Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life :: Essays

Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell was born in London on Setpember 29th, 1810 to William and Elizabeth Stevenson. Her father William was a former Unitarian minister who, after retiring from the ministry, â€Å"combined farming, writing, and teaching before being appointed Keeper of the Records to the Treasury" (Allott 10). Her mother, Elizabeth died just over a year after giving birth and, consequently, while still an infant, Gaskell was sent off to live with her aunt, Hannah Lumb who resided in Heathside, Knutford. Throughout her young life, up until her 1832 marriage, Gaskell lived in various places around England including Stratford-on-Avon, where she received some education, Newcastle, Edinburgh, and Manchester. It was in Manchester that she met her husband, William Gaskell, a minister’s assistant, â€Å"who was eventually to [become] Senior Minister and remain at Cross Street [Unitarian Chapel in Manchester] for the rest of a long, active life (Allott 11).† From 1832 to 1848, after her marriage to William Gaskell, Mrs. Gaskell lived a life of domesticity, giving birth to 6 children, with 4 surviving. Besides raising the 4 surviving children, Gaskell worked with her husband to aid, comfort, and minister to the poor of Manchester. In 1845, Gaskell suffered the haunting loss of her only son to scarlet fever at just nineteen months old. With the encouragement of her husband, Gaskell turned her grief towards writing, and her literary career began. Over the course of her literary career, Gaskell wrote â€Å"six novels, several nouvelles, a biography, about thirty short stories, a number of sketches and articles, and a few poems (Allott 8).† The novels, in chronological order were Mary Barton (1848), Cranford (1853), Ruth (1853), North and South (1855), Slyvia’s Lovers (1863), and Cousin Phillis (1864). The biography was of her good friend and fellow authoress, Charlotte Brontà «, The Life of Charlotte Brontà « (1857). Gaskell’s career included two controversies, one over her portrayal of the fallen woman in society in Ruth the other over accusations of libel from portrayals in The Life of Charlotte Brontà «. Despite these controversies, Gaskell remained a popular literary figure throughout her life, even enjoying a friendship and working relationship with perhaps the most popular writer of the day, Charles Dickens, to whose Household Words publication she became a frequent contributor. When Gaskell passed away in 1865, The Athenaeum â€Å"rated [Gaskell] ‘if not the most popular, with small question, the most powerful and finished female novelist of an epoch singularly rich in female novelists’(Victorian Web).

Health Care and Tort Reform Essay -- Medical Malpractice Claims

Rising health care costs have caused a national crisis, and all agree we must embrace reform. President Obama has initiated his national health care plan in the hopes of decreasing some of the inflated costs. When attempting to resolve this issue, one must always address the root of the problem. A large portion of these inflationary costs stem from malpractice lawsuits, and so begins the debate for tort reform: legislation which would cut the costs of health care by reducing the risk of civil litigation and exposure to fraudulent claims (â€Å"What†). However, the real factor at hand and the real cause of the industry’s high costs does not come solely from the cost incurred from these lawsuits, but from over-expenditures on the part of doctors, who over-test and over-analyze so as to safeguard themselves from the threat of malpractice lawsuits. Thus, large public support exists for tort reform. While the proposed legislation enacted through tort reform could cut the c osts of health care and positively transform the industry, it is ultimately unconstitutional and could not withstand judicial scrutiny. The crisis centers around malpractice lawsuits. When patients can sue doctors and come away with unreasonable profits, doctors must invest great sums in insurance to cover these lawsuits; additionally, to avoid any claim of malpractice, they feel compelled to overanalyze routine ailments, often investing great sums of money to rule out rare afflictions (Studdert). The impact of these procedures spikes health care costs by as much as 30% (Kimbuende), putting affordable health care out of reach for many, while benefiting parties profiting from the excessive lawsuits. Tort reform aims to eliminate these extraneous costs th... ...Scientific Publications, LLC., 2005. Web. 28 May 2010. . Studdert, David M. "Defensive Medicine Among High-Risk Specialist Physicians in a Volatile Malpractice Environment, June 1, 2005, Studdert Et Al. 293 (21): 2609." JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, a Weekly Peer-reviewed Medical Journal Published by AMA. American Medical Association, 1 June 2005. Web. 31 May 2010. . "The United States Constitution - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net." The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net. Steve Mount, 2010. Web. 28 May 2010. . What Is Tort Reform, Anyway? A User-Friendly Guide. 31 Oct. 2003. Web. 28 May 2010. .

