Paradise Essays (1699 words) - Paradise, Mavis,

Paradise The Nobel Prize for Literature winner, Toni Morrison, is hailed as the last classic American writer , a major figure of national literature , and simply the best writer in America. Morrison is at her complex and commanding best in this mysterious tale, as she presents a unique perspective on American history and leaves her dazzled readers shaking their heads over all that is perpetually inexplicable between men and women, rich and poor the tyrannical and free spirited. The statements above are merely personal opinions and have yet to be proven true. After reading Toni Morrisons Paradise, I came to the conclusion that these remarks are over exaggerated. This is based on my opinion that Paradise is not the writings of a Nobel Prize award winner and should not be considered one of her best works. After all of the vivid descriptions of her work, I can say that I was fairly disappointed. Paradise was the first and the last of Toni Morrisons novels that I will read. After doing research i nto others analysis of the novel, I realized that I was not alone in my judgment of Paradise. I find myself troubled by this novel and how difficult it is to follow. I dont mind reading slowly, in fact, I have no objection to taking my time with anything; however, this is simply trying my patience. I wanted to keep going because I had invested so much of my time into reading the novel, but I find myself making excuses for not reading it. I wish Ms. Morrison had thought about the impact of making the reading so challenging and had eased up on us just a little bit. I am worn out from focusing on every word, but if I dont, then from one sentence to the next, I lose sight of a character, and then I am lost too! I just hope I can hang on long enough to get to the finish line, where, I know I will have to start all over again! I think this is the universal thought that goes through most minds after attempting to read Paradise. I am not saying that the whole novel was awful because it was not. I thought the theme of the novel was incorporated well through out the novel. The problems were with the organization of the story line, and the development of the characters. The opening sentences of Paradise were attention grabbers. They shoot the white girl first. With the rest they can take there time. No need to hurry out here. They are seventeen miles between it and any other. Hiding places will be plentiful in the Convent, but there time and the day has just begun. The opening chapter is basically the climax of the plot. That is, a group of former law abiding male citizens attacks a group of unarmed women. This is what makes the story line confusing. That is, the beginning of the novel is the ending. Now the opening scene was good; but, instead of continuing from there, the story skips to the abandonment of Haven and the founding of Ruby. The problem was Ms. Morrison choose to tell the story in flashbacks. The story kept going back and forth in time and in different characters point of views. This is how the story began to lose me. Paradise focuses on the all black town rural town of Ruby and the families who reside there. There were nine original families who founded the town. They are the Morgan, Blackhorse, Poole, Fleetwood, Beauchamp, Flood, Cato, and the two DuPres families. The descendants of the nine original families create a version of paradise, hence the title of the book. The nine original families encouraged marrying among themselves to preserve the 8-rock blood. The 8-rocks were the pure blacks who did not have one drop of white blood. These were the families with the dominance in Ruby. The Morgans financed the founding of the town, owned the town bank and most of the land. Because of this, they felt they were the most influential and powerful people in town. The families were tight knit and did not react well to outsiders. The other characters

