Willa Cathers O Pioneers! and Charlotte Perkins Gilmans Mr. Peebles

Willa Cather's O Pioneers! and Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Mr. Peebles' Heart In both Willa Cather’s novel O Pioneers! and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story "Mr. Peebles’ Heart" present the reader with strong, successful female characters. Alexandra Bergson, the heroine of O Pioneers!, becomes the manager and proprietor of a prosperous farm on the Nebraska frontier while Joan R. Bascom of "Mr. Peebles’ Heart" is a successful doctor. Cather and Gilman create competent, independent female characters that do not conform to the perceived societal standards for women in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century. Both women must struggle against society’s perception of what they should be and how they should behave, however, Alexandra’s struggle leaves her emotionally distant while Joan’s struggle does not hinder her emotional attachments. Throughout the nineteenth century, gender roles were increasingly characterized by a division of activity into separate spheres for men and women. Men moved freely between home and the outside world, however, women were largely restricted to the home and remained financially dependent upon a man. While this situation offered women more power within the home, that power was very limited in scope. As the twentieth century neared, more and more women began to challenge the societal expectations placed upon them. Many Americans began to fear that the family was disintegrating due to "a declining birth rate, a rising divorce rate, and efforts of a growing number of women to break out of their separate sphere of domesticity by obtaining a higher education, joining women’s organizations, and taking jobs outside the home" (Kellogg and Mintz 1937). As this progressive movement gained momentu... ...ifestyle as the manager of a profitable farm. But while Joan has thrived in her professional and her social life, Alexandra is emotionally stunted as a result of her struggle against societal norms. Works Cited Cather, Willa. O Pioneers! New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1993. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "Mr. Peebles’ Heart." "The Yellow Wallpaper" and Other Stories. Ed. Paul Negri. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1997. 63-70. Kellogg, Susan and Steven Mintz. "Family Structures." Encyclopedia of American Social History. Ed. by Mary Kupiec Cayton, Elliott J. Gorn and Peter W. Williams). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1993. 1925-1945. Pleck, Elizabeth H. "Gender Roles and Relation." Encyclopedia of American Social History. Ed. by Mary Kupiec Cayton, Elliott J. Gorn and Peter W. Williams). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1993. 1945-1961.

