Of Mice and Men Essay -- Of Mice and Men Essays

Of Mice and Men is a novel written by John Steinbeck. It is set in California during the great depression. The story follows two ranch hands who travel together and are very poor. Throughout the novel we witness many different philosophical references. Many different types of characters from this novel are reused in today’s society. Steinbeck also writes eloquently about the many different emotions, aspirations, and dreams of man. This novel’s title originates from Robert Burn’s poem â€Å"To a Mouse† written in 1785. Steinbeck’s book shows comparisons to this poem. One way it shows this is through the powerless and doomed fate of the mouse that has no control over what could happen to it based on its condition (â€Å"Reith†). Steinbeck had originally titled the book Something That Happened. It was originally intended to be a children’s book. This was mainly because of the childlike innocence given from the characters. It was however proven to be much more complex and adult themed than originally intended ("The Making"). In Robert Burn’s poem he wrote about how the plans and ideas of man can and do often go astray. This gave the inspiration for the theme and title to Steinbeck’s book. This shows that the best plans and thoughts can be thwarted. These plans can be destroyed by many innocent distractions. Even if the best intentions were meant, it still ends in an unpredictable way (Scarseth). Steinbeck got the inspiration to write this book in the summer of 1922 through his experience at Spreckels Sugar Company Ranch. He worked there with Filipino and Mexican labor. The landscape of the book was familiar to where he worked. He worked in an oasis type river and renamed the location to a place called Soledad which meant solitude (Hays)... ...elist John Steinbeck Has Sometimes Been Criticised as a Sentimentalist. Duncan Reith Uncovers the Bleak Political Pessimism Behind His Novel of Ranch Life During the Great Depression, Of Mice and Men." The English Review Nov. 2004: 6+. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 11 Jan. 2012. Scarseth, Thomas. "A Teachable Good Book: Of Mice and Men." Censored Books: Critical Viewpoints. Ed. Nicholas J. Karolides, Lee Burress, and John M. Kean. Scarecrow Press, 1993. 388-394. Rpt. in Novels for Students. Ed. Diane Telgen. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 11 Jan. 2012. "Stage and Screen." Of Mice and Men: A Kinship of Powerlessness. Charlotte Cook Hadella. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1995. 64-81. Twayne's Masterwork Studies 147. Literature Resources from Gale. Web. 11 Jan. 2012. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin, 1993.

Media Propaganda and Stereotypes Essay -- Media Stereotypes Stereotypi

Our society consists of consumers that buy into stereotypes and the propaganda that is being fed by the government and the media. Stereotypes steer individual's perceptions of a group of people in a certain way, usually negative, and generalize that opinion to all members of the group. Aware of the influence stereotypes have on people's views, governments use stereotypes already imbedded in society as a propaganda tactic to persuade people's thoughts, opinions and beliefs in order to benefit their cause. The media was used for disseminating stereotypes the effect violent music has on teenager's behaviours such as in the shootings at Columbine. After the September 11 attacks, the U.S. government used the media as an outlet to emphasize Muslim stereotypes to influence people to support the invasion of Iraq. Stereotypes and other propaganda techniques such as "name-calling, manicheanism, and censorship" are powerful instruments used in propaganda, because it tactfully influences the pop ulation to think in the way that the government and media want them to think (Shah, 2003). However, its success depends on how strong the stereotypes are instilled in society, how well they are maintained within propaganda and if the public is unaware of the propaganda techniques used. Propaganda is most often used during times of conflict, such as the most recent example regarding the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States. When news broke out all over the media that the terrorists responsible for the atrocity were of Muslim origin, many racist individuals probably thought 'it figures.' Ever since the fact that Saddam Hussein "used chemical weapons to poison tens of thousands Kurds in 1988" was exposed to the public via the media, t... ...1402>, consulted on March 30, 2004. Mediascope (2000). "Youth and Violent Music." Online at: http://www.mediascope.org/pubs/ibriefs/yvm.htm, consulted on March 29, 2004. Poiesis.org (1997). "The Peace Journalist Option." Online at: http://www.globalissues.org/HumanRights/Media/Propaganda/Iraq.asp, consulted on March 28. SCHECHTER, Danny (2001). "Covering Violence: How Should Media Handle Conflict?" mediachannel.org. Online at: http://www.mediachannel.org/views/dissector/coveringviolence.shtml, consulted on March 27, 2004. SHAH, Anup (2003). "War, Propaganda and the Media." Global Issues. Online at: http://www.globalissues.org/HumanRights/Media/Military.asp, consulted on March 27, 2004. The Disaster Center (2000). "Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold: Stop the Violence, Remember Littleton." Online at: http://www.cnn.com/video, consulted on April 1, 2004.

