Education Essay -- essays research papers

School the great Equalizer In his essay, “I should have never quit school';, D. DeMott rejects the myth that all social classes receive the same education. He supports his essay by denying that the stating line is the same for all students in the American educational system. DeMott begins his essay by giving us an example of the mythological belief that school is a fair institution where everyone begins at the same starting line. Next, DeMott gives general ideas about the American publics denials, and the educational system, provides for students. To support these denials DeMott gives us some assumptions of the general public’s beliefs on education.  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‚   The first assumption is about intelligence, an individual is college material, intellectual because he/she was born smart and it’s up them to take advantage of it, and that teachers see this genetic trait. According to your intellectual level the school system will see this and place you in the proper educational training which best sues you.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next assumption is that your community motivates lower class students to attend institutions of higher education by providing them with financial assistance. The difference of the social economic level of the community abilities to provide for the st...

Midaq Alley as the Woman

The women of the Middle East would continue to uphold their traditional image, even though in their heart of hearts many of them may be yearning for plain liberty.   The chief character of Naguib Mahfouz’s Midaq Alley (1992) is a woman by the name of Hamida, who must put up acts to stay true to her traditions, at the same time as she yearns for something beyond the ordinary.   Yet, her passage into a world where men and women must be considered equal is a narrow one. As a matter of fact, her life is the Midaq Alley, which â€Å"resembles a ‘trap,’ with walls on three sides, making darkness one of its pervasive features (Deeb).†Ã‚   What is more, there is a very narrow entrance and an equally narrow exit to the small alley – away from the big, outside world – that the Middle Eastern woman has come to represent in Mahfouz’s novel (Deeb). Yet, Hamida is not the kind to give up easily.   She sneers at her husbands-to-be simply because she wants something better than them, most definitely a life that is more prosperous, and outright superior, that is, the big, outside world.   She considers her husbands-to-be as nonentities because she thinks she can achieve well for herself without them.   At the same time, she is bounded by Middle Eastern customs and culture to choose one prospect and get married like ordinary girls (Mahfouz). Hamida admires the women who have escaped their marital bonds.   She is especially inspired by the factory girls she knows – who all happen to be Jewish.   She informs her mother about the same, â€Å"If you had seen the factory girls!   You should just see those Jewish girls who go to work.   They all go about in nice clothes.   Well, what is the point of life then if we can't wear what we want? (Mahfouz)† According to Middle Eastern customs for women, Hamida must control her true desires before the cultural expectations that are attached to all women.   All the same, Mahfouz brings to the mind’s eye the picture of Middle Eastern women that are longing to free themselves from the bonds of patriarchy, and all the rules of society that are connected to the same.   Apparently, the Middle Eastern women would also like to free themselves from the difficult clothing they are forced to wear. Perhaps they would like breaks from such clothing.   While women such as Hamida may genuinely face a problem with restrictive customs, Mahfouz also describes the ‘proper’ girls that are not expected to show their desires anyway.   Boys of the Middle East, on the contrary, are allowed various other facilities, also according to the author.   Boys are permitted, among other things, access to sex, nightlife, and friendships outside the family (Mahfouz). When Hamida gets married to Abbas, she only does so to escape her mother’s home.   Escape seems to be her only wish.   She turns into a prostitute as soon as her husband leaves home for an indefinite period of time.   But, does she find her eventual escape route through this act?   It appears that while many Middle Eastern women may be searching for escape routes from traditions, once and for all, it was only Hamida who actually managed to escape.   Whether she had dreamt of reaching a brothel or not is not the point of Mahfouz’s tale. The fact remains that Hamida had no choice to live a liberated life as a Middle Eastern woman, except as a prostitute.   Most Middle Eastern women would shun the idea of prostitution altogether, calling it a major sin.   However, Hamida was so desperate to escape that she defied the common image of the Middle Eastern woman to truly escape her cultural constraints, once and for all.   Whether she also found happiness is not the concern of the author either.   Hamida’s liberation, on the other hand, is an important message of Midaq Alley (Mahfouz). Hamida was the kind who merely upheld the traditional image of the Middle Eastern woman, just as many other Middle Eastern women probably do.   At the same time, she was desperate enough to express her suppressed desires of liberation that she chose the career of prostitution so as to escape all associations with the patriarchal traditions.   Perhaps, therefore, Mahfouz’s writing is a warning for the extremely strict movements that reduce people to suppressed desperation, which eventually bursts into crimes and various other problems (Mahfouz). Works Cited Deeb, Marius. â€Å"Najib Mahfuz's Midaq Alley: A Socio-Cultural Analysis.†   Bulletin (British Society for Middle Eastