Prufrock, Paralysis, and Pieces of the Modern City - Literature Essay Samples

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock depicts an image of the modern city that is marked by paralysis, alienation, decay, and repression. Prufrock is a modern man who can see the superficiality of the social values of middle class society, and yet lacks the will to break away from them and act on his desires. He can see the potential happiness that action would bring- the possible joy, love, and companionship but is paralyzed and unable to perform any necessary action. Prufrock critiques modern society as a place where superficial social rituals prevail and where individuals are repressed, alienated, and detached from meaningful existence. The poem is narrated by a persona, Prufrock, who takes his audience not on a physical journey but rather one into his own mind, where he discloses his own desires yet ultimately accepts his own indecision and paralysis. Prufrock reveals his mental vision of urban life though fragmented and juxtaposed images which mirror the fragments of the rui ned city.The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is written in the form of dramatic monologue, revealing the city to the reader through the representation of Prufrocks psyche. Prufrock invites his audience to walk with him through certain half-deserted streets (4) and imagines himself ascending a womans staircase dressed fully with collar mounting firmly to the chin, (42) and yet there is no textual evidence that the world he presents exists anywhere but his own imagination. The world Prufrock presents extends only as far as the confines of his own mind, and the city that he describes is his own subjective view of the world. The poems title deceptively suggests the potentiality for happiness for Prufrock, but this notion is immediately undercut by the epigraph from Dantes Inferno, where a character who is enclosed in flame agrees to talk about his life in hell to Dante. Similarly, Prufrock is trapped in his own inner hell of alienation and enervation and is sharing this world with h is audience.The you who Prufrock addresses in the poems opening line is ambiguous; it may be a woman, or the reader, or even Prufrocks own alter ego. Regardless of the identity of the addressee, the line, Let us go then, you and I, (1) is an actual invitation to take a journey of introspection through Prufrocks personal hell.The poem is saturated with images of the modern world, images which reveal the alienation and decay of the modern world. The first two lines of the poem are rather romantic and resemble a real love song: Let us go then, you and I, / When the evening is spread out across the sky (1-2). However, the impossibility of the poem as a love song is established in the poems next line, where Prufrock compares the sky not to a romantic image but rather to a patient etherised upon a table (3). The former image is a romantic and pastoral one, while the latter reveals a colder, more scientific image which contains an unconscious figure on an operating table. The juxtapos ition of these two images, from pastoral to urban, reveals the modern citys decay into a place devoid of control and action, a place of paralysis. This image of paralysis reveals Prufrocks own inability to take any action and his inability to relate to the beauty of the world.The third stanza contains more detailed features about the city Prufrock envisions. Prufrock describes the fog that descends upon the city as well as smoke, drains, chimneys, and terracesall contributing to the dreary metropolis which houses one-night cheap hotels (6) and sawdust restaurants (7). The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes (15) and which licks its tongue into the corners of the evening (17) resembles a cat settling down to sleep. This image of a fog engulfing the city at once portrays the city as oppressive and claustrophobic, yet the sleeping cat also depicts the safety and comfort found in old routines which Prufrock cannot muster the will to change. The image of the cat is f ragmented, recognizable as a cat only by its actions of licking, rubbing, and sleeping. The use of the color yellow further illustrates the breakdown of Prufrocks city since yellow is the color of decay. This image adds to the impression of an etherized atmosphere and it is also highly reminiscent of a dream-like state, which lends credibility to the view that the city and what transpires there is a projection of Prufrocks thoughts and does not exist in reality.Just as the seemingly etherized cat relates to the metaphor of paralysis, the image of Prufrock as a bug further illustrates his state of anguish and inability to escape absurd social customs. He envisions himself pinned and wriggling on the wall, (58) trapped by social conventions and constantly being watched by other members of society. This explains his excessive self-consciousness and worry about his appearance to others. The image of Prufrock fully dressed with collar mounting firmly to the chin (42) also seems rest rictive and shows further the ways in which social mores are confining and oppressive. Prufrock finds the rituals of the upper middle class society, a world make up of tea and cakes and ices (79), completely inane. He finds the conversation of the women [who] come and go / Talikng of Michelangelo superficial and pretentious.Prufrock describes society in fragments of the domesticated world his actions, were he to take any, would interrupt, such as the cups, the marmalade, the tea, / Among the porcelain (87-88) and the novels,the teacups,the skirts that trial along the floor (102). In keeping with societal expectations, Prufrock has led an unfulfilling and controlled