parent and child relationships :: essays research papers

Parent and children relationships In this essay, I’m going to tell you about some of the parent/children issues that do arise. Such as, one of the parents dying, one of the parents leaving, how hard a single parent can find it coping and how much babies can make people grow up. So many things can go wrong when you have a child of your own, especially when you have to bring them up on your own. In flour babies some of these issues do arise. Simon Martin finds out for himself how hard it is to raise a child and how hard it was for his mother to bring him up. In this book Simon Martin actually quotes ‘the fact is, you need two people to look after a baby. One person’s not enough. You need a substitute. A good reserve. Someone with no particular plans for the evening. Otherwise it simply can’t be done.’ This says that he’s just about to give up on parenthood, because it was too much hard work, without two people. He realises that he’s got a responsibility now and someone depends on him, and that makes him grow up a lot quicker than he normally would. I think ‘bait’ is quite a hard subject to do on this topic because there are quite a lot of things going on. His dad is a gambler who can easily lose his temper, and who’s probably going to ruin his life unless he gives up gambling. The little boy in this has been made to grow up too quickly, because of his dad’s gambling problem. I’d have thought that his dad, like in the short film, often embarrasses him like when he started a fight with the tramp and then started crying and hugging him. I think in a situation like this it can be hard for both the child and the parent. The child has to go without quite a few things that other children would take for granted, and the dad needs to live knowing that however much he tries to provide for his son he’ll never be able to give him everything that all his friends have because he doesn’t have the money because he gambles. Another film that displays how hard single parenting is, is ‘Finding Nemo’. The dad is over protective of nemo because of what happened to his wife and other children when they were eggs.

Things Fall Apart: Egwugwu Mask

The Egwugwu were a significant part of not only Umuofia, but the Ibo culture as a whole. They represented the spiritual ancestors of Umuofia. They were similar to the â€Å"justice system† of today. The Egwugwu were seen as wise and ultimately the most respectable members of the clan.They would review a case of the people and agree on a ruling they felt was â€Å"just†. For example, Achebe writes about the Egwugwu judging the case of Uzowulu and his constantly abused wife from page 88 to 94. Even though there were some people who did not agree with the decisions of the Egwugwu, they never dared to speak out against them.Achebe tells the reader the origin of the Egwugwu when writing â€Å"†¦the spirits of the ancestors†¦emerged from the earth. The Egwugwu house†¦faced the forest, away from the crowd, who saw only its back with the many-colored patterns and drawings done by specially chosen women† on page 88. This explains the reader the secrecy and importance of the Egwugwu. They were so sacred that the house they came from couldn’t even face the rest of Umuofia.For my project, I created a mask similar to the one Achebe describes on page 90. This spirit is portrayed to â€Å"[have a] springy walk. He looked terrible with the smoked raffia body, a huge wooden face painted white except for the round hollow eyes and the charred teeth that were as big as man’s fingers.† ( Achebe 90).I have added clay shaped as teeth to my mask to represent the â€Å"charred teeth† (Achebe 90). Additionally, I was unable to find horns as Achebe also tells us the spirit has, so I have added feathers instead. This mask would be used anytime the Egwugwu is out in public. The spirits are unable to remove theses masks because doing so would be â€Å"murder† (Achebe 186). Also, I have added scorings to the mask to show the detailed markings carved into actual tribal masks.

