The Shawshank Redemption, Personal Power Essay Example

The Shawshank Redemption, Personal Power Essay Advanced English Mary Gordon-Thomson 1) Explain how The Shawshank Redemption represents the personal power 2) Compare The Shawshank Redemption with another text in relation to the power of one 3) Do you agree with how The Shawshank Redemption represents organisational power 4) Compose your own text representing personal power 1. The Shawshank Redemption representing personal power The entire plot of this film relies on how personal power is striped from the prisoners and the effect that this has on them. With out this aspect the film would have very little or no effect in displaying Andy’s escape. Personal power is represented through out the film in a multiple of ways including scenes such as â€Å"institutionalised† and the music scene where Andy finds the record and plays it over the P. A system. Personal power is taken by a number of ways through out the film but mostly it is by isolation and imprisonment (both metaphorical and literal). The prisoners are living in a world of multiple layers of isolations. Starting from the large enclosed recreation yard to the smaller work crews down to the cellblock, cells, and leading to solitary confinement. Each of these layers are represented both physically and visually as well as through out the spoken thoughts of Red and significant lines by Andy. Imprisonment both mentally and physically also takes the personal power of choice away from the inmates. It seems at stages the only kind of power Andy or any of the other inmates hold is the freedom of thought and hope. Andy is shown to have much more hope then the other prisoners which is displayed by his â€Å"inner light† as Red calls it. â€Å"All I know for sure is that Andy Dufresne wasn’t much like me or anyone else I ever knew. .  . . It was a kind of inner light he carried around with him. This was spoken by Red after Andy traded tax advice with Bryon Hadley for beer for his workmates. It is Andys sense of self-worth that gives him the confidence and ability to make decisions such as these. The idea of institutionalisation is mentioned frequently by Red through out the film. This is the concept of how the prison takes away a persons ability to think independently and places them in a position of dependence on the routines and regulations of the prison. Red has the personal power to over come this feeling of institutionalisation by not following the path of Brookes after making parole. We will write a custom essay sample on The Shawshank Redemption, Personal Power specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Shawshank Redemption, Personal Power specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Shawshank Redemption, Personal Power specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Personal power is also represented in the music scene, possibly the most couragous (or perhaps just stupid) act Andy does in his time in the prison. By deliberatly disobaying orders from the Warden and continueing the music (a personal choice Andy makes) he puts himself at risk but gives the prisoners a few moments of freedom inside their regulated lives. Of course he pays the price for this but he is able to hold the music in his mind and uses that personal power to over come the pain he faces whilst in solitary confinement for two months. These are only displays of personal power that are written in the script. Cinematic techniques such as colour, camera angles, contrast, juxtoposition and repetition are all used to highlight and represent different aspects of personal power. The Shawshank Redemption represents personal power extremely well through out the film in these ways and more. This all in collaboration displays this aspect of power in a clear and obvious way that is able to be understood with out in depth analays like what we have done. 2. The Shawshank Redemption in comparision with Do you have power? By Julius Babarinsa regarding the power of one. The power of one means the power that one individual has over another person, place or thing. In The Shawshank Redemption it is obvious how Andy has the individual power to not only change his circumstances but also to vastly improve the lives of the other prisoners in Shawshank prison. Andy is able to (with the power of persistence) create an entire library that allows the inmates to read and learn when they previously could not. Andy is also able to bring hope back into the lives of many of his friends in the prison such as Red. â€Å"I hope Andy is down there. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope. † In Julius Babarinsa’s poem Do you have power? He creates a long list of people and what they have power over and concludes the poem with: â€Å"We should realize that we are all citizens of this world we owe it to our children to use our powers positively to help make this world a better and friendly place So that we can create a just and compassionate society† By doing this he not only signifies the power of one but also enforces the question of how can you, the responder; use this power to benefit the world. Both The Shawshank Redemption and this poem have clear and precise ideals on what is able to be achieved as an individual and the expectations that this puts on each person to be the best that they can be. Whether that be breaking out of prison with a rock hammer or electing the right representative in a vote. 3. Organisational power in The Shawshank Redemption The Shawshank Redemption is extremely effective in its representation of organisational power. It uses a lot of different cinematic techniques such as repetition, contrasts and costume to clearly display different organisational power through out the film. There are two main forces of organisational power in The Shawshank Redemption. The guards are one group of organised power and the other organised power is the routine. The guards and the routine are both forces made by the prison but they use their power in completely different ways. The guards are brutal, they use force to scare the prisoners to do as they are told and completely rely on threats and intimidation to keep their position. The power that they hold may be very strong at their peak but when power relies on abuse and dishonesty is can not last forever. The routine is a very different kind of organisational power. It is present in every single shot inside the prison, from things as simple as their clothing to what time they eat, sleep and use the bathroom. It is unescapable and yet seems to be irrelevant in comparison to the obvious power of the guards. The reality is, it is not physical and mental abuse of the prisoners that wears them down, is it the constant and ever strong drone of this routine that break them. If given enough time it strips away everything individual the prisoners could previously have, even up to something as personal as a name. The guards’ power is obvious; it is shown in their uniforms, specifically angled shots to display height and status and the constant reminder of weaponry they have at their disposal, whether that be a fist, a gun or a baton. The routines power however is much more subtle and therefore can go unnoticed. It is shown effectively in the repetition of significant events (such as how Reds parole was being rejected and Red and Brookes leaving from the prison being exactly the same), Consistent and never changing features in lighting and colours with in the prison and also how time and age are shown. These two very different displays of organisational power are contrasting and yet both so effective through out the film. The direct choice of having more then one type of organisational power clearly displays exactly how powerful each organisation is and this adds greatly to our understanding and appreciation of the film. To answer whether or not I agree with how this type of power is displayed I hope it is clear to see I defiantly agree and I think they did a marvellous job of displaying and explaining organisational power through out the film. 4. Own text representing personal power My new home was the epitome of dank. The roof leaked, the walls thin and windows non-existent. It was there that I met Cooper. Cooper was my saviour. My brother. My best friend. He understood me in a way that I had never dreamt possible. Together, we found a light within the darkness. Every day, a new adventure beckoned. A game to be played; a secret smile to be shared. He made the slow years pass just a little bit faster, until finally, we decided to leave our murky prison and face the open air. Together, we would make it. That much was certain. The world outside the orphanages gates was harsher than either of us had anticipated, and it wasn’t long before we were making money the only way that we knew how. He would steal, and I would sell myself. We aspired to save enough money to rent a little place. To create that of which neither of us ever had, a home. However, that dream always seemed to be just that, a dream. Unachievable and unreachable. It was then, when our happiness seemed so shattered, that Cooper devised a plan. We would combine our talents. It was simple really; I would lure men into an ally, where he would beat them and steal their money. The first time this happened, I was unaware of the plan. The blood on his fists made my stomach turn and I screamed at him to cease. For the first, but not the last time, he scared me. Soon he became more ambitious. The plan changed. After seducing a stranger, instead of a dark street, I would allow him to lead me into his home. Cooper following quietly from behind, and while I distracted the man of the house, he would rob him of his every possession. In this way, the money that we needed to rebuild our lives was quickly collected. I told him that I would get a job in the market place to help; that I wanted to do this right. He disagreed and insisted that we continue, just one more job. And then another. And another. Cooper would not see sense. He began to muffle my complaints with his fists. I was scared but I knew nothing else. He was my everything. Without him, I could not exist. Eventually, the inevitable occurred. His anger overpowered his rational thought and a man lost his life beneath Coopers thrashing fists. How could I love a murderer? My brother. My best friend. Where did that boy go? The light that he once sparked within me had disappeared, and I knew that I must leave him. The following night I fled beneath a cloak of darkness. Miserable and lonely, I searched the streets for a familiar face; instead I found a familiar place. A whorehouse. My training had served me well, and I was accepted into one of the most highly respected brothels in town, the bell and whistle. This particular bordello served a higher class of customers then those with whom I had previously associated myself. We entertained society’s elite, royals, noblemen, high ranked officials, and, as you are aware, members of the church.