Saving Private Ryan by Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed 1998 war film Saving Private Ryan tells the story of the search for Private James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon), an American soldier missing in Normandy, France, during the Second World War. Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) receives orders to assemble a group of soldiers to find the fourth son of the Ryan family, who have received notification on the same day of the death of three of their sons while in action. The film opens with an aged veteran visiting the American Cemetery in Normandy with his wife, children and grandchildren. He falls to his knees and breaks down in tears at the graveside of a fallen comrade. The film then cuts to a twenty-five minute sequence which has become the focus of much close analysis and critical commentary. The reconstruction of the US landings on Omaha Beach on the 6 June 1944, at the beginning of the Normandy invasion, places the viewer at the centre of the bloody onslaught, as machine-guns fire mercilessly into the bodies of the soldiers as they make they way forward into German defences. Bodies are ripped apart (a soldier holds his exposed intestines), limbs fly in the air (a soldier bends down to pick up his lost arm), bodies catch fire, and the ceaseless unnerving rattle of gun fire, represent a stunningly powerful and vivid experience for the film’s viewers. â€Å"The intense and fearful exhilaration created by a freely and rapidly moving camera is central. The graphic realism of the sequence; with the continuous jerky movement of hand-held cameras, capturing the madness and confusion of the battle; and the painstaking attention to gory detail, with blood and water splashing the camera lens, was to be heralded by many as one of Spielberg’s defining cinematic achievements. Hendrik Hertzberg wrote on the film’s release in ‘The New Yorker’: â€Å"What makes â€Å"Saving Private Ryan† utterly distinctive is the sense that it has no agenda other than to capture the experience of being a combat soldier in the last global war. The vivid depiction of death and injury experienced by Captain Miller, as he succeeds in leading his company of Rangers at Omaha Beach, sets the tone for the remaining two hours of the film, as the viewer follows him in his next mission to find and return James Ryan to his mother. Captain Miller assembles seven men for the task, and the soldiers move into Normandy’s neighbouring Neuville. Private Carpazo (Vin Diesel) is the group’s first victim, when he is shot dead by a German sniper. With tempers fraying and internal mistrust building, the locating of James Frederick Ryan, the wrong soldier, leads to further dissent. However Captain Miller finally discovered Ryan’s whereabouts, in Ramelle, following a chance meeting with one of his friends. On the way to Ryan the soldiers loose their second victim, Wade (Giovanni Ribisi), and Miller’s leadership is again questioned when he prevents a surrendered German being shot by one of his men, named Reiben, (Edward Burns), and sets him free. Captain Miller succeeds in reasserting trust, confidence and comradeship in the group by revealing personal details about his past and origins, including his position as an English teacher. Susan Hayward writes: â€Å"the gore of war is matched by the unheralded heroism of an individual who stands for humanity. † When the group of remaining soldier finally reach Ramelle they find American paratroopers, including Ryan, defending the town from advancing German troops with very few soldiers. When told of their mission, and the death of his brothers, Ryan refuses to stand down, instead courageously heading for the bridge which will need to be held, asking Miller and his men to join him. As the German tanks arrive, Miller reluctantly agrees and takes command of the few soldiers. Heavily outnumbered, malnourished and exhausted, most of Captain Miller’s men are fatally injured. Spielberg again graphically visualises the horror of war as one man is stabbed, another shot in the throat, and another shot down with repeated unrelenting gun fire. Spielberg uses camera distancing and focal points as a means to involve the viewer within the frantic action of this battle sequence. The knowledge that somewhere above snipers prey on the men is constantly drawn upon. Captain Miller himself is eventually shot down and soon dies in the arms of Ryan as backup arrives too late from another American infantry. The town is saved, but only three men, including Ryan, survive. As the film ends the veteran at the graveside of Captain Miller is revealed to be James Ryan. He stands to attention and salutes the American flag, which lies on the grave, acknowledging his comrade’s sacrifice and honour in his own and his country’s name. Saving Private Ryan received much critical acclaim, including eleven Academy Award nominations. Steven Spielberg achieved the Best Director award, Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski and film editor Michael Kahn’s contribution to the film’s brutal realism was also acknowledged by the Academy. Produced with an estimated budget of â€Å"$70 000 000† Saving Private Ryan was theatrically released by Paramount Pictures, and distributed by Spielberg’s Production Company DreamWorks, andmade â€Å"$30, 576, 104† on its opening weekend alone. The continued popularity of the film, by audiences and critics, and what has led many to label the film as the best War film ever made, is attributable to the timelessness of the visual effects and memorable scenes (most notably the opening Omaha sequence, and the final battle for the bridge). The historical accuracy and artistic license of the film has been invariably considered in the decade following the release of Saving Private Ryan, but the consensus is that the style and form of the film ensure a powerful and captivating, if harrowing, experience for any viewer. It is a film which places audiences at the centre of the narrative; viewers are â€Å"encouraged to review and consider what they see- and, if point-of-view matters, to contemplate why. † As with his earlier graphic Holocaust film Schindler’s List (1993), Steven Spielberg ambition is to exceed visual entertainment, using reconstructive dramatisation as a means to ‘experience’ the unimaginable in a wholly believable way.