Conrad vs Holden

Ordinary People and The Catcher in the Rye: Reckless Actions In current day society, people strive for the untangible feeling of happiness. Genuine happiness can develop a person to become lovable; however, the nonexistence of happiness may do the complete opposite. Holden a protagonist from the novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, and Conrad the main character from the movie, Ordinary People, are searching for this happiness within their own lives. However, they are unable to find it because of the solidarity that they feel between their friends and families.The loneliness and the decreasingly lack of joy in Conrad’s and Holden’s lives triggers them to make decisions that would lead to consequences which would negatively affect their surrounds in the future. The absence of happiness within the lives of Holden and Conrad causes them to act reckless in different ways that ultimately harms himself and people around him. Throughout the movie Conrad makes many i mpulsive decisions that harms his friends, family members, and also himself.The first wrong decision that started the domino effect on the other wrongful decisions that he makes, is the fact that he didn’t come back to shore when he and his brother, Buck, saw â€Å"how bad the weather was becoming† while they were sailing. This decision results to the death of his brother and the event stays in his mind leading to the reckless behavior that begins to engulf his mind. Following, this decision is Conrad’s suicidal attempt by cutting his wrists vertically in his bathroom sink.Although this act puts pain on his family, it mostly affects Conrad physically and emotionally because he has to endure the pain of the slits and the depression that had caused him to make the decision to begin with. Even after Conrad returns from the hospital he continues to feel the lack of happiness within his own life. The depression causes him to not want to eat the breakfast that his mot her makes just for him. Hurt by the rejection, Conrad’s mother dumps the meal into the drain and leaves in an abrupt manner.In addition, much of the bottled up emotions that Conrad keeps causes him to become quite distant with his own family and his friends. This solidarity eventually leads Conrad to lose his past close relationships with them. These impulsive decisions allow Conrad to expand upon his emotions, since in the beginning of the movie he bottles it up and allows it to accumulate over time. Within the novel, Holden displays reckless attitude that results in harming both himself and those around him.The factor of his reckless behavior begins when Holden runs away from Pency Prep due to the fact that he gets kicked out and is afraid that his parents would be upset. In turn, Holden decides to live in the city and waits till he is expected to come home. This act eventually leads him to hurt himself mentally because after a time spent in the city, Holden begins to †Å"feel more depressed.. † and lonely (95). In an act of desperation, Holden tries to fill in his loneliness and sorrows by finding company with a girl named Sally that he â€Å"wasn’t too crazy about† (105).However, as Holden and Sally are still on their date, Holden displays his reckless behavior when he insults Sally calling her â€Å"a pain in the ass† (133). Sally is thus deeply hurt by the insult and â€Å"she was even crying† (134). This act in turn leaves Holden to become lonely and depressed once again. With the feeling of depression weighing on his shoulder, Holden decides to leave town and head for the west. Phoebe, Holden’s kid sister, hearing his plan also wants to tag along as well bringing along her suitcase that contains her personal items.Even though Holden doesn’t want to be alone, he refuses his sister’s plea to run away with him and in turn results him to display another act of recklessness. Holden yells at Ph oebe telling her to shut up which triggers her to â€Å"start to cry† (206). Holden’s consideration of leaving Phoebe hurts Phoebe because she really cares about her brother’s well being. Since Holden’s siblings Allie and D. B are no longer currently living in the household, if Holden were to run away, Phoebe would feel lonely having only her parents as companions.Holden and Conrad are similar types of characters because they both act recklessly and unintentionally hurt themselves and the people that surround them. Both of the characters punch one of their good friends due to immature decisions. Holden gets into a fist fight with Stradlater since Holden continues to invoke Stradlater about his date with Jane, knowing that a punch to the face would follow the dispute. This act displays that Holden makes wrongful decisions knowing the consequences of the act, however still continuing with the act.In addition, Conrad also displays reckless behavior by contin uingly punching Stillman out of the remark that Stillman makes of Jeannine. Conrad punches Stillman out of anger and frustration since Dr. Berger, Conrad’s psychiatrist, unlocks his emotions; it begins pouring out uncontrollably. With this act of violence, Conrad loses many of his once close friends because his friends now perceive him as â€Å"crazy† after the punching incident. Both Holden and Conrad displays thoughtless decisions by punching their friends in an act of rage which results in the consequences of more hurt.Even though Holden and Conrad may be similar they are more different than alike because they exhibit different acts of recklessness. While Holden may use strong words and loud voices to harm others, Conrad uses physical actions to harm the ones around him. When Holden was on his date with Sally in the restaurant, he begins to ramble about the future that Sally and Holden could have together. Holden suggests that Sally runs away together with him howev er Sally rejects his proposal causing Holden to become upset.This urge that is raging inside of him impulses him to say things that he didn’t think through therefore enabling him to insult her. However, this is not the only case in which Holden says things without thinking. In another scenario where he is speaking to Phoebe, Holden tells Phoebe to shut up, he â€Å" didn’t mean to tell her to shut up †¦Ã¢â‚¬  but the impulse enabled him to do so (206). On the other hand, Conrad uses his non-thought out actions to affect the people around him. Having Conrad attempting suicide by cutting his wrists vertically harms his family because it causes them to have to worry about their son.Conrad’s parents have already lost a son and if they were to lose another one then it would further devastate their family’s reputation and the family would thus fall apart. In addition, due to Conrad’s depression it causes him to not have an appetite when eating. Th us, when Conrad’s mom makes him breakfast and he refuses, this act causes his mother to become hurt from the rejection and therefore dump the meal in the garbage dispenser. Even so the slightest of actions of Conrad should effect and hurt the people around him.In conclusion, even though both Holden and Conrad are unintentionally hurting their loved ones, they differently act out recklessly when making out a decision. Both Holden and Conrad are both misunderstood teenagers that are trying find a way to get through the day. This is caused by the fact that their life is missing the genuine happiness that everyone in society searches for. However, at the end of both stories, they eventually achieve their idea of true happiness and therefore can live through the day knowing that they are truly happy.

