A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Grandmother Is the Central Character

A Good Man is Hard to Find The grandmother is the central character in the short story â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find,† by Flannery O’Connor. She is also a very well rounded and dynamic character. She shows various characteristics and reveals various remarks as they story progresses. Some of her qualities include selfish and a pushy person. She is also kind of manipulator in a way that she insists her family to change the plan. At the beginning of the story when we first realize her desire to visit her childhood house, she is being a very selfish person. Examining her conversation with her son Bailey, the grandmother is moreover a pushy person. She is convincing Bailey to change the trip plan according to her need only and which will benefit her only. She is trying to manipulate her family to do what she thinks is best. She is also a bit of criticizer at points in the story. Her characteristics remain same throughout the story that is even when her desire was ignored, she still kept praising it. The story opens up with a conversation between the grandmother and her son Bailey about their trip to Florida. Instead of going to Florida with her entire family, she insists on visiting her relatives up in Tennessee. In spite of everyone’s choice, she just wants to go where her mind is set. It is very obvious that she is only concerned about her gaining and nobody else’s. Her selfishness occurs when she says â€Å"The children have been to Florida before† (O’Connor 345). It sounds like the grandmother is being stubborn and childish, and trying to change their mind about going to Tennessee. She is persuading the family to change their vacation destination to Tennessee. â€Å"Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward the Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people. Just you read it. I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn’t answer to my conscience if I did† (O’Connor 345). She is trying to scare Bailey and also saying that going there could also be dangerous. She lies after she seems to not get any reaction from previous attempts by trying to say out that it’s not about her, but in fact it’s about the children. â€Å"The children have been to Florida before,† the old lady said. â€Å"You all ought to take them somewhere else for a change so they would see different parts of the world and be broad. They never have been to east Tennessee† (O’Connor 345). She is critical of the children’s mother and persuades Bailey by telling him that it can be an educational experience for his children. Truthfully, she wants to go to Tennessee for the benefit of her own only and fulfill her needs. One of major selfishness occurs when she first tries making her son Bailey change the whole vacation plans including the destination. She had always treated her son Bailey as if he was child still and expects him not to make his own decision for himself. After the family ignores the grandmother’s attempts of persuasion and her desire, they decide to go on their own way. She is urged to travel with her family. Subsequently the grandmother shows characteristics as if she were a follower. â€Å"The next morning the grandmother was the first one in the car, ready to go† (O’ Connor 345). At this moment in the story, her movement shows that she has been ignored and becomes the first one to get ready as if she has been forced to do so. In spite of knowing that her son Bailey doesn’t like taking cat onto their trips, she hides her cat, Pitty Sing, into the basket. †¦ and underneath it she was hiding a basket with Pitty Sing, the cat, in it† (O’Connor 345). She is avoiding her son and doesn’t want to leave the cat home alone. At the end of the story, the grandmother shows a very obvious selfishness act where is only concerned about her life only and shows zero concern about the rest of the family. When the family encounters the Misfit and his gang, the grandmother recognizes him as the Misfit. â€Å"I know you wouldn’t shoot a lady! I know you come from nice people! Pray! Jesus, you ought not to shoot a lady. I’ll give you all the money I’ve got! † (O’Connor 355). She is pleading the Misfit for her life only by saying the word lady repeatedly and offering him the money. She is also praising the Misfit by calling him a good man and trying to save her life. She was also careless about her family. When her family is taken down into the woods, she continues to talk to Misfit. She ignores the sound of when her son and rest of the family were being shot. She is apparently oblivious to many things. She was ignoring everything but the Misfit. â€Å"The shirt came flying at him and landed on his shoulders and he put it on. The grandmother couldn’t name what the shirt reminded her of† (O’Connor 354). The grandmother doesn’t even realize that shirt was her son Baileys. She had no interest in knowing where that shirt came from and what happened to my family. For the concern of her life only, she tries to persuade the Misfit the same way she tried with her family. â€Å"I know you’re a good man. You don’t look a bit like you have common blood. I know you must come from nice people! † (O’Connor 352). She is trying to manipulate the Misfit and hopes that he will bear her. She is thinking about no one else but the sake for herself. However she fails once again to influence the Misfit. One of her characteristics in the story is being a very pushy person. Even when she is not heard by her family, she continues to praise her homeland hoping that Bailey would change his mind still. After they had left The Tower, â€Å"a part-stucco and part-wood filling station and dance hall†¦ † (O’ Connor 348), the grandmother recapitulates â€Å"an old plantation that she had visited in this neighborhood once when was a young lady† (O’Connor 349). Regardless of the consequences, the grandmother finds an alternative way to manipulate Bailey for changing his route to the old house she wanted to see. She knew that Bailey would not be willing to lose anytime looking at an old house, but the more she talked about it, the more she wanted to see it once again† (O’Connor 349). She is being a very pushy person here trying to convince Bailey and makes it sound even interesting telling the children. â€Å"There was a secret panel in this house,â €  she said craftily, not telling the truth but wishing that she were, â€Å"and the story went that all family silver was hidden in it when Sherman came through but it was never found†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (O’Connor 349). The father concedes to visit the house after his kids start to yell and scream that they wanted to see the house with secret panels (350). She persuades the children about telling them a secret panel in the house which makes them grows their excitement even more in seeing it. However she is not telling the truth about the house but just making the children want to see it right away and would compel their father to take them there. She is not only being pushy to Bailey but also to the children. She seeks a way to gain Bailey’s attention. â€Å"It’s not far from here, I know,† the grandmother said. â€Å"It wouldn’t take over twenty minutes† (O’Connor 350). The grandmother later realizes that the house with secret panels she told the children is in Tennessee not in Georgia. Her desire to visit the old house from childhood results in an accident when her cat Pitty Sing sprang onto Bailey’s shoulder (350) losing the control of the car and resulting into an accident. If the grandmother had not pushed her son to detour to see the old house, which she later realized was in Tennessee not in Georgia, they wouldn’t have met with an accident. She is the cause of her entire family when they encounter the Misfit and his gang who shot everyone at the end of the story including the grandmother. Throughout the story, her various remarks reveal that she wants to achieve only for the benefit of her own and won’t let anything come in her way. At the end, during her conversation with the Misfit, the grandmother says that she knows him from good people trying to save her own life. She carried out herself as a very selfish person especially at the end of the story. In my opinion she remained a static character as her characteristics didn’t transform. She remains egocentric throughout the story and seeks to gain everything that will benefit her only. The grandmother shows various personality traits that brings families down fall at the end of the story. Her act of selfishness shows when she tells her son Bailey the benefit of taking their children to Tennessee. She wants the children to visit different part of world and be broad. But truthfully, only she will gain everything by going on vacation in Tennessee. She persuades her family by stating that this trip could be an educational experience for the children. As the story ends, she faces a death as her punishment for self-serving doings. Along with her, the entire family faces with death. Works Cited Updike, John. â€Å"Pygmalion. † Literature for Composition. 8th ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. Print.

