Huckleberry Finn and The Catcher in the Rye essay Essay Example for Free

Huckleberry Finn and The Catcher in the Rye essay Essay The novels ‘The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn’ and ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ are both set in times where the expectations of society differed from the ones of today. Huckleberry Finn is set in the late 1800s, pre USA civil war and in a time where slavery was an accepted occurrence and the escape of a slave was seen as legally and morally wrong. This was also a time in which church attendance and education were seen as tokens of respectability. A young boy, the eponymous character, Huck, seeks to reject all that he regards as oppressive and cruel in order to establish an alternative life as a wanderer, far from adult control. The Catcher in the Rye’, on the other hand, was set in the late 1940s, a time when teenagers were just beginning to gain their own lives and being allowed more freedom than ever before. The picaresque novel gives the reader an insight into middleclass life in New York in the 50s and how one boy felt trapped by the expectations of his parents and school. His period of comparative freedom leads to unexpected consequences as he falls victim to depression and eventual supervision in an institution, putting paid forever to his dreams of freedom. Both novels present the themes of freedom and escape and the selected extracts portray incidents in the characters’ lives which focus on this theme. In both of the extracts, the characters are pretending to be someone else, Huckleberry Finn a young girl and Holden Caulfield taking a false identity. The reader may infer from this that by assuming a different and fake identity, the two boys can escape from their own lives; ones that are full of problems and worries. Escaping their lives allows them both to live a little more freely, even if just for a little while. However, Huckleberry Finn and Holden take on their new identities for different reasons. For instance, Huckleberry Finn assumes the alternative identity in order to travel across town without being recognised by anybody, as he was supposed to have died not long before. Another reason he had to pretend to be a girl is to protect his and Jim’s safety. Holden on the other hand, assumes the alternative identity in order to befriend people he meets on his journey without the people realising that he should still be at school. Various audiences of the two novels would interpret and receive the occurrences in the extracts very differently. For example, the audience of Huckleberry Finn would be shocked at Huck escaping, living with a slave and then dressing as a girl. This is because the changes in society since Huckleberry Finn was written are significant. In the late 1800s, young boys were to be well educated and then sent off to be a successful businessman, not to escape and run amok. Slaves were also seen as inferior and a possession and anybody helping them was breaking the law. Another thing that the different audiences would feel differently about is the fact that Jim gets called a ‘nigger’ quite often. An audience of the 1880s would accept that as normal as they were used to hearing it, whereas an audience of the 2000s would be shocked by this, as the word nigger has a very malicious meaning nowadays and is considered a racist insult due to the equality rights now instilled in the majority of society, due to the word undergoing perjoration. The audience of Catcher in the Rye would probably not be surprised at the behaviour that Holden employs, as teenagers in the late 1940s were gaining a new sense of freedom and the dangers of letting your children out into the world unsupervised had not yet been considered. They also would accept that he might befriend any stranger that he comes across. However in the 40s there still existed traditional views about respect for authority although they were gradually evaded. His parents however do not approve of him staying in the hotel by himself. In the 2000s however, we would frown upon a young teenager travelling around alone, talking to strangers and booking a hotel room in a large city. The maturity of the two different characters is also very different. Although Holden wants and tries to be mature, the reader very quickly sees that he is in actual fact very childish and naive. This could be so that he can escape the realities of adult life, and stay in his idealistic child’s world forever. Despite this, he does attempt to seem more of an adult by using more taboo language and more complicated language around people who he would like to impress, like the females in the Lavender Room. For example, he says; ‘I’m twelve, for Chrissake. I’m big for my age. ’ Although the word Chrissake, which is the words ‘Christ’s sake’ after undergoing elision and with Holden’s idiolect, is not considered taboo now, it was still frowned upon in the 1940s, as some sectors of society were still highly religious. Another taboo word he used a lot is ‘Goddamn’. Again this word, which is the words ‘God damn’ that have also undergone elision and are with Holden’s idiolect, is no longer considered taboo or offensive, due to the change in society over time. This language choice illustrates Holden’s immaturity as it shows that he believes that using taboo words and more complicated language will make him look more grown up, when in actual fact it simply makes him seem barbaric and pretentious. Huck, on the other hand seems quite comfortable with his maturity level, which is one that seems to fluctuate. For instance, he seems to treat the whole journey in the novel as an adventure, one that fuels his child-like imagination; as is shown when Huck plays a prank on Jim. He says; ‘I went to the cavern to get some, and found a rattlesnake in there. I killed him, and curled him up at the foot of Jim’s blanket, ever so natural, thinking there’d be some fun when Jim found him there’. This illustrates his immature side as children are more likely to play pranks and find them amusing. Another way that Twain shows Huck’s immaturity and failed education is through his speech, as Twain uses elision in depicting Huck’s speech and gives him a very strong idiolect and dialect. One instance of this is; ‘Who done it? we’ve heard considerable about these goings on, down in Hookerville, but we don’t know who t’was that killed Huck Finn. Huck uses the word ‘t’was’ instead of saying ‘it was’. Using elision as strong as this also shows us how badly educated Huck is, despite the attempts of Widow Douglas to correct this. However, you do get to see the more mature side of Huck. One example of this is when he makes plans for his escape from his father. He makes a list of the things he needs and even fakes his own death so that he can never be found. This shows his maturity because he has the initiative to put the plans into place and fool the people he is escaping from. Another example would be when he treats and considers Jim to be his friend, as it is obvious that he has to ignore society and make his own decision to befriend someone who could potentially get him into trouble with the law. Also, he has to overcome a moral dilemma when deciding whether to escape with Jim, or hand him over to Widow Douglas, to whom Jim rightfully belongs. The fact that Jim is a possession of someone else would shock modern audiences as they are not used to this due to the change in society. This particularly shows his maturity because he was making a decision about somebody else’s life as well, as Jim would have been sold on if returned to Widow Douglas, therefore thwarting his plan to find his family. The decision that Huck had to make had consequences beyond his control and Huck was fully and completely aware of this whilst making the choice. The central characters in the two novels respond to the theme of escape in different but not quite contrasting ways. For Huckleberry Finn, the journey he goes on allows him to grow up and realise what he wants for himself in the future. Huck’s resolution to embrace traditional societal values by resuming his studies shows he has come to a positive decision about his future. On the other hand, for Holden the journey is a reality check, as it shows him that he is not ready for the outside and adult world because he hadn’t even got the simple child’s world right. He saw life as a game, and was stubbornly naive. His loss of autonomy at the end of the novel shows loss of dreams of freedom and little hope of escape from the downward spiral he has found himself in along the way.