Protection from Harm & Abuse Essay

Throughout this work I will relate to a case study. I will provide a definition of abuse using both sociological and psychological perspectives to contribute to our understanding of the causes of abuse. I will define the types, indicators, signs and symptoms of abuse and its impact on families and individuals, identifying factors relevant to the case study, recognising and explaining current legislation making reference to Government reports/inquiries and research into failures to protect from harm and abuse. I will consider the policies and procedures that my work place use and I will identify some statutory and voluntary agencies and their roles in supporting those affected by abuse, relating specifically to the abuse of children. My understanding is abuse is an unpleasant and harmful treatment of an individual, which can effects physical and psychological welfare and may affect future development. Abuse can cause an individual a great deal of distress and fear, as well as physical injury and may affect their emotional development. â€Å"Child maltreatment is the abuse and neglect that occurs to children under 18 years of age. see more:identify reports into serious failures to protect individuals from abuse in health and social care It includes all types of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, negligence and commercial or other exploitation, which results in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power. Exposure to intimate partner violence is also sometimes included as a form of child maltreatment† (WHO) A Psychological & Sociological Perspective into the Causes of Abuse Psychological theory focuses on the instinctive and psychological qualities of those who abuse. Believing it’s the abusers abnormalities that are responsible for abuse, abusive parents may have been abused in childhood. Psychodynamic theory claims abuse and neglect are a bi-product of maternal deprivation. The mother has suffered abuse herself, displays a lack of empathy, sensitivity and responses to her child. Mother and child relationships are the focus with the mothers’ psychological make-up key. Psychodynamic psychologists say we are born with drives which need satisfying and if not satisfied one can be psychologically stuck at a certain stage Erikson’s â€Å"lifespan† theory saw that universally people face conflict throughout stages of life, he said people faced conflicts influenced by social relationships, rather than their own psycho-sexual development. At each stage of life Erikson believed was: a conflict to resolve and a balance to achieve between the two with a possible positive outcome, creating a ‘virtue’ or ‘ego strength’ allowing competency in all other areas of life or if not resolved a negative ‘maladjustment’ causing disadvantage in the succeeding stage. For example at Stage 1 – Infancy, conflict – trust versus mistrust. A baby learns from attentive care to trust, or through neglect, mistrust in the world. Good resolution of this stage leads to the ego strength of hope about the world. The mala djustment can be either mistrust or insecurity. Erikson believes people who’ve had problems in life haven’t resolved conflict beforehand and as each stage is programmed the individual cannot relive a stage however work can be done to resolve some of the issues. â€Å"Hope is both the earliest and the most indispensable virtue inherent in the state of being alive. If life has to be sustained hope must remain, even when confidence is wounded, trust impaired† Erikson, 1950. (Bingham et al. p78) Sociological theory emphasise social and political conditions as most important reason for child abuse, examining social conditions that create the climate for abuse, not individual factors. Feminist theory sees abuse as longstanding male power over women and children, believing men abuse to exert power. Brownmiller 1975, revealed sexual abuse is more than an action committed by one man against one woman; it is a imposing tool of male control over women, an exercise of power with a philosophy to instruct women to fear male violence. â€Å"A sexual invasion of the body by force, an incursion into the private, personal inner space without consent. . . . constitutes a deliberate violation of emotional, physical and rational integrity and is a hostile, degrading act of violence that deserves the name of rape† (Brownmiller, S p377) The five most common social service workers will likely see are: Physical Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Neglect and Financial Abuse. Physical abuse is causing bodily harm it may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning or suffocating or excessive discipline or family violence, use of restraints or imprisonment, denial or misuse of medication, physical aids and adaptations or when the carer feigns ill-health of a child. Some signs and indicators may be physical (several injuries in various stages of healing, repeated injuries or accidents over a period of time, injuries that form a shape like the object used to injure (buckle, hand, iron, teeth, cigarette burns), or death. Behavioural indicators include (negative self-image, deserving punishment, no recall how injuries occurred, offer inconsistent explanations, wary of others and reluctance to go home) Physical abuse can be seen in relation to John Burn (60). He claimed no recollection to a black-eye and urged for his son not to be informed, although it is important not to cast assumptions. Emotional abuse is persistent neglect with severe effects on a child’s emotional development. Can involve conveying