Genes Development in John Knowles A Separate Peace Essays -- Knowles

Gene's Development in John Knowles' A Separate Peace Throughout life, there is always a person who one strives to beat, be better than or rise above. Little does each of them know that in the end the two actually make each other stronger. In John Knowles' novel, A Separate Peace (1959), he addresses just this. The novel, told from Gene Forrester's point of view, is based on a friendship and rivalry between him and his friend, Finny, during World War II. The two sixteen year olds attend Devon School, a private all boys' school, in New Hampshire. Finny, a very athletically talented youngster, continually but unintentionally causes Gene to feel inferior and insignificant, producing inevitable anger and jealousy inside Gene. During their summer session in 1942, the boys form a Super Suicide Society; anyone wanting to join the group is required to jump from a specific tree into the running river below. On one particular night, Finny tears the irritated Gene away from his studies for no reason other than to make a plunge from the tree. After arriving at the river, the two creep out on one of the tree's limbs. Balancing as if they were on a tightrope, Gene gives a quick little bounce to the limb, causing Finny to plummet to the riverbank below, severely breaking his leg. No one is aware of Gene's intentional bounce of the tree limb, encouraged by his resentment toward Finny. Gene's jealous action causes Finny's life to change forever. He feels terrible about what he did but cannot bring himself to tell Finny the truth. Faced with many great challenges, Gene struggles through the remainder of the novel trying to find himself and develop into his own person. The truth about the tree incident is finally revealed shortly after Finny bre... ...now' " (106). That early, snowy morning Finny teaches Gene much more than he will ever learn in a classroom; he teaches Gene the significance and meaning of self-discovery. Throughout A Separate Peace, John Knowles effectively uses his characterization of Finny to teach one of life's greatest lessons. Although at times Gene and Finny appear to be enemies, the tests and challenges Finny presents to Gene actually cause him to blossom, making him a stronger person. Despite Finny's death, his wisdom, courage and actions live on in Gene. Gene learns that throughout life accomplishments that one works for and achieves will provide much more reward than those handed to a person. Many times, the greatest reward is finding one's true self and discovering his or her capabilities. Works Cited Knowles, John. A Separate Peace. New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1959.

