Charles Dickens Essay Example for Free

Charles Dickens Essay Examine the presentation of the three spirits and Marleys ghost in A Christmas carol and show the differences and similarities in their appearance, attitude towards Scrooge and the effect upon him. Consider also the spectre in The Signalman In a Christmas carol by Charles Dickens, the four ghosts are all described differently. They all help to change scrooge into a nicer person. The ghosts all act disparately and look disparately. Scrooge has a different effect on each one of the ghosts, two of the ghosts he likes and one of the ghosts he dislikes. Scrooge is also treated dissimilar, some ghosts care for him, and others are forceful. The ghost of Marley appears first, he is described as In his pigtail, usual waistcoat, tights and boots; the tassels on the latter bristling, like his pigtail, and his coat-skirts, and the hair upon his head. Marley also had a chain around his middle, which was long and wound about him like a tail. The chain was made of cash boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deed and heavy purses wrought in steel. Marleys body was transparent, so Scrooge could see the 2 buttons on his coat behind. He also had a handkerchief wrapped around his head and chin which held his jaw up. The ghost of Christmas past turns up next. He is described as a strange figure-like a child; yet not so like a child as like an old man, viewed through some supernatural medium. Which gave him the appearance of having receded from the view, and being diminished to a Childs proportions. The ghosts hair hung about its neck and down its back. His hair was white, as if with age; but his face wasnt old, and didnt have any wrinkles in it. He had long and muscular arms, like his hands. Its legs and feet were delicately formed. The ghost wore a white tunic, and round its waist was a lustrous belt. It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand; and in singular contradiction of that wintry emblem, had its dress trimmed with summer flowers. The strangest thing about the ghost was that from the crown of its head sprang a clear jet of light, which by all was visible to see and was doubtless the occasion of its using, in its duller moments, a great extinguisher for a cap, which it now held under its arm. The next ghost was the ghost of Christmas present, he was clothed in one simple deep green robe, which was bordered with white fur. This garment hung so loosely on the figure, that its capacious breast was bare, as if disdaining to be warded or concealed by any artifice. His feet was also bare, and on its head it wore no other covering than a holly wreath with shining icicles. Its dark brown curls were long and free; free as its genial face, its sparkling eye. Its open hand, its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanour, and its joyful air. Around the ghosts middle was an antique scabbard; but there wasnt a sword in it, and the ancient sheath was eaten up with rust. The last of the ghosts to meet Scrooge was the ghost of Christmas yet to come. You couldnt see any of its facial features because it was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its face, its head and its form, and left nothing of it visible, save one outstretched hand. Because of this it would have been difficult to detach its figure from the night, and separate it from the darkness by which it was surrounded. The spectre in the signalman by Charles Dickens isnt described very well in the story, all we know is that the spectre is a man and he has a sleeve over his arm. His voice was hoarse with shouting halloa, below there! In the Christmas carol, Marley is a friendly ghost and he is very nice, he enjoys being in the company of Scrooge, Scrooge says you were always a good friend to me. He obviously cares about Scrooge because he wouldnt have gone there to warn him about the three ghosts and what would happen to him if he kept hating Christmas. Marley was the only true friend Scrooge has had. The ghost of Christmas past is nice, friendly and reasonable. The ghost cared for Scrooge, he once asked him whats the matter? Even though he is nice and friendly, he forces Scrooge into seeing things that he doesnt want to see. For example Scrooge says leave me, take me back, haunt me no longer. But the relentless ghost pinched him in both arms and forced him to observe what happened next. The ghost of Christmas present is a kind and jolly ghost. The ghost and Scrooge were cheerful when they visited homes. The spirit stood besides sickbeds, and they were cheerful and they were patient in their greater hope, by poverty and it was rich. The ghost makes Scrooge more relaxed around him, he isnt frightened, and he is calm in the ghosts presence. Like the ghost of Christmas past, this spirit is also forceful and makes him see what he doesnt want to see. The ghost of Christmas yet to come doesnt speak at all, this ghost is the one Scrooge is scared of most. Scrooge feared the silent shape so much that his legs trembled beneath him, and he found that he could hardly stand when he prepared to follow it. Scrooge is frightened of him the most because he doesnt know what his personality is like; with the other ghosts they were kind and caring. This ghost just points to places. But when Scrooge saw his grave then he got worried and cried hear me! I am not the man I was, I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse. Why show me this if I am past all hope? When Marley visits Scrooge, he is scared at first, because he doesnt know who it is, until the ghost got a bit closer, Scrooge was surprised to see his old friend, when Marley walked off to the window it beckoned Scrooge to approach, which he did.

