Ernest Gaines’s novel Essay

Education is widely defined as the act or process of imparting knowledge of skill. But the primary function of education is the eradication of ignorance. Ignorance is multi-layered. A social awareness can be a camouflage for spiritual ignorance. An erudite thinking can be used to mask philosophical ignorance. A teacher can learn hither to unknown aspects of his teaching through the very act of teaching. Because Ignorance is like the mythical beast who can grow ten heads for each head that is slain. Education is the sword that accomplishes the eradication of social, spiritual and philosophical ignorance – but only gradually and by continuous application to daily life. That precisely is a powerful underlying theme of Ernest Gaines’s novel â€Å"Lesson before Dying† Though looked at different perspectives by different characters of the novel, Education is the ultimate aim of most of them throughout the novel. Tante Lou looks at education as the necessary ability to die like a man, aware of his actions, his fate and the courage needed to face it head on – the education she wants her nephew Grant to impart to Jefferson, the convicted black. For Jefferson, who awaits the date for his execution, education is the ability to dispel the images of being non-human, the opinion which his lawyer fosters on him while using it as his defense. For Grant, education, as it reveals itself is to be able to relate to the needs and emotions of others, the ability to look beyond himself, and the ability to deal with his perennial running away from his past. For the black community of the Louisiana, the education that results from this incident is an increased awareness of their oppression, and the realization of a reality greater than their squalid living would allow them to contemplate – honor in the face of adversity. The setting for the quest of education is set in the initial chapters when the defense attorney uses the weirdest of arguments to plead the case of Jefferson. â€Å"This skull here holds no plans,† the defense attorney explains. â€Å"What you see here is a thing that acts on command. A thing to hold the handle of a plow, a thing to load your bales of cotton, a thing to dig your ditches, to chop your wood, to pull your corn. . . What justice would there be to take this life? Justice, gentlemen? Why, I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this. † This sort of defense has its impact on two people. Jefferson internalizes the argument and starts believing that he is in fact a fool, a hog. While his god mother Emma is determined to ensure that Jefferson does not die in a way to justify his description in court but with the dignity of a man. She enlists the support of Grant Wiggins’s aunt Tante Lou. They come to Wiggins’s place to convince him to educate Jefferson on human dignity before he is executed. Wiggins anticipates and deeply resents this task. Initially Grant is highly reluctant to perform what is required of him. He sees himself as symbolic of all black men who are constantly under the pressure of their folks to be heroic, to perform feats that defy their limitations of ability and social status. He sees Emma’s and Tante Lo’s expectations out of him and Jefferson as a perennial cross that burdens all black men. At the same time he is consumed by guilt – of his reluctant to help Jefferson, his desire to run away from the demands of his society. Vivian, his girl friend tells him that though he does not acknowledge it, he loves his folks and that is the reason he keeps returning to the same roots and past that he so deeply resents. He is at the same time angry and afraid. He is himself consumed by serious doubts about the purpose and the method of his living and now is bewildered how he can teach somebody how to die when he himself does not know how to live. Slowly, Grant begins to understand the enormity and the importance of his task. He is required to transform Jefferson’s execution as an educating experience for a lot of groups of people. To Jefferson himself, he needs to educate the concepts of human dignity. To the blacks of his neighborhood, Jefferson’s death needs to be a spiritual education of revolt against suppression. To the whites, the oppressors, Jefferson’s death needs to be an education in Christian concept of martyrdom. He, the reluctant teacher, who always wanted to follow the advice of his teacher Professor Antoine and leave Bayonne for good (chapter 13), starts realizing the immediacy of his duties. Grant starts to warm to the task at hand. More than Jefferson, this experience gives him lessons on living. His girlfriend Vivian is a case in point. She teaches him the virtue of hope. She is afraid that their affair might become public knowledge leading her to lose custody of her children from the previous marriage. At the same time she has the courage to be led by