life: I have measured my life with coffee spoons (42). The image of coffee spoons captures the domestic routines that have trapped him. Although these social mores and rules of comportment are restrictive and eliminate individuality, Prufrock finds their familiarity oddly comforting and safe and cannot bring himself to break away from them.Further fragmentation occurs with the people in the poem. The woman who Prufrock imagines going to see is not given a face or a name, but is described in terms of body parts. Prufrocks inability to describe the woman in full detail reflects his inability to confront her. By reducing her to body parts, he again evades confrontation with her and avoids rejection. In fact, all people in the poem are reduced to disembodied parts and actions. They are the voices dying with a dying fall, (52) the faces that you meet, (27) and the hands / That lift and drop a question on your plate (29-30). Only Prufrock himself is presented with any type of visual detail: My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin, / My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin (42-43). Yet even this image of Prufrock fully dressed is fragmented by the gaze of others into a bald spot and thin arms and legs.Prufrock is acutely self-conscious and consumed with trivial t houghts of his aging appearance: (They will say: How his hair is growing thin!) (41)2E This concern about his appearance to others exists to such a high degree that he himself is not exempt from reduction into a collection of parts. He cannot exist in the gaze of others without being decomposed, so vain and weak is he. He is so self-conscious that his reality is the only one that he can see. Thus this imposed subjectivism, heightened by the need to conform to proper social roles, is the ultimate cause of his paralysis. He is afraid to take any course of action and risk disturbing the universe, illustrated by his desire that he was a crab scuttling across the floors of silent seas, (74) which reflects his need to abstain from action, moving sideways as crabs do and thus avoiding direct confrontationJust as the people in Prufrocks world are reduced to individual body parts, time also becomes a collection of fragmented parts through the shifting use of tense. The methodical confu sion of tenses in the poem reveals the distorted relationship between past, present and future in Prufrocks world. The different scenes are juxtaposed with no sequential fluidity. The poem begins in the seedy part of town which houses cheap hotels / And sawdust restaurants (6-7) and is soon juxtaposed with the upper middle class setting of the room where women come and go / Talking of Michangelo (13-14). Prufrock begins by suggesting that he and his audience take a trip through the city and claims that indeed there will be time (37) to decide whether he wants to take action. In the next stanza the tense, along with Prufrocks tone, changes as he claims that he has known them all already, known them all (49). This shift into the present perfect tense seems to cancel out the possibility of any future, for he is growing old and he has known the evenings, mornings, afternoons (50) and known the arms already, known them all (62). He goes on to ponder over the visit he previously sug gested as if it is something in the distant past: And would it have been worth it, after all, / Would it have been worth while (99-100). Then, contemplating his impending old age, Prufrock muses over what he will do in the future: I grow oldI grow old/ I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled. / Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach? (119-121).Prufrock seems lost in fragments of his perception as his present, past and future lives all exist at once in his subjective universe. Trapped within his own mind, the opportunity for that which Prufrock wishes to happen has already passed, and so action is impossible. As a result, Prufrock accepts his inability to act upon his wishes and, among the closing images of the sea and singing mermaids which represent all of his sensual and instinctive desires, he states, I do not think they will sing to me (125). Prufrock metaphorically drowns among the human voices that he previously criticized as the voices dying with a dying fall (52), and he accepts the social roles that he finds so comfortable, yet so alienating.The breakdown and alienation of the modern city as Prufrock envisions it are represented by the fragmentation of mental images and time. These broken pieces of urban life can never be brought back together, for Prufrock, the modern man, is helpless to do so. He is trapped in a subjective bubble by his need to conform to the demands of society and by his own cowardice. The irony of Prufrocks world is that he is aware of his own paralysis and inadequacy yet he lacks the will to rectify these things. He sees the possibilities for happiness and fulfillment but is paralyzed by self doubt and solipsistic self-consciousness. Prufrock is caught in a single moment in time, so completely overwhelmed by the prospect of a hundred indecisions (32) that he cannot bring himself to make them, and the result of his acknowledged and accepted paralysis is that the separate pieces of his perception rem ain in bits and fragments that he struggles with but is never able to combine. Prufrock represents the prototypical modern man whose thoughts reflect the fear, questioning, and overall stasis of activity and thought elicited by the period First World War. At this time, everyones world had changed in a profoundly frightening way, making the thought of more change all the more frightening. Enough had transpired in the modern world, especially in the large, urban cities.

