A Lesson Before Dying essays

A Lesson Before Dying essays Throughout the duration of the book, the main character endured numerous challenges and problems. The main characters challenges and conflicts encountered resulted in a variety of outcomes. In the novel A Lesson before Dying Grant the main character of the novel, Grant is the son of cane-cutters on a Louisiana plantation. When his parents moved to California leaving Grant behind, Grant's aunt took responsibility for his upbringing. Over the next few years, he worked as the Pichots' errand boy. He fetched wood in the winter and flowers in the spring. He bought food for their larders. He resented his position, but it was the only one available to him. When he was old enough, he left the plantation to attend college. Upon arriving in Bayonne, he discovered that he was still a "nigger" in the eyes of the white people. Grant often criticizes his society. He bitterly resents being treated like an inferior, and he cannot stand to think of Jefferson's unjust imprisonment. For most of the nov el, however, he never seems to do anything about these things. This is a severe problem that Grant faces where he bottles in anger and depression and does nothing about the situation. He longs to run away, essentially acknowledging that society will never change from the racism and violence he encounters from a day to day basis. Grant strongly believes that no one can change society without being destroyed in the process. Grants attitude towards society and life hinders his potential for positive change. His inability in supporting society and his community is also a problem Grant faces. Even Jefferson's trial cannot alter Grant's pessimistic attitude. Grant sees the wickedness of a system designed to uphold the superiority of one race over another. He views the judge and jury unjustifiable punishing Jefferson. Grant says that the judge was white, the lawyers were white, and every member of the jury was white as well. Grant continues to r...

Biography of Norman Rockwell, American Painter

Biography of Norman Rockwell, American Painter Norman Rockwell was an American painter and illustrator best-known for his  Saturday Evening Post  covers. His paintings depict real American life, filled with humor, emotion, and memorable faces. Rockwell shaped the face of illustration in the mid-20th century and with his prolific body of work, its no wonder hes called Americas Artist. Dates:  February 3, 1894–November 8, 1978 Rockwells Family Life Norman Perceval Rockwell was born in New York City in 1894. His family moved to New Rochelle, New York in 1915. By that time, at age  21, he already had a foundation for his art career. He married Irene OConnor in 1916, though they would divorce in 1930. That same year, Rockwell married a school teacher named Mary Barstow. They had three sons together, Jarvis, Thomas, and Peter and in 1939, they moved to Arlington, Vermont. It was here that he got a taste for the iconic scenes of small-town life that would make up much of his signature style. In 1953, the family moved a final time to Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Mary passed away in 1959. Two years later, Rockwell would marry for the third time. Molly Punderson was a retired teacher and the couple remained together in Stockbridge until Rockwells  death in 1978. Rockwell, The Young Artist An admirer of Rembrandt, Norman Rockwell had a dream of being an artist. He enrolled in  several art schools, starting with The New York School of Art  at 14 before moving on to The National Academy of Design when he was just 16. It wasnt long before he moved on to The Arts Students League.   It was during his studies with Thomas Fogarty (1873–1938) and George Bridgman (1865–1943) that the young artists path became defined. According to the Norman Rockwell Museum, Fogarty showed Rockwell the ways of being a successful illustrator and Bridgman helped him out with his technical skills. Both of these would become important elements in Rockwells work. It did not take long for Rockwell to start working commercially. In fact, he was published many times while still a teenager. His first job was designing a set of four Christmas cards and in September 1913, his work first appeared on the cover of  Boys Life.  He continued working for the magazine through 1971, creating a total of 52 illustrations. Rockwell Becomes a Well-Known Illustrator At the age of 22, Norman Rockwell painted his first  Saturday Evening Post  cover. The piece, titled Boy with Baby Carriage appeared in the May 20, 1916, issue of the popular magazine. Right from the start, Rockwells illustrations carried that signature wit and whimsy that would make up his entire body of work.   Rockwell enjoyed 47 years of success with the Post. Over that time he provided 323 covers to the magazine and was instrumental in what many called The Golden Age of Illustration. One could say that Rockwell is easily the best-known American illustrator and most of this is due to his relationship with the magazine. His depictions of everyday people in humorous, thoughtful, and sometimes wrenching scenarios defined a generation of American life. He was a master at capturing emotions and in observing life as it unfolded. Few artists have been able to capture the human spirit quite like Rockwell. In 1963, Rockwell ended his relationship with the  Saturday Evening Post  and started a ten-year stint with  LOOK  magazine. In this work, the artist began to take on more serious social issues. Poverty and civil rights were at the top of Rockwells list, though he did dabble in Americas space program as well. Important Works by Norman Rockwell Norman Rockwell was a commercial artist and the amount of work he produced reflects that. As one of the most prolific artists in the 20th century, he has many memorable pieces and everyone has a favorite. A few in his collection do stand out, though. In 1943, Rockwell painted a series of four paintings after hearing President Franklin D. Roosevelts State of the Union address. The Four Freedoms addressed the four freedoms Roosevelt spoke of in the midst of World War II and the paintings were appropriately titled Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want,  and Freedom from Fear. Each appeared in the  Saturday Evening Post,  accompanied by essays from American writers. That same year, Rockwell painted his version of the famous Rosie the Riveter. It was another piece that would fuel patriotism during the war. In contrast, another well-known painting, Girl at the Mirror in 1954 shows the softer side of being a girl. In it, a young girl compares herself to a magazine, throwing aside her favorite doll as she contemplates her future. Rockwells 1960 work entitled Triple Self-Portrait gave America a look into the quirky humor of the artist. This one depicts the artist drawing himself while looking in the mirror with paintings by the masters (including Rembrandt) attached to the canvas.   On the serious side, Rockwells The Golden Rule (1961,  Saturday Evening Post) and The Problem We All Live With (1964,  LOOK) are among the most memorable. The earlier piece spoke to international tolerance and peace and was inspired by the forming of the United Nations. It was gifted to the U.N. in 1985.   In The Problem We All Live With, Rockwell took civil rights on with all his painterly might. It is a poignant picture of little Ruby Bridges flanked by the headless bodies of U.S. marshals escorting her to her first day of school. That day marked the end of segregation in New Orleans in 1960, a monumental step for a six-year-old to take on. Study Norman Rockwells Work Norman Rockwell remains one of the most beloved painters in America. The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts was established in 1973, when the artist gave most of his lifes work to the organization. His goal was to continue to inspire arts and education. The museum has since become home to over 14,000 works by 250 other illustrators as well. Rockwells work is often loaned out to other museums and frequently becomes part of traveling exhibitions. You can view Rockwells  Saturday Evening Post  work on the magazines website as well. There is no shortage of books that study the artists life and work in great detail. A few recommended titles include: Claridge, Laura. Norman Rockwell: A Life.  New York: Random House, 2001.Finch, Christopher. Norman Rockwell: 332 Magazine Covers.  New York: Artabras Publishers, 1995.Gherman, Beverly and Family Trust Rockwell. Norman Rockwell: Storyteller With A Brush.  New York: Atheneum, 2000 (1st ed.).Rockwell, Norman. Norman Rockwell: My Adventures As an Illustrator.  New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1988 (Reissue edition).Rockwell, Tom. The Best of Norman Rockwell.  Philadelphia London: Courage Books, 2000.