Aboriginal Athletes in the World of Professional Sports :: Essays Papers

Aboriginal Athletes in the World of Professional Sports Terrence and Jordin Tootoo grew up in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, in Canada’s arctic region. They were like other Inuit children in Rankin Inlet in many respects: They were brought up to respect the customs of their people and they enjoyed the resources the land around them provided- they learned to hunt and fish for food like the others. However, the brothers were also different from their peers in one main respect- they were blessed with a love for the game of hockey, and also with extraordinary amounts of talent which would enable them to leave their native community to pursue the dream of professional hockey. While the brothers were growing up they were inseparable; however, after leaving Rankin Inlet to pursue the professional game their respective careers took strikingly different paths. Jordin’s journey took him to the top- he was drafted into the National Hockey League and signed a lucrative contract with the Nashville Predators. However, Terrence’s road to th e professional ranks was filled with hardship and tragedy, ultimately resulting in his suicide in August of 2002. The contrasting paths taken by the brothers is an illustration of how professional sporting careers can have varying impacts on the lives of Native American and Canadian athletes and their communities. In the following few paragraphs I will outline the history of Native Americans and Canadians in sports. I will examine how successful Native athletes are able to help their communities, both financially and by serving as role models for younger Natives. Also, I will argue that their still exist barriers and challenges to Native athletes that do not confront other athletes. For example, Native athletes are often placed under increased scrutiny because of their positions as role models. I will conclude by commenting on how Native athletes fit into pro sports today, and speculate on what can be done to increase the amount of success enjoyed by Natives. Participation in sports and games has long been a part of Native culture. The most significant example of a sport invented and played by Natives is lacrosse. Lacrosse is still designated as the official sport of Canada despite the overwhelming popularity of hockey (http://canada.gc.ca). Lacrosse was one of many varieties of indigenous stickball games being played by Native Americans and Canadians at the time of European contact. Almost exclusively a male team sport, it is distinguished from other stick and ball games, such as field hockey or shinny, by the use of a netted racquet with which to pick the ball off the ground, throw, catch and vault it into or past a goal to score a point.

