The Chrysalids by John Windham Essay Example for Free

The Chrysalids by John Windham Essay By the time David is sixteen, he has undergone a major change in thinking. Not only is he more sure of his views towards Waknuk society and its beliefs, he is more self aware of the dangers of being found out. He has matured greatly; his views are not influenced by his teachings, he has his own opinions. The first time Davids first small doubts started to emerge was after he met Sophie. Upon meeting her, she had seemed absolutely normal; even upon seeing her foot, his rote learned teachings did not come to mind; he simply felt sorry for Sophie. Upon being confronted by Sophies mother, about the importance of keeping her secret to himself, he does not really understand the reason of the emphasis being put on keeping the secret. It is only after he sets off for home that he realizes that Sophie does not conform to the true image, and is therefore classified as deviant. David does not understand why a small toe should make a difference, and so continues his friendship with her. They are very close; he picks a fight with the stronger Alan Ervin for her, and only gives away her secret after a huge beating. For him, it is not the beating that causes him so much pain, than the pain of self-contempt, of having given her secret away. He even tells the inspector a bit of what he thinks about Sophie being a mutant. Though David is not seen thinking about her later in life, his brief friendship with her has a huge impact on him. His conversation with the inspector is the first time his views have differed from those that he has been taught. Till the very end, he refuses to accept that Sophie is the work of the devil. He also begins to realize the danger that he might be in if found out. If she could be treated the way she was, so could he. Therefore, indirectly and directly, Sophie plays a huge part in helping Davids views evolve and change. Another character who greatly helps shape Davids views is Uncle Axel. He is Davids best friend and confidante; and David looks up to him like a father figure; trusting him greatly and even telling him about his telepathy, something he had not told even Sophie. It is therefore not surprising that Uncle Axels views greatly rub off on David. Uncle Axel is different from other people; his views on the tribulation and the old people have been influenced by his travels as a sailor. He believes that if the old people were so great, why would God punish them by Tribulation? Therefore, should Waknuk society even try to be like them? It is his opinion that what makes a man a man is not his physical attributes, for everyone has different ideas on the True Image(as Repentances was written after Tribulation). What makes a man a man, is his mind. It separates and elevates him from the level of a beast, thus, as David has a new quality of mind, he might actually be closer to the true image than most people. As David listens to these views, he agrees with most of them, as firstly they answer a lot of his questions, after the Sophie incident. Indirectly or directly, Uncle Axel creates a lot of self awareness in David; awareness of the dangers of being found out. He warns David many a time, and by murdering Ervin he impresses upon David the importance of keeping the secret hidden. This, too, influenced Davids thinking as it helped him separate himself from the other people, as well as recognize that societys views are really different from the truth.

Children and Gangs Essay -- Gang Essays

The problem of gangs is growing, and not only in major city centers. The Justice Department says there are now 30,000 gangs with more than 800,000 members. The National Youth Gang Centre (NYGC), which conducts an annual survey that is funded by the Justice Department, concedes that every town of 250,000 people now has a gang problem. Many young adults who join gangs may do it for the following reasons: - Gangs may offer kids a powerful group identity and a kind of recognition they cannot get at home or elsewhere. - Protection - If there are many gangs in an area, joining one of them may offer protection from rival gangs. - Feeling of Belonging - Gang activity may offer a feeling of being a part of a "family" that is missing in the child's home. The child becomes loyal to the gang's values, rather than those of the home. - Intimidation - Threats and violent beatings may be used to force youths to join. - Excitement - Gang activity may seem attractive to kids who are bored, lack interests and direction, or do not feel good about themselves. The media has glamorized gangs in music, movies, and video games. This adds to the excitement associated with them. - Peer Pressure - Kids are pressured to join gangs if others around them are gang members. - Financial Benefit - Kids see being in a gang as an easy way to gain money and new possessions. - Lack of Knowledge - Kids, especially young ones, do not realize the true dangers of being in a gang. So how d...