worthlessness, detested, inadequate or valued only to meet the needs of another. It may involve the imposition of age- or developmentally-inappropriate expectations on a child or causing children fear or danger, or exploiting or corrupting them. Some level of emotional abuse is persistent in all ill treatment. Both physical (Bed-wetting/soiling without medical cause, prolonged vomiting/diarrhoea, not attained developmental milestones) and behavioural (play models negative behaviour/language, depression, anxiety, withdrawal or aggression) signs may be indicators. John Burn did not want his son to be told anymore of his black-eye as he would be annoyed, Ann reported Peter gets loud and aggressive at night and appeared apprehensive during social work visit as Peter did not want interference. Sexual abuse includes acts or behaviours where a more powerful person uses another for a sexual purpose. It may involve a stranger, however most sexual abuse is by someone known and trusted. It includes touching, fondling, sexual intercourse, exposure of private parts, or seeking to be touch for sexual gratification. Also voyeurism, pornographic photographing or involvement of children, prostitution or using internet/phone for sexual conversations with children. Indicators can be: physical: bruises, swelling or bleeding in genital/vaginal/anal area, torn, stained or bloody underclothing, and STI’s. Behavioural – cringing/flinching if touched; caregiver constantly calling ‘stupid’ or ‘dumb’ and can be displayed by child or abuser. Scottish Government acknowledges â€Å"not every case of sexual activity in under-16s has child protection concerns, but some may need support in relation to their sexual development and relationships† (fpa.org. uk). Ann (17) has learning difficulties and would have been under 16 during her first pregnancy. Due to her age and vulnerability Child Protection issues should have been raised as Peter is almost double Ann’s age and the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 states â€Å"sexual activity between an adult and someone under 16 is a criminal offence† Neglect – failure to meet basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of health or development, involving failure to provide food, shelter and clothing, or to protect from physical harm/danger, or failure to obtain medical care/treatment, failure to respond to basic emotional needs. Possible physical indicators may be: Inappropriately dress for weather, dirty, unkempt, lengths of time unsupervised, malnourished, severe nappy rash or persistent skin disorders from lack of care and hygiene. Both children in the case study are neglected they have unsatisfactory medical attendance with George (1) suffering nappy rash, inflamed skin and missed inoculations since birth. Kyle (2) has missed medicals which could’ve addressed his development needs. Financial abuse includes stealing money or property, fraud, pressure in connection with savings, wills, inheritance or personal financial transactions, embezzlement, pensions or benefits. Possible signs and indicators of this abuse: unusual & unexplained activity in bank accounts, embezzlement or unpaid bills. John Burn may have been financially abused, he has no recollection of missing money and is unable to manage without it, and again does not want his son to know. The impact and effects of the above abuse within the case study is apparent as Peter Burns has traded a dependency on heroin for alcohol which sees him sleep all day, neglecting his role within the family and becomes loudly aggressive at night, this would cause fear in the rest of the household. Protection means recognising concerns and understanding how to share concerns, investigate, assess and the steps required to ensure safety and well-being. Legislation places a variety of duties and responsibilities on services and organisations. Neglectful indicators seen in both infants within the study, social work may say that the parents breach ‘Section 5 of The Children (Scotland) Act 1995’ which states â€Å"a parent has in relation to his child the responsibility to safeguard and promote the child’s health, development and welfare†. (www.scotland.gov.uk) â€Å"State Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child.† (Article 19’ UNCRC) This places responsibility on the social worker and health professionals in case study. Legislation is often formed as a response to public inquiries, highlighting poor practice/abuse that takes place with authority or private providers, government investigations highlight failures and make recommendations to prevent future incidents. Summary of Fatal Accident Inquiry Determination: The Deaths on Erskine Bridge Niamh and Georgia died below Erskine Bridge, 4/10/2009, by suicides. Having walked from the Good Shepherd Open Unit, stopping at the centre of the Bridge, both girls died on impact with the water. The Inquiry lasted 65 days and it ruled deaths avoidable had reasonable precautions been taken: ‘Staff members on duty at the Unit been higher. Had Niamh & Georgia risk assessment needs assessed and accommodated at a different location within the Unit’. Several recommendations were made following relating to: security, supervision, management, lack of information, risk/psychological assessments missing, better communication system and accurate recording /time keeping amongst others. Professor S Platt of Health Policy Research at University of Edinburgh made three recommendations which are reflected in residential policies now. 1. Local authorities to commission guidelines for staff on recognising and mitigating suicide risk in this client group. These guidelines should include the requirement to develop a detailed management protocol. 