Final Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Final - Research Paper Example While he thought that the theory would reconcile religions and cultures, they all turned against such civilization in unity; no religion has ever embraced Evolution. There still exists a rift in the theories and myths of origin of man and death. The aim of this paper shall be to critically discuss the topic origin and death of man from the various aforementioned perspectives. By so doing, a clear comparison or contrast among different ideologies and myths shall be exposed. One of the objectives is to compare how the topic has also been discussed by Benton Banai (The Mishomis Book), Rainey Gaywish, Dr. Brian Rice (Seeing the World with Aboriginal Eyes), and Vine Deloria Jr. (God is Red). Another objective would be to approve or disapprove the mythology and theories on the origin of man. The origin of man has usually been discussed on the platforms of Creation and Evolution theories. The beliefs and myths of the Aboriginals have always been sidelined by many philosophers and scientists. In as much creation and evolution seems to be the most universalized and civilized approaches, the Aboriginals are quite rich cultures and myths that need to be understood, as Benton Banai and Vine Deloria describe in their books. Evolution, offers that all living organisms originated from a common ancestor. Evolution has been defined as the gradual genetic change that the species usually undergo due to the environmental pressures. The DNA, a vital element of the animal cell, has taken all the living creatures to a single common ancestor. Most animals share the patterns of their DNA. This was before the evolution took place. The evolution eventually took place and the organisms have been biologically and geographically separated from each other. Evolution took place in three different forms. These are: Gradualism, Speciation and the Natural selection. In gradualism, the species take several generations to attain the desired change that will enhance their

Importance of Management and Leadership for an Organization Essay Example for Free

Importance of Management and Leadership for an Organization Essay â€Å"Both management and leadership are needed to make teams and organisations successful. Trying to decide which is more important is like trying to decide whether the right or left wing is more important to an airplane’s flight. I’ll take both please!† (Clemmer, 2005, as cited in McLean, 2005, p.16). The aim of this essay is to answer the age old question as to whether management or leadership is more important to an organisation. Organisations, ranging from professional to social, have been in existence for centuries and the sole purpose of any of these organisations is to grow and succeed. Thus, it is without a doubt that any organisation would accomplish much without a source of management or leadership. Even though it is evident that both management and leadership are both fundamental to a successful organisation, a distinction between the two should be made; although they are both similar in definition and function they do differ in importance in and effect on organisations. It is contended that the implementation of good management has a greater benefit, and therefore has more importance, to an organisation than leadership because: leading is considered as an element of the management function; to manage an organisation is to sustain it whereas to lead is to direct it but if there is no management, there is no entity, which leaves nothing for leaders to lead; leadership is focused on the management of people but an organisation is made up of more than just people; and also the value of leadership depends deeply on the structure and size of the organisation in question. The term ‘good’ is often used to describe something of quality and skill; thus, good management simply means management that is of the highest quality and is effective in producing the greatest results for an organisation: â€Å"Excellent results stem from a combination of skilled management, strategic thought and a good dose of general common sense† (Honig, 1999, as c ited in Samson Daft, 2009, p.14). Every workplace organisation, whether large or small, has a manager or person in charge; whether the appointed person is able to implement good management depends on their skill and capability. Management is the major task of any manager – it involves the use of authority to coordinate and supervise the activities of others and to ensure that tasks are being completed in an effective and efficient manner. More importantly, managers must implement the four key elements of management: planning, organising, leading and controlling in order to attain organisational goals (Bartol, Tein, Matthews Sharma, 2008). Organisational goals, whether they are sales targets or technological developments, are put in place by managers to set out the purpose and scope of an entity. Without such goals an organisation would cease to exist as there would be no direction to grow or move forward. The process of setting goals and deciding how to achieve them is the planning aspect of the management fu nction (Bartol et al., 2008). If effective management is employed, there is a greater likelihood of managers establishing better organisational goals and contingency plans to ensure the future and success of the organisation; because it will not only be goal directed but will also be prepared for unforeseen circumstances that may arise, enabling them to react effectively and efficiently (Samson Daft, 2009). Good