My Dream, My Future

My Dream, My Future Do you pay attention in how fast time goes by? Before we realize, time has passed by and all the dreams we had for our future have not yet come true. The reason is because our dreams are just dreams and haven’t yet become goals. Life is no Nintendo game. You live only once. Therefore, we must fulfill those precious one called Dream during the rest of our short Life. As for me, I have my own dreams too. If you ask me this in my childhood, I would say: â€Å"I want to be a teacher†¦ I want to be an actor†¦ and so on†¦Ã¢â‚¬ .But if you ask me now, I will tell you I have three major dreams. First, I want to graduate this school with the Best grades ever! So, my parents can be proud of me. Second, I want my life to be colorful and beatific. Enjoying life doesn't waste money, we should use many to do some significative things. For instance, we can contribute our money to help the poor and homeless children, we can travel to somewhere to see the n ature scene, we can buy book or collect your interested things to enrich our life, we also can have time to play with your family.Third, I want to travel all around the world. I have always been curious about other cultures and the differences between people in other countries. It would be amazing to travel the whole world. Just realize that you are Riding an Elephant which is the Biggest terricole being, or standing on the Highest spot of magical Pyramids in Egypt, or maybe wandering Deep in the sea and seeing unidentified creatures.Furthermore I would love to bungee jump or swim with sharks, experiencing life to the limits. In the future I may have new dreams, but the first goal I have to achieve is getting my diploma. This is one of the keys to accomplish my other goals and dreams. After becoming a professional, I want to start a family, one lovely wife and maybe three children’s and have one beautiful cozy home to raise my kids and grow old with the people I love the most . I hope to achieve†¦ Written by: B. Davaasuren

How To Get Organized Essay

Organization is the key to success in any organization. Individual who are organized in their personal lives are more likely to be organized and efficient in their work place. An organized mind establishes efficiency in all areas of life. They create an organized work environment which leads to overall organizational success. Disorganization is characterized by unnecessary items that need to be grouped together, hidden out of sight, wasted thoughts, energy and time. It starts with an inward motivation to break away from states of confusion and disorder. As the personal assistant in the Elementary School, personal organization is very important in enabling school run its activities without conflict. This research paper aims at seeking ways of addressing the problem of not being organized as highlighted to me by those I constantly interact with. This can be by: avoided too many things in your head, having a work plan of what should be done in a given time, setting priorities right and setting adequate time on each, increasing efficiency in what need to be done through proper planning. The paper aims at identifying ways of improving personal organization skills such as good time management, creating enough space in the work place with the aim of avoiding disorganized and distractive work environment, appreciating the position one is in as a means of creating internal strength to keep on working, setting realistic goals and maintaining to stick to their time guide and at times delegating responsibilities in an attempt to avoid overworking. Its important to note that, failing to plan is in simple terms planning to fail. Self control and a focused mind are important in getting organized thus improving work output in an organization. HOW TO GET ORGANIZED Being organized is the first step towards being efficient and productive in what we do in life. Some of the main obstacles that hold people from getting organized include; Time Management Time managements the key to being organized. It’s important to first admit that I have made mistakes in managing time and work towards improving upon it. The easiest is to have a daily To Do List. The list provides a list of all the tasks to be done within the day such as phone calls to be made, purchases to be made and letters to be drafted, among other numerous activities. The list gives priorities at a glance of all pending jobs and their agency and helps eliminate miscellaneous pieces of paper work with job reminders. A daily planner, mainly a pocket notebook is the most preferred due to its easy portability. The To Do List should be reviewed on a daily basis and all the tasks successively achieved marked out and all items not accomplished for whatever reason transferred to the next day’s list. These items should be prioritized in the next day’s To Do List so as to avoided pushing them further resulting to pile up of unfinished jobs that make people appear disorganized even when they are organized. Dark markers can be used to reinforce major tasks. Several lists should be made for each day, week, month and if possible for a year. Put it back Organizing the work space ensures that all items not in use are thrown away or put it efficiently in storage at a clear and designated place. This helps you in determining the actual amount of space you have within the office, thus eliminating time and money wasted in organizing stuff you do not need. All items frequently used such as envelopes, stamps, stain removers should be easily accessible mainly on the working desk. It is important to set timers for how long an organizing task should take in an attempt to avoid doing a single task for a whole day and help in remaining focused. Once you have placed every thing where it belongs it is very important to develop the habit of placing every thing back to where they belong as soon as you finish working on them. All items with similar usage should be placed in the same place such as keys, phones, all pending jobs and finished jobs so as to eliminate time wastage while searching for items. Similarly combine all similar activities such as make all call at the same time, pay all bills and do all the errands and shopping in one trip. Honesty with Yourself. Incase you feel wasted and not proud of yourself in the position you are in presently, it important to have a realistic look at where you spend your time, way all the pros and cons and see if there is any opportunity to improvement. This gives the opportunity for personal reflection thus encouraging positive energy to take control which will lead to being organized. It’s important to determine what exactly you want to organize, rather than stating that am organized. Draft a list of all things you would like to organize such as schedules over a given period of time and ensure you abide by the list. Delegate responsibilities Delegating responsibilities to other people ensures all or most of the To Do List activities are meet. Doing everything by your self makes it hard to remain organized since you cannot meet all deadlines set out due to emerging pop-ups. Conclusion. Being organized is being in control of all the activities in our lives and the work place. If some aspects of your life are dissatisfying, it is good to get excited since you are aware of what you do not need in life. Create a time frame of when that must be achieved and strictly stick to it. References Bridges, C. Organizational Skills. (2000). [Online]. Available: http://www. at. bridges. com/20010108/skills/main. htm Bordenaro, B. (n. d. ). Being Organized in Not a Trait! [Online]. Available: http://www. ideamarketers. com/library/article. cfm? articleid=7414 Hemphill, B. (2001). Six Ways to Improve Your Office Organization Skills. [Online]. Available: ttp://www. frogpondgroup. com/articles. cfm? articleid=bhemphill04