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The attack on Pearl Harbor in â€Å"1941, December 7† had been a life changing event for the people who had witnesses the attack and the people who were in the attack. But the whole nation had felt the sadness, anger, and other feelings that came from the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the attack there had been key players that been important to the attack either generals or pilots from the Japanese side or from the U.S military. There had been warning signs that could have prevented the surprise of the U.S Navy troops but many had either been too late or had been ignored. Many lives had been taken that day from both sides of the fight, from civilians in Hawaii to Japanese, â€Å"2,403 people died, 183planes destroyed, and 8 ships damaged or destroyed† that was just from the American side many other died from the Japanese side. The â€Å"†¦7 out of the 8 ships had been in battleship row†¦Ã¢â‚¬  many people died on the ships. The ships that had been damaged or de stroyed are†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ the USS West Virginia†¦USS Oklahoma†¦ the USS Arizona†¦USS California†¦ USS Maryland†¦USS Tennessee†¦USS Nevada†¦Ã¢â‚¬ and all except the USS California had been in battleship row. The people that had survived the attack had told of what it was like during the attack in such detail that nobody will forget that day. They told the story like it was yesterday, like they just can from the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7 1941. The different perspective of the attack could be seen as a success or a lost depending on the person who was there and experienced it. That day could never be forgotten like the 9/11 attacks that happen on November 9, 2001 so many emotions on that from the event that affected so many lives. Both of the attacks could be similar and different in some ways and could be view... ...urprised they were when we came and left so fast. On December 7, 1941 it was a day for the Japanese to remember as a victory and a day to be proud. What can we learn from the attack on Pearl Harbor and the 9/11 attack? There many things that is similar and different in both attacks and we can use these two events to help learn from our mistakes in the future. From both of the attacks we now know that something unexpected could happen at any time any day. In the Pearl Harbor attack there had been warning signs that could have prevented the surprise of the attack and the total number of death of civilians and people all together. But in the 9/11 attack the moment that the planes have been taken the fate of the people was almost sealed. From these two events we learned that the security of the nation needs to be more prepared for what might happen in the future.

Parenting in Diverse Cultures Essay

Culture may influence child activities and behaviors through the organization of the physical and social settings of every day life. Social as well as cultural norms, values, and conventions can direct and control the child’s behavior through the progression of social evaluation. Throughout childhood and preadolescence, due to children’s particular need for peer assimilation and closeness, peer evaluation and social recognition in the peer group can play a critical role in the mediation of cultural influences on individual functioning. Moreover, in the development of socialization, culturally shaped parental belief systems and parenting practices can mediate and restrained children’s acquisition of cultural messages. Finally, formal training in educational institutions such as the school constitutes another significant channel for the transmission of human knowledge and cultural values from adults to children in modern societies. Culturally diverse children can have an expectation concerning confidentiality as do American-born children. Also, this concept in fact runs counter to therapeutic attempts to enlist the parents as partners in their children’s treatment. Discretion with culturally diverse adolescents can be particularly challenging. Often, culturally diverse families experience conflict while children reach adolescence and instigate to identify mainly with the values of their American peer culture. On the contrary to the elongated American adolescence phase devoted to ongoing education and the development of peer relationships, culturally diverse parents can have experienced their own abbreviated adolescence cut short by the need to find employment, by early marriage, and/or by parenting. They do not recognize the push for independence among American adolescents. Culturally diverse adolescents can want to pursue the activities of American youth despite knowing their parents would