The World Wide Web or Internet

Commonly known as the Internet, the world†s largest network is used extensively throughout the world today. Since its creation in 1983, the Internet has continued to grow in popularity and use as a commercial and private communications medium. Millions of people throughout the world use the Internet in a variety of ways, ranging from personal conversations to on-line shopping. According to a survey compiled by Nua Ltd in 1999, the number of Internet users rose from 26 million in 1995 to 205 million in 1999, an increase of almost 700% (Nua Ltd)! With such an explosive increase, how then has he Internet affected us personally, and how has it affected the way we do business? The answers to these questions include changes in the way people obtain information, interact, work, learn and conduct business. Given the Internet†s original purpose is to share information, it is no wonder that the most important asset of the Internet is the wealth of information that can be found on the Internet (Maney 3). Information previously found only in libraries and encyclopedias is now available on the Internet; in addition, news, weather, and movie listings are also ade available on the Internet. Internet users constantly remain informed of the world around them by reading news from the New York Times, USA Today, San Jose Mercury News, Los Angeles Times and many other newspapers found on-line. Even those like myself who are far away from home can keep in touch by reading local newspapers Along with the vast amount of information, the Internet also provides almost instant sharing and distribution of information. Through the use of electronic mail, people all over the world can â€Å"send information to far-away places cheaply, easily and in great olume – much more than any medium before it† (Maney 3). This form of communication known as email is the most widely used tool of the Internet today. Another invention of the Internet is the chat room. From within a chat room, people make friends with others throughout the world and share information with one another in real time. Because of email and chat capability, employees can work together without requiring that everyone work in the same place or even at the same time (Maney 4). On a more personal level, email and chat allow families and friends to stay in touch, keeping relationships intact. Being an international student myself, email and chat rooms have greatly benefited me as they enable me to constantly keep in touch with my family and friends in Singapore. The educational community has also taken advantage of the opportunities the Internet offers. Over the last few years, there has been a tremendous growth in both the number of distance education courses offered by colleges and universities, and in the enrollment in those classes. Internet based classes allow students to watch, listen, and exchange ideas with educators and other students who may be miles away. With n-line education, people learn independently and at their own pace. Such convenience allows learning to take place virtually anywhere and at any time. Busy working adults are now taking classes in the comfort of their home without having to attend regularly scheduled classes on a college campus. Online education also provides people from rural districts the opportunity to have an education without having to travel long distances. Besides supporting on-line education, the Internet has also made our lives immensely simple by allowing us to do countless tasks even in the middle of the night. Using the Internet, people find jobs, send electronic cards, shop, make airline and hotel reservations, execute stock trades, and even pay bills online! The Internet is thus a virtual market place where people can, at the click of a button, select products, place orders, and pay using a secure electronic transaction. All of this ability has made conducting personal business convenient and easy, and enables everyone to complete many tasks that previously would take weeks. With the increasing popularity of people shopping and purchasing goods online, the Internet has created â€Å"new ways of doing business† (Maney 4). Realizing the potential of the Internet, many companies have started to advertise their products and services on-line. By marketing their products and services on-line, companies are able to constantly update the site's product catalog and inform buyers of any changes. Companies, especially new ones, can now allow themselves to be made known to the consumers through advertising over the Internet. Furthermore, there is lesser overhead cost involved, as sales persons and order takers are no longer required. In addition, the Internet has also enabled low budget organizations to reach interested parties across the country or the world. All of these lower costs have resulted in lower costs for the consumer. Many on-line shoppers can find good deals and low prices for desired goods, leading to even more and more on-line business. However, these reduced costs and benefits for the consumer have had adverse effects on some businesses that have been around for many years. Those business which typically are service or data oriented have seen a sharp decline in sales. For example, ar dealerships compete with on-line business because some customers prefer finding a vehicle on-line instead of dealing with a nagging car salesman. Car dealerships are not the only ones threatened by the convenience of the Internet. Postal services and phone companies also face new competition from Internet applications such as email Although the Internet may have some great and significant impact on our lives and the way business is done, there are considerable consequences and drawbacks. Because of the Internet, a new social disorder has been created known as Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). IAD occurs when a computer dominates rather than serves a person, and when people develop â€Å"unhealthy dependencies on the Internet use† (Gard 3). Psychologists have found that there has been a raise in the number of people who â€Å"find the virtual reality on computer screens more attractive than everyday reality† (Gard 3). These addicts perceive that surfing the web is more important than doing any other task. They cannot control the amount of time spent on the computer. For these addicts, the Internet serves as an outlet to escape from reality, relieving their feelings f distress (Gard 3). These addicts often feel anxious and uneasy when not on-line, and crave the Internet connection. As a result of such an addiction, Internet addicts tend to neglect their family, friends and work. Ironically, numerous on-line support groups have since been set up to offer advice to people with such a disorder. Apart from Internet addiction, personal privacy is jeopardized and â€Å"doesn†t exist on the Internet† (Gard 2). Being a web surfer myself, I have had to provide my name, email account, interests, and even telephone number during several occasions in order to ccess a particular web site. In doing this, unscrupulous Internet businesses steal or misuse personal information given to them to â€Å"personalize features on their sites to make them more appealing† (Gard 2). They also release information about their customers to their advertisers. These companies use this information to invade one†s personal time with phone calls and newsletters trying to offer their services. Furthermore, the Internet has made it easier than ever before for people to share and sell data, so that â€Å"anyone who†s willing to pay can get Social Security numbers and riving records† (Gard 2). Likewise, a person having your credit card number and its expiration date can now purchase goods online. From the above examples, it can be seen that there is little, if any, privacy left to be found when dealing with the Internet. The Internet has also given criminals a new media to exploit. While there are many types of Internet criminal activity, child pornography has quickly become a critical issue for the Internet. There has been a widespread increase in the distribution of illegal child pornography on the Internet; child pornographers misuse the Internet to exploit exually abused and molested children throughout the world. By means of the Internet, sexually explicit material of children has been illegally transmitted and sold. Despite these abhorrent activities, the Internet provides each of us with extraordinary With the number of people using the Internet growing exponentially, it is easy to see that the Internet has pervaded the life of everyone. Those that use the Internet on a daily basis, or even only a little, can feel the impact of the Internet around them. The ease with which they can communicate, learn, or accomplish simple tasks and chores akes life easier, and hopefully less stressful. Even those that don†t use the Internet can feel the impact it has on our society and businesses. Because many businesses today use the Internet to advertise products and to provide support, those not familiar with the Internet may find it difficult to get the information needed. People in this position may not like what is happening around them, but the effect on their lives is also felt. Whether the Internet†s effect on someone is good or bad, the fact remains that the Internet has an effect on us all.