Argumentative Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Argumentative Research - Essay Example Content not driven at the ideology of this political group or the government as a whole (for example either Tibetan or Taiwanese independence) is suppressed in the interests of the state (Hughes). Search engine giant Google has recently come under fire for complying with China’s standards of censorship. Opponents, like Frida Ghitis, accuse Google of selling out on its lofty and righteous corporate responsibility to the oppressed people of China. They claim that as Google puts profits above the people of China, they are compounding the problem by promoting a low standard of corporate ethics. Nevertheless, this view of Google and its ethical responsibilities is itself destructive and contradictory. Claiming that any corporation has a moral duty to serve the interests of anyone besides stockholders is patently absurd. Additionally, to think a corporation does have a moral duty threatens to subordinate businesses to the whims of societies (and, by proxy, their governments): the ou tcome Google’s opponents argue against. The question of Google allowing the Chinese government to censor its content drives a deeper issue: that of corporate social responsibility. This term refers to the moral kinds of obligations, if any, that businesses and corporations are committed to by virtue of being such entities. Obviously, many are favorable to the idea of corporations contributing in some way to social change, other than what some have called â€Å"economic imperialism†, where corporations â€Å"exploit† workers in third-world countries. Nevertheless, the ethics of corporate responsibility have not been well-justified, and are typically found only in the businesses’ models for making profit. Thus, on its face, it seems that â€Å"being responsible† for a corporation is good for business. It can benefit, first of all, brand

LEGAL REASONING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

LEGAL REASONING - Essay Example The state offers tax exemptions on property left to spouses after the death of their partners (Wood, 2011). However, the state denied her request on realizing that she was married to a person of the same sex. There was a federal law in force in the US, the marriage act that defended marriage, DOMA, which failed to include a same sex partner in its definition of the term ‘spouse’ (Leonard, 2013). She decided to file a suit in court challenging the constitutionality of the federal law provision after agreeing to pay the taxes. Both the US Courts of Appeal and the US District Court delivered a ruling that the provision in the statute law was not constitutional and as such ordered the State of New York to issue a refund for the sum paid by Windsor in taxes for her property (Boies & Olson, 2008). The Supreme Court, in a similar case pitting the Governor of Utah and the Salt Lake City Clerk, in their capacities against Derek Kitchen, Kate Call, Kody Partridge, Moudi Sbeity, Laurie Wood and Karen Archer, did not uphold the decision by the state of Utah to ban marriages by same sex couples in 2004. The plaintiffs complained of abuse of their rights by the state of Utah, since it failed to recognize such marriages and accord them the recognition accorded to marriages between heterosexual partners (Engdahl, 2009). One of the reasons given by the Supreme Court to justify their decision in the appeal was that the provision of that federal law encouraged the curtailment of the right of all American citizens to marry any person of their choice (Leonard, 2013). Further, it would deny this section of the population their right to establish a family as they may will, raise their children as well as enjoy the unconditional protection offered by the laws of the State concerning marriages (Fredericks, 2009). Justice Kennedy posited that the Fourteenth Amendment in the US Constitution protected these rights. It has always been a

