The Characters in All My Sons by Arthur Miller

Arthur Millers drama All My Sons asks a tough question: How far should a man go to secure his familys well-being? The play delves into deeply moral issues regarding our obligations to our fellow man. Divided into three acts, the story unfolds in the following manner: Act One: The friendly Keller household is introduced.Act Two: The truth about Joe Keller is revealed.Act Three: After facing the truth, the characters make final choices. Like other works by Arthur Miller, All My Sons is a critique of an overzealously capitalistic society. It shows what happens when humans are ruled by greed. It demonstrates how self-denial cannot last forever. And it is Arthur Millers characters who bring these themes to life. Joe Keller Joe seems like the traditional, amiable 1940s father figure. Throughout the play, Joe presents himself as a man who deeply loves his family but also has great pride in his business. Joe Keller has been running a successful factory for decades. During World War II, his business partner and neighbor, Steve Deever noticed some faulty airplane parts about to be shipped for use by the U.S. military. Steve says that he contacted Joe who ordered that shipment, but Joe denies this, saying that he was home sick that day. By the plays end, the audience discovers the dark secret Joe has been concealing: Joe decided to send the parts through because he was afraid that admitting the companys mistake would destroy his business and his familys financial stability. He allowed the sale of faulty airplane parts to be shipped to the frontline, resulting in the death of twenty-one pilots. After the cause of the deaths was discovered, both Steve and Joe were arrested. Claiming his innocence, Joe was exon erated and released and the entire blame shifted to Steve who remains in jail. Like many other characters within the play, Joe is capable of living in denial. It is not until the plays conclusion that he ultimately faces his own guilty conscience - and then he chooses to destroy himself rather than deal with the consequences of his actions. Larry Keller Larry was Joes oldest son. The audience does not learn too many details about Larry; the character dies during the war, and the audience never meets him - no flashbacks, no dream sequences. However, we do hear his final letter to his girlfriend. In the letter, he reveals his feeling of disgust and disappointment towards his father. The content and tone of the letter suggest that perhaps Larrys death was due to combat. Perhaps life was no longer worth living because of the shame and anger he felt. Kate Keller A devoted mother, Kate still holds on to the possibility that her son Larry is alive. She believes that one day they will receive word that Larry was only wounded, perhaps in a coma, unidentified. Basically, she is waiting for a miracle to arrive. But theres something else about her character. She holds onto the belief that her son lives because if he perished during the war, then (she believes) her husband is responsible for her sons death. Chris Keller In many ways, Chris is the most admirable character in the play. He is a former World War II soldier, so he knows firsthand what it was like to face death. Unlike his brother, and the many men who died (some of them because of Joe Kellers faulty airplane parts), he managed to survive. He plans to marry his late brothers former girlfriend, Ann Deever. Yet, he is very respectful about his brothers memory, as well as the conflicting feelings of his fiancà ©. He also has come to terms with the death of his brother and hopes that his mother will soon be able to peacefully accept the sad truth. Finally, Chris, like so many other young men, idealizes his father. His strong love for his father makes the revelation of Joes guilt all the more heart-wrenching. Ann Deever As mentioned above, Ann is in an emotionally fragile situation. Her boyfriend Larry was missing in action during the war. For months she hoped that he had survived. Gradually, she came to terms with Larrys death, eventually finding renewal and love in Larrys younger brother, Chris. However, since Kate (Larrys seriously-in-denial Mom) believes that her eldest son is still alive, she is mortified when she discovers that Ann and Chris plan to marry. On top of all this tragedy/romance material, Ann also laments the disgrace of her father (Steve Deever), whom she believes is the sole criminal, guilty of selling faulty parts to the military. (Thus, theres great dramatic tension, as the audience waits to see how Ann will react when she discovers the truth: Steve isnt the only guilty one. Joe Keller is guilty too!) George Deever Like many of the other characters, George (brother of Ann, son of Steve) believed that his father was guilty. However, after finally visiting in father in prison, he now believes that Keller was in fact primarily responsible for the death of the pilots and that his father Steve Deever should not be the only one in jail. George also served during World War II, thus giving him a greater stake in the drama, for he is not only seeking justice for his family, but for his fellow soldiers.

Poverty A Problem That Affects Everyone Who Deals With...

Introduction: Poverty a worldwide problem that affects everybody who deals with the situation. People living in poverty are at the lowest of the lowest in the social, economic and political class. Another word for poverty is the slums. In today’s world there is an estimate of three-billion people that live in poverty. The average poverty person live off of just $2.50 a day. One third of the people that live in poverty are children. Over twenty-two thousand children die due to poverty. People lose their everyday life due to living in poverty. Those are just some facts that gave me interest on this topic to see a sense of understanding of it. The number one killer in the world today is hunger. The way the world is set up, nobody should die from hunger. There is a way provide food for the people in poverty. I personally feel that with some effort as nation, the United Nations can stop world hunger. Farming and manufacturing is too efficient to have people go without food. Instead of having wars on materialistic things in search of power, we should be helping people in need instead letting people lose their life due to hunger. Similarity: â€Å"Christianity is a monotheistic religion that is based on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus† (Fisher302). This religion is currently the largest religion in the world with a population over 2.4 billion followers are currently known as Christians. In Christianity, poverty living could potentially bring a since of humble lifeShow MoreRelatedPoverty Is A Problem Of Poverty1398 Words   |  6 PagesPoverty has been one problem that all societies have had to deal with in some form or another. Poverty is a complex issue that has many different aspects that affect the people involved. The complexity of it is why it has been a difficult problem for people to solve. The negative stigma associated with poverty is one of the most difficult aspects to change. With enough education and knowledge, poverty will one day be a problem of the past. Many people have different opinions on what poverty meansRead MorePoor Living Conditions Essay976 Words   |  4 PagesIndia Belton Essay 2 English 1010 July 27, 2013 Professor Long Poor Living Conditions Affects Children While most people live their day to day life, there are some children living in poverty. Living in these types of living conditions can influence the mental health of a child. Children living in poor quality environments can be a lasting effect on their life. Adults are often affected by poor living conditions because of the financial strain on them; not being able to provide for their familiesRead MoreWhat Causes The Causes Poverty? Essay1164 Words   |  5 PagesEssay1 What Causes Poverty? Everybody is wondering why people are suffering from this kind of global issue? It is a severe case that takes over the world and kills the victims whom suffer from it. We should first know that this situation can be enhanced during the time. Undoubtedly it is poverty which is a state of being extremely poor. Subsequently, it is one of the most unsolved issues today. It leads into a bad condition. So, there are three major points that causes this situation. First, the lackRead MoreWhy Do People Become Homelss1750 Words   |  7 Pagesto you why people become homeless and why it does not stop Homelessness is a problem that have getting out of hands because of not addressing the situation on time. The focus is not so much the why but, if it will ever stop. Homelessness is a phenomenon that has so much to address research has been done; it was discover that for our government to concentrate on the stop instead of the why. We know the why. The problem is to start by addressing the gender, the culture, the psychosocial of the individualRead MoreThe Third Article Is By Murali ( 2004 ) Essay1674 Words   |  7 PagesThe third article is by Murali (2004). This article looks into poverty at a deeper level and explores how it directly and indirectly affects mental health. It looks at it in the context of the growing inequality between the classes. This article mainly focuses on the children and how their social class shapes their mental healt h. It is important to look at how it affects children, because the children as they grow can either accept it or work hard to change it. It is hard to see upward mobility fromRead MorePoverty Is An Overwhelming Word1688 Words   |  7 PagesGladys Castillo English 7 H Mrs. Martin November 4, 2015 Poverty Taking a Toll When you throw a pebble into water it sends ripples throughout it, likewise everything caused constitutionally creates an aftermath. Poverty is an overwhelming word because of the meaning and situation it carries, especially when a person is living in the state of poverty. This is a worldwide issue that you may find in many countries, never the less you see it everywhere and even when you don’t it’s there. MillionsRead MoreAnalysis Of Sandra Cisneros s The House On Mango Street Essay1075 Words   |  5 Pagesdesire to escape their situation a necessity. Similar to Esperanza, a young teen today might not recognize the importance of education and instead believe the goal is to find a man to care for her. Esperanza remembers her mom advising her to never wait around for a man and forget about her future. The impoverished and uneducated parents of Mango Street are a negative influence on the children s education: â€Å"They are bad those Vargases, and how they can only help it with one mother who is always tired,Read MoreRaising The Minimum Wage?870 Words   |  4 Pagesincreases unemployment and poverty. Others believe it creates jobs, helps the economy and low-income families by giving them more money to give back to the economy. Doug Hall, director of the Economic Analysis and Research Network and David Cooper, Economic Analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, expressed how the increase in minimum wage affects certain genders, families, education backgrounds, ages, and the economy (Hall Cooper, 2014). It is said that the increase mainly affects women with a compromisingRead MoreAnalysis On The Result And Implication Of The Policy779 Words   |  4 Pagessuccessful public policy to focus on the poverty problem rather than others. The implementation of PNPM takes about two years to show some progress of success. As we can see from the table below, the number of poor people are decreasing gradually every year. However, the progress was showing a slow pace of decrease on the issue of poverty. There are several drawbacks come from the current representation of the poverty issue. Firstly, there is a great deal of misuse of the policy and miss-targetedRead MorePoverty Of The United States1663 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is the reason for not ending the world-leading problem in the United States and in other countries? Are we capable of ending a monster that has taken the lives of children? Poverty is the monster that society worries about, especially the individuals who have to endure going days without eating and have to live in horrifying conditions. The United States has the world’s second highest poverty rate among children, and the children have no way of defeating it. Many different organizations,

