Sonnys Blues Essay Example for Free

Sonnys Blues Essay James Baldwins fictional story, Sonnys Blues, is a short tale between two brothers who grew up in Harlem a place where drugs are known to destroy lives of many young people. The narrators brother, Sonny, is one of those young people addicted to drugs and the narrator got the news that his brother was imprisoned for illegal possession of heroin. Even though the narrator became worried about his brothers bleak future because of drug addiction, the narrator did not reconcile with his brother until the death of his daughter. With this turn of events, the narrator reunited with his brother through letters and finally upon Sonnys freedom from prison. The narrator remembered his mothers last will for him to take care and look after his younger brother, which he was not able to do. This memory and their conversations helped the narrator understand Sonnys perception of life. Even though he and Sonny were very different, the narrator finally understood Sonny as he played his jazz music that described his deep emotions and blues (Baldwin 1-25). Character The narrator is Sonnys unnamed older brother who is a high school teacher in Harlem. His character is very much the opposite of Sonnys. Despite the more common ill-fated living in Harlem, the narrator is a successful man as shown in his occupation and family. However, he is a failure in terms of looking after his brother as his mother had wished before death. On the other hand, Sonny is a musically inclined person who resorted to drugs in order to keep himself from being overwhelmed by the suffering in his surroundings. His contrasting personality from his brother also built the gap and separation between them. Unlike his brother, Sonny was not able effectively cope with his situation that led to his faulty decisions in life. However, all his angsts, angers, and other deep emotions were expressed passionately through his music. Theme The theme of the fictional story revolved around the concept of love between brothers. The narrator and Sonny are brothers who were separated by their differences. However, the meaning of the story tells the readers that no matter how different brothers are, they are obligated to love each other. This can be shown by supporting and understanding each other and seeing through their differences. Brotherly love is also illustrated by not killing the hope that a misguided or misled brother can find his way back, in this case, through Sonnys music. Conflict, Crisis, Resolution The conflict in the story revolved around the narrators doubt about Sonnys capacity for change. Many times over, the narrator did not trust that Sonny can change for the better, hence he did not put much effort in understanding his brother. Even though the narrator did not explicitly show this, Sonny was able to feel the doubt from the narrator and other people around him though he did not express his feelings. The turning point that bridged the gap between the two brothers was when the narrator remembered his promise to his mother to look after his brother. Hence, when Sonny poured out his feelings in his music, the narrator was finally able to understand and accept his brother. Point of View The story is told in the first person through the point of view of the narrator who is a main character in the story. The narrator is the older brother of Sonny who began narrating the story by saying, â€Å"I read about it in the paper, in the subway, on my way to work. I read it, and I couldnt believe it, and I read it again† (Baldwin 1). The use of the first person, I, suggests that the focus of telling the story is through the eyes of the narrator. This means that all revelations and emotions are told to the readers as the narrator perceives them from other characters. Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Sonnys Blues†. Web. 6 July 2010