Free Essays on Donald Trump

Donald J. Trump Donald Trump is a true success story. He has made billions of dollars in real estate such as Trump Tower, casinos such as Trump Taj Mahal, sports and entertainment like beauty pageants and now he is the star of his own televisions show â€Å"The Apprentice†. I feel that he is a good leader because he has come a very long way since his childhood. He worked with his father Fred C. Trump, whom he admired very much, in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. They were both dealmakers in both the area of construction and real estate. Donald Trump felt his father was his mentor and had a great deal of respect and love for him. â€Å"Years later Fred Trump stated that, some of his best business deals were made by his son† (NBC.com). His leadership skills really came through when he ventured into Manhattan real estate. His first purchase was the Trump Plaza Hotel on Park Avenue. He made that a success and continued to buy buildings and turn them into palaces. Some of his other buildings are Trump Tower, the world famous building that is residential and is also the home of his reality show. â€Å"Trump recently ventured into a major project in New York City, building a series of â€Å"trump landmarks† called, Trump Place† Donald Trump also expanded his corporation by buying property in Florida where the Mar-a-lago Hotel is located. Donald Trumps hit reality show has not only branched off to second and third seasons but also is going to have a new version of the show starring Martha Stewart. Without Donald Trump starting the show (and co-producing it) it would have not given Martha Stewart the opportunity to do her very own version of the show show. Some might say Donald trump is a trendsetter because he does stuff no one else dares to do. â€Å"He ventured into Atlantic City, New Jersey and opened several casinos† (cs.uh.edu). His leadership skills came through by making jobs available to thousands of pe... Free Essays on Donald Trump Free Essays on Donald Trump Donald J. Trump Donald Trump is a true success story. He has made billions of dollars in real estate such as Trump Tower, casinos such as Trump Taj Mahal, sports and entertainment like beauty pageants and now he is the star of his own televisions show â€Å"The Apprentice†. I feel that he is a good leader because he has come a very long way since his childhood. He worked with his father Fred C. Trump, whom he admired very much, in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. They were both dealmakers in both the area of construction and real estate. Donald Trump felt his father was his mentor and had a great deal of respect and love for him. â€Å"Years later Fred Trump stated that, some of his best business deals were made by his son† (NBC.com). His leadership skills really came through when he ventured into Manhattan real estate. His first purchase was the Trump Plaza Hotel on Park Avenue. He made that a success and continued to buy buildings and turn them into palaces. Some of his other buildings are Trump Tower, the world famous building that is residential and is also the home of his reality show. â€Å"Trump recently ventured into a major project in New York City, building a series of â€Å"trump landmarks† called, Trump Place† Donald Trump also expanded his corporation by buying property in Florida where the Mar-a-lago Hotel is located. Donald Trumps hit reality show has not only branched off to second and third seasons but also is going to have a new version of the show starring Martha Stewart. Without Donald Trump starting the show (and co-producing it) it would have not given Martha Stewart the opportunity to do her very own version of the show show. Some might say Donald trump is a trendsetter because he does stuff no one else dares to do. â€Å"He ventured into Atlantic City, New Jersey and opened several casinos† (cs.uh.edu). His leadership skills came through by making jobs available to thousands of pe... Free Essays on Donald Trump Donald J. Trump Donald Trump is a true success story. He has made billions of dollars in real estate such as Trump Tower, casinos such as Trump Taj Mahal, sports and entertainment like beauty pageants and now he is the star of his own televisions show â€Å"The Apprentice†. I feel that he is a good leader because he has come a very long way since his childhood. He worked with his father Fred C. Trump, whom he admired very much, in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. They were both dealmakers in both the area of construction and real estate. Donald Trump felt his father was his mentor and had a great deal of respect and love for him. â€Å"Years later Fred Trump stated that, some of his best business deals were made by his son† (NBC.com). His leadership skills really came through when he ventured into Manhattan real estate. His first purchase was the Trump Plaza Hotel on Park Avenue. He made that a success and continued to buy buildings and turn them into palaces. Some of his other buildings are Trump Tower, the world famous building that is residential and is also the home of his reality show. â€Å"Trump recently ventured into a major project in New York City, building a series of â€Å"trump landmarks† called, Trump Place† Donald Trump also expanded his corporation by buying property in Florida where the Mar-a-lago Hotel is located. Donald Trumps hit reality show has not only branched off to second and third seasons but also is going to have a new version of the show starring Martha Stewart. Without Donald Trump starting the show (and co-producing it) it would have not given Martha Stewart the opportunity to do her very own version of the show show. Some might say Donald trump is a trendsetter because he does stuff no one else dares to do. â€Å"He ventured into Atlantic City, New Jersey and opened several casinos† (cs.uh.edu). His leadership skills came through by making jobs available to thousands of pe...

Program study and Development Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Program study and Development Plan - Essay Example I started working as a petitioned registry nurse for Westways Staffing where I worked for four years. After that, I found a full time job in Mission Community Hospital’s emergency department. Being a novice in emergency nursing, I put a lot of effort in refining my emergency nursing skills in order to prepare myself for a successful transition. After working in the emergency department as a staff nurse for four months, I was offered the job of a full time charge nurse. At that time, my eagerness to get the job was attenuated with cynicism. I underestimated myself and feared that I might not be able to live up to my director’s expectations and hence end up failing him. However, the love and support shown by my extremely supportive friends changed my mind for the better and I accepted the job offer. Having worked as part of the management team and added stake in the organization for some time, I felt the need to increase my nursing knowledge in order to better lead a robust department. Therefore, I studied and successfully acquired certification for emergency nurse (CEN) and critical care (CCRN). Getting these certificates instilled the much needed confidence in me to effectively lead the department and deal with the interdepartmental issues along with other charge nurses and nurse managers. Another break in my career arrived when Sherman Oaks Hospital offered me the full time position of a charge nurse. With a view to broadening my nursing experience and successfully dealing with the challenges in a new setting, I left the mission and took the job offer. Nursing has always provided me with endless opportunities to grow. For example, the basic management training I received during my position as a charge nurse ultimately opened the prospect of working in the director’s position in the department. This time I accepted the director’s post and viewed it as a challenge. So far, my department has managed to successfully

