact and attainable goals. All of these skills are important to learn in order to find and maintain a job, and some inmates may have never learned these skills. Our biggest critique of the program is that it is far too short.There are a lot of important skills listed in the program description, but 10-days at 2. 5 hours a day is not nearly enough time. Our suggestion is to run the same type of program, but offer it as a yearlong class. This class is offered at all of the Massachusetts Depar tment of Corrections prisons, and we feel with the proper revamping, it could be a very successful program. The third existing program that we looked at was the Boston University Program. The program is designed to meet the needs of the students who have accumulated a minimum of twelve transferable college credits.Students eligible to enter this program have an opportunity to achieve a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Studies from BU’s Metropolitan College. Although this program requires inmates to have already accumulated college credits (which most have not) we thought it was important to mention because this program is donated in full by Boston University. Many times over the semester we have seen that finding funding for prisoner education is difficult. Most people are hesitant to want to pay any amount of money to fund the education of criminals, and that is why programs like the Boston University program are so important.If we can remove the stigma associated with prisoner education, finding funding will become easier, and more programs will be available. The final prison program we looked at was the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center. As with MCI Norfolk, Souza-Baranowski offered many different programs, including; barber school, computer technology, culinary arts, educational counseling, English as a second language, and many more. However, like Norfolk, we found that Souza-Baranowski had certain programs that were unique to their facility.The program that we thought was most unique and interesting was the â€Å"Relapse Program† which is a vendor facilitated eight week, twenty-four session program designed to assist inmates in identifying high risk situations that may lead to relapse, and teach them skills to address those situations without relapse. We thought this program was essential because using a prison as a detox center and never teaching addicts the skills they need to avoid relapse is ineffective. This program not only helps parti cipants identify high risk situations, but helps them develop the skills they need to avoid or combat those situations.Souza-Baranowski utilizes many different programs in order to educate their inmates, and that is part of the reason why we decided to do part of our field study at this location. Our fieldwork interview conducted by our Crime and Social Justice group focused on the Souza-Baranowski Corrections Center (SBCC) by speaking to their Education Principal. This facility, located in Shirley, MA, is considered a Maximum Security Level Prison. Sitting on top of 18 acres of land, the SBCC is one of Massachusetts’ newest correctional facilities holding close to 1300 inmates. The principal of the school, Mr. Brian Hogan, kindly volunteered his time and answered a few questions regarding the model education program available at the SBCC. Brian Hogan has held the position of principal of Souza-Baranowski Corrections Center since the prison’s founding in 1999. His expe rience as a public school teacher and as a case manager for the Department of Correction made him a qualified candidate for the position. The information he relayed to us about the SBCC education system as well as his opinions on the subject matter was very useful to our group in figuring out what works for prison education and what does not.According to Mr. Hogan, the school in SBCC houses around 200 inmates and offers a variety of different classes for all levels of education. The elementary school classrooms, which ranges in grade levels from 2nd to 6th is in one classroom, while the 6th to 8th grade level students are in the Middle School Classroom. At the high school level, two classrooms exist; one with a pre-GED teacher and another with grades 9-12th. In addition to these basic classrooms, specialty teachers exist for the prisoners who might have more difficulty in the learning process such as literacy, ESL and special education classes.Finally, the highest level of education available for the inmates is a limited amount of college courses available through a distance learning program and videoconferencing. In our interview, Brian Hogan thoroughly described the process necessary to be considered for the education program and the eligibility requirements for the prisoners. The MCI diagnostics department for basic educations tests all the offenders who wish to be considered for the educational program. Through this test, they determine his level based on their scores on language, math and reading exams.Subsequently, the inmate’s name is placed on a waiting list while the education level is sufficiently evaluated and based on whether spots are available or not, this determines if they are enrolled as student in the school. All of the prisoners are eligible for a spot in the program, but certain circumstances create a higher likelihood of actually being chosen. SBCC is more likely to enroll inmates with smaller sentences as well as the ones that are closest to their release date. According to Mr. Hogan, the reason for this is to effectively reach out to the prisoner right before they are released into the community when they need it most. SBCC contains a wide variety of inmates and many who are at different points in their sentences. From men who are about to be released to others who might be doing life in jail, all kinds of inmates do exist in the facility. Although these prisoners doing life do get a shot at attending the prison school, they are definitely the least prioritized in receiving an education.Even as least likely, these men are not completely excluded and one spot by SBCC is reserved in every classroom for a â€Å"lifer†. The education system is focused wholly on a voluntary basis for the inmates. No one officer or teacher exists that goes out and recruits the inmates or encourages them to join the school. The men are given the material: handbooks, outlines and all types of information about the school to a ttract their participation. Whether the inmates decide to apply for a vacancy or not is totally up to them.SBCC does offer an incentive to encourage the prisoners to enroll. The incentive takes two and half days off the inmates’ sentence for every month he attends school. It should also be noted that this is all contingent upon the good behavior of the offender. As soon as he acts up, however, he is taken out of the classroom and not allowed to attend the education program any longer. One of the questions our group was interested in knowing more about concerned the funding and technology available to the prison in order to successfully to teach these prisoner students. As Mr. Hogan remarked, some