Relationship Between Social Policy And Welfare

Relationship Between Social Policy And Welfare Social policy may be described in two ways. Primarily, social policy is seen to have a direct impact on individuals and groups of people. Secondly, Social policy is an academic subject to be researched. Social Policy may be defined as the developing and implementing measures to combat social problems in society, and to the academic study of these measures and their broader social context (Alcock, Erskine, and May, 2002:240). Baldock, Manning, and Bickerstaff (2007: xxi.) describe a social policy as the states deliberate involvement to redistribute resources amongst its citizens so as to achieve a welfare objective. Social policies affect a wide range of people, whether it is at an individual level or regards to communities. According to Spicker (2008:1) social policies have to concentrate on several issues including housing, health, education, social security and employment. The development of Social policies and their implementation have a direct impact on the social welfare of everyone in the society. Social welfare refers to the various social arrangements that are in place to meet the needs of individuals and groups in society, with the hope to tackle social problems. According to Fitzpatrick (2001:5) social policy aims to maximize welfare and minimize diswelfare and he states that there are six main perspectives on welfare: happiness, security, preferences, needs, desert, and relative comparisons. There are numerous texts that exist around the issue of policy formation and its contested relationship with the effects of the policies implementation on the welfare of those it aims to target. This essay aims to provide an overview of the evolution of social policy, legislation and practice in relation to child welfare in Irleand. Relation to an Aspect of Irish Policy Hill and Hupe stated that Implemenation inevitably takes different shapes and forms in different cultures and institutional settings(2006:2). This section of the essay will examine some of the relationship between social policy and child welfare in Ireland from the 1940s up to the present day. Children Allowance and Health Care: Perphaps one of the most signisifcant social policy developments regarding child welfare was in introduction of Childrens Allowance in 1944. However, the initial implemention of the Act included serveral discrepancies, thus it did not benefit the welfare of all the communitiy. For example, initially the payment was only availabe to families with three or more children. Means testing meant that many families were elimanted from the possible social welfare they deserved. Simliarly, in 1950, Noel Browne introduced the Mother and Child Scheme. He hoped that this would overcome many of the elements that infringed the rights of people in regards to the Childrens allowance. However, both the Catholic church and the medical profession opposed hes scheme in fear that state run and free medical care would go against their hierachy. With Browns later resignation,the hope of his scheme being fully implented collapsed. Burke (2005:29) stated that the controversy over the mother and child scheme h as profound effecs on the developement of social policy in this country. The power struggle between the church and the state most definelty lead to diswelfare among citizens. Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse: Society has a challenging task of protecting children. Societies need to employ several ways in which they can achieve this, for example, social, economic, moral, legal and environmental. In the mid 1990s, The Law Reform Commission recommended the introduction of mandatory reporting of child abuse. The matter of mandatory reporting is one of complexity which has implications not only for childrens welfare but also families, workers and the state. One of the main advantages of the implemenation of such a system was the hope that it would empower proffesionals to report abuse. Above all else it was prodicted that this would secure consistency and would provide a basis for better statistical evidence. However, disadvantages included the danger of over reporting of cases using scarce resources. There was great variety of options about the mandatory reporting of child abuse. Many argued for an immediate introduction of mandatory reporting of child abuse as it was seen as a means of protecting children( ACT Legislative Assembly: nd) and their welfare. However, others believed it would divert the already scarce resources from programs that delivered assistance to families and at risk children. For example, Lipsky (1980) beleived that scarcity of resources leads to street- level bureaucracies being consistently criticized for their inability to implement policies which are related to the areas they work in thus leading to diswelfare in many cases. After much debate, the government decided against the introduction of mandatory reporting on the basis that it was not in the childrens best interests and welfare. The scarcity of resources combined with the complex relationship between proffesionals and clients made it unrealistic. Legislative Framework Governing the Implementation of Childcare Policy: The Children Act of 1908 and the Health Act 1953 and 1957 were replaced by the Child Care Act 1991 and the Children Act 2001 as the primary statutory framework for the care and control of children in Ireland. Among many provisions, the main aim of the Act according to O Sullivan (2009:251) is the placing of a statutory duty on health boards to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. In the period following the passing of the childrens act in 1991, many attempts were made to standardise procedures and practises in the area of childcare services. For exmaple, the Report of the Killkenny Incest Enquiry in 1993 evidently highlighted that guidelines were not being used and many workers were not even aware of there existence. However, in 1995, new guidelines on The Notification of Suspected Cases of Child Abuse Between Healthboards and Gardai were issued and aimed at standardising the cases between the two agencies. This was a step forward for ma ximising the welfare of children. In 1999, in the Publication of Children First; National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children were introduced to improve proffesional practise and thus improving the welfare of children. It highlighted the importance of consistency between policies and procedures. Unlike guidelines before it, Children First was built upon a set of principles which included participation by parents/carers and children in conferences and the development of child protection plans. These guidelines were valuable as they provided a framework for practise, meaning that proffessionals are accountable for their actions. In 2002, Buckley made a warning of the dangers of an over regulated system, as she believed it may lead to discretion and therapeutical skills being replaced by adminstrative management and regulation. In 2003 The Social Services Inspectorate was asked to monitor the implementation of the guidelines, however, while some aspect of the report were postivie,it was concluded that the progress in realtion to Garda/health board cooperation, the child protection committees and planning for family support services was inadequate O Sullivan (2009:257) Confusion surrounding the implementation of this policy still exists. Conculsion: This essay has attempted to summarise and give a critical analysis of certain social policy in Ireland and their relationship with childrens Welfare. As illustrated in the above examples, the in most cases policies may be developed with the hope to benefit and increase the welfare of children but unless they are implemented correctly the policies may lead to diswelfare.