The Effects Of The Triangle Fire Of 1911 - 1611 Words

A year after shirtwaist workers thought they had won a war, the Triangle Fire proved that it had merely been a battle. Under the Triangle Shirtwaist Company owners, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris, the men and women laboring to sew waist skirts were dissatisfied with their terrible working conditions and low wages. While working, the garment workers, made up of mostly poor Italian and Jewish women immigrants, would constantly be yelled at and called sexist slurs by bosses, and forced to work long, tiring hours for little pay (Argersinger 11). Tired of these conditions, the workers of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York met in secret to form a union against the company in September 1909 (Argersinger 11). The union of the garment workers†¦show more content†¦This was done as a security precaution to ensure none of the workers were stealing scraps of fabric or shirtwaists (Class Lecture: Progressive Era). Additionally, the workers’ privacy was invaded daily when thei r purses and bags were searched to prevent thievery. The workers felt as if they were being â€Å"searched like thieves† by the Blanck and Harris (Argersinger 11). Subsequently, mistreatment continued as the workers would often get stabbed by the needle of the sew machines, causing severe bleeding and in some cases the loss of a finger, all while the workers were expected to keep sewing (Argersinger 54). Furthermore, Clara Lemlich, a Jewish Russian immigrant, recalled that the bosses would â€Å"swear at [them] and sometimes do worse- they [would] call [them] names that are not pretty to hear† (Argersinger 57). These poor working conditions seemed to never end, and day after day workers would dread coming into work. But by September 1909, the workers had become fed up with the mistreatment and terrible conditions, leading the men and women of garment industries all across New York to look for a change. Over a hundred garment workers of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company met in secret to listen to speakers from the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU) and the Women’s Trade Union League (WTUL) (Argersinger 63). These speeches prompted the Triangle Shirtwaist Company employees to unionizeShow MoreRelated Triangle: The Fire that Changed America Essay1615 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The ‘Triangle’ company, â€Å"With blood this name will be written in the history of the American workers’ movement, and with feeling will this history recall the names of the strikers of this shop- of the crusaders† (Von Drehle 86). Even before it happen, the Forward predicted the terrible disaster of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory that occurred one year, one month, and seve nteen days later (86). Triangle: The Fire that Changed America, by David Von Drehle tells the story of the horrible fire. DavidRead MoreTriangle: The Fire That Changed America Essay1282 Words   |  6 PagesOn the afternoon of March 25, 1911, a fire broke out in the 10-floor Asch Building, a block east of Manhattans Washington Square. This is where 500 mostly young immigrant girls were producing shirts for the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. Within minutes, it spread to consume the buildings upper three stories. Firemen at the scene were unable to rescue those trapped inside: their ladders werent tall enough. Exits were locked, and the narrow fire escapes were inadequate. Panicked, many jumped fromRead MoreOsha s Influence On Human Capital Management1364 Words   |  6 Pagesyear (OSHA). Incident Before OSHA: Triangle Shirtwaist Factory The Triangle factory was owned by Max Blanck and Isaac Harris located in Manhattan, New York. Many employees were young immigrant women and teenage girls working seven days a week for twelve hours. The workplace was a three story building; however, workers were confined to small spaces with sewing machines. Although, there were some dangers of a possible occurring in a factories setting such as Triangle Shirtwaist, the owners Blanck andRead More Triangle Fire 1911 Essay example2502 Words   |  11 Pages The Triangle Fire of 1911 nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Near closing time on Saturday afternoon, March 25, 1911, in New York City a fire broke out on the top floors of the Asch Building in the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. One of the worst tragedies in American history it is known as the â€Å"Triangle Shirtwaist Fire†. It was a disaster that took the lives of 146 workers, most of which were women. This tragedy pointed out the negatives of sweatshop conditions of the industrialization era. 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In the year 1948, there was gold discovered in California. This event drew people from all over the world that hoped to come and strike it rich. There were prospectors from all over the UnitedRead MoreWhat Interests Me : History And Hiring1616 Words   |  7 Pagesconcepts that have implications for business professionals. The two topics that stood out as having the greatest potential for wide ranging effects are the historical perspective on business ethics and hiring ethical people. Studying and understanding history provides a strong foundation for making decisions in the present. Hiring decisions have as large effect on an organization’s success as purchasing or marketing decisions. Part One: Historical Perspective on Business Ethics In the United StatesRead MoreA Common Choice For Immigrant Women885 Words   |  4 PagesOne garment worker stated, â€Å"Sometimes in my haste, I get my finger caught and the needle goes right through it. It goes so quick, though, that it does not hurt much. I bind the finger up with a piece of cotton and go on working†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (274). In 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Company was engulfed in flames, and the compact arrangement of the sewing machines, lack of emergency plan, and many of the exit doors being locked caused 146 of the workers to die (276). The poor working conditions that led toRead MoreThe Time of Change847 Words   |  3 Pagesimprovements in these slum areas.There was better working conditions, and women gained a little more respect due to this major event. Another main event that happen was the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, it was on March 25, 1911 and a fire went off in a factory where theres ton of cotton because its a factory workshop. There was a mini fire and it escalated very quickly. This killed a hundred and twenty three women. There was no way to escape because the doors were locked from the inside. 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Dreaming from Various Sources - 1456 Words