funds do come from the Massachusetts State budget however, the program also depends on private state grants for a big portion of the money necessary to support the education program. The prison’s technology resources are relatively well-off with two to three computers, with no internet connection, available in each classroom. Additionally, different software programs are also available for these students such as spelling and keyboard software as well as GED preparation software. The ESL learners also have the benefit of Rosetta Stone to aid them in learning English.In Hogan’s opinion, SBCC’s school can be considered as â€Å"cutting edge in education† for prisons. He believes that recent years has brought about a new focus and shift directed towards college classes, where 15 of the 200 men enrolled in education classes are currently capable of taking college-level courses and work towards an Associates’ degree. The school has helpful teachers who are experienced with public school teaching and school counselors who point the students in the right direction and encourage their schooling. The program, to Mr. Hogan, is moving in the right direction and the state and national statistics available suggests that education in prisons does work. Evidence shows that prisoners, who have some college or schooling after leaving prison, do not return. Not only are recidivism rates reduced, but these men usually find decent jobs and overall the public becomes safer because once released these guys do not commit crimes again. Mr. Hogan mentions that just by having these education classes, it goes a long way in changing the norms when it comes to education in prisons.He talked about how years ago such education programs would definitely have been frowned upon by the public. People were incapable of understanding why men, who have committed crimes and are in jail to pay for these offenses, would be rewarded with the opportunity to get an education in prison. People especially turned against such schooling whenever taxpayer’s dollars entered into the picture. As Brian Hogan put it, education systems in prison are not the most politically correct thing and that is why the public often gets in the way of the promotio n of these education programs in facilities. Speaking to Mr. Hogan increased our knowledge base about the specific programs available in Massachusetts for prisoners, and compared to some of our other experiences we counted ourselves lucky that this interview went so smoothly. This was not the case with some of the other contacts that our group tried to reach out to. After submitting multiple proposals to the Suffolk House of Corrections, in the end our request to visit the prison to speak to the inmates was denied. In another attempt to visit a prison, and if that failed, then to speak to the school principal, we contacted MCI Norfolk just as we had reached out to Souza-Baranowski.Unfortunately, Ms. Diane Wiffin was not the most obliging and went back and forth with our group as if trying to avoid the questions and unwilling to give her opinion. When we informed her that the principal of SBCC had given us the description of his education program, she asked to review his answers, and her response was as follows: Hi, Chelsea! Veronica M. Madden, Deputy Commissioner of the Classification, Programs and Reentry Division, and I have reviewed your proposal and the questions and responses from Brian Hogan, Principal at Souza Baranowski Correctional Center. Mr.   Hogan's responses can be applied to MCI Norfolk as there are consistencies in the administration of our education programs throughout our facilities.Deputy Commissioner Madden did want to comment on your question as to why people are refusing to give you information and how hard it is to obtain an interview. We don't know who else you have contacted, but as I indicated to you when we spoke, we get an overwhelming number of student projects and we have limited resources to be responsive to those requests. As much as we would like to be available, we just don't have the resources. In terms of Mr. Hogan's response to that question, Deputy Commissioner Madden wonders if Mr. Hogan was referring to potential publi c reaction to inmates who participate in the Boston University Prison Program, which is donated by BU at no cost to taxpayers. BU also makes several scholarships available to DOC staff. We think the public is supportive of inmates' receiving adult basic education, GED and vocational training. Attached is a copy of our Program Description Booklet. Education information is contained in that. Also as part of that booklet is a listing of programs and education/vocation training listed by facility.In addition, on www. mass. gov/DOC there is research material covering recidivism rates. This is should be exactly what you need for your project†¦ Diane Wiffin, Director of Public Affairs As her response shows, little time is available for the Deputy Commissioner to answer our questions and apparently the program of SBCC can be applied to MCI Norfolk. Our group was lucky that Mr. Hogan did not mind answering our questions but this reluctant behavior made us wonder why prisons were unwilli ng to talk to us about their facilities.Before contacting Ms. Wiffin, we had already experienced certain setbacks with the process and we decided to ask Brian Hogan what his opinion was about why so much disinclination existed to speak to a group of Boston college students. He believed the difficulties we experienced were due to their fear of the public’s reaction to education in prisons. Many times these prison education programs are not advertised for people and either they do not understand or choose to not understand just what affects it could have on the community. Mr.Hogan reflected, the taxpayer does not want to spend their money on something considered to be more of a reward, when they should be punished. In addition, he mentioned that this government funding for programs of college education receives much critique because parents have their own children that they are struggling to put through college. Consequently, seeing men in prisons able to take advantage of this makes them angry. Overall prisons are very skeptical of people’s intentions and fear that something, like education, that they believe to be good, could be misconstrued by the public.This is especially true because as he puts it, what newspapers and the media portray is often negative when it comes to crimes and inmates in prisons. From these negative images, people make their own negative assumptions and believe that all prisoners are bad and should not receive any education. As a result, many do not care that this, overall, would be something better for the community and many take no importance that such education reduces the rate of recidivism. Mr. Hogan also states, that the â€Å"reality does not make for good reading,† and so little things like watching a recently released film to prisoners becomes outrageous for some constituents. These interesting opinions from Mr. Hogan reminded our group of everything that our class had touched upon regarding