Child Sexual Abuse effects Essays

Child Sexual Abuse effects Essays Child Sexual Abuse effects Essay Child Sexual Abuse effects Essay Feb. 2012. Web. 23 Feb. 2013.. Currie, Janet, and Erdal Tekin. Does Child Abuse Cause Crime? IZA, Apr. 2010. Web. 23 Feb. 2013.. Garsden, Peter. Does Child Abuse Cause Crime? Inside Time Newspaper. N. p. , June 2012. Web. 01 Mar. 2013.. Impact of Child Abuse and Maltreatment on Delinquency, Arrest and Victimization. National Institute of Justice. N. p. , n. d. Web. 23 Feb. 2013.. Logan, Cassandra, Emily Holcombe, Suzanne Ryan, Jennifer Manlove, and Kristin Moore. Child Sexual Abuse and Teen Pregnancy. Nationa Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, Sept. 2011. Web. 23 Feb. 2013.. National Child Abuse Statistics. Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse. Child Help, n. d. Web. 01 Mar. 2013.. Parental Substance Abuse. Child Welfare Information Gateway. N. p. , 2010. Web. 23 Feb. 2012.. Preventing Child Sexual Abuse. Preventing Child Abuse America, n. d. Web. 23 Feb. 2013.. Understanding Child Sexual Abuse: Education, Prevention, and Recovery. Understanding Child Sexual Abuse: Education, Prevention, and Recovery. American Psychological Association, n. d. Web. 23 Feb. 2013..

Measured Building Survey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Measured Building Survey - Essay Example It comments on the current state of all parts of the structure. These parts of the building are physically inspected but limited to the scope of services offered by the building surveyor. Major defects survey is also referred to as main elements survey. For this type of survey, focus is on the main parts of the structure. Inspection and report concentrate on selected areas like roofs, floors, ceilings and windows. The home buyer report survey is standardized, covering main aspects of the structure but not detailed. It is restricted only to accessible parts of the structure. Specific survey narrows down the scope of survey to particular parts of a property depending on the owner’s knowledge (Douglas, and Noy, 2011 P.8). In most cases, building survey is advocated for buildings that lack documentation or they cannot be used. However, it assists in developing reliable and an accurate document and or a verification of an existing document. This makes building survey an essential a ctivity in the planning process as well as providing detailed information for further planning activities. The methods of survey used are: field sketch, dimensioned sketch, tape and offset survey or extended baseline survey and plane table and alidade survey. The best survey is achieved through a combination of these three methods (Scotland’s Rural Past, 2005, p.6). Sketches, plans and accurate geometric data together with information gathered from survey are combined and structured properly. These parameters are used to derive an actual design and planning process. The first step towards building survey is taking of measurements on site by use of conventional equipment like measuring stick or optical distance meters. Sophisticated surveying techniques like tachometry, laser scanner and photogrammetry are used (.Douglas, and Noy 2011, p.34). The next steps involve combining the measurements to produce details, sections and elevation of the property that are derived from plan. According to RICS (2007, p.30), any residential property is defined by linear measurement but not from floor area. Measurements are taken from a point not greater than 1.5 meters above the floor and skirting board. Recesses, bays and the like are excluded in the measurements taken. The room area should include kitchen units, cupboards and the like although it must be identified separately. When taking garage measurements, the span between main walls faces internally are of importance. Risk Assessment Some of the factors to consider in risk assessment are: Critical areas of concern in relation to residential property. Considerations from building codes and seismic zones. How to get information in relation to resources, skills and ability to investigate what you are not familiar with. Commitment to the task of checking and confirming details in the design. From the plan, elevations and sections developed from survey, the form, dimensions, orientation, natural lighting, ventilation an d spatial organizations of occupants assist in redesigning a new property. Issues required in designing of a house and their relevance as well as recommendations is considered. This is what is called risk assessment that aims at construction of safer homes. The main risks for property are; fire, harsh environment, floods, cyclones and earthquakes. The main services are drainage, gas, electricity and water. The

James J Hill and E H Harriman Compare and Contrast Term Paper

James J Hill and E H Harriman Compare and Contrast - Term Paper Example While J. P. Morgan stood for the banking industry, the oil industry could not be spoken about without mentioning John D. Rockefeller, iron and steel industries were synonymous with Andrew Carnegie’s name, and lastly, as we all know, Harriman was the man who stood for the railroads (Klein 1). In The Life and Legend of E. H. Harriman, the author of the biography, Maury Klein, offers us the first in-depth story about Harriman. The biography covers his influential times in the industry. It spans more than seventy-five years (Klein). E. H. Harriman’s life has been understudied, for the most part, but he was truly influential in the growth of American economy. While Harriman was successful in bringing ‘dead’ companies back to life, James J. Hill was just as successful in the rail transportation business. Their lives changed America. As the story goes, we are put in the loop on how Harriman used to be a banker in Wall Street up to his 50th birthday (Klein, 65). Af ter that, he got into the railroad business in the year 1897. That is the time he took control of the then Union Pacific Rail Road. The company was emerging from a period of bankruptcy. Harriman is credited with the success of modernizing each and every aspect of the company’s operations. Harriman provides us with new insights into the controversies and the myths that surround the career of one of American’s greatest businessmen. Moreover, the book goes on to reassert the position held by this great mind as a true business titan of the turn-of-the-century. James J. Hill: Empire Builder of the Northwest is a biography of a legendary capitalist, James Hill, to whom great changes were credited in the Northwest. The author of the book, Michael P. Malone, is a gifted historian. He is also a respected writer. This is well, evident, in the manner in which he has carefully penned the remarkable life and times of one James J. Hill. In focus, Michael Malone’s biography on James J. Hill is selective. Additionally, it is interpretive in the method it has used. Nonetheless, all these angles at this biography are just like all the other books on the same topic series. However, Michael Malone avoids the pitfalls of other biographies that came before this one. The other biographies often present hagiographic pictures or business histories that are very slim in content. This is not the case with this biography penned by Michael Malone. James Hill is put fully into the context of the times he lived and did business and put his mark on American business history. Worthy of note is the fact that the author, Michael Malone has put emphasis on the effect James Hill’s actions had on America; more specifically, the regions in which he lived and did business.  