The objective of this paper is to explore many articles covering the purpose of dreaming from various sources. The articles, however, may vary from researcher to researcher. As such, this paper will also detail the different theories about the usefulness of dreams. This paper will also take time to explain what a dream is, when dreams happen, and what their potential purposes may be. To start this paper, we first must understand what a dream is. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a dream is a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep. Dreams take the things we see during our waking hours and translate them into unique, sometimes horrifying, and possibly meaningful ways. Dreams could also be representations of subconscious feelings and desires, bubbling up from deep within our psyche. However, the actual purpose of dreams remains a mystery, even to todays foremost experts on this subject. Sigmund Freud attempted to understand what dreams meant; he though t that dreams were safeguards attempt deeper and darker desires from the human minds id. Decades later, scientist John Allan Hobson theorized that dreams are a result of the brain attempting to interpret random electrical impulses within the brain, producing often elaborate and vivid details and plots while we sleep. Other research suggests that dreams are the brains unique way of organizing disparate information; a kind of nightly mental reformatting. The average Joe takes aShow MoreRelatedWakirlpirri Jukurrpa ( Snake Vine Dreaming ) By Liddy Walker Napanagka1436 Words   |  6 PagesWakirlpirri Jukurrpa (Snake Vine Dreaming) by Liddy Walker Napanagka Different Aboriginal groups have a common characteristic and that is that they have a similar belief system which is called the Ê »DreamingÊ ¼. The dreaming may be well known as a religious system but it does not always convey its true eminence. 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216pm free essay sample

2:16pm. The skinny woman in front of me had just bought two carts, $416.23 worth of food, half with a government aided food stamps program. I totaled it out, tapped sign off twice on the keyboard in front of me and ran straight into a shopping cart being loaded by a first day bagger. Singing apologies behind me, I sprinted to the time clock. Star-2-3-3-2-8-0-3-4, I punched in; it let me out. I threw of my Ralphs shirt to the tiles next to me, ruffled a mahogany Health Food Shop shirt out of the olive green messenger bag laying at my side, and put it on. This was my senior year. I expected to sleep past the afternoon, not sidestep labor laws by working 7am to 11pm on weekends. Outside, the blue sky formed crisp lines to the buildings in the distance, and the sun burst with a luminous outpouring of white light. We will write a custom essay sample on 2:16pm or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I wondered if I could just let it all go; ride my bike down the trail all the way to the beach as the blue sign promised it would lead to. No, I had responsibilities to uphold and a signed letter from Dr. Opacic from the High School of the Arts reminding me that I had yet to complete my $3,000 share of the collective debt that the Creative Writing department at the school needed to pay off for the year. 2:26pm. I peddled harder. My parents told me although oh-god-this-school-will-make-us-homeless, they supported my job as a means to pay for it. I had demanded, since I was four, to be independent; This was another brick, cementing me into adulthood. My parents have given me the rhetorical answer to the rhetorical question, â€Å"why†. Why not? The limits they set stood low against the freedoms they gave me to do. When I got in over my head, I went to them and asked their opinion on what I could do, but in the end, they led me to my own answer. When my dad lost his job last year, they did not ask me to change anything. The lessons I learned, however, told me to stand up and help. I applied for a second job and got it. With the extra money, I could pay for school and still use the extra help pay for groceries. I ran into the deli at 2:31pm, one minute late, but with time. Other seniors might be able to sleep in until noon, or use their job money for videogames, but I have learned to react and take control of my decisions. My parents never forced right and wrong. Instead, they gave me shades of gray—preferences instead of rules. They did not give me their opinions, but sought to bring my own out. This has made me less sewn to the pressures that would gust me to a path that is not wrong, just not my own. Using the world they helped me construct, I can place more faith in my own decisions, and begin to understand that wrong is right seen through a different lens. Someday I wish to be a lawyer, or somewhere in law. There I can reflect what I have been taught—learning more about why people disagree about the same event, and represent those untouchables whose actions do not agree with the standards set in social context. I want to smudge the line between right and wrong, and view into the gradient world we live.