Free Essays on Interpersonal Relationships And Communication

What is communication? Communication itself has a wide range of ways it could be defined, but one isolating topic that concerns many people is â€Å"Interpersonal Communication and Relationships.† Interpersonal communication and relationships can be described in two ways, a contextual view and a developmental view. â€Å"An important point to note about the contextual definition is that it does not take into account the relationship between the interactants.† On the other hand, the developmental view involves people that know each other, and more importantly â€Å"view each other as unique individuals.† The contextual view and developmental view define interpersonal relationships well, but contact, involvement, intimacy, deterioration, repair, and dissolution are what make interpersonal relationships. Contact can be thought of in many different ways, but as a stage of interpersonal relationships it is the â€Å"beginning.† From what the person sounds like even what the person smells like is all part of contact. Following the first moment of contact, interactional contact usually takes place this consists of â€Å"superficial and impersonal interactions.† Such as, something as simple as a self-introduction and exchange of basic information can be identified as nearing the final stages of contact. This in turn brings the relationship to the next stage, which is known as involvement. At the stage of involvement a sense of knowing one another and being connected should start to develop. Throughout this stage you and the other person almost for a pattern of back and forth interaction, which is in other ways considered a method of getting to know one another. It is almost like a sense of self-check, because at the point of contact a person may or may not have decided to continue a relationship with the other individual, but involvement is almost like just making sure your first impressions prove for the better. Along with asking t... Free Essays on Interpersonal Relationships And Communication Free Essays on Interpersonal Relationships And Communication What is communication? Communication itself has a wide range of ways it could be defined, but one isolating topic that concerns many people is â€Å"Interpersonal Communication and Relationships.† Interpersonal communication and relationships can be described in two ways, a contextual view and a developmental view. â€Å"An important point to note about the contextual definition is that it does not take into account the relationship between the interactants.† On the other hand, the developmental view involves people that know each other, and more importantly â€Å"view each other as unique individuals.† The contextual view and developmental view define interpersonal relationships well, but contact, involvement, intimacy, deterioration, repair, and dissolution are what make interpersonal relationships. Contact can be thought of in many different ways, but as a stage of interpersonal relationships it is the â€Å"beginning.† From what the person sounds like even what the person smells like is all part of contact. Following the first moment of contact, interactional contact usually takes place this consists of â€Å"superficial and impersonal interactions.† Such as, something as simple as a self-introduction and exchange of basic information can be identified as nearing the final stages of contact. This in turn brings the relationship to the next stage, which is known as involvement. At the stage of involvement a sense of knowing one another and being connected should start to develop. Throughout this stage you and the other person almost for a pattern of back and forth interaction, which is in other ways considered a method of getting to know one another. It is almost like a sense of self-check, because at the point of contact a person may or may not have decided to continue a relationship with the other individual, but involvement is almost like just making sure your first impressions prove for the better. Along with asking t...

