Of mice and men Comparison Essay Example for Free

Of mice and men Comparison Essay Of mice and men by John Steinbeck- Consider the character of crooks. How does he contribute to our understanding of the society in which he lives? This essay will answer the question above. I will be looking at the character Crooks and the society and the racial issues at that time. I will also look into the American dream of the majority. John Steinbeck was born in 1902 in Salinas, California, and many of his novels are set in this part of America. Before his career as a writer began, Steinbeck worked as a construction labourer and a caretaker. His first novel Cup of Gold was published in 1929. Of Mice and Men was published in 1939. He died at the age of 66 in 1968. In this paragraph, I will describe the character of Crooks and some of the difficulties faced by the racial minority. Crooks is a Black-American who stands out to the other ranch-men. He has a crooked back, where he has been kicked by a horse. He is known by many names, like the stable-buck negro or nigger. In the time where Crooks was living, Americans treated the Black-Americans very differently because they were niggers. The black people where not allowed in white areas, even though it wasnt a law, it was made this way, but there where laws of the segregation of the black and white people. In the ranch, it was exactly the same, Crooks wasnt allowed in the other ranch peoples bunk house to play blackjack or rummy I aint wanted in the bunk-house and you aint wanted in my room (page 72). He just had to sleep in the barn by himself; he had no rights, except the choice of invitation of his room. He is only allowed to play horse shoes with the other ranch workers because he is so good at it. Although C1rooks is part of the lowest chain of respect, he knows himself as a proud aloof man; he doesnt care what the others say about him. As Crooks is the only black man in the ranch, he has no rights at all, he didnt even have an identity, he was known as Crooks because his real name was not important to the ranch workers. Ku Klux Klan is the name of a number of past and present organisations in America that believed in white supremacy, anti-Semitism, racism and anti-Catholicism. These organisations promoted violence and terrorism, sometimes intimidation like burning a cross. The Klan was founded 1866, it mainly focused on intimidating people, but rapidly adapted to violent methods. This is what happens to crooks as he becomes intimidated and abused by other ranch workers. . A quick reaction set in as the Klans leader left, by the early 1870s. Crooks had a book in his room called the California Civil Code, this tells him what rights he has and what rights he doesnt have, he does this so he can avoid being lynched. Every American worker has an American dream, the base of this is respect the people working in the ranch want to have their own ranch, people working for them and some nice crops. Crooks dream is to be treated equally, and to be respected. Candy wants to relax for his last few years and seeks the opportunity in George and Lennies dream which is to have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit-hutch and some chickens (page 15), Curleys wife wants to star in the movies, wear nice clothes and be rich. All their dreams are quite similar as they all want something for their own and also respect. What Crooks really wants is equality; he wants to be treated as another human being and not differently and to have friends. I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an he gets sick. (Page 77) There are many characters that have disabilities in the story, these people are: Crooks, Candy, Lennie and Curleys wife, these people are affected in their own way. Crooks disability is none other than being black and his crooked back, he has to have his own room in the smelly, cramped barn, and he cannot go to the bunk house and play rummy with the white characters. Lennie has a mental disability which makes him different from the other characters because he still has a mind of a child; this affects him as the others underestimate him. Curleys wife is the only female at the barn, she cannot do the things the boys can do, she is also controlled by Curley as she is a woman because men had more power than women in the past, this mean that she couldnt do what she wanted to do. Candy has the disadvantage of being old, the other guys think that he is useless, he stays behind and cleans up the bunk house, he has also lost a hand which makes that others think of him more useless. This shows us that he is not the only one which is different to the ranch workers. Crooks contributes to our understanding of the society of which he lives by showing us how he lives in separation and inequality, he cannot do any of the things that the white people do, he doesnt even sleep in the same place as them as they think he stinks. The also refer to him as the nigger because he is not respected enough to be called by he real name.