The Concept of Self-Efficacy Essay -- Self Efficacy Essays

The Concept of Self-Efficacy Self-efficacy, for the purpose of this study, may be defined as a person’s optimistic self-belief. This is the belief that a person can develop the skills to perform new or difficult tasks to cope with changes in health and functioning. When a person perceives self-efficacy, it will facilitate goal-setting, effort, investment, persistence, overcoming obstacles and recovery from disappointments and failures. It can be regarded as a positive outlook or proactive way to handle stress factors. It is the ability to successfully cope with health changes, and implies an internal and stable acceptance of changes and ability to successfully adapt to those changes. Perceived self-efficacy is functional in relationship to behavioral change, and health care maintenance or improvement. In health care, the concept of self-efficacy is important in developing effective strategies for health education and interventions. Self-efficacy emerged from theories related to motivation, competence and a feeling of control. Rodgers’ (1993) stated that the â€Å"evolutionary† method of concept analysis is used in clarifying the concept of interest. By following this approach, abstract characteristics of a concept can be identified and grouped for the purpose of developing a clear and useful definition of the concept. Once the concept is defined, a model case can be described to demonstrate the concepts attributes, antecedents, and consequence. A literary search and a grouping of characteristics will be used to process a constant comparative analysis and to refine the data into a clear and concise definition appropriate for our use. The term effectance is used to describe the motivational aspect of competence. The theory of motivation is not solely based on the basic animal instinct of drive. People are motivated to behave in certain ways because they perceive themselves as being able to effect a desired change. As a persons behavior is repeated and actually effects the desired change a person is providing reinforcement of their confidence in their competence at effect the desired change. The person is energized by the concept of self-efficacy and it’s feeling of empowerment. (White, 1959). Empowerment and control are essential to elements to self-efficacy. According to Bandura, early social learning theory of behavioral change... ...s all treatment and continues on the road of self-destruction. These examples show how self-efficacy in the health care field can be a valuable an necessary tool for improving health care, but like most concepts, self-efficacy is only as good as the person willing to practice it. It is not experienced by everyone and is impacted by self-esteem, self-confidence and many other variables. References Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change. Psychological Review, 84, pp191-215. Gecas, V. (1989). The Social Psychology of Self-Efficacy. Annual Review of Sociology. 15, pp. 291-316. Maibach, E. & Murphy, D.A. (1995). Self-efficacy in Health Promotion Research and Practice: Conceptualization and Measurement. Health Education Research, 10 (1), pp. 37-50. O’Leary, A. (1985). Self-efficacy and Health. Behavioral Research & Therapy, 23, 437-451. Rodgers, L. & Knafl, K.A. (1993). Concept Development in Nursing: Foundations, Techniques, and Applications. (pp.73-92). Philadelphia, PA: W. B. Saunders. White, R.W. (1959). Motivation Reconsidered: The Concept of Competence. Psychological Review, 66 (5), pp. 297-331