Presidential Power And Rthe Modern Presidents; A Critical Review Essay

Presidential Power And Rthe Modern Presidents; A Critical Review Presidential Leadership Many scholars and academics have claimed that Richard Neustadt's book Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents, a brilliant and insightful commentary on not only the workings of the office of the president but also the pitfalls any president can encounter as well as the way personality and leadership fit into the making of a president. In short, Neustadt almost gives us a model for what a president must be and what he must and must not do. He relives decisions and actions made by past presidents that have affected presidential leadership and power. It is easy to see why many attribute this book the status that it well deserves. It is easy to see why Kennedy reportedly kept a copy of the first edition of this book with him in the oval office. This book is a classic introspective study of the presidency that is unparalleled in quality. For the most part, Neustadt does not look at presidents individually. Rather he takes situations that relate to his arguments and discusses how different presidents or depending on the situation a certain president dealt with that situation. He begins with what he calls three cases of command that he falls back on continuously through the work. He uses Truman's tenuous relationship and eventual dismissal of MacArthur, the decision of Eisenhower to use troops to enforce integration of schools in Arkansas, and the seizure of the steel industry by Truman. He repeatedly refers to the first two of these but uses the latter very little to illustrate his points after initial discussion. The basic structure is very effective because it provides for a study of the presidency as an institution, not a study of presidents. Neustadt does not underemphasize the role that personality and style plays in term of each president. He uses it to support many of his assertions. He correctly points out that personality and style contributes to all aspects of how any man serves as president but it is not everything. Personality and style do not account for experience, intellect, and temperament. Neustadt does n excellent job of showing how all of these factors relate and combine to form a president and a presidential style. He shows how these factors influence presidential decision making as well as contribute to presidential inadequacies and pitfalls of administrations. Neustadt also discusses everything that he believes attributes to presidential power. In doing so, he is constantly referring back to the original three cases studied, commenting on them and introducing other relevant experiences. His topics range from the power to persuade, reputation, prestige, and personalities of men in office. In the course of this he reveals what he believes to be the most important traits of any president. He feels that presidents need not necessarily be a genius, but rather somewhat intelligent with outstanding temperament, which I take to mean personality, as well as the experience in government to understand the duties and effectively serve as president. Neustadt then examines subsequent presidents in situational terms. He begins with Kennedy and the final president he examines in Reagan. He examines Ford, Carter, and the one aspect of Reagan's presidency on transitional terms and speaks on the problems that presidential transitions can cause. He also uses the experiences of Kennedy with the Bay of Pigs as excellent background and primary information in this study. Neustadt concludes his examination of presidential leadership with what is without a doubt the best example of all of his main points wrapped together and effecting presidential decision making and leadership. Neustadt looks at the Iran Contra affair and the involvement of Reagan in the affair. The scandal and Reagan's involvement or lack thereof illustrates and gives life to all of Neustadt's assertions and arguments. It is almost as if the Iran Contra Affair is a case study in presidential leadership and power that illustrates and gives life to all of Neustadt's main points. It fits in with his arguments almost flawlessly. Overall, this book can almost be viewed almost as a how to book for the presidency. It is very comprehensive and would give any president or candidate for that matter direction in how to be an

Punishment in Schools Essay Sample

Punishment in Schools Essay Sample Punishment in Schools Essay Example Punishment in Schools Essay Example In the today’s society, people are associating corporal punishment at schools with a physical abuse. However, the distinction between these two ones is significantly narrow. Corporal punishment can leave a lasting impression; and it could be described as a borderline child abuse, dependent upon an object or a method of administering corporal punishment. Punishment administrators at schools including teachers may opt to use a paddle, a hand, a switch or any other object that has the capacity to inflict physical pain. This is done without any consideration of potential risks that hitting or inflicting physical pain to a child might have in the present or future. Though, in the past, corporal punishment was deemed to be an effective method of punishment; the extent and mode of application may have the varied outcomes. Therefore, this paper will argue that corporal punishment is morally wrong and should be not be used as a form of punishment at all schools. Why Punishment in Schools Should not be Permitted There are two factors that must be taken into account when administering discipline at schools including how to distinguish between abuse and corporal punishment (Arum 145); intention and intensity. Intensity describes the degree within which corporal punishment has the capacity to cause physical injuries; while it refers to the degree within which an educator is willing and capable of using corporal punishment as a discipline enforcement tool. Intensity of corporal punishment often refers to the severity of injuries that have occurred from corporal punishment such as spanking. For instance, spanking a child until they welt, or have bruises, is inherently child abuse and not punishment. According to the article â€Å"Teach, Don’t Hit!