Theme of Self Confidence in Literature Essay -- Literature Theme Analy

Theme of Self Confidence in Literature Spirit of self shows self confidence. In the stories of "The Life of a Slave" by: Frederick Douglass and "The Invisible Man" (The Narrator, The Battle Royale) by: Ralph Ellison with shorts stories of Black Elk Speaks (High Horse, Crazy Horse and Pipe Boyhood) Translated by: Jim Neidhardt all have characteristics of self confidence. Self Confidence comes from the spirit of self which is the belief of what you have, the essence that keeps you going and the ability to persevere when others do not. These stories contain a narrator and a story of their past experiences. In Black Elk Speaks, several of his short stories (Crazy Horse, Early Boyhood and The Offering of the Pipe) tells us about Black Elks experience as a Native American and how his Native tribe has gone through a lot to fight against their enemy, the wasichus. They've been fighting for their right, their freedom except in the offering of the pipe, he tells the story of how a beautiful lady gave a pipe to the chief and it co ntains nothing but good coming out of it. Another short story called "High Horse Courting" is about how High Horse is deeply in love with a beautiful Native American and to get the girl in any possible way. "The Life of a Slave" is about the life of Frederick Douglass and how Mr. Covey treats him as a slave when he is young. Lastly, the Narrator from the "Battle Royale" is about the Narrator wanting to achieve his dream to orate his speech to the people and get a scholarship to a college where he achieves his dream for his future, but first he is told to fight in a ring with a bunch of strong, tall people being blindfold and win in order to get his wish. All of these stories contain characteristics which h... ...he definition of Spirit of Self. These stories show perseverance, a belief of purpose. They show Self Confidence, belief of yourself and your own abilities and Lastly, they show essence, to characterize or identify something. These characteristics all achieves their dream and never wanting to stop. There are people in the world try to stop on what you want to do in life but their soul, mind and imagination; they drive to be where they want to be. Its not all about having everything in the world nor having money and success that a certain person don't deserve. Its about you gaining your goal, achieving your dream and drive to get where you want to be. That's how Spirit of Self concludes. It'll always remain its placed definition: the belief of self confidence you have in you, your essence that keeps you going in the world and the ability to persevere when others don't.

