Holden Caulfield: Typical American Teenager Essay -- Catcher in the Ry

It is difficult to really define American teenagers, but they’re seen as confused and without any real identity age wise. Although not as prominent as in the 20th century, teenagers have to deal with a misleading phoniness in society today. The teenage years are when a person really decides (or has a decision forced on them) how their views will develop, such as living with optimism or pessimism. Because of pressure from media, peers and parents, teenagers either try to grow up too quickly or simply refuse and get left behind. All of these characteristics are related to Holden Caulfield in various ways. Even just on the surface, Holden is a typical teenager, with his low self esteem and bad language. Therefore, based on what it means to be an American teenager, The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger is supposed to be the picture of a typical teenage experience. Generally, the American teenager has enough to be confused with in his own life but society’s phoniness can greatly add to that uncertainty. Most of a person’s adult behaviors are learned in the teenage years, but with people such as politicians being â€Å"phony,† teenagers are getting more upset and confused by the appropriate way to act. If they see people in these kinds of powerful positions lying and embezzling, what would they assume to do other than imitate that behavior? That’s why there is a lot of teenage crime in this country- the crimes of â€Å"phonies† in prominent standing that, to some extent, are endorsing these bad and sometimes ilicit activities. In Holden Caulfield’s case, he lets phoniness run his entire life. The biggest insult he can give something is that of â€Å"phony,† and he stops doing things he would like to do, not wanting to be perceived as a ph... ...t from his own parents. They keep sending him to private schools away from home and that’s forcing him to grow up because there’s nobody else to rely on really. That is the case with most teenagers like Holden, they try to grow up too quickly and miss some potentially great childhood moments. In conclusion, The Catcher in the Rye is a picture of a typical teenage experience because Holden is confused and without any real identity. He has strong views, like most teenagers, on phoniness, view of life and growing up. Holden is a typical American teenager, maybe a little less fortunate than some others, having to fend for himself, really. Nonetheless, nearly all teenagers go through a time in their lives that is emotionally like that of Holden Caulfield. Work Cited Salinger, JD. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston, Mass: Little, Brown and Company, 1951