her heart. She visits Grant at his place, they make love under the sky in a field. She allows herself to be questioned by Grant’s aunt about her religious affiliations. All these instances provide Grant with a counter point to his own world view. His girlfriend has a lot of problems to deal with> But she never gives in to cynicism. She never gives up her religious beliefs but, when questioned, has the clarity of thought to say that she will give up her religious affiliation to be united with Grant. Throughout the novel she is a good sounding board to Grant’s rants of cynicism and is a constant source of an alternate point of view. This teaches Grant though very subtly, that his cynicism is a cloak to hide his fears. There builds an uneasy camaraderie at first between Grant and Jefferson. Gradually both men start feeling that the other is helping them deal with their predicament or their life in general. Grant gets Jefferson a radio and book to write his thoughts in. This book starts exerting all the pressure of being an educated and aware man in Jefferson. He confesses that he has never had to think so much in all his life. He had spent all his life doing hard menial labor, pandering to the whites and grinning. If it was meant to be different, he never knew it. This realization that he had the potential to become somebody else which he never actually had the opportunity of becoming makes Jefferson both sad and poignant at his life’s prospects. The change in the attitude of all his friends and the community as a whole is in itself an educating experience. This teaches Jefferson that though they might not have been overtly good to him before, his community identified itself with him and adored him as one of their own. His execution was not just an event of individual pain. His suffering was a point of reference for his family, his friends and his community. In regards to religion, Grant is an unbeliever. He loses faith when in college. But upon Reverend Ambrose’s insistence he does talk to Jefferson about religion. Grant is unable to accept a God who seems to accept and encourage the vast differences in man based entirely on his skin color. His overwhelming cynicism takes him away from religion for which Reverend Ambrose chastises him that he was â€Å"uneducated because he never learnt to care for others†. Though Grant does not regain his faith in organized religion, his mind starts looking for the mercy he wants out of a God who can correct the wrongs of his society. He so desperately wants to get his society to a better station, but feels so powerless to do anything. â€Å"I want you to show them the difference between what they think you are and what you can be. † This is Grant’s demand from Jefferson, and slowly Jefferson internalizes this demand and acquires a composure and dignity worthy of a highly educated man, somebody who is capable of viewing his life philosophically. By behaving with utmost dignity towards his white captors, the sheriff and people around him even the day prior to his execution, he provides valuable lessons in human decency to the bigoted community of whites. The night before his execution, Vivian comes to visit hm and her behavior towards the Jefferson is exemplary. She sets to rest Jefferson’s shame that he is ugly and unclean by kissing his face. This act of compassion helps boost the self-image of Jefferson and enables him to meet his destiny with great equanimity. â€Å"Good by mr wigin tell them im strong tell them im a man† – This entry in Jefferson’s notebook, with all its spelling mistakes is the ultimate grade given to Grant the teacher. He succeeds in making Jefferson an example of Christian charity and dignity. When Paul shaves Jefferson’s head, wrists and ankles before the execution, he calmly entrusts him with his book, his radio and presents him a marble. This act of compassion makes Jefferson the strongest man in the novel and makes Paul realize the gravity of education Grant could provide Jefferson in such a short while. That is the reason he feels proud to shake Grant’s hand in the last chapter of the novel. Martyrdom of an ignorant person which seems to light up the sense of hope of a large community is so replete with religious symbolism. At the same time it is a praiseful hymn to education, not as a system of teaching skills or imparting knowledge, but as a method of eradicating the darkness in its various forms from man’s heart – loss of hope, cynicism, self centeredness, bigotry. Education is also the method of erecting monuments for virtuous qualities in human heart after it has succeeded in eradicating the grossness of vilifying emotions- monuments of forgiveness, selflessness, sharing, and dignity in the face of death and danger. Lesson before Dying is about Lessons in Living. Works cited Gaines, Ernest J. A Lesson Before Dying: A Novel. Vancouver: Vintage Books, 1994.