Kierkegaard and Sartre Essay

Existentialism has been a influential philosophy since its inception in the 19th century through the 20th century, especially after World War II. Soren Kierkegaard was a Danish polymath and is regarded by many as â€Å"The Father of Existentialism†. Kierkegaard was interested in subjectivity-the way people relate themselves to truths. He proposed that the truth was reliant on more that just objective facts. The importance, Kierkegaard reasoned, was the way a person relates to these objective facts. Kierkegaard’s views on the importance of the individual is emphasized in this paper. Kierkegaard values the individual above what he calls â€Å"the public†. The â€Å"public† is antithetical to the individual finding his or her self. The â€Å"public† is the prevailing views and opinions of the group. It is mob mentality. It is the antithesis of reasoned and careful consideration. The most disturbing aspect of the â€Å"public† is how it sublimely tries to substitute an individual’s thoughts and feelings with those of the â€Å"public’s†. Kierkegaard implicates schools and philosophers in the destruction and subversion of the individual creating what he terms as â€Å"pseudo individuals†. Kierkegaard concern is the loss of individual, which he values above all else. The uniqueness of the individual is what gives a community of individuals its strength. Sartre is a giant of 20th century philosophy and is known for his major contributions to existentialism and his active commitment to political causes. The Existentialism of Sartre believes that the answers to the big questions regarding mankind, in every aspect, requires a new framework of thought and consciousness beyond any and every category present in the collective body of knowledge. Sartre does not reject science or psychology as failed intellectual disciplines, but he did believe that any of these disciplines was simply inadequate to explain our existence and the reasons we are here. Sartre’s Existentialism is relevant to diversity because of the monumental task of creating an entirely new framework and a body of knowledge to fill it that is implied by its main tenets. While Existentialism sees the need for whole new categories of thought, it does not reject or even discredit the current framework within which our categories of knowledge presently work. In these ideas, there is no rejection of the, as Sartre views them, â€Å"inadequate categories of knowledge† such as the sciences and philosophy. Sartre leaves the door open to possibilities and makes no condemnation of the prevailing paradigm (the confidence in science, etc. to be able to answer the big philosophical questions without the need for a new framework of thought). This encourages new and diverse minds to explore some of these radical ideas without fear of ridicule or rejection. It is an open invitation for an open dialogue about an idea that will require the greatest diversity of minds possible if they are to become reality. because that is the only way to extend and create the framework of thought necessary if we are ever to truly understand the human condition. idea that entire new levels of thought are required for answers to deep philosophical questions. Kierkegaard emphasizes the importance of the individual discovering and recognizing their identity as a human and considers this quest a moral imperative. Taking this philosophical approach regarding one’s individuality translates into a deeper respect for and understanding of other persons. Diversity is not only tolerated, but it becomes a necessary part of every human interaction. This lays a foundation for our everyday contact and associations with other humans that is inherently positive and loving and complements the teachings of Christianity such as unconditional love.

