Identity Vs. Outside Forces Essay -- Literary Analysis

The existential drama, No Exit by Jean Paul Sartre, and the absurd drama, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard both portray characters with an ambiguous sense of identity. While the characters in No Exit delude themselves with respect to identity and shirk responsibility for their identity-making choices, the characters in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead are primarily controlled by outside forces that confuse and limit their sense of identity. Both these authors do a fine job of portraying the relationship between identity and the outside forces The only character in either play that exhibits a true sense of identity is No Exit's Inez. by Comparing and contrasting the identites of the characters we can see how identity unfolds admist oustanding forces. The identity of a person is created by how one precieves themselves to other people. With respect to Garcin of No Exit, this is very evident. He claims: "I'm no talker, I don't move much; in fact I'm a very peacful sort of fellow"(Satre 9) even though speaks and voices his opinion often. Garcin becomes more comfortable when he begins to realize his identity, "I'm no gentleman, and I have no compunction about striking a woman". Thomas Whitaker believes "Garcin...finally sees that one who identitfies conciousness with any role or ideal must submit to the unpredictable validating judgement of others"(par. 4). Garcin's identity becomes clear as soon as he enters the room when talking to the valet: "I tell you, I regret nothing"(Satre 24). This is also evidence that Garcin thinks of himself as a hero. Garcin's deludes himself by convincing himself that he did do the right thing: "I shan't be sorry for myself, I'll face the situation, as I said just n... ...oing anything, or nothing at all. Works Cited Berlin, Normand. "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead: Theatre of Critism." Modern Drama 16.3 & 4(Dec. 1973): 269-277. Rpt. in Contemorary Literary Critism. Ed. Roger Matuz and Cathy Falk. Vol. 63, Detroit: Gale Research, 1991. Literature Resource Center. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. Sartre, Jean-Paul. "No Exit." New York: Vintage Books, 1947. Stoppard, Tom. "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead." London: Faber and Faber Limited, 1967. "The Fools of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead." Free Essays 29 November 2010 Whitaker, Thomas R. "Playing Hell." The Yearbook of English Studies 9(1979): 167- 187. Rpt. in Contemorary Literary Critism. Ed. Daniel G. Marowski and Roger Matuz. Vol. 52. Detriot: Gale Research, 1989. Literature Resource Center. Web. 12 Dec. 2010.

Care of Elderly Persons in American and Hispanic Culture

In the United states, particularly in its more urbanized regions, there is a clear discrimination against the elderly, particularly in its more urbanized regions. This ageism is also apparent in mass media. In American movies, for instance, elderly persons in â€Å"homes† (homes for the aged) are a frequent sight. The nursing home is a potent demonstration of American society's cultural attitude towards its elderly.In American culture, it is acceptable for a child to talk in a straightforward and frank manner to elderly people, sometimes to the point of rudeness. However, most Hispanic children are taught to talk to elders with respect and reverence.Elders often have the last say in the household. From early childhood, Hispanic children are taught to respect older persons, because respect for elders connotes respect for oneself.Today many elderly persons in the United States are isolated from their families, although this kind of treatment of the elderly in the United States w as not always so. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the elderly used to be more respected, perhaps also because of the low life expectancy in those times, so that there were only very few elderly people, making their contributions to society much more valuable.However, the increased life expectancy of modern United States society has dramatically increased the proportion of the elderly in modern societies such as in America, which in turn has led to the increasing irrelevance of the elderly from an economic and practical view. Now American culture reveres youth, but at the same time looks down on old age.Many aging persons in America grow old and become afraid that their family will eventually put them in a home, and that they will have no choice but to concede. Between 17 to 20 percent of all deaths in the United States happen in nursing homes (although this number would be higher if not for the common practice of moving nursing home residents to the hospital almost immediately befor e death.In American culture, independence is highly valued, sometimes to the point of alienation. In contrast, Hispanic culture may be seen by Americans as more â€Å"clingy.† Hispanic culture is very family oriented. Hispanics typically have strong family ties and are more likely to support extended family members, including their elderly.Hispanic culture emphasizes respect for elders, and this is reflected in how their elders are treated. Many Hispanic households have the traditional structure of housing three generations. Many elderly Hispanics are also poor and cannot live independently, but they are welcomed to stay in their children's homes.However, with increasing urbanization, even Hispanic society is increasingly going the route of Americans in this regard.Nursing homes have a â€Å"presence† in American culture that is lacking in Hispanic culture; most Hispanic people assume that they would eventually be taking care of their elderly parents. This is not to sa y that ageism is exclusive to America.It is true that in most cultures a form of ageism exists, but in many Asian and Hispanic countries, this is more of a positive ageism, where elders are given more respect and are listened to and revered (although this seems to be changing with the rise of urbanization worldwide).