To what extent was Austrian and Russian rivalry in Essays

To what extent was Austrian and Russian rivalry in Essays To what extent was Austrian and Russian rivalry in the Balkans to blame for the outbreak of the First World War? Austro Russian rivalry in the Balkans only partly explains the reasons for the European conflict of 1914. It is true that they had been in conflict here before in the Balkan Crisis of 1908 and Russia was keen to avenge the humiliation. However neither side sought to escalate this to a wider crisis and wanted any conflict to be localised to the Balkans. Their local conflict was hijacked by the German Empire who sought to turn it into a much greater conflict that would involve a war with Russia and its ally France. Therefore the most convincing argument about the causes of WWI lie in an analysis of Germany's actions and less so with Russia and Austria. Austria Hungary saw itself as the natural successor to the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans. To Franz Josef, the Balkans was an easy option to exploit. However amongst the many peoples of this region there was an aggressive and ambitious group who embraced Slavic nationalism and wished to assert Serbian independence from any imperial power but notably Austria Hungary by the turn of the 20th century. These nationalists had a much more in common with Russia who was equally interested in extending its interest in the Balkan region because of recent humiliations e.g. Russo Japanese war and for warm water ports in the Mediterranean. You should add examples of: Conflicts between Austria and Russia in the Balkans in 1908 Balkan Wars 1912, 1913 Assassination of archduke Franz Ferdinand However these factors explain why a local conflict happened in 1914. They are less important in why it became a European wide conflict. Europe had been a cauldron of tension and rivalry for decades and the prospect of a European war had been the subject of much debate. You should explain how the following created such tensions and rivalry Anglo German Naval Race Weltpolitik, German militarism, the personal role of the Kaiser, military plans, the Fischer thesis. the role of the alliance system domestic problems Imperial Rivalry in Africa - Moroccan Crisis These factors help to explain why so many major powers were hostile in 1914 but it again it does not explain why it boiled over into full scale European War in 1914. The events of July Crisis 1914 were much more significant in turning this regional crisis into a European wide conflict. Germany saw an opportunity to fulfil its long term ambitions of dominating Europe. It realised that a war sooner rather than later was in Germany's best interests and encouraged Austria to make a bold stand against Serbia over the assassination of the Archduke. Germany knew it would draw Russia and France into war. The Schlieffen Plan would then be put into action. The Kaiser and German military were highly confident GB would not get involved and that victory would be swift. Austrian Ulitmatum, Blank Cheque Moltke Memo and Bethmann Hollwegg German Mobilisation Kaisers gamble over GB - contemptible little army' scrap of paper' Austria was manipulated by Germany into its aggressive action in the Balkans. Russia on the other hand tried very hard to stop the war escalating as the telegram exchanges between the Kaiser and the Tsar show, although it is worth pointing out that the Russian generals were encouraging the Tsar to fight. By July 30th 1914 war in Europe between most of the major powers was inevitable. Germany wanted it and engineered it. As hard as GB, and the Foreign Secretary Edward Grey, had worked to avoid war, after this date GB had no option but to go to war or else risk the permanent balance of power in Europe shifting in Germany's favour. Every major port in Europe would be under German control. This was unacceptable to this island nation as GB's Empire and economic interests would be at risk. Although it may appear that the long term causes of tension simply bubbled over into war in 1914 as Lloyd George claimed in the 1930's, it was not inevitable until Germany began to manipulate the regional crisis in the Balkans between Austria and Russia. The German military knew that if war was delayed any longer then the Russian and French forces