Analyse Your Own Strengths and Weaknesses in Counselling Skills Essay

Use your work from P3 and analyse (consider in detail) it e. g. what are your strengths in counselling skills, why you think they are your strengths and where do you use them. What are your weaknesses, why do you think they are your weaknesses and what can you do to turn them into strengths. For Egan’s first stage I think the strengths that I have in counselling would be that I explained to the client about the contract and confidentiality that is included into the contract that is kept between the counsellor and the client and so with this I was able to use this to be able to show the client that this is a professional relationship and so this is explains the guidelines of what is going to happen between the counsellor and client within the sessions and outside of sessions if contact is needed. This is a strength because the client will think that I am professional because we need to go through the contract first before the starting of any sessions so then they know what is going to happen in the sessions that they are having. It would also be a strength because if I did not explain the contracting at the start of the session then the client would not know what the counsellor does about contacting, name, address, and also if they have been referred here by their GP and explain to them if they need more specialised help and so they would explain at the start if the counsellor would have to refer their client onto someone more specialised so this would be a client that might have drinking or drugs problems and so they would need to explain first that they might refer later on in the sessions and the warning of sending them on. I was also able to explain that confidentiality was also a strength because if the client didn’t know that the confidentiality during the sessions then they might not be open to telling me the counsellor about what their issue is and so then I might take the information that they have said already and be able to spread so I was able to explain the confidentiality so that they know that all they say will stay between me and the client unless they are at risk of harming themselves or others and so I would have to break confidentiality there and I would alarm them of that I am breaking confidentiality by informing others of what they have done. This is a strength because I was able to explain all about confidentiality so that the client is able to know all the information they needed about what is going to happen in the counselling sessions. I would use confidentiality with every patient I am with because they will not trust me otherwise and I would not be able to help them with their issues and that they would want me to keep everything they said otherwise I might be putting them at risk of being harmed. Another strength that I had was that I was able to give unbiased information which means that I was not adding any of my own opinion to the advice that I was giving the client. I think that this was a strength because I didn’t let myself give biased information which could lead me into trouble if they followed my advice, this would also cause the client issues if they were being abused and they followed my advice and I put them at harms way because I told them to make a decision about what their circumstance was and that I could potentially lead them into getting more hurt than they already was. I would use this strength with all the clients that I am attending to because then I am not reliable to be subject to being prosecuted because I told them that they should do this and that and so this meant they might be homeless, severely hurt or even worse that they have lost everything because of one little thing that I have said to them and so unbiased information also protects me the professional from not being subjected to court because of seeing them in the sessions and providing this information to them. Eye contact is a strength of mine because establishing eye contact with the clients that I have to work with allowed me to be able to show them that I was listening to what they have to say and so this made it so that I was not being rude to them because of not looking at them and so this meant they was able to express more to me because of me the professional able to pay attention and see the emotion they are expressing with what they have to say and if they are not saying anything then seeing the emotion that they are able to transpire by being quite but are wanting to express what they want to say without actually saying it. I think this is a strength because they need eye contact to know who they are talking to especially if its couple or group counselling that is taking place. I would use this when being with my clients because they would need to be able to know that I am being assertive to them when they are expressing what they have bottled up for a long time and so this allows them to know that they can trust me. During the session a strength that was pointed out what that I was able to reflect throughout the session and this is a strength because it showed that I am being assertive and being able to reflect back to the client everything they said and also expressing the same emotion that they told me back to them to show them what they are doing and so this shows them what emotion they are putting in with their words so that they know how they are feeling about a certain topic. I think this is a strength because they are able to show that I am not only listening but also taking in the information if I am able to reflect it back to them with the same emotion they are using and so this helps for when I have to give them unbiased information that can relate to the presenting issue. I would use this with the clients I have in the counselling sessions to show that I am capable of helping them if I have the knowledge of what they have said to me and be able to transfer it back to them for the next session so that they are able to vent it all to me so then they can have help. Summarising was also a strength that I was able to do in the counselling session because at the end of the session I was able to take in all the information that the client has discussed and summarise it so that they know I was able to do this by listening to everything they said. I think this is a strength because the client is going to trust me more and then we can start building a helping relationship by being able to make sure that everything that the client has said I take it into account even if it’s the smallest thing. This would be used when I am with clients because showing them that I am able to summarise all what they have discussed shows that I want to help them with their presenting issue. Showing professionalism and exploration are a strength because I was able to represent myself that I am professional and not being personal so that the client can only see me as a professional and not someone who is being non-professional and so this is a strength because then they are not able to now personal things about me that are private and will only make the client confused of who is in the room my personal self or the professional side and that exploration I was able to find more information about