ICT Database

My client, (full time DJ) Mr. I. C. H. Cheezeburger has just been employed by Avenue Q, a newly opened club in the west end. He is currently having problems organising his very vast and varied, music collection. He currently organizes his collection manually using index cards. This proves extremely impractical, as they are often mislaid, and he is forced to start again, creating even more work than necessary. Clients Background. My client was born on 5th May 1985 in Chelsea. He went to Dun Raven in Streatham; he was bullied at school, until in year 10 he moved to St William Perkins all boys' school. Where he excelled in, Music and, Performing arts. He later took a level performing arts, music, ICT, and Textiles. He went on to university, but was expelled after three months. He was interested in dj-ing since a young age, and went on to do it in his spare time, and then constantly after being expelled from university. He then helped out at local venues, at low key parties and occasions. He then went on to take an apprenticeship, and started charging for his services. He then bought his own flat in Woking, with a small studio, where he could focus constantly on his DJ-ing. He has been employed by various clubs such as â€Å"wicked†, â€Å"Lyyne† â€Å"Chameleon† and most recently â€Å"Avenue Q†. His intentions are to raise enough money to be able to go back to university. Identifying the user My client will be the main user of the system, but I will occasionally use the system to check for updates and any possible faults. Statement of the problem My client currently organizes his music collection manually, using index cards and other pieces of paper. This is organised by Artist name. But this proves inadequate and time consuming, as he often loses his lists, resulting in him having to write it all out again. Using valuable time, that could be spent doing something more constructive. Manual solution considered My client could keep his current method of index cards, (organised via artist name) which can prove sometimes useful, as technology can sometimes crash, or have faults. On the other hand index cards can be often lost, resulting the time consuming task of re-writing them all out. Another manual solution would be to use folders to organise his collection, (organised either by artist name, or song name) this is more effective than index cards as they are large, and easier to keep track of. But, could result in a large amount of space being taken up, as the folder collection, would have to be extremely large. Two alternative software solutions considered Mr Cheezeburger could use itunes to organize his music collection, as it is user friendly and very easy to use. Contrariwise to be able to use itunes QuickTime and safari must be downloaded using up more memory, causing the system to be slower, also, an itunes library cannot be transferred to multiple computers in a short space of time. MS Excel could also be used, as it is easy to use, and the cells can be filtered and things can be located quickly and easily. On the other hand it is easy to make errors, and they effect the system long term. Proposed solution justified I have chosen to use MS access because it is easy to use, and it is simple to find things using queries and searches. At least 3 Quantitative objectives identified * Database must be password protected * Search Info Easily * User friendly way of entering data