Technology and Culture

There is no denying to the fact that changes occur in life as the world develops in its technology. Traditions and customs, culture of each and every race in Malaysia get a setback in this case. An attempt to keep them alive is a controversial matter and become debatable as we are somehow ‘modernized’ by the West. It is somehow painful and sad to see traditions and customs dying as we all humans have intense emotional bond with cultures and traditions but the stark reality have to be accepted that the world is a stage of flux and change.There are several reasons to why our traditions and customs are abandoned. Firstly, the advancement in telecommunication has influenced our minds to choose between cultures to which one that are convenient. We tend to look for and turn to the way as well as the one that is more convenient and are accessible. It is human nature for youths especially to adapt to changes faster. For instance, the existence of the social network called Facebo ok that enables us to connect with people from all walks of life by just typing a person’s name without actually knowing the person well.On festive seasons, we, young people need not going around visiting relatives and friends as well as going back to our respective hometowns anymore, we just wish them and greet them through the social network and phone them. Somehow, the tradition of visiting relatives and friends during festive seasons soon will be a history of life. Furthermore, the technology has moved people’s interest to play traditional games to modern and virtual games. Many youths nowadays are often categorize as the visual people.They often spend their time going to cybercafà © or at home playing computer games to the wee hours. If you ask them about traditional games they would just stare blankly at you because they as well as children nowadays only know how to swipe on the gadgets that theirs parents have. Probably, they are somehow called ‘heliophob ia’ which means a person who is fear of sunlight as most of our traditional games are played outdoors. Traditional games have now been ruled over by virtual games and have now been an ‘old-fashioned’ in youngsters mind.Moreover, the technology has equipped us with more knowledge and we become more open-minded and more rational in thinking. If we would like to know more about more information on a certain thing or events, we could just click on the mouse and search information from the internet as search engines provides us with much information. Referring to books and newspaper have been sort of ‘out-dated’ thing. On the other hand, we can now learn cultural dance through the advance video technology, YouTube.We no longer take the first step to actually ask our mentor or the cultural dance performer or instructor to train us to dance correctly. Even now, the cultural dance is called cultural cum modern dance in the video website. The younger generati on eventually become more open-minded as they think what they are doing is ‘cool’ and fashion has overpowered traditional wears in certain ethnics. All in all, advancements in technology surely have caused traditions and culture to get a setback.The government as well as the responsible authorities should organize campaigns and take action so that the young will know the legacy that our ancestors have practiced and passed on to us. Perhaps, a cultural dance such as lion dance, fan dance, ‘bharatanatyam’ being performed on occasions will get younger generation to know their culture better. They will then pass on to the next generation. It is never too late to teach them on culture and traditions, which is a legacy to leave behind when we are gone leaving a great impact on the next generation.