the client by asking open questions so that I was able to help them with the presenting issue at hand. I would use this with the clients because then I am not letting them see my other side and sticking to professionalism and that exploring is an easier way to finding all the information the client has on that topic and so this means being able to help a lot faster and maybe even resolving the issue. The weaknesses that occurred in the first stage was that at the start of the session I was not being focussed, this is a weakness because then I was not paying attention to the client and they might have said something important or urgent that needs attending to for example if they said they was going to kill their family and I ignored that then I could potentially making her family at risk of being hurt or even murdered because I was not paying attention. To turn this into a strength I need to be more focussed that means I need to be focussed as soon as they enter the room so that I do not miss anything they say or express on their face. Another weakness was that I was also judgemental to the client with what they say and this is a weakness because I should not being judging them on what is going on with their life or how they look because I do not know them or their life so this could have been the way they was born and judging them only makes me feel guilty about what I am thinking about them and can lead me into getting distracted. I can turn this into a strength by making sure that no matter who my client is I am not allowed to judge because nobody is perfect and not all people have the same life as me and so that they may need more help. Egan’s second stage I think that the strengths I have are that I was challenging the client by asking open questions so that they are forced to tell me more information and not just a simple yes or no answer and something that they would have to think about, this is a strength because it made them feel like I was caring because I was asking the open questions to be able to dig deep into the presenting issues and so this would help me be able to resolve the issue and help them with their life. I would use this to e able to tackle the client that have difficulty in expressing what they want to say because they are either scared, worried or terrified of what my reaction might be. Another strength I have is repeating the issue to the client to allow them to continue where they might have left off, I think this is a strength because it might be that they were heading is the right direction because this might be about the presenting issue that they have and so allowing me to repeat it to them to continue allows them more chance to get everything they’ve probably wanted to say off their chest. I would use this with every client I see because at least I am showing them that I remember what they said and also allowing them to remember so they are able to express what they want. The weaknesses that I occurred through the second stage was that I made the client feel uncomfortable by leaving awkward silences I think this is a weakness because if it’s a new client then this means I still am trying to know this person and they might not be happy that they would tell a complete stranger all about the secrets they have been hiding for years and so this meant I was waiting on them to answer one of my open questions or waiting for them to present an issue that I am able to help them with, the way I would turn this into a strength is that instead of waiting on them to answer me I could get them to do activities like drawing or ball game so that they are able to trust me and start the conversation going. Another weakness was that I introduced myself again and so this is a weakness because this could be passed on to the client as though I am forgetful of who my clients are so I need to introduce myself again and this could lead the client in not trusting me beca use if I have to do this then I probably can not remember the conversations that I am having with my clients and who they are. To turn this into a strength I need to not introduce myself again but make sure that they are aware that I am there as a professional and so the introduction needs to be happening at the start of a new client. The strengths that occurred in the third stage was that that I was able to look back at the last session which is reflecting and this is a strength because I was more able to express all the emotion they had put into the conservations over time and so this means that I can help them more and they can see what emotion they are expressing to me when I mention a certain topic and develop on this because if a topic that they mentioned is a lot more expressed than another than this can help the client be able to think more about this topic and if it can resolve the presenting issue. I would use this with my client because they need to know that I am being aware of what they are saying to me and also the emotion they are putting into it. Another strength was that I was able to recap on the SMART targets that were set in the second stage and so this is a strength because when recapping on these targets it can help the client be able to show me that they have achieved some of their targets and also review the ones that have not been met and see if we cant change it to make it smarter so that they don’t feel like they are unable to achieve it, I would use this strength with all my clients because being able to set SMART targets enables not only me but also the client to be focussed on what they want to do so this might mean setting a target such as if my client was pregnant and needed to tell the father than this means the target will be able to help her be able to tell him using the SMART example and that this might make her feel better because if she can do this then she will be able to set other targets than can do with this subject and if she cannot for fill the target for some reason then maybe we can change the target to ones that are easier. The weaknesses that occurred in the third stage was that I spoke too much to the client and this is a weakness because this meant that I was overloading the client with too much information that they might not be able to take it all in and so feel really confused with what I am saying and then feel like they are not able to ask again because I might say it all again and overload them. I think that to turn this into a strength is that when I need to tell them information is too inform them first that I need to give them information and make it clear to them and then ask if they got everything I said and that they understand. Another weakness was that I was not focused again which meant that I didn’t turn it into a strength because I was able to do it again and this mean that this is a weakness because I didn’t listen to my own advice of being able to turn it into a strength and so this means that I need to be more focussed otherwise it can lead to consequences on the client and also me the professional. To turn this into a strength is that I need to stay focussed on every client that I see even if I don’t believe the client or that I know they are telling lies because they have changes their story from the previous session.