A Psychological Perspective of The Turn of the Screw Essay -- Henry Ja

A Psychological Perspective of The Turn of the Screw   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Henry James was one of the famous writers during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was known as an innovative and independent novelist. One of James' novels, The Turn of the Screw (1898), has caused a lot of controversy among many critics, and each of them has had a particular interpretation. James' creative writing built a close connection between his novel and his readers. The reactions of the readers toward The Turn of the Screw can be researched psychologically by analyzing how James developed his story using questionable incidents, an unreliable narrator, unexpected changes, an interesting prologue, and effective images and words. The influences of James's writing on his readers can be explained clearly from a psychological perspective. Readers have their individual perceptions and experiences which are defined as ego. Sigmund Freud pointed out that under the effects of the external world, the ego starts to react in various forms such as storing, adapting, learning, or fighting against external events (2). The external world includes all the things happening outside human minds such as activities in real life, in movies or in books. When readers react to the behaviors of the Governess and other characters in The The Turn of the Screw, it means their ego responds to the story that is the external world in this case. Since the perception and experiences of each person are different from the other, the reactions to this novel are varied. Moreover, James's story was written in a very sophisticated way, which is likely to lead to complex reactions. Henry James skillfully has his readers integrated into his story. While the readers are reading T... ...Screw. Works Cited Auchincloss, Louis. Reading Henry James. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1975. Freud, Sigmund. An Outline of Psycho-Analysis. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1969. James, Henry. "The Turn of the Screw". The Turn of the Screw and Other Short Novels. New York: New American Library, 1995. Luckacher, Ned. "'Hanging Fire': The Primal Scene of The Turn of the Screw." Henry James's Daisy Miller, The Turn of the Screw, and Other Tales:. Ed. Horold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publisher, 1987. 117-132. Nunning, Ansgar. "Unreliable Narrator." Encyclopedia of the Novel. Ed. Paul Schellinger. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1998. 1386-1388. Wagenknecht, Edward. The Tales of Henry James. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1984. ---. Seven Masters of Supernatural Fiction. New York: Greenwood Press, 1991.

The Neo-Kantians and the Logicist Definition of Number :: Mathematics Math Mathematical Papers

