Essay on Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - 2121 Words

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens In Great Expectations, Dickens wants to explore what it means to be a gentleman in the rapidly changing Victorian England. He suggests that money is not everything, but you need some to get yourself started in the world. Being a gentleman means that you have to be moral, kind, courteous, hard working, financially independent and educated. Pip’s experiences of social class, in some ways mirror those of Dickens’ childhood. Dickens’ parents were middle class but moved down the class ladder when they moved house, (they moved from quite a nice house into a slightly smaller house in a slightly less desirable area, over and over again, due to financial problems, hence moving down the class†¦show more content†¦He overspends and abuses his fortune. Dickens paints a picture of Victorian rural working class life. The Kent village where Pip lived as a child with Joe and Mrs. Joe is a bleak area near the river marshes. It is overgrown with nettles and is dark. This would have been very daunting for a little boy who is out on his own. Pip’s family would not have been able to afford anywhere nicer to live because they were lower working class and therefore would not have had much money. However, Joe and Mrs. Joe have a best room, or parlour, which is only used on special occasions, such as Christmas. They all also have Sunday best clothes to go to church in, which they do every week. Mrs. Joe believes that ‘cleanliness is next to godliness,’ and is therefore always cleaning around the house, making it spotless. This is significant because poor people often take a great deal of pride in looking after what little they have. Also, there is a high infant mortality rate because Pip is one of only six children to survive in his family. Both of his parents are dead as well, but we do not know how they died. Right at the beginning of the novel, Pip meets an escaped convict in the Churchyard, where he is visiting his parents’ and siblings’ gravestones. He suddenly hears from behind him: ‘Hold your noise.’ It is said in an aggressive manner, such to scare Pip out of his thick boots. The man who said itShow MoreRelatedGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens1113 Words   |  5 Pagesadventures that the male characters go on. This seems to be relevant in a lot of movies and books like the story Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. In Great Expectations there are multiple female characters like Estella, Biddy, and Miss Havisham who all play a large part in the main character, Pip’s life. One of the first that we meet the character Estella in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations is when Pip goes to Miss Havisham’s to play with her. The two kids play the game beggar my neighbor when EstellaRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens1347 Words   |  6 Pagespoor status of the economy, social mobility does not seem to be occurring at high rates, with the poor getting poorer and rich getting richer. Despite this, social mobility is alive and well, and has been for centuries. In his novel, Great Expectations, Charles Dickens voices the concerns of many that lived in Victorian England during the 19th century by promoting such a desire to live life in a more prosperous social class. One of the most fundamental and reoccurring themes in the novel is that ofRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens1426 Words   |  6 Pages Twelve-year-old Charles dickens gets ready for bed after a long day at the blacking house. These Victorian-aged memories will provide him with many ideas for his highly acclaimed novel Great Expectations. Set in 1830 England, Great Expectations is a coming-of-age story about a common innocent boy named Pip and his road to becoming a gentleman through the influence of others. Pip is influenced both positively and negatively by Estella, Herbert, and Magwitch. Estella left a huge impression on PipRead MoreGreat Expectations by Charles Dickens984 Words   |  4 PagesCharles Dickens utilizes his life for inspiration for the protagonist Pip in his novel Great Expectations. They both struggle with their social standing. Dickens loved plays and theatre and therefore incorporated them into Pip’s life. Dickens died happy in the middle class and Pip died happy in the middle class. The connection Dickens makes with his life to Pip’s life is undeniable. If readers understand Dickens and his upbringing then readers can understand how and why he created Pip’s upbringingRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations943 Words   |  4 Pages This is true in many cases but none as much as in Great Expectations. In many ways the narrator/protagonist Pip is Charles Dickens in body and mind. While there are many differences between the story and Charles Dickens life there remains one constant. This constant is the way Pip as the narra tor feels, because these feelings are Dickens s own feelings about the life he lead. Since Great Expectations was written towards end of Charles Dickens life, he was wiser and able to make out the mistakesRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens1375 Words   |  6 PagesGreat Expectations by Charles Dickens and The Talented Mr Ripley by Anthony Minghella present similar criticisms of society to a large extent. Both of these texts consider the criticisms of rich social contexts (wealth and status), societal morality (whether a society is good or not. Status [can lead to the wrong people being in a high position i.e. making bad decisions affecting the community/society] Appearance [society appears to be moral/good (if you’re from a higher status) {dickens criticisesRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations1223 Words   |  5 PagesBeloved author Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth, England. Growing up in a life of poverty, his childhood hardshi ps provided the inspiration to write a myriad of classic novels including his 1861 seminole masterpiece, Great Expectations (â€Å"BBC History - Charles Dickens†). Great Expectations follows the life of an orphan named Pip, who’s perspective of the world is altered when he is attacked by an escaped convict in his parents’ graveyard in the town of Kent. Throughout hisRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens924 Words   |  4 Pagesa character driven novel, or a mix of the two. In order for a novel to be character driven, it must revolve more around the characters’ individual thoughts, feelings, and inner struggles, rather than around the quest of the story. Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, is a character driven novel. While the story does have a plot, it is not contingent upon that plot, but rather is reliant upon its characters and their natures. This is evident from the beginning of the novel. From the opening ofRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations1669 Words   |  7 PagesCharles Dickens He was one of England s greatest authors of the 1800 s, better known as the Victorian era. The various themes and ideas of that time are perfectly showcased in his many novels and short stories, such as Nicholas Nickelby, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, and A Christmas Carol. Much of the inspiration for these works came from the trials and conflicts that he dealt with in his own life. His volumes of fictional writing show the greatRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations1017 Words   |  5 Pagesexperiencer is somewhere else absorbing knowledge of a different setting.This abstract adventure is seized by author Charles Dickens in Great Expectations. Great Expectations is historical fiction giving readers comprehension of the Victorian Era.Upon the reading, readers begin to catch on the intended purpose and its significance. A person who lived during the Victorian Era was Charles Dickens himself.He grew up during a time where differences in social class were to an extreme degree.Dickens went through