†, â€Å"parents resort to corporal punishment for different reasons;† some consider this as being â€Å"appropriate to children’s education; because it relieves tension or because they lack sufficient resources to tackle a situation or do not have strategies for achieving what they want† (UNICEF). In my opinion, such arguments are unfounded. They appear more of an individual issue but not a factor that should influence the policy of education and discipline at schools. In the modern society, people are scared to discipline their children in public when it comes to using corporal punishment since it may be perceived as child abuse and a reason for the intervention of child’s services and authorities (Regolli, Hewitt, and Delisi 263). Consequently, corporal punishment is more prevalent at home than at schools or public places as compared to several decades ago. Parents often use a threat of corporal punishment to deter the wrongdoing on the part of their children. The assumption here is that parents are afraid to use corporal punishment in public for fear of either being reported to social services or perceived as abusive parents. Although there are various repercussions and potential instances of abuse from the use of corporal punishment at schools, the administration of punishment must be regulated to deter incidents of abuse or a physical and psychological injury to students (Niolon). However, the proponents of corporal punishment argue that without such punitive measures being taken children or students would become arrogant and disrespectful of their teachers. As such, they would be uncontrollable; hence, the development of negative attitudes and behavior. In various modern societies, the application of corporal punishment may result in severe repercussions to a school and a responsible educator since they would be perceived as condoning child abuse at schools. Meanwhile in other societies, corporal punishment is allowed at schools since it is believed to the epitome of instilling discipline in unruly, uncontrollable and errant students (Pate and Gould 151). In the past, most parents did not wait until their children got home to administer any type punishment. If children misbehaved or erred in a public place, they were warned once. If the behavior did not change, then corporal punishment was administered forthwith. In the current society, if someone were to see that, he/she would probably call the police to report a parent’s action as child abuse (Regolli, Hewitt, and Delisi 263). A significant number of schools have banned corporal punishment; therefore, teachers experience the hard times disciplining children (Niolon). While I argue corporal punishment is not an effective form of punishment at schools as a punishment itself, other forms of punishment should be used in cases where students are errant. As such, strict and consistent punishment should be administered to errant students and children. There are various news media that constantly uncover the extent of violence at schools. However, the cause of such violence at schools cannot be addressed through a violent response towards students. Errant behavior could be a factor of varied reasons including mental health issues, social awkwardness and interactions with parents, peers or friends (Regoli, Hewitt, and Delisi 265). Proponents of corporal punishment argue that there is a significant increase in disciplinary and disrespect at schools, in modern societies than several years ago. This is because students know their rights and may use such knowledge to deter corporal punishment. Furthermore, a significant number of parents do not condone physical punishment on their children and any incidence of corporal punishment may result in a legal tussle between a parent and a school (Bitensky 80). Teachers have to tread carefully when dealing with disrespectful children. They are not allowed to raise their voices as this is considered a verbal abuse; they cannot spank since this is considered a physical abuse, which could cause the teacher and school to be sued. â€Å"Emerging research suggests corporal punishment in schools may harm a child’s cognitive ability† (Nauert). As the child is growing up, your only job is to learn and enjoy life. â€Å"If children are exposed to corporal punishment in a learning environment, they may have long-term detrimental effects on childrens verbal intelligence and their executive-functioning ability† (Nauert). In the study of 63 first graders and kindergarten children, the researchers, Victoria Talwar and Kang Lee, have observed one school that was using corporal punishment while the other employed a different strategy of issuing verbal reprimands and time outs on errant children (Nauert). The researchers found that there were no changes in the overall performance depicted by the kindergarten children at both schools. However, first grade children illustrated different results. According to the researchers, the corporal punishment does not have an impact on the determination of behavior or learning ability in