Analyzing Protagonists Journey Towards Self Awareness English Literature Essay

Analyzing Protagonists Journey Towards Self Awareness English Literature Essay The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Emma by Jane Austen, and My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok are three novels that have come to be known as important literary works that share certain similarities in regard to the development of the characters over the course of the story. The three protagonists struggle with different issues that however all relate to their status in their respective society. Emma, Huckleberry Finn and Asher face similar emotional challenges as they grow and mature on a psychological level. In addition to this, the characters are also similar in their position towards their social positions and status within society. For instance, Emma is portrayed as a young, beautiful, smart, rich and widely adored young woman whose many blessings are however the main cause of her flawed character that develops and matures consequential to her interactions with others. Asher Lev is on the other hand from a strict Jewish community; a background that complicates hi s life as he is not able to find a balance between his love for art and his religious responsibilities. This inner conflict influences his journey towards self-awareness. Huckleberry Finns life is harsher and more challenging than the previously mentioned characters which makes him grow up to be cynical and suspicious of his society; an attitude that transforms him into both an independent person as well as a social outcast In short, the three novels share many similarities in regard to the growth of the characters. The theme of the protagonists journey towards self-awareness is especially brought to the foreground through the authors adoption of specific literary techniques such as characterization and setting. The understanding of the characters journey towards self-awareness is enabled through the setting. The setting of Huckleberry Finn is in the South during the period before the abolition of slavery. The protagonist grows to witness the harsh and brutal reality of slavery and the peoples reluctance to abandon it nevertheless which impacts his perception of morality and leads him to conclude that his own onions and ethical choices are what really matter. Emmas development is also influenced by her social setting. She is situated in a small town where everybody knows, respects and loves her. She is recognized as an important social figure which initially confined her and led her to rely on her imagination as a way of escaping her reality which explains her love for matchmaking. Matchmaking forced her however to become aware of the significance of her actions and their consequences and opened her eyes to reality. Last, Asher Levs setting is the most confined of all three. His Hasidic Jewi sh origins and his position within the upper class of the community place many responsibilities on his shoulders at a time when his love for art leads him to reject and neglect everything around him. This confinement motivates him to move to Paris where he is able to develop and become more perceptive as a result of the newly acquired independence. This is how the setting influences the transformation of the characters in the three novels. Characterization is another important literary technique used in the three literary works to illuminate the protagonists independent journey towards maturity. For example, Huckleberrys personality is presented as different from the beginning of the novel: The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would civilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways; and so when I couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t stand it no longer I lit out. I got into my old rags and my sugar-hogshead again, and was free and satisfied. (Twain, 2007, p. 2) This highlights how the protagonists thoughts and attitude were different from those of other children from a young age and lead him to grow up to be the independent and secluded man who rejects his societys perception of morality. This does without doubt influence his journey towards self-awareness. Emmas character is on the other hand full of contradictions. She is presented as charming and beautiful yet manages to appear arrogant and selfish at other moments which make her behave superior in regard to some people in her life. This contradiction in her personality is however what leads to her emotional and mental growth as she becomes aware of her shortcomings and attempts to correct them. Last, Asher Levs character is similar to Emmas in one regard: selfishness. He is presented as a character who is much more concerned with himself than the impact of his actions on others. This creates conflict between him and his family. Asher is not able to come to find a way to balance between his responsibilities and his love for art.(Potok,1972, chapter 6) His flawed character lead s him to make several mistakes that enable him to learn at the end how to balance between his loyalty to his community and his love for artistic expression. This is a sign of emotional growth and development towards self-awareness and is also reflected in his art. It can be therefore concluded that the personal characteristics of Asher and Emma are among the main reasons behind their growth as a result of the conflict they bring about which leads these characters to become more perceptive of their flaws. In conclusion, it is thus evident that the three characters of Huckleberry Finn, Emma and Asher Lev go through different stages of development as a result of their interactions and perception of their social reality or as a direct consequence of the conflict their personal characteristics bring about in their life and interactions with others. Setting and characterization are thus two important literary devices within the novels of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Emma, and My Name is Asher Lev. They simply enable the reader to grasp the personality and motivations of the three different characters which sheds light on their journey towards self-awareness.

