Looking for Alibrandi Essay Example for Free

Looking for Alibrandi Essay A world-wide hit in the late 1990s, Author Melina Marchetta wrote a manuscript about a teenage girl searching for herself and the way she is to live. Her name is Josephine Alibrandi who is a 17 year old Italian Australian or ‘wog’ as some know it, in the novel and film of ‘Looking for Alibrandi’. Much of the discussion of Alibrandi has centred around this portrayal of the multi-cultural society of Australia, although remarkably, the novel has managed to largely avoid the negative and superficial issues pigeon-holing so much realist fiction for young adults is victim to. There is no question that Marchettas own experiences as an Italian-Australian have informed her story. Nor is there any doubt that in Josephine Alibrandi she has created a fresh non-Anglo-Australian voice of great power and integrity. Nevertheless, Marchetta does find that the focus on the Italian heritage of her protagonist (and herself) can be both distracting and limiting; it was not, she says, her first impulse in telling Josephine Alibrandis story; Another legacy of the shared Italian-Australian heritage of both author and protagonist is the common assumption that the book must be autobiographical. The reading of her novel is in some ways complimentary, being as it is an indication of the kind of response readers have to Josephine, and to the lively and truthful tone of the novel; Marchetta has captured her characters, their situation and the inner city suburbs of Sydney acutely and precisely. The ambivalence Marchetta feels towards Josephine is revealed through the characters of Sister Louise, her headmistress, and her boyfriend Jacob, neither of whom hesitate to point out to Josephine when she is being selfish, over-dramatic, or plain stupid. A quite shocking example of this is in the scene where Jacob rescues Josephine from a violent mob of teenage boys in a McDonalds car park, and then abuses her for her stupidity in spitting on and further antagonising the ring-leader. It is an indication of the exasperation that Josephine provokes in those who care about her, and Marchetta agrees with Jacob that Josephines dramatic and impulsive behaviour too frequently land her in avoidable unpleasantness. To be fair, Josephine can be fairly hard on herself, and her ability at and willingness for self-scrutiny develops as she matures. It is testament to Marchettas care in balancing the complexities of Josephines character that the reader can witness her tantrums and drama-queen turns, her often thoughtless and selfish actions, and yet know that this is an essential part of her emancipation, and that it does not detract from her vitality, compassion and intelligence. Young Australian readers will find the setting of the novel very realistic and familiar. They will identify with the portrayal of Australian high school life, attending a debating meeting, the description of suburban Sydney and catching the ferry to Circular Quay, the fact of being part of a dysfunctional family ? all these details of the setting are realistic and will be instantly recognisable. Many teenagers of foreign parentage will relate to Josie’s rebellion against her Italian side and to all the references to the Italian culture.

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Set in the ever changing world of the Industrial Revolution, Charles Dickens’ novel  Hard Times  begins with a description of a utilitarian paradise, a world that follows a prescribed set of logically laid-out facts, created by the illustrious and "eminently practical" Mr. Gradgrind. However, one soon realizes that Gradgrind's utopia is only a simulacrum, belied by the devastation of lives devoid of elements that "feed the heart and soul," as well as the mind. As the years fly by, the weaknesses of Gradgrind's carefully constructed system become painfully apparent, especially in the lives of his children Louisa and Tom, as well as in the poor workers employed by one Mr. Josiah Bounderby, a wealthy factory owner and a subscriber to Gradgrind's system. Dickens, through the shattering of Gradgrind's utilitarian world, tells us that no methods, not even constant oppression and abuse, can defeat and overcome two basic needs of humans, our fundamental needs for emotion and imagi nation. Louisa, Mr. Gradgrind's favorite child, the paragon of his factual regime, leads a broken and embittered life which ends in a showdown between the ideologies of facts and fancy. She is a prime example of a child "filled to the brim" with knowledge by her father's strictly scientific education. Confused by her coldhearted upbringing, Louisa feels disconnected from her emotions and alienated from others, yet she yearns to experience more than the hard scientific facts she has absorbed all her life. While she vaguely recognizes that her father’s system of education has deprived her childhood of all joy, she cannot avoid being coldly rational and emotionally blunted, unable to actively invoke her emotions. She would have been a curious, passionate person who ... ...olution; he believed in internal parity and the growth of the mind and the spirit. He demonstrated that the system that "grinds down," but never building up, will ultimately result in chaos and woe for all those subjected to it. Through Hard Times, Dickens argues that all humans have an unconquerable need for imagination, emotion, and love. He tells us that this need cannot be altered or thwarted by any method of education or economic oppression, no matter how strict and abusive it might be. Hard Times illustrates Dickens' belief that it does not matter whether one is born in a nurturing or an abusive and neglectful surroundings. What matters is how an individual's true nature responds, changes, asserts itself and molds his or her environment. In the end, whether one remains thwarted or strives to fulfill and complete their lives determines who each person becomes.