The Benefits of Magnet Schools Essay -- essays papers

Advantages of magnet schools Why would students want to attend a magnet school? The reason may be because magnet schools offer a variety of specialized programs that students can choose from. Programs such as visual and performing arts, mathematics, sciences, and many others are available for students to choose from. Similar to having a major in college, students at magnet schools have their own specialized area that they can take classes in, in addition to basic academic classes. They are encouraged to be creative and to hone their skills in their area of interest. Another reason magnet schools may be so popular could be due, in part, to the different teaching styles that some of the schools have adopted. For example, University of Hartford Magnet School, a magnet elementary school in West Hartford, Connecticut, has begun teaching through a style developed by psychologist Howard Gardner. Gardner’s theory on intelligence’s are emphasized in this school, so as to get students to â€Å"appreciate all their intelligences, learn their own strengths, and develop those strengths in conjunction with other intelligences† (Delisio, p9). As opposed to regular, neighborhood high schools, magnet schools allow students from different districts to attend. Students may be bused in from over 30 miles away to attend a magnet school, while â€Å"some magnet schools have boarding facilities to allow students from out of state to attend† (Boland). In addition, magnet schools are an outlet for students from low-income, urban areas. â€Å"By the early 1980s, there were approximately 1,100 magnet schools in 140 urban school districts nationwide† (baeo.org, p2). Disadvantages of magnet schools Yet, there are some drawbacks to magnet schools. As prev... ... in an Elementary Magnet School: A Longitudinal Study. Journal of Computing in Teacher Education. Retrieved on April 19, 2004 from http://www.iste.org/jcte/PDFs/te18119wri.pdf This website summarizes a longitudinal study done on a technology magnet school. The information provided includes how the school was started, what the school obtained through government grants, and how the technology in the school was benefiting students and teachers. Steel, L. & Levine, R. (1994) Educational Innovation in Multiracial Contexts: The Growth of Magnet Schools in American Education. Palo Alto, California: American Institutes for Research. This book gives information on the benefits of magnet schools, the types of funding magnet schools receive, and information on the types of students enrolled in magnet schools. Studies on magnet schools are also provided in this book.