2. The management protocol should set out the procedures to be implemented when a looked after and accommodation child is considered to be at risk of self-harm or suicide e.g. by making suicide ‘threats’, by expressing suicidal thoughts or by making preparations for suicide. The protocol should cover inter alia the allocation of duties and responsibilities. 3. Professionals working with looked after and accommodated children, either directly or indirectly should have a sound understanding self-harm and suicide among their clients and of appropriate interventions to mitigate that risk. Provision of appropriate training on start of employment and regularly thereafter (as part professional development). (Scotland-judiciary.com) Results of recommendations mean frequent suicide prevention training is mandatory, new traffic light system of reporting absconders/missing people, created in partnership with Strathclyde Police and Local Authorities reflecting individual risk assessments, allowing staff to identify and prevent risks of self harm or suicide and report efficiently should they suspect an absconder is at risk. My workplace lengthy child protection policy, provides guidelines for all eventualities. In the case of a disclosure the child/young person would be informed that information would be passed on if it related to their wellbeing being harmed, allowing them to speak without interruption, listen to-do not coheres, don’t make judgement, positive praise for sharing with you and inform them that you will do all in your power to support them. It must then be reported to the child protection officer who would deal with the formal reporting if it were deemed necessary. I could be asked to help assess the child or provide statements to police. In the case of the abuser staff working in safeguarding children has a responsibility to ensure children are adequately protected and a responsibility to share information about individuals where a risk of child abuse is suspected with Social Care Service Managers. Legislation, National Care Standards and SSSC Codes of Practice contribute to the protection of children and vulnerable adults. In NCS’s for school care accommodation services standard 3.3 looks at care and protection states that workers are aware of child protection policies and procedures. Standard 3.7 ensures protection issues are dealt with using policies and procedures. The SSSC codes of practice contribute to protection code 3.2 states we must carry out the correct processes and procedures to challenge and report dangerous, abusive, discriminatory or exploitive behaviour and practice. code 3.7 states we must support service users/carers to make complaints, taking complaints seriously, responding to or passing to appropriate person. Code 2.7 states to respect confidential information. For child protection, no Schedule One offence is ever ‘spent’ in terms of Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 has sections relevant to care workers and committed against service users such as; Section 39 Care workers: causing or inciting sexual activity, Section 40 Care workers: sexual activity in the presence of a person with a mental disorder & Section 41 Care workers: causing a person with a mental disorder to watch a sexual act. The support, therapy and treatment of those affected by abuse is an important factor in ensuring wellbeing and safety. Statutory, voluntary and private/independent organisations provide diverse services some of which may overlap. Set up through government remit such as SurvivorScotland, social service and education departments, CAMHS are part of the NHS who support young people and their families with emotional, behavioral and mental health difficulties. A single shared assessment from a multi-agency partner ship of professionals not only protect but prevent with early intervention. Many voluntary agencies/charities focus on helping children such as, Barnardos, Womens Aid and the NSPCC (National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children) who work at national, regional and local level, some of their services include Childline as well as advise lines like the CTAC (Child Trafficking Advice Centre). Private services are profit driven, including home care providers and respite services. Instances of disclosure in various aspects which must be always dealt with professionally no matter how distressing. Workers/carers are offered support in the form of counselling through BACP (The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) or services such as mind, Re-think or Samaritans who’ll listen to, provide support, advice, signposts or referrals to other agencies. There will be instances where workers will support the ‘abused’ however may find themselves supporting an ‘abuser’ or ‘someone at risk of abusing’. Police, Prison Services, Local Authorities, and Social Services work closely to minimise risk and supervise offenders in the community. It is crucial not to allow personal feelings/values to conflict with professionalism. The Human Rights Act, Article 8: Right to privacy, highlights the importance of confidentiality in this line of work, however this right can be limited if it is necessary to protect public safety which Police and Social Work would determine through on-going reviews of risk level each offender poses, reducing the likelihood of further offending by providing sex offender group-work through social work services. Not all sex offenders are alike, some