Week One Ethics Development

The ethical system is built from many theories. Utilitarianism teaches to â€Å"do† the right things in life. Deontology follows dictations and commandments from the bible. The virtue theory contains the development of personal characteristics. It is interesting to know how a person develops morals and values and why everyone is different. Utilitarianism in ethics is the theory that the rightness or wrongness of an action is determined by its usefulness in bringing about the most happiness of all those affected by it. The word utilitarianism comes from the Greek word telos, which means â€Å"end†. Under this direction, acting ethically means making decisions and taking actions that benefit the people by maximizing â€Å"good† and minimizing â€Å"bad† (danielsfund. org). Englishmen Jerry Bentham and John Stuart Mill were too of the most influential developers of the utilitarian view point. Utilitarianism focuses on the pursuit of happiness. Another theory is the deontology moral theory. While utilitarianism revolves around the concept of â€Å"the end justifies the means†, and deontology works on a concept that â€Å"the ends does not justify the means†. Deontology is another moral theory that is dependent on the Scriptures, which may refer to rules, moral laws, and intuition. It is based on the Greek word â€Å"deon† and â€Å"logos† meaning, â€Å"the study of duty†. In other words deontology is based on the idea that we have a duty to do certain things and to not do certain things. For example, if a person refuses to shoot someone because they feel they have a duty to follow the commandment â€Å"Thou shalt not kill†. This sentence becomes a rule that the person lives by. Deontologist have strong feelings about the words â€Å"right† and â€Å"good†. Rights have to do with actions. Good has to do with outcomes. They feel that â€Å"right† is the only consideration. Deontologist are people who freely choose to accept certain constraints and who decide what is right by looking at the nature of the act itself. Some establish rules, such as keep your promises, do not kill, etc. and some follow God’s commandments. They do not look at the consequences as a rule and sometimes find themselves in difficult situations. Deontologists face more problems then conflicting duties. They are sometimes accused of being cold hearted moral machines that ignore the world around them. There are many disputes with this moral theory because people question if they are being ethical by doing what God says because they want to go to heaven. There is a difference between being obedient and being ethical. Another fascinating theory is the virtue theory. The virtue theory is different from utilitarianism and deontology. Many philosophers believe that morality consists of following precisely defined rules of conduct. Virtue theorists place less emphasis on learning rules, instead stress the importance of developing good habits of character. The virtue theory emphasizes moral education since virtuous character traits are developed in one’s youth. Adults are responsible for instilling virtues in the young. There are certain traits which are seen to be virtuous. For example, a few are wisdom, courage, justice and temperance. Virtue ethics can be seen as an ethics of personal development. People can develop virtues over time, and so in theory, grow into a better person. The virtue theory describes the position of my morality on a personal level. My parents taught me right from wrong and how to be a good person. They were my role models and I am the person that I am today because of them. They taught me that stealing is worng, and to respect others. These things are in the bible an my family believes in God but for me that was not the first that I react to when I make a decision. My decision making is guided by characteristics and the virtues that are installed in me. When I was younger I made many terrible decisions but now that I am older and wiser I make better decisions. For example, one day I was leaving Wal-Mart and I noticed that my daughter which is two years old had a toy in her stroller that was not paid for. I immediately went back inside to pay for the item. Because I have great parents that was raised with the good morals and values I will honor them by installing those traits into my children so they will become good people and grow up to be successful in life. Deontology moral theory works for individuals who are obedient and utilitarianism is great for someone who believes in taking action for the good of all. The virtue theory will work for someone who has strong and positive role models in their life. All three of these theories are great ways to incorporate good values and morals. Finding the one the best fits a person’s lifestyle is a challenge.