Major Theories of Human Development

1. Epigenetic theory (Erikson) Erikson's epigenetic theory depicts personality development as a passage through eight sequential stages of ego development from infancy through old age. According to Erikson, the developing individual must master and resolve, to some extent, a core conflict or crisis during each stage by integrating personal needs and skills with the social and cultural demands and expectations of the environment. Passage to each developmental stage is dependent on the resolution of the core conflict of ht preceding stage. No core conflict is completely mastered, however (Mandleco 2004). 2. Psychoanalytic theory (Freud) According to Freud, human behavior is motivated by psychodynamic forces within an individual's unconscious mind. Driven to act by these internal forces, individuals repeatedly interact with their external environment. An individual's personality and psychosexual identity are developed through the accumulation of these interacational experiences. Personality consists of three components: id, ego and superego. The id is inborn, unconscious and driven by biologic instincts. The ego is a conscious and rational faculty. The superego is the internalization of the moral values learnt from parents and elders (Madleco 2004). 3) Behaviorist theory (Watson) Behaviorism contends that human behavior can be explained as just a relationship between a stimulus and a response, and learned behavior is just a conditioned response.  Everything from speech to emotional responses are simply patterns of stimulus and response. Watson denied completely the existence of the mind or consciousness. Emotions are regarded simply as conditioned bodily responses to outside events. Thinking is explained simply as talking quietly. Watson believed that human behavior should be studied in a manner that allows the researcher to predict and control those behaviors (Klein 1989). 4) Classical conditioning (Thorndike, Skinner) Building upon the work of Thorndike, Skinner distinguished two types of behavior. Respondent behavior is based on reflexes and does not require learning. For example, if one touches a hot surface, one will quickly remove one's hand. Operant behavior, however, is learnt, and is performed spontaneously rather than as an automatic response to a situation. According to Skinner most human behavior is operant. Whereas classical conditioning depends on developing associations between events, operant conditioning involves learning from consequences of our behavior (Klein 1989). 5) Social learning theory (Bandura) In social learning theory, primary focus is given to learning experiences that occur through reciprocal social interactions. Environmental or situational determinants are important, but interactions are thought to be the conduit for internalization of social and nonsocial cues for behavior. Bandura and colleagues investigated the effects of modeling and imitation on the behavior of young children. They postulated that modeling and imitation are the primary interaction processes through which behavioral repertoires are acquired. Social learning theory emphasizes the socializing influence of the family (Lerner 1996). 6)   Cognitive theory (Piaget) According to Piaget's cognitive theory, children's development is marked by periods when they are particularly sensitive and responsive to outside influences. However, children are not blank slates on which teachers compose whatever they desire. Children, who have inherent dispositions and tendencies and are subject to their external environments, develop and grow intellectually in an invariable sequence from birth through adolescence and adulthood. To teach effectively, teachers should be aware of the materials and approaches most appropriate for a child's readiness to learn (Sigelman & Rider 2005). 7. Humanism (Maslow) The humanistic theory centers its attention on the experiencing person, emphasizes on qualities such as choice, creativity, valuation, and self-realization, with an ultimate concern for valuing of dignity and worth of a man, and an interest in the development of the potential inherent in every person. Maslow has referred to his psychology as holistic, dynamic psychology, and most of all it is known as self-actualization psychology, which expresses that people possess potentiality which could become actualities through the process of wholesome growth (Coon 2004). 8. Stages of moral development (Kohlberg) Kohlberg postulated that human beings tend to progress through six stages of moral development. People tend to make decisions and judgments about right and wrong for different reasons, depending on the stage of development they have achieved. Kohlberg's six stages of moral development are: 1) Right is obedience to power and avoidance of punishment.   2)Right is taking responsibility for oneself 3) Right is being good in the sense of having good motives 4) Right is maintaining the rules of a society 5) Right is based on recognized individual rights within a society 6) Right is an assumed obligation to principles applying to all humankind: justice, equality, and respect to human life (Lerner 1996). References: Coon, D. 2004. Introduction to Psychology : Gateways to Mind and Behavior. Belmont, CA :   Thomson Wadsworth Klein, S. B. 1989. Contemporary Learning Theories: Instrumental Conditioning Theory  and the Impact of Biological Constraints on Learning. Hillsdale, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Lerner, R. M. 1996. Concepts and Theories of Human Development. Mahwah, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Mandleco, B. L. 2004. Growth & Development Handbook: Newborn Through Adolescent. Clifton Park, NY : Delmar Learning Sigelman, C. K. & Rider E. A. 2005. Life-span Human Development.   Belmont, CA : Thomson Wadsworth