Leadership Style Of A Healthcare - 1214 Words

Leadership in a healthcare setting requires a great breath of knowledge specific to healthcare and but it also requires soft skills that can be translated to many other professional endeavors. This essay will examine the leadership style of a specific healthcare professional, the strategies and skills that she uses to motivate their staff members and the results or impacts of the application of the skills and knowledge of leadership. The interview of this leader allowed an insight into the inner workings of both the leader herself, but also into the challenges that her organization faces. A more thorough understanding of organizational leadership and culture in particular could benefit this leader and provide this leader with additional†¦show more content†¦This self-defined position may be contradictory to the definition of leadership, as Kilbort (2004) notes that leaders are often seen as providing inspiration and vision to organizations while managers provide the support to staff so tasks are completed correctly. Allowing staff to complete tasks under their own accord may be a fitting strategy in a healthcare setting, specifically in regard to clinical personnel. Prosser notes that she was educated at her university in leadership, the requirements of individuals and the organization allow her to lead by allowing greater individual task independence; she also notes that some staff personally do not prefer this style of leadership (A. Prosser, personal communication, February 20, 2016). This seems to indicate that this leaders style could be identified as strategic leadership, Cannella and Monroe (1997) state that this style of leadership; a theory that purports the need for flexibility in style and that leaders make decisions based on their own values. This theory may not, however, account for the all aspect of this administrator’s leadership style. Healthcare clinical workers have differing needs for supervision than administrative staff, this may be on account of clinical provider’s clinical knowledge and responsibilities that may not be shared by administrative leaders. The position of leaders to allow this autonomy is supported, Kerfoot (2003) states that poorly lead healthcare