Meaningful Learning Essay

The importance of education cannot be emphasized enough, as it is the driving force behind our nation’s competitiveness on the global market, and the foundation of our status as a world leader. However, alarming recent statistics conclude that the level of education in our country is rapidly declining. This is the result of repeated failures by various governments to reform our public schools, by using methods that focus on small-part fixes rather than on changing the system at the core. The American public education system has a set of structural problems derived from the level of political involvment. In order to serve their own long term business interests, top CEOs and big corporations invest billions of dollars in our public schools, and in return they are allowed to influence the content of the education programs. In order to be successful, education reform should be free of politics, and it should be up to the experts to decide the direction of curriculum, and what methods are used to assess readiness. Grades and test results are important tools to assess knowledge, but equally important is meaningful learning inspired by competent teachers and exposure to the arts. Millions of students enrolled in the American public schools are not receiving a complete education, mainly because students’ and teachers’ performance is reduced to numbers, such as grades and test results. In order to meet the national standards, educators are under immense pressures to produce certain results, and children are mislead in thinking that if they get high scores in english and math, they are successful products of the school system. And so, under current reform, educators often lose sight of what’s important, and that is developing the child’s individuality by aiding them explore all aspects of themselves and the world around them. As a result, students no longer learn with pleasure, or for their own benefit and for the beauty of knowledge. Critics argue that â€Å"Children will race to the top when they discover passion and purpose from the inside, not because of extrinsic rewards like test scores, grades, or trophies† (Price-Mitchell 2). A child’s education should be molded around their pesonal qualities, interests, and aptitudes. In order to find out how to spark a student’s interest in the academic material, and decide what methods to use in order to motivate them, a teacher must primarily know the child’s likes and dislikes. That way, the educator should be able to connect the curriculum with examples from the student’s personal life, and things that the child can relate to. At the same time, the student will also get to know themselves and their environment better. Through self exploration, the child can find their true vocation. Self-knowledge also teaches students how to use their strenghts and how to overcome their weaknesses to improve academic performance. Therefore, in order to improve both students’ and teachers’ achievements, the public education policy should shift its focus away from high test scores, and enforce meaningful learning inspired by self-discovery. An effective school system should free teachers of the burden of restrictive polictics, and allow them to inspire meaningful learning in students, by utilizing their own personal traits, knowledge and skills. People always search for the best quality service they can get: the best doctor, the best lawyer, or the best accountant. Quality is even more relevant when we think of someone as important as the person in charge of our children’s education, which eventually dictates their path in life. That is because in a young student’s mind, the connection between their overall school experience and their teacher’s persona is so strong, that it sets the tone for their entire educational career. There are even instances when a child prefers the safehaven of a classroom, as opposed the grim reality of a bad neighborhood or a troubled household. That’s why a teacher should be more than just an instructor, they should become a child’s mentor, by developing a caring and compassionate relationship with each student. By connecting with kids on a personal level, a good teacher can taylor their technique in accordance to their students’ various interests and potentials. By arousing kids’ curiosity to the curriculum, teachers can motivate students to come to scool, and do well. Critics argue that good teachers are becoming an endangered species in the American education system, mainly because of misguided school politics â€Å"driven by the arrogance of reformers who are convinced that teaching is a simple process of delivering content. That approach is likely to increase test scores, simply by pressuring teachers to teach to the test. But †¦ t’s also likely to interfere with teachers’ ability to lure students into learning† (). Most professionals come into this field of work eager to make a difference, but even the most enthusiastic teachers lose their motivation to excel when they are met with stumbling blocks like standardized teaching methods, teaching to the test, or peer incompetency. Teachers lose their drive to do a good job when they are not allowed to conduct lectures in the way they see fit, but instead, by having to follow a factory type model. Educators lose respect for a system that does not respect them as capable individuals, and requires them to lose their identity and become as impersonal as production line workers. Continuing in the trend of measuring success by test results, teacher quality is also being wrongly assessed, and so our teachers are judged mainly by their students’ test scores in core subjects, even if those results don’t always reflect the students’ true level of education. Moreover, having to make up for their peers’ incompetency only adds to the general frustration. Lazy teachers take advantage of bureaucratic measures like tenure or reassignments, which often doubles the work load for capable teachers, and causes them to surrender under the pressure. Indeed, there are teachers who are just inheretly incompetent, but in most cases, poor teachers are just victims of bad school politics themselves. That’s why a good teacher should be allowed to develop and implement their own technique, unobstructed by counterproductive education policies, in order to guide students towards academic success. Art plays a major role in a nation’s cultural identity, and therefore, it should also be a significant part of children’s scool curriculum. A well rounded education shapes a student’s distinctive personality, and going beyond academics, it should also cultivate appreciation for visual and performing arts. Art education instills in students many qualities that cannot be otherwise be taught, like persevearance, attention to detail, leadership, and setting a high bar for personal excellence. These attitudes are crucial to the proper development of one’s work ethic. Extensive research sheds more light onto the importance of art education in connection to improved academic performance. â€Å"In music we see a lot of connections between studying keyboards and understanding mathematical concepts. We see drama as a way to help early readers develop their comprehension skills. When they have an opportunity to act out the story, they gain a greater comprehension in reading† (Baker 260). Art is fun. It is gratifying. Therefore, unbeknownst to them, the little learners deepen their cognitive skills just by practicing their artistic talents. Students can then use those skills to excel in other areas of the curriculum, by relating science projects to easy-to-understand examlples from the art world. Moreover, fun art programs can be utilized as motivation to bring kids to school. Teachers can improve attendance by craftly alternating fun art sessions with science lectures. Lastly, art education in schools is neccessary for children with extraordinarry artistic abilities, but who are academically challenged. By including creative education in its structure, our school system gives artistic students the opportunity to develop their abilities, and choose a career doing something they love. Thus, due to its versatility, art training helps students not just to gain high academic achievements, but also establish their individuality as valued members of the society. Today’s students will be tomorrow’s professionals, and as adults, they will have a major responsability to our nation’s progress and prosperity. But by then -warn analysts- they might not have the abilities to deliver the needed results, and the culprit is the current approach of our education system. Due to the recent financial crisis, school budgets have shrunk, and as a result, many teachers have been laid off, and schools have eliminated many art programs from their curriculum. Art advocates warn that children educated by the American public schools are not getting enough art education. The design of our current curriculum completely disregards the importance of art education for students’ future, by focusing soley on literacy and numeracy. â€Å"With the emphasis on reading and math skills aimed at passing the tests, school curricula are narrowed, depriving students of valuable exposure to the arts† (Taylor 2). Economic progress is made possible through innovation, and human creativity is at the root of all innovation. A new product comes to life when its creator first envisions it, and then uses their scientific knowledge to bring it to reality. There are countless industries that rely on both science and creativity, and amongst the most notable ones are the entertainment, fashion, and automobile industries. In fact, the perfect example of how visual art and science can be used together successfully is information technology – one of the most profitable industries in the world. Our country’s groudbreaking achievements in that technological field are one of the reasons for America’s competitiveness on the global market. This is proof that cognitive knowledge is necessary to our nation’s development, but it is not enough to drive progress. Therefore, by developing students’ artistic abilities hand in hand with their scientific expertise, the American school system should produce well rounded individuals, capable to promote the economical growth necessary to our nation’s prosperity for generations to come. A well rounded education should come down to a student and a teacher armed with the right tools for success: the teacher’s expertise and a balanced curriculum. The direction of our education system is majorly influenced by political interests, and ruled by the misconception that one size fits all. Yes, with the current strategies, we are producing great businessmen, but not every student is fit to be a businessman. The curriculum should be structured in a way that it can give equal opportunities to all the other students to discover what they’re good at and what they like. Otherwise they won’t be able to keep up, and would eventually drop out of school. That means America would become a nation of businessmen battling for the few jobs available in that field, and school dropouts living a life of poverty and crime. It is a grimm outlook, but also one that seems not far away. That is why our education system is in urgent need for an intervention, especially in the aftermath of the recent financial crisis, as our country is searching for a new direction. Minimizing the pressures of political involvment in America’s public schools should allow educators to perform their jobs free of pressure, to help children develop into knowledgeable and innovative citizens who will ensure our nation’s competitiveness in the 21st century.