A feminist or misogynistic Essay

In the play Medea, Euripides recognises the lack of gender equality of his time and comments on the patrichial nature of ancient Greek society. A feminist theme resonates in the play and has been developed through the characterisation of Medea and Jason. Medea, the female protagonist, is portrayed as powerful figure. Medea is spurned and aggrieved by a man but instead of accepting the situation submissively as she would have been expected to do, she asserts her own power. Furthermore, when King Creon decides to banish her, she doesn’t hesitate to argue persuasively on her own behalf despite his position of power. She naturally assumes that she has the right to speak as a man might do. Medea recognizes the oppression of women in her society when she declares â€Å"we women are the sorriest lot: first we must at great expenditure of money but a husband and even take on a master of our body†. However, Medea herself denounces women by admitting that they were born ‘useless for honest purposes’ suggesting that woman’s skills lie solely in the ability to exert their will by deceit and manipulation. Her deceptive nature is evident in the nature of the murder of Glauce by giving gifts laced with poison. Medea argues that although women have a deserved reputation for treachery, they only do so as the patriarchal society to which they belong deprives them of any other avenues of power. Yet Medea’s response to masculine exploitation surpasses any reasonable measures by her horrific murder of her children. The audience is positioned to be shocked and unsympathetic towards her actions. Medea’s actions are portrayed as hers alone not indicative of the natural behavior of women and Euripides acknowledges that the social injustice experienced by Medea cannot absolve her personal accountability for her actions. In the play through his characterisation of Jason, Euripides mocks the men’s supposed entitlement to authority and supremacy over women. Jason, the key male figure, from the onset of the play reveals himself to the audience to be a weak character, at odds with his reputation as a hero. His abandonment of his obedient wife, Medea, his greed-driven re-marriage and his inability to admit his own culpability in the drama that ensued, portrays him to the audience as vapid, vacuous man whose actions are fuelled almost entirely by self-interest. His constant emasculation of Jason by his depiction as a weak and flawed character makes him appear unsympathetic to the audience. Medea is a strong-willed and powerful individual whose personality traits would be stereotypically attributed to a male character whilst Jason’s self-obsessed and treacherous ways would more often be linked to a female character. Through the depiction of Medea and Jason, Euripides makes the conjecture their characters are both highly flawed and so they should be condemned for their deeds rather than for the gender.

Do you agree with this interpretation of Dunkirk?

This painting is a representation of the evacuation of Dunkirk. It shows the losses of ships, the troops living upon the beaches, and how the water was too shallow for the boats, so little boats had to go to the shore. A man made harbour that was made by the Royal Engineers is also shown in the picture. Also there was the big cloud of smoke from the blown oil refinery, the cover above from the spitfires and hurricane's shotting down the german air force(luftwaffe), the shells exploding randomly on the beaches that were being launched by the Germans from out side the town of Dunkirk. The knowlage that i have to back up the evedence from the paint in souce A is that we know from the video of war walks with Richard Holmes, that the big cloud off smoke is true, also the Video also mentions the shallow seas. There is not many inaccuries in this painting ecxept the fact of the British and French troops round the city fighting off the Germans that were trying to get to the beaches. I think this picture, although showing many of the facets of the evacuation, is not strictly accurate. For example the men wouldn't be lining up in straight lines.Even so I think this is a fair interpretation of the evacuation of Dunkirk.