Bill to Law at Malaysia Free Essays

3. Explain the process how a Bill becomes Law. Malaysia was a former British colony and prior to its independence a commission was appointed to draft the Federal Constitution based on the system of parliamentary democracy practiced in the Great Britain. We will write a custom essay sample on Bill to Law at Malaysia or any similar topic only for you Order Now Similar to the Westminster System, Malaysia’s Federal Constitution divides the structure of government into three branches – Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary. Under the doctrine of separation of powers, the Legislature is the body which has the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. There are two legislative assemblies under the Westminster system, an upper house (In Malaysia, it is called the Dewan Negara) and a lower house (Dewan Rakyat). Before an Act becomes a law, it is called a Bill. There are two types of Bills, a Public Bill and a Private Bill. Under the Public Bills, there are Government Bills and Private Members Bills, where Government Bill is normally introduced by a Minister and Private Member Bill is initiated by a Member of Parliament. A Private Bill is a proposal for a law that would apply to a particular individual or a group of individuals, or corporate entity. A Bill will have to go through several stages before it becomes a law. When a Bill is introduced to MPs in the parliament, it is called the First Reading. The title of the Bill is read out and copies of it are copied out, no debate takes place, but there will be a vote on whether the House wishes to consider the Bill further. During the Second Reading, the general principles contained in the Bill are debated by the MPs. Frequently, during this stage; public attention will be drawn to the proposal and the debate between the MPs who support and against the bill begins. At the end of the debate a vote is taken – a majority of MPs must be in favor of the Bill in order for it to progress any further. If the Bill passes the Second Reading, it will come to the Committee Stage. At this stage, a detailed examination of each clause of the Bill is undertaken by a committee and the committee will subject the Bill to line-by-line examination and make amendments. The membership of the committee will usually be those MPs with special knowledge, or interest, in the subject of the Bill. Next, the amended Bill goes to the Report Stage – the Bill will be reviewed by the House where it started. The amendments will be debated in the House. The Third Reading is the final vote and debate on the Bill. It is almost a formality, since a Bill which passed through all the stages is very unlikely to fail at this late stage. Another vote will be taken and if passed, then it goes through a similar process in another House. Finally, a Royal Assent by the King is needed in order for the Bill to formally become a law. Under the Constitutional Amendment Act of 1983, the King cannot refuse to sign the bill if it has been passed by both of the Houses in the parliament. Thereafter, the Act is gazetted and becomes an Act of Parliament. How to cite Bill to Law at Malaysia, Essays

Business Communication in International Marketing for Advertising

Question: Discuss about theBusiness Communication in International Marketing for Advertising. Answer: Business communication defines a two way communication process required to share information to conduct a business. It can be of various types like business-to-business, business to customers, business to wholesaler, business to traders and many more. Business communication is required for marketing, management, advertising, employee management, customer management, reputation maintenance, business expansion. This essay will discuss about the business communication required in international marketing. The main objective of this kind of business communication is to mutually exchange data that is beneficial for the business expansion and maintenance. The process of business communication is different for different types of business, countries and their culture (Meyer and Peng 2016). The following analysis will show a brief discussion about the business etiquette of China, Australia and their differences. It will also discuss about the business communication required to be followed by a n Australian entrepreneur to expand her business from Australia to Japan with example of Hofstede model. The following report discusses about an Australian entrepreneur Mary who has started her business in Wagga Wagga and wants to expand her business to China. China is a country of business scope and growth with their own list of business ethics and rules. Mary being an Australian needs to study the Chinese business etiquette and follow them to please her client, China. The report will show an analysis on Chinese etiquette, the comparison between the two nations business system, Australia and China. It will also discuss about the suitable adjustments that Mary needs to make a favourable impression to her clients for conducting a business with them. Business etiquette is the set of skilled behaviour need to be followed while conducting a business (Okoro 2012). It can also be said that business etiquette is the style maintained in the business. The Chinese business etiquette differs from other countries as they are very particular about their business structure and regulations. Their business structure and culture differs from the Australian business structure. The people of China highly value business qualities such as respecting the elders and higher ranks, being polite and patient in work field, being modest and giving face to the one who deserves it. They are very particular about their greeting and addressing style, business card is an important aspect for them. Few typical Chinese etiquettes are they prefer people who speak in English. Their conversations are very brief and exact to the point. They do not prefer detailing in answers unless required. They are very much concerned about saving face and giving respect. Their personal etiquettes also play an important role in their professional life. Their dinning style includes a strict restriction for not sticking the chopstick straight into the bowl as it is reserved for the funerals. Hence, that is considered highly offensive in a official meeting. They accept gift with both the hands and find it offensive if they are gifted with clocks, green hats, and watches (Verbeke 2013). Although, the present generation in China have become flexible with the cultural diversity and accepts the difference in culture between their own country and foreign countries. It would still be a better option to impress them by abiding by the mentioned etiquettes. An Australian entrepreneur Mary owns the aromatic condiment shop located in Wagga wagga, Australia. It is strictly maintained by Australian business ethics and process. The following paragraph will discuss the basic difference between Chinese and Australian business etiquette and culture based on hofstede culture theory. Hofstede culture describes the effect of a societys culture on its members and how it affects the behaviour of the people in the society (Kuo 2013). The six dimension of Hofstede cultures are described in the following paragraphs. The first point on Hofstede culture is power distance. In this dimension, it is shown how a country handles the inequality in culture especially in case of money and power. Australia has a low power distance. Superiors have direct access and managers are dependent on employees. Managers and employees are consulted and informed about the decisions taken by the company. In China, distance power is higher. They maintain a distance between the higher authority and the inferior ones (Winterich and Zhang 2014). Australia has an individual culture; this denotes that the people have a loose society bonding. The people expect themselves to look after their issues and do not expect the society to take any step for it. The employees are also expected to be self-dependent, all the hiring and promotions are also dependent on the workers merit and quality. On the other hand China is a has collectivism culture, the people in China belief in group work and are influenced by group decisions. Employee commitment is low in the organisation whereas personal relationship matters in workplace. Australia has a masculine society. Their achievements and credits depend based on the individual behaviour and skills. China also has a masculine society highly oriented towards the success and goal of their work. They tend to sacrifice family and personal to meet the work life goals. It is often seen that they leave their family for business or work-life. Uncertainty avoidance refers when new innovative ideas are introduces they are rejected by the country. Countries that are religiously firm and give importance to tradition and custom tends to be high in this point. Australia has an intermediate scale in this aspect. The Chinese have a low avoidance for uncertainty that is they have a concern for truth. However, they have flexibility in rules. The Chinese are very pragmatic in nature; they believe in situational truth and adapt tradition as per requirement. They have a strong propensity to invent and save for achieving result. Whereas, in Australian society, the people have strong concern for establishing the truth. They show high respect for truth and have low propensity to invest or save for future. The last point is Indulgence and restraints describe to need for relaxation and comfort in the country. The Australians have high indulgence score; they tend to expand more for their enjoyment and fun. Whereas, the people of China have low indulgence score, they do not tend to spend much on leisure life and relaxation (Deacon 2014). China maintains very sincere business etiquette in comparison to Australian business rules. On the other side Australian, appreciate modesty in their business. They are very down to earth and maintain informal and casual meetings with business partners. They greet people only with a handshake whereas in China bowing is extremely important while greeting someone (Shaw and Barry 2015). They take serious note on business card and would be seriously offended if one is cramming the card in the back pocket in front of them. When China takes a serious note on formal meeting and greeting, Australia maintains a modest and informal way of meetings (Hall 2013). The people of China believe in making a strong relationship, maintain composure in business deals and transactions. Although, too much emotion has a negative impact in the business. They have a tendency to bargain far beyond the extended line to achieve some advantages (Ching-Hwang 2013). They appreciate patience hence Mary must keep that in mind. Based on the above analysis Mary needs to adjust with the Chinese etiquette and norms to please them for trade. She has to be more punctual and sincere with her promises. Before greeting them, she must know the greeting style that is maintained in China. Mary, being an Australian greets her business partners only by a handshake but for China, she has to be polite and greet them with dignity. She has to be polite and patience in front of the Chinese Clients. She has to greet them with handshake and mention the people with the last name (Rathnayaka 2014). They prefer using few Chinese words during the conversation. She should avoid bringing political topics in their conversation. She must accept the greeting card with both her hands and not with one hand only. Her body posture should be formal and attentive and reflect self- respectfulness. Few personal changes that Mary needs to do are she must be confident about her proposal as lack of confident is considered as failure in China. Mary must propose her business idea supporting the Chinese culture and reputation. She should highlight the achievements and fame that she has made that will improve her reputation and image to the Chinese (Chu 2013). She must avoid bright colour suits as they consider it inadequate. After completing the meeting, she should leave before the Chinese counterparts. She should include her professional title to the clients. She must try to make her greeting cards golden in colour, as the people of China consider the golden colour to be prestigious. Thus to conclude the Australian entrepreneur must adopt the Chinese business etiquette and ethics to trade with China. The major changes that she needs to do are already mentioned. Being an Australian Mary must be following a lenient and casual business ethics, which she has to work on. China being a developed country has high scope for business success and upraising and it would be a great chance for Mary to extend her business to China. China has a firm grip on business behaviour and formalities and do not entertain causalities that are followed in other countries. The essay has shown a Hofstede style cultural and ethical diversification between the two nations, this might help Mary to find the differences and change them. It has also been mentioned that how she should change her behaviour and style of expressing her business idea to her client. She should abide by the Chinese ethics and exceed with her idea thus giving a new turn to her business. Reference Almurshidee, K.A., 2017. Cross-Cultural Advertising Execution Style: Past Trends and Future Directions.Indian Journal of Science and Technology,10(20). Ching-Hwang, Y., 2013.Ethnic Chinese business in Asia: History, culture and business enterprise. World Scientific. Chu, A., 2013. Doing business in a changing China.PwC white paper, (13). Deacon, L., 2014. Understanding Chinese business etiquette. Hall, B.J., 2013. Culture, Ethics, andCommunication.Ethics in intercultural and international communication. Kuo, M.F., 2013. Confucian heritage, public narratives and community politics of Chinese Australians at the beginning of the twentieth century.Journal of Chinese Overseas,9(2), pp.212-244. Meyer, K. and Peng, M.W., 2016.International business. Cengage Learning.. Okoro, E., 2012. Cross-cultural etiquette and communication in global business: Toward a strategic framework for managing corporate expansion.International journal of business and management,7(16), p.130. Rathnayaka, R.K.T., 2014. Cross-Cultural Dimensions of Business Communication: Evidence from Sri Lanka.International Review of Management and Business Research,3(3), p.1579. Shaw, W.H. and Barry, V., 2015.Moral issues in business. Cengage Learning. Verbeke, A., 2013.International business strategy. Cambridge University Press. Winterich, K.P. and Zhang, Y., 2014. Accepting inequality deters responsibility: How power distance decreases charitable behavior.Journal of Consumer Research,41(2), pp.274-293.