Medias Effect on Body Image and Eating Disorders

Media’s Influence on Body Image and Eating Disorders A study was recently done to determine how body image was viewed in society several years ago and how it is viewed in today’s society. When comparing the average model and the American woman, it is stated by Dr. Jonathon Rader, PhD, chief executive and clinical officer of Rader Programs that â€Å"twenty years ago, the average fashion model weighed 8% less than the average woman. Today, she weighs 23% less† (Rader). Twenty to thirty years ago, full figured women were accepted and also admired. Being voluptuous was a sign of wealth and beauty. Women were not obsessed with diet fads, or trying to look a certain way, but were more concerned with eating healthy and were comfortable with the†¦show more content†¦Girls are indoctrinated at a very young age that the well known Barbie doll is how a woman is supposed to look, which includes no fat, but large breasts, and due to that false view of a woman’s body, it is more than likely that young girls today will approach puberty with a negative body image. Although children can develop eating disorders as early as 6 years old, it is typically the teen years where it becomes out of control. Dr. Jonathon Rader says that â€Å"more than half of teenaged girls are, or think they should be, on diets. They want to lose all or some of the forty pounds that females naturally gain between 8 and 14. About three percent of these teens go too far, becoming anorexic or bulimic† (Rader). Almost everyone has heard of the terms â€Å"anorexic† and â€Å"bulimic† whether it was on TV or in a magazine, but not many people know the true facts and dangers that go along with them. They also might not even realize that there are other types of eating disorders that people are dealing with, some of which are not even specified. Exactly what are eating disorders? The Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center’s website was very informative when describing the definitions, causes, effects, and symptoms of each and every type of eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa is the properShow MoreRelatedSocial Media has Unhealthy Effect on Young Women647 Words   |  3 Pagesspend a typical day of about 7.5 hours or more on some sort of media. (Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders1) Although men are affected by the downfall of media usage, young women bear the cross. Not only do women have to face the expectations of perfection, but also the discrimination from themselves and others. 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The media’s influence is everywhere andRead MoreThe Media s Influence On Society1560 Words   |  7 Pagescontradict this very idea. If looks don’t matter then why do women and girls live in a society where their bodies define who they are? If looks don t matter then why is airbrushing used by the media to hide any flaws a person has? What exactly is causing this, why do we feel like we are just not beautiful the way we are? Its the media. It’s because the media promotes a certain body image as being beautiful, and it’s a far cry from the average woman’s size 12. The media may be great for entertainmentRead MoreEssay about Movie Icons1614 Words   |  7 Pagesstarted the trend where the standards of beauty were set around 140 pounds, at 5’4† feet tall. Back then, the ideal female body is by having a smaller mid-section (e.g. hourglass ideal/corsets). Marilyn Monroe’s tiny waist and seemingly large bust line triggered female fans to start to engage more on physical activities. The outburst on slender-looking portrayal of body-image began in early 1960s (e.g. Fashion icon, Twiggy). Most western societies experience enormous pressures on individuals to conformRead MoreMedia s Effect On Society s Perceptions Of Women s Body Image1474 Words   |  6 PagesMedia’s effect on society’s perceptions of women’s body image causes mental health issues Part 1: 1. Group Topic Our group’s main topic explores women’s mental health and the issues around it that affect women socially, politically, and economically. 2. Individual Subject †¨ In the beginning of my report I was researching juvenile women affected by mental disorders and media’s influence on it. I had several disorders I was going to discuss, however, I became embedded into the subject surroundingRead MoreThe Media Responsible For Females Essay1679 Words   |  7 Pagesconfidence? Is the media responsible for the development of eating behaviours and disorders? In a culture with saturated media, the powerful influence upon women and younger girls is a continuous debate. Females of all ages come under immense pressure from the media, friends, partners and even parents to maintain a great body shape. The body images portrayed in the media can then push a female to go on a diet to begin a journey to gaining a similar body shape like that of the model, but low self-esteemRead MoreMass Media s Influence On Body Image1414 Words   |  6 PagesMass Media’s Influence on Body Image Over the years a debate over who is to blame over the decline in how girls perceive themselves has arisen. With Photoshop being the societal norm concerning the media, it has become difficult for many to understand where the line between real and near impossible standards lies. Youths see an image edited to â€Å"perfection† and strive to reach the standards that they imagine due to the images displayed on magazines, television and social media. From Disney to magazinesRead MoreTeenage Girls and Body Image Essay1291 Words   |  6 Pagesof influence from the media’s message. The problem with this is the media has a specific way of doing things and can be negative to a susceptible teenage girl. Media’s way of portraying a woman can be skewed and unrealistic way from what reality is. Teenage girls then have a desire for this look or way. In this essay the three ways I will describe as to why the media can negatively affect a teenage girls body image is by showi ng unrealistic bodies and women, women whose bodies are desirable by a mass