management also assists in the successful implementation of action plans to achieve such organisational goals by organising, allocating, arranging and regulating activities and resources within the workplace (Bartol et al., 2008). Leading and managing are terms often used interchangeably because leading is described as a core activity of any manager (McLean, 2005). Leadership involves managers using influence to motivate employees to engage in plans that work towards achieving organisational goals (Bartol et al., 2008; Samson Daft, 2009). This suggests that leadership is intertwined within the task of management. So if good management practices are in place in an organisation, leadership is expected to follow in existence. However, the mistake should not be made to describe leadership and management as the same thing – â€Å"leadership is an element of management but is not the same thing† (Lyson cited in Robinson, 1999, p.20). To say that leading and managing is the same would be to ultimately say planning and managing is the same thing; nevertheless, planning is only a function of management, as is leading. Therefore, if an organisation were given a choice between employing either a good manager or a good leader, the good manager would be the safer bet because it would be expected that a good manager encompasses good leadership. Furthermore, the importance of and need for management in a workplace is supported by the idea that organisations are established to succeed and innovate and such is not possib le without the planning and setting of organisational goals and the attainment of these goals by organising, leading and controlling. Once good management is in practice, the four key functions, including leadership, are sure to be carried out effectively and efficiently. The profitability of an organisation is not a result of good management on its own; however, management is a major contributing factor. Every organisation is goal directed, and as ascribed earlier, management is the attainment of organisational goals with the use of planning, organising, leading and controlling (Bartol et al., 2008). The organisational goals act as an entity’s reason for existence, it strives to achieve these goals in order to grow and accomplish. Therefore it can be concluded that the focus of any organisation is to grow and move forward rather than to remain stationary and unproductive and thus there is an assumption that the life of the entity will be on going. The survival of an organisation depends on the ability of the manager to sustain it by utilizing the effective skills of good management. The manager is responsible for making informed decisions about the welfare of the organisation along with the collective resources owned. These decisions aim to not only achieve goals but to sustain and up hold the organisation to ensure its survival in today’s dynamic environment. Thus there is emphasis on an organisation to have good management in order for the entity to survive, which also acts to highlight the importance of effective management. On the other hand, leadership is implemented as the principle dynamic force to guide and motivate subordinates to attain organisational objectives (Burns, 1978, as cited in Shamas Ofori, 2008) and ultimately bring change to an organisation as more goals are satisfied. If effective leadership is exercised within an organisation, innovation, change and transformation are easily attainable (Bartol et al., 2008). Alternatively, Slap (2010) asserts that although leadership profits and adds value to an organisation by way of innovation, it is not the purpose of introducing leadership. Rather, leadership is used as a tool to share and express important values and experiences to employees in an attempt to bring about an improved change in the workplace environment and in the attitudes held by employees. Leadership in this sense allows leaders to be more easily respected upon employees because they feel more connected with the leader, which also gives the leader greater influence to motivate and encourage hard work. Nevertheless, whichever way leadership is regarded the end result remains the same: innovation of an organisation by way of providing direction to accomplish objectives (Bass, 1990, as cited in Shamas Ofori, 2008). â€Å"A leader innovates; a manager maintains† (Hollingsworth, as cited in Robinson, 1999, p.20); without effective management to keep the organisation alive it is likely to fail, and consequently leaders will be left taskless there will be no goals left to achieve, no employees left to motivate and ultimately no organisation left to innovate. This strongly recognises the importance of good management and the added advantage it brings to an organisation; without good management, good leadership will be ineffective and futile. On the contrary, leadership is often considered as a much more pleasant concept in comparison to that of management: â€Å"leaders are seen as charismatic and often are admired and held in high esteem, managers frequently are thought of as the organizations taskmasters with a whip in one hand and a bullhorn for screaming out orders in the other hand† (Kotterman, 2006, p. 13). Zaleznik (1977) and Burns (1978), as cited in Nienaber (2010), portray m anagement as â€Å"mundane, uninspiring and tactical by nature† and in addition, asserting that management alone cannot guarantee the success of an organisation. Consequently, it has been argued that leadership should be favoured at the expense of management in a successful organisation (Spurgeon Cragg, 2007, as cited