The Simple Gift Essay Example for Free

The Simple Gift Essay It’s about Billy, who leaves home aboard a freight train heading interstate. Billy finds himself in Bendarat, living in a disused train carriage, where he meets a homeless man called Old Bill. Old Bill drinks away his past while Billy tries to find a future. The other main character is Caitlin, a girl Billy meets in Bendarat. All three characters are searching for something to give their lives substance. Steve Herricks poetry novel tells the story of a homeless boys quest to find somewhere to belong. After he runs away from an abusive father, Billy lives in an abandoned railway carriage. There he meets another homeless man, Old Bill and starts to understand the nature of belonging. Caitlin, a lonely girl from a rich family, helps him along the way. http://www.stevenherrick.com.au/notes.htm Why did you write the simple gift? I wanted to explore the relationship between a young man and an old man. As adults, we seem to believe that the idea of being an influence works only one way we adults can influence young people for the better. In the book, I wanted to show it working the other way that is, young Billy really being the positive influence, in fact, the catalyst, for Old Bill rejoining the world. I know my two teenage sons are a wonderful positive influence on my own life. It seems to me that the world of young people is becoming increasingly marginalized by mainstream media. As adults, we need to accept, encourage, and indeed, embrace the world of young people. Let’s see the relationship as a priceless two-way street. What is the theme of the simple gift? At the time of writing this book, I was listening to a wonderful folk CD by Bruce Springsteen titled the ghost of Tom Joad. On this CD, there are a few songs about middle-aged men who are searching for something to give their life meaning. The word redemption kept rolling around my head when listening to the songs, and writing this book. That word certainly came into play in how I created the character of Old Bill. The other thing I kept thinking about while writing was the whole notion of gifts what is valuable in our life? How do we measure what is valuable? The notion of the spiritual versus  the material is something that informs a lot of my writing. Anything else you want to tell us about gift One reviewer called Billy an atypical hero, which I thought was interesting. That got me thinking about what is heroic, and how it relates to some of the characters in my other books. I reckon Billy from gift, within the story they do something of great value, that is a little thing give friendship and hope to an old hobo; these simple little things are what I think of as heroic. They are done by ordinary people, in a quiet unobtrusive way, and to commit these acts it requires compassion and love and respect. And they are far more heroic and necessary than any world-record sporting achievement. And they cannot be measured in dollars and cents. the wind and rain hits you in the face with the force of a fathers punch. That was a relatively easy image to think of because Billy was escaping the violence of his home life. Yeah, thats fine, but what about BELONGING!!!!  I think a closer understanding of the notion of each characters search for an identity and for a place in the community theyve constructed would be worthwhile. I also think its fair to say that a search for an identity can be related to the idea of wanting to belong to oneself. That is, the search for a conscience you can live with/inhabit. The use of interior monologues throughout gift can be seen as keeping your own community the conversation with yourself (which is the essence of an interior monologue) is an attempt to understand how you belong both in this world, but more importantly, to your sense of self. The Simple Gift, Stephen Herricks narrative poem demonstrates elements of belonging and acceptance through the pain and suffering of rejection, homelessness and dealing with death by the characters Billy, Caitlin and Old Bill. The protagonist Billy Luckett sixteen years of age ventures into the world; leaving home on his own decision. Billy reveals himself as a  reject, a thief; and a troubled character who rejected a restrictive regimented irrelevant education system. The cause of his alienation appears to be physical and psychological abuse from his father, lack of caring from his school and his run down neglected neighborhood with its â€Å"truck still on blocks† â€Å"unmown grass†, â€Å"broken windows† and which he derisively refers to as â€Å"each deadbeat no hoper sh-thole lonely downtrodden house in Longlands Rd, Nowheresville†. All the symbols pointing to a decaying, decrepit, depressing environment. The school also receives a blast from Billy ’s poisonous pen. Why 4:30? Most schools would have emptied two hours earlier, however the rest of the stanza rings true as Billy sets the scene on a windy rainy day with the Principal’s run down car blowing