Freedom of Marriage Essay

The reasoning of any just law is meant to be rational and, moreover, fair. However, the government has failed to recognize the rights of many American citizens because they do not conform to society’s stereotypical standards. In a nation founded on freedom, have today’s citizens evolved into narrow-minded drones that bind minorities into what they believe are the â€Å"correct† moral standards? Have the basic freedoms guaranteed by our forefathers been stripped away in order to protect the strict moral codes society has placed upon itself. Same-sex marriage should be legal because it is discriminatory to deny homosexual couples the same rights as heterosexual couples. The illegalization of same-sex marriage excludes gay couples from the same financial marital benefits guaranteed to married heterosexuals. The denying of these rights is no longer a decision to be made by the U. S. government as religious beliefs are strongly imbedded in the ceremony of marriage. Contrary to common beliefs, the legalization of same-sex marriage has not degraded the traditional values associated with a marriage. The constitutional right of marriage is currently being denied to many American citizens. The actions of many have contributed to discrimination against a minority who deserve their birthright as American citizens to join in homosexual unions. Exclusion of marital benefits from homosexual couples contributes to the large financial strain of being gay. Taxation relief, family health care benefits, social security spousal benefits, and inheritance rights all lessen the financial burden on married heterosexual couples, but these benefits do not pertain to married homosexuals today. All of these benefits excluding same-sex couples lead to an exponentially higher cost of living. â€Å"In our worst case, the couple’s lifetime cost of being gay was $467,562. But the number fell to $41,196 in the best case for a couple with significantly better health insurance, plus lower taxes and other costs. † (Siegel Bernard, Lieber) The numbers represent the discriminatory effects of illegalizing homosexual marriage. â€Å"Same-sex couples, become â€Å"strangers† to the basic rights of liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and re at risk for minority stress and its health consequences. † (Riggle, Thomas, Rostosky) In a country founded on equal rights, American laws pertaining to gay marriage necessitate punishment on individuals only seeking to gain a right heterosexuals already have. Religious beliefs present the most persuasive arguments against the legalization of gay marriage. The majority of religions strictly prohibit the union of homosexual couples as the union supposedly to defile the religious ceremony of marriage. Some may recognize the validity of this argument; however, the U. S. government should not be influenced by this religious defense when considering illegality of homosexual marriage. America was founded on the belief in freedom of religion, which is why 221 years ago the first amendment to the U. S. constitution restricted the government from having any religious affiliations. The amendment stands today as the overpowering counterpoint against illegalization of gay marriage due to religious conflicts. The government does not have the right to illegalize homosexual marriage based solely on religious prohibition of the practice. Many individuals believe that same-sex marriage will increase the already high divorce rates. This belief is propelled by the misconception that the institution of marriage will be weakened by the allowance of homosexual unions thus increasing leniency of divorce. Allowing same-sex marriage will not impair family values, but will instead generate a new family dynamic. This new model of a family will not affect the traditional aspects of a family; it will simply leave the option of same-sex marriage open. The derogatory affects of same-sex marriage in society are so minimal that, â€Å"In Massachusetts, which legalized gay marriage in 2004, the divorce rate has declined by 21 percent and is the lowest in the country by some margin. The state which experienced the highest increase in its divorce rate over the period (Alaska, 17. 2 percent) also happens to be the first one to have altered its constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage in 1998. (Silver) Based on these statistics, same-sex marriage will not be detrimental to society. Those opposing gay marriage often argue that a homosexual couple’s inability to procreate is what makes them ineligible for marriage. It is obvious that is anatomically impossible for homosexual couples to reproduce, leading many to question the purpose of gay marriage if procreation is unfeasible. â€Å"Marriage was created to allow society to support heterosexual couples in procreation and society can choose not to give the same benefits to same-sex couples. (Jacobson) If marriage’s only purpose were to support reproduction, homosexual couples would have essentially no purpose for getting married. However, many successfully married heterosexual couples cannot reproduce because of incurable medical conditions. Without the ability to procreate, they would be fairly denied the right to marriage as well as homosexuals. Therefore, the argument presented is invalid because it does not address all couples without the ability to reproduce. The illegalization of same-sex marriage is to be determined by the value society places on fairness. Economically homosexual couples should receive the same compensations for being married as heterosexual couples are provided with. The resulting reimbursements would diminish financial struggles many homosexual couples encounter over the course of their lifetime. Spiritually gay couples deserve the right to freely exhibit their sexual desires without any discriminatory actions expressed by religious followers. Furthermore, the government should not consider these religious beliefs when determining the laws restricting one’s one right to participate in a homosexual marriage. Although many believe that the allowance of gay marriage will directly result in higher divorce rates, the freedom to be in a gay marriage has shown no direct correlation to divorce rates in state’s granting gay marriage. The illegalization of gay marriage is discriminatory against a minority of American citizens whose only desire is to be given the same rights as heterosexuals. The prejudice opinions opposing gay couples must be set aside in order for homosexuals to receive the benefits they fairly deserve.