HR hypothetical facts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HR hypothetical facts - Essay Example In determining whether a worker that provides services to your organization is either an independent contractor or an employee, all information that shows evidence of independence and control degree should be highly considered. The hypothetical facts that show the prove of independence and control are classified into three categories which include type of relationship, behavioral, and financial.Relationship between employee and employer- are there any written types of employee’s benefits or contracts (Fishman, 2014). Will the relationship between an employer and employee continue or end after a while and the services offered very important to the organization. Behavioral- does the organization have the power to control the function of the worker or how he or she carries out his or her duties. Financial- are there aspects of the job of a worker that is controlled by the Human Resource manager? (This includes things such as expense reimbursement and how workers are being paid. T hese are the main facts that the Unemployment Claims Hearing Office should rely on to determine whether John is characterized as either an employee or an independent contractor. Companies must put into consideration all the above mentioned factors when characterizing a worker as either independent contractor or an employee. Some of the factors indicate that a worker should be categorized as an employee while others entail that a worker should be categorized as an independent contractor. The main thing here is to evaluate all the mentioned factors.

Social Work Assessment and Intervention on Marta Ruiz Essay Example for Free

Social Work Assessment and Intervention on Marta Ruiz Essay The patient’s name is Marta Ruiz, 52 years old, female, clinically diagnosed as HIV Symptomatic with a CD4 count of 600+ with a detectable but not high viral load. She has been a person living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) for five years. She resides at Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City after migrating from the Dominican Republic and is living on assistance provided by DASIS. She requested assistance from this social worker on a crisis precipitated by a fear of contagion transferred sexually by her to a lover named Ruben, with whom she has recently resumed intimate relations with after being separated for many years. This paper presents stigma as seen in this case, its effects on social systems and proposed social work interventions for the client. Stigma and Its Effects HIV stigma is defined as â€Å"prejudice, discounting, discrediting and discrimination directed at people perceived to have HIV or AIDS which may be enacted or felt† (Green and Platt, as cited in Emlet, 2006). What is apparent in this case is a form of felt or internalized stigma characterized by Marta’s feelings of shame, guilt, and fear of enacted stigma. Marta has not yet experienced stigma deliberated upon her by society because she has placed herself in â€Å"protective silence† in order to shield herself from what she views as terrible repercussions once she tells the truth about her condition. This is a type of stigma management used by PLHA. She treats her disease as something shameful, because of a preconditioned belief prevalent in her home country that AIDS is a disease contracted by loose women, drug addicts and homosexuals. Moreover, she has an overwhelming fear of rejection and abandonment that could eventually result from a disclosure of her disease. This type of stigma has resulted to self-discriminating behavior and poorly-made decisions that led to several effects, including a possible contagion transfer: Non-disclosure, feelings of denial. As a way of managing stigma, Marta chose to be silent about her condition and did not reveal it to anyone except with her medical providers. This reflects feelings of denial which eventually had negative effects in terms of the quality of her judgments and decision-making. Physical isolation. Fearing anticipated stigma, Marta subjected herself to physical isolation. She left her brother’s home in New York to live alone in a one-bedroom apartment in Jackson Heights. This is a type of avoidance behavior common among PLHA (Delahanty et. al. , as cited in Emlet, 2006). Depression and stoppage of social activities. Stigma also led Marta to discontinue social activities like music and dance which she regularly engaged in previous to her HIV diagnosis. She also experienced increasing levels of stress and depression accompanying her illness. Failure to acquire social support. Stigma also resulted to an absence of social support from family or friends, without which, Marta lacked the emotional backup to handle the problems and circumstances related to her condition. Possible contagion transfer. Perhaps the most damning effect of stigma in this case is the possibility of HIV/AIDS infection from Marta to her lover Ruben because of the former’s decision not to disclose her disease. Effects of HIV/AIDS on Social Systems Various social systems are affected by HIV/AIDS (Emlet, 2006). The individual, family and community have experienced or are likely to experience the impact of Marta’s case in different ways. Individual. Aside from degenerating health, HIV/AIDS had a negative impact on Marta’s psychosocial well-being. Because of practiced avoidance behaviors, she suffered stress, depression and loneliness. All this stems from fear of societal rejection that she believes would naturally come down on her as a result of her HIV status. This led her to isolate herself from her family and abandon some of her previous social engagements. It also led to poor self-confidence, emotional vulnerability and poor self-efficacy. It is important to note this because empirical literature seems to suggest that above all factors, personal characteristics and beliefs predict successful adherence interventions among PLHA. Family. Marta’s nondisclosure has created no visible effects on her family system as of yet because her family does not know of her condition. However, by physically separating herself from her immediate family in New York, she has effectively cut all lines of communication and support from her family in the Dominican Republic. Judging on a description she made of her family, it is likely that if she reveals her condition to her family, the reality of rejection will come in. While this may be true, and granting that her family seems predisposed to discriminate and stigmatize her, PLHA can derive so much emotional support from family. If she continues to keep her condition secret from her