the image of cr ime in the media. Sara Beale, in the article we read for class â€Å"The News Media’s Influence on Criminal Justice Policy: How Market-Driven News Promotes Punitiveness,† (Beale 2006) claims that the media is manipulated to show a negative image of crime in the public and as a result instills a moral panic.In framing, the media emphasizes a certain crime story, idea or feeling, often negative, resulting in the viewer’s fear in crime and offenders. The more fear they feel, the more the inclination to call for punitive policy and punish the offender. Also, television shows and news reports are used as entertainment for the public to improve ratings. This means that the entertainment sometimes does not accurately reflect the reality. (Beale 2006) This inaccurate reflection of reality encapsulates how people in the public view education for prisons and how it is portrayed to the masses.For this reason, the prisons are scared their education programs might lose fundi ng and resources, and therefore are reluctant to give away too much information to the public and media. In general, our group’s opinion of the SBCC’s is favorable and can be considered a good education model. Other information that we have gathered shows that the only programs some prisons actually have depend upon re-entry programs. These re-entry programs tend to lecture to the inmates on the limitations on their behavior, before they are released into the community.Oftentimes no real engagement occurs with the prisoners, and if no education exists than these former inmates are more likely to commit crimes again. We believe that the college classes available to the inmates of SBCC are a significant asset to their program, and other research we conducted suggests that these classes are the most effective in reducing recidivism. Opponents do arise amongst the public concerning education in prison, but it would be more beneficial if they took into consideration that mo re education equals less crime and less recurring offenders.Another conclusion we arrived at from our interview is the need for other prisons to implement these education programs and to make them more available to inmates. With only 200 prisoners out of 1300 allowed to participate in schooling, there are still many who never get the opportunity to learn. If these classes were available to more of the inmate population, then perhaps recidivism could be addressed more thoroughly through these efforts. We also believe that prisons such as MCI Norfolk should improve their programs if the reason for not giving us information is because the program they have is incompetent.If the reason for not talking to us is due to fear of misrepresentation, we think this has to be addressed in a different manner, perhaps through informational pamphlets or some other form of media to get the message out to the public that education in prisons is a good thing. After many trials and tribulations, trying to break through the barriers of prison security that refuses to share the prison education information, we got creative. Pondville Correctional Center is located in the town of Norfolk, Massachusetts. The facility houses 204 inmates total.The majority of the inmates are Level 3, which means that they are minimum-security inmates, while the others are Level 2, meaning that they are pre-release inmates. Our group decided to go to one of the work placements, which was at an auction house near the facility. About fifteen inmates were present at the auction house, and we had the opportunity to speak directly with all of them during the hour before the auction. This was an incredible and interesting experience, one that none of us had ever had before. It gave us much more insight into the prison system and the people inside of it.As mentioned on the Mass. gov website, â€Å"The primary mission of Pondville Correctional Center is to protect the public’s safety by incarcerating in mates and to provide inmates the opportunity for responsible reintegration and positive behavioral change† (Public Safety, 2011). We believe that in order to fully reintegrate someone into society, inmates need to be educated and also have vocational training so that they can be a meaningful and productive addition to society once they are out of prison. When looking at the programs offered at all of the prisons, the options seem pretty extensive.For example, Pondville requires all inmates to work unless they have a medical waiver and they also give prisoners vocational, educational, and self-help opportunities. The facility boasts that their education programs are â€Å"innovative†. They offer classes including Adult Basic Education, English as a Second language, GED tutoring, and a Life Skills Computer program that focuses on resume writing, job applications, job interviews, and personal finance. If we merely looked at the website, we would conclude that the opportuni ties for inmates are there, they just have to get involved.After speaking with the inmates, we realized that this was not the case at all. The inside perspective from the inmates, that other prisons had so desperately tried to keep from us, made it clear that, although they have some classes, it is almost impossible to get into the programs. The reality is that there is open door access to programs at prisons, but it goes by earliest release date and overall there are not nearly enough programs. One man said that there are only about eighteen men per class, but 400 people want to be in that class.Also, because it is by earliest release date, many people will be in prison for years until they get the chance to be in the program. How we can we, as a society, expect someone to become completely educated if we only let them into the programs 6 months before they are released? We, as a society, are appalled that people are let out of prison and then go back to their old habits, but this is because they do not know how else to act. They fall back into their own uneducated ways and wind back in prison, but if we do not give them an education, what else should we expect?Another issue with the education offered to prisoners is that most of the teachers do not have high expectations for the inmates. As one inmate stated, if we show up, we pass. We do not have to do anything if we do not want to, but if we merely show up, she will pass us. From experience, our group agreed that it is extremely hard to try hard and have a strong work ethic when your teacher expects nothing from you. A lot of the teachers at the prisons, as Brian Hogan, principal at Souza Baranowski told us, have been laid off and, therefore, are relocating to prisons.This means that they are real and qualified teachers, but then why are they not expecting the same from the inmates as they did from their previous students? The teachers need to take responsibility for the success of the inmates. They need t o have expectations for the prisoners and only pass them if they deserve to pass. Having education classes is a start, but they need to have education classes in which the prisoners actually learn things, and that is not going to happen