Direct and Indirect Essay Example

Direct and Indirect Paper Topic: Direct and Indirect Speech We may report the words of a speaker in two ways:- (i). we may quote his actual words. This is called Direct Speech. (ii). We may report what he said without quoting his exact words. This is called Indirect Speech. For example: Direct:Ahmed said, â€Å"I am very busy now†. Indirect:Ahmed said that he was busy then. Direct Speech is that form of narration in which the actual words of a speaker are reported. It may be divided into two parts: the reported speech, i. e. the actual words of the speaker (its VERB is called Reported Verb); and the reporting speech, i. . the introductory words added to the reported speech (its VERB is called Reporting Verb). The reported speech is marked off by inverted commas. The reporting speech comes before or after the commas. Indirect Speech is that form of speech in which what one speaker says is reported by another with utmost accuracy but without using his actual words. It will be noticed that in Direct Speec h, we use inverted commas to mark off the exact words of the speaker. In Indirect Speech we do not. It will be further noticed that in changing the above Direct Speech into Indirect certain changes have been made.Thus: (i). we have used the conjunction that before the Indirect statement. (ii). The pronoun I is changed to he. (The 1st Person Pronoun is changed into 3rd Person Pronoun). (iii). The verb am is changed to was . (Present Tense is changed to Past). (iv). The adverb now is changed to then. 1. ASSERTIVE SENTENCES Definition: An assertive sentence makes a positive (Affirmative), negative or forceful statement. For example: 1. Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan. (Affirmative or positive) 2. Death is not the end of life. (Negative) 3. She did go to school. (Emphatic) or forceful statement.When Assertive Sentence is changed from the Direct into the Indirect Speech, all changes explained earlier take place. EXAMPLES: | | | | |Sr. No. |DIRECT SPEECH |INDIRECT SPEECH | |1 |She sa ys, â€Å"I do not like this dress† |She says that she does not like that dress. | |2 |He will say, â€Å"My father has bought these books for me. He will say that his father has bought those books for him. | |3 |The lion said to the fox, â€Å"Many animals come here every day. † |The lion said to the fox that many animals came there every day. | |4 |The teacher said to us, â€Å"It is 9 o’clock by my watch now. † |The teacher said to us that it was 9 o’clock by his watch then. | |5 |The monitor says to the teacher, â€Å"Sir, the bell has gone. † |The monitor says to the teacher respectfully that the bell has gone. | |6 |The boys said, â€Å"It is the Quaid’s birthday today. † |The boys said that it was the Quaid’s birthday that day. |7 |I shall tell my friends, â€Å"Tomorrow is a holiday. † |I shall tell my friends that the next (coming or following) day is a | | | |holiday. | |8 |She said, â€Å"I did not go to school yesterday. † |She said that she had not gone to school the previous day. | |9 |He said, â€Å"It will rain tonight. † |He said that it would rain that night. | |10 |He will say to you, â€Å"All right, I shall come. † |He will say to you that he will come. |11 |She said tome, â€Å"well, you may go now. † |She said to me that I might go then. | |12 |You said to him, â€Å"Yes, she is ill. † |You said to him that she was ill. | |13 |He said to me, â€Å"No, you are not at fault. † |He said to me that I was not at fault. | |14 |She said, â€Å"Good morning, Miss Naghma. † |She greeted Miss Naghma. | |15 |He said, â€Å"Good-bye (farewell), my friends. † |He said good-bye (farewell) to his friends. | |16 |They said, â€Å"Hullo! Mr. Salman, we are very glad to see you. |They said to Mr. Salman that they were very glad to see him. | |17 |He said to him, â€Å"I did my duty, sir. † |He told him respectfully that he had done his duty. | RULES FOR CHANGING ASSERTIVE SENTENCES FROM DIRECT SPEECH INTO INDIRECT. A. CHANGES IN THE TENSES OF VERB: 1. If the REPORTING VERB is in the PRESENT TENSE, the tenses of the REPORTED SPEECH do not change. For example: Direct:He says, â€Å"I am unwell†. Indirect:He says that he is unwell. 2. If the REPORTING VERB is in the FUTURE TENSE, the tenses of the REPORTED SPEECH do not change. For example:Direct:He will say, â€Å"I have passed the examination†. Indirect:He will say that he has passed the examination. 3. When the REPORTING VERB is in the PAST TENSE, the Tenses of the REPORTED SPEECH are changed as under: (I). All Present Tenses of the Reported Speech are changed into the corresponding Past Tenses. Thus: (a). A Simple(Indefinite) Present Tense becomes a Simple (indefinite) Past Tense. For example: Direct:He said, â€Å"I am unwell†. Indirect:He said that he was unwell. (b). A Present Continuous Tense becomes a Past Continuous Tense. Direct:He said, â€Å"My master is writing letters†.Indirect:He said that his master was writing letters. (c). A Present Perfect Tense becomes a Past Perfect Tense. Direct:He said, â€Å"I have passed the examination†. Indirect:He said that he had passed the examination. (d). A Present Perfect Continuous Tense becomes Past Perfect Continuous Tense. Direct:He said, â€Å"I have been doing a lot of hard work since yesterday†. Indirect:He said that he had been doing a lot of hard work since the previous day. (II). When the REPORTING VERB is in the PAST TENSE, Tenses of the REPORTED SPEECH are changed as under: (a).A Simple (Indefinite) Past Tense becomes Past Perfect Tense. Direct:He said, â€Å"My brother did a splendid job today†. Indirect:He said that his brother had done a splendid job that day. (b). A Past Continuous Tense becomes Past Perfect Continuous Tense. Direct:They said, â€Å"We were going to school on foot. Indirect: They said that they had been going to school on foot. (c). A Past Perfect Tense remains unchanged Direct: The doctor said, â€Å"I had already seen many patients. Indirect: The doctor said that had already seen many patients (d). A Past Perfect Continuous Tense remains unchanged.Direct: We said, â€Å"We had been working since morning†. Indirect: We said that we had been working since morning. (III)â€Å"WILL† and â€Å"SHALL† of All four Forms of Future Tense are changed into â€Å"WOULD†. No other change in tenses is done. a. Direct: The doctor said to him, â€Å"She will not test my eyes†. Indirect: The doctor said to him that she would not test his eyes. b. Direct: Faisal said, â€Å"I shall leave for Karachi tomorrow†. Indirect: Faisal said that he would leave for Karachi next day. c. Direct: He said, â€Å"I shall be doing my duty without fail. Indirect: He said that he would be doing his duty without fail. d. Direct:She said, â€Å"It will have been raini ng in Lahore since night. † Indirect:She said that it would have been raining in Lahore since night. 4. The tenses may not change if the statement is still relevant or if it is a universal truth. We can often choose whether to keep the original tenses or change them. Direct: The teacher said, â€Å"The earth goes round the sun. † Indirect: The teacher said that earth goes/went round the sun. NOTE 1:IT MAY BE NOTED THAT IF â€Å"THIS†, â€Å"THESE†, â€Å"HERE† AND â€Å"NOW†, ETC.REFER TO SOME PLACE, OBJECT OR TIME THAT IS PRESENT TO THE SPEAKER AT THETIME HE OR SHE SPEAKS, THEN THESE WORDS REMAIN UNCHANGED; AS, 1. DIRECT:She said, â€Å"This pen is mine. † INDIRECT:She said that this pen was hers. 2. DIRECT:He said, â€Å"I cannot stay here. † INDIRECT:He said that he could not stay here. NOTE 2:IT MAY ALSO BE NOTED THAT IN CHANGING AN ASSERTIVE SENTENCE FROM DIRECT INTO THE INDIRECT SPEECH, â€Å"SAID TO† MAY; IF DESIRE D, BE CHANGED INTO â€Å"TOLD†; AS, DIRECT:I said to him, â€Å"I do my duty. † INDIRECT:I told him that I did my duty. NOTE 3:THE COMMA BETWEEN REPORTING AND REPORTED SPEECHES IS REPLACED WITH THE WORD â€Å"THAT†.EXERCISE : Put into the Indirect form of Speech: (A): 1. He said, â€Å"I eat apples. † -. 2. He said, â€Å"I am eating apples. † -. 3. He said, â€Å"I have eaten apples. † -. 4. He said, â€Å"I have already been eating apples. † -. . She said, â€Å"I ate apples. † -. 6. She said, â€Å"I was eating apples. † -. 7. She said, â€Å"I had already eaten apples. † -. 8. She said, â€Å"I had been eating apples since morning. † -. 9. You said, â€Å"I shall eat apples. -. 10. They said, â€Å"We shall be eating apples. † -. 11. They said, â€Å"We shall have eaten apples. † -. 12. They said, â€Å"We shall have already been eating apples. † -. 13. They said, â€Å"The sun ri ses in the east. -. 14. You said to me, â€Å"I was playing tennis with her. † -. 15. He said to us, â€Å"You played a match against my school. † -. (B): 1. He said, â€Å"I go out for a walk in the morning. † -. 2.He said, â€Å"I am going for a walk to the river. † -. 3. He said, â€Å"I have taken a ball. † -. 4. They said, â€Å"We went to the zoo on our bicycles. † -. 5. They said, â€Å"We were going to the zoo on our bicycles. † -. . She said to me, â€Å"I had changed my clothes before I went to school. † -. 7. She said to us, â€Å"I shall change my clothes before I go to school. † -. 8. Father said to us, â€Å"I shall be going to Murree to see your uncle. † -. 9. He said to her, â€Å"You did not help me in learning my lesson. -. 10. They said to him, â€Å"We had been living in your house for three years. † -. 11. I said to them, â€Å"God helps those who help themselves. † -. 12. She s aid to me, â€Å"I shall look after my mother. † -. 3. He said, â€Å"Man is mortal. † -. 14. The teacher said to the students, â€Å"History repeats itself. † . 15. She said, â€Å"The earth moves round the sun. † -. B. CHANGES INT THE PERSON OF PRONOUNS: The Pronouns in the REPORTED SPEECH are to be changed when necessary as per rules as under: (i).Some other words in the REPORTED SPEECH are also changed, when a sentence is changed from the Direct into the Indirect Speech. | | | | |Sr. No. |Words in Reported Speech |Changed into Indirect Speech | |1 |This |That | |2 |These |Those | |3 |Here |There | |4 |Now Then | |5 |Today |That day | |6 |Tonight |That night | |7 |Yesterday |The previous (last) day | |8 |Tomorrow |The next (following) day | |9 |Last night |The previous night | |10 |Ago |Before | |11 |Thus |So | |12 |Sir or madam |Respectfully | |13 |Good morning , good evening, good noon or good day |Greeted | |14 |Words like â€Å"well†,  "all right,† â€Å"yes†, â€Å"hullo† and | | | |â€Å"no† are omitted. | | EXAMPLES: | | | | |Sr. No. DIRECT SPEECH |INDIRECT SPEECH | |1 |She says, â€Å"I do not like this dress† |She says that she does not like that dress. | |2 |He will say, â€Å"My father has bought these books for me. |He will say that his father has bought those books for him. | |3 |The lion said to the fox, â€Å"Many animals come here every day. † |The lion said to the fox that many animals came there every day. | |4 |The teacher said to us, â€Å"It is 9 o’clock by my watch now. † |The teacher said to us that it was 9 o’clock by his watch then. | |5 |The monitor says to the teacher, â€Å"Sir, the bell has gone. †

