Living Like Weasels, Shooting An Elephant, And Virginia Woolf

The human is the most complex living being on the face of this earth, yet human roots are sometimes forgotten. Through Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, it is clear that animals are the brothers and sisters of the human race. In turn, human habits resemble those of all the living beings which creates unity between all walks of life, determining the same fate for all. A similar concept relates the three works: Living Like Weasels, Shooting an Elephant, and The Death of a Moth by Annie Dillard, George Orwell, and Virginia Woolf respectively. The authors explore the nature of such creatures in order to achieve a better understanding of their motives, all the while gaining insight on the cycle of life. Both Living Like Weasels by†¦show more content†¦Woolf paints a similar picture as the moth’s â€Å"legs agitated themselves once more...the enemy against which he struggled†¦was [somehow] opposed to the...moth...It was useless to do anything†¦One coul d only watch the extraordinary efforts made by those tiny legs against an oncoming doom,† being death (Woolf 195). This story parallels that of Orwell’s and explores the moments before the unavoidable force of death sweeps one away. The essays show that it is â€Å"useless† for anyone to do anything in this â€Å"powerless† state because the time has come. All one is left to do is to endure the pain as the senses are slowly removed and as he/she transitions onwards, displaying that change is also a part of the cycle of life, and one must develop patience and endurance to handle change. Moreover, Dillard’s and Woolf’s pieces investigates the process of death, the end of the cycle. Dillard believes that by â€Å"grasp[ing] your one necessity and not let[ting] it go, to dangle from it limp wherever it takes you. Then even death†¦cannot you part† (Dillard 66). In other words, one should seize their destiny till their body decomposes i n the ground,

Similarities And Differences Between Martin Luther King Jr...