Big business and how it affects media ethics Essay

The effect of media on the public as shown in the long list of Hollywood movies is of prime interest with big business that targets mass consumption of their products, services and ideas. Big business sells not merely a product or a service but a whole lifestyle and mode of thinking. Big business sells a whole package of beliefs passed on from one generation of consumers to the next. McGuire (1986) noted several of the most commonly mentioned intended media effects: (a) the effects of advertising on purchasing, (b) the effects of political campaigns on voting, (c) the effects of public service announcements (PSAs) on personal behavior and social improvement, (d) the effects of propaganda on ideology, and (e) the effects of media ritual on social control. And the one who could manipulate the media eventually controls the effects media has on its audience. And due to this interest, big business has not been complacent in using media to further its interests to the extent of affecting media ethics. There is a war between big business and media as one tries to use, outwit and profit from each other’s power. Media needs the advertising money that big business has. And big business needs media’s format and reach to help push their products in competitive markets. On ordinary and traditional circumstance, business news will be the usual reporting of financial markets, who recently go hired or who recently got promoted but times are changing as media and big business realize the power they have over each other. â€Å"Private enterprise has been and continues to be thought of as a private ?affair by many who engage in it. But for a multitude of reasons, the ? media try (and not often enough, some argue) to make private transactions public business. The press is watching business closely. One page from a metropolitan ? newspaper can tell the story. The Orange County Register, a southern ? California daily with a circulation of over 300,000, reported stories under ? these headlines one day in early 1987: â€Å"GM plans to lay off 2,000 in ? Kansas City†; â€Å"Ford exec asks cut in Japanese Imports†; â€Å"SEC chief says ?more big news is coming†; â€Å"Guiness director quits over scheme†; â€Å"People/Continental to offer 2-for-1 tickets†; â€Å"GE to lay off 3,000 workers at ? Northeast plants†; A large picture showed striking Lockheed Shipbuilding workers crossing a picket line ? in Seattle. † (Blohowiak, 1987) It’s more dangerous when both cohort each other into twisting the truth and step over business and media ethics. In this light, big business and media profit from the unethical practice of their crafts with the mass markets eventually receiving unjust consequences as illustrated by the highly celebrated Enron fiasco. â€Å"In the wake of apparently dishonest practices by Enron Corp. executives, and apparent negligence by members of its board of directors, many are asking how people believed to be so smart could have lacked the moral courage to seek and tell the truth. As there is after every financial scandal, a call is being made for more courses in â€Å"business ethics† in the leading universities. † (Berlau, 2002) Another example of the big business that has continually been in headlines is the business of war. Media has played a critical role in convincing voters to support the decision of their leaders to go to war and spend for war. Smith in 1994 explains â€Å"that armament firms have sought to influence public opinion through the control of newspapers in their own and foreign countries, that armament firms have organized international armament rings through which the armament race has been accentuated by playing off one country against another, that armament firms have organized international armament trusts which have increased the price of armaments sold to governments. † (Smith, 1994) As the Bush administration furthers its campaign against terror, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are slowly becoming the most expensive campaign since World War II. Lawmakers and congressional staff reports that Pentagon is preparing $127 billion to $160 billion worth of requests for its armed services due for 2007. â€Å"That’s on top of $70 billion already approved for 2007. Since 2001, Congress has approved $502 billion for the war on terror, roughly two-thirds for Iraq. The latest request, due to reach the incoming Democratic-controlled Congress next spring, would make the war on terror more expensive than the Vietnam War. † (Wolf, 2006) The business of war just like any other kind of big business