if they are passed just for showing up.Denying prisoners feeds into a theory that we discussed this semester while reading The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison. (Reiman, & Leighton, 2010). The Pyrrhic defeat theory states â€Å"the American criminal justice system – the entire process from law-making to law-enforcing – has failed to eliminate the rates of crime that characterize our society and threaten our citizens† (Reiman, & Leighton, 2010). We discussed this theory as a group and concluded that the criminal justice system fails to liminate the rates of crime because we are sending inmates back into society the same way (or even worse) than they were when they entered the system. Instead of using the years that they are in the system to educate them and teach them better ways, we are letting them sit around watching Jerry Springer, joining gangs, or fighting each other. By denying prisoners a proper education and then just expecting them to change and not come back to prison is absurd. The ignorance of people believing that prisoners are not entitled to an education will just continue to perpetuate the crime cycle.For example, if an offender has served his time and has to face the world again with a lack of academic knowledge on top of an already perceived low morale as they will be judged for being in prison in the first place, it will be a lot easier for them to stray again and end up back in the system. However, with the prospect of being educated and having added knowledge, this will hopefully encourage and give inmates the confidence and ability to make something of their lives and also be provided with the idea that they can do other things in life than turn to crime.We need to be smart on c rime. We need to educate people so that they have the ability to change once they are released. Once a prisoner gets his GED, so many more doors open up for them and more opportunities arise. Because they already have a strike against them for being in prison, inmates need credentials to get their foot into the door, and an education will help them with this. While visiting the auction house, we talked directly with a man named Tom Lyons. Tom has spent the last twenty years in prison for killing a man. When he entered the system, he was illiterate.After spending some time with Tom, we learned that a mixture of religion and education changed his life. His release date was coming up on April 15th, and he could now read and write due to the education that he received in prison. He studied poetry while in the system and his favorite author is Emily Dickinson. Tom says that having an education made him realize that he wanted to help others, and he wants to go around speaking to groups ab out his experiences, etc. He also said that without an education, he never would have been able to have the confidence to want to make something of his life once he gets out.While Tom was lucky enough to get an education, he also has missed out on a lot. Over the past twenty years, so much has changed in our society. Cell phones, Internet, and other technological advances have transformed us. However, Tom has never experienced most of these things. He was getting out in 15 days and they were just teaching him how to use a computer. He said that there were always programs that were interesting to him, but he could not get into them until he was really close to getting out.As Tom said, â€Å"if you’re preparing someone to change their entire life, you need to start right as we get in. Not one year before we are getting out. I was lucky and got into an education program earlier, but millions of people are not. † Tom may have learned to read and write, but he is still so f ar behind in terms of understanding technology, something crucial to succeeding in today’s world. From speaking with Tom, we realized that there is so much that needs to be addressed within the education department within prisons.After speaking with Tom and the other prisoners, we realized that there is an open door access to programs, but this does not mean much because a lot of people cannot get into the programs because eligibility goes by earliest release date. The prisoners gave us some of their main wishes for the education system. These included for people to have higher expectations for them, for there to be more programs and more GED programs, and to have teachers who truly care about their success instead of just showing up to get a pay check.These wishes are all things that we think many would agree with. They are not asking for things that are absurd. They are just asking to be given the chance to get an education, and if we, as a society, want them to stop ending up back in prison, that is exactly what we need to give them; a good education and skills to use outside of prison. Although there are solid arguments why it is unfair for prisoners to be getting these perks while being in prison, one must remember the structural deficits that currently exist in our society.In an ideal world, education in the prison systems would not be a necessity or a topic of discussion. Within an idealistic system, there would be adequate educational programs that created motivation and encouragement in all youth to work hard and stay on the right path. This correct path would lead students to the ample jobs awaiting them. There would be no need to resort to criminal activity in order to support oneself or one’s family. Anyone who did stray from these available opportunities would have no excuse for their irresponsible behaviors, leaving prison as their option of punishment.However, and this is a big however, because the current structural system is not giving everyone equal opportunities to climb the rungs of the social ladder. Understandable then, many individuals feel trapped into a life of crime and violence as a means to escape the grueling effects of an unfair system. This is not an excuse, nor is it justification for the crimes that many people are arrested and imprisoned for. Regardless of the unfair system, acts of violence and criminality should neither be supported nor accepted. Because society does not mirror the ideal that many wish for, there will inevitable be acts that are deemed unlawful.With an unequal system and over two million inmates the question arises, whether as a nation our desire is to rehabilitate these prisoners or just punish them and house them in prison cells for the rest of their lives. There are many sides to every story, and in this case there are those who support educational programs within prisons and there are those who are opposed to it. Some argue against education for those on death row, wh ile others say that no one in prison should be given the opportunity of an education. Knowledge is power, but why should prisoners be given this power?The money that is being spent on prisons should be going to the education of people who are not criminals. Others argue that there is so much money being spent on housing and feeding prisoners already. Why do these prisoners deserve an education when so many children are suffering through poorly funded public school