General Education Essay -- Economics

General Education Except for a brief contraction in the early 1990s, the higher education system in the United States has been growing steadily since the late 1970s. Roughly half of all Americans now have attended college at some point in their lives, and roughly a quarter hold a postsecondary degree.(In the United Kingdom, by contrast, less than 15 percent of the population goes to university.) There are 14.5 million students in American colleges and universities today. In 1975 there were a little over 11 million; in 1965 there were fewer than 6 million. And yet when a person in higher education talk about its conditions and its prospects, doom is often in their voices. There are three matters these people tend to worry about: the future of liberal arts college; the "collapse"(as its frequently termed) of the academic disciplines, particularly the humanities; and the seemingly intractable disparity between the supply of Ph.D.s and the demand for new faculty. There are more college student than ever. Why does the system feel to many of the people who work in it as though it is struggling? (Menand, Louis pg 219) Many people are flocking to college, but there not going there for a traditional liberal arts education. Liberal education is under siege. Critics, of whom there are many; call it an overpriced indulgence for the affluent few who do not have to worry about earning a living upon graduation. Fewer and fewer of today's undergraduates are pursuing the liberal arts, with most of them studying practical subjects like finance, marketing, real estate and pharmacy.(Rimer, Sara) Studying just the practical subjects makes very good sense to most people. Why bother studying things you won't use in your d... ...neral education classes for the most part are what people refer to as cake classes, which means easy grade. I personally like general education courses they help to round off a person's knowledge. It also serves as a break from your major courses. Some people may like to jump right into there major to make money fast; my personal preference is to become the most intelligent person I can in college so that I have more to offer later on in life.(This paragraph was taken from an earlier work of mine.) Works Cited Gould, Stephen Jay, ed. The Best American Essays 2002. NY: Houghton Muflin, 2002. Menand, Louis. "College: The End of the Golden Age." Ed. Stephen Jay Gould. 219-231. Rimer, Sara. "Justifying a Liberal Arts Education in Difficult Times." New York Times 19 Feb. 2003: B7 Vargas Llosa, Mario. "Why Literature?" Ed. Stephen Jay Gould. 295-308