Tiger essays

Tiger essays On December 30, 1975, a star was born. Eldrick Tiger Woods grew up in Cypress, CA, 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Before he was a year old, golf had already grabbed him. At the age of six months, he watched and imitated his father, Earl Woods, hit golf balls into a net. When he was the young age of two, he was featured on The Mike Douglas Show hitting and putting with Bob Hope. At the age of three, he was shooting a 48 for nine holes, a score better than a lot of weekend golfers. By this point, it was probably obvious this point destined him destined for greatness. Golf Digest, the number 1 golf magazine had featured Tigers game when he was only five. He won the Optimist International Tournament six times at the ages of 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, and 15. Tiger first played in a professional tournament, the Nissan Los Angeles Open, in 1992 when he was only 16. He made the 36-hole cut of the Nissan Los Angeles Open and played in three more PGA events in 1993. He tied for 34th place in the 94 Johnny Walker Asian Classic in Thailand. In 1994, he entered Stanford University. He won 10 collegiate titles including the NCAA title. He represented the US in the 1994 World Amateur Team Championships in France and the 1995 Walker Cup Match in Wales. In 1995, Tiger made the 36-hole cuts in the Masters and the British Open. He was entered in the US Open, but because of a wrist injury, he had to withdraw from competition. In the 96 British Open, he posted a score of 281 to tie the record of lowest score by an amateur in the tournament. His second round as a 66, the lowest ever by an amateur in the British Open. Woods played his first tournament as a professional in 1996 at the Greater Milwaukee Open. With only seven events left in the year, Woods barely had any time to be placed within the top 125 money winners to get his card. And he did. He won two tournaments and was placed i ...

How can implementing the importance of education upon our youth Speech or Presentation

How can implementing the importance of education upon our youth fortify our chances for a better tomorrow - Speech or Presentation Example Due to this reason, the youth sometimes overlooks the more obvious advantages of equipping oneself with a solid education before venturing into the career world. They lose sight of the fact that education gives a person a universally recognized advantage in the job market, helps them take advantage of opportunities, which ignorant people would waste, and contributes to their growing as a person in a unique way. These, amongst several other reasons, show us why it is imperative for responsible guardians and role models of today to impress the importance of education upon their youth. One argument that people often raise against education is that it is usually not even relevant to a person’s school and education, what job they end up doing. This argument has been substantiated with proof over the last decade, as people graduate from engineering schools and go on to start a business, or people who have studied accountancy for several years grow up to be social workers (Schwartz e t al, pp. 198 – 192). It is not possible to detect a pattern in these random yet common examples, except the obvious pattern, which is that all these people studied years to obtain degrees, which they never utilized in their careers. This, however, does not mean that the education they obtained was useless. It only indicates a lack of proper decision-making and awareness at the age when these people chose their college majors. Had the same person who became a social worker thought thoroughly about what they wanted to when choosing a major earlier, they would have never spent four years studying accountancy when it had no relevance in their career. They would have instead studied something more relevant, like communication or social sciences. Jim Collins, the author of ‘Good to Great’ introduces the Hedgehog Concept for such young people struggling to make a career choice (Collins, pp. 130-150). He tells them to find a career for which all of the following three c haracteristics apply: it is economically feasible for them to do, they are passionate about that career, and they have the skills required for such a career. According to this leadership expert, once a person identifies such a career, they should concentrate fully on trying to achieve it, whether this entail getting more education pertaining to it, or more experience. If a young student trying to choose a major applies this principal from the start, they are almost certain to choose an educational path that will facilitate their career, instead of going to waste. Moreover, there is no doubt that a person applying for a job while having the necessary education for it is much more likely to get the job, as opposed to someone who is either uneducated, or educated in an irrelevant field. For this reason especially, the youth should consider education an imperative part of their preparation to become adults and survive in the career world. Apart from this major aid in career advancement, education also presents itself as a tool to living a better life (Randall, pp. 457). It may not act as a complete guarantee to a better life, but it is a tool that helps a person perceives their life more clearly, whether this is in identifying opportunities or avoiding problems of several kinds. For instance, a person educating themselves in health and nutrition will be prepared not only for a

WMP 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

WMP 4 - Essay Example The result of the appeal such argument present endows the writer with authority in his presentation. From the book, it is easy to point a few steps that the author has identified as the paramount process of ensuring effective arguments. First, the author suggests that there is a need to identify the weaknesses and the strengths of the argument. This should be further narrowed to specific weaknesses and strengths that are much more relevant to the argument. The writer is expected to take time to think of ideas that may support the position that they had identified. In the book, the author has tried to explain in details what narrative argument is and what entails the development of such argument. The author point that; a narrative argument is the argument which is developed through telling a story or a narrative. Narrative argument has been misconstrued to mean the same as a conventional argument. However this is not usually the case. Conventional arguments usually lack enough fact and figures that would work towards validating their position. This is in contrast with the narrative argument that always rely on the story itself it to justify and validate the position that one takes. The main objective of narrative argument according to the author is to ensure that the writer exploits the characterization of the story as presented by the writer so as to develop a justification that can be used as a support to the argument they are fronting. The same acumen by the writer of identifying the quality of the characters may be extended to the plot of the story. A plot of a story has certain sequence through which a story progress. Usually, arguments are always presented in a certain sequence. It is this attribute of arguments that may allow the writer to borrow a flow of a plot to ensure that they use such story to justify

Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Research Methods - Essay Example Every organization requires resourcefulness and ingenuity as well as pragmatic decision-making for its sustenance. There is always a balance between the benefit of the business and the benefit of the people being affected by the business, directly or indirectly. Therefore, it is not possible to set up any permanent basis by which decisions can be made—they have to be made with regard to the circumstances and according to whatever has maximum significance at that point of time in the list of priorities. However, the point is to make the required compromise without violating the ethical code of conduct in business. The very existence of an ethical code of conduct in all professions implies that it is present to create a situation in which no individual has to compromise on his basic needs or functions in life. I see myself grappling very frequently with ethical issues as a part of my involvement with clients. There might often be situations in which profit for my company does not directly translate into benefits for my client. In this case, it would be necessary to consider whether as an eth ical person I would ensure that my client has reasonable knowledge of the situation. Hence, in dealing with other individuals, especially the consumer end of the business, I consider it necessary to view ethics as a major proponent in decision-making.