The Neo-Kantians and the 'Logicist' Definition of Number ABSTRACT: The publication of Russell's The Principles of Mathematics (1903) and Couturat's Les principes des mathematiques (1905) incited several prominent neo-Kantians to make up their mind about the logicist program. In this paper, I shall discuss the critiques presented by the following neo-Kantians: Paul Natorp, Ernst Cassirer and Jonas Cohn. They argued that Russell's attempt to deduce the number concept from the class concept is a petitio principii. Russell replied that the sense in which every object is 'one' must be distinguished from the sense in which 'one' is a number. I claim that Russell was wrong in dismissing the neo-Kantian argument as an elementary logical error. To accept Russell's distinction would be to accept at least part of Russell's logicist program. The expression 'a class with one member' would presuppose the number 'one' only if one simultaneously accepted the analysis which mathematical logic provides for it (the class u has one member when u is not null a nd 'x and y are us' implies 'x and y are identical'). My point is that the aforementioned analysis provided by mathematical logic was something that the neo-Kantians were not ready to accept. Although Frege published the first informal exposition of his 'logicist' programme in Die Grundlagen der Arithmetik (1884), his thesis that all mathematics follows from logic was almost completely neglected in Germany for a long time. Frege remained an isolated figure whose works were either strongly criticised or completely neglected by German philosophers. Frege's ideas started to have an impact in Germany only in the first decade of the twentieth century. In particular, the publication of Bertand Russell's The Principles of Mathematics (1903) and Louis Couturat's Les principes des mathà ©matiques (1905) incited several prominent German philosophers to state their opinion about mathematical logic and the logicist programme. In this paper I shall discuss how the neo-Kantians Paul Natorp (1854-1924), Ernst Cassirer (1874-1945) and Jonas Cohn (1869-1947) criticised Russell's and Frege's theories of number. The study of their criticism will also throw some light on the historical orig ins of the current situation in philosophy, that is, on the split between analytic and Continental philosophy. 1. The 'logicist' definition of number as a class of classes According to Russell, the goal of the logicist programme is to show that all pure mathematics deals exclusively with concepts definable in terms of a very small number of fundamental logical concepts, and that all its propositions are deducible from a very small number of fundamental logical principles (Russell 1903: v). The Neo-Kantians and the 'Logicist' Definition of Number :: Mathematics Math Mathematical Papers The Neo-Kantians and the 'Logicist' Definition of Number ABSTRACT: The publication of Russell's The Principles of Mathematics (1903) and Couturat's Les principes des mathematiques (1905) incited several prominent neo-Kantians to make up their mind about the logicist program. In this paper, I shall discuss the critiques presented by the following neo-Kantians: Paul Natorp, Ernst Cassirer and Jonas Cohn. They argued that Russell's attempt to deduce the number concept from the class concept is a petitio principii. Russell replied that the sense in which every object is 'one' must be distinguished from the sense in which 'one' is a number. I claim that Russell was wrong in dismissing the neo-Kantian argument as an elementary logical error. To accept Russell's distinction would be to accept at least part of Russell's logicist program. The expression 'a class with one member' would presuppose the number 'one' only if one simultaneously accepted the analysis which mathematical logic provides for it (the class u has one member when u is not null a nd 'x and y are us' implies 'x and y are identical'). My point is that the aforementioned analysis provided by mathematical logic was something that the neo-Kantians were not ready to accept. Although Frege published the first informal exposition of his 'logicist' programme in Die Grundlagen der Arithmetik (1884), his thesis that all mathematics follows from logic was almost completely neglected in Germany for a long time. Frege remained an isolated figure whose works were either strongly criticised or completely neglected by German philosophers. Frege's ideas started to have an impact in Germany only in the first decade of the twentieth century. In particular, the publication of Bertand Russell's The Principles of Mathematics (1903) and Louis Couturat's Les principes des mathà ©matiques (1905) incited several prominent German philosophers to state their opinion about mathematical logic and the logicist programme. In this paper I shall discuss how the neo-Kantians Paul Natorp (1854-1924), Ernst Cassirer (1874-1945) and Jonas Cohn (1869-1947) criticised Russell's and Frege's theories of number. The study of their criticism will also throw some light on the historical orig ins of the current situation in philosophy, that is, on the split between analytic and Continental philosophy. 1. The 'logicist' definition of number as a class of classes According to Russell, the goal of the logicist programme is to show that all pure mathematics deals exclusively with concepts definable in terms of a very small number of fundamental logical concepts, and that all its propositions are deducible from a very small number of fundamental logical principles (Russell 1903: v).

How two chapters of Great Expectations reflect the influence of society :: Great Expectations Essays

How two chapters of Great Expectations reflect the influence of society in the time it was set. Charles Dickens is one of the most popular British novelists in the history of literature with many of his characters being recognised in British society today. His ability to combine pathos, comedy, and most of all, his social satire has won him many contemporary readers. Dickens was born in Portsmouth in 1812. At 12 he was sent to work for a few months at a shoe-polish warehouse on the banks of the Thames when his family hit financial difficulty. A few days later Dickens's father was sent to jail for debt. He recalled this painful experience in the early chapters of David Copperfield. While his father was imprisoned, all his family except himself and his sister, who was studying music, stayed at the Marshalsea Prison with his father, very much like the Dorrit family at the beginning of Little Dorrit. By the time he was 25 years old, Dickens was already famous. Dickens's life influenced his writing a lot, and many of the novels he wrote were based on real experiences during his lifetime. For example; in 1832 he met Marie Beadnell and wanted to marry her but she rejected him; the comic portrait of Flora Casby in Little Dorrit is said to have been inspired by Dickens's meeting with Maria again later in life. Dickens lived in Victorian times, times when there was a lot of focus on social class and status. Victorian society was, for all the change that was taking place, a stratified, hierarchical society with a great gap between rich and poor. In his childhood Dickens was part of a working class family who soon became low class due to their financial difficulty. But when he became an adult he was of high social class while his novels kept increasing in popularity and was earning him money all the time. Dickens had been from one end of society to the other and the contrast he saw was widely expressed in his novels. Victorian society had a constantly growing urban population, and with the pessimistic analyses of Thomas Malthus, this helped mould one of the most notorious Victorian institutions, the workhouse. This was based on a theoretical distinction between the "deserving" poor, who owed their poverty to misfortune, and the "undeserving" poor, who were to blame for their poverty: the workhouse was made as unpleasant as possible to deter the latter from seeking refuge there. Tight-fisted and callous administration made the institutions even worse, and the target of some of the bitterest controversial literature of Charles Dickens. Conditions gradually improved, but the dreaded "workhouse