Condom Availability in High Schools Essay

In 1991 the New York City Board of Education created a program to make condoms accessible to all high school students upon request. The program caused parental disagreement and the school board was taken to court. Parents claimed that making condoms available to students was a health service and could not be provided to students. The board argued that the condom plan was not a medical service. They explained it was one part of a comprehensive educational program that did not require direct parental consent. The school board lost the case. The program may have survived had the case been heard by the New York State Supreme Court â€Å"Massachusetts is the most significant, it is the highest court to address the issue, and it rejects,†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ the claim that condom availability interferes with parental liberties† (Karen Mahler). In 1977 the United States denied a New York State Law prohibiting the distribution or sale of non-prescription contraceptives to teens under the age of 16. The United States Supreme Court seems to have support for the condom availability program. With teen pregnancy rates and the number of STD’s reported in teens on the rise, schools are beginning to realize that the parents are not doing their job when it comes to sexual education. The school system already has classes on sexual education; these classes are based mainly on human anatomy. Most schools do not teach their students about relationships, morals, respect, self-discipline, self-respect, and most importantly contraceptives. Everyday students engage in sexual activity, many of them without condoms. This simple act jeopardizes these students’ futures and possibly their lives. An increasing amount of school systems are starting to combine messages involving abstinence from sexual activity, and expanding availability of contraceptives, especially condoms. Schools are now stepping in to further equip their students for life. The distribution of condoms in public high schools will lower the rate of pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers. Eighty percent of teen mothers end up in poverty for long periods of time due to the fact that they never finished high school. They become financially dependent on programs such as Welfare and WIC (Women, Infants, and Children). Welfare provides money and food stamps for low-income families. WIC provides milk, cheese, eggs, cereals, fruit juices, dried beans or peas, peanut butter and infant formula for all participants. WIC also provides nutritional education and health care referrals at no cost. Programs such as these help millions of families every year. Considering the fact that the majority of teens will participate in sexual activity, Sex Ed should focus more on methods of contraception and less on abstinence. Giving adolescents more information about sex and making condoms more available are ways to cut the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. The condom is the only type of birth control that protects against the transmission of STD’s when properly used. Experts say the lack of knowledge on how to use a condom correctly and the lack of motivation to use a condom every time means that condoms fail more often. This could result in pregnancy or the contraction of STD’s. Teenagers reuse condoms or they use it with a petroleum-based lubricant which can dissolve the condom’s latex. Birth control products are only effective if used properly. Rates of failure for condoms are between 2 percent and 14 percent. Inexperienced users make up a larger percentage of failure rates because of improper use. This failure rate is also due to inconsistent use among teenagers. With the proper knowledge and training students can effectively use a condom to protect themselves. Health Resource Centers, or HRC’s are centers located in middle and high schools promoting safe sex. HRC’s provide reproductive health inf ormation, condoms, and general health referrals to students. All students in the participating schools are taught about the importance of abstinence, but they are provided with condoms if they choose to be sexually active. Trained staff members and volunteers, including health professionals, educators, nurses, psychologists and graduate interns provide counseling for students upon request. Students attending the junior high school also have access to condoms; however; counseling is mandatory for these students before they can receive condoms. Informational brochures can be obtained in the nurses’ office. Students are also able purchase condoms from vending machines located in remote places throughout the school. The HRC’s have large levels of administrative and staff support for its objectives. Students who used the program generally viewed the services they received favorably. Expanded condom availability, when accompanied with the proper education and information about safer sex, will decrease the amount of unprotected sexual encounters and the spread of sexually transmitted disease. Making love is not something to play around with. When people decide to do it, they make a life and deat h decision. If they contract an STD they risk their life for death. And if a woman gets pregnant, the woman is not guaranteed to live through it (although chances are that she will), and the child is not guaranteed to live for many reasons including abortion. Shouldn’t steps be taken to educate teenagers about what they are getting into before schools start handing out condoms? This would be a better way to prevent the spread of pregnancies and of STD’s and H.I.V. If teenagers do not have sex to begin with the risk of infection goes down because, condoms are not 100% effective. However, it is known that regardless of the consequences or risks, teens will partake in sexual inter course, it is the teacher’s job to help educate how to have safer sex. If the students know more about the risks, then they can make an educated decision about sex, and then it will be very likely that they will use a condom if they do decide to have sex. Rather than having one year of Sex Ed in High School like the majority of schools do across the nation, students should have Sex Ed classes starting in junior high school. They should learn about pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and H.I.V. There would be a course or a section of a course dedicated to health where students learn about these subjects. Then in high school, students should do a more in-depth study of the consequences of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. This could be done as a part of a biology course or as a research project in an English class. Finally, students should learn about H.I.V. and AIDS, how it affects the lives of those who have it, and what can be done about it. Again, this could be a separate course that is required or a part of another required course. Then, pamphlets about all these things should be made available at the health (or nurse’s) office and suggested for the students to read before they receive condoms. If this is done, then teenage sex should become much less of a problem than it is now. Abstract Over the past twenty years, the number of teen, unplanned pregnancies has nearly doubles in size. This is a problem to all people that it affects because it hurts people financially, not to mention all of the unexpected stress that comes along with being pregnant. Making condoms available in High Schools would surely decrease this number to what it once was and hopefully drastically decrease the number of orphans and teen parents in debt that we have in this country. References Furstenburg, Frank , Mariarz, Geitz , Teitler, Julien , Weiss, Christopher â€Å"Does Condom Availability Make a Difference? An Evaluation of Philadelphia’s Health Resource Centers† Family Planning Perspective Volume 29, Issue 3 (May-Jun.,1997), 123-127. Kreiner, Anna Learning to Say No to Sexual Pressure New York: The Rosen Publishing Group Mahler, Karen â€Å"Condom Availability in the Schools: Lessons from the Courtroom† Sexuality Volume 4, Article 63 1993-1996 Natale, Jo Anna â€Å"The Hot New Word is Sex Ed† School Volume 5 Article 30, 1994-1996 â€Å"Sex education: Anything goes.† Washington Times 1 Nov. 2000 Stewart, Gail B. Teen Parenting. San Diego: Lucent Books 2000 â€Å"Teens Regret Having Sex.† Maryland Abstinence Education and Coordination Program. Summer 2000