Information on the Test for US Citizenship

Information on the Test for US Citizenship Before immigrants to the United States seeking citizenship can take the Oath of U.S. Citizenship and begin enjoying the benefits of citizenship, they must pass a naturalization test administered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), formerly known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). The test consists of two parts: the civics test and the English language test. In these tests, applicants for citizenship are, with certain exemptions for age and physical impairment, expected to demonstrate that they can read, write, and speak words in ordinary daily usage in the English language, and that they have a basic knowledge and understanding of American history, government, and tradition. The Civics Test For most applicants, the most difficult part of the naturalization test is the civics test, which assesses the applicants knowledge of basic U.S. government and history. In the civics portion of the test, applicants are asked up to 10 questions on American government, history and integrated civics, like geography, symbolism and holidays. The 10 questions are randomly selected from a list of 100 questions prepared by the USCIS. While there may be more than one acceptable answer to many of the 100 questions, the civics test is not a multiple choice test. The civics test is an oral test, administered during the naturalization application interview.In order to pass the civics portion of the test, applicants must correctly answer at least six (6) of the 10 randomly selected questions.In October 2008, the USCIS replaced the old set of 100 civics test questions used since its old INS days, with a new set of questions in an attempt to improve the percentage of applicants passing the test. The English Language Test The English language test has three parts: speaking, reading, and writing. The applicants ability to speak English is evaluated by a USCIS official in a one-on-one interview during which the applicant completes the Application for Naturalization, Form N-400. During the test, the applicant will be required to understand and respond to directions and questions spoken by the USCIS official.In the reading portion of the test, the applicant must read one out of three sentences correctly in order to pass. In the writing test, the applicant must write one out of three sentences correctly. Passing or Failing and Trying Again Applicants are given two chances to take the English and civics tests. Applicants who fail any part of the test during their first interview will be retested on only the part of the test they failed within from 60 to 90 days. While applicants who fail the retest are denied naturalization, they retain their status as Lawful Permanent Residents. Should they still wish to pursue U.S. citizenship, they must reapply for naturalization and repay all associated fees. How Much Does the Naturalization Process Cost? The current (2016) application fee for U.S. naturalization is $680, including an $85 biometric fee for fingerprinting and identification services. However, applicants 75 years of age or older are not charged the biometric fee, bringing their total fee down to $595.   How Long Does it Take? USCIS reports that as of June 2012, the average total processing time for an application for U.S. naturalization was 4.8 months. If that seems like a long time, consider that in 2008, processing times averaged 10-12 months and have been as long as 16-18 months in the past. Test Exemptions and Accommodations Because of their age and time as legal permanent U.S. residents, some applicants are exempt from the English requirement of the test for naturalization and may be allowed to take the civics test in the language of their choice. In addition, seniors who have certain medical conditions can apply for waivers to the naturalization test. Applicants age 50 or older when they filed for naturalization and have lived as a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) in the United States for 20 years are exempt from the English language requirement.Applicants age 55 or older when they filed for naturalization and have lived as a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) in the United States for 15 years are exempt from the English language requirement.While they may be exempt from the English language requirement, all senior applicants are required to take the civics test ​but may be allowed to take it in their native language. Complete information on exemptions to the naturalization tests can be found on the USCIS Exceptions Accommodations website. How Many Pass? According to the USCIS, more than 1,980,000 naturalization tests were administered nationwide from October 1, 2009, through June 30, 2012. USCIS reported that as of June 2012, the overall nationwide pass rate for all applicants taking both the English and civics tests was 92%. In 2008, the USCIS redesigned the naturalization test. The goal of the redesign was to improve overall pass rates by providing a more uniform and consistent testing experience while effectively assessing the applicants knowledge of U.S. history and government.Data from the USCIS report Study on Pass/Fail Rates for Naturalization Applicants  indicate that the pass rate for applicants taking the new test is significantly higher than the pass rate for applicants taking the old test.According to the report, the average annual pass rate for the overall naturalization test has improved from 87.1% in 2004 to 95.8% in 2010. The average annual pass rate for the English language test improved from 90.0% in 2004 to 97.0% in 2010, while the pass rate for the civics test improved from 94.2% to 97.5%.