in Nienaber, 2010). One of the most important aspects of leadership is the leaders’ followers (Bennis, 1989, as cited in Shamas Ofori, 2008). Iscoe (2005, as cited in McLean, 2005) argues that people would rather follow a leader than a manger, if given the option; this is not surprising as leaders tend to focus more on the people rather than any other aspect of the organisation because in order for a leader to effectively influence and lead others they must work to gain the trust and respect of their followers. Thus, there are various positive reasons as to why leaders are commended over managers among the people, some of which are highlighted in Maccoby (2000), as cited in Shamas Ofori (2008)., p.63: â€Å"hope of success, trust in the leader, excitement about a project or mission, or the opportunity to stretch onese lf to the limit†. Unlike management, leadership is not an assigned role or title placed on someone. The task of managing a corporation is specific to the teams of managers who are formally appointed the position whereas leaders can stem from any sector of an organisation. Therefore, managers are associated with formal authority (McLean, 2005) which means people secondary to them in the organisational hierarchy may view managers as intimidating and unapproachable which further emphasises why leaders are more favourable in an organisation. Yet in reality, success isn’t easily achievable and so in order to attain it, compromise must occur. An organisation cannot survive on leadership alone, because although a leader may possess few managerial qualities, they are unable to satisfy all the tasks of a manager. Nevertheless, as every workplace organisation involves employees, it is evident that leadership is a fundamental aspect of any entity because leaders are responsible for managing the people. However, organisations are about more than just the workers, which illustrates the prevailing importance of managers to control all the remaining aspects of an organisation such as goals, plans, assets and resources. As previously mentioned, every organisation involves employees. The McDonalds restaurant is the largest fast food chain in the world, operating over 30,000 franchises in over 100 countries worldwide. It was revealed in the 2010 McDonalds annual report that the organisation employs over 1.7 million workers from all age groups across their stores. In enormous corporations such as McDonalds, with such a vast number of employees, it is expected that both leaders and managers are equally essential in running the organisation because there is an equally enormous number of duties to be satisfied. However, in contrast, a small, family-owned, local milk bar may only have, at most, three employees. Clearly leadership is not as important in an organisation of three people in comparison to that of one with over one million people, simply because such a minute organisation does not require such a deep extent of leadership. However, it is not to say that the manager of the milk bar should not possess leadership qualities because even though there are very few employees, motivation and communication of direction must still take place (Nienaber, 2010) in order for the business to thrive. Although both management and leadership are both important functions of an organisation, a number of moderating factors determine the effectiveness and importance of leadership including size of the organisation (Fiedler, 1967; Gardner et al., 2005, as cited in Shamas and Ofori, 2008) whereas, regardless of size or type, every organisation needs a person in charge. In other words, management is important and is needed in every organisation but the extent to which leadership is needed varies among different organisations. Conclusively, although leadership and management are functions that must be applied to any successful organisation, effective management has prevailing importance. Theoretically, management is defined as the attainment of organisational goals through planning, organising, leading and controlling (Bartol et al., 2008). Thus it is clear that leadership is encompassed in the task of management so if a manager can perform their task effectively, leadership is likely to follow. However the reverse is not true, as to lead is to influence, direct and motivate others to achieve goals, not to control so management is not a facet of leadership. Management is often considered as a control mechanism in an organisation which some tend to find intimidating and off putting which is why leadership is usually the preferred, softer option (Kotterman, 2006). However, the focus of leaders is often on the people but people are obviously just one aspect of an organisation which is why managers are more important because there are so many other features of an organisation to be controlled. By influencing people to complete tasks effectively and efficiently, leaders bring about change and innovation in an organisation. However, without management acting to sustain organisations in today’s turbulent environment, there is simply no place left for a leader (Hollingsworth, as cited in Robinson, 1999). Finally, the essentiality of leadership in an organisation depends greatly on the size and type of a corporation whereas management is equally important in any and all organisations. These points clearly demonstrate that good management is more important to a successfully running organisation than good leadership. All in all, if an organisation were given an ultimatum between a good manager and a good leader, the good manager is likely to prevail.

Psychology for Social Work Practice

Psychology for Social Work Practice Child development is the process of human growth and changes from birth through adolescence (Smith et al 2005). It is the study of how children develop perception, thought processes, emotional reactions and patterns of social behaviour (Mussein, 1990). Observation is a vital tool in analysing and understanding child development and holds key implication of effectiveness of social work practice in recent year (McKinnon 2008). The aim of this report is to analyse my observation of a two years three month old girl. My interpretation of the behaviour observed will be analysed critically using psychological theories with detail of the steps carried out in other to gain consent for the observation. Furthermore, the skills required for my observation will be described, in relation to my future practice, and some relevant psychological theories; stages of human development will be discussed including their relevance. Finally I will reflect on my learning and how it applies to social work as a profession. Child and Family Confidentiality Prior to the observation being conducted, I familiarized myself with the General Social Care Council (GSCC) (2002) Code of Practice to enable me to carry out the observation in a professional way. The child chosen for observation is my colleagues friends daughter, at the preliminary stage, I requested if I could observe her child for my coursework. My observers mother informed me she would discuss the issue with her husband and get back to me. A few days later, I was invited to meet both parents and was able to explain the aim of my assignment. Having explained my aim, I assured them that confidentiality will be maintained; their daughters identity will not be disclosed. I reassured the couple that their privacy will be respected and the daughters wellbeing will be paramount throughout. Consequently, I was given a verbal consent by both parents with approved signatures on the letter of agreement. Child Details As stated above, for anonymity, the childs name will not be mentioned, but will be referred to as Child A for the purpose of confidentiality as stated in GSCC 2002 section (2). Child A is a two years, three month old female. The observation took place at Child As family residence; she is the second child of the family, the only female, lives with her parents and her older brother of which the family composition is middle class, the aim of the observation is to observe Child As behaviour and also to learn how different behaviours relate to different theories. Skills required for structured observation Planning, respect, communication, working as partnership, reflection, listening and being focused are necessary skills required in carrying out structured observation. In Childs A selection process, I established a relationship of collaborative/partnership work between myself and Child As parents, listening to Child A communication with her family during observation has given me the insight of the importance of attentive listening through structured observation (CDWC 2007a: 7-8). The need to be focused by looking closely at Child A and not deviating from my aim has made me to understand how child learns and develop (HNCRC 2007). I also use reflective skills for child observation, as it enables me to reflect on what I have seen and provide accurate record of child behaviour (Wood et al 2005). Psychological theories and their relevance to social work practice Psychologists have defined behaviour in terms of bodily processes and social psychology defines it in terms of peoples interactions. For example Skinner (1953) believes that behaviour modification is based on operant conditioning and it is a way of assisting someone to change their unacceptable behaviour by offering a reward or punishment. From my observation in (Appendix week1), Child A, cries whenever she needs any item from Child B, she is aware of the attention gained whenever she cries and this will result in her getting what she wants. However, this behaviour could have negative consequences as well. Skinner will relate Child As behaviour as an operant conditioning, as Child A continues to cry for her older brothers toys, having known that her behaviour leads to a particular consequences. She behaves this way as she receives attention from her brother by always getting back the toys she wanted, which is reinforcement with reward, a behaviourist perspective. On the other hand, the study of behaviour by Bandura (1977) a Social perspective would disagree with Skinner, as Skinner would say that Child As behaviour is observational based on learning imitation. Child A may have seen someone at her school or a social gathering displaying such behaviour and so copies the same behaviour. Bandura (1971) suggested that learning moral rules by the individual is not in response to their exposure to punishment or reward, but by observing