A Built-On Trust is a Trust that Lasts a Lifetime Essay

When I was teenager, all guys who were the same as my age drove a car. They had their own cars where they can go from their homes to their schools. Naturally, I also had the same desire in wanting to drive a car. It was a natural thing to do, but my family denied me of the privilege to drive a car. I had no choice but to follow them, but still, the desire in that one simple action fueled in me. On the other hand, I did not want to be less than my friends because I have to respect my family’s opinion. One day, when my father came from work, I ran to him and greeted him.   He seemed tired from work, so I asked him for the car’s key so I can wash the car. I washed the surface of the car and then I started to also clean the inside. I sat on the driver seat while cleaning, but without meaning to and without ill intentions, I suddenly felt this chance would not come again. I just had this desire to do something, but I was scared at the same time. I put the key and I turned the engine on without moving the car approximately for just 10 minutes—listening for the engine sound and imitating how to drive. I was pretending to turn the signal or opening the window to talk to a friend, but all of that was just a daydream. After that, I felt it would be awesome if I could drive. I finished cleaning the car and I returned the key to my father. When I went to bed that night, I was thinking how I can get the key again. I should find a reason or an excuse to have the car keys again, so I thought of a plan. Sometimes, my father drops us off at school when he has time. So the next day, I left some stuff in my father’s car without him knowing it. When he came from work later that day, I went to him as usual and greeted him. I then said â€Å"Oh, father I think I left some of my stuff in the car, could you give me the key to check if they are there or not?† He gave it to me, and I was smiling from my heart until I felt the happiness show on my face. I opened the car. I turned the engine on, and there was no car in front or behind of my father’s car. A new idea formed in my mind saying â€Å"one step†; so I moved the car one step front and then one step back. I spent almost forty five minutes just like that. My young brother came and was looking for me because I spent such a long time for my stuff. I then turn off the car and my brother did not see me moving the car, but I thought he saw me. While we entered the home, I got sweaty and felt they were looking at me, but they did not say anything. My heart kept pumping until I went to my room. I looked at the mirror and I told myself: â€Å"I did it! I did it!† but my sister was there and she said â€Å"What was it that you did?† I then replied strongly: â€Å"Nothing! And do not ask anything when it is not your business.† I did that to give myself confidence and to make her confused. Human is human, and humans have always had attitude in wanting to change for the better or to want more things in life. When a child learns how to walk one step, he wants to learn how to walk in the second step. I too, am like that. I did not feel enough that it was enough in just moving the car with one step, because after one week, my father bought things for our home and he asked me to bring it to him. Instead of bringing them, I decided to ride the car two to five minutes around our home, but I was not sure if I could do it. One of my friends who is also my neighbor was looking at me and he said, â€Å"I know what you are going to do. You will just take one step front and one step back. If you are not ready to drive the car as a real man, do not waste the fuel.† I got angry because of this, and I told him to see that I can drive. I did not really mean it, but I was afraid that he would tease me in front my friends in the future. I drove the car in our suburb, and I drove slowly. When I went back to return my father’s car, our neighbor parked his car in my father’s place. I panicked and I told my friend to move their car or he if he can ask his father to do it. I was nervous and I didn’t want my father to go outside our home and see the car wasn’t in the right place. However, my friend moved their car, and I parked our car and I swore that I am not going to drive the car again because I don’t want to lose my father’s trust. Also, when I tell my father that I have already done school work or any important thing he wants me to do, I do it and I tell him that I have done it. For example, when he asks if I had done my home work and I tell him that I have done it, he would believe me, and I make it a point to do it so when he asks me again, I tell him that I have done it. I think it is important that we do no fail the expectations of our family because if we fail at it, we become irresponsible and they will note give the same trust that they have given us before. One day, I told my father that I was going to be late in school because we have a school project, but I really went somewhere else. When I went home and he asked me how was school, I told him that it was okay and that we were going to do a lot of things in the following days because there were many things we need to do for school. For the next following days, my family thinks that I am still in school or in the library when I am actually with my friends, playing basketball or some games. This continued on until one day, one of our neighbors saw me playing and he told my father why I was not home that time when they saw each other. My father was very angry because I was lying and I felt scared and sad that I lost his trust. So, I told him we were there because it was part of the school work and that basketball was needed to test some things for the information needed in the school work. My father did not believe me and said that he wants to see what it is that I was doing and asked that I show him the stuff needed for the school work. I was now more scared, but then, I remembered that I always took notes in my classes and showed it to him. My father was very happy when he saw that I was studying hard and was very serious with school. However, after that, I was thinking that I did not want to lie anymore because my family and father’s trust is so very much important to me. I would not want to lose it just because I was lying. I feel that the trust that my father and my whole family have given me is very important. When a person loses the trust of someone else, it is very hard to gain it again and restore that trust. That is why I find the value and importance of keeping my father’s trust. I think, like love, trust is very important because a person is able to prove himself to his family. In my case, if I break the trust of my father and it goes away, it would be very hard to earn it again, because I think, at the back of his mind, he would always be thinking that I might make a mistake again and break his trust. This is why it is very important for a person to make the trust of a family, something to be treasured. I want to say that I have difficulty speaking and writing in English, but because of hard work, I was able to improve step by step. However, it was never easy from the start. When I left for the United States, I was not sure if my family, especially my father, would agree if I can study abroad, but because I was able to keep his trust, I was allowed to go. It is very important that I keep on building his trust and never lose it because if I lose it and break his trust, how can he trust me to make heavier and more important decisions in my life? That is why the only thing that can make him happy and not lose his trust to me is if he sees that I am studying very hard and not doing anything else but trying very hard to make him and my family happy. It is very important to persevere and keep in mind that difficulties will arise and hinder me in fulfilling my dreams and making my family. For example, learning the language of English is very challenging and difficult. I used to just know a few words, and whenever I use it, I still have difficulties and people have a hard time understanding me, but because of my determination to study hard and not give up, I succeeded. I know that it can be very hard if a person would like to learn English and earn good grades, but I want to make my family happy and make them feel that I have not wasted anything by going to the United States and studying. If I can show them that I am working hard in making them happy and not doing anything that can make them feel that they should not trust me anymore, then I think they would not feel that they are wrong in trusting me, and they would continue to believe in me and my efforts and my abilities. It is very hard to keep the trust of a person, especially the trust of a family member, but if a person works hard, does not stray away from his goals, and keeps in mind that no matter what happens, he should make his father and his family happy and make them not lose their trust, I believe that things will turn okay and not get bad. Everything will work out because I have my father’s trust and I will not do anything to break that. I have promised my family that I will get good grades and I will do that. I will succeed and not fail them.