children. Furthermore, they have determined that, in a short term, corporal punishment may not have any visible negative outcomes. However, when it remains as a sole disciplinary action over a long period, it may not have any impact on the development of the child’s ability to inhibit bad behavior, learn or develop skills for solving problems (Nauert). Therefore, the teacherâ⠂¬â„¢s use of reasonable corporal punishment in a lenient manner will not affect the student; however, the constant use of corporal punishment may have mental repercussions that may linger in the child’s later life as an adult. Children depict different reactions in towards overcoming corporal punishment. If corporal punishment is carried out at home, and it affects the child’s behavior at school, then it can interfere with the learning ability. In the event that children are unable to learn their learning and cognitive skills will lag behind with respect to other students and could lead to one of two things, bullying or becoming an outcast; these can also occur if the kid is subjected to corporal punishment in the home environment (Pate and Gould 76). There are other options for punishing children other than corporal punishment. The most common of which is time out. This form of punishment teaches the child that his or her action has some consequences without a physical action like a spanking. For any non-physical punishment to work one has to be consistent, firm and authoritative, and the rules set must be clear, concise and fit the action for which the child is being punished (Carter). Additionally, when administering time out punishment, teachers and parents should make an eye contact with children. I submit that there are various side effects to corporal punishment; some are very severe, and others are temporary. The worst of the side effects is the occurrence of suicidal thoughts, aggression, and a child-parent relationship (Alvy). The aggression can lead to many things later on in life like being that bully at school or bullying their siblings. The use of corporal punishment against aggression is like fighting fire with fire. Spanking a child for bullying another is essentially doing the same thing by using that form of punishment (Arum 146). I believe children live what they learn; and, at this stage in their life, they are soaking up everything around them trying to find themselves. When the child is hit for doing a wrong thing, that cycle continues, because, the child now thinks it is ok to hit another if he or she feels that person is not doing right. There are few side effects that linger on into adulthood. If a parent tends to go overboard on the spanking that could transfer to the child’s mental stability; and they could become abusive towards their own family. According to various studies, â€Å"33% of all individuals, who were abused or neglected in childhood, will abuse their own children in some manner (Worell 222). Also, parents, who tend to be abusive, use their past as a guide to child rearing or an excuse for abusing their children. Corporal punishment also has an impact on the today’s society â€Å"corporal punishment increases the use of violence in the society and legitimizes it in the eyes of succeeding generations† (UNICEF). This means that when kids see a parent or an adult hit or strike someone in anger, they think it is ok to do the same. If this problem is not fixed, or the parent does not teach that child right from wrong, it could lead to that kid being abusive towards others. There are also parenting classes open to the general public which can teach many other techniques to punishing your child (Alvy). Colleges, schools and hospitals have parenting classes that are available to the general public; furthermore, parenting classes can be taken online. These classes are proven to be effective; and now courts are ordering abusive parents to take these classes so they can learn how to be more effective without using corporal punishment. Discipline is important for the safety and physical well-being of the child as well as for his or her social, emotional, and cognitive development (Bitensky 12). However, discipline and punishment are not synonymous. Some parents and teachers rarely resort to punishment. Some punitive parents and teachers are poor disciplinarians. Discipline is administered with the aim of providing a child with outside control until he or she can develop the inner or self-control to function as a mature adult. Corporal punishment can impact students academically; as such, a harsh physical punishment does not improve the students’ academic or behavioral performance at school (Regolli, Hewitt and Delisi 224). Recent studies have shown that in the states where there is a high prevalence of corporal punishment; schools perform worse than those in the states where corporal punishment is prohibited. Spanking and other physical punishments for kids are linked with antisocial behavior in adults, incl uding the increased aggression (Pate and Gould 71). Many children who have subjected to harsh disciplinary practices have problems with anger, fear, and depression. Corporal punishment may cause a real injury or it can result to child abuse. Related to child abuse, the problem is that parents and teachers may apply corporal punishment solely because they are irritated or frustrated, not because corporal punishment is appropriate. In many occasions, a teacher may feel the need to hit someone and vent his or her frustration on an innocent child. I would not want my child to be punished for the simple reason that the teacher might be frustrated one day, especially if I had no control over how physically punished they had