systems? The most popular reason is that people believe their tax dollars are being spent on educating prisoners while many Americans struggle to send their children to college or even good high schools. Also, educating prisoners is seen as a distant reward that benefits them individually rather than benefitting societyUnfortunately America’s individualistic nature creates a shortcoming for their nation. They do not see the benefits of educating prisoners. An educated nation is a better nation. The stance that will be taken is to rehabilitate prisoners and allow them to become working members of society upon their release. Under this perspective, the education system within a prison would not only be necessary but would serve as a vital program to helping prisoners have the slightest chance at emerging into society as skillful and productive members.If inmates receive an education before they are released from prison, if they have help through this system to gain a job and work to support themselves, one can only hope that it would reduce the level of crime and reduce the number of prisoners re-entering prisons. This hope is the reality. Although Studies have clearly shown that â€Å"participants in prison education, vocation and work programs have recidivism rates 20-60 percent lower than those of non-participants† (Granoff, J 2009) many Americans still disagree with the education of prisoners.Despite these negative arguments against educating prisoners, there exist an abundant number of advantages to these programs. After discussing with the Principal and director of the prisons and discussing with the inmates themselves, it is clear that the education system is under a lot of scrutiny by the public. The principle of the Souza-Baranowski maximum-security prison said, â€Å"People don’t understand it. People are struggling to send their kids to college. People are abiding by the laws and doing the right things don’t see the benefit of educating those who have broken law†.Without information on programs and how they work to benefit society, the general population will remain oblivious to the constructive aspects of these programs. The media affects the way we view society and the programs within it. Media programs stress certain points that highlight what people want to hear, what lobbyists want said and what society deems important at the time. In order for people to realize the extent of the positive impacts of the programs available, we nee d to hear more success stories like that of Joan.Joan said, â€Å"I did not realize at the time that I had taken the first step on a journey of lifelong learning. Nor that the process would allow me to accumulate â€Å"human capital† (qualifications skills and abilities), â€Å"identity capital† (self-worth) and â€Å"social capital† (a supportive network of friends and colleagues). † (Erwin, J) She is just one example of the many positively impacted individuals who were transformed from caterpillars to butterflies with a little encouragement and motivation.As said before, we believe that many of the existing programs in the prison systems aim at positively influencing the prisoners. We understand the complexity of the issues at hand and the controversy that surrounds this discussion. Although these troubles exist, we came up with what our model program would consist of, and the recommendations that we have concerning the programs that are currently being utilized. Our model program is based on a rehabilitative method. We would want to prisoners to accumulate â€Å"human capital† â€Å"identity capital† and â€Å"social capital† as Joan described.The programs would be mandatory to ensure that all prisoners were getting involved. There would also be incentives to take part in the programs. Of course the prisoners should want to take advantage of these programs without being pushed to do so, however, we recognize that getting the ball rolling will show these prisoners what they are capable of. For many inmates, no one has ever pushed them to capitalize on their true potentials, which leaves them yearning for self-fulfillment in all the wrong arenas.Our hope is that once they see their capabilities, this will push them to continue to work hard and motivate them to move past their criminal behaviors once they are released from prison. It is very important for there to be vocational classes that give the inmates spec ific skills and talents that will ensure them some job opportunities when they are released from prison. On a higher level, GED classes and college programs need to become common in all prisons instead of being the exception to only a few.We also believe that the number of programs being offered needs to be drastically increased. As the inmate said, there are 400 hundred people who want to be in certain programs but only 18 can be. This disparity is disheartening, as the desire to change exists; however the opportunity to do it is lacking. As prison populations grow into the millions, society must decide how â€Å"tough on crime† they are going to continue to be. The individual states have the power to decide the individual educational systems within their prisons.Education, as a result of negativity towards all prisons, has not only become less of a priority but is seen as prisoners being given a free ride. The problem however, is that the current system that offers harsh pu nishment and little rehabilitation is not working. Harsh punishment does not however mean deliberate cruelty. Prisons should not be a place that purposely creates horrible conditions for inmates. Just having your freedom taken away from you is probably one of the worst things that can happen to an individual. Certainly, no one has the right to injure another person or to take his or er life however, if society does not work at rehabilitating these individuals, then the length of sentences and punitive measures will not only need to be increased but turned up by many notches. The cutting of education budgets within prisons increases the likelihood that upon release these prisoners will only return to prison. People in the general population are already reluctant to hire someone with a criminal record so adding a lack of education will make it virtually impossible for released prisoners to do anything but go back to their old lifestyles of crime.This will only create a never-ending cy cle that will inevitably become hurtful to society as a whole. Of course the ideal education system outside of prison is what we dream of, but until then we support the efforts to protect society by educating those who once harmed it.Work CitedErwin, James. â€Å"In Prison, Education Is Your Best Route to a Better Life | Erwin James | Society | Guardian. co. uk. † Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian. co. uk. Web. 27 Apr. 2011. .Granoff, Gillian. â€Å"Education Update – Prison College Programs Unlock the Keys to Human Potential. † EDUCATION UPDATE – APRIL 2011 – Education News. 2009. Web. 27 Apr. 2011. . Public safety and security, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (2011). Pondville correctional facility Government Printing Office.