people have deep regrets and go on to be law-abiding whereas others have deep-rooted psychological problems requiring intensive support to manage behaviour. Workers should bear in mind that a significant proportion of sexual crimes go unreported and there are a number of sex-offenders not known to the authorities and need t o take sensible safety precautions if you should suspect such individuals. Workers will have supervision with managers where issues are highlighted or access to counselling. Bibliography BINGHAM, E. et al. (2009) HNC in Social Care. For Scotland. Essex: Heinemann. BROWNMILLER, S. (1975) Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape. New York: Simon and Schuster. CHILD MATTERS (2014) Learn about Child Abuse [Online]. Available from: http://www.childmatters.org.nz/42/learn-about-child-abuse/what-is-child-abuse [Accessed: 20th March 2014] COMPANY POLICIES & PROCEDURES. ANON (Data Protection Act 1998) SC03-Child Protection MIND (2014) How to Cope as a Carer [Online]. Available from: http://www.mind.org.uk/media/859562/how-to-cope-as-a-carer-2014-.pdf [Accessed: 3rd May 2014] SCOTTISH PARLIMENT. SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT MINISTERS. (2012) National Care Standards. [Online]. Available from: http://www.nationalcarestandards.org/52.html [Accessed: 7th March 2014]. SCOTTISH PARLIMENT. SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT MINISTERS (2010) National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland & The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 & National Guidance – Under-age Sexual Activity [Online]. Available from: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/12/09134441/8 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/254432/0078985.pdf http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2004/10/20066/44708 [Accessed: 7th March & 19th May 2014] SCOTLAND JUDICIARY Fatal Accident Inquiry into the Deaths on Erskine Bridge (2010) [Online]. Available from: http://scotland-judiciary.com/10/895/Fatal-Accident-Inquiry-into-the-deaths-on-Erskine-Bridge [Accessed 9th May 2014] THE OXFORD DICTIONARY (2014) Abuse [Online] Available from: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/abuse [Accessed 17th March 2014] LIBERTY (2014) Human Rights Act Myths [Online] Available from:

Commentary: “Two Hands” Essay

There are various familial relationships that most of us would often take for granted. Jon Stallworthy, for example, highlights that of a father and son in his poem, â€Å"Two Hands†. Throughout his depiction of these two characters, he emphasizes how two people who seem so similar, and are supposed to be intimate or close by default, can be almost alien to each others’ personalities and emotions. Several techniques, such as diction, themes and structure are utilized to portray the contrast between father and son. In â€Å"Two Hands†, there are two main characters present: the son, who also narrates the text, and his father. The reader can depict the father to be a surgeon, or at least have a profession in the field of medicine, because of the use of terms such as â€Å"scalpel† or â€Å"lancet†, as well as expression like â€Å"fingers that have stitched new life†. In contrast, the same ‘two hands’ of the son have been utilized in a rather contrasting way; that of the field of literature. We can deduce this from his â€Å"fingers [that have] some style on paper.† Furthermore, there is no mention of any other characters in this poem, which can portray the significance of his father to the narrator, or even display how much he truly needs a father who is too preoccupied with his career. One of the primary reasons that Stallworthy is able to spark a great deal of emotion from his reader is due to the choice of speaker. In this case, the son’s voice has been used to describe his relationship with his father. I think this has been done because his emotions of abandonment, sorrow and loneliness are very expressive and therefore make readers feel empathy for the son. He depicts himself as a son whose father pays no attention to him, and only to his work; almost as if being a father is an obligatory duty rather than a valued relationship. There are several themes that bring out the emotions felt by the narrator in this text. For example, love is something that is lacking in the relationship between father and son. While it can be said that the son admires his father, which is depicted through the phrase, â€Å"Hand, you may have your chance to stitch a life for fingers that have stitched new life for many.† The narrator is describing his father’s accomplishments by stating that he has saved the lives of many, which shows love and respect for his father. However, there is no portrayal of emotion from the father’s side in the text, which can only show that according to the son, there is no love provided from the father’s side at all. Another vivid theme in the text is that of the conflict between family and career, which can be looked at individually for the son, as well as for the father. This poem clearly implies that the father is married to his career, as he has almost no time to devote to his son. The final line, â€Å"he will be out again† is extremely powerful in showing how often he is out of the house. Furthermore, even when he is at home, he is â€Å"in his study†¦ up late,† because â€Å"he has articles to read.