The application of systems theory

The application of systems theory The Application Of Systems Theory To a Case Study Introduction The following case study will detail an intervention with a 32-year old service user who was referred with a range of presenting issues and needs. It was apparent that a complex array of family, social and agency networks existed, indicating that the focus of any intervention would necessitate the addressing of these various components and their role in the service user’s functioning. It was decided that employing systems theory would be the most efficacious approach in managing the service user’s needs. General systems theory was first proposed by von Bertalanffy (1968) as a universal theory of the organisation of parts into wholes. A system was defined as â€Å"a complex of interacting elements†. Although this paradigm was initially applied to the physical world (mathematics, biochemistry, etc), it was adopted by the therapeutic community in order to formulate an understanding of systems comprising individuals and organisations. Some of the ideas and concepts systems theory has brought to the field include: Families and other social groups are systems having properties which are more than the sum of the properties of their parts. Every system has a boundary, the properties of which are important in understanding how the system works. Changes within systems can occur, or be stimulated, in various ways. Communication and feedback mechanisms between the parts of a system are important in the functioning of the system. Events such as the behaviour of individuals in a family are better understood as examples of circular causality, rather than as being based on linear causality. Systems are made up of subsystems (e.g. parental, marital, siblings) which are themselves parts of larger suprasystems (e.g. extended family, the neighbourhood, hospital). (Beckett, 1973). The service user was a 32-year old male of Afro-Caribbean origins, with a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder dating back to his early teens. He had been residing in a semi-secure forensic unit for more than two years and was detained under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act. In terms of family history, he had been conceived through rape and fostered by distant relatives in Trinidad. Upon the death of his foster mother, his natural mother arranged for him to leave Trinidad and enter the UK. Shortly after this, he became involved with the mental health system and the criminal justice system. Subsequently, his mother had refused all contact with him and would not engage with any of his care. The sole family contact had been his maternal grandmother. A genogram is a useful adjunct within assessment and treatment when utilising systems theory (e.g. Guerin and Pendagast, 1976), in that it gives a concise graphic summary of the composition of the systems surrounding an individual. A genogram depicting DE’s particular systems was prepared and is illustrated in Figure 1. Within the genogram, DE’s familial relationships are illustrated, showing the existing subsystem with his maternal grandmother. Other subsystems include, DE’s relationships with the criminal justice system, mental health services and with myself, his social worker. With regard to using systems theory in my assessment and intervention of DE, this would encompass developing a hypothesis concerning the nature of the relationships DE has with aspects of his system and how this impacts upon his functioning. In addition, circular questioning would be employed to test this hypothesis and promote change (e.g. Selvini Palazzoli, Cechin, Prata and Boscolo, 1980a). Each of DE’s presenting needs will be explored within the context of his wider system and the methodology inherent to systems theory employed in my intervention. Figure 1: A genogram of DE’s case. The Referral DE was a statutory referral which was accompanied by a challenge from his legal representatives to the local authority, claiming that they had failed in their duties towards DE as he was medically fit for discharge and did not need to be detained under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act. Although discharge from Section 3 was agreed, no plans were presented to the mental health tribunal by the local authority regarding the arrangement of appropriate accommodation. From the perspective of the social worker, plans were therefore required to implement Section 117 and organise appropriate after care and accommodation. In order to do this, it was necessary to identify DE’s wishes and preferences as far as possible, in addition to managing any risk perceived by the multidisciplinary team and the mental health tribunal. A transfer CPA to the community team was organised in order to maintain DE in the community and facilitate his recovery. Adhering to the notion of â€Å"goodness of f it†, inherent to systems theory (Payne, 2002), that is enhancing the match between the individual and their environment, ways of developing, maintaining or strengthening supportive interventions and reducing, challenging or replacing stressful systems were explored. Assessment An assessment of DE’s presenting needs was conducted in order to formulate a hypothesis based upon the information available which would then provide a starting point and guide to subsequent interventions. According to Selvini Palazzoli et al. (1980a), a hypothesis is â€Å"neither true, nor false, but more or less useful†. Therefore, it was important to maintain this stance when considering the circumstances surrounding DE’s case. By seeking information from DE and others within his system, I was able to obtain as many perspectives as possible and construct an understanding, or story, as to how he had come to be â€Å"stuck† and enable him to move in a more helpful direction. Both DE and the multidisciplinary team involved in his care agreed that he required 24 hour residential care, as previous supported accommodation had not been able to facilitate his needs and he had relapsed, leading to his admission to hospital under section. Additional presenting concerns reported by DE included an impoverished family support network and poor finances. Drug and alcohol misuse were also evident, acknowledged by DE and verified by a positive test for cocaine. DE’s keyworker recounted how DE frequently disengaged with him and displayed challenging behaviour, including breaking rules of the care home and absconding. Indicators of relapse described by staff included a preoccupation with insect infestation, delusions of the devil attacking him and homophobic fears of male staff sexually assaulting him. In addition, non-compliance with his care plan was recognised as a precursor to relapse. Using circular questions to derive new information about DE’s situation and the interconnectedness of the system’s components, a pattern emerged which suggested possible indicators of relapse. A principal feature of circularity is the capacity of the therapist to consider feedback from the systems involved and to invite each part of the system to relate their perspectives of other subsystems, thereby metacommunicating (Selvini Palazzoli et al. 1980a; Byng-Hall, 1988; Cecchin, 1987). Further crucial principles of circularity are asking about specific behaviours that occur, rather than feelings or interpretations and ranking behaviours in order to highlight differences (Barker, 1998; Dallos and Draper, 2000). So, for example, DE’s keyworker was asked: â€Å"what does DE do when he breaks the rules in the house†, â€Å"when you believe DE is relapsing, how do you know? What does he say or do?†, â€Å"who is most worried about DE using drugs/alcohol?â € . Similarly, DE was asked such questions as: â€Å"when you abscond from the care home, who is most concerned? †¦ and then who?†, â€Å"when you are worried about the devil attacking you, what do you do?†, â€Å"what would your keyworker say was most important for you to get sorted out?†. A specific use of circular questioning is to define the problem (Bentovim and Bingley Miller, 2002). Hence, members of DE’s system, including his key worker, other multidisciplinary team workers, available family members and DE himself were questioned as to â€Å"what is the problem? What do you think DE/keyworker/etc would say is the problem? Who agrees with DE? Who disagrees? Who is it most a problem for?† etc. Such information served to enrich the hypothesis that was being formulated of DE’s needs. Over time, a systemic hypothesis evolved which incorporated the role of impaired family functioning and an early sense of abandonment by DE’s natural mother combined with the loss of his secondary, foster mother contributing to the development of a schizoaffective disorder. A further contributing factor may have been DE’s move to the UK following his bereavement and the sense of confusion and alienation this may have instilled. A pre-existing vulnerability to his mental health problems may have been activated by DE’s use of drugs and alcohol, possibly his coping mechanism to manage the previously described stressors. In terms of DE’s behaviour within his care home, it would be important to consider physiological factors many of the concerns reported. The literature associated with schizoaffective disorders has suggested that the onset of the illness can produce cognitive deficits, including memory impairment, planning, social judgement and insight (Randolph, Goldberg and Weinberger, in Heilman Valenstein, 1993; James and Murray, 1991). These deficits, combined with the lack of family support and underlying psychological issues, could have resulted in the issues with compliance and rule-breaking reported by the professionals involved in DE’s care. However, within a systemic approach, it is important to consider the dynamic interplay between the individual and the various components of their system when conceptualising the problem. In DE’s case, it appeared that the effects of his drug and alcohol use and of rejection issues had not been fully considered by staff at the care home and therefore the consequences of these had been able to escalate into relapse. Furthermore, it may have been that an over-critical attitude towards DE prevailed within his care home, as has been described in the concept of expressed emotion (Leff, 1994). This has generally been reported as existing within the families of those with schizoaffective disorders and is thought to represent deficits in communication and overinvolvement. The function of the problem is also a vital element within a systemic formulation (Reder and Fredman, 1996; Bilson and Ross, 1999) and in DE’s case his presenting issues appeared to represent both a communication of internal conflicts (loss, abandonment, etc) and as a solution to the problem perceived by him as inappropriate accommodation. Thus, his behaviour could be conceptualised as an attempt to resolve both internal and external discordance. However, clearly DE’s perceived solution only served to escalate and maintain the essential difficulty, that of his lack of engagement with help and disruptive behaviour. Intervention There were various strands to my intervention with DE, within which I attempted to address the issues outlined in the above hypotheses. Initially, the issue of accommodation was addressed. In concordance with a systemic approach, DE’s needs and preferences, as well as opinions derived from members of the multi-disciplinary team, were matched with available accommodation. Three suitable placements were identified which were concomitant with the needs identified in DE’s care plan, that is: 24 hour residential accommodation with staff to supervise his medication, encourage independent living skills and monitor his activities and behaviour to identify relapse indicators. DE’s opinions on the three potential placements were sought and a decision reached on the most suitable. In view of DE’s history of lack of engagement with keyworkers, it was felt that regular meetings with his care co-ordinator would be vital in exploring his concerns and potential barriers t o compliance with his care plan. The use of circular questioning could be usefully extended in such meetings, in reframing DE’s perception of his concerns and enabling him to recognising the effects of his behaviour on himself and others. Specific aspects of DE’s presenting problems were managed by referral to appropriate agencies, thus widening his system of support. For the substance misuse reported he was referred to a drug and alcohol worker. A referral to psychological services was made to address his rejection and bereavement issues. The involvement of DE’s grandmother and uncle was also an integral part of discussing his difficulties and it was postulated that at some point in the future, systemic family therapy might be helpful in providing some cohesion to DE’s family structure and enabling communication with this part of his system. Once the initial concerns had been addressed, my role turned towards care management and a reasonable price for the accommodation was negotiated, along with the development of a comprehensive care plan which was presented to the agency’s funding panel. The funding was agreed and a discharge and transfer of care CPA was arranged. Throughout the ensuing discussions of plans, DE’s opinions were sought. In order to best meet the needs identified and ensure an optimal rehabilitation programme, DE’s care plan incorporated day care activities, psychological and community forensic input. In accordance with the principles of a systems intervention, a non-judgemental stance was maintained throughout (Goldenberg and Goldenberg, 2004) and the notion of partnership was promoted (Dallos and Draper, 2000). Additionally, the strategy of facilitating sustained change whilst not being an expert about the system was adopted (Fleurida, 1986), although this presented certain challenges as will be discussed in the following sections. In terms of implementing DE’s placement, it was agreed that a gradual transfer which allowed him to adjust to the new setting would ameliorate his opportunities for rehabilitation. Therefore, overnight stays and extended stays for a week prior to discharge were arranged. Initially, difficulties were experienced with DE’s compliance with some house rules and I arranged a meeting with DE and the house manager in order to discuss and negotiate these in order to prevent a breakdown of the placement. Once more, circular questions were used to elucidate the problem and identify possible routes for change. For example, DE was asked, â€Å"when you don’t comply with this rule, who is most upset?† and â€Å"what prevents you sticking to the rules?†. The house manager was asked questions such as, â€Å"What does DE do instead of sticking to the rules?† and â€Å"what reasons do you think he has for not complying?