Health Reform Essay

The American Medical Association (AMA) has been a supporter of the Affordable Care Act. This health reform has given coverage to over 30 million Americans (AMA). â€Å"We continue to support the health reform law as an important first step in covering the uninsured and transforming our health care system, and we are working hard to make improvements in the law for patients and physicians,† said Dr. Jeremy A. Lazarus, incoming president of the AMA (AMA). Physicians have asked why the AMA has supported the health care reform bill so early is the process. Dr. James Rohack, the president of the AMA, has stated â€Å"there are several sensible reasons for this strategy: †¢The original bill contained a core set of high-priority provisions that our organization has long supported; †¢Bill sponsors were not likely to maintain the $230+ billion investment in Medicare physician spending if we did not register support for the bill (hospitals, the home health sector, Medicare Ad vantage plans and pharmaceutical companies are all facing cuts in the tens and hundreds of billions of dollars); and †¢As early supporters, we are well positioned to help shape revisions to this bill, as well as the final legislation that will ultimately be presented to the President.† The AMA is working with Congress and Administrators to ensure the best outcome for patients and physicians. This reform has promised goals that the AMA is working on to make sure they are achieved. These goals are as stated by the House of Represantives, †¢Extending coverage to the uninsured †¢Making investments in the physician workforce †¢Providing long-term relief from Medicare’s flawed physician payment formula †¢Increasing the nation’s focus on preventive care and wellness initiatives †¢Simplifying administrative burdens for patients and physicians Although working to ensure these goals are met, this organization also has three other goals they are working to achieve. These goals are 1) Eliminate IPAB, 2) Replace SGR, and 3) Enact MLR. (AMA). The AMA is fighting to eliminate cuts to physicians and providers. They want to achieve a new system of payment. With this new system physicians can be rewarded for the care they provide. (AMA). Goal three has the AMA fighting to fix the liability system for patients and physicians. (AMA). In time, the Affordable Care Act bill will be worked out to where it will run smoothly. During this process the AMA will ensure that the legislative process will continue to better health care for Americans. References Rohack, J. (2009, July). AMA Comments On Health Care Reform Position. In Clinical & Practice management. Retrieved February 10, 2013, from www.acep.org The Affordable Care Act: An Important First Step. (2012). In Advocacy. Retrieved February 10, 2013, from www.ama-assn.org japsen, b. (2012, June 14). The AMA, A Key Backer of Obamacare, Looks to Reboot. Retrieved February 10, 2013, from www.forbes.com

Biology Prefixes and Suffixes My- or Myo-

The prefix myo- or my-Â  means muscle. It is used in a number of medical terms in reference to muscles or muscle-related disease. Words Beginning With (Myo- or My-) Myalgia (my-algia): The term myalgia means muscle pain. Myalgia may occur due to muscle injury, overuse, or inflammation. Myasthenia (my-asthenia): Myasthenia is a disorder that causes muscle weakness, typically of voluntary muscles in the face. Myoblast (myo-blast):Â  The embryonic cell layer of the mesoderm germ layer that develops into muscle tissue is called myoblast. Myocarditis (myo-card-itis): This condition is characterized by inflammation of the muscular middle layer (myocardium) of the wall of the heart. Myocardium (myo-cardium): The muscular middle layer of the wall of the heart. Myocele (myo-cele): A myocele is a protrusion of a muscle through its sheath. It is also called a muscle hernia. Myoclonus (myo-clonus): A brief involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscle group is known as myoclonus. These muscle spasms occur suddenly and randomly. A hiccup is an example of a myoclonus. Myocyte (myo-cyte): A myocyte is a cell that is found in muscle tissue. Myodystonia (myo-dystonia): Myodystonia is a muscle tone disorder. Myoelectric (myo-electric):Â  This terms refers to the electrical impulses that generate muscle contractions. Myofibril (myo-fibril): A myofibril is a long, thin muscle fiber thread. Myofilament (myo-fil-ament): A myofilament is a myofibril filament composed of actin or myosin proteins. It plays an important role in the regulation of muscle contractions. Myogenic (myo-genic): This term means originating in or arising from the muscles. Myogenesis (myo-genesis): Myogenesis is the formation of muscle tissue occurring in embryonic development. Myoglobin (myo-globin): Myoglobin is the oxygen-storing protein found in muscle cells. It is only found in the bloodstream following a muscle injury. Myogram (myo-gram): A myogram is a graphical recording of muscle activity. Myograph (myo-graph): The instrument for recording muscle activity is known as a myograph. Myoid (my-oid): This term means resembling muscle or muscle-like. Myolipoma (myo-lip-oma): This is a type of cancer that consists partly of muscle cells and mostly of adipose tissue. Myology (myo-logy): Myology is the study of muscles. Myolysis (myo-lysis): This term refers to the breakdown of muscle tissue. Myoma (my-oma): A benign cancer consisting primarily of muscle tissue is called a myoma. Myomere (myo-mere): A myomere is a section of skeletal muscle that is separated from other myomeres by layers of connective tissue. Myometrium (myo-metrium): Myometrium is the middle muscular layer of the uterine wall. Myonecrosis (myo-necrosis): The death or destruction of muscle tissue is known as myonecrosis. Myorrhaphy (myo-rrhaphy): This term refers to the suture of muscle tissue. Myosin (myo-sin): Myosin is the primary contractile protein in muscle cells that enables muscle movement. Myositis (myos-itis): Myositis is muscle inflammation that causes swelling and pain. Myotome (myo-tome): A group of muscles connected by the same nerve root is called a myotome. Myotonia (myo-tonia): Myotonia is a condition in which the ability to relax a muscle is impaired. This neuromuscular condition may impact any muscle group. Myotomy (my-otomy): A myotomy is a surgical procedure that involves the cutting of a muscle. Myotoxin (myo-toxin): This is a type of toxin produced by venomous snakes that causes muscle cell death.