family, managing her disease would be difficult, considering that she has no strong social support systems in New York. This has grave implications on how social workers can address social support concerns among PLHA. Social support has been repeatedly associated with psychological well-being and mental health, positive states of mind, coping with the disease-related stress and quality of life (Catz, Gore-Felton,McClure, as cited in Emlet, 2006). Community. Marta’s case, along with all HIV/AIDS cases, continue to become a community concern especially because much of the stigma that befall PLHA come from a collective fear of the disease due to ignorance or lack of HIV/AIDS awareness or education. This is the premise why anti-stigmatization campaigns have been directed on the community level because lately, discriminatory practices against PLHA are often unleashed by entire groups, not by individuals. Addressing the spread of HIV/AIDS is a community challenge, too. Stigma and discrimination have been identified internationally as major barriers to HIV control and prevention (UNAIDS, 2003). Because of stigma, people refuse to undergo testing and take part in prevention and awareness campaigns. In Marta’s case, poor education and complicity toward unprotected sexual behaviors led to a nondisclosure of HIV status and eventually, the possibility of infection. This is the type of situation HIV/AIDS education campaigns and advocacy is trying to prevent. Proposed Interventions There are more than one possible modes of intervention for the social worker to handle Marta’s case as far as crisis management and her adherence to treatments. Her current predicament can possibly affect how she views and regards management of her disease and must be resolved. From the crisis report, it could be gleaned that Marta demonstrates a willingness to participate in treatments and programs that may be instrumental in helping her cope with the disease. She is currently enrolled in a DASIS program that assists her in terms of housing and basic needs which she also supplements with employment as a house cleaner. It could be safely assumed that she is undergoing medication under a treatment regimen possibly set for her by health care providers. Case management does not need be used in Marta’s case but the social worker can still do follow-ups on treatments and medical therapies recommended. Interventions must ensure that Marta sustains a positive view of future treatments in light of the immediate emotional crisis she is experiencing. The forms of intervention that find application in Marta’s case are: (1) individual counseling or therapy; and (2) social support. Individual counseling and therapy is the most immediate form of intervention needed to resolve Marta’s immediate crisis. Marta has demonstrated incapacity to formulate good judgments and decisions, possible due to a confused state of mind. One initially marvels at how a 52-year old woman could yield sexually to a man who has suddenly resurfaced in her life knowing full well that she has a sexually contagious disease. Her near-hysterical behavior after her sexual encounter with her former lover is indicative of a â€Å"weakness† she describes that might be a result of past experiences and beliefs. Individual therapy will be advisable in Marta’s case because it allows her to discuss confidentially and on a personal level, unresolved issues she currently face such as guilt, anger, fear, and remorse. During counseling sessions and therapy, she may be able to overcome her fear of disclosure, the greatest obstacle in her case. Therapy must be done in order to resolve these issues on an ongoing basis. Another intervention appropriate for Marta is social support. Her lack of social support systems is one of the salient features in her psychosocial evaluation. Since she was diagnosed five years ago, Marta has distanced herself from close associations and has lived in isolation. She is a PLHA with virtually no stable emotional foothold to start from. The only immediate family she has in New York is a brother with whom she finds difficulty in reaching out to, because of mistrust in a sister-in-law she views as hostile. However, she still maintains a few woman acquaintances which could be helpful to her. The social worker can assist Marta by introducing her to self-help groups which would be a great venue for her to feel acceptance. These groups provide an opportunity for PLHA to share experiences with others of like situation and condition. By participating in self-help groups, PLHA meet their own needs as well as others’. It will make feel Marta belong to a community which is ready to accept her and treat her normally. These new relationships will be crucial in helping Marta overcome fear and allow her to be comfortable with disclosing her HIV status to others. Barriers to Intervention In helping Marta come to terms with her disease and sustain her adherence to much-needed treatment regimen and therapy, factors such as transference and counter-transference pose a probability of affecting her relationship with the social worker. Transference is the conscious and unconscious â€Å"reproduction of emotions relating to repressed experiences, especially of childhood, and the substitution of another person for the original object of the repressed impulses† (Racker, 2001). This phenomenon may lead to the patient’s mistrust of the worker because of a minor resemblance to a person associated with the emotion. In Marta’s case, the worker must avoid exhibiting a dominant or authoritative stance because this might cause her non-cooperation. As a girl living amongst nine overly dominant brothers with violent tendencies, she might unconsciously transfer her feelings of fear to the worker and this may be an obstacle to her counseling or therapy. She might also associate a female worker with her sister-in-law, Betty, who she mistrusts above all. The social worker must take this into consideration because any transference on Betty will make her feel doubtful of the worker’s ability to maintain confidentiality. In this regard, transference can become a barrier to effective intervention. On the other hand, counter-transference, or the â€Å"redirection of a therapists feelings toward a client, or a therapists emotional entanglement with a client† can influence with the development of a functional working relationship. The social worker must not allow herself or himself to be swayed or pitted against whatever emotion the client is trying to elicit in him or her. Instead, any attempts on counter-transference must be examined and discussed so that the client can objectively view his own motivations, fears and desires.