†. Consequently, specific barrier s and obstacles were identified and it was possible to negotiate a way in which DE could assert his individuality within the placement setting, whilst behaving in ways which were acceptable to staff and other residents. Thus, the â€Å"fit† between DE and this particular system was enhanced. Review and Ending During my work with DE a dynamic, fluid hypothesis was formed which was based on systemic principles, in that it was circular, addressed relationships, was expressed in terms of what people do and believe rather than what they are and included all members of the system (Reder, 1983). The hypothesis was continually monitored and reframed during the intervention phase, which facilitated change and enabled new perspectives and solutions to be considered. Other parts of DE’s system were also modified by posing circular questions as they allowed the various professionals and agencies involved to consider how helpful or unhelpful the strategies they employed to manage the exigencies of DE’s case were and to gain different perspectives. It is important to note that this approach is distinct from merely providing instruction or information, in that it facilitates change through the process of thinking and reasoning. The initial focus of intervention – to provide appropriate accommodation – was successfully completed. This was rendered smoother by the gradual transition to his new setting. By the end of the intervention, I believe that DE was able to engage in a more useful way with the various components of his system and was more settled in his placement as a result. Reports from the house manager and other professionals also indicated that this was the case. Referrals to other agencies (psychology and drug and alcohol services) which comprised a vital component of the intervention, enabled an expansion of DE’s systems and the meeting of previously unconsidered needs. His progress with these agencies was ongoing. DE’s engagement with community forensic services was valuable in gaining further perspectives into his care. Discussion Within systems theory, the questions themselves form a substantial part of the intervention (Tomm, 1988), as they are believed to lead towards a constructive change in the problematic experiences and behaviours of service users. In addition, questions constitute a much stronger invitation for users to become engaged in a conversation and process than do statements, instructions of information and provides stimulation to think through problems alone, thus promoting autonomy and a sense of personal achievement (Payne, 2002). In continually seeking the views of DE and perspectives from other parts of his system, it was possible to create a clearer picture of the characteristics of the problem and to foster a sense of ownership on the part of DE. That is, because he felt part of the process of change, he would be more likely to feel comfortable with its parameters. A further part of promoting DE’s compliance with his care plan was to use positive connotation, another important principle of systems theory (O’Brian and Bruggen, 1985). Positively connoting DE’s behaviour consisted not only in reinforcing and praising his attempts to change, but also in acknowledging that his problem behaviour was serving to express his dissatisfaction with the situation he was in. An important aspect of intervention therefore was to communicate an understanding of how things had come to be the way they were. Only through doing this was it possible to challenge the existing belief system, suggesting new an d different definitions of relationships. Therefore, by acknowledging the pain of DE’s abandonment by his mother with a referral to a psychologist, it enabled him to explore a different way of interacting with this part of his system. Similarly, by considering the role of drugs and alcohol in mediating his distress and enabling him to cope with his situation, other means of coping were explored. The use of systems theory was congruent with mental health policy guidance for CPA in that it was person focused, involved all relevant agencies and required a recognition of needs in order to facilitate the movement of service users through CPA. The identification of unmet needs in DE’s case, as well as involving multiple agencies was crucial in managing his care effectively. As DE was on enhanced CPA, it was important to consider multiple care needs and to recognise that he was more likely to disengage with care. Once more, a holistic assessment and a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, multi-agency plan which encapsulated his wider system was necessary. Systems theory requires strategic thinking about the possibilities and limitations for change in the different systems affecting the user’s environment, as well as an understanding of the possibilities for intervention in each system (deShazer, 1982; Penn, 1982), therefore considering DE’s behaviour in specific settings and with specific individuals and agencies was a useful strategy. In addition, possessing an understanding of the possibilities for intervention within each system enabled me to think creatively about different courses of action and potential outcomes (Byng_Hall, 1988). Review and Evaluation In general, systems theory was a useful tool in working with DE, in that its principles guided many aspects of the assessment and intervention towards a beneficial outcome. The basic tenets of systems theory, of being respectful of all perspectives and attempting to empower the service user to implement change, are congruent with the CPA model of working. However, the principle of maintaining neutrality (i.e. forging an alignment with all parts of the system) and a non-judgemental, non expert stance (Selvini Palazzoli et al. 1980a; Fleurida, 1986) proved to be more challenging. As DE’s care co-ordinator it could be expected that a greater alliance would be formed with him and also that I would possess, in this role, information and knowledge pertaining to a variety of issues, such as financial assistance available to him. Clearly in this case, I was unable to maintain a non-expert stance. Furthermore, being non-judgemental in relation to all DE’s presenting needs (for e xample, his drug and alcohol misuse) was very difficult and whilst my approach could encompass the evolution of a shared understanding of this behaviour, ultimately the negative impact on DE’s mental health and stability of his placement would need to be acknowledged. Therefore, it could be said that there was a juxtaposition between CPA care management and using systems theory. However, it was possible to separate the two aspects of my role with DE and apply systems theory accordingly. In terms of what I would do differently, I believe that a greater involvement of DE’s family would have been beneficial in order to assist him in constructing a different story or narrative around his history, which would have enriched his and perhaps others’ understanding of why problems were presenting themselves. Applying systems theory to a service user such as DE, who may have the cognitive deficits previously described, raises some important ethical issues. Firstly, regarding the ability to give consent to such an approach being employed and to the seeking of perspectives from other parts of the system, such as family members and other workers. The potentially harmful influence of labels has been described in the literature of systems theory (e.g. Benson, Long and Sporakowski), however the use of labels such as â€Å"schizoaffective† and â€Å"enhanced CPA† would seem unavoidable when working within a multidisciplinary team which necessitates communicating with equivalent language. However, the use of systems theory creates space for thinking about the meaning and impact of these labels and is, therefore, at the very least a valuable and functional adjunct to the repertoire of strategies for managing complex cases. Summary and Conclusion The work carried out with DE attempted to illustrate how individuals function as a part of many systems – they are affected by these systems and they, in turn, affect the systems. I believe that the circular nature of DE’s presenting issues and needs was highlighted effectively and the intervention took into consideration this dynamic interchange and the consequences that changes in one part of a system will have for other parts. Fundamentally, I have learned that many problems arise due to a mismatch between individuals and the systems of which they are a part and the role of a social worker is to enhance the fit between the individual and the systems affecting them. References Barker, P., 1998. Basic Family Therapy, 4th Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Beckett, J.A., 1973. General Systems theory, psychiatry and psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 23, pp. 292-305. Benson, M.J; Long, J.K. and Sporakowski, M.J., 1992. Teaching psychopathology and the DSM-III R from a family systems therapy perspective. Family Relations, 41 (2), pp. 135-140. Bentovim, A. and Bingley Miller, L., 2002. The Assessment of Family Competence, Strengths and Difficulties. London: Pavillion. Bertalanffy, L. von, 1968. General Systems Theory: Foundations, Development, Application. New York: Braziller. Bilson, A. and Ross, S., 1999. A history of systems ideas in social work. In, Social Work Management and Practice. London: Jessica Kingsley, 2nd Edition. Byng-Hall, J., 1988. Scripts and legends in families and family therapy. Family Process, 27, pp. 167-179. Cecchin, G., 1987. Hypothesizing, circularity and neutrality revisited: an invitation to curiosity. Family Process, 26, pp. 405-413. Dallos, R. and Draper, R., 2000. An Introduction to Family Therapy. Buckingham: Open University Press. de Shazer, I., 1982. Patterns of Brief Family Therapy: An Ecosystemic Approach. New York: Guildford Press. Fleurida, C. et al., 1986. The evolution of circular questions. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 12 (2), pp. 112-127. Goldenberg, I. and Goldenberg, H. , 2004. Family Therapy: An Overview, 6th Edition. London: Brooks/Cole. Guerin, P.J. and Pendagast, E.G., 1976. Evaluation of family system and genogram. In, P.J. Guerin, ed. Family Therapy. New York: Gardner Press. James, P. and Murray, R.M., 1991. The genetics of schizophrenia is the genetics of neurodevelopment. British Journal of Psychiatry, 158, pp. 615-623. Leff, J., 1994. Working with the families of schizophrenic patients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 164 (suppl. 23), pp. 71-76. O’Brian, C. and Bruggen, P., 1985. Our personal and professional lives: learning positive connotation and circular questioning. Family Prcess, 24, pp. 311-322. Payne, M., 2002. Systems and Ecological Perspectives. In, Modern Social Work Theory, 3rd Edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Penn, P., 1982. Circular questioning. Family Process, 21, pp. 267-280. Randolph, C., Goldberg, T.E. and Weinberger, D.R., 1993. The neuropsychology of schizophrenia. In, K.M. Heilman and E. Valenstein, eds. Clinical Neuropsychology, 3rd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Reder, P., 1983. Disorganised families and the helping professions: â€Å"Who’s in charge of what?†. Journal of Family Therapy, 5, pp. 23-36. Reder, P. and Fredman, G., 1996. The relationship to help: interacting beliefs about the treatment process. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 1 (3), pp. 457-467. Selvini Palazzoli, M.S., Cechin, G., Prata, G. and Boscolo, L., 1980a. Hypothesising-Circularity-Neutrality. Three guidelines for the conductor of the session. Family Process, 19 (1), pp. 3-12. Selvini Palazzoli, M., Boscolo, L., Cecchin, G. and Prata, G., 1980b. The problem of the referring person. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 6, pp. 3-9. Tomm, K., 1988. Interventive interviewing: part III. Intending to ask lineal, circular, strategic or reflexive questions. Family Process, 27, pp. 1-15. Reflective Diary Analysis I applied the theory of psychoanalysis to the practice situation in order to explore underlying issues which had made ME so dependent upon her partner, JM. This appeared appropriate as it would provide an opportunity to gain information about any past experiences which had contributed to her present state, in particular, the nature and origin of her anxieties and fears. Uncovering this information would then inform my practice with ME and JM and provide structure to any intervention. The overall purpose of psychoanalysis derives from the Freudian assumption that psychopathology develops when people remain unaware of their true motivations and fears and they can be restored to healthy functioning only by becoming conscious of what has been repressed (Bower, 2005). Freud believed that the unconscious conflicts he uncovered – in dreams, in memory lapses, in neurotic symptoms – always referred to certain critical events in the individual’s early life. His observations of his patients led him to conclude that all human beings experience a largely similar sequence of significant emotional events in their early lives and that it is this childhood past that shapes their present (Freud, 1905). Although Freud cautioned against the use of psychoanalysis in schizophrenia, as he believed that sufferers of schizophrenia had regressed to a state of â€Å"primary narcissism†, a phase early in the oral stage before the ego has differentiated from the id (Freud, 1905), more contemporary psychoanalysts have adopted a different approach. Primarily followers of Melanie Klein, they have taken the position that the schizoid position, or splitting between â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† objects, was a normal stage of development and that schizophrenia was the late consequence of not negotiating this stage properly (Salzberger-Wittenberg, 1970). Thus, the flow of unconscious material (e.g. delusions, hallucinations and thought disorder) were actively encouraged, explored and participated in. In ME’s case, a formulation of her presenting issues included the role of specific anxieties and fears. Anxiety has been conceptualised psychodynamically as a state of helplessness and â€Å"psychic pain†, which results from the perceived discrepancies between one’s ideal self (or ego ideal) and one’s actual self (Freud, 1926, cited in Brown and Pedder, 1991). These painful discrepancies cannot then be easily assimilated into our conscious view of ourselves and the world because of the anxiety they arouse and the consequence is a â€Å"defence mechanism† activated to subdue this psychic pain. Using open-ended questions with ME, such as â€Å"how are you feeling?† and allowing her to respond freely revealed a little of her state of mind, ie. â€Å"very low, always tired and very sad†. It was interesting to note ME’s partner, JM’s, explanation of ME’s low mood, â€Å"the weather†, a subject he had mentioned at the outset of the encounter. This may indicate an attempt to avoid, or defend against, speaking of difficult issues and furthermore, may represent his own coping strategy. Further questions to elicit ME’s emotional state included â€Å"has it made a difference?† (regarding the use of anti-depressants) and â€Å"how do you feel about quitting smoking?† An inherent principle of psychoanalysis is the use of transference and countertransference within any clinical encounter (Casement, 1985; Salzberger-Wittenberg, 1970). Transference is the conveyance of past feelings, conflicts and beliefs into present relationships and situations, spe