Estimation of pH Essay

Acid-base titration calculations Aim: This experiment is designed to train our skills of calculation in titration as well as help us to be familiar with the procedures of titration. Background: 1. Titration is a technique which involves measuring the volume of one solution which just reacts completely with another solution. 2. A pipette is designed to deliver exactly the same volume each time it is used. 3. A burette is equipment fitted with a tap and is calibrated so as to accurately measure a variable volume of solution. 4. Tire is the volume of the second solution required in titration. Method: The whole experiment is based on computer simulation. To train our calculation skills in titration, two trials are set. One is titration between a strong acid and a strong base. The other is between a weak acid and a strong base. In this experiment, the strong acid is HCl, the strong base is NaOH and the weak acid is CH3COOH. Strong acid and strong base 1. Set up the apparatus. 2. Measure 25ml Ba(OH)2 by pipette. 3. Transfer the Ba(OH)2 into a beaker. 4. Add Bromothymol Blue which is and indicator. 5. Add HCl into the burette. 6. Turn on the pH meter. 7. Insert the probes into the beaker. 8. Read the reading on burette. 9. Start titrating. 10. Read the final volume. 11. Remove the probes. Weak acid and strong base 1. Set up the apparatus. 2. Measure 25ml Ba(OH)2 by pipette. 3. Transfer the Ba(OH)2 into a beaker. 4. Add Bromothymol Blue which is and indicator. 5. Add CH3COOHhe burette. 6. Turn on the pH meter. 7. Insert the probes into the beaker. 8. Read the reading on burette. 9. Start titrating. 10. Read the final volume. 11. Remove the probes. Apparatus: Pipette 25ml Burette 50ml pH meter Beaker 80ml Chemicals: Barium Hydroxide, Ba(OH)2 Hydrochloric Acid, HCl Ethanoic Acid, CH3COOH Bromothymol Blue Safety: Follow the rules in the laboratory and wear the safety goggles. Set up of apparatus: Procedure: Strong acid and strong base 1. I set up the apparatus. 2. I measured 25ml Ba(OH)2 by pipette. 3. I transferred the Ba(OH)2 into a beaker. 4. I added Bromothymol Blue which is and indicator. 5. I added HCl into the burette. 6. I turned on the pH meter. 7. I inserted the probes into the beaker. 8. I read the reading on burette. 9. I started titrating. 10. I read the final volume. 11. I removed the probes. Weak acid and strong base 1. Set up the apparatus. 2. Measure 25ml Ba(OH)2 by pipette. 3. Transfer the Ba(OH)2 into a beaker. 4. Add Bromothymol Blue which is and indicator. 5. Add CH3COOHhe burette. 6. Turn on the pH meter. 7. Insert the probes into the beaker. 8. Read the reading on burette. 9. Start titrating. 10. Read the final volume. 11. Remove the probes. Data collection: Strong acid and strong base Initial pH in the beaker 15.03 Final pH in the beaker 2.79 Volume of HCl added 41.02ml Weak acid and strong base Initial pH in the beaker 14.90 Final pH in the beaker 2.57 Volume of HCl added 38.60ml Data processing: Strong acid and strong base The chemical equation for this reaction 2HCl(aq) + Ba(OH)2(aq) BaCl2(aq) + 2H2O(l) Weak acid and strong base The chemical equation for this reaction 2 CH3COOH (aq) + Ba(OH)2(aq) (CH3COOH)2Ba (aq) + 2H2O(l) Graph: Strong acid and strong base Screenshot of the software Graph of the pH in the beaker against volume added Weak acid and strong base Screenshot of the software Graph of the pH in the beaker against volume added Conclusion: The concentration of hydrochloric acid in the first trial is The concentration of ethanoic acid in the second trial is Evaluation and improvement: 1. As what I have discovered, all the graphs of a certain reaction in this software are the same. There is no difference in the graph if the concentration is changed. Also the graph is distinct points rather than a curve. During the experiment, sometimes failure occurred. Thus the only improvement could be done is to change another software.