been. If corporal punishment were to be used, there should be some guidelines administering them. The use of a more logical consequence constantly is among the critical guidelines of behavior management. Corporal punishment should not be administered in the high state of arousal resulting from frustration, anger, or some other emotions that could lend a spirit of retaliation towards students (Regolli, Hewitt, and Delisi 188). Corporal punishment should not be used when a more appropriate technique is available. Ideally, this would out rule the use of this punishment completely; however, there are many times where it has to be used. When administering corporal punishment, the person that is taking the action should punish the behavior and not the person. At all times, corporal punishment should be applied in front of witnesses. If it has been used too often, it is considered that something else should be tried. Even though I do not agree with the corporal punishment practice, there should always be some guidelines when it is put in practice. Corporal punishment has the capacity to lower the child’s self-esteem; it also teaches children to be victims (Alvy). Additionally, it may lead a child to feeling lonely, stimulate anger and possibly cause students to run away from home. Exposure to violent behavior in childhood can have deep-seated and lasting effects on the attitudes towards violence (Bitensky 174). It is believed the more the child is subjected to violence in childhood, the greater his approval of violence in the adult life is. Appropriate guidelines administering the restrictions and safeguards of this technique of punishment, it is sometimes admissible. Although there are some positive aspects of this practice, the research has shown that it is not better than any other form of punishment. Corporal punishment can affect a child physiologically. There are many cases of a serious injury to a student. Still being legal in the United States, corporal punishment should not always be used (Niolon); instead an alternative measure should be taken. I cannot deny that there are some advantages, but the times have changed. The modern generation has come up with some ways to administer behavioral problems more efficiently. Corporal punishment should not be used in classrooms today. Corporal punishment has lasting effects on children either positively or negatively. The results of corporal punishment not only affect children; it has an adverse effect on parents and the society as well. The immediate aims of such punishments are to deter the errant behavior and encourage the child to behave more appropriately. However, corporal punishment is not the answer; there are other alternative ways. Now that we are starting to realize there are more ways to punish a child than to use corporal punishment, we must do what is reasonable and be better educated on the ways to discipline. We have to learn how to be firm and authoritative; give positive reinforcements, and finally watch what we say and do because children live what they have learned and emulate what is in their immediate surroundings.

The Presidential Powers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Presidential Powers - Essay Example Presidents can get the congressional support by building up public support for their policies. Thus, the presidential powers are limited and it can be argued that the constitutional powers given to the president are the weakest. The actual constitutional powers given to the president can be limited and different from those given to the Congress. It can not be said that the president is ‘too powerful’ or more powerful than the Congress. Under the constitution, the presidential powers are limited to institutional and political. The president serves as the chief executive which is the head of the executive branch according to the constitution. This implies the presidential powers as being the chief administrative officer within the division of labor in the executive branch. The president also serves as the Commander-In-chief of the armed forces but in limited powers and as the financial manager of the federal budget approver (Ginsberg 309). The president holds the responsib ility to manage the National Budget but ultimately Congress has to approve it. Furthermore, the president has the authority to sign the bills into laws and has the power to veto them, but again the Congress has the powers to over-ride his veto. The Congress must also approve the decisions made by the president to assign judges to the Supreme Court and other high positions like Foreign Ambassador. The president has a role on the law enforcement on the condition that he takes care of the law being executed fairly. But over the years, the Congress has also been involved in the law enforcement duties and the presidential powers have turned out to be in rough proportion to the responsibilities and power of the national government. The formal powers of the president include many significant leadership roles that can be majorly divided into two authorities: domestic policy and foreign affairs. In the domestic arena, the president has the powers as the chief executive and the authority to o versee the execution and the implementation of the law. The president can also influence the legislative and judicial branches significantly. Thus, through these powers, the president can form a long-lasting influence on the nation’s domestic policies. Moreover, the constitution gives the Congress and the president different responsibilities for the war. The president is allowed to wage wars as commander in chief whereas Congress has the power to declare wars and fund them.