Analysis of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe :: essays research papers

?The Raven? by Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe?s ?The Raven? is a dark reflection on lost love, death, and loss of hope. The poem examines the emotions of a young man who has lost his lover to death and who tries unsuccessfully to distract himself from his sadness through books. Books, however, prove to be of little help, as his night becomes a nightmare and his solitude is shattered by a single visitor, the raven. Through this poem, Poe uses symbolism, imagery and tone, as well as a variety of poetic elements to enforce his theme of sadness and death of the one he loves. Within the poem Poe divides the characters and imagery into two conflicting aspects of light and dark. Almost everything in the poem reflects one world or the other. For example, Lenore, who is repeatedly described as ?radiant? epitomizes the world of light along with the angels she has joined. Another image of light would be the lamplight the character uses to light his chamber, his refuge from the darkness of the outside. However, The Raven, as well as the dreary December night shows signs of darkness. These images of light and darkness go even further to represent life and death, the man?s hope of an afterlife with Lenore and his fear of everlasting loneliness. The poem consists of an undeniable narrative structure. Told from the third person, Poe also uses symbolism to create a strong melancholy tone. For instance, both midnight and December symbolize an end of something and the hope of something new to happen. Another example is the chamber in which the narrator is placed, this is used to show the loneliness of the man. Along with imagery and symbolism, Poe incorporates many poetic elements to express his feeling. These include assonance, alliteration, and rhyme. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds. For example ?For the race and radiant maiden, whom the angels name Lenore.? This repeats the vowel sound of ?a?. Poe also used a lot of alliteration. For example, ?Doubting dreaming dreams no mortal level, dared to dream before?. Notice the repetition of the ?d? sound. One last element used in ?The Raven? is rhyme.

Debutante

The word Debutante, or Deb, in French, is a word which means a young lady is introduced to the Society. In the Philippines, a Debutante's Ball is very popular, a milestone event and widely celebrated when a young Filipina teenager reaches the age of 18. Normally, a grand party is hosted by the family with huge budget sometimes more expensive than a wedding.One of the traditions and usually the highlight of the Debutante's Ball is the Grand Cotillion Waltz where the Debutante, her Escort and their Court (9 Pairs) will perform a highly -choreographed dance.Part of the tradition is where the Dad takes the 1st dance of the night, usually a waltz dance. A typical practice too is that this dance is a part of the 18 Roses dance.It's when 18 pre-selected men starting with the Debutante's Father will present her with 18 roses as they dance to a very special song. Usually the Debutante picks the dancers, which includes family members, friends, classmate, neighbors, cousin, brothers, her Father and sometimes the boyfriend.Absolutely a must do in a Debutante's Ball, the 18 Candles is when 18 women, beginning with the Debutante's Mother, each present the Debutante a lighted candle symbolizing one year of the Debutante's life. As the candles are presented, the participants often say a word of encouragement and/or birthday wishes.A relatively new practice, where 18 pre-selected guests presents the Debutante a gift that the Debutante shall treasure as she journey into womanhood. Each participant typically announces what is the gift all about and the reason/s why she or he chose that particular gift.We will not miss when the Debutante, after the guests sing together a birthday song, takes the center stage and cut the beautiful and elegant cake then one by one blow all the 18 candles.Also a part of the celebration is when the Debutante, getting ready to party, changed outfit and take the center stage to thank all those who is responsible for putting this party together, as well appreciating the presence of the all the guests. Normally, dancing starts after the Debutante's speech.