PURCHASING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

PURCHASING - Essay Example We can say that when we need to perform any specific task regarding some sort of activity, we need to have some related goods and services available for us in order to perform that activity. And attainment of those goods and services is referred to as purchasing. If we talk about hotels and restaurants, purchases mean to acquire those goods and services which we need to have in our hands for the purpose of successful operations of the restaurant. If these goods and services are to the management of the restaurant right at the time when they are needed, the restaurant will be able to operate its functions efficiently and effectively. But when they are not available or accessible for the management of the restaurant at the desired time, it will become very difficult for the restaurant to maintain its level of reliability and public’s confidence stable. So we can say that purchasing is one of the most important factors which are to be taken into consideration by the management of the restaurant or any other organization in order to perform all the related functions successfully. Purchasing, in the present era, has undergone various changes and developments in several organizations. If we talk about restaurants, management of the process of purchasing has gained great importance for maintaining a stabilized level of supply to demand management. If we talk about the required set of skills and abilities for the management of a restaurant, we should say that now relatively high level pf skills and abilities are required for the successful operation of the purchasing process in any restaurant because of the factor of competition among the restaurants. Gadde and Hakansson (1993) found that purchasing is seen as one of the key strategic functions to be performed effectively by the management of an organization in order to get competitive advantage among several

Digital Divide in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Digital Divide in UK - Essay Example It is right for countries like UK to consider their efforts to tackle the digital divide. More than ten years on from the trendy emergence of the opinion, the digital divide remains an imperative issue that requires renewed attention2. Today, we would argue strappingly against abandoning the digital divide as a feasible area for social intrusion. There is substantial evidence that the digital divide is neither dying through the maneuverings of the market, or being made out of date by improvements in technological developments; nor are the digital inequalities firmly following the well-established lines of social injustice and general inequality3. As such, we would vie that the digital divide has continued to be the most significant social concern of recent times. In addition, it is a social issue that can be addressed by concerned stakeholders and concerned policy makers in the knowledge economy or information society – albeit requiring a carefully coherent loom to any interve ntion. The social rooted and complex nature of issues has prompted a logical reticence amongst sections of the IT industry and community policy, to feel that they are capable of engineering meaningful and sustained change when it comes to folks’ ICT use4. ... This means the use of ICTs when necessary and where applicable. Details of the Digital-divide   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Causes The disparities in the use of information technology should not be assumed to be motionless in nature as individuals drop in and out of ICT rendezvous at different levels in life course as their state of affairs change6. Additional techno-utopian stakeholders go on storing substantial faith in power of market forces to ultimately lead to full dissemination of ICT use pretending that, its use will eventually spread from early adopters to succeeding majorities of users in the due itinerary of time7. Many in the IT industry and policy community consider the digital divide as a dead issue, not laudable intervention of policy8. This has resulted to suggestions that, the digital divide is a historical object of 1990s and nothing like ‘last century concern’9. The primary challenge affecting policy makers is matching the affordances of ICT with daily needs, desir es and interests of individuals. In this respect, the digital divided demands a complex set of responses which go beyond increasing levels of support and hardware provision, and then pretending the breach to have been bridged. Current scenario The research carried out currently shows that, improving access will help in bridging the digital divide to some extent. Motivation and interest are the biggest barriers to accessing information and communication technology. Lack of perceived need follows this category. From the results of the analysis, 53 % of the grown up people who never use the internet say that, they â€Å"do not need to, want to, or do not have an interest.†10