Even after almost fifty-years, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X endure as cherished, powerful, and instrumental leaders in the Civil Rights Movement. Although they were advocating for the same cause, they were not always on the same page about the means. They were both ministers, although of different faiths, and had different thought processes. In his autobiography, Malcolm discusses his childhood in poverty and the ramifications that this caused such as dropping out of school in the eight-grade. Upon moving to Boston from Nebraska, Malcolm was in yet another disadvantaged environment that was interwoven with violence, eventually leading to his incarceration that lasted six years. Martin, however, was a well-educated man from a†¦show more content†¦When it came to violence, Martin opposed, feeling that there was a thin line between aggression and defense. He felt that violence would lead to death and a spiral, making things worse rather than fixing them. In Martinâ€⠄¢s ‘Where Do We Go From Here† speech from August 1967, he states â€Å"Through violence, you may murder a liar, but you can’t establish truth†¦ murder a hater, but you can’t murder hate... Darkness cannot put out darkness; only light can do that.† Malcolm on the other hand, spoke of self-preservation and self-defense. He saw the whites as the ones guilty of violence throughout history, and now it was the time for African-Americans to stand up for themselves. Martin felt that black Americans should be paid for the long history of oppression and should have equal rights. Although both men had experiences that shaped their different philosophies, once involved in Civil Rights they had similar experiences. Both men had seen and felt prejudice, been to jail, got death threats, homes attacked. The difference was how to respond to these instances. Martin wanted to get the prejudice and brutality in the spotlight, using non-violent means to cause an em otional reaction to spark change. Malcolm wanted African-Americans to take things into their own hands, with violence being a tool. Both men got their messages across through speeches, which were also different. Malcolm liked to get the people riled up, he wasShow MoreRelatedDifferences and Similarities Between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.866 Words   |  4 Pagesyou   compare   Martin   Luther   King   and   Malcolm   X,   you   will   know   instantly   that   this   is   true.   There   are   many   differences   between   the   two,   apart   from   the   striking   one:   that   Martin   Luther   King   was   a   very good   statesmen   who   delivered   moving   speeches   about   peace,   freedom   and   democracy   while   Malcolm   X   was   a   known   eradicator   of   those   who   were   not   of   the   superior   white   race.   The   beliefs   of   Martin   Luther   King   and   Malcolm   X   may   stem   from  Read MoreEssay Philosophies and Tactics of Dr. King and Malcolm X1492 Words   |  6 Pagesminorities. Among them, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X had an everlasting effect on the treatment of minorities in the United States. Although their philosophies and tactics differed greatly, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X helped shape the Civil Rights Movement and make the United States a better place for people regardless of their race. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X had different beliefs and goals for the Civil Rights Movement. While Martin Luther King Jr. took a more peacefulRead MoreCompare And Contrast Martin Luther King And Malcolm X1075 Words   |  5 PagesLeaders Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X were very huge leading figures during the Civil Rights movement. Though they had many differences, they had some similarities. Both men’s fathers were preachers and both men were religious preachers themselves. Dr. King and Malcolm X were around the same age and they were both assassinated. Coincidentally, both men had the same number of children and eventually they had the same ideologies for the Civil Rights Movement. However, Dr. King and Malcolm X wereRead MoreI Have A Dream Allusion Essay700 Words   |  3 Pages Martin Luther King Jr. portrays the message in his speech â€Å"I Have a Dream† that the Constitution guarantees to everyone the rights of equality and freedom no matter their skin color. In the speeches â€Å"I Have a Dream† by Martin Luther King Jr. and â€Å"The Gettysburg Address† by Abraham Lincoln, the authors, both use allusions similar and different from each other to convey the message that every one is guaranteed the rights of equality and freedom. A similarity in their use of allusions is that they bothRead MoreMalcolm X vs. Martin Luther King Jr.1723 Words   |  7 Pagesassemble a specific group of people, for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X it was the black community that needed to rise up in hopes of achieving equal rights and voting rights for the blacks. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were two of the most prominent leaders and orators at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement. Although both leaders possessed the same objectives, their outlooks and perspectives differed immensely. The main primary difference focused on their willingness to employRead MoreMalcolm X Vs. Martin Luther King Jr. Essay1717 Words   |  7 Pagesa specific group of people, for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X it was the black community that needed to rise up in hopes of achieving equal rights and voting rights for the blacks. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were two of the most prominent leaders and orators at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement. Although both leaders possessed the same objectives, their outlooks and perspectives differed immensely. The main primary difference focused on their willingness to employRead MoreMartin Luther King Jr. vs. Malcolm X1263 Words   |  6 Pages* Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X are two people on different ends of the scales, with totally different up-bringings. * King was brought up by a rich black family,with a good education, and a good chance at life. He was a black aristocrat, and a wealthy man. * Malcolm X was brought up in the ghetto, and had to learn to defend himself against racist white children. He was deptived of his father, who was found dead, murdered by a white mob. His mother became mentally ill so he wasRead MoreMartin Luther King And Malcolm X988 Words   |  4 Pagesand why the way we are today. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X are two very great examples and representations for this. What people do not realize is that there are a lot of similarities and differences between Malcolm and Martin. Martin was born and raised as a middle classes men and was extremely educated. On the other hand, Malcolm was not raised like Malcolm at all. Malcolm grew up in a deplorable environment and no school was around for Malcolm. Martin believed that violence was neverRead MoreMalcolm X : An Influential Leader Of The Civil Rights Era1556 Words   |  7 PagesMalcolm X was one of the most influential leaders of the civil rights era, along with Martin Luther King Jr. I have chosen this speech because I think it shows prime examples of rhetoric. This speech was very important to the people of the civil rights movement as it motivated and empowered them not to back down and to fight back with force. He was adamant in his resistance to white oppression and very militant in his actions. He both invigorated and separated the African Americans throughRead MoreCompare And Contrast Martin Luther King And Religion1219 Words   |  5 PagesEarly on in his famous letter, Martin Luther King Jr. writes: â€Å"I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership conference† (King 2). In a similar fashion, Malcolm X states in the third paragraph of his speech: â€Å"Although I am still a Muslim, I’m not here to discuss my religion† (X 24). Both making their religions clear, but the way they approach religion in the two texts are starkly different from one another. Both, in a way, touch on religion in such a way to respond