Free Essays on The Catcher in the Rye

Isolated And Victimized In J.D. Salinger’s, â€Å"The Catcher In The Rye† Holden Caulfield’s exclusion from the people around him greatly affects him throughout the narrative. From the first few pages of the book we learn that Holden isn’t attending the big football game between Pencey Prep and Saxon Hall. Despite being an event of great school importance and tradition, Holden isn’t in the bleachers and socializing with his fellow classmates but instead he is sitting atop a hill looking down on everyone criticizing their every move. Holden tries to justify why he isn’t there calling everyone below â€Å"phonies† or â€Å"crooks† saying how he doesn’t want to be bothered by them. Holden is extremely judgmental and overly analytical of his fellow human beings throughout the novel. In his excessive whining he often tries to find humor in his â€Å"obviously† inferior peers. At first Holden keeps his distance from others because he beli eves he is better than them but as the book progresses there are many cases where we learn that this is nothing more than a faà §ade and Holden is truly lonely inside. The three reasons Holden is alienated and lonely was best stated by Whissen, â€Å"He is alienated from others, sometimes because he cannot stand the company of others, sometimes because he becomes disappointed with their company, and sometimes because his actions seem calculated to drive others away.† Holden is also affected by his current family situation in which everyone is separated. Holden uses his alienation as protection because he doesn’t want to get hurt again. He lost his younger brother Allie, who he was very close to, which greatly saddened him. One of Holden’s biggest contributions to his loneliness and eventual mental breakdown is his immaturity. He drives many away with his childish actions and idea’s. Bednarczyk 2 His behavior around his old student advisor Luce is a perfect example of his ... Free Essays on The Catcher in the Rye Free Essays on The Catcher in the Rye A Moment of Revelation In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s innocence is taken away through a twisted chain of events. The novel opens up with Holden depresses after fluking out of Penecy, the suicide of a classmate, and the death of his brother, Allie. Because if these tragic events, Holden tries to preserve his innocence and the purity of the children around him. Holden wants to â€Å"catch† all of the naà ¯ve children who are falling off the cliff into adulthood. As a result of Holden coming across his sister Phoebe and the â€Å"fuck you† on the wall of the school, Holden’s dreams of becoming the catcher in the rye disappear. He finally realizes that all children must fall into adulthood, just as he has. While walking through the bust streets of New York, Holden notices a lighthearted little boy who is walking and humming â€Å"if a body catch a body coming through the rye† (43). Holden finds it humorous that the child can hum so nonchalantly as the cars on the bust street honk at him. Despite the fast-moving cars, which represent the average â€Å"phonies† in the world, the child pays no attention to them. When Holden sees that the little boy will not allow himself to be pulled into the average crowd of people, he realizes that not everyone wishes to fall from their simple childhood into adulthood. From Holden’s encounter with this little boy, he wants to become the â€Å"catcher in the rye.† He says to Phoebe: I kept picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody around-nobody big, I mean-except me. And I am standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff. I mean if they’re running and they don’t look they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. (173) By saying that he wants to catch all the children that are runn... Free Essays on The Catcher in the Rye The Catcher in the Rye is a book by J. D. Salinger and the story of a boy named Holden Caufield. He is no longer innocent, but exposed to the world. Phoebe, Holden's sister, is the opposite she is quite the innocent, never really being exposed to the world outside her protective bubble. Holden wants to protect such precious innocence only found in the children as a guardian of the innocent a catcher in the rye. The Catcher in the Rye is fundamentally a book about innocence. This book shows people of two different parties, the innocent (not tainted by the world) and the experienced (both good and evil), in their daily life and work. These innocents include Sally Hayes and Phoebe. Sally belies the world is a big party (or a social occasion), everyone likes her, and that the fun will never end. Phoebe, Holden's younger sister, is innocent just not quite as naive as Sally. It is clear that she is young and innocent, because of the odd things she does like constantly changing her middle name