The Definition of Atomic Mass or Weight in Chemistry

The Definition of Atomic Mass or Weight in Chemistry Atomic Mass or Weight Definition Atomic mass, which is also known as atomic weight, is the average mass of atoms of an element, calculated using the relative abundance of isotopes in a naturally-occurring element. Atomic mass indicates the size of an atom. Although technically the mass is the sum of the mass of all the protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom, the mass of an electron is so much less than that of the other particles, that mass is simply that of the nucleus (protons and neutrons). Examples of Atomic Mass The atomic mass of carbon is 12.011. Most carbon atoms consist of six protons and six neutrons.The atomic mass of hydrogen is 1.0079. Hydrogen (atomic number 1) is the element that has the lowest atomic mass. The most common isotope of hydrogen is protium, an atom that consists of a proton or a proton and an electron. Because of a small amount of deuterium (one proton and one neutron) and tritium (one proton and two neutrons), the atomic mass of hydrogen is slightly higher than 1. How To Calculate Atomic Mass

Nichrome and constantan Essays

Nichrome and constantan Essays Nichrome and constantan Paper Nichrome and constantan Paper Resistance- Resistance is a force which opposes the flow of an electric current around a circuit so that energy is required to push the charged particles around the circuit. Resistance is measured in ohms. During this experiment I aim to research and plan an experiment to investigate a factor that affects the resistance in a piece of wire. The possible factors I could change in this investigation are: 1 Length of the wire, 2 Thickness of the wire, 3 Type of metal- Copper, Nichrome and constantan 4 Shape of the wire, 5 Temperature of the wire,6 Density of the metal. I have chosen to investigate the length of the wire because length is a continuous variable with a continuous range so I will be able to choose any lengths to investigate. I chose not to investigate thickness because although it is a continuous variable the wires available to me only come in set thickness that do not go up in regular intervals. I chose not to investigate type of metal because it is not a continuous variable so I would not be able to evaluate the investigation by linking two or more groups of data on a graph. I chose not to investigate the shape of the metal because it isnt a continuous range. I could only use two options bent or straight. I chose not to investigate the temperature because although it is a continuous range it is very difficult to maintain a temperature, as you couldnt use a water bath because of safety aspects. It is also difficult to measure the temperature of a piece of wire. I chose not to investigate the density of the metal because although it is a continuous variable I only have one set density available to me. Prediction A longer piece of wire has a higher resistance because in a longer piece of wire there are more collisions between the electrons and the metal ions so there will be more successful collisions. In every successful collision energy is lost from the electron to the wire ions. The result is the voltage of the wire increases. The equation for resistance is resistance = voltage / current and as the current stays the same in the circuit and the voltage increases, the resistance increases. 10cm 20cm Preliminary Plan. The aim of my preliminary work is to decide whether to use wire copper, constantan or Nichrome I will use and what thickness of either 32SWG, 38SWG or 26 SWG. I will need to use a wire with large resistance range that is a good conductor of electricity. The wire must not overheat easily. The apparatus I will need to perform the preliminary experiment will be:   Power pack (2volts) Ammeter   Voltmeter   Wires x 6   Crocodile clips x 2   Meter rule   Masking tape   Board marker Factors to control in preliminary experiment The independent variable will be:   The amount of resistance in different lengths of wire. The variables that I will keep the same will be:   Material of wire-either Copper, Constantan or Nichrome.   Density of wire   Temperature of wire   Shape of wire- straight Voltage- constant voltage of 2 volts. Circuit diagram for preliminary experiment Method 1 Set up the circuit as shown above with the power pack set at a constant voltage of 2 volts. 2 I will use 2 different lengths of wire in my preliminary, the largest 100cm and the smallest 10cm so I can find the material with the largest resistance range. Now 1 will make sure the power pack is off and insert the first wire at point x on the circuit diagram. Now I will turn on the voltmeter and ammeter. 3 Next I will turn on power pack and record the first ammeter and voltmeter readings. The results may change due to heating so I must record the very first results shown. 4 Switch off the power pack and insert next wire. 5 Now repeat the experiment using the different wires and thicknesses and recording each result. Preliminary results These results show me the resistance ranges for copper, Nichrome and constantan. Material Length/ cm Voltage/Volts Current/Amperes Resistance/? CopperConstantan . Copper resistance range = 0. 3 ? Nichrome resistance range = 15. 03 ? Constantan resistance range = 7. 42 ? These results show me the resistance ranges for copper, Nichrome and constantan in 3 different thicknesses of 26 SWG, 28 SWG and 32 SWG. Wire Width (swg) Length (cm) Voltage (Volts) Current (Amps) Resistance Nichrome 28 SWG = 13. 93 ? Nichrome 32 SWG = 16. 2 ? Constantan 26 SWG = 2. 75 ? Constantan 28 SWG = 3.97 ? Constantan 32 SWG = 7. 34 ? Preliminary Conclusion From my preliminary experiment I found that the material with the highest resistance range is Nichrome in a thickness of 32 SWG. Even though my results may not be very accurate because I did not take repeat readings and find an average, Nichrome 32 SWG had a much larger resistance range than the other materials and thicknesses. Nichrome had a resistance range of 15. 03 ? , Constantan had the second largest resistance range but was still only 7. 42 ?. Predicted results I have used resistivity to predict my resistance results in my final experiment.