Gender and Sex Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Gender and Sex Worksheet Essay What is gender? What is sex in biological terms? Are gender and sex the same thing? Explain why or why not? Gender is your social configuration of male or female. In biological terms sex is your male or female parts and pyscial features. Sometimes gender and sex are not the same because there are so people that feel differently about who they are want to be so they have surgeries to change or alter their biological parts. How do gender and sex contribute to the concepts and constructions of masculinity and femininity? Gender and sex contribute to the concepts and constructions of masculinity and femininity because masculinity is the properties characteristic of the male sex, and feminity is the trait of behaving in ways considered typical for women. Typical meaning traditionally speaking. Do our concepts of gender and sex contribute to the ways we embrace gender and sex in diversity? Yes, I think that our concepts of gender and sex contribute to the ways we embrace gender and sex in diversity. Knowledge is power and I feel a lot of people for whatever reason whether because of ignorance or stereotyping etc†¦. People define the concepts of gender and sex inaccurately. Do our concepts of gender and sex contribute to our understanding of sexual orientation? Explain. Yes, I feel that for the last couple years this has been first a very sensitive topic and then and new and confusing topic as well. The lines seem to be blurring when it comes to what people want sometimes and how they feel. It use to be just male and female but now the 2 concepts are crossing cause a lot of people confusion because what they are for example males feeling feminine or females feeling more masculine.

An Analytical Essay on the Double-edged Sword in Hamlet :: The Tragedy of Hamlet Essays

An Analytical Essay on the Double-edged Sword in Hamlet   Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hamlet's tale is a tragic one because it presents a man who is in the center of a moral dilemma. It is difficult enough for a man to face what is making him angry even under normal circumstances. Hamlet's circumstances are certainly not normal.   Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hamlet's dilemma, whether or not he should kill the king, is compounded by three things. He is extremely angry and hurt over the murder of his father. He cannot express that anger to others because in his position it would be political suicide. Finally, human nature demands that he express that anger somehow. Thus Hamlet faces a double-edged sword, he must express his anger somehow and that will lead to his downfall.   Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hamlet (correctly) blames his uncle, Claudius, for the death of his father. Further compounding the issue is the fact that Claudius is now the King of Denmark and is married to Hamlet's mother, Gertrude. Hamlet feels robbed of his both his father and his birthright. There is no doubt that Claudius is responsible for the crime, the next course of action would, of course, be to kill him.   Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But it is not that simple.   Gertrude seems quite happy in her life with her new husband. Although Hamlet is infuriated with her as well for marrying Claudius so soon after her husband's death, he still loves her and does not wish any harm to come to her. Furthermore, if Hamlet were to kill Claudius, especially at this point, the people of Denmark would no doubt suspect the truth. This would only anger Hamlet even more since he feels that he would get caught for his 'justifiable homicide' and Claudius did not get caught for his crime. All Hamlet can do is keep quiet, and that only makes him even more frustrated.   Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, Hamlet cannot continue to hold his strong feelings inside for very long. Like shaking a bottle of soda, the pressure builds and builds until, eventually, the bottle will explode. Hamlet begins exploding with his passive-aggressive behavior towards the king and queen. He puts on a play that almost exactly displays the crime of which Claudius is guilty right before his eyes. However, even knowing beyond any doubt now that Claudius is guilty, Hamlet still cannot bring himself to kill him. The bottle does not explode completely until the duel at the climax of the play.