Better to be Feared or Loved? Essay

In The Prince, Niccolà ² Machiavelli goes into depth about how it is better to be feared than loved. He states that â€Å"Well, one would like to be both; but it’s difficult for one person to be both feared and loved, and when a choice has to be made it is safer to be feared.† I disagree with Machiavelli that it is better to be feared than to be loved. Being feared eventually wears off while being loved is always a feeling that will be there. There are many reasons why I disagree with Machiavelli. First of all, it is better to be loved than feared. Sometimes being feared will help someone get what they want, but with fear, feelings of resentment and hate can be found. It will also nurture subversive thoughts of revenge and other malicious intent. Just like in the TV show Gossip Girl, the main characters Blair and Sarina go back and forth seeking revenge over each other because one has more than the other. They are always in a constant battle against each other. Fear mu st be used in a tightly controlled and insistent fashion or it will fail. To be loved, however, nurtures caring, loyalty, kindness, and other positive binding and giving emotions. It can spawn jealousy in some, but overall it is a much better relationship to have with other people. Fear can cause people to retaliate and eventually disappear. In the article, â€Å"Leadership and the Fear Factor†, the authors state â€Å"Emotions like love and fear, trust and mistrust, can play a significant role in whether a leader gains followers.† This concludes that typically leaders or anyone in the society gain followers by having trust and love. On a more of personal relationship, I would rather be loved, because to have everyone show fear towards each other, would mean you have no intimate relations with anyone and that is not true living. Franklin P. Jones once said, â€Å"Love doesn’t make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.† It is the most powerful feeling to feel loved. I know this by having such a supportive family. My family is always there through thick and thin and are always showing their love and compassion. I also know how it feels to be truly hated. In middle school, there was this girl named Hunter Welch and no matter how hard I tried, she always hated me. So on further note, I think love is a way more powerful feeling. It does seem noticeable however, that someone would want to be feared if they are in a high position or authority. People who are in high authority are often driven by those who rule by fear. However, in a  more personal relationship, it is best to be loved. In the article â€Å"Connect, Then Lead†, the authors gained my full attention. They question the readers, â€Å"Which is better, being loveable or being strong?† This question involves people who are on a high authority. The authors say, â€Å"Leaders who project strength before establishing trust run the risk of eliciting fear, and along with it a host of dysfunctional behaviors.† By this, they mean people ruin the leadership effectiveness. The authors then say, â€Å"The chances that a manager who is strongly disliked will be consi dered a good leader are only about one in two thousand.† Just by these statements, it is best to say that being feared rather than loved does not get people very far. Being feared can cause a mass of destruction, but being loved by people can cause a more healthy relationship between others and the society. In conclusion, people who are loved are more valued than being feared. Whether people are of a high authority or just a common citizen, it is better for people to be loved than feared. Having hatred towards others or yourself will only cause loneliness and heartache. For example, Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Nazi Germany during World War II, may have had many people support him. However, Hitler caused only hatred and brought a lot of destruction. On a further note, being loved is better than being feared. Love has a stronger connection than fear.

Obstacles in the Facilitation of Critical Thinking in Nursing students Research Paper

Obstacles in the Facilitation of Critical Thinking in Nursing students in Jeddah - Research Paper Example Nursing students need to be trained and exposed adequately to the critical thinking process as part of nursing syllabi and pedagogy. A literature review of the works in the area of critical thinking has thrown up many issues. This paper examines: what Is critical thinking; critical thinking as needed in the nursing profession; strategies to facilitate critical thinking; techniques that can be used by teachers to help the students identify and challenge their assumptions and barriers to critical thinking. This paper also seeks to address the various obstacles to critical thinking process being faced by a population of nursing profession students at King Abul Aziz University in Jeddah. This is done by triangulation method deploying the quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis of the collected data. Quantitative data has been collected via a structured questionnaire administered to nursing students and qualitative data is collected from smaller subgroups of both nursing students a nd faculty. The results of the analyses are used to form findings and recommendations. Enhancing critical thinking amongst student nurses is a common concern of nursing education. At least one previous study is known which ventured into probing the strategies to overcome obstacles in the facilitation of critical thinking in nursing education (Mangena & Chabeli, 2005). The findings of this study indicated that there is a need for nurse educators to model critical thinking in all aspects of nursing education. Recommendations suggested an entire paradigm shift in nursing education from the traditional teacher-centered methods to a more learner-centered approach that will facilitate critical thinking of student nurses. Drawing from this study this research project would test the hypothesis that a paradigm shift in nursing education from the traditional teacher-centered methods to a more learner-centered approach.