Should We All Move To Moorsetown? :: essays research papers

Should We All Move To Moorsetown?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why do people choose to live where they do? With a country as big and diverse as the United States is it possible that most people can agree on the best place to live? Money Magazine and CNN/Money (2005) just published their Best Places to Live 2005 study. According to Money, Moorsetown, New Jersey is the best place to live in the whole country. Money says Moorestown has, â€Å"a Main Street made for the cover of the Saturday Evening Post†. Moorestown also has, â€Å"Top schools†, â€Å"Good Jobs† and â€Å"Nice homes at reasonable prices†. Moorestown sounds like a great place to live but, would everyone put it at the top of there list?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Money started their survey with 40,000 places (not necessarily official cities or towns) across the United States. Money based their survey on data collected from the US Census Board, the Bureau of Labor, the IRS, and other sources. Money only considered places with more than 14,000 people, above-median household income, and population growth and real estate appreciation over the past 5 years. These filters narrowed their list to 1,231 places. Money then rated each place based on criteria in eight areas. These areas were: affordable housing; plentiful leisure activities; plentiful cultural options; low pollution; low crime rate; low auto insurance; short commute time; and access to quality health care. The Money study also focused on areas considered most important for people raising families. Money gave economic, education, and safety factors twice the weight they gave to other social and leisure factors. Finally, Money visited the top places and interviewed resi dents to make the final ranking.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The issue of the â€Å"best place to live† caught my attention because the town where I live, Tolland, Connecticut, was ranked 29th on the Money Magazine list. The town proudly displays this recognition on their Home Page. Tolland is 29th in the Top 100 Best Places to Live in the U.S. (Town of Tolland, n.d.).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The local weekly newspaper (Ciparelli, 2005) wrote a front page story about the honor of Tolland being 29th on the list. Tolland is a small town in north-eastern Connecticut about 25 miles from Hartford, 75 miles from Boston, and 120 miles from New York City. Tolland has a population of about 15,000 people spread over 40 square miles. Why did Tolland make the list? According to Ciparelli, Tolland scored well in several key criteria used by Money Magazine.