smoke, the rubbish strewn oval, Mr Cheetam (Cheater?) notes on Japan to 26 bored students and Billy self-described as â€Å"one lucky bastard† admitting to have ‘stolen’ the lipstick used for his graffiti. He leaves an elliptical epithet: Billy Luckett rhymes with revealing his frustration through a loss of words Another evocative portrait is reminiscences in the poem sport in chapter one. The pain and suffering’ of soulless tyranny endured by him from the old bastard his father. This technique of expletive language is used to depict the poor relationship he shared with his father he gave me one backhander I felt the blood† and his attitude toward the world hes living in. Whilst catching a train, uncertain where the train will take him, bad weather, wind and rain recalls the violent significant memory of his father with the forces of a fathers punch. The metaphoric terms further reveal Billys harsh living environment he is seeking to escape. Herrick induces us to feel empathy rather than antagonism to the protagonist. This is accomplished through the intimate use of language, changing perspectives and personal anecdotes. Ernies train whistle symbolises the beginning of Billys new life contrasted favourably by Ernie’s ‘not bossing you around’. His next positive role model is Irene, Bendarat’s Librarian, who welcomes him and encourages him to borrow books. Billy faces many obstacles or challenges in his new environment, such as lack of accommodation and food, because he has no income. An old train carriage becomes the protagonists new accommodation while he feeds off scraps of leftover food at McDonalds where he catches the attention of Caitlin. Another self imposed exile is, Old Bill, who suffers trauma due to  the loss of his daughter Jessie, after an incident of Jessie falling out of a tree. This led Old Bill to ‘homelessness’ as his home reminds him too much of his daughter, which eventually brings him to the streets turning to alcohol to relieve the pain. After this loss, Old Bills pain and suffering that he endured means he doesnt care much about life. Billy and Old Bill developed a friendship and sense of camaraderie as he treats Old Bill as his father figure. I like the kidI like his company contrasts the lack of love and relationship between Billy and his real father. Old Bill’s emotive language as he explained to Billy and I fell with her, and Ive been falling ever since emphasizes hes still not over it. The bond of friendship is important, it emphasizes the strength in ones relationship, yet it doesnt grieve nor boast but helps one another through rough tough times, which is portrayed as Old Bill becomes less alcoholic, and slowly recovers from the loss of his daughter as he experiences life that we planned. Growth in maturity is shown as both of the two protagonists show signs of growth as they help each other. Billys growth is demonstrated as he becomes a different individual from the beginning of the narrative poem showing positive thinking â€Å"sure theres hope in the worldeven for hobos like us. Whilst Old Bills relationship with Billy and Caitlin, Old Bill’s view of the world slowly starts to change, as the protagonist reduces his consumption of alcohol and ventures to achieve plans that were made with Jessie. While Old Bill demonstrates the symbolism of A Simple Gift when he gave his keys to his old home to Caitlin and Billy. Caitlin also feels as a misfit in her affluent society. She feels discomfort in her uniform, her school, and her luxurious home due to a whispering in her heart that it is all false, superficial, affected and pretentious, so she escapes by slumming it, looking for real values to replace the artificial ones in her world. She is attracted to Billy because of his self assurance and his genuine intelligence. It is the interaction between these three characters and the sharing of gifts, coffee and food, that unites them against a cold, callous and uncaring society. As St Francis of Assisi says â€Å"For it is in giving that we receive†. This narrative novel/poem/drama (?) is very successful and appeals to young people. In a recent poll it was voted the best drama in Australia despite the fact that is generally categorised as a narrative poem. It is fairly realistic and  credible though there are parts that stretch the imagination. Caitlin comes across a bit contrived but her portrayal is plausible. There are many reasons for individuals to venture into the world as the text The Simple Gift shows to achieve self-reliance and independence, even so, many individuals personality in life may change as they experience parts of life first hand. Many would like to experience their own mistakes, which is dealt with in texts like â€Å"Ten Things I Hate about You,† Looking for Alibrandi and the Simple Gift yet to find eventually that their perspective was completely opposite. Like most clichà ©s dont judge a book by its cover. The Simple Gift illustrates that gain acceptance from others by uncritically accepting them.