or paying for belching lessons, this she states towards the end of their conversation. One who is harden by and to the world would not take lessons in belching. A catcher in the rye is a defender or a guardian of the innocent. The idea and the name are purely symbolic. The meaning is as the children are running thorough the rye they do not see the cliffs ahead and the plummet they will make. When they make this "fall" they lose their child-like innocence. This fall could be related to a moral dilemma like maybe the city in the raw. Where he/she would be exposed to prostitution, drunkenness, and maybe drugs. Holden Caufield sees himself ruined and tainted by the world. He has failed out of school, drinks, and smokes. His attitude is it is too late for me. But, there is a ray of hope in his life; he feels it is his duty to save other children from the world as a catcher in the rye. He talks to people about his ideas, people like ... Free Essays on The Catcher In The Rye The Catcher in the Rye Some may say that the main character of J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, is merely the average teenager, although he seems to think about sex and women quite a lot for his age of sixteen. This point can be easily argued in many ways, one example being the time Holden called a perfect stranger, Faith Cavendish, to get together at an unruly time of night. Another example of the main character’s perversion is when he hired a prostitute named Sunny, and never actually accomplished anything. One last example could be Caulfield’s overall impression and cockiness when it comes to sex and women. In conclusion Holden Caulfield is engrossed in sexual thought. The protagonist’s fixation with members of the opposite sex can first be argued when he phone’s a girl who’s number he received from a guy he meet once at a party; he said that the girl was â€Å"not exactly a whore or anything but didn’t mind doing it once in a while†. After Holden had spent a good amount of time trying to persuade her to meet him, because he was â€Å"feeling pretty horny†, the girl, Faith Cavendish, finally got him to register the answer of no into his brain. At this point Faith asked the main character if he would like to meet for drinks the next day, but he declined, because the next day he may not be feeling horny anymore. Obviously, the main character was so determined to do something sexy that night he turned down a friendly invitation, which proves that Holden Caulfield is fascinated by sex and women. Over all because the protagonist called an unknown woman for sex, then refused her proposal for a get together the ne xt day; Holden is obviously fixated with both sex and women. Second, another example of Holden’s perversion is when he hires a prostitute named Sunny from the elevator man at his hotel. Although some may say that calling a stranger in the middle of the night, like Holden did wit... Free Essays on The Catcher In The Rye Isolated And Victimized In J.D. Salinger’s, â€Å"The Catcher In The Rye† Holden Caulfield’s exclusion from the people around him greatly affects him throughout the narrative. From the first few pages of the book we learn that Holden isn’t attending the big football game between Pencey Prep and Saxon Hall. Despite being an event of great school importance and tradition, Holden isn’t in the bleachers and socializing with his fellow classmates but instead he is sitting atop a hill looking down on everyone criticizing their every move. Holden tries to justify why he isn’t there calling everyone below â€Å"phonies† or â€Å"crooks† saying how he doesn’t want to be bothered by them. Holden is extremely judgmental and overly analytical of his fellow human beings throughout the novel. In his excessive whining he often tries to find humor in his â€Å"obviously† inferior peers. At first Holden keeps his distance from others because he beli eves he is better than them but as the book progresses there are many cases where we learn that this is nothing more than a faà §ade and Holden is truly lonely inside. The three reasons Holden is alienated and lonely was best stated by Whissen, â€Å"He is alienated from others, sometimes because he cannot stand the company of others, sometimes because he becomes disappointed with their company, and sometimes because his actions seem calculated to drive others away.† Holden is also affected by his current family situation in which everyone is separated. Holden uses his alienation as protection because he doesn’t want to get hurt again. He lost his younger brother Allie, who he was very close to, which greatly saddened him. One of Holden’s biggest contributions to his loneliness and eventual mental breakdown is his immaturity. He drives many away with his childish actions and idea’s. Bednarczyk 2 His behavior around his old student advisor Luce is a perfect example of his ...