condemn. Researchers are interested in parental ideologies concerning childrearing as they may provide useful information concerning the explanation of different parenting behaviors across cultures. Moreover, it is a practical assumption that parental cognitions, ideas, and beliefs serve a mediating function in development of cultural influences on parental attitudes and behaviors toward the child (Goodnow, 1995). Indeed, it has been found that parents in diverse cultures have different expectations and goals regarding parenting and that socialization goal are linked with parental judgment and valuation of normal and abnormal child behaviors (Hess, Kashiwagi, Azuma, Price, & Dixon, 1980). In traditional Chinese cultures, for instance, â€Å"filial piety† is a Confucian doctrine dictating that children vow obedience and reverence to parents. Chinese parents, in turn, are accountable for â€Å"governing† (i. e. , teaching, disciplining) their children, and are held responsible for their children’s failures. While individualistic values are underlined in Western cultures, with children being mingled to be independent and self-assertive (Hess et al. , 1980), Chinese children are socialized to be moderate, well-mannered, reciprocally dependent, and concerned with the collective. Cross-cultural differences in parenting ideology can be illustrated also in different values concerning child independence in collectivistic and individualistic cultures. A sense of autonomy is measured crucial to adaptive development in many Western cultures (Maccoby & Martin, 1983), but might not bear such implication to the adaptive development of children raised in other cultures. Indeed, there is little emphasis on socializing children to be independent in Japanese culture (Rothbaum, Pott, Azuma, Miyake, & Weisz, 2000). While American mothers are more likely than Japanese mothers to persuade their children personal autonomy and forcefulness such as defending one’s rights, Japanese mothers are more likely to socialize their children to be polite and deferential to authority figures (Hess et al. , 1980). Weisz, Rothbaum, and Blackburn (1984) argued that diverse emphases on self-sufficiency might account for such cross-cultural differences as Japanese children showing more self-control and sympathy to others and American children being more self-expressive. Parental belief systems consist of a wide range of thoughts, perceptions, values, and expectations regarding normative developmental processes, socialization goals, and parenting strategies (Goodnow, 1995). Cultural disparities in parental beliefs and values are a major source of involvement to cross-cultural differences in parental attitudes, actions, and behaviors in parenting. Nevertheless, it must be noted that the links between parental beliefs and behaviors characteristically range from weak to modest in the Western literature (Sigel, McGillicuddy-DeLisi, & Goodnow, 1992). It is largely indefinite how belief systems might be linked with parenting practices at the cross-cultural level, as these two constructs have not been obviously differentiated in several cross-cultural studies. Parents of diverse culture have the same hopes as well as dreams for their children and families that the general population does. Most desire their children to get a good education and become prolific members of society. In the more traditional families, these desires comprise learning about tribal values, beliefs, and customs. These families want successful children in a manner reliable with cooperative, noncompetitive tribal, community, and family values as well as aspirations (Burgess, 1980). Parents in diverse culture often take an dynamic role in socializing their children concerning the consequences of their ethnicity in the larger society (Harrison et al. , 1990). Oppression provides the framework of teaching about the assaults of typical culture. Parents teach their children to watch for subtle clues about whether they are welcome in a given situation (Cross, 1995). As children mature, they are more well-informed about differences in race, and they come to recognize themselves with a particular tribe; though, they appear to prefer toys, activities, and friendships from the prevailing culture. Parents (Dawson, 1988) emphasize the significance of self-esteem in their children: â€Å"If my children are proud, if my children have an individuality, if my children know who they are and if they are proud to be who they are, they’ll be able to meet anything in life† (p. 48). Positive self-esteem provides self-assurance, energy, and optimism to master life’s tasks. This positive sense of self and confidence is significant for parents as well as children. Parents who feel capable in their parenting