the behaviour of other people (Nicolson et al 2006: 23).This relates to Child As behaviour in (Appendix week1) and shows how the end result may not be as significant as the behaviourist perspective would have believed. As a professional social worker, working with people from different backgrounds it is important to have knowledge of psychological theories as its a vital tool that can be used to understand and interpret behaviour in social work practice. Also social workers need to have a wide knowledge of different cultures and be sure when they are applying psychological perspectives they have an objective mind taking into account individual differences such as ethical, cultural and religious. Stages of human development and its relevance to social work practice. The study of human development is the progressive behavioural changes in an individual from birth. Psychologists have identified the changes that occur at a similar age for most children, from research and evidence, these changes are dependent to some extent on maturation, although certain environmental factors must be present for development to take place and so its difficult to decide whether the appearance of a new ability is simply due to learning or maturation (Woods 2000:5). For instance, Jean Piaget (1932) cited in Wood (2000) proposes that children think differently from adults, their knowledge is structured differently and shows their understanding developed in the following stages: First stage is the Sensory Motor Stage (Birth to 18 months) At this first stage the child watches moving object, reach out towards it and is able to grab the object, the child will put the object in the mouth and try to explore it by biting and smelling. Second stage is Pre-Operational Stage (18 months- 7 years old) During this stage the language are developed using words and expression, which enable the child to talk about things and express ideas. Third stage is Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 years) The child is able to centre more logical thinking and able to understand that it is possible for there to be two different view of the same thing at the same time and able to decentre. While the final stage is Formal Operational Stage (11 years and older) The child can manipulate ideas in its head, for example being able to calculate by thinking through imagining the impossible sequence. From cognitive perspective, Piaget also believed that the environment can affect childs development but, argued that it will not prevent a child from skipping the cognitive development stage. However, he would have interpreted Child As behaviour, as due to the fact that she is in the pre-operational stage and she demonstrates this behaviour by using ability and memory. Her thinking is in a non-logical manner as she suddenly cries for her mothers attention in other to get what she wants (Woods 2000:227-231). Relevance to social work practice The relevance of this observation to social work practise is that the use of theories would help to understand individuals behaviour. As a result social workers need to acquire skills and knowledge to enable them to understand the reason why a particular event occurs. To achieve this, social workers need to be aware of sensitive issues around them (Thompson 2005). However this observation process increased my understanding of Child A; as a very happy chid, to appreciate her skills and unique qualities and to come into her world and see things from her perspective (Faulkner, 1995). This has become so relevant, as the failing of professionals in the Laming Report (2003) highlights; which emphasises the need for professionals to move the focus away from the parents and back to the child (Copper, 2005). Reflect on my experience In reflecting on my role on child observation, I have learnt how to focus my attention and reflect on it afterwards, trying to make my presence less obvious. It is good practice to avoid assumption and being non-judgemental is vital. Each individual is different and their needs must be tailored to individual requirements. I now understand that self-reflection is a continuous process during observation, which is to reflect on what I am doing and reflect on my reaction and interpretation of what took place by thinking, writing and recording report. Payne (1997) defines reflection as to imagine alternative ways to understand situations using observation. In addition, looking into different theories and perspectives has given me the insight into how they can be applied to practice. Children also need to be encouraged to join in to activities that they may not be interested in, taking into account their reasons for not interacting. I have also learnt that children use gesture to express what they want to say if they are not in the mood to speak. This is of an interest to me as I want to work with children with special needs who are not able to communicate through speaking and