Change and Culture Essay

A merger is the combining of two or more corporate entities to create one new organization with one licensure and one provider number for reimbursement purposes (Lielber & McConnell, 2008). Mergers occur for the following reasons; a desire to increase size to gain clout for negotiations with managed care providers, the desire to penetrate new markets to attract additional customers, the need for improved efficiencies resulting from centralized administrative practices, and the desire to express overall value of promoting readily available comprehensive care (Lielber & McConnell, 2008). Mergers occur on a daily. Mergers are a type of horizontal integration. Horizontal integration combines two or more corporations together through mergers and acquisitions (Borkowski, 2005). Horizontal integration increases the merged organization market base (Cai & Obara, 2009). Competition plays a huge role in business. In each industry, organizations compete against one another to get a foothold in the market. Competition can be beneficial and detrimental to the success of organizations. Competition benefits organizations in that it keeps organizations current on the latest trends in technology and equipment. It can be detrimental in that it can cause organizations to take shortcuts in procedures that can be harmful to patients and consumers. Competition can cause management to only focus on being number one and maintaining that spot at whatever cost. Customers are left holding the bag when and suffer when organizations focus solely on competition instead of focusing meeting the needs of the customer. Some organizations and industries strive on competition. Their goal is to be the best in their field and industry. In the health care industry, competition can be beneficial if organizations maintain their focus on providing quality patient care. This paper will focus on the effects of merging a healthcare organization with a competitor. Discussions will focus on the impact the sale will have on the culture of the new organization, what I can do as a middle manager to ensure the combined staff will work together to provide quality care without taking on a competitive stance, and describing what the organization will look like in terms of systems and shape. I will begin by looking at the organization in terms of systems and shape. Description of the Organization When merging organizations, the systems and shape of the organization will change to reflect the combining of the organizations. When merging organizations you have to create a perfect blend of the two organizations to create the new organizations. The best qualities of the organizations need to be combined to make the new organization a success. The goal of a merger is to â€Å"achieve mutual benefits through synergies of mission, strategies, operations, and ultimately competitive and financial position† (Kaufman & Grube, p. 46, 2009). The new organization will combine the best assets of both organizations. Services not previously offered at one or the other organization will be offered at the new organization as a result of the change. The new inpatient and outpatient services offered will increase our patient base. Although we will be offering new services, we will also have to eliminate some services offered that are not used on a consistent basis. We will have to make cuts that will help sustain the new organization. We will also make cuts to staff. When combining organizations, some departments will have to be downsized and combined to meet the needs of the new organizations. The new organization will be structured in a way that we provide efficient quality care to our patients. Providing Quality Care â€Å"Mergers require a significant commitment on the part of leadership to understanding and addressing the challenges and potential risks inherent in such an undertaking—to both the acquiring entity and the acquired/partner-seeking organization† (Kaufman & Grube, p. 46, 2009). We have to work to find a balance between providing the new inpatient and outpatient services, while maintaining quality care. Management has to review the strengths and weaknesses of both organizations and apply the strengths to the new organization. As a middle manager, it is my job to ensure that the combined staff works well together. It is my job to listen to any concerns that staff may have about the merger and answer their questions to the best of my ability. I think the key to getting the combined staff to work together without taking a competitive stance is communication. To eliminate the competitive stance, I would hold a meeting with the new staff and give them an opportunity to discuss their concerns about working together. I would also have training seminars to make sure everyone is working to the best of their abilities and providing quality care. By realizing that there will be some minor hiccups caused the by the change, I am better prepared to handle the problems. When implementing a change to any aspect of the daily functioning of an organization it is important to realize that there will be some degree of uncertainty with the effectiveness of the change. This degree of uncertainty will be caused by the newness of the change and getting use to retiring the old operating standard (Hauptman & Tyre, 1992). It is important to face these uncertainties head-on in order to implement the change successfully. The competitive stance is caused by the degree of uncertainty, employees are unsure of how the merger will affect their job. They are afraid that the new staff will come in and take pushing them out of the way. I have to ensure the staff that we are a team and that we are all working toward the same goal of providing quality care to our patients. Providing quality care is the goal of the healthcare organization, the needs of the patients has to come first. Although healthcare organizations are a business and it is important that the business aspects of the organization are met, patient care is the main goal of healthcare organizations. The focus has to be on what is best for the patient, not how much business or publicity the organization will receive from being competitive. The merger will change every aspect of the organization; it is my job to bring unity to the new organization. The Culture of the New Organization The sale will have a huge impact on the new combined organization. Changes have to be implemented to support the new organization. Staffing and budget cuts have to be made in order to make the merger a success. The new organization has to combine the best aspects of both organizations to fill the void of what each organization was lacking. The new organization will focus on providing efficient quality services to their patients. The new organization will provide a competitive edge to the organization while maintaining quality care. The new organization will provide more services to patients that each organization could not previously provide. The combined organization will be able to create a stronger brand and reach more people. The new organization will be able to reach a larger patient base. More revenue will be gained by combining both organizations. The new organization will be able to provide care to more people in the community and surrounding communities. Conclusion In conclusion combining health care organizations will affect a larger number of people. Mergers require a commitment from both the acquiring organization and the acquired organization to work together to mutual benefits. Each organization enters into the merger to receive benefits they were not able to receive by themselves. Whether it is for financial reasons or to gain a competitive advantage, mergers are necessary for healthcare organizations to survive in today’s industry. â€Å"The healthcare industry has started to experience a musical chair situation. When the music stops, certain hospitals are going to find themselves without a chair† (Kaufman & Grube, p. 50, 2009). The hospitals without chairs have to merge in order to stay in the game. When merging, it is important to analyze the risks and benefits to ensure the success of the merger. To ensure success, the merger has to be mutually beneficial for all parties involved.