A Study On Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - 1664 Words

Background Information: The study took place in north Europe Scandinavian countries such as Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The local paediatrician from Norway and Sweden and the forensic institution of Denmark invited parents of sudden infant death syndromes (SIDS) to take part in the study. Sudden infant death syndrome is the sudden, unexpected and unexplained death of an apparently healthy baby. There were several aims behind the study. The main aim of the study was to overlook whether smoking was a cause of risk for sudden infant death syndrome and whether the consequence is owed to maternal smoking during the pregnancy or to inhaling smoke from other people’s cigarettes also called passive smoking. Likewise, they wanted to observe if the influence of smoking cessation played a big role in SIDS. They also wanted to research whether the risk before and after the birth on SIDS in children are different of smoking and non-smoking mothers. And lastly, the results of different smoking habits in the Scandinavian countries were investigated and analysed. The principal objective in this case-control study is to provide a valid and reasonably good estimate answer to the unexplained deaths. In practice, this objective is usually supplemented by several others. A typical objective would be to link the disadvantages of smoking and health risks to the unborn baby and any other dangers smoking could provoke. The study design: The study type they used is a case –control study. AShow MoreRelatedHow Scientific Discoveries Communicated In Popular Media Essay866 Words   |  4 Pagesmedia article The blood samples taken from infants who died as a result of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) contained a high concentration of serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical that transmits signals between and along the nerves (ScienceDaily, par. 2). The article reported that the finding of this research provided the probability a test could be conducted to differentiate cases of SIDS from other sleep-related causes that lead to unpredicted infant death. Questions This article is important becauseRead MoreEssay Sudden Infant Death Syndrome1594 Words   |  7 PagesSudden Infant Death Syndrome Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a mysterious phenomena that has managed to confound science so far. SIDS is defined as the sudden death of any infant or young child that is unexpected by history and in which a thorough post mortem examination fails to demonstrate an adequate cause (Hunt Brouillette, 1987). It is the leading cause of death in infants in developed countries occurring at a rate of almost 2 per 1000 births. It most often occurs in infants betweenRead More Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Essay1654 Words   |  7 PagesSudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or crib death is an abrupt and inexplicable death of an apparently healthy infant. Most of the cases involve infants from ages 1-12 months, and the event occurs during the night. Various theories have been postulated from research results but without consistency of the etiology. Since the death is sudden, prior diagnostic criteria or patterns are not available for correlation, although some near-miss infants have beenRead More Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Essay810 Words   |  4 Pagesnbsp;SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, a leading cause of death in infants under the age of one, has left medical experts unable to clearly define sudden infant death syndrome. After thirty years of research, the medical field has not discovered definite causes for SIDS. Medical experts have suggested many theories that have been studied and debated. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In the Western world, SIDS is the most common cause of death for infants between twoRead MoreEssay Sudden Infant Death Syndrome1401 Words   |  6 PagesSudden Infant Death Syndrome Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the most frequent cause of death between 1 month and 1 year of age (Naeye). SIDS is defined as the sudden death of any infant or young child that is unexpected by it’s history, and in which a thorough postmortem examination fails to determine an adequate cause (Hunt 1987). It is important to consider both aspects of this definition in order not to ‘overdiagnose’ SIDS. A mistake of this nature would occur with failure to reportRead MoreSIDS Essay1338 Words   |  6 PagesParents and Caregivers on the Prevention of SIDS Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the unexplained death of an infant less than one year of age after having done a complete postmortem examination and investigation of the scene of death. There are no causes that have been found that make it clear as to why SIDS is so common. The rate of SIDS decreased dramatically when the Back to Sleep campaign was started to encourage parents and caregivers that infants were placed on their back while sleeping (HockenberryRead MoreA Brief Note On The Act Of Cosleeping1303 Words   |  6 Pagesdefined as an infant sharing the same sleeping quarters as his or her parents because of the parent’s personal preferences or cultural practices (SIDS, 2011; Mao, Burnham, Goodlin-Jones, Gaylor, Anders, 2004; Hayes, Fukumizu, Troese, Sallinen, Gilles, 2007). There is no universally accepted uniform definition for cosleeping so the act can be further broken down into subcategories depending on where the infant sleeps in relation to his or her p arents: bed sharing means the infant sleeps in theRead MoreSudden Infant Death Syndrome - Research Paper1872 Words   |  8 PagesAbstract Sudden Infant Death Syndrome remains the leading cause of post-neonatal mortality (under the age of one) in developed countries. The causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome have been puzzling and research is being conducted to solve this catastrophic problem. Having a child under the age of one makes me very concerned, along with any other parent(s), that the possibility of SIDS could affect any infant at anytime, SIDS does not discriminate. I am seeking to find the possible causesRead MoreEssay on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome1856 Words   |  8 Pages Abstract Sudden Infant Death Syndrome remains the leading cause of post-neonatal mortality (under the age of one) in developed countries. The causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome have been puzzling and research is being conducted to solve this catastrophic problem. Having a child under the age of one makes me very concerned, along with any other parent(s), that the possibility of SIDS could affect any infant at anytime, SIDS does not discriminate. I am seeking to find the possible causes toRead MoreSudden Infant Death Syndrome and Highest Death Rate1784 Words   |  8 PagesAbstract Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, also known as SIDS, is the leading cause of death in children under the age of one (Kaneshiro Zieve, 2009). There is no underlying cause that an infant is at risk of SIDS, but there are many theories being tested to help determine if a child may be at risk. â€Å"Many doctors and researchers now believe that SIDS is not a single condition that is always caused by the same medical problems, but infant death caused by several different factors (Kaneshiro