use their behaviour as a way of communicating instead. As such this assignment has made me feel a little more confident in approaching people. Conclusion In conclusion, I have learnt greatly through observation and reading. I have realised that working from ones own personal perspective can be oppressive and it is better to use different perspectives in dealing with individuals. I have also gained knowledge on behaviourism and how it can be used to relate to childrens behaviour which is relevant to social work practice and not to have general assumption about children as there are individual differences. I have also acquired good knowledge and understanding of child development. REFERENCES Bandura A (1971) Social Learning Theory General Learning Press Childrens Workforce Development Council (CDWC 2007) (online) accessed on 25/11/2010 at http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk accessed on 09/12/10 Copper A (2005) Surface and Depth in the Victoria Climbe Inquiry Report Child and Family Social Work 10 1-9 Faulkner D (1995) Play Self and the Social World In Barnes P (ed) Personal Social and Emotional Development of Children General Social Care Council (2002) (online) accessed on 26/11/2010 at http://www.socialworkconnections.org.uk/content.php?id=47 HNCRC (2007) The early years Foundation Stage: Effective Practice Observation Assessment and Planning Laming Report (2003) (online) accessed on 10/11/2010 at http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_110711.pdf McKinnon F (2008) Child Observation and Professional Practice In Ruch G (ed) Post-Qualifying Child Care Social Work Developing Reflective Practice Sage Mussein P (1990) (7th ed) Child Development Harper and Row publishers Nicolson P Bayner R and Owen J (2006) (3rd ed) Applied Psychology for Social Workers Payne M (1997) (2nd ed) Modern Social Work Theory Macmillan Skinner B F (1953) Science and Human Behaviour Macmillan Smith P C H and Blades M (2005) Understanding Children Development (4th ed) Blackwell Publishers Thompson N (2005) Understanding Social Work Preparing for Practice Palgrave Macmillan Woods B (2000) Basics in Psychology Hodder Stoughton Wood M Taylor J (2005) Early Childhood Studies: An Holistic Introduction Hodder Arnold

Cocaine :: Illegal Drugs Narcotics Papers

Cocaine Cocaine is a drug derived from the leaf of the Erytroxylon cocoa bush, which grows primarily in Peru and Bolivia. Cocaine also known as coke, C, snow, flake, nose candy, blow, or crack is generally sold on the street as a hydrochloride salt( a water-soluble salt). Cocaine is a fine, white crystalline powder often diluted with similar-looking substances such as talcum powder, sugar, or amphetamines. The powder can be snorted into the nostrils, also may be rubbed onto the mucous linings of the mouth, rectum, or vagina. To experience cocaine's effects quickly, and to heighten their intensity, users sometimes dissolve it in water and injects into a vein. The drug may be smoked in a purified form through a water pipe (freebassing) or in a concentrated form (crack) shaped into pellets or rocks and placed in special smoking gear. Despite today's abuse of the highly addictive drug, cocaine was intended for medical purposes. Pure cocaine was first extracted and identified by the German chemis t Albert Niemann in the mid-19thcentury, and was introduced as a tonic/elixir in patent medicines to treat a variety of real or imagined illnesses. Later, it was used as a local anesthetic for eye, ear, and throat surgery and continues today to have limited use in surgery. Cocaine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant that heightens alertness and provides intense feelings of pleasure. Because of it's potent euphoric and energizing effects, many people in the late 19th century took cocaine, even though some physicians recognized that users quickly became dependent. In the 1880s, the psychiatrist Sigmund Freud created a sensation with a series of papers praising cocaine=s potential to cure depression, alcoholism, and morphine addiction. Skepticism soon replaced this excitement, however, when documented reports of fatal cocaine poisoning, alarming mental disturbances, and cocaine addiction began to circulate. In 1902, ninety two percent of all cocaine sold in major cities in the United States was in the form of an ingredient in tonics and potions available from local pharmacies. In 1911, the Canadian government legally restricted cocaine use, and its popularity decreased. The 1920s and 1930s saw a decline in its use, especially after amphetamines became easily available. Cocaine=s popular return beginning in the late 1960s, coincided with the decreased use of amphetamines. Along with the feelings of pleasure comes negative effects. The effects of any drug depend on the amounts taken at one time, the user=s past drug experience, the manner in which the drug is taken, and the circumstances under which the drug is taken.