Abortion and Women’s Rights Free Essays

I believe that abortion is a woman’s right in Africa.   The decision should be up to the individual woman without any outside influences from society. (2003, Thomas) Lynn M. We will write a custom essay sample on Abortion and Women’s Rights or any similar topic only for you Order Now Thomas explains how â€Å"Social controversies for women in Africa are looming presenting a risk of death† because of the laws in the country which ban women from having abortions, in which the issue of reproductive rights in Africa is an important aspect of women’s rights and is one of the central issues in human rights debated in various regions in Africa. The problem of reproductive rights is therefore linked to larger women’s rights issues in that sex and reproduction are often used as ways of oppressing women in various cultures.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Reproductive rights therefore refer to the issue of choice and the right for women to decide for themselves – particularly with regard to their bodies and the important aspects of pregnancy and childbirth. One study on this issue states the problem in the following way. â€Å"The Right to choose is just one aspect of a much larger issue of reproductive rights – women’s right to control their own bodies and reproductive lives,† according to Smith. ( Smith, 2004) The right to abortion should be an African woman’s choice and right .   Women‘s reproductive rights and human rights in general, is the right to have an abortion, if she chooses and it essentially is a women’s prerogative.   We will discuss the right of a women and why she must   choose for herself, as well as be legally available to get an abortion in Africa.. For too many years, women who live in Africa have been giving birth to children in which many of them could not afford.   Women were never asked if they wanted to give birth to the child and never given the choice if she wanted to remain pregnant.   It was always assumed that if she got pregnant, she would carry the child without ever considering the possibility of aborting the fetus.  A women should also have the full legal right with regard to choosing to have an abortion or not and this right should not be predetermined by society for cultural reasons, but by the woman who will be responsible for carrying the fetus. Very often the issue of abortion is treated as if it is a separate aspect and not related to the context of the more â€Å"acceptable† view of the legitimate rights of women.  Ã‚   Very few people question the right of the woman when it comes to the issue of abortion but the issue of abortion on the other hand carries with it negative associations and connotations and have become a very cultural issue.   However, abortion is an issue that should, of necessity, be viewed in the larger context of women’s rights because the woman is the primary caretaker of the child, if she chooses to give birth, she is the person who must decide if the child can be properly cared for.   In impoverished nations, such as Africa, it should be especially legal since the living conditions are so bad. Reproductive rights, as the essential rights of women over their own bodies and sexuality, are not something separate from other issues relating to gender rights where the central arguments put forward in this regard, that it is the woman that must make this choice and not a society that is dominated by a cultural view on abortion. It is the woman who offers her body as a vessel necessary for the growth of the unborn child, not a nation’s, such as Africa, who doesn’t offer assistance for the growth of the child and therefore he leaves the woman to be solely responsible for the development and care for the child.   Since women are the ones who carry babies for nine months, African officials shouldn’t have a right to deny the woman the freedom to make a conscious choice, therefore, they shouldn’t be able to judge the African woman’s decision or her views concerning abortion. It should also be noted that the issue of reproductive rights for women is a complex and convoluted area of moral and ethical discourse.   However the central fact is that the history of reproductive rights is intimately linked to the history of women’s rights and cultural issues in general, which have become prominent in society.   To speak of reproductive rights is to ask if it is safe for a woman to give birth in a nation that is sometimes incapable of aiding in the growth of the child.   Reproductive rights are sometimes compromised because of a nation‘s views on the subject. The issue is debated differently from traditional point of view since many Africans believe that it is always necessary to give birth without considering the harmful effects that the pregnancy may cause.   The African woman has to make the choice of if she will carry a child for nine months of her life or if he will be solely responsible for the child’s care, both emotionally and financially since African men have often in the past, denied that they were involved in the child’s development and they certainly have never had to make the choice of carrying a child to full term. One of the central arguments in favor of the right to abortion for women is that in many societies women are subjected to horrendous oppression and discrimination in terms of sexual role and norms. (2003, WHO) One example that is often quoted is that of Africa.   Many women in African countries have no control over their sexual and reproductive rights.   If, for example a husband contracts HIV/AIDS, in some cultures the wife cannot refuse to have intercourse with him – even though this would endanger her personal health and infringe her sexual rights.   In effect many women in the world have no say or control over their bodies and sexuality. This relates to the issue of abortion in that the right to undergo an abortion is an extension of these reproductive and human rights that should be accepted as ubiquitous in all societies. Another issue that is often quoted in defense of women’s abortion rights is that, a large number of poor and working-class women die when abortion is illegal. According to the World Health Organization, 78,000 women around the world die from unsafe abortions every year. Abortion is every woman’s right. This aspect is also highlighted by the fact that the problem of deaths due to abortions usually occur among the poor, oppressed or disenfranchised women of the world. This fact does not apply only to the less developed regions of the world according to (Rosenbaum, 2001) who says, â€Å"Women in Africa are at risk.† These cases are usually among the Black or Hispanic populations. With the high poverty rate for African women , it is not unreasonable to believe that the abortion rate would be high among these races. Abortion is every woman’s right, and should be closely looked at more closely when it comes to abortions in countries who offer little or no help to the mother. In many countries in the world abortion is forbidden and can result in prison terms for women.   It is often the case that reproductive rights are denied in countries which are usually poverty stricken and with poor human rights records. Approximately 25% of the world population lives in countries with highly restrictive abortion laws, which is quite common in Africa. These are the countries where abortion is most restricted according to the law. â€Å"In Africa, women still are not allowed to obtain an abortion,† says Stuart Rosenbaum. (2001,Rosenbaum) It therefore follows that allowing women their reproductive rights and providing for legalized abortions could save suffering and lives in these counties. This rationale also applies to the high incidence of rape in many countries where abortion is illegal.   Many women suffer both physically and economically as a result of laws that do not provide for the right to abortion as a fundament human right. While there is the ethical argument that the unborn fetus also has rights, this is an aspect that must be considered in terms of the rights of the mother as well.   It must be admitted that the issue of the rights of the unborn child presents intricate and complex problems, which involves many often confusing and convoluted definitions of what constitutes life.   A comprehensive study in this regard is The House of Atreus: Abortion as a Human Rights Issue is explained, (Bohan, 1999). The author tells us that â€Å"No society that truly believes in human rights can fail to recognize the right to life of the unborn. Human rights are, by definition, rights which inhere in one simply by virtue of being a human.† Notwithstanding these arguments, the problem of abortion rights finds its proper context in the general view of cultural regards. Therefore the question of abortion rights should be seen in the context of social oppression and other forms of societal discrimination of women.   The traditional view of women is for the African woman to get pregnant, carry the baby for nine month and then to give birth without ever questioning the option of abortion.   These cultural values do not recognize the importance of women’s health and well-being, and they do not ever take into consideration that the woman may die during childbirth or that she may give birth to a child who is born into poverty conditions and may die from starvation or illness. The topic of abortion should be discussed in Africa and offered as an option to the woman who has the right to choose abortion if she sees that it is necessary. The argument for abortion rights for women should be linked to the larger issues and related to aspects in society that are all interconnected.   As one study suggests, the legalization of abortion rights is closely linked to issues such as class, race and economic discrimination, especially in Africa. â€Å"Abortion should be legal in Africa†¦ because statutory bans on abortion during the twentieth century were selectively or arbitrarily enforced in ways that intentionally discriminated against poor persons and persons of color,† according to (Graber, 1996) and those rights should be given to every woman in Africa, so she can make her individual decision of if she will be giving birth to her child or getting an abortion. Graber,Mark. (1996) Rethinking Abortion, p. 6 Rosenbaum, Stuart E. (2001) Pro-Life Verses Pro Choice, The Ethics of  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Abortion, p. 173 Thomas, Lynn M. (2003) Politics of the Womb, University of California  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Press, p. 17 World Health Organization, (2003) Technical and Policy Guidance for  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Health Systems, p.6    How to cite Abortion and Women’s Rights, Essay examples