Mandatory Child Development and Parenting Classes Free Essays

There should be a law prohibiting teenage pregnancy.   It would be impossible to make such a law, since the country’s prisons would be filled with fifteen year-old-mothers. A law should, however, be made requiring mandatory child development and parenting classes before high school graduation. We will write a custom essay sample on Mandatory Child Development and Parenting Classes or any similar topic only for you Order Now The statistics concerning teenage pregnancy are frightening.   One teenager each minute becomes pregnant, in 2004 420,000 babies were born to teenage mother in the United States, and 67% of teenage mothers drop out of high school (Horizon Solutions, 2006). Three out of ten girls get pregnant before the age of twenty at an average of 750,000 girls per year (National Campaign, 2006). Girls as young as thirteen are becoming parents and often with no support from the equally young and inexperienced fathers.   The grandparents are then either forced to raise their grandchildren or the young unprepared girls are forced to give up their future plans to become parents much too early.  Most schools in the nation currently offer child development and parenting classes as electives for those who are interested in childcare.   Since most young teenagers will eventually become parents, however, it should be mandatory to prepare them for their future roles. Most public schools in the United States teach sexual education, which includes ways to prevent pregnancy.   Unfortunately, this has not significantly decreased the occurrences of teenage pregnancy.   When compared to the statistics of teenagers in other countries the united States ranks high in the number of pregnancies, because of the differences in how teenagers are prepared for parenting and the expectations for them (Guttmacher).   Part of the differences are that the young people in other countries are not taught to be ashamed to admit to having sex and are taught to be more responsible about preventing pregnancy.   In this country many adults are uncomfortable talking to their children about sex (Coloroso 228). The better young people are educated about and prepared for male-female relationships in early adolescence the less likely they are to give in to peer pressure (Campbell 51). In most schools, no student can graduate without learning about American History, government, English or science.   Students are taught how to have children and usually how to prevent it, but it is not required for them to learn how to care for the children after they have them.   Unless they come from large families, many young people have no idea how much responsibility is required in caring for an infant.   If they did, maybe they would take more precautions to avoid this until they were ready for the responsibility.   If a law was made to make it mandatory for all freshman high school students to take child development and parenting classes, all teenagers would have a better understanding of the responsibilities involved.   This would make them more likely to take better precautions to avoid teenage pregnancy. Parenting is not easy at any age, but when parenting is combined with dating, and trying to finish high school, it can be overwhelming.   When young girls discover they are about to become a parent, they can go through a range of emotions.   Some do not want to take on the responsibility of parenting.   These girls are faced with the difficult choice of abortion or adoption.   If she chooses to put her child up for adoption, she and the father both have to sign their parental rights over to the adoptive parents (Gay 6).  Ã‚   Some of the girls feel happy about having a baby they may see it as playing house or as an accomplishment (American Academy, 2004).   These girls have no real idea how much responsibility is involved in caring for infants.   They often like the idea of caring for someone. The problem is the people who are currently taking the elective parenting courses are usually the ones who know something about caring for infants and are interested in the subject.   These people already know a little of the responsibility and often are the ones least likely to be teen parents. By making the classes mandatory, those who think it is like playing house or have no idea about babies will get more information.   Many of these classes teach students what to expect throughout the first few years of life.   Infants especially in the first weeks of life need very much of the parent’s time and can be exhausting, and they cry a great deal (Preston 11).   The average day in the life of a mother with an infant consists of waking at approximately 3:00 a.m. and getting very little rest until late the next night.    It involves diaper changes, feedings and constant attention to someone helpless and fragile (O’Callahan 66). When the young people actually begin to realize what life is like for a parent, they can see the consequences of being careless in sexual relationships.   In recent years a new trend has become part of child development class.   Many schools have started using programmable dolls, which cry during the night, need changed, fed and held.   These dolls are amazingly lifelike and can provide young people an idea of what it is really like to be a parent (Memorial Community, n.d.). Teaching young people what parenting is like is sometimes more effective than teaching them methods of birth control or about the risks of disease.   In addition to the dolls, child development and parenting courses teach young people how to cope when they do have children. The good news is the message is getting out.   The number of teenagers age fifteen to nineteen who have reported having sex has decreased by just over 13% since 1991 and the number of teen pregnancies has dropped by 36% in the same amount of time (National Campaign, 2006).   There was a trend in the country for a while where teens were not afraid for parents to know they were having sex, but they did not have enough facts to keep from getting pregnant.   With the increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases, the education about the use of contraception has helped teenagers become more responsible about using birth control to avoid disease and thus pregnancy. If all school districts were mandated to require these classes using the teaching dolls and statistics as a requirement for graduation like they do math and science, students might have a better knowledge of what it takes to be parents.   This would help them know they wanted to wait until they were ready to have children.   It could teach them the financial, emotional and physical requirements involved in having and raising children.   Education is the key to knowledge and knowledge is required to make responsible choices.   In order to teach the teenagers in the United States to make responsible choices, there needs to be a law requiring the system to educate them. Works Cited Campbell, Dr. Ross. How to Really Love Your Child. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1988 Coloroso, Barbara. Kids Are Worth It. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1994 Gay, Kathlyn. Abortion Understanding the Debate. Berkeley Heights: Enslow Publishers, Inc., 2004 â€Å"MCH Foundation Partners With Schools to Provide â€Å"Baby Think it Over† Dolls.† Memorial Community Hospital and Health System, 1 May 2007 http://www.mchhs.org/news/BabyThinkitOver.htm Preston, Penny. What Every Mother Needs to Know About Her Baby’s First Year. Portland, Maine: Ronnie Sellers Productions, Inc. 2006 â€Å"Reality Works Infant Simulator and Real Care Parenting Program.† 18 September 2006 Horizon Solutions Site, 1 May 2007http://www.solutions-site.org/artman/publish/article_47.shtml O’Callahan, Kitty. â€Å"A Day in the Life of a Mom.† Baby Talk September 2005: 66-7 â€Å"Sex Education: Needs, Programs and Policies.†December2006.TheGuttmacher Institute 1 May 2007 http://www.guttmacher.org/presentations/sex_ed.pdf The National Organization to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. 1 May 2007. http.www.teenpregnancy.org â€Å"When Children Have Children.† July 2004, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1 May 2007 http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name =When+Children+Have+Childrension=Facts+For+Families How to cite Mandatory Child Development and Parenting Classes, Essay examples