Education and Qualifications

I have successfully completed an Introducing Childminding Practice course, which is a part of CACHE Level 3 Certificate in Childminding Practice. Currently I am studying for a Teaching Assistant course via Distance Learning College, which is a NCFE Level 3 Accredited course. Experience/knowledge/skills I have a year experience in working as a Nursery Assistant for a private nursery. I have also been volunteering for past 6 months in a Toddler Group for a Charitable organisation. As a Nursery Assistant I have an experience of working and caring for children under various age groups ranges from 6 months old babies to 5 years old preschoolers. I had to be a hands-on member of a staff team who provide a caring, motivating and safe environment in which babies and young children are supported and encouraged to achieve their full potential. I had to provide full practical support in the day to day running of the nursery. As a Nursery Assistant I had to develop good knowledge of children and learn what makes them happy and engaged in activities. I had to gain knowledge of being able to instruct them in a way that they can readily understand. Whilst I have good understanding of caring and supporting children from work experience, I also have an experience of being a mother of 3 children (including twins). So over the years I have developed a good understanding of early childhood development and learning. Until recently I had chosen to leave my full-time employment to concentrate on raising a young family. As a part of my role as Nursery Assistant , I had been provided with training to ensure the provision of a high quality environment to meet the needs of individual children from differing cultures and religious backgrounds and stages of development. There are many legislation, policies and codes of practices for supporting children and young people in the UK. Legislations such as the health and safety act Work Act, Data protection Act and Children Act are some of the main and important legislations for the schools and nurseries. I understand that under the health and safety at work Act I have a responsibility to make sure that I carry out my duties safely without risking myself, children, visitors and other staffs. I also have to cooperate with others who have duties for health and safety by reporting any unsafe practices. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe by the schools and child care providers. There have been recent changes as simpler framework for the EYFS was published on 27 March 2012, for implementation from 1 September 2012. The new EFYS framework sets a number of improvements such as simplifying the statutory assessment of children’s development and reducing the number of early learning goals from 69 to 17. It puts a stronger emphasis on the three prime areas which are most essential for children’s healthy development, which are communication and language, physical, and personal, social and emotional development. In my previous role as Nursery Assistant my duties also included acting as a key worker for children, monitoring their progress and sharing information about their development with their parents. I also had specific child care tasks around the preparation and completion of activities to suit the child’s stage of development. I am IT literate and able to use word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Internet and Email. I am fluent (both written and spoken) in Punjabi and Hindi language. I have an ability to work well on own initiative and demonstrate a self-reliant required to work in pressurised working environments. I am also a good team player with the ability to understand group dynamics and always keen to learn and adapt to new ideas, innovations. I am fortunate for having valuable experience both from my professional and personal life for working with children and ensuring that they are cared for in a happy, safe and stimulating environment. Now I am looking for a position that offers further knowledge, experience and long term career development opportunities. I feel I have the compassion for and understand of young pupils needs which would enable me to succeed in being an effective learning assistant. While I was in India, I taught at a primary school for over 3 years. My work there helped me to develop my teaching skills. I supported the development of my pupils, literacy and innumeracy skills, giving more confidence. I kept written records of pupil’s progress and was better able to support them through these reports. My reports also allowed me to look at each of my pupils individually, giving them support when and where it was needed. Through my work I have also developed an understanding of the factors affecting children’s learning. For example, my job at the early years involved planning activities, documents the progress of the children, playing with the children, supervising, reporting to the manger and meeting up with parents, working with group of children and with individual children, monitoring and display children’s work and attending staff meetings. Throughout I used my verbal and written communication skills. I feel it is important to gain the relevant training to be able to support a child’s to highest standard. Last month I just started volunteer with Rebecca cheetham nursery age group is 3 to 5 and I am gain more work experience with that age of group. I learn more about children development and health and safety which is really good experience for me. In that sitting they preparing the children for school. I am prepared to undertake any other relevant training being offered me. I am able to work calmly and with patience. In my role as a child care worker, I understand full barriers to children’s learning and development. The barriers of learning can be visual impairment, learning difficulties, health issues, lack of confidence and low self esteem. I regard pupils as individual in their own right and respect and value each and every one. This sets a good example for the pupils to learn. Pupils learn from adult, from example, if the pupils see that I hold door open for another member of staff and other member of staff replies by saying Thank you, the pupils see that we respect each other and therefore will follow this example. I strongly believe that education should be accessible to every one and that every pupil has the right to be included. For example: a pupil I have worked with has poor motor skills and poor hand and eye-coordination, therefore the pupil needed to use a thicker pencil and other tool. With in my role I make sure that my setting is inclusive and where every one feels welcome and where the pupil can focus on their learning. Having considered my personal characteristics and previous work experience, I believe I have that right attitude to carry out the roles and responsibilities required for the post. I know I will vary effective in this a role. I have the right blend of personal qualities, such as; being supportive, patient and respectful, people orientated and have huge amount of motivation. I feel I am ready for the challenge and would maintain high standards role at your school.

Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescent Females and Males Essay

Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescent Females and Males - Essay Example In fact, each disorder or ailment needs to be examined from the inside first – this will provide necessary information on the origins of the disorder and factors that might cause, increase or reduce it. Being aware of internal mechanisms of disorder development, specialist will be able to affect needed details of an adolescent’s psyche. For instance, in our case, knowing of the impact of parent’s support or criticism on development of body dissatisfaction, one is able to define positive parental relations and support as one of the protective factors.According to the data provided in the article, body dissatisfaction issues related to such appearance aspects as shape or weight are rather widespread especially in the Western society. The level of body dissatisfaction reaches 46% in girls and 26% in boys, while the percentage of adolescents satisfied with their appearance is rather low: 12% of girls and 17% of boys (Presnell). While compared in adolescent girls and boys, body dissatisfaction details have both common and distinctive features. First, according to the article, it is historically predetermined that thinness has always been considered more important aspect of female beauty standards. In other words, thinness has been perceived as a key criterion of women’s appearance. In boys, this has predominantly been weight and muscles. Another difference between boys and girls regarding body dissatisfaction lies in the effect of media on their perception of their bodies.