Value Innovation at AMD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Value Innovation at AMD - Essay Example As of today, 99% of computers operate using 32-bits. As technology improves and software applications become more demanding there will be a transition to 64 bits. The K8 processor was a complete revamp of the x86 architecture for 64-bit processing, giving AMD a leadership position. Industry acceptance of the AMD64 standard has forced Intel to enter into an agreement with AMD to use the AMD64 standard on their own 64-bit based EMT64 processors. In their essay â€Å"Strategy, Value Innovation and the Knowledge Economy† Kim and Mauborgne characterize value innovators as ‘those who make their competition irrelevant by providing buyers with a quantum leap in value’. This description fits perfectly with AMD’s strategy for the K8. Until the release of the K7, AMD was a company that focused ‘on matching or beating’ Intel. They chose a ‘distinctive cost’ position and innovation was considered exogenous with cost and product performance trad eoffs. The new economics theory, which heralds the arrival of the knowledge economy, claims that ‘innovations are no longer exogenous and can be created with the ideas and knowledge within a system’. Again, a perfect match to AMD’s strategy of first giving the NexGen team their own building to develop the K6 and subsequently roping in a ‘world-class-enterprise-level processor design team’ for the K8. Admitted that Intel’s stumbles with their processor design and production yield have given AMD an opportunity window.

Discusstion Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discusstion - Case Study Example Most of the businesses these days are using information technology to expand their origins and this is where cyber crime comes into play. It has been found that cyber crime poses a threat of 2.4 billion to the businesses operating in the United Kingdom. Similarly it was also found that this crime brought upon a loss of $67.2 billion to the companies operating in the United States (Marsillac et al 2010). Considering the high numbers of these crimes, it is estimated that cyber crime is further increasing over time and it needs to curbed as soon as possible. Different regulatory organizations have been formed all over the world to overlook the issue of cyber crime. This essay revolves around the severity of cyber crime as it is found in the world and resorts to an option that would help to limit the crime in totality. It was found that Cyber Crime went up by 10.4 % in the year 2014 from the previous year which clearly shows a growth in the pattern of cyber crimes. In accordance to the costly cyber crimes it was found that insiders, service denials and internet attacks formed an important part of the paradigm (Kassner 2015). Discerning from the research it can be said that the most suitable policy to thwart cyber crime should revolve around the threat from the inside of the company. These insiders are the ones who know most about the company and they can easily access the information with the appropriate information. If these insiders are stopped from committing the crime, the rate can be drastically reduced. The role of managers in curbing the crimes cannot be emphasized enough but the organization should also make sure that they are following the principles of strategic survival in the market. The managers can make sure of this by affirming legitimacy to the firm which forms an utmost part of it s dealing with the competitors.