Examination of Mrs Wright in Trifles by Susan Glaspell Essay -- Susan

Examination of Mrs Wright in Trifles by Susan Glaspell The play ?Trifles?, by Susan Glaspell , is an examination of the different levels of early 1900?s mid-western farming society?s attitudes towards women and equality. The obvious theme in this story is men discounting women?s intelligence and their ability to play a man?s role, as detectives, in the story. A less apparent theme is the empathy the women in the plot find for each other. Looking at the play from this perspective we see a distinct set of characters, a plot, and a final act of sacrifice. The three main characters, Mrs. Peters, the Sheriff?s wife, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Wright are all products of an oppressive society which denies them their right to think and speak freely, in the case of Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, and denies them their right to a happy, free life as in Mrs. Wright?s case. Throughout the play Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters are able to find clues to the motive for the murder from their detailed knowledge of simple housewifery of which the men are ignorant. They also are forced to find an empathy for Mrs. Wright as they compare their own experiences to the clues they discover of her life. In the end this empathy causes them to make a decision which also casts them into the underdog?s lot of women fighting for their freedom in the early part of our century. At the opening of the play we find the two women not taking a very active part in the play. In fact, they seem a little disconcerted to be on the scene of a murder, their only words as they stand by cold door on a cold night is ?I?m not ? cold.?(1170) The women do not start to take an active role in the story until the county attorney finds the broken preserves jars in the cabinets. ... ... bird and hiding it from the men to save Mrs. Wright. The unity the ladies have found with each other and Mrs. Wright is stated by Mrs. Hale in the final line of the play. ?We call it ? knot it, Mr. Henderson.?(1179) This has a double meaning, one that the ladies were united by their common bond of living in a male controlled world, where men think women are only good for such activities as quilting and housework. Second, that the women are united by their common bond of fighting for each other. Her reference to knotting the quilt can also be construed as a reference to knotting Mr. Wright?s neck. This final retaliatory remark shows the determination of women in that era to fight for equal rights and sisterhood, no matter what the moral cost. Works Cited: Glaspell, Susan. "Trifles" The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Bedford/St.Martins: Boston 2005.

Authorial Comments in Ike Oguine A Squatters Tale :: Squatters Tale Essays

Authorial Comments in A Squatter’s Tale According to Charles Bohner and Dean Dougherty authorial comment is: An explanatory remark obviously put into the narration by the author. Authorial commentary tells us what to think instead of showing us. (1212) Authorial comment, as clearly defined above, is an artistic device used by authors to paint a vivid picture of a point they are trying to make. This gives the reader of a text the opportunity to deduce the point. Comments made in literary works such as fictional novels usually guide the reader into thinking in a certain way, which depending on the level of understanding of the reader can have various analyses. But in order for authors to prevent their being misunderstood by their readers, the use of authorial comment is added in their works. It is interesting to see how Ike Oguine uses authorial comments in A Squatter’s Tale to drive points home. His placement of the the comments and the depth of those comments add a lot of creativity to this literal work of art. Although he uses other artistic devices such as sarcastic humor and symbolism, the qualities of these devices are enhanced by authorial comments as exemplified by the following analyses. In the beginning, Obi has just arrived in the United States in pursuit of the American dream. Upon arrival at the airport though, Obi realizes that â€Å" America turns your world upside down† (Oguine 15). In fact, this is true to the majority of characters in the text, as well as, real immigrants who enter the country. The truth in this statement is usually realized once an individual arrives in the country. Most people have hopes of coming and making enough money to go back to their homeland and establish themselves, but once the disappointment of having no one to rely on and reality of coping with the standard of living in the country hit them, they lose hope of going back home in the next couple of years. Some give up their dreams totally and try to live out in their children. The author realistically portrays this in his text with Obi. At first, Obi is a big shot in Nigeria, but once he arrives into this country, his life is clearly turned upside down starting with Hook, his friend, not picking him up at the airport.