are more able to involve themselves in their children’s lives outside the home. Parental involvement is significant to the future educational development of their children (Dawson, 1988). In diverse culture families believe that their children should have the opportunity to grow into adulthood with the considerate that they are worthwhile individuals who are equal to all other Americans. American children should believe that they are respected for their culture, as they value the worth of others. They should believe that they are valued in American society and that they can attain in any way they choose according to their individual talents (Noley, 1992). In diverse culture, children view themselves more pessimistically than do their dominant culture counterparts, let say self-concept of Native American children is negatively linked with chronological age and years of schooling. Soares and Soares (1969) found that in spite of living in poverty, disadvantaged children in elementary school did not essentially suffer from lower self-esteem and a lower sense of self-worth. These findings suggest that just being poor is not the leading factor in the low self-esteem of Native American students. Though, researchers have long been interested in family influences on child social and cognitive functioning. The general consent is that family, as a main socialization agent, plays a significant role in the development of individuals’ adaptive and maladaptive functioning. This belief has been sustained by the results of numerous empirical studies concerning the associations amongst parenting practices, family organization and family socio-ecological conditions, and child adaptive and maladaptive functioning in diverse settings, although different opinions still exist (Harris, 1995). Among family variables, parenting beliefs and practices compose a central theme in the cross-cultural study of upbringing. Several explanations for cross-cultural variations in parenting have been suggested. First, an anthropological viewpoint proposes that differential vulnerability to threats to the survival of children accounts for the changeability in parenting practices (LeVine, 1974). on the other hand, it has been suggested that parental needs to engender the values and attitudes essential for becoming a competent adult, able to achieve expected roles in his or her respective culture, may be related to diverse parenting practices across cultures (Hoffman, 1987). It has also been argued that cross-cultural differences in parenting attitudes and behaviors can reflect variability in beliefs pertaining to children’s distinctiveness and to the world in general (Super & Harkness, 1986). Reference: Burgess, B. J. (1980). Parenting in the Native-American community. In M. D. Fantini & R. Cardenas, Parenting in a multicultural society (pp. 63–73). New York: Longman. Cross, T. L. (1995). The worldview of American Indian families. In H. I. McCubbin, E. A Thompson, A. I. Thompson, & J. E. Fromer (Eds. ), Ethnic minority families: Native and immigrant American families (Vol. 1, pp. 143–58). Boston: Sage Dawson, J. (1988). â€Å"If my children are proud†: Native education and the problem of selfesteem. Canadian Journal of Native Education, 15 (1), 43–50. Goodnow, J. J. (1995). Parents’ knowledge and expectations. In M. H. Bornstein (Ed. ), Handbook of parenting, Vol. 3, Status and social conditions of parenting (pp. 305-332). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Harrison, A. O. , Wilson, M. N. , Pine, C. J. , Chan, S. Q. , & Buriel, R. (1990). Family ecologies of ethnic minority children. Child Development, 61, 347–62. Hess, R. D. , Azuma, H. , Kashiwagi, K. , Holloway, S. D. , & Wenegrat, A. (1987). Cultural variations in socialization for school achievement: Contrasts between Japan and the United States. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology,8, 421-440. Hess, R. D. , Kashiwagi, K. , Azuma, H. , Price, G. G. , & Dixon, W. P. (1980). Maternal expectations for mastery of developmental tasks in Japan and the United States. International Journal of Psychology,15, 259-271. Hoffman, L. W. (1987). The value of children to parents and parenting patterns. Social Behavior,2, 123-141. LeVine, R. A. (1974). Parental goals: A cross-cultural view. Teachers College Record,76 (2), 226-239. Luftig, R. L. (1983). Effects of schooling on the self-concept of Native American students. The School Counselor, 30 (4), 251–60. Maccoby, E. E. , & Martin, C. N. (1983). Socialization in the context of family: Parentchild interaction. In E. M. Hetherington (Ed. ), Handbook of child psychology, Vol. 4, Socialization, personality, and social development (pp. 1-102). New York: Wiley. Noley, G. (1992). Educational reform and American Indian cultures. Tempe, AZ: Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Arizona State University. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 362 341) Rothbaum, F. , Pott, M. , Azuma, H. , Miyake, K. , & Weisz, J. (2000). The development of close relationships in Japan and the United States: Paths of symbiotic harmony and generative tension. Child Development,71, 1121-1142. Sigel, I. E. , McGillicuddy-DeLisi, A. V. , & Goodnow, J. J. (1992). Parental belief systems: The psychological consequences for children. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Soares, A. T. , & Soares, L. M. (1969). Self-perceptions of culturally disadvantaged children. American Educational Research Journal, 6 (1), 31–45. Super, C. M. , & Harkness, S. (1986). The developmental niche: A conceptualization at the interface of child and culture. International Journal of Behavioral Development,9, 545-569. Weisz, J. R. , Chaiyasit, W. , Weiss, B. , Eastman, K. L. , & Jackson, E. W. (1995). A multimethod study of problem behavior among Thai and American children in school: Teacher reports versus direct observations. Child Development,66, 402-415. Weisz, J. R. , Rothbaum, F. , & Blackburn, T. C. (1984). Standing out and standing in. American Psychologist,39, 955-969. Weisz, J. R. , Suwanlert, S. , Chaiyasit, W. , & Walter, B. R. (1987). Over- and undercontrolled referral problems among Thai and American children and adolescents: The wat and wai of cultural differences. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,55, 719-726. Weisz, J. R. , Suwanlert, S. , Chaiyasit, W. , Weiss, B. , Walter, B. R. , & Anderson, W. W. (1988). Thai and American perspectives on over- and undercontrolled child behavior problems: Exploring the threshold model among parents, teachers, and psychologists. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,56, 601-609.

When to Punctuate Titles in Italics or Quotes

You may have wondered in the middle of typing up a research project: Do I italicize  a song title? What about a painting?​ Even the most experienced writers have a problem remembering the proper punctuation for certain types of titles. Books are italicized (or underlined) and articles are put in quotation marks. Thats about as far as many people can remember.​ Many teachers require students to use Modern Language Association style for research papers and essays covering language arts, cultural studies, and the humanities. There is a trick to remembering how to treat titles in MLA style, and it works well enough that you can commit most types of titles to memory. Its the big and little trick. Big Things vs. Little Things Big things and things that can stand on their own, like books, are italicized. Little things that are dependent or that come as part of a group, like chapters, are put into quotation marks. Think of a CD or an album as a major (big) work that can be divided into smaller parts, or songs. The individual song names (small part) are punctuated with quotation marks. For example: The Sweet Escape, by Gwen Stefani, includes the song Wind It Up. While this is not a perfect rule, it can be helpful for determining whether to italicize or surround an item in quotation marks when you have no resources at hand. Furthermore, italicize or underline any published collection, like a book of poetry. Put the individual entry, like a poem, in quotation marks. However: a long, epic poem that is often published on its own would be treated like a book. The Odyssey is one example. Punctuating Titles of Works of Art Creating a work of art is an enormous task. For that reason, you can think of art as a big accomplishment. That might sound a bit corny, but it will help you remember. Individual works of art, like paintings and sculptures, are underlined or italicized: Michelangelos DavidMona LisaThe Last SupperThe Pieta Note that a photograph—although not any less significant or important—is often much smaller than a work of created art, and is placed in quotation marks. Following are guidelines for punctuating titles according to MLA standards. Titles and Names to Italicize Works to put in italics include: A novelA shipA playA filmA paintingA sculpture or statueA drawingA CDA TV SeriesA cartoon seriesAn encyclopediaA magazineA newspaperA pamphlet Titles to Put Into Quotation Marks When deciding how to handle smaller works, put quotation marks around: A poemA short storyA skitA commercialAn individual episode in a TV series (like The Soup Nazi on Seinfeld)A cartoon episode, like Trouble With DogsA chapterAn articleA newspaper story More Tips on Punctuating Titles Some titles are merely capitalized and not given additional punctuation. These include: Religious works, like the Bible or the KoranBuildingsMonuments