will succeed to prosper and profit because behind these big businesses are media partners that by themselves big business as well. Media ethics is nowhere to be found in bottom line discussions between the big businesses and the use of the networks to serve specific interests as elaborated by the action of Sinclair Broadcasting Group and their support for the Bush Administration presidential campaigns. â€Å"If what can only be described as an attempt by a large, conservative corporation to keep a corporate president in power, Sinclair Broadcasting Group, which owns 62 stations nationwide, has ordered all of its stations to pre-empt regular programming and instead show an anti-Kerry film along the lines of the Swift Boat Liars one week before the election. â€Å"It’s not the American way for powerful corporations to strong-arm local broadcasters to air lies promoting a political agenda,† said David Wade, a spokesman for the Democratic nominee’s campaign. â€Å"It’s beyond yellow journalism; it’s a smear bankrolled by Republican money, and I don’t think Americans will stand for it. † (Bowers, 2004) Big business has taken into its payroll media elements including important roles that protect standards. This is imperative if big business wants to ensure success in the big amount of money they invest on advertising or news reporting for example. Although bad or good advertisement is still advertisement and can help brand retention, at the end of the day, consumers would always go for the products and services that have a good reputation. And with media ethics slowly getting softer and softer, with manipulations with words, graphics and endorsers, a not so good product will sell. These are possible due to evolving market models. â€Å"The unrestrained market model has diminished the authority of news editors, once guardians of quality, the domain’s bulwarks against illegitimate pressures exerted by the owners, the public, or other stakeholders. The editors, in a sense, were newsrooms’ superegos, the disinterested enforces of standards. Most editors are now firmly embedded in the corporate hierarchy, directly answerable to fiscal matters. They are paid like executives – a big change from the recent past – and are expected to conform to corporate fiscal priorities. † (Gardner, 2001).

Anti Violence Essay

Anti violence essay Seven years ago I did not think violence existed in America. The most violent act ever committed was the tragedy of the World Trade Center in 9/11/01. The Trade Centers had been the target for something so horrible, and I thought at the time, ‘This will change the world. † I was right about that fact: our airports are more secure, we have to have pass-ports anywhere you go now, you have more thorough bagage checks, and they’re more selective as to what’s in your purse before boarding a plane. I think the most secure place in America right now is our power plants. They have increased security at all our power plants, including the nuclear plants, and also there is air space around each plant so planes have to keep their distance from them. Homeland Security is a common word in our homes today because of 9/11. I wanted to know how. Wanted to know why. Wanted to know what our leaders reactions would be. The world trade center killed many people that my friends knew and loved; that can never be replaced. This act changed the way my friends lived, loved, and acted in school. This spine-chilling nightmare was committed because terrorists took over three planes that flew into the giant buildings. The causes of this violence is the hatred between countries, states, or nations. The hatred is then passed down to the youth generation, because we hear, and see the dislike between the grown-ups. Children learn from the wisdom and actions of what the elders do. Shooting, stabbing, verbal abuse, physical abuse, and gang fights are a few examples of youth violence. All of these exist in schools, neighborhoods, malls, the movies and even in your own home on the internet. Schools have tried to stop it but there is still a lot of verbal abuse anywhere in the school system you go. Youth violence can be stopped by reporting abuse, shooting, stabbings, and anything to do with gangs. It can also be solved by not being the one that does bulling or any of the things listed above. I think it is funny how teachers wonder about why no one reports violence in America. My say on the matter is the kids are scared it will only get worse if we tell a teacher or principal or any adult because they use our name and our grade to the bully or person that Bothers you.

Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 23

Response - Essay Example After all the friends left him, Abu al-Hasan went back to his mother’s house. He promises to keep distance from his untrustworthy old friends. Therefore, Abu al-Hasan develops a new approach of inviting only strangers to his home at night. Afterwards, he refuses to recognize them. He spent a year inviting and engaging strangers. One-day Abu al-Hasan welcomed two men disguised in merchants dress to his home. Namely the Caliph and Masrur, the Sworder of his retribution. After the new friends drank and dined, Abu al-Hasan informed them that they would never meet through the story about Larrikin and the Cook (Tarnowska and Naff 471). Up to this level, Abu al-Hasan transforms into a careful yet gullible person. He extensively used symbolism and metaphors in the story to explain and justify his experiences. During the story, Larrikin mentioned that the narrative had a cause and a tail. Therefore, Caliph probed Abu to explain the cause of the story. However, Caliph objected to leave. The story took an interesting twist when Caliph asked Abu about his wish. Ironically, Abu requested to be Caliph for one day to punish shaykhs who oppressed and disapproved his hospitality. Later Caliph covertly placed Cretan Bhang in Abu’s beverage and instructed Masrur to take Abu to the Palace after he fell asleep. The Caliph told everyone in the Palace to obey and pretend Abu to fulfill his dream. Upon waking up, Abu al-Hasan found himself in a deluxe apartment. He wondered if it was paradise or heaven. Consequently, Abu assumed his new role while the Caliph watched and laughed from hiding. Later that night Caliph placed another Bhang in Abu’s drink, which made him to fall asleep (Tarnowska and Naff 477). Abu woke up in his mother’s home the next morning. His mother insisted it was a dream while Abu emphasized about the Caliph until he beat his mum with a staff. Folk outside reasoned that Jinn

Fiction ( Creaton from your imagination) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fiction ( Creaton from your imagination) - Essay Example His life is all the more inspirational for me as his favorite sport is the same that is mine – cricket. In fact we do play together every now and then whenever we get time or it should be, whenever he gets time from his busy routine and hectic life. My uncle has had his due share of problems and struggles during his life. He has seen the highs and lows of life and I can safely conclude that he is all rounder by all measures of imagination. He has witnessed success when he was down in the dumps and face humiliation in the form of losses, both in terms of financial value as well as psychological pressures, but it is his genius that he never turned back on his principles and strong ideological limits and thus defeated whatever came in his way. His developmental process is such that he has only looked at the brighter side of things and never touched the negative as according to him, doing the latter can reap nothing but misery for both the individual as well as the people related with him or her. Thus he molded his life in such a manner which would only provide him solace and peace of mind whenever he was in hot waters and nothing right came across him. He has seen financial losses that took away quite a huge sum of his bank balanc e in late 1980s when he was doing a roaring business of textile designing yet he did not succumb under pressure from people related to him and the near and dear ones advised him to divest whatever was left in the business. He continued and marched along at the same speed, so much so that now he has his own textile factory located in the outskirts of the city. He has been a model of inspiration for one and all and I can safely call him my mentor whenever I run into any problem in my day to day life. His advice is always that has brought a new lease of life in me and helped me see things in a more positive fashion rather than just sitting and sulking over the