Beowulf and Gilgamesh are Epic Heroes But the Seafarer isn’t and Here’s Why

In the stories â€Å"Beowulf† and â€Å"The Head of Humbaba,† the main characters reflect the descriptions of an â€Å"epic hero†. However in the story, â€Å"The Seafarer,† the main character does not reflect any descriptions of an â€Å"epic hero. † Beowulf and Gilgamesh fit the description because they both go on a quest and have the similar motivations of an epic hero. The Seafarer, in contrast, had a different motivation and an entirely different quest. Beowulf and Gilgamesh have journeys that fit the traditional epic hero. In Beowulf’s story, his journey consisted of killing monsters. He killed Grendel who terrorized Herot. â€Å"Beowulf, a prince of the Geats, had killed Grendel†¦from the rafters where Beowulf had hung it, was the monster’s arm, claw and shoulder and all. † (â€Å"Beowulf† Lines 510-517). Gilgamesh’s story also included murdering monstrous fiends. He killed Humbaba, the guardian of the forest. †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦he raised his ax up higher and swung it in a perfect arc into Humbaba’s neck. (â€Å"The Head of Humbaba† Lines 46-48) Gilgamesh and Beowulf also had similar motivations that fit an â€Å"epic hero. † Beowulf killed Grendel to pay off the debt to Herot because of his father. Gilgamesh provoked and killed Humbaba so he’d also be will known. Both reasons fit the descriptions for an epic hero. In contrast, the Seafarer doesn’t fit an â€Å"epic hero† because his journey and motivation doesn’t corr espond. The Seafarer’s journey was to simply travel the sea. His motivation was to make peace with God. Neither of those actions makes the Seafarer and â€Å"epic hero. † Beowulf and Gilgamesh are epic heroes because their journey and motivations fit what an epic hero stands for. They both fought monsters and both their motivation fit an epic hero. The seafarer isn’t an epic hero because his journey and motivation doesn’t correspond to one. He didn’t accomplish much and his motivation didn’t fit an epic hero.

Support Children Speech, Language and Communication

ASSESSMENT EIGHT The emotional environment that you create for children is as important as the physical environment. It is vital that all children – especially those with speech, language and communication needs – feel Review evidence about in your key factors that provide a comfortable, confident, secure and welcome the setting and that they have a sense of belonging and well-being. They need the support of adults who are sensitive to their needs and understand how supportive speech, language and communication important children’s well-being is to their learning. nvironment It is important to provide an environment that supports the building of relationships. Children spending time in small groups, with one key person, or in pairs, can gain from support to build their confidence. include: activities that involve a small group of children will provide opportunities to key factors Planning develop environment: Physical speech, language and communication skills thr ough repetition and good modelling of words and classroom you work in should have language displays e. g. connectives and how to use them. The sentences by the adult. Children who have difficulty in making themselves understood may regularly snatch toys from other children orand responsibilities: Staff roles disrupt activities because they are frustrated and cannot communicate their needs in any other way. Their emotional development specific rolessupported, and practitioners need example It is the responsibility of staff to carry out needs to be to encourage speech support, for to help them to develop more appropriate turn to for help when a child needs one. nowing when and where to communication methods. Labelling resources and quiet areas (as suggested above) also helps to improve the emotional environment. Children will be confident about where things are, and feel more secure. They will have Training needs and opportunities: somewhere to sit quietly if the hustleand language should be carried outtoo much at times. In the Trainings on how to support speech and bustle of the setting becomes from time to time. This may ‘Positive Relationships’ section, the importance of listening and responding to children with sensitivity be in form of a staff meeting. was discussed. Such a positive approach to children’s needs contributes to a supportive and effective emotionally balanced environment. Views of the child: Children views should be considered in handling matters pertaining their communicative well being as their views will go a long way in positively supporting their speech, language and communicative environment. Appropriate involvement of carers/parents. Meetings(which maybe official or unofficial) with carers/parents should be held from time to time as no other one knows the child better (apart from the teachers) than their carers and parents. -Other factors are:(A)Play and exploration: Children’s play reflects their wide ranging and varied interests and preoccupations. In their play children learn at their highest level. Play with peers is important for children’s development.