Native American Abuse essays

Native American Abuse essays Imagine your country had been invaded by a very powerful group of people. Before anything drastic could be done these people had invaded your shores and had creeping inward upon your land. At first they acted with scorn and called us names and disrespect. After several groups of our people revolted against these invaders they decided to negotiate certain terms with us. Then after thinking all was well many of these agreements were broken and they started to ship us like freight to areas where they could hold a lot of our kind while they abuse and take over our country/land. We tried to fight back but it was useless, we were at their strong armys demise. It is sad that such atrocities were done to perform an act of genocide on our people. Though you might assume this is an excerpt from a Jew during the holocaust those oppressed are Native Americans and the cruel invaders are none other than the U.S. Government and Army. While many revere (including ourselves) the United States as a world superpower and a role model to other countries is it so quickly forgotten of our own Holocaust? (Actually there are two; one killing 40 to 60,000,000 Africans, and one killing 100,000,000 Native Red Peoples). Hitler himself often expressed his admiration for the expediency in which the American Christians removed the Native Americans and gave them mass graves like the one in Wounded Knee, South Dakota. If this is so how can we even bare to criticize and severely punish those who follow in Hitlers example and ways if us ourselves still havent fully paid the dues to the extent of our crimes? The treatment of Native Americans in the U.S. is on of the most forgotten atrocities in our history. Calling ourselves Americans is basically a l ie since we are not Natives to this land. Some even try to justify these actions on Natives by pointing out that the Native Americans had attacked and raided on A ...

How to Manage Studying and Sports

How to Manage Studying and Sports If you are a college athlete, no matter which sport you participate in you will face one common hurdle balancing training commitments with your studies. If you are a scholarship student then learning how to manage studying and sports is even more important since you are likely to have a minimum grade you are required to maintain in order to keep your scholarship! Even if you are not on a team, and just like to participate in sports or fitness on a casual basis, it can also be tough to find the right balance. That’s why we have put together this collection of helpful tips and techniques to help you learn how to manage studying and sports. Study Tips for Athletes These handy hints are going to help athletes learn how to manage studying and sports so that they can maintain good grades while still performing well in their chosen sporting activity. Get a Planner Stay Organized One of the best tips we can offer when it comes to learning how to manage studying and sports is to get a planner and learn to stay organized. You will be issued with a list of practice sessions and games or tournaments early on in the season. Mark all of these into your planner straight away. Add in study commitments such as homework assignments and exams as you are given the details. You will be able to see immediately if there is a clash. If you notice that an important assignment is due the day after a big game, then that is your cue to get started early. Finish the assignment before the game and you will have one less thing to stress over! Learn How to Manage Your Time Effectively Following on from making use of a planner is managing your time more effectively. You already know school hours, game times and practice times, so those are automatically blocked off already. Marking this in your calendar or planner helps you to see how much time you actually have for studying and other leisure activities allowing you to plan more effectively. Make Good Use of Travel Time As an athlete, it is likely that you will have to travel to away games and tournaments. It could be just one town over, or it could be out of state. Make the most of this time by using it to study. Pack some revision notes or textbooks to catch up on your reading on the bus! If you are going to be staying away overnight then bring some homework to do at your hotel. It is easy to see these trips as downtime or vacation, but if you gather a group of like minded teammates together who also want to study, then it is a great opportunity to stay on top of your school work. Ask About Supported Study Programs Sports teams want their athletes to do well academically. Many of them will have study support available in the form of tutors or study groups for any athlete struggling to balance study and sport. Ask if there is any help available to you and make use of it. That is why these programs are in place, so don’t be afraid to use them! Don’t Treat Sport Like Work Playing sports has an overall benefit to your mental, physical and emotional health. It gives you a healthy outlet for the pressures of studying as you get to do something you love. However, if you begin to see sport as a chore rather than a fun activity it stops serving those purposes. Never lose sight of the fact that your studies are the real work here and sport is your outlet. If you keep that in mind you may just find that they both help each other! General Tips for Managing Studying Sports These are more general tips for learning how to manage studying and sports. They can be used by athletes, but are also great for the the casual sports enthusiast just trying to find the right balance. Listen to Audio Books or Lectures at the Gym or Out Jogging If you are hitting the gym for a couple of hours, or maybe heading out for a run on the track you probably listen to music. Why not switch it up and use that time to listen to audiobook versions of your set texts or recordings of lecture notes? It’s a great way to catch up on reading and you will be surprised at how much sinks in! Workout At Your Desk You can actually fit in a workout while sitting at your desk! Chair squats are a great way to work all of the major muscle groups in your lower body! While working on your paper, stand at your desk with your feet flat on the floor. Keep your back straight and press down with your heels, squatting until your butt is an inch above the chair. Hold for 10 seconds then sit back down. Repeat this around 20 times at regular intervals. Not only will you work your muscles, but you are also elevating your heart rate and engaging your core. Set Realistic Goals Studying at college is stressful as it is without spreading yourself too thinly. It is great to want to incorporate sport into your daily routine, but be realistic. Can you really commit to a 6am run every single day or a workout session at the gym every evening? The answer is probably not! Schedule in time for your sporting activities just like you would study sessions. Think about the time available to you and use it wisely. If sport becomes a chore you will start to fall out of love with it , so stick to once or twice a week. In conclusion, there are a variety of techniques that can be utilized in order to manage studying and sports. Regardless of whether you are an athlete trying to meet your scholarship requirements, or just a sports enthusiast looking to balance fitness and study, these tips are a great place to start. Choose the ones that are going to work for you and adapt others to meet your individual needs. Maybe reading this list will even inspire you to come up with your own techniques for how to manage studying and sports?