Medical ethics free essay sample

A woman, after a bout with uterine cancer had a hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus). Before its removal, however, she had several eggs removed for possible fertilization in the future. Now married, the woman wishes to have a child with her husband. Obviously she cannot bear the child herself, so the couple utilizes a company to find a surrogate mother for them. The husbands sperm is used to fertilize one of the wifes eggs, and is implanted in the surrogate mother. The couple pays all of the womans pregnancy-related expenses and an extra $18,000 as compensation for her surrogacy. After all expenses are taken into account the couple pays the woman approximately $31,000 and the agency approximately $5,000. Though the surrogate passed stringent mental testing to ensure she was competent to carry another couples child, after carrying the pregnancy to term, the surrogate says that she has become too attached to her child to give it up to the couple. We will write a custom essay sample on Medical ethics or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A legal battle ensues. Questions for Case 1: †¢In Hong Kong it is illegal to pay a person for non-replenishable organs. The fear is that money will influence the poor to harm their bodies for the benefit of the rich. Do you see a parallel between this case and this law? Can allowing surrogate mothers to be paid for their troubles allow poorer women to be oppressed? †¢Does paying the surrogate harm her and/or the childs dignity? †¢Is it selfish for this couple to want children of their own genetic make-up? †¢One of the main arguments against the use of surrogate mothers is that carrying and giving birth to a child is such an emotional event that it is impossible to determine if the surrogate will be able to give up the child. Though adults enter into the contract, the child could ultimately suffer if a long custody battle ensues. With the possibility of such battles, do you think it is acceptable for parents to use a surrogate mother? †¢Do you think that if the surrogate is awarded the baby, this could cause emotional harm to the child? †¢Who do you think should receive the child, and why?