William Shakespeare Biography

April 23 of 1564 the beginning to the path of great literature and performance, the birth of William Shakespeare, whose creations have affected everyone for generations. |He was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. William was the third child out of eight from John and Mary Shakespeare. The names of the other seven children are Joan, Margaret, Gilbert, Joan, Ann, Richard and Edmund. William†s grandfather, Richard Shakespeare was a whittawer and a dealer in agricultural commodities. Richard died 52 days after the birth of William. William attended the Stratford Grammar School. Even though the record-of- attendance have been lost it is no doubt that he truly attended the school, since the school was built and maintained expressly for the purpose of education the sons of prominent citizens. Because William attended church, the other obvious education is the exposer to either the Geneva Bible or the Bishops† Bible or King James. It also brings him to the influence of The Book of Common Prayer. No one knows exactly how long William remained at the Stratford Grammar School but it is believed that an assistant of John Shakespeare forced him to withdraw William from thence. His later education must be the ways of business he would have learned around his father†s shop. Spectators said they have seen William give speeches to the calf before slaughtering them for his father†s leather work. William married Ann Hathwey in 1582. She was also from Stratford where William was born. Even though she was eight years older than he, their marriage was a success. Ann was three months in pregnancy when they were wed. Their first born Susanna was born in May 26, 1583. After that they had twins named after life time friends, Hamnet and Judeth Sadler. There wasn†t much talk from William about his marriage except some of his literature showed apparent resemblance of him and his wife. It seemed he was regarding him and his wife in some plays. There were no records of Shakespeare†s activities after the birth of his twins. We called it the lost years. It was believed that at those periods he was on refuge from a sort of crime. There wasn†t any hard evidence on his activities but there were many theories to fill in the time of activity. The mark of William Shakespeare†s rise in London theater world in 1592 on a famous literary by Robert Greene which clearly refers to William Shakespeare. Later there were many other playwrights and pamphleteer that made reference of William Shakespeare†s poetry and plays. As Shakespeare gone old he retired back to Avon. Where, his Judith and his son-in-law attended him. There was no accurate proof of Shakespeare†s death but in a diary half a century after his death it was said that Shakespeare died of over dose of alcohol. It is also expected that Shakespeare might have also known his death because days before he had his will revised. Almost a month after the revision on April 23, 1616 William Shakespeare past away. The end of a chapter in great literature. William Shakespeare Biography April 23 of 1564 the beginning to the path of great literature and performance, the birth of William Shakespeare, whose creations have affected everyone for generations. |He was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. William was the third child out of eight from John and Mary Shakespeare. The names of the other seven children are Joan, Margaret, Gilbert, Joan, Ann, Richard and Edmund. William†s grandfather, Richard Shakespeare was a whittawer and a dealer in agricultural commodities. Richard died 52 days after the birth of William. William attended the Stratford Grammar School. Even though the record-of- attendance have been lost it is no doubt that he truly attended the school, since the school was built and maintained expressly for the purpose of education the sons of prominent citizens. Because William attended church, the other obvious education is the exposer to either the Geneva Bible or the Bishops† Bible or King James. It also brings him to the influence of The Book of Common Prayer. No one knows exactly how long William remained at the Stratford Grammar School but it is believed that an assistant of John Shakespeare forced him to withdraw William from thence. His later education must be the ways of business he would have learned around his father†s shop. Spectators said they have seen William give speeches to the calf before slaughtering them for his father†s leather work. William married Ann Hathwey in 1582. She was also from Stratford where William was born. Even though she was eight years older than he, their marriage was a success. Ann was three months in pregnancy when they were wed. Their first born Susanna was born in May 26, 1583. After that they had twins named after life time friends, Hamnet and Judeth Sadler. There wasn†t much talk from William about his marriage except some of his literature showed apparent resemblance of him and his wife. It seemed he was regarding him and his wife in some plays. There were no records of Shakespeare†s activities after the birth of his twins. We called it the lost years. It was believed that at those periods he was on refuge from a sort of crime. There wasn†t any hard evidence on his activities but there were many theories to fill in the time of activity. The mark of William Shakespeare†s rise in London theater world in 1592 on a famous literary by Robert Greene which clearly refers to William Shakespeare. Later there were many other playwrights and pamphleteer that made reference of William Shakespeare†s poetry and plays. As Shakespeare gone old he retired back to Avon. Where, his Judith and his son-in-law attended him. There was no accurate proof of Shakespeare†s death but in a diary half a century after his death it was said that Shakespeare died of over dose of alcohol. It is also expected that Shakespeare might have also known his death because days before he had his will revised. Almost a month after the revision on April 23, 1616 William Shakespeare past away. The end of a chapter in great literature.