Management Theory And Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Management Theory And Practice - Essay Example Management is the dynamic, life-giving element in every business. Without it the resources of production remain resources and never become production." (Sharma, 2004 11) This definition emphasizes that the managers achieve organizational objectives getting things done through the employees. Human resource Management is very essential for successful running of an enterprise. It ensures proper use of physical and human resources by deriving the best results. It leads to efficient performance and higher productivity. Human Resource Management is very essential for every organization to make productive use of human physical and financial resources or the achievement of the organizational goals. It helps in determination of objectives. No organization can succeed in tits mission unless its objectives an identified and well denied. Management helps in achieving these objectives by the efficient use of resources. "Planning is the selection and relating of facts and making and using of assumptions regarding the future in the visualization and formalization of proposed activities believed necessary to achieve desired results" (Sharma, 2004 26). Planning is straightforward, and the process of planning can be summarized in five steps, which can be adapted to suit any planning activity at any level in the organization with the support of highly skilled individuals. (Yvonne 28) Assess... Policies, procedures and rules are often referred to as standing plans; they are automatically activated when certain events occur. The Planning Process Planning is straightforward, and the process of planning can be summarized in five steps, which can be adapted to suit any planning activity at any level in the organization with the support of highly skilled individuals. (Yvonne 28) Step 1 Establish a goal, or a number of goals. Planning begins with defining what the organization wants to achieve. Being as specific as possible, and establishing priorities will assist the organization in focusing its efforts. Step 2 Assess the present situation and forecast the future situation. The current situation needs to be assessed and analyzed before future activity can be investigated. Questions such as 'How far is the organization away from its goals 'And 'What resources does it have to reach the goals' need to be addressed. A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis needs to be undertaken. This involves identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the organization and determining the opportunities available to the organization and the threats it faces Step 3 Develop and evaluate alternatives. After auditing the resources of the organization and making forecasts, it is likely that there will be several courses of action, which could accomplish the organization's goals. These must be carefully evaluated. Step 4 Implement the plan. Once the choice has been made from the various alternatives, the plan can be drawn up and implemented. However, planning alone is not a guarantee of success. Success depends on the effective implementation of the plan, and involves management skills in organizing, staffing, leading and