How Laughter Works Essay

The essay that I chose from the book was the one by Marshall Brain â€Å"How Laughter Works†. I chose to write about this essay because this one is more in depth of where laughter actually comes from how its more than just jokes that people laugh at every day. Start off with a dash of sarcasm and a dash of vulgarity. At least that’s what my friends and I do. Laughter is a form of enjoyment towards one another. Means we are remotely comfortable to be openly laughing at something. Laughter is defined as â€Å"A voluntary reaction to certain external or internal stimuli.† It is also most commonly considered a visual expression of a number of positive emotional states such as joy, mirth, happiness, relief etc. Laughter usually occurs when one is comfortable to be around another person. Researchers believe that the purpose of laughter is related to making and strengthening human connections. A psychological study showed that laughter has its own name – gelotolo gy. Gelotology is from the Greek word â€Å"gelos† meaning laughter. Brain mentions people that are ticklish often wonder â€Å"Why can’t I tickle myself?† In order for tickling to work the brain needs tension and surprise. Obviously when you try to tickle yourself you know its coming so the brain does not react to you tickling yourself. But if someone starts to tickle you, your brain has that surprise and then you tense up. This made sense to me but not completely. Laughter also benefits one’s health and fight disease. The purpose of laughter is to relieve ourselves from stress of everyday life and laughter also increases our white blood cells and our immune system. Laughter releases endorphin which is the body’s natural pain killer and so is a pleasant act, producing a general feeling of well-being. Mental health professionals are suggesting â€Å"laughter therapy†, which teaches the patients to laugh at things that are not usually funny. It also helps the patients cope with difficult situations. Laughter just in general makes anyone feel great about one ’s self. Laughter is considered one of the best medic ations. Laughter predates human speech by millions of years, scientists think. It likely evolved as an early form of communication to help people negotiate group dynamics and establish hierarchy. Laughter nowadays is a form of expression. We rarely laugh when we are by ourselves but when we are with other people we laugh more out loud. People usually laugh at anything that they find humorous, even other people for the most part. For instance, The Darwin awards are stories about people who Brain mentions people make careers based on laughter, like comedians. No matter where you go, what city you visit, more than likely there will be a comedy club somewhere in that town. Or you can just go to the local bar and find amusement there. Comedy is also found on television. You can watch your daily dose of Scrubs or Friends and get your endorphins flowing. Laughter always helps other people get people out of a funk that they are in, laughter is contagious. When someone laughs it triggers circuits in our brains then a grin appears which makes more laughter happen. Brain said that depending on age, we laugh about different things. Like if you were a pre-teen in your teenage years basically they laugh at anything mentioning sex, peers, and food and authority figures. As you mature our taste in what we think is funny changes. As we get into adulthood, they usually joke about something less judgmental and more on specific things like referring to movies or plays etc. Brain made me think hard about this. As I read about the pre-teens and teenage years I was thinking what I joked about during that time, and he’s right. Even as we mature we joke around but our jokes now are not like what we used to joke about as kids. I never really thought about it until I read it in this essay. Brain also mentions researchers say that people often store their negative emotions of anger and sadness and fear rather than talking about it someone. Laughter releases all of that built up stress of keeping all of those emotions in. If we start to laugh too much or too hard we start to burst out into tears. Not in a bad way but a good way. This triggers our emotions and the tears are just squeezed out because we scrunch our face when we laugh. When we laugh harder it makes our body want to release some hormones, which are found in tears. The higher the hormones in the tears means the more you have stress. In this essay I believe Brain gave a lot of detailed information and actually made it an easy read. Going through I noticed Brain categorized every section so you knew what you were reading about and not confused about jumping from one subject to another. I did do some more research to verify and find something new on the subjects. Like how laughter was a form of communication 10 million years ago and how laughter is contagious, but I think everyone knows about that one. In Brains’ essay I have learned pretty much everything there is to know on laughter. Where it comes from, what we laugh at, and how it affects our health. I know we laugh about more than just jokes but I had no idea it helps our health. Basically laughter is a cure for anything nowadays. References Brain, M.(2009). How laughter works In , W.H Thelin (Ed.), Writing without Formulas (pp.428-435 ). Mason,OH ; Cengage Learning. Reflective Letter The essay I chose to do a critique on was â€Å"How Laughter Works† by Marshall Brain. This essay grabbed my attention because as I just skimmed the pages deciding which one I was going to read, this essay was very well organized and just by the titles of the sections it was very in depth. This essay was a good read in my eyes. If readers want to know basically the history of laughter or where it comes from, then I would suggest this to any reader. My main point of my essay is basically highlighting all the sections that Brain had wrote about. Brain fascinated me with all the in depth information about the brain itself and the functions of laughter. I believe the audience that would be interested in reading my paper are people who might have thought Brains’ essay was too long for them to read or basically someone who enjoys information more than just reading something to get a laugh out of it. Brains’ essay was filled with information basically over flowing, and I just highlighted some of the main points that he talked about in each section. As I read Brains’ essay, I took notes but I typed them so I could start paragraphs from them. I also did research on some of his topics that interested me , like the section of the brain where laughter or emotion comes from. At the beginning of writing my paper basically I had all these paragraphs typed but not in order, I just type what comes to mind. I then would read over all the paragraphs and try and make sense of them and put them in order. I then went through and edited the paragraphs that needed to be edited.

Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass

Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass Introduction Douglass’s book, Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass- An American Slave, provides the best evidence about American slavery. In the book, Douglass gives vivid evidence that he was once a slave; a fact that was doubted by many critics due to his oration skills and impeccable language (Douglass 11).He also gives solid evidence of the inhumanity that was characteristic of this institution. Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass An American Slave specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Douglss begins the book by giving a detailed description of his childhood life and the effects that slavery had on him as a child. He then goes on to give a detailed description of the brutality that was perpetrated against American slaves during his time as a slave. The book is filled with names, scenes and events which evidence its truthfulness. This paper is a description of the brutality that Douglas witnessed as a slave (Douglass 4). Aspects of American slavery American slavery was characterized with many acts of inhumanity. Slaves were denied their rights to literacy, severely beaten, overworked in farms, provided with poor living conditions, abused sexually, separated from their families, killed, tortured psychologically and emotionally, dehumanized, etc. Let us have a look at the evidence of these acts of inhumanity portrayed in Douglass’s book. Whippings The most portrayed act of inhumanity is the frequent beatings that were perpetrated on slaves. After Aunt Hester had gone out, she was severely beaten and caused to bleed profusely. All this was done because she was not there when the master â€Å"desired her presence† (Douglass 14). This is an act of inhumanity because it appears that the slaves were â€Å"tethered† like livestock and were not free to attend their needs. Before the beating, she was stripped from her neck to the waist and then whipped severely. This can be seen as an indication that her master, Captain Anthony, was abusing her sexually. This claim is substantiated by the fact that Aunt Hester had gone out to see a male neighbor named Ned Roberts. Captain Anthony was calling her a â€Å"b -b b -h† (Douglass 14) as he whipped her. Captain Anthony got his name, presumably, from having sailed at Chesapeake Bay. Another evidence of beatings perpetrated on slaves is seen when Douglass is taken to the custody of Mr. Covey. He says that he was whipped every week until one day he collapsed while working in the farm. However, one day as Covey wanted to tie him for his weekly routine, Douglass protested and put up a fight. They fought for two hours until Douglass won the fight. This can be seen as one of the things that encouraged Douglass to relentlessly fight against the institution of slavery. It is also the beginning of Douglass’s confidence in his manhood. This is because a fter the fight, he was never beaten again. Douglass also explains how his mother received frequent whippings for not being in the farm at sunrise since she travelled at night to see him (Douglass 12). Advertising Looking for report on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More If a slave committed major misdemeanors, tried to escape or opposed the authority of the overseers in the farms, he/she was exposed to severe beatings before being sold. There is also a woman who was whipped in the presence of her children, who were crying begging the overseer to stop whipping their mother. The woman is said to have been whipped by Mr. Severe in front of her children until her blood ran for almost thirty minutes (Douglas 17). Psychological and emotional torture There is substantial evidence of psychological and emotional torture perpetrated on slaves by their masters. First of all, the separating of infants from their mothers bef ore they were one year old amounts to emotional torture on both the mothers and their children. Douglass explains how his mother walked a distance of about twelve miles night after night to see him. This was after she was separated from him during his infancy (Douglass 12). When his mother was sick and during her death, Douglass was not allowed to go and see her. Even when she died, he was not allowed to attend her burial. He says that his separation from his mother made him have no emotions for her such that her death hit him like the death of a stranger (Douglass 12). This is emotional torture perpetrated on Douglass. There is also the stated incidence in which a woman was whipped in front of her children (Douglass 17). This is emotional torture on the children. An example of how slave-holders psychologically tortured their slaves is seen when Colonel Lloyd meets one of his slaves who speaks ill of him. After the incident, Colonel Lloyd postpones the punishment