Relationship between Systems Theory and Healthcare Delivery in the U.S.

Discussion of the relationship between systems theory and healthcare delivery in the U.S.System theory is a science that studies systems. System theory studies the way systems communicate, how they are successful or why they fail. Given this information it is obvious how systems theory can be applied to health care. Health care delivery is a system. The health care delivery system is composed of many different parts. Doctors, nurses, social workers, patients, family, pharmacists, government programs to name just a few. The health care system is responsible for life and limb so must work cohesively. Studying the healthcare system and applying the systems theory helps healthcare delivery increase optimal patient outcomes in the U.S.(Petula, 2005)Discussion of the relationship between diffusion of innovation theory and the change process within healthcare delivery in the U.S.Diffusion of innovation theory explains how new information including new technology spreads through a culture. D iffusion of innovation theory explains how the imformation is introduced, communicated and applied. Diffusion of innovation theory also explains how long it takes for the information to be communicated, spread, as well as by whom and why. The study of this theory helps many industries create change within their systems.This theory can be applied to almost any situation where new imformation and innovation needs to be introduced successfully. Diffusion of innovation theory is very important on how evidence based practice is introduced to the the U.S. healthcare field. By understanding how evidence based information and innovation is accepted and implemented we can increase the likelyhood that it will be accepted and used. Quick adoption of evidenced based care can optimize patient outcomes and satisfaction. Change within the U.S. health system can be difficult. Analyzing the change process through the diffusion of innovation theory can help the change in healthcare be more successful ly done.Discussion of the relationship between systems theory and current nursing practiceCurrent nursing practice is a result of the application of systems theory to nursing. Current healthcare's, as a result of systems theory,   focus is treating the processes of healthcare i.e. thecommunication of the various heathcare parts as important as the parts themselves. It   is not enought to hire the best care givers but to make sure the care givers have the best tools to use to work together in the most optimal   manner. Interdisciplinary relationships in healthcare are important and supported under systems theory. Systems theory supports   interdisciplinary collaboration and behavioral compatency as well as skill compentancy.(Petula, 2005)Discussion of the relationship between diffusion of innovation theory and current nursing practiceMuch of the new information related to improving healthcare rely on the understanding of Innovation theory. With the understanding   of how he althcare innovation is introduced and implimented, a new or healthcare innovation can be incorporated quickly and reach   successfully the goal of implimentation, quality improvement, and optimal patient outcomes in healthcare. Understanding diffusion of   innovation theory can help Supervisors and other implementors of change provide the necessary tools for change to occur among nurses.Diffusion of Innovation theory in current nursing practice is especially needed with the changes that nursing is going through at this time in history. With the courtywide implementation of the electronic medical record mandated by the U.S. government as well as the Affordable Healthcare Act the understanding of how to succefully implement these changes in nursing is very important. With the mandate of the government in place diffusion of innovation theory is and will be an important tool in the success of incorporating new nursing skills into the nursing profession.Summarization of the search st rategies used to acquire information on the specified theoriesMy primary tool in searching for systems theory was Google. In this way I was able to garner multiple sites dedicated to systems theory. When I wanted to tie systems theory into nursing I added the word nursing to systems theory in the search bar. In this manner I was able to view many articles from nursing journals about systems theory and how it related to nursing.I was also able to view information on systems theory on Wikipedia. I conducted similar searches for diffusion of innovation theory. I googled diffusion of innovation theory first then incorporated nursing into the search bar to receive information on how they tie into each other. CINAHL was also used in my searches.It was fairly easy to use but not as easy as google. I was impressed with how much information specific to nursing was available. With CINAHL when conducting my searches there were a few more steps. The first step was to log onto the WGU site then log onto the library. I also had to click on the Federated database search then choose CINAHL. There was a search bar where you can enter your subject matter and add tie ins such as mine, nursing.