A Midsummers Nights Dream by William Shakespeare Essay -- Papers

A Midsummer's Nights Dream by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare wrote a midsummer's night dream in 1595. He wrote this comedy to celebrate the marriage of a noble man. An important guest at the wedding was Elizabeth 1st. The play describes the adventures of two sets of lovers as they pass through the forest outside Athens, they are misused by immortals Oberon the fairy king and puck his messenger. To get revenge on his wife Titania, Oberon misuses Bottom a labourer. The love tangles are all resolved at the end of the play when love rules all end married and happy. Shakespeare wishes his audience to enjoy the falling in and out of love of the characters. His message is that true love never runs smoothly. The theme of love is involved with all of the characters from the quarrel of Oberon and Titania, to the play Pyramus and Thisbe performed by the labourers for the wedding celebrations of Theseus and Hippolyta. Oberon has power over all the elements. He can change weather and seasons. "These are the forgeries of jealousyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ But with thy brawls thou hast disturbed our sportà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The seasons alterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The spring, the summer, the childing autumn, angry winter, changeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦" This speech of titanias shows us that the seasons and all the growth of nature are changed because of their jealousy arguments and disagreements. This is because Oberon and Titania are king and queen of immortals and have control over them and all nature. Their argument causes evil to occur. Later in the play when they are reconciled they bring blessing to the mortal world. He therefore decided to teach his wife a lesson when she refuses to .. ...eron's "bed and company" we see how determined Oberon is to have the little Indian boy, his wife refuses. While angry with his wife Oberon feels sorry for Helena when he hears Demetrias treats her badly. How strange that Oberon intends to use the flower juice on his own wife to misuse and embarrass her. The swing of the emotion is typical to mood swings through the play. It is Oberon that controls the lives of the other characters and brings changes of mood and atmosphere. It is he who moves he story to a happy end. When Titania agreed to give Oberon the little Indian boy he takes the juice of her eyes. The lover's muddles are sorted out and they are happy. This is a very different Oberon from which we see at the start of the play, he is a much better person. In the same way he acts like a spoilt child.

A Personal Perspective: Personal Reflections on Followership and Leadership Essay

I will discuss personal follower and leader interactions with two individuals that I have worked with over the last five to seven years. I selected these individuals because of my relationship with them and their leadership capabilities. Secondly, I admire and model after both of them. Finally, I selected these individuals because they believe in me and have invested in my professional and personal development. I will discuss their leadership style in context with course materials and illustrate how I am able to be an effective follower under their leadership. I will also discuss the leadership qualities that make them highly effective leaders. A Personal Perspective: Personal Reflections on Followership and Leadership Trust is the most important factor in most relationships, professional and personal. It is very easy to follow someone that you trust, even when there are differences of opinion. I have worked under the leadership of two dynamic leaders for the last five to seven years. The first is my boss, Karen Schrock, President & CEO of Adult Well-Being Services. The second individual I selected is my Pastor, James Minnick. I selected Karen and James because of my relationship with them. They are both highly effective leaders that I admire for their ability to lead under pressure, manage difficult people and situations, accomplish what needs to be accomplish and remain positive. They believe in me and have invested in my professional and personal development. I strongly concur with the statement leaders are only as good as the people who follow (Johnson, 2011). Bjudstads defines followership as the ability to effectively follow the directives and support the efforts of a leader to maximize the organization (Bjudstad, 2006). An effective follower is one who is enthusiastic, self-reliant, and fulfills their duties with enthusiasm (Kelly, 1998). Courageous, honesty, credibility, competence, and focus are  also qualities of a good follower. It is easy to follow when you are lead by leaders who are competent, passionate, exhibit compassion, and are able to communicate the vision, goals and objectives. I have worked with Karen for seven years, first as her Administrative Assistant and now as the Manager of Executive Office Operations and Stapleton Operations. I worked as a project manager with my previous employer and the skills I developed