for this act until two weeks later. The delay of punishment can be seen as psychological torture on the slave (Douglass 34). Sexual abuse Although Douglass does not give much evidence about sexual abuse, the reader is left to make his/her conclusions about this issue. First of all, Douglass’s father is said to be an unknown white man who is suspected to be his master. The fact that his father is unknown is a clear indication that his mother was sexually abused during his conception. This is also evidenced by the fact that his master was the chief suspect. Since masters were never good to their slaves. It is apparent that Douglass’s mother was forced into having sex with the man who bore Douglass. Another evidence of sexual abuse perpetrated on slaves is seen when Aunt Hester is whipped. There was also the rule that children who were born by black women belonging to white fathers were to be regarded as slaves (Douglass 13). This is enough evidence that the whites (masters) were sexuall y abusing slaves since for them to develop such a rule, there must have been several cases of children born by white men and black women. The rule is an indication that they had, kind of, legalized this behavior. It was also an evidence of the inhumanity that the masters had if they could send their own children to experience the woes of slavery.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass An American Slave specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Poor living conditions The slaves were provided with very poor living conditions. After a very busy day with whippings, slaves had limited time for household chores and thus they lacked enough time to sleep. They all slept on cold floors covered with very poor blankets. Slaves were provided with clothes annually. This meant that when a slave missed clothes, he/she could stay with tatters for two years. The clothes provided include two linen shirts , two linen trousers, one jacket, and another trouser for winter, a pair of shoes and stockings. Food was given on a monthly basis. Children of both sexes between the ages seven years and ten years were always naked. These were the characteristics of the â€Å"Great House Farm† (Douglass 17) which was the prestigious â€Å"workplace† of the slaves (Douglass 17). One wonders what the conditions of other lesser farms were. Dehumanization There are many cases of dehumanization in Douglass’s book. First of all, the slaves were overworked in the field and they received severe beatings while working. The effect of this can be seen when Douglass was taken to Mr. Covey. He was overworked and whipped routinely until he lost consciousness while carrying out his duties in the field. Another evidence of dehumanization of slaves is seen when Douglass’s master dies. His death is followed by the inheritance of slaves along with livestock and other property (Douglass 16) . Other acts of inhumanity Other acts of inhumanity in the book include the jailing of Douglass and his friends after an attempted escape. Additionally, while Douglass was working as a Caulker in Baltimore, all his wages were given to his master, Auld. The slaves were also denied their rights to literacy. However, Douglass beat the system and found his ways of attaining literacy. His literacy contributed greatly to his fight against slavery (Douglass 15). There is evidence that some slaves were killed for no apparent reason. This is evidenced in the description of the character of one of the overseers of Douglass’s master named Mr. Plummer. He is said to have been beheading women slaves (Douglass 13). Conclusion Many people doubted that Douglass was a slave due to his language skills but his book gave the proof that he was actually a slave. His description of the events and the environments of American slavery is filled with a lot of evidence of truthfulness inform of names. Among the names of places that are repeatedly mentioned in this book are the â€Å"Great House Farm† (Douglass 17), the Chesapeake Bay, the Baltimore, etc. On the other hand, events that are highlighted in this book are all meant to show the suffering of the slaves. These events include the singing of the slaves, who worked in the â€Å"Great House Farm† (Douglass 17) and events during which slaves were tortured or mistreated. Advertising Looking for report on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The latter include the whipping of Aunt Hester, the whipping of a woman in front of her kids, the collapsing of Douglass while working on the field and his subsequent fight with Mr. Covey, the whipping of Douglass’s mother in the morning after failing to make it to the farm by sunrise etc (Douglass 12-17). All these events are meant to show the brutality that was perpetrated against American slaves. Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass-An American Slave. U.S: Yale University, 2001. Print.