Small Group Theories free essay sample

Theories are built when we observe a phenomenon and witness a repeated pattern of events for which warrant explanation. Theory is simply the organization of information to explain and ultimately predict a phenomenon. A scientific theory allows us to make reasonably precise predictions. Theory: A Practical Approach to Group Communication Theory helps us recognize the presence of conditions that call for certain actions. Explanatory Function helps to understand a process and the ways in which different facets of it are related. (diagnosis) helps make sense of the processes involved when people interact with others in a group. Communication is the driving force that moves groups toward their goals. Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of Small Group Communication Small group theory attempts to explain and predict small group phenomena. Social Exchange Theory Groups remain attractive to their members as long as the rewards of group membership exceed the costs. Rewards include fellowship, job satisfaction, achievement, status, goal achievement, personal need fulfillment. Costs include frustration, mental effort, anxiety, embarrassment. Cohesiveness and Productivity are directly related to how rewarding the group experience is to its members. Rules Theory For successful communication to take place, group members must share followable, prescriptive rules that structure their interaction. Rules can be understood as if-then statements. Underlying principle is a condition-action structure of rules. A Rule is a followable prescription that indicates what behavior is obligated, preferred, or prohibited in certain contexts. Group theory and research refers to rules as norms. Once established, group norms direct the groups activities. Understanding rules theory and its application to small groups can help you to encourage norms which are productive and avoid those that are dysfunctional. Systems Theory The small group is an open system composed of interdependent elements-that receives input, processes the input, and yields anoutput. Systems theory provides the most prevalent approach to the study of small groups. It represents the most promising perspective on small group communication (flexible, large # of variables that influence small group interaction). Symbolic Convergence Theory Group members develop a group consciousness and identity through the sharing of fantasies or stories which are often chained together and have a common theme. Explains how certain types of communication shape a groups identity and culture, which in turn influence other dynamics such as norms, roles, and decision making. Over time groups develop a collective consciousness with shared emotions, motives, and meanings. A fantasy theme consists of the common or related content of the stories the group tells. A fantasy chain is a string of connected stories that revolve around a common theme. Structuration Theory People use rules and resources in interaction to structure social systems. Helps explain why and how groups develop the rules and behavior patterns they adopt. Especially useful in helping understand group communication within broader organizational cultures. New Technologies and Small Group Communication Theory New information technologies are restructuring how we communicate. Group Decision Support System (GDSS) any computer-based information system used to support intellectual collaborative work. GDSSs include technological support for agenda setting, rules for discussion (parliamentary procedure), and communication technologies that allow multiple users to interact simultaneously. New technologies will increasingly reshape how groups make decisions and solve problems. Technology does not necessarily result in any particular group outcome; it is how the group works technology into its interaction that has the impact. A Descriptive Approach to Small Group Communication The constellation model is a comprehensive framework that suggests features and relationships critical to an understanding of small group communication. The framework depicts small group communication as a constellation of variables, each related to every other. Communication establishes and maintains the relationships among these essential variables. The seven essential variables are communication, leadership, goals, norms, roles, cohesiveness, and situation. Small group communication theory seeks to explain the relationships among these and other variables and to make predictions based on such explanations. Putting Principles into Practice Scientific theories explain consistencies in communicative behavior that researchers have observed within small groups. Theories allow us to predict the probable consequences of various actions. Observe groups of which you are a member. As you do apply the following theories: Social exchange theory to describe satisfaction levels. Systems theory to organize interpretations of group actions. Symbolic convergence theory to understand the group personality (rules, roles, decision making). Structuration theory- to increase your influence in any group. The practicality of our theories is measured only by how we can use them to be more effective group leaders, members, and scholars. Exercises List of Informal Theories about Ordinary Day Rules that Govern Behavior in Groups: If . . . Then The Importance of Situation (context) Class Simulation