in that position enabled me to transition to the position of Administrative Assistant for the President & CEO of an organization with ease. They refer to us as the dynamic duo because we work so well together. Karen is very organized, a detailed planner, and clearly communicates her expectations. I am very organized and a detailed planner. We meet at the beginning of each week. We both prepare a list of priorities (often they contain the same items). We differ in communication style. I prefer emails. She prefers face to face or phone communication. A good follower adapts to the style of the leader when necessary. So, I’ve adapted my style somewhat. When managing contacts for her, I will make the call or contact in person. Leaders and foll owers have to be flexible. I am able to approach her and discuss my view when we disagree because of our relationship and her leadership style. She always takes the time to make sure I understand even high level decisions. She shares information so that I am able to make better decisions and work more effectively as a follower. I follow her because I trust that she has my best interest, as well as the best interest of the organization, in her perspective as she leads us. Another quality that allows me to be an effective follower is Karen allows me to do my work. I cannot imagine how frustrating it is to be micromanaged. I don’t require a lot of supervision. I know her expectations. I know the organization. I ask questions and for help when necessary. I am also proactive. It is not necessary for her to tell me what needs to be done in every instance. After working with her for so long, I often know what is expected and accomplish it before it is requested. I advise her of ongoing projects and issues that require her attention. It is my responsibility as a follower to ensure she is informed. Johnson states followers have a responsibility to give good information (Johnson, 2011). Good information i s not necessarily pleasant. I am able  to tell her things others often sugar coat. If something is not working, she needs to know. I also present her with possible solutions when presenting problems. I am comfortable making decisions and informing her of the problem and my resolution. If I make a bad decision, she uses that as a learning opportunity. This is empowering, and has built my confidence and helped me develop as a manager. My relationship with James Minnick started many years ago. We grew up in our local church and I have known him for over thirty five years. I did not work closely with him until he became our Pastor. Shortly after becoming Pastor, he asked me to serve as a Trustee. I am now the Assistant Financial Secretary. It is in this capacity that I have grown to respect him as an effective leader. I am able to exhibit the same qualities of a follower as a Trustee that I exhibit when working with Karen. The environment is different; however, I am who I am. I am just as efficient at a Trustee a nd Assistant Financial Secretary as I am as an employee of Adult Well-Being Services. Good stewardship is required in both environments. Good leaders are able to identify the talents and abilities of their followers to fulfill the vision and mission of the organization in business and non-business environments. I have the same commitment to the Church and its leader as I have to the organization that I work for. I follow James because I trust him and his ability to lead membership. It is easy to follow him because he allows each of us to first recognize, and then use our gifts to support the ministry. I have grown tremendously under the leadership of both of the individuals I’ve discussed. I am able to use my skills, talents and abilities at both organizations and use the resources of both organizations for the common good. I have learned from experiences at Adult Well-Being Services that have helped me as a Trustee and Financial Secretary at the church. They have assigned me projects that I did not believe I was capable of managing but with their encouragement, I accomplished them. James is also the Director of Transportation for Detroit Public Schools. I volunteered to head a project at work to use his expertise to improve our transportation operations. I have watched Karen develop collaborations and relationships to benefit the organization, and used this as a model to develop opportunities and relationships that benefit the organization and church. Goleman (2000) identified six leadership styles: coercive, reflective, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting and coaching. Goleman and Gupta explain good leaders use all of the leadership styles; however, they consistently use only four of the leadership styles. Not all of the styles produce positive results and a positive work climate (Goleman, 82). I was able to visualize how Karen and James use the styles presented and their impact on the organizations they lead. On a more personal note, I was able to see how the styles have impacted my relationship with them and my ability to be an effective follower. The four leadership styles that produce positive results and create a positive work environment are: 1. Authoritative (Mobilizes people toward a vision, encourages others to be a part); 2. Democratic (Works towards consensus, seeks the input of others); 3. Affliliative (Builds harmony and emotional bonds, people come first); and 4. Coaching (Develops people for the future, encourages new ideas/actions). These four styles, as well as the coercive and pacesetting, are demonstrated in the follower and leader interactions I have with James and Karen. I have to admit there are times when I say to them â€Å"Hold-up. You’re taking me too fast.