UC Merced Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

University of California, Merced is a public university with an acceptance rate of 66%. Students will generally need a strong application and good test scores to be admitted. As part of the application, students are required to write four short  personal insight essays. Since UC Merced is a part of the  University of California system, students can easily apply to multiple schools in that system with a single application. Considering applying to UC Merced? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, UC Merced had an acceptance rate of 66%. For every 100 students who applied, 66 students were admitted, making UC Merceds admissions process somewhat competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 25,131 Percent Admitted 66% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 13% SAT Scores and Requirements University of California, Merced requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 94% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 510 600 Math 510 590 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of UC Merceds admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to UC Merced scored between 510 and 600, while 25% scored below 510 and 25% scored above 600. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 510 and 590, while 25% scored below 510 and 25% scored above 590. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1190 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at UC Merced. Requirements UC Merced requires the SAT writing section. Note that UC Merced considers the highest SAT with essay score from a single test date. SAT Subject Tests are not required, but can be used to satisfy A-G requirements or show mastery of a particular subject. ACT Scores and Requirements UC Merced requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 51% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 17 23 Math 18 24 Composite 19 27 This admissions data tells us that most of UC Merceds admitted students fall within the top 55% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to UC Merced received a composite ACT score between 19 and 27, while 25% scored above 27 and 25% scored below 19. Requirements UC Merced requires the ACT writing section. Note that UC Merced does not superscore ACT results; your highest combined score from a single test administration will be considered. GPA In 2018, the average high school GPA of University of California, Merceds incoming freshmen class was 3.59. This information suggests that most successful applicants to UC Merced have primarily A and B grades. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph UC Merced Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to University of California, Merced. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances University of California, Merced, which accepts approximately two-thirds of applicants, has a somewhat selective admissions process. If your SAT/ACT scores and GPA fall within the schools average ranges, you have a strong chance of being accepted. Keep in mind that California residents who apply must have a GPA of 3.0 or better with no grade lower than a C in 15 college preparatory  a-g courses. For non-residents, your GPA must be 3.4 or better. Local students from participating high schools may also qualify if they are in the top 9% of their class. See how to calculate your  UC Admissions Index. UC Merced, like all of the University of California schools, has  holistic admissions, so the admissions officers are evaluating students based on more than numerical data. Students who show special talent or have a compelling story to tell will often get a close look even if their grades and test scores are a bit below the norm. Impressive  extracurricular activities  and  strong essays  are all important parts of a successful application to UC Merced. In the graph above, the green and blue dots represent accepted students. The majority of students who got into UC Merced had GPAs of 3.0 or higher, SAT scores (ERWM) of 950 or higher, and ACT scores of 18 or higher. Keep in mind that there are a few red dots hidden behind the blue and green, so some students with grades and test scores on target for UC Merced still get rejected. Learn About Other UC Schools Berkeley  |  Davis  |  Irvine  |  Los Angeles  |  Riverside  |  San Diego  |  Santa Barbara  |  Santa Cruz All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and University of California, Merced Undergraduate Admissions Office.