Importance of parental involvement in their children education Essay

Substantial quantity of research has been conducted in the area of parental role in their children academic achievement and adjustment. Parental involvement in their children educational activities at early stages involves both creating an enabling environment at home that foster academic attainment and direct involvement in literal skills (Gillian and Bernadette 2006). This is in a view that pupils have two categories of teachers: parents and teachers at school. Generally, research show that there is an increased parental involvement in their children’s education at early stages of about 92 percent, with women showing more commitment as compared to men (Maxwell and Johnson 2002). However, the outstanding question remains to be how parental involvement is done best to facilitate children achievement. In response to this question, Moore and Wade (2000) states that parents as prime educators of a child have a significant influence on the children’s learning in schools and beyond schooling to social, economical mindset and cognitive development. The parent involvement at school level includes assisting children during lunch times and providing necessary study materials for their children such as chats. While at home parents get involved in their children’s educational activities by teaching their children nursery rhymes or/and songs, reading together, narrating poems or stories together and assist with assignments or homework. This learning activities to a great extend do help the children attain literacy skills, discipline due to association and modeling from parents, socialization benefits and the boost in their cognitive abilities especially memory (Moore and Wade 2000). The body of research available indicates that parental involvement in their children learning activities influences their learning positively. The areas that are greatly affected positively are outstanding: overall academic performance, cognitive competence; fewer indiscipline problems due to low delinquency level and discipline maintenance by parents; problem solving-skills resulting from parental guidance in problem solving skills; and fewer cases of absenteeism due to greater school enjoyment (Gillian and Bernadette 2006). Research conducted by Sammons et al. (2001), found out that the learning activities that the parents engage in with their children at home have a positive impact on the children’s social and cognitive or intellectual development as a result of child-parent attachment (Sammons et al. 2001). Therefore, this finding implies that what parents do to their children in terms of their learning whether formal or informal is better than what they are to their children. Hence, it is inherent that parental income, educational background or parental occupation does not precede their contribution to their children intellectual development. Similarly, research on children’s literal skills in relation to their parent involvement in their education activities overwhelmingly supports positive influence (Porsche, Jordan and Snow 2000). Child-parent involvement in reading activities at home has impact on two dimensions about language aspects. First, the impact on learning activities usually includes attainment of language expressive skills, achievement in reading tasks and language comprehension (Moore and Wade 2000). Second dimension, involves cultivation and facilitation of the child’s attentiveness in reading lessons or sessions, reading interest and a positive attitude for reading (Gillian and Bernadette 2006). These two achievable dimensions through child-parent involvement create an incentive for reading skills and the necessary mechanisms that help support the incentive for reading. Parental involvement in their children academic activities is linked to the child’s benefit in terms of formal literacy learning. The leading child-parent academic activity like reading is an important determinant of child’s emergent literacy and language attainment. Moreover, the children introduced to books by their parents early ages they usually have a good head start and an overall advantage over their counterparts in primary (Porsche, Jordan and Snow 2000; Moore and Wade 2000). More empathically, the research shows the more the children and their parent are involved in literacy skills like speaking, reading, writing of language and numbers, and listening; the more long-lasting effect of retention to the child. Furthermore, parental influence is strongest in the reading subject to young pupils as compared to other subject as children demonstrate they can imitate their parent’s voices and pronunciations while reading (Moore and Wade 2000). Therefore, it should be seen that this strong reading influence is important in the sense that reading skill is basic to all subjects successful understanding and learning. Additionally, the parental influence demonstrated through their interest in their children’s education has a positive influence for teenage age of 16 (Gillian and Bernadette 2006). Findings by Sammons et al. (2001) reveals that parental involvement in their children’s learning environment and support go beyond educational and literacy attainment. This finding demonstrate that children that and good intimacy, attachment and interaction with their parents exhibited greater emotional and social development especially in a nuclear family set up. Most of the areas of emotional and social development are life satisfaction, self-control and self-direction, good mental health, resilience to stress, stable and positive relationships resulting to stable marriages and social adjustment is excellent. Conclusion In conclusion, this paper indicate that parents involvement in their children’s education activities has positive influence on the children’s educational outcomes; the view widely supported by research. The major dimension that child-parent interaction in educational activities are: academic performance, cognitive competence, fewer indiscipline problems, problem solving-skills, and fewer cases of absenteeism. Moreover, the strongest and important influence is the long-lasting reading skill that is crucial excelling in other subject areas. Therefore, parents ought to encourage continuing their involvement in their children’s learning. Bibliography Gillian P, Bernadette D 2006, Contemporary Issues in the Early Year, SAGE, London Maxwell S. & Johnson, L 2002, â€Å"A five-year longitudinal study on Parental involvement in the development of children’s reading skill† Child Development, 74, (12), 442-456. Moore, M & Wade, B 2000, A sure start with books, Early Years, 21, 33-48 Porsche, MV, Jordan, GE, & Snow, CE 2000, â€Å"The effect of a family literacy project on kindergarten students’ early literacy skills: Project EASE†, Reading Research Quarterly, 36, 521-531. Sammons, P et al. 2001, EPPE project on Cognitive, Behavioral and Social development at 3 to 4 years in relation to family background. The effective provision of pre-school education, The Institute of Education, London