† But I later appreciate that they trust my ability to do what they are asking me to do (even when I don’t). There are also times when they have to pull rank and say â€Å"just do it† because I am resistant and may not want to comply with what I’m being asked to do. I’m learning that there are times when they just want things accomplished. While it may not be my responsibility, it would prolong their desire to have the task accomplished if I don’t do it. Most of the time their leadership styles exhibit the characteristics of leadership apparent in the democratic, coaching, authoritative, and affliliative leadership styles. Not only are these leadership styles beneficial to me, they benefit the organizations the lead. Under their leadership, stressful and chaotic situations become less stressful and chaotic. No one can ever say that they don’t know what’s expected of them because the goals and objectives are always communicated clearly. Karen and James possess values that enable me to follow without reservation. Honesty is first and foremost. They also value people as individuals, recognizing individual strengths and weaknesses. Bjugstad theorizes that organizations can maximize the strengths and minimize the weaknesses of leader-follower relationships by matching the styles of leaders and followers (Bjugstad, 2006). I did not seek leaders from the delegating leadership quadrant. The selected me and  have allowed me to develop into an exemplary follower. I also model their leadership styles and am growing as a leader. Exemplary leaders make it easy for others to be exemplary followers. References Bjugstad, K., Thach, E. C., Thompson, K. J., & Morris, A. (2006). A fresh look at followership: A model for matching followership and leadership styles. Journal of Behavioral & Applied Management, 7(3), 304–319. Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, 78(2), 78-90. Retrieved March 25, 2014, from the Business Source Complete database. Gupta, S. (2011, July). Leadership that delivers results. Siliconindia, 14(7), 34-35. Retrieved March 26, 2014, from Business Source Complete. Retrieved from the Walden University library database. Johnson, B. (2011, September). Good followership. Training Journal, 32–36. Retrieved March 15, 2014, from the Walden Library databases. Kelley, R. E. (1988). In praise of followers. Harvard Business Review, 66(6), 142–148. Retrieved March 15m 2014, from the Walden Library databases. Walumbwa, F. O., Lawler, J. J., & Avolio. B. J. (2007). Leadership, individual differences, and work-related attitudes: A cr oss cultural investigation. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 56(2), 212-230. Retrieved March 25, 2014, from the Business Source Complete database.

Efforts to Fight Cyber Bullying - 1182 Words

Mice in the bubonic plague cause the extinction of vast populations, the mouse now has a new definition and it has connected human being in ways that we still can not being to understand. At the same time the modern day mouse also has been use applied in ways that mimic its treacherous definitional predecessors. The click of a mouse has cause youthful individuals to commit suicide and live lifestyles that are indulged in depression. Cyber bullying is a fairly new type of violence and this is why it is so hard to counter. One of the most prominent forms of counter-cyber bullying that the United States implements is through legislations, which have resulted in mixed results. Psychologist and Sociologist agree that the negative reinforcement approach doesn’t really teach the adolescents the affects that it has on the victims and why it is wrong (Kanazawa). The new legislation actually has caused the young individuals to use more cunning methods in trying to hurt people; like usin g anonymous chartrooms (Bullying Statistics). The more systematic approach is actually showing the kids the problem behind bullying, so that they can use these technological mediums for good instead for action with violent intentions. Cyber bullying is a very serious issue in the world we live in; we live in an era where space and time have become illusion in the face of technological advances we are now experiencing. Cyber bullying is a broad umbrella term for verbal or digital violation of aShow MoreRelatedCyber Bullying Essay1473 Words   |  6 PagesStutzky suggests that cyber bullying is the use of modern communication technologies to embarrass, humiliate, threaten, or intimidate an individual in the attempt to gain power and control over them. Bullying has been around since the beginning of time. 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