No Longer at Ease Essay

One of Chinua Achebe’s main socio-political criticisms in No Longer At Easeis that of corruption in Nigeria. From the moment the book begins the main character, Obi Okonkwo, is confronted with the issue of bribery. From the moment he arrives at customs to the point at where he gives in to taking bribes himself, the voice of Achebe lingers in the backdrop through the words. At first Obi is as critical as Achebe of bribery. He refuses to take bribes and also finds it necessary for himself to be a â€Å"pioneer† in Nigeria, bringing down corruption in government and instigating change. It seems that corruption runs rampant and that everyone in Nigeria from the â€Å"white man† to the Umuofian Progressive Union participates in â€Å"seeing† people about what they need done. Men offer money, and women offer their bodies, in return for favors and services. Obi believes that by not taking brwhile at the university in London, a paper in which he theorized on what would change the corruption of high positions in Nigeria. He believed that the â€Å"old Africans† at the top of civil service positions would have to be replaced by a younger generation of idealistic and educated university graduates, such as himself. Achebe, however, is not as optimistic as Obi because he has Obi fail. Achebe takes us through the path of how someone like Obi can come to take bribes. The book begins on a negative note: starting with Obi’s trial. It is as if Achebe, by beginning in the end, is saying that Obi was doomed from the start. Obi’s position is a difficult one. He is born in Ibo, but he has been educated in England and often feels himself a stranger in his own country. He has lost his love because of a rule of the past, he has suffered under great financial distress, he has exerted himself because of the expectations others have placed on him, and he has lost his mother. All of this brings the protagonist of the novel to fall into what he once had believed was a terrible and corrupt act. Still, Obi always feels guilt at taking a bribe, and he had decided to stop ibes he can make a difference. He had written, them. By having Obi get caught, even amid an aura of repentance  and guilt, Achebe further illustrates the hypocrisy of all who have participated in bribes and now throw stones at Obi. And, at the same time, it tells us that, although he got caught, Obi is still a pioneer because he has sworn to not do it again. It may be that his beginning as a â€Å"pioneer† is a rough one, one that has taken a curved path, but it does not definitely mean that he cannot still lead toward change. Still, perhaps Achebe may be saying that this is not true, and that Obi, ultimately, has failed at the task he set before himself. Whether the book is a tragedy (an unresolved situation) in Obi’s definition of the word or not is up to whether we believe that it is Achebe who is the greatest â€Å"pioneer† in the novel. In other words, it is the author’s critical voice that will lead others out of such corruption, if not by only making the world and younger generations of Nigerians aware of it. The Influence of Education One of the most important aspects of Obi’s life is that he was educated in England. This small fact molds the way others treat him and shapes what others expect of him. At the same time, the education he holds dear is also one for which he has felt guilt and one which has often made him a stranger in his own Nigeria. Upon his return from England, Obi is secured a position in the civil service, given a car, money, and respect. At the same time, however, he seems to be making constant mistakes because of what he has learned to be like, what he has come to understand, and what he has never learned. For instance, when Obi first arrives, he is given a reception by the Umuofian Progressive Union at which he makes several mistakes. He has forgotten how to act in his home or simply does not agree with its ways: he wears a short-sleeved shirt and sees nothing wrong with it, for it is hot, and he speaks casually in English, instead of the kind of heavy English that the Umuofians admire in the president of the Union. His education has brought him status and has placed him in a position where others expect the most and best of him. No one can understand, in the end, how a man of â€Å"his education and promise† could take a bribe. Of course, Achebe, says this cheekily since many who have accused him and who also hold high positions are guilty of similar transgressions. Ironically, the only thing his â€Å"education† did not teach him was how not to get caught. Another important aspect of education, aside from the contradictions mentioned above, is the  fact that Obi’s generation uses its education as a tool, paradoxically, against colonialism. Sam Okoli, the Minister of State and also an educated man, verbalizes the position of the populace by saying that, yes, the white man has brought many things to Africa, but it is time for the white man to go. In other words, a man like Obi can use his education to take his country back into his own hands, even if his education is something that the colonizer gave him. It is important to remember that the only way to survive in a world where two cultures have met is to allow a certain amount of mixture to be used in a positive regard. Tradition versus Progression While Obi is in England he misses his home, longs for his family, and writes nostalgic poetry about Lagos and the sun and the trees of his homeland. He even begins to feel a certain degree of guilt, at times, for studying English and not being in Nigeria with other Ibo people. Nevertheless, this â€Å"English† has become a part of him, one that he cannot erase when he arrives back in Nigeria. Obi is in love with his native tongue, and it holds a place in his heart. At the same time, however, he is also comfortable with the English language. The struggle of language is just one of the many examples of how African tradition and English culture collide in this novel. Obi loves his family dearly, and since his family is symbolic of his roots, it can be said that he loves his roots dearly. This is not to say, however, that he will not rebel against his roots because of things he has learned elsewhere. Obi possesses the more liberal, and even â€Å"European,† belief that he may marry anyone he wishes, even though his family and his countrymen are opposed to it. And, even though he wishes to marry Clara in the end, despite her history, he is tied to his mother a symbolic traditional root †¦ his blood. It is this struggle between tradition and European ways that is evidenced throughout and that is further amplified by the European presence of characters like Mr. Green. And, aside from the obvious Mr. Green, there are also the more subtle presences of Europeans at lounges and restaurants throughout Nigeria serving English food and importing European beers. Some of these colonial importations and introductions are good, as is evidenced by the scene about the radiogram between Obi and the Minister of State. Nevertheless, the  struggle exists, and it is obvious that Achebe has a strong negative opinion about colonialism as a whole. Motifs Songs and Poetry Throughout the novel there are songs and poetry that mean different things at different moments in time. When Obi is away at school his poetry is a kind of pull toward Nigeria, a calling and remembrance of home and yet, he writes these poems in English. While he is in Nigeria, there are many songs sung in his presence, some of which Obi also dissects using the English language but not without the Ibo pulling at his heart. It is as though, however, all of this poetry and song represents his desire for home and his heart’s need for it. He has studied poetry in England, but poetry also links him to home—these poetic contradictions are all appropriate to the novel’s ultimate struggle, which is that of the young man living under the end of a long colonial reign. Proverbs If allusions to English literature are what are constantly driving us toward England, it is the constant allusion to proverbs that drives us back to Africa. Achebe peppers his novel with proverb after proverb, making the novel specifically and strategically African. Achebe, like Obi, is using the tools of colonialism for his own purposes; he is making the European form of the novel his own. Language The issue of language is omnipresent in the novel and is simply one of the many issues that arise out of a colonial society. Obi struggles between two tongues (Ibo and English) just as he does between two cultures. He was born into one language, and he obtained â€Å"knowledge† in the form of the other causing one of the basic problems throughout No Longer At Ease. Symbols Mr. Green Mr. Green is symbolic of the European presence in Nigeria, as he is the epitome of the â€Å"paternal colonizer,† who has brought some good but mostly arrogance. He is very much the kind of Englishman who believes in the good of empires and thinks he can, as Obi points out, tell people how to live their lives. The Umuofian Progressive Union If Mr. Green stands for Europe in Obi’s struggle between tradition and European ways, then the UPU stands for the stubborn traditional ways of the past. Mr. Omo  Omo stands for what Obi calls the â€Å"old African,† which is representative of a more submissive, (to the British) older generation of Nigerian. It is a generation that has more â€Å"fear† of the British than the younger generation, which longs for independence and freedom. ————————————————- Analysis of Major Characters Obi Okonkwo The protagonist of the No Longer at Ease, Obi Okonkwo, is a young man born in Ibo in the Eastern Nigerian village of Umuofia. He was well educated and eventually sent to study law in England, a course of study he eventually changed to English. He stays in England for nearly four years, at times longing for the warm weather of home and all the other nostalgic qualities his memory supplies him during long winters abroad. Nevertheless, his arrival is less than what he has expected. Because he is educated, he is given a â€Å"European post,† and he works in an office whose ethics he finds repulsive. He stands firmly against the bribery that goes on and is opposed to his boss, a very old, white, and English colonial man named Mr. Green. Obi finds himself in a constant battle between traditions of the world into which he was born (that of the village and his traditional African roots), represented by the Umuofian Progressive Union, and the conventions of a changing world. Obi finds himself at the beginning of a generation of change, caught between two worlds. He is unable to marry the woman that he loves because she is considered an outcast. He claims to want to marry her anyway because by the time he has children, the world will have changed, and it will not matter, just as it does not matter now that his father is a convert to Christianity (a conversion that was once quite scandalous). Still, Obi loses his fiancà ©e, his mother, and finds himself in serious debt throughout the course of the novel. He must pay back his scholarship loan and is responsible for sending money home. Eventually, Obi breaks under all of this pressure and gives in to the bribery he had stood against so  idealistically, but he does not give in without guilt. At the end, he even claims to be finished with bribery, right before he is caught. Somehow it is too late, and his situation, his position of being caught between two shifting worlds, becomes almost impossible. Obi’s birth name is Obiajulu which means â€Å"the mind at last is at rest,† and this naming is a looming irony, considering the title of the novel and Obi’s predicament. Obi is ill at ease in both of his cultural experiences—he lies in the middle, a difficult place. Clara Clara is another character in the novel that is struggling in the changing world of pre-independence Nigeria. She is educated abroad, like Obi, and has a career as a nurse. She has a mind of her own and is often stubborn but shows herself to be quite caring, nevertheless. The first one-on-one conversation she has with Obi was regarding Obi’s seasickness (she had gone to his cabin, on their voyage home, because she had seen that he was feeling ill). She is also willing to compromise, and, although she finds Obi’s poetry boring, she is willing to listen to it. She is also willing to meet with friends of Obi’s that she dislikes. While she seems quite spoiled at times, she does her shopping in the slums and is willing to genuinely give Obi money to save him from trouble, even if he is unwilling to take it. However, the truth remains that she is a difficult person, perhaps because she finds it difficult to let go of her past. She is strong-minded though not intellectual and finds herself bound to a tradition that seems unfair to both her and Obi. She is burdened by the fact that she is an osu, which means that because of her ancestral past, she is an outcast. It is for this reason that she cannot marry the man she wishes to marry. Though Obi claims he does not care, he respects the ultimatum of his mother, which is that he must wait until she is dead, or she will kill herself if he marries Clara while she (his mother) is alive. This upsets Clara, and it is after this that they have their final break-up, after which Clara is hospitalized because of complications during an abortion. During this time Clara refuses to see Obi. From the beginning Clara’s romance with Obi was on unstable ground. Symbolically we need only to look at where Clara and Obi first began their relationship: in the water, on turbulent and fluctuating grounds. William Green The character of Mr. Green is representative of the white, European presence in Africa that resulted from the spread of England’s empire and its colonial hold on Nigeria. He is an arrogant man, who believes that the African is â€Å"corrupt through and through† and that it is the British who have brought Africans civilization and education. Nevertheless, Mr. Green seems to be committed to Nigeria, and there are characters in the book such as his secretary, Miss Tomlinson, who constantly support him in spite of his â€Å"strangeness.† Miss Tomlinson, however, is also a white Englishperson living in Nigeria. The narrator tells the reader that Green works long and hard hours, but this â€Å"quality† is constantly being uprooted by reminders of his colonial attitude and superiority complex. He thus has a problematic relationship with Obi, who is an educated African in a European post. Still he believes in education, which makes it both ironic and fitting that he pays for the education of his steward’s sons. Mr. Green finds it a problem that Africans ask for weeks off at a time for Mr. Green finds it a problem that Africans ask for weeks off at a time for vacations. However, this tradition was actually started by the very Europeans who held these high posts in civil service prior to the Africans themselves. These contradictions are constantly arising out of the character of Mr. Green. He is an archetypal figure of patriarchic colonialism that finds it difficult to relinquish such a position. In fact, when he thought Nigerians would attain independence, he had threatened to resign. Significantly, Mr. Green is a figure of an older world that is constantly present in the Nigeria of the late fifties, which Achebe portrays, only several years before its eventual independence, when a figure like Green will remain a problem but eventually become obsolete. ————————————————- Plot Overview Obi Okonkwo is a young man, about twenty-six years old, who returns to Nigeria after studying in England at a university for four years. No Longer At Ease, begins with a trial against Obi that takes place a while after his return, and the novel then works its way backward to explain how Obi has come to be charged with accepting a bribe. The Umuofia Progressive Union  (U.P.U) has given Obi a scholarship to study law in England, a scholarship that Obi has to pay back upon his return. And, thus, he leaves for England, stopping in Lagos on the way out. While in England, several things happen to him. First, he changes his course of study to English and abandons law. Secondly, he finds himself nostalgic for home, writing poems about Nigeria. Finally, he meets a girl named Clara at a dance in London but fails to make a good impression. However, the girl is Nigerian also, and on Obi’s boat ride back home, after nearly four years in England, he meets Clara once again. This time, they begin a relationship. Once back in Nigeria, Obi stays, once again, in Lagos with his friend Joseph, trying to find a job and a place of his own. He also visits his own home village of Umuofia. Obi is quickly given a post on the Scholarship Board of the Civil Service and is also quickly introduced to the world of bribery, which is a world he wholeheartedly rejects with a strong idealism at first. This is indicated early on when a man offers Obi money in order for Obi to â€Å"pull strings† for his little sister’s scholarship. Obi is appalled and rejects the offer, only later to be met at home by the little sister herself who offers Obi her body in return for the scholarship favor. Again, Obi rejects this offer. Although Obi begins his life in Nigeria in an honest way, events do not go as he has planned. First, Clara tells him that she cannot marry him because she is an osu, an outcast. Obi decides to ignore this and go against what most of his fellow countrymen believe to be a major transgression of custom, and he decides he will marry her anyway. Still, his economic hardship worsens, given that he has to send money home and that he is in debt. Obi then receives a letter from his father telling him that he must go home. When he arrives at home he sees that his mother is very ill. And, his parents tell him he must not marry Clara because she is an osu. In fact, Obi’s dying mother gives him an ultimatum: she tells him that if he insists on marrying Clara, he must wait until she is dead because if he marries Clara while she is alive, she will kill herself. Obi, therefore returns back to Lagos and tells Clara all that has transpired. Clara becomes angry and breaks off the engagement, afterwards hinting at the fact that she is pregnant. It is at this point when Obi arranges an abo rtion. He does not have the money and needs to borrow it. Complications arise out of the operation, and Clara is hospitalized, after which she refuses to see Obi. Obi then returns to work,  only to be notified that his mother has died. He does not go home for the funeral, and the U.P.U. discusses this failure on Obi’s behalf as a sign of his not having cared about his mother’s death. The truth, however, is that he was terribly saddened by her death, feels terrible remorse and guilt, and has entered into a state of mental unrest. However, Obi awakes from this unrest with a new sense of calm. He feels like a new man, and it is at this point that he takes his first bribe, not without a certain degree of guilt. Obi allows this acceptance of bribes to become habitual. He continues to take bribes until the end of the novel, when Obi decides he cannot stand it anymore. He has paid off all of his debts and can no longer be a part of the corruption. It is at this moment, however, when he has taken his last bribe, that he is caught, which brings us back to the beginning of the novel. Discuss the Significance of the novel’s title: No Longer at Ease. Answer for Study Question 1 >> The title of the novel relates mostly to Obi and his predicament. He finds that he is â€Å"no longer at ease† inside African society, where bribes are taken, where he is shunned for wanting to marry the woman he loves because of his ancestry, and where he is looked down upon because he has trouble relating the people from the village where he was born. He is not â€Å"at ease,† either, however, within British sectors of society. He is able to speak fluent and good English, he is able to analyze and discuss, but he is unable to relate to someone like Mr. Green. He also feels himself, like other Nigerians, as is evidenced in the retrospective scene about London, a stranger in a strange land while in England. He misses Nigeria and is in fact nostalgic for her when he is away. He understands what he must do for his country and that she is important; however, his return is different from memory. Memory is, in many ways, shattered when he revisits Lagos and his old home of Umuofia. Furthermore, by the end he finds himself uneasy with his lot in life: he is broke, he has lost Clara and his mother and has given in to taking bribes. Finally he feels guilt for this but it is too late. There is also the irony of Obi’s name, which means â€Å"the mind is at last at rest.† It is supposed to mean that his father’s mind is at rest because he was born a boy after so many girls; however, when juxtaposed against the title of the novel it becomes the greatest irony of the novel because Obi  is, of course, never, himself, â€Å"at rest.† The title is perfect because it describes a generation of Africans, in this case Nigerians, that find themselves living in between worlds, cultures, and on the verge of a post-colonial world. Close Discuss the problem of language in the novel. Think about the problem as it relates to the characters of the novel as well as to Chinua Achebe. Answer for Study Question 2 >>  Language is an issue that arises out of all colonized countries because the colonized are educated in the â€Å"language† of the colonized. The issue arises time and again in Achebe’s novel. When Obi returns from England, the members of the Umuofian Progressive Union are not impressed by Obi’s English because it is too casual. They like to listen to English when it is full and spoken in all its purple prose, in the way that the president of the UPU speaks it. This kind of English is a kind of class token. There is a certain amount of pride, ironically, in the language of the colonizer. This may be, however, because those admiring this English are from an older generation. When Obi is discussing eating yams with his hands he says that the younger generation can do this because they do not fear being called â€Å"uncivilized†Ã¢â‚¬â€the same may apply to their mode of feeling regarding language. The younger generation of Obi and Christopher, Obi’s friend, plays with language much more easily. For instance Christopher speaks different kinds of English, depending on what he is talking about and to whom he talking. Obi claims that most educated Africans participate in this playfulness with language. Obi has his own problems with language as is evidenced when he attempts to speak or read for his family in his own language and finds it difficult. His mother tongue, although never replaced sentimentally, is often replaced by an English that comes with more â€Å"ease. He is able to translate into English and understand. Nevertheless, Ibo is still a special language—the language of home. It is the language that Clara speaks to him when they are alone for the first time, and it is the language he longs for while he is across the sea in England. Close What are the main reasons for Obi’s change of opinion toward bribery? Answer for Study Question 3 >> First of all, Obi never really believes that it is all right to take a bribe, he always seems to do so with a sense of guilt. Nevertheless, there may have been moments where it was simply a fall into complacency or even an act that arose out of the aftermath of desperation. Obi’s financial situation was poor, he owed money to many people, he had his scholarship to pay back, he had to take care of himself, and he had to send money home. The temptation to take a bribe was always present. However, what seemed to put him over the edge was not his financial burden but his loss of hope. He had lost his mother and his lover, plus he found himself constantly out of place and ill at ease. He longed for complacency and contentment—for the kind of attitude that Christopher, an educated friend much like himself, was able to take on. Perhaps he even took the bribes to illustrate that he knew the way things worked that he, too, even if he had gone away for four years, knew how the ways of the Civil Service functioned. Still, this bribery was never something he was comfortable with but his feelings of unease only amplify by his guilt and his being caught.