The Council of Nicea Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Council of Nicea - Term Paper Example The council discussed and came into an agreement, in the church of Alexandria, concerning the terms of Jesus in relation to the Father. In addition, the council came into an agreement concerning the date for Easter, which is the most documented event in the Christian history. This assignment will discuss the reasons for Nicaea council, the agendas discussed, Nicene Creed and the effects of the Nicaea council. Reasons for Nicaea Council Different reasons led to the gathering of the Nicaea council in 325 AD. Earlier, in 313 AD, Christianity was practiced without fear of persecution by any group. Since there was no persecution, Christianity spread and grew enormously. As Christianity grew rapidly, there emerged many church heretics. These false church heretics made it difficult to explain the correct teachings about Christ since there was a mix up in teaching; different church leaders had different views regarding Christ teachings (Wordsworth 37). This difference in teachings about Chri st made the council seek the correct teaching. Hence, with this confusion in Christ teaching, the council of Nicaea gathered in order to discus the correct teachings of Christ. One such false teaching about Christ was that Jesus had no relationship with the Father, which taught that Jesus was a superficial creature. This teaching caused chief controversies within the church and was condemned by the council of Nicaea. With the gathering of the council, Bishops and Constantine were able to come up with a common teaching of Christ through the formation of the Nicene Creed, which contained the statement of faith for the Christians (Wordsworth 40). The other chief reason for the council assembling; was to discuss and set the date for Easter. The council of Nicaea discussed the issue of Easter and came up to a conclusion that Easter should be celebrated by all Christians in the first Sunday after Equinox. The council resolved the issue raised by various individuals regarding the nature of Jesus. Although some people argued that Jesus had no relationship with God the Father, the council concluded that Jesus has a connection with the Father (Davis 40). Agenda of the Council of Nicaea The council’s gathering was not without an agenda and procedure. The council gathered in order to discuss agenda such as the Arian question. The Arian question entailed the relationship that existed between Jesus and God (Wordsworth 56). Those who supported the Arian argument claimed that Jesus was the first creature to be created by God, and there existed no connection between Jesus and God. According to their argument, those who supported the Arian argument, Jesus was a superhuman. On discussing the agenda, the council ruled that Jesus and God were one in being. The second agenda discussed by the council concerned observation of the Paschal or better known as Easter. Christians differed on the actual date of celebrating the Easter. On discussing the agenda, the council concluded that all Christians should celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after Equinox. The third agenda discussed by the council of Nicaea was the Meletian schism. The council decided that Meletius should not ordain new clergy. He could not go out of the town for the purpose of ordaining Melitian leaders. The fourth agenda to be discussed by the Nicaea council comprised the validity of baptism (Davis 43). The council condemned the argument of heretics that baptism was not necessary. The council conclud

Selected Family Health Promotion Assessment and Initiative Essay - 1

Selected Family Health Promotion Assessment and Initiative - Essay Example In most first world countries, health visitors offer spontaneous public health service in accordance to the actions taken by the government to promote health and provide preventive care among families and communities. These health visitors maintain a number of cases to be dealt with, particularly families within a certain area with children of 5 years old and below, to supply health services through specialized home visiting that focuses on individual health care needs, clinic contacts, as well as health-related activities at a community level. Since the early 1990s, the British National Health Service has aimed to implement policies that will address health inequalities (Greater London Authority 2002), reduce all health-related gaps, and improve the living standards of those experiencing the worst health conditions in the society (Department of Health 2001). Initially, the pressure in decreasing the amount of time allocated for home visiting was consequently followed by the increase d emphasis on disadvantaged families. Owing to such priorities, major decisions were made with regards to the assessment of health needs when families are first visited by health visitors to identify the appropriate frequency of possible contacts in the future. There is not a single approach that is accepted as the sole tool for assessing health needs; there is also no established agreements regarding the applicability of various approaches with which decisions about the frequency, level, and types of services to be provided are to be made. Elkan, Robinson, Williams, and Blair (2001) asserted that the main decision lies on the judgment of health professionals in ascertaining the frequency of communication and contact with families. There have been an increased number of studies that examine the processes integrated within health visitor needs assessment, especially in settling on the necessary contact frequency between the family and health visitor (Appleton 2002); however, there ar e fewer studies that highlight the structure the implementation of structured health needs assessment approaches. Nonetheless, majority of health institutions responsible for health visitors have implemented a type of structured guidance that can help make appropriate decisions about service provision in health visiting. The current study, then, focuses on the Developmental Model of Health and Nursing (DMHN) which emphasizes the development of healthy attitudes and behaviors that take place in the family. The DMHN generally pays attention to how family members create the strategies necessary for them to live a healthy life, focusing on the role of the entire family in developing the responses to health-related situations which can generally affect the family at an individual and group level (Ford-Gilboe 2002).Due to the model’s strengths-based direction, the DMHN can be very much applicable for evaluating and gaining insight especially about vulnerable groups of people. The f ollowing sections will then examine the application of the Developmental Model of Health and Nursing (DMHN) initially proposed by Alen (1977) to restructure health care systems and make them