Matthew Shepard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Matthew Shepard - Essay Example This paper examines the murder of Matthew Shepard with respect to the circumstances leading to his death and his legacy. Alongside his younger brother, Shepard led a normal childhood attending school in Wyoming since his freshman to junior years. Shepard completed his education at The American School, Switzerland after his parents moved to the Saudi Aramco Residential Camp in Dhahran owing to his father's work. His experience abroad largely influenced his desire to travel, which led to an unfortunate incident during a school tour to Morocco where he was beaten and raped. This ordeal triggered a bout of depression and panic attacks that are attributed to his involvement with drugs during college. Shepard attended college in Casper, Wyoming to major in political science where his interest in politics sought him a position as a student representative at the Wyoming Environmental Council. Friends and family described Shepard as an overly optimistic individual looking forward to new chall enges. In addition, he held great passion for equality and acceptance as demonstrated in his roles at the community theatre and thus, was very approachable (â€Å"Matthew’s Story†). The tragic events that transpired shortly after midnight on October 7, 1998 followed the conclusion of a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Association (LGBTA). The organization comprised mostly of university students, but welcomed the indulgence of staff members as well as the townspeople. In spite of a low attendance during its meetings, the association’s email list was illustrated as a long one. The meeting on the night of October 6 was meant to organize last-minute details of the Gay Awareness Week slated for the following week. The association’s chair, Jim Osborn, had been attacked before the meeting where he described the events to fellow members and asked them to be vigilant. LGBTA traditions involve late night coffee breaks before adjournment. Shepard visited a lo cal bar where he was approached by Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson who offered him a ride home. However, events took a dramatic turn after the two drove to a rural area and proceeded to rob, bind Shepard to a fence, and whip him with the butt of .357 Magnum in their possession. He suffered had severe brainstem damages, fractures on his head, and numerous lacerations on his face and neck. The combination of these injuries incapacitated his body’s ability to control the heart rate, temperature among other vital functions. Shepard was discovered over 12 hours later by cyclist who perceived his bound composure and comatose state as a scarecrow (Thernstrom). Found in a near death state, doctors described his condition as too severe to risk an operation and as such, Shepard was placed on life support. Meanwhile, the brutal attack attracted the attention of local, national, and later international media shaping the calls for legislations to include the sexual minorities to the list of protected individuals by the law. Shepard was pronounced dead about a week later with his family by his side at the hospital. All the while, Laramie authorities investigating the heinous crime sought to retrace the last events of Shepard’s life McKinney and Henderson were arrest after they were found in possession of Shepard’

The effects of poverty and pollution on economy Research Paper

The effects of poverty and pollution on economy - Research Paper Example Sometimes, it is even the electricity that is at a threat of becoming abandoned where affording the costs in an inefficiently constructed home in relationship to electricity usage. In the following paper, the theory of the Cost of Living Index, the nature of suburban life is evaluated. Overview McGirr (2012) has discovered that the poor largely are populating the suburbs as once lush and comfortable sub-divisions now sit in ruins with burnt out landscapes that are no longer manicured and groomed to meet a standard of presence in the ‘keeping up with the Joneses framework of suburban myth. McGirr (2012) writes that â€Å"Keeping up with the Joneses,† the midcentury caricature of suburban conformity, materialism and consumption has given way to a new suburban normal of making ends meet, with many formerly middle-class families in detached single-family homes struggling to pay mortgages and utility bills, and to repair aging cars†. The Joneses are no longer competing for the best products and consumer glut, but are competing for food, maintaining ownership of their homes at the barest level, and for being able to keep what they have rather than attain the next big thing. Poverty rates have not only climbed because of the current economic downturn. McGirr (2012) reports that in the previous eight years to 2008, poverty rates in suburbs had been climbing to 25% with 51 million households reporting incomes at less than 50% above the poverty line. This trend may be simply due to the larger numbers of people that have gravitated to the suburbs and with larger populations are showing larger percentages of poor. After the growth provided by Roosevelt’s New Deal, the number of people that moved to the suburbs was a result of an increase from 40% of the population owning homes in 1940 to 62% owning homes in 1960. The percentage of homes in the suburbs in 1910 was 7%, but by 1960 that had reached 23%. The development of the identity of the suburban ite is one of the stronger personalities that have dominated the American culture in the last sixty years. Modern suburbia is the cultural equivalent to a sense of the elite, the success of the American dream represented by home ownership, two cars in the driveway, and a lush yard surrounding a relatively upscale home. In 1962 as the development of the suburb had created a generation of suburban dwellers, â€Å"Michael Harrington argued in â€Å"The Other America† that poverty survived amid broad prosperity precisely because it was invisible to most Americans (McGirr, 2012). The suburbs not only provided a sense of the American dream, but it was a shield from all that was not working in the United Sates. Mc Girr (2012) goes on to quote Harrington as he developed his discussion. â€Å"Living out in the suburbs,† Harrington declared,  in what now seems like quaint nostalgia, â€Å"it is easy to assume that ours is, indeed, an affluent society.†Ã‚  Americans, he suggested, no longer saw poverty just â€Å"on the other side of the tracks† in their towns and small cities, but as a distant problem of the inner city, glimpsed only fleetingly from commuter trains or highway traffic† (McGirr, 2012). McGirr (2012) writes that â€Å"The conceit that poverty is a problem suffered by other — often less deserving — people was an essential part of suburban self-identity that was reflected in its politics†