† Overall, we can infer that the father feels like by working hard and supporting the family, he is fulfilling his duties, and therefore the concept of spending time and expressing love to his son are almost redundant, and of no value. On the other hand, you have a son, who feels nothing but love, respect and adoration towards a father who has no regard for such emotions. He also feels that his career is worthless in comparison to that of his father’s. His hands have â€Å"save[d] no one, serve[d] no one, dance[d] with this pencil.† The use of the word ‘dance’ has playful and amateur connotations to it, which shows that his work of literature is meaningless to him. This tone of abandonment informs the readers of the son’s feelings of insecurity and inferiority in front of his father, while all alone he tries only to be close to him. In a poem, the structure and topography play an extremely crucial role in the way a readers depicts the writing. Stallworthy has laid out â€Å"Two hands† in one long stanza, with a great deal of enjambment as well. This implies run-on thoughts, as well as providing a tone of overall reminiscence to the text. The lack of a concise structure gives the effect of thoughts being haphazardly thrown onto paper, in whichever order they may occur. Moreover, this style makes it seem like a story is being told. This is useful in depicting the character of the narrator, as well as provides the impression that he is writing a biography on his father. Once again, the line, â€Å"Hand, you may have your chance to stitch a life for fingers that have stitched new life for many,† reveals the narrator’s intentions. Where ‘stitching a life’ means writing a book to the son, to the father the very same phrase has a more literal meaning; that of saving a life, perhaps in surgery. Over the course of this poem, the use of rhyme or rhythm is extremely subtle, and perhaps is only used in order to emphasize certain points. Stallworthy hasn’t used a specific rhyme scheme in his poem, to demonstrate that no conclusion has been drawn from the thoughts conveyed by the son. There is a great deal of expression of emotion; however he isn’t able to make anything out of it. In contrast, in the few places where slight rhyme has been utilized, there is some logical reasoning involved. For example, â€Å"Down the lancet margin his hand moves rapidly as mine moves slow. A spasm shakes the phone at this elbow.† In these lines, he is claiming that his father’s expertise exceed that of his own in the field of medicine, allowing him to scan the medical journal more rapidly. Overall, it can be reasoned that there are very few decisive or exact points being made, which is why the use of rhyme has been avoided. The way a message is interpreted relies a great deal on the diction in which it has been said; therefore the word choice is another vital factor in â€Å"Two Hands†. Firstly, all the words describing emotions are of negative connotations. For example, â€Å"curse† or â€Å"sob†, imply feelings of frustration and helplessness. There is also no mention of love or family values, directly signifying that there is no evidence of it in their relationship either. In contrast, there are plenty of words to describe the father’s career, such as â€Å"lancet† and â€Å"scalpel†. The use or lack of use, of difference words indicates their existence and importance in the lives of the father and son. This would also explain why there are no emotions linking to the father, but many saddening ones linking to his son. Throughout this text, Stallworthy implicates a very negative atmosphere, relation directly to the bumpy relationship between father and son. A mood of intensity is depicted through the use of phrases such as, â€Å"I curse tonight,†, where the son expresses his frustration over the fact that while his father is at home, with him, he is busy working. Even though they may be physically near, the father’s heart and mind do not stray from work. The tone is also often depressing or gloomy, which is highlighted by the fact that it is set during night time; this is when all fears are at their peak, and when one feels most lonely as well. Finally, the poet’s extensive use of personification helps in illuminating the overall impression he wishes to bring across in the text. For example, â€Å"the pencil nodding stiffly† provides an image of a man working hard into the depths of the night; stern and focused. Furthermore, the personification of the scalpel in the phrase â€Å"led a scalpel an intricate dance† portrays the act of surgery as an art form, requiring a great deal of grace as well as skill. These two models illustrate the father as extremely hard working and skilled in his field of work. In contrast, an expression like â€Å"The phone has sobbed itself to sleep† highlights an extremely striking image of a young boy trying to cry himself to bed. It provides a saddening effect on the reader, and also emphasizes the lack of emotion in the father. It is almost as if the situation is so depressing that even inanimate objects are crying out in sheer desperation. Finally, the son’s confusion and uncertainty is represented through the symbol of his hands, â€Å"whose indecisions keep [him] cursing nightly; fingers with some style on paper, elsewhere none.† He is perplexed by his current situation where his own hands seem so worthless in comparison to that of his fathers’, which leaves him in an unknowing state. In general, Stallworthy utilizes various poetic devices in order to provide the simple of contrast between the father and son. The â€Å"Two Hands† signify that of the sons’, which seem so insignificant relative to his fathers’, who have saved so many lives through what can be called a graceful art. His inferiority, loneliness and helplessness are highlighted throughout the text, through the symbol of the two hands.

Existentialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Existentialism - Essay Example The actual life of the individual is what constitutes his or her â€Å"true essence† instead of there being a peremptorily ascribed essence used by others to define him or her. Hence, every human, through his or her own consciousness, creates his or her own value and determines a meaning to life. According to this philosophy, the source of our value can only be internal. This core view leads to several corollaries like- we have no predetermined nature or essence that controls what we are, what we do, or what is valuable for us, we are radically free to act independently without determination by outside influencers, we also create our values through these choices, we create our own human nature through these free choices, We 2 are thrown into existence first without a predetermined nature and it is only later that we construct our own nature or essence through our actions. In other words, it means, our Existence, through our act of free self creation, defines our Essence. The e xistentialist philosophy strongly suggests that the identity of any person cannot be found by examining what other people are like, but only in what that particular person has done. This implies that, we have no predetermined nature that controls what we are, or what we do. The key concepts that govern the theoretical philosophy of existentialism are Existence precedes Essence, Facticity, The Absurd, Authenticity, Angst, Despair and Opposition to Positivism and Rationalism. The theme of Existence precedes Essence which means that the most important consideration for any individual is the fact that he or she is an individual regardless of any label, role, stereotype, definition or any preconceived category the individual fits. The theme of facticity refers to the absolute realities attached to an individual like having a body and having committed certain actions independently. The theme of the absurd is the idea that there is nothing to the world beyond what meaning we see in it. The concept of Authenticity is the idea that one has to create one’s self and live according to the choices he or she makes. Angst or Anxiety, according to existential philosophy is the disposition of a person when he or she cannot live according to the choices made. Despair refers to the loss of hope when there is a dent in the Essence of an individual. 3 In summary, the philosophy of existentialism supports an individual’s free will, that an individual’s nature is defined through choices, that decisions are not without stress and consequences, that there are irrationalities in this universe, that personal responsibility and discipline is key, that society is unnatural while all social rules are arbitrary. The philosophy does not support the beliefs that wealth, honor and pleasure make a good life, social values and structure control the individual, accept the way it is, and that is sufficient in life, science is panacea for all travails, individuals are born good and are later ruined by society/environment as they age. The in-class example highlights the philosophy of existentialism from the point of view of two individuals. Here is one individual [â€Å"Existence†]. The essence that can be attributed to him is that he is a professor. He is a professor because he went through undergrad, grad and post-grad

Is there such thing as a normal sexual orientation Essay

Is there such thing as a normal sexual orientation - Essay Example Traditional perception of sexuality takes it origins from the ancient times. Ruse (1988) implies that Ancient Greeks and Jews were the groups who were primarily influential on the morality of modern civilization. However, over the matter of sexual orientation, Greek and Jewish thoughts enter the conflict, and it is often the Jewish tradition that proves triumphant. As a result, people’s perception that the â€Å"normal† sexual orientation is heterosexuality has long since become tradition. This essay will argue that in spite of traditional views against homosexuality and bisexuality, there is no such thing as a normal sexual orientation. It will further conclude that heterosexuality as a sexual orientation is a socially constructed view. On the one side, there are several factors that prove the existence of the concept of normal sexual orientation. Firstly, the religious way of looking at sexuality forbids any homosexual acts. For example, Magonet (1995) notes that Juda ism, as one of the oldest monotheistic religions, considers homosexual acts as a â€Å"halakha† (which means a violation of traditional Jewish law). In addition, Hertzberg (1991) implied that The Torah forbids the act of homosexuality, which is known as mishkav zakhar, and considers a homosexual act between two men to be an abhorrent thing (which is known as to’evah), and is punishable by death—a strong prohibition. Likewise, Islam regards homosexuality as a sin and a vast deviation from the norm: "We also sent Lut: He said to his people: ‘Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds. Quran 7:80-81)’†. Moreover, according to a pamphlet produced by Al-Fatiha, there is a consensus among Islamic scholars that all humans are naturally heterosexual. All Islamic schools of thought and jurisprudence consider gay acts to be unlawful and sinful (Habib, 2010). Like Judaism and Islam, Christianity also does not accept homosexuality, and considers it is an illicit lust that is forbidden by God. He said to His people of Israel, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination (Leviticus 18:22).† "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them (Leviticus 20:13).† In these passages from The Old Testament of the Bible, homosexuality is condemned and shown as a prime example of a sin, a sexual perversion. A Christian can neither alter God's viewpoint nor depart from it (Boswell, 1980). They may believe otherwise, but this does not change how Christianity as a whole views homosexuality. From the scientific perspective, sex is made for reproduction and a male and female’s genitals are designed to mate with one another. Arguments from biol ogy have proven to be very powerful in maintaining heterosexual relations. The anatomical construction of genitalia is a great necessity for heterosexual relations. It is not possible to create future generations without heterosexual relations between genders not only for human being, but also for animal species. For example, Kant, in his Lectures of Ethics, argues that homosexuality is unnatural in that it "degrades mankind below the level of animals, for no animal turns in this way from its own