The Undetected Occurrence of PTSD in Soldiers Assignment

The Undetected Occurrence of PTSD in Soldiers - Assignment Example Since soldiers are prone to exposure to various traumatic experiences in their endeavours, these traumatic events may lead to the occurrence of PTSD amongst the soldiers. Thus, this creates a need for the detection and prevention of PTSD, especially among soldiers. There exist a number of strategic interventions with regard to the occurrence of PTSD in the society (Bryant, Creamer and O’Donnell, 2009; Foa, Keane, Friedman and Cohen, 2009; Forbes, Creamer and Bisson, 2010; Sones, Thorp and Raskind, 2011; Ursano, Bell and Eth, 2004). These potential intervention measures can be divided into three. Psychological interventions offer a wide variety of intervention methods for adults with respect to the occurrence of PTSD (Gray, Maguen and Litz, 2004; Hoge, Worthington and Nagurney, 2012; Jakupcak, Roberts, Martell, Mulick, Michael and Reed, 2006; Ruzek, Brymer and Jacobs, 2007; Wood, Murphy and McLay, 2009). Thus, some of the psychological intervention methods with regard to the prevention and treatment of PTSD include psychological first aid (PFA); cognitive therapies and exposure-based therapies among other interventions. Since the occurrence of PTSD can also be attributed to biological pathways, there exist various pharmacological intervention methods (Holbrook, Galarneau and Dye, 2010; Matar, Cohen and Kaplan, 2006; McCleery and Harvey, 2004; Schelling, Roozendaal and De, 2004; Stein, Kerridge and Dimsdale, 2007). This is owed to the fact that such debriefing interventions would be geared towards providing the necessary information concerning the occurrence of PTSD amongst the soldiers (Barboza, 2005). The interventions would also create a platform for the affected soldiers to share the traumatic experiences with other concerned parties (Schnurr and Green, 2004). This would significantly contribute to the reduction of the stigmatization associated with the  occurrence of PTSD among soldiers.This implies that CISD and CISM provide a suitable intervention platform for individuals who may be affected indirectly by traumatic events such as soldiers.  

Maritime law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Maritime law - Coursework Example This is the absolute duty that the ship or the vessel owner owes to the seamen who are involved in the voyage, for the protection of any risk that might face their lives emanating from the unworthiness or lack proper maintenance of the ship. Thus, if any event of collision or accident occurs in the sea, due to the un-seaworthiness of the ship or the vessel, then the owner of the ship or the vessel is liable for the damage, and the appropriate liabilities shall befall the owner3. This includes the liabilities of all the damages incurred on the cargo, the seamen or the other ships or vessels that could have collided with the unseaworthy ship or the vessel, during the course of their voyage. Among the cardinal duty of the ship or vessel owner is to provide a seaworthy ship or vessel. The doctrine of seaworthiness is the cardinal principle of the Maritime law, considering that the issue of seaworthiness of a ship or a vessel directly affects the liabilities of various stakeholders in the Maritime Law, who may include the liability of the carrier, the marine insurance and the environment4. The concept of seaworthiness of a ship or a vessel is provided under the law, as the presence of all pipes, pumps, heater coils and all the other components of the ship or the vessel, which are in good working order. Thus, the law is further interpreted to mean that the fundamental responsibility of the ship or the vessel owner, which he owes to the seamen; both operating the ship he owns or the seamen operating other ships or vessels on the water body, is to ensure that the ship or the vessels are fit to undergo the hazards of the sea, or any other incidental risk that may occur along the voyage, which the ship or the vessel might be exposed in the course of the voyage, without necessarily having such risks being contributed in any way, by the un-seaworthiness of the ship or the vessel6. This being the case, the owner of the ship bears all the liability in case of an accident, co llision, damage or injury occurring to the vessels, the ship or the seamen, which emanates from any aspect of the ship being unworthy for the sea voyage. However, as s reprieve to the owner of the ship or the vessel to be involved in a voyage, the concept of seaworthiness of the ship or the vessel was lessened only to include the worthiness of that ship or vessel, at the start of the voyage2. Therefore, while there are many instances that may arise where a vessel could be identified as being unseaworthy, the only liability that the owner of the ship or the vessel can bear, is that of the ship or the vessel being unseaworthy at the start of the voyage, while the other aspects of un-seaworthiness, which might occur in the course of the voyage, are deemed incidental and thus the liability is assessed differently3. According to the provisions of the Maritime law, there are several conditions that may constitute the un-seaworthiness of the ship or the vessel in voyage. First, a stowage w hich may affect in any way the safety of the ship or the vessel is considered unseaworthy, and thus constitutes the un-seaworthiness condition of the ship or the vesse7. Secondly, any deficient systems ashore or on board the ship or