Critical summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Critical summary - Essay Example For instance, the gilded silver the grinder was innovated in this era. Language and traditions assimilation was also an aspect that was affected in this era. The development of China into a cosmopolitan Empire is shown by the different individuals that were in the dynasty. This means that ideologies from different areas in terms of religion, trade and traditions were incorporated into developing cosmopolitan Empire. This is an area that helps in understanding how China became to be one of the most developed countries in the world. Relating the excerpt to information on empire development in China, it is imperative to note that some of the dynasties formed played a huge role. In my opinion, this is one of China plays a huge role in developing the international economy. Having different individuals play a huge role in economic development can be related to some of the recent growth in the neighboring regions like Japan. This clearly depicts that cosmopolitans are developed from incorporation of different

Christopher Columbuss View of the Americas Native Indigenous People Research Paper

Christopher Columbuss View of the Americas Native Indigenous People - Research Paper Example This was attributed greatly by the different personalities of the two colonialists. Notably is that Bartholomew De Las Casas was a priest, writer, a Dominican friar and an advocate for humane treatment and fair relation for the indigenous people of the Americas. On the other hand, Christopher Columbus was the early colonialist and explorer whose aim was to gain power and control over indigenous America at whatever means. In order to get a conceptual view and understanding of the two perspectives, it is worth to analyze critically each of the sides in regard to the newly discovered colonies and its indigenous native people who are the inhabitants. Christopher Columbus's Perspective Christopher Columbus’s perspective view of America's native indigenous people is evident in the contents of the letter he wrote to his majesty’s in Spain. In his letter regarded to a letter on the first voyage Columbus gives a vivid and conceptual description on his adventure and encounters wi th the native indigenous people in his exploration trip in America. Columbus describes the indigenous American natives not really as a detached observer but as an entrepreneur whose main aim is to exploit, the economic opportunities in the region (Jane ). His expedition can be perceived as for an economic expedition and commercially driven. Having critically analyzed the islands man and the extensive indigenous people he interacted with, Columbus portrayed the regions and the people to be suitable for future colonization (Jane). Columbus lays great emphasis and focuses on the Spaniard's interaction with the native indigenous Americas people. He describes the local natives giving an account of their lifestyles and the societal customs in detail. Notably is that the people both men and women go naked only covering some specific parts, also he describes them as very generous and welcoming without any creed.

Insulation and ventilation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Insulation and ventilation - Research Paper Example Their resistances range from 2.13 to 3.31 and mostly require installation by professionals (Department of Energy, 2008). The other type of insulation is rigid insulation that is made from plastic foams or fibrous materials. They provide a greater resistance where space is limited. Professionals apply foam insulation produced in two forms open-cell and closed-cell with the help of special equipment. Blue Flame states that ventilators are those openings in the attic that allow moisture to escape. Ventilation ensures that attic heat does not penetrate into living rooms during the summer. Natural ventilation installation should be for every 300 square feet of an attic, one square foot of ventilation is required (Blue Flame). Some of the natural ventilation types include gable vents, ridge vents, soffit vents, and roof line vents. Power ventilation utilizes attic ventilators that may hinder efficient fireplace and furnace ventilation (Blue Flame). Properly ventilated and insulated attics offer several benefits. Proper insulation and ventilation prevent ice dams by keeping the roof cooler during winter. An efficient ventilation and insulation reduce cooling costs during warm seasons. Proper insulation extends shingle life span that also prevents rot in the roof’s framing by reducing moisture build up. Improper ventilation and insulation consequences include increased costs in cooling and heating the house during hot and cold weather. Improper installation consumes energy and produces unreliable outcomes inhibiting energy efficiency. Both open cell and closed cell foam insulation are suitable for insulating. These foam installations all come in different colors and often look alike. Easley states that in open cell foam insulation, bubbles are linked and connected by air pockets with Resistance values of around 3.5 per inch. The closed cell foam spray uses tiny bubbles filled with gasses less conductive than air, forming a