Standardized Testing in United States Schools - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 973 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/06/24 Category Management Essay Level High school Tags: Standardized Testing Essay Did you like this example? Schools across the United States have become accustomed to the idea of standardized testing and use these tests constantly throughout the school year. Many children even start these tests at the young age of 11. There are a variety of tests such as the SAT, ACT, and PERT, which are the focal measurements determining acceptance into most colleges. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Standardized Testing in United States Schools" essay for you Create order The main question is, should these standardized tests be mandatory at all high schools? This topic has been widely debated throughout the years, but based on research conducted by researchers, journalists, etc. the answer is yes. The fact that standardized tests are reliable, objective measurements of student and teacher achievement, and an educational reference point to ensure fair school education across the nation are just two of the many reasons why all high schools should mandate these tests. It is human nature to make mistakes and have biased opinions, but with the use of standardized testing, it provides an objective measurement of student and teacher achievement. Contrary to popular belief, teachers have a large impact on students grades unintentionally from the unreliability of the scores through favoritism and error. According to Richard P. Phelps, author of Defending Standardized testing, it is stated, First, there is the benefit of information used for diagnosis (e.g., of a students or teachers problems or progress). Standardized tests may reveal weaknesses or strengths that corroborate or supplement a teachers or principals analysis. (Phelps). The basis of Phelps argument is that the information produced by the tests helps determine teacher and student achievement. Standardized tests also ascertain whether there is a positive or negative correlation between the two, as in if the teacher had prepared the student successfully enough or whether the student possesses the capable skills to pass the given test. To summarize the previous statement, The Huffington Post expresses similar viewpoints. According to Dr. Gail Gross, contributor to the Huffington Post, The standardized test is an objective and critical measure of achievement in skills, knowledge, and abilities, and must pass the criteria of measurement validity, reliability, and bias, as well as an awareness of the tests potential limitations in scoring (Gross). What can be understood from these two quotes is that one benefit of standardized testing is making sure that each participant of the test is graded fairly and objectively to ensure the best possible results of the students achievement. Besides the understanding of individual student academic achievements provided by standardized testing, it also acts as an educational reference point for schoolwide and nationwide success. According to Dr. Gail Gross from the Huffington Post, The standardized test gives valuable insight into broader issues, such as acting as an education reference point for fair and equitable education for all children in all schools † district by district and state by state (Gross). Most standardized tests provide percentages of schools passing rates and group them throughout the school district to show what schools need further funding and help to overall better their students education. These large decisions concerning further amplification of the schools educational curriculum are made by the districts School Board, in which the superintendent of that district plays a major role. In low-income neighborhoods and cities, students test scores tend to be lower than those of the more fortunate due to lack of proper materials, funding, and other vital resources needed to ultimately pass the test. According to Defending Standardized Testing, there has been a conducted survey of 1,023 parents of children who attend school, in which it was found that 83% of the responding participants believe that tests provide important information about their childrens educational progress, and even further, 9 out of 10 wanted data to compare and contrast the scores of their children and the schools they attend. (Phelps). In arguing this claim, Phelps used the conducted survey of childrens test scores from standardized testing to show that not only do these tests provide crucial information regarding academic achievement but assess the comparison of the scores throughout the schools that take it. This overall benefits the schools throughout the district because it can assess the schools progress to the School Board, negative or positive. On the other hand, some people might argue and constantly scrutinize standardized testing based on the mere fact that it can cause students to become very stressed and overwhelmed. According to Francois R. Casas and Diane E. Meaghan, co-authors of Renewing the Debate Over the Use of Standardized Testing in the Evaluation of Learning and Teaching, Standardized tests are not suitable for all students: the pressure they exert on children is of a different nature than that encountered daily in the classroom. (Casas, Meaghan). In other words, Casas and Meaghan emphasize the stress applied to children when studying for and taking standardized tests instructed in their curriculum. This may be true in some cases, on how each person participating in this test is different and have different amounts of stress they can deal with, which can be tricky when it comes to the day of the test. This is certainly not a factor to rule out because, understandably, the negative impacts these tests have on children are serious. However, with further adjustment to the curriculum, the overall benefit of these tests outweighs the negative impacts that can sometimes, but quite seldomly occur. In the final analysis, standardized tests are crucial and overall advantageous because they are reliable and objective measures of student achievement and serve as an educational reference point to ensure fair school education in all schools. The practice and use of standardized tests persist with high hopes of counteracting the negative effects, alongside the desire to intensify and strengthen the positive outcomes that are the result of these tests. The debate over this topic is far from over and will continue to be researched as more effective standardized tests arise in schools over periods of time.