Body Image Distortion Vs. Social Media - 1912 Words

Body Image Distortion vs. Social Media in Women How do you look to yourself? When you walk past a mirror, do you stop and stare? Are your first thoughts â€Å"Dang, I look good† or â€Å"I could be look better in this area†? These questions are designed to make you think about how you feel about yourself self-consciously. According to Carolyn Ross of PsychCentral, â€Å"Currently 80% of women in the U.S are dissatisfied with their appearance. â€Å" If you are not satisfied with your body in anyway, that may be because you answer have been influenced by social media. For example, if you were flipping through a magazine, you would come across not only skinny models but sections on dieting and exercise as well. Seeing this may trigger thoughts of uncertainty in one’s self and cause you to develop a negative body image outlook. Even though there hasn’t been a single declared cause to the dissatisfaction of the body or eating disorders, research has proven t hat is it a big contributor to the fact. Many studies have shown how social media has been linked to many people being unsatisfied with themselves. Social media is becoming a chronic problem when it comes to body image distortion or negative body imaging because these can lead some individuals into an unhealthy state. Some of these outcomes being anxiety, depression, and eating disorders amongst women. â€Å"Body Image† over Time Over the years, the ideal female figure has since changed. In the 1800s, the ideal female figure was a lotShow MoreRelatedThe Psycho Social Aspect Of The Disorder Essay1403 Words   |  6 Pagesin society for centuries, and it is partly due negative body image. A negative body image is the when people perceive themselves in a damaging manner. Anorexia nervosa (AN) is not an exception. 1 in a 100 people are suffering from this eating disorder, with only 10% of these individuals being male. Half of those with believing they are obese, when in fact that are underweight. The thought of being obese contributes to the negative body image and the continuation their self-starvation. Even thoughRead MoreFeminist Analysis : A Woman s Motivation Essay3024 Words   |  13 PagesRhiannon Murdoch Kalsta Mr. Carver English IV 21 December 2016 Feminism in Media Narrative is one of the most powerful tools in human history. Humans are species programmed to see patterns and generalize, it is an instinct almost as deep as breathing, patterns are found and accepted. Narrative is the creation of a pattern tailored to be attractive to a large demographic, or sometimes an entire society. Historically women have been portrayed as the weaker sex, nurturers and gatherers, female charactersRead MoreComg 151 Study Guide2593 Words   |  11 Pages  environment. ââ€"‹ Physical,   Social,   Historical,   Psychological,   Cultural ââ€"  Channels   - ­   Pathway   through   which   messages   are   sent. ââ€"‹ Face- ­to- ­Face   or   Online   Communication   (CMC) ââ€"  Noise   - ­   Interference ââ€"‹ Physical,   Psychological   or   Semantic   noise ââ€"  Feedback   - ­   Response   to   a   message ââ€"‹ Verbal   Symbols   and   nonverbal   behaviors What   are   the   communication   principles? ââ€"  Communication   has   a   purpose ââ€"‹ Develop   and   maintain   our   sense   of   self ââ€"‹ meet   our   social   needs ââ€"‹ Develop   andRead MoreImpact of Print Media on Society10439 Words   |  42 PagesTHE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE DOVE EVOLUTION FILM AS A ONE-SHOT MEDIA LITERACY TREATMENT by DANIEL AARON WHEELER A.A. Alabama Christian College 1979 B.A. Western Illinois University 1989 M.A. University of Alabama 1994 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Department of Educational Studies in the College of Education at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2009 Major Professors: Cynthia J. HutchinsonRead MoreHow Should People And Communities Of Faith?4209 Words   |  17 Pagespeople and communities of faith, such as Christian churches, live in a world in which we are ‘wrapped in media’? - Focused on the Christian communities in North Korea which are isolated by Juche ideology. (수ì  â€¢Ã¬Å¡â€) Aiden Lee (1110076) Introduction When Kim Il-Sung died in 1994, his death became a headline news and it became a big issue of Korea peninsular. However, one thing that shocked millions of media viewers in the world was the reactions of North Koreans that showed towards Kim’s death rather than theRead MoreEssay about Gendered Media9688 Words   |  39 PagesArticle 7 Gendered Media: The Influence of Media on Views of Gender Julia T. Wood Department of Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill times more often than ones about women (â€Å"Study Reports Sex Bias,† 1989), media misrepresent actual proportions of men and women in the population. This constant distortion tempts us to believe that there really are more men than women and, further, that men are the cultural standard. THEMES IN MEDIA Of the many influences on how we viewRead MoreThe Core Elements of Person-Centered Counseling3549 Words   |  14 Pagesis built on fantasy and mystery? If a client is conveying through his or her perceptions a conception that factors in his or her virtual engagement, then where might the appropriate line be between his or her virtual reality and every day thoughts, images, practices, conceptualizations? Is it possible for game intensive players to see the world differently because games are different, even if not always negatively so, from real life? While this is not to say, of course, that the therapist is offeringRead MoreGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 Pages GP NOTES 2010 (ESSAY) Content Page 1. Media a. New vs. Traditional b. New: narcissistic? c. Government Censorship d. Profit-driven Media e. Advertising f. Private life of public figures g. Celebrity as a role model h. Blame media for our problems i. Power + Responsibility of Media j. Media ethics k. New Media and Democracy 2. Science/Tech a. Science and Ethics b. Government and scientist role in science c. Rely too much on technology? d. Nuclear technologyRead MoreGender Discrimination5921 Words   |  24 Pagesespecially in developing countries. This paper argues that gender discrimination is an inefficient practice. The distortions in the allocation of talent between managerial and unskilled positions, and in human capital investment, are analyzed. It is found that both types of discrimination lower economic growth and distorts the allocation of talent. I discuss the sustainability of social norms or stigma that can generate discrimination in the form described in this paper. CHAPTER 1 Introduction AtRead MoreLanguage of Advertising20371 Words   |  82 Pagespeculiarities of advertising language are the subject of this graduation paper. At the beginning, in the first chapter is given a general definition of advertising language, its history. The second chapter is types of advertising (consumer advertising, media of consumer advertising). In the third chapter we consider slogans, logos, types with tone and some thoughts of colour. In the fourth chapter we study advertising as a service. The fifth chapter includes new agencies such as newspapers, periodicals