Choosing the Best Economics Graduate Program For You

Choosing the Best Economics Graduate Program For You As the About.com economics expert, I get quite a few inquiries from readers about the best graduate schools for those pursuing an advanced degree in economics. There are certainly quite a few resources out there today that claim to give the definitive ranking of graduate programs in economics around the world. While those lists might prove helpful to some, as a former economics student turned university professor, I can say with great certainty that choosing a graduate program requires so much more than arbitrary rankings. So when Im asked questions like, Can you recommend a good economics graduate program? or What is the best economics graduate school?, my answer is usually no and it depends. But I can help you find that best economics graduate program for you. Resources for Finding the Best Economics Graduate School Before moving forward, there are a couple of articles you should read. First is an article written by  a professor at Stanford, titled Advice for Applying to Grad School in Economics. While the disclaimer at the start of the article reminds us that these tips are a series of opinions, but that is generally the case when it comes to advice and given the reputation and experience of the person giving the advice, I would have to say, have no dear.  There are plenty of great tips in here. The next recommended piece of reading is a  resource from Georgetown with the title Applying to Grad School in Economics. Not only is this article thorough, but I dont think there is a single point I disagree with. Now that you have these two resources at your disposal, Ill share my  tips for finding and applying to the best economics graduate school for you.  From my own experience and the experience of friends and colleagues who also have studied economics at the graduate level in the United States, I can give the following advice: Take Advantage of Your Undergraduate Resources: Ask the professors who are writing you recommendation letters where theyd apply if they were in your position. They usually have a good idea of the schools at which youll do well and which ones may not be suited to your strengths and interests. Of course, it never hurts when the selection committee at a school knows and respects the person writing your letter of recommendation. Even better if your reference writer has friends or former colleagues on the selection committee at that school. I do have one disclaimer on this subject: Dont choose an undergraduate reference solely based on their reputation or their network. An honest and personalized letter from someone who can specifically speak to your strengths as a candidate is always better than an impersonal one with a famous signature.Rankings Arent the Most Important Decision-Maker:  That is to say that I dont suggest that you apply to just the highest ranked schools. In fact, many would agree when I say that this is one of the biggest mistakes you can make in the application process. If youre interested in studying time-series econometrics, apply to schools that have active researchers in that area. Whats the point of going to a great theory school if youre not a theorist? Dont Put All Your Eggs in One Basket: Apply to as many graduate schools as reasonable. Id recommend applying to about ten schools. Ive seen a lot of terrific students only apply to top-ranked schools or their first choice and not get accepted  to any of them. Find your dream school(s) and your more reachable schools and build your list from there. And while you certainly dont want to focus on possible failure, make sure you have some backup plans. Have an idea of what you might do should you not be accepted into a graduate this year. If pursuing an advanced degree in economics is your dream, make sure that your plan B is something that only strengthens your candidacy for the next application cycle.Do Your Research:  As an economics student, you should be no stranger to research. But your economics graduate school search should not be limited to the internet or your undergraduate college counseling office. Talk to current graduate students at the school youre thinking about attend ing. Theyll usually tell you how things really work in their department. While talking to professors can also be enlightening, make a mental note that they have a vested interest in you applying to their school, which can greatly influence their opinions and advice. If you do choose to talk to a member of the faculty, try to get some sort of introduction. Contacting a professor unsolicited can a great source of annoyance, and why take a chance when this person might wield the power to say yes or no? Consider Size:  In my opinion, the size of the school can be just as important as its reputation. When approached for advice, I generally encourage prospective students to consider applying to larger schools. This is not to say that smaller schools are not worth your consideration, but you must always weigh the risks and rewards. Smaller departments are more likely to be negatively impacted with the departure of one or two key faculty members. So go ahead and apply to the program that boasts your dream professor among its ranks, but also look for schools that have three or more active researchers in the area you are interested in. That way, if one or two leave, youll still have an advisor you can work with. More Things to Read Before Applying to Graduate School So youve read the articles from Stanford and Georgetown, and youve made notes of my top bullet points. But before you jump into the application process, you may want to invest in some advanced economics texts. For some great recommendations, be sure to check out my article Books to Study Before Going to Graduate School in Economics.  These should give you a good idea of what you need to know to do well in an economics graduate school program. It goes without saying, best of luck!

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 19

Summary - Essay Example The wages these companies give workers cannot be compared to the revenues they make in their financial years. However, this trend was created by local investors who created a very low wage margin for local workers. Comparing the wages given by local companies and international compared there is about 50 percent difference. This shows how much disregard local companies treat local human resources. On a brighter side, international investments have been of great importance to the economy on India. The country’s infrastructure has greatly improved and many SMEs have been cropping up creating imitations of the international brands (Selzer & Faigley, 395). Regardless of the lack of originality, analysts have argued that this is a good thing since there is creation of jobs (Selzer & Faigley, 393). This whole perspective begs the questions; should there be rules of trade that govern international exploration of local companies? If the rules are created, who will be the least benefici ary? In my opinion globalization should not be governed by financial insecurities. This is because globalization has made the international corporate world effective and much competitive and this leads to growth of the global economy. The article on America’s place on the world is based on the recent global view on the nation. After the Second World War, America assumed the position of super power. A position it effectively exploited with its colonization of European and Asian markets (Selzer & Faigley 379). Its mandate to safeguard the globe has also been effectively executed as the nation is always in fight against terrorism in any part of the globe. However, recent events such the September 11 attacks have made many nations question the capabilities of the United States in ensuring a safe globe (Selzer & Faigley 379). American citizens also feel that the nation has too much on its plate and this is creating a