Styles and Strategies for Visual Learners

Styles and Strategies for Visual Learners Every classroom contains students with varying styles of learning. While most people can use any of the three primary styles auditory, visual and kinesthetic to learn information, their dominant style reflects their preferred form of instruction and easiest means of assimilating new knowledge. Teachers with a basic understanding of the three main styles can adapt their lessons to give all students the best chance of success. Visual Learners The typical visual learner prefers to read information in a textbook or on a whiteboard rather than listen to a lecture. Visualization techniques help them remember things. They often enjoy doodling and drawing and can use this practice as a study tool. Visual learners tend to use sight words in their everyday terminology. For example, they might say, Lets take a look at this. They easily remember details including colors and spatial arrangements, and they excel at memory games that require visual recall. They often have a good sense of direction because they can visualize maps and directions in their mind. Key Learning Methods for Visual Learners Visual learners learn best when they can see the material being taught. They follow instructions better when they can see a demonstration first, rather than just be told how to do something. Visual learners typically prefer images, maps, graphs and other visual representations to other forms of instruction. They like to read. Ways to Adapt Lessons for Visual Learners Include diagrams, mind maps, word webs, visuals and other forms of graphic organizers to help visual learners get the most from your instruction. Accompany oral instructions with a written recap before requiring students to complete an assignment. Further, avoid lecturing without accompanying notes and/or visuals. Ways for Visual Learners to Adapt Instruction to Their Style Students inevitably encounter teachers whose styles of instruction differ from their own learning preference. Visual learners can take control of their learning experience with techniques that adapt varying teaching methods to their visual strengths. For example, students can use highlighters when they review their notes, organize information into outlines and use flashcards to study for tests. Visual learners may also find that if they include images, mind maps, lists and other visual techniques in their notes, they more easily remember key information.   Other Learning Styles: Auditory Learners Kinesthetic Learners

The Great Depression and the African American Community Essay

The Great Depression and the African American Community - Essay Example This is how Robin D.G Kelly Professor of Anthropology and African-American Studies at Columbia University, described â€Å"The Great Depression† in his book â€Å"Oh Freedom†. The book describes how the Depression affected all sections of society and more so the African Americans. Life during the Depression was extremely tough as people lived in abject poverty. Most of the African Americans lived in the rural areas and their living conditions were horrendous as they had lost all they had. It was the stock market crash that brought about the â€Å"Great Depression†. International trade declined sharply and had a great impact on industrialized countries, taxes, prices and profits. In the 20th century, the automobile industry has brought about sweeping changes by way of employment, modern infrastructure and good distribution. That is why the automobile is considered to be a â€Å"marvel of modern invention†. The African Americans who lived in the urban areas suffered badly doing manual labor to earn money for their sustenance.

Competitive Profile Matrix for Amazon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Competitive Profile Matrix for Amazon - Essay Example Why did Amazon.com rally and how did it build the company to become leader of Internet commerce and enjoy its first annual profit in 2004 First, Amazon was a pioneer in bookselling, with only an Internet site with easy access and no bookstore chain. It was able to stock warehouses and avoid the middle man, thereby offering a discount that didn't exist at that time in regular bookstores. Second, when the business grew beyond expectations, Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos put the money back into the business instead of trying to make a profit (Frey & Cook, 2004). Realizing that bookselling by itself was not making the best use of technology, he added music CDs, movie videos, toys, electronics, software, video games, and home improvement, putting the company in direct competition with eBay and Wal-Mart (Mullen, 2005). In order to make full use of Amazon's popularity, he then created an online shopping portal, adding apparel from companies like Nordstrom and Gap, as well as sporting goods, gourmet foods, jewelry, and health and beauty (Timeline, 2006). But, for purposes of Amazon's competition in the field of books, how does the s ite compare with other bookselling sites online The following Competitive Profile Matrix, based on specific success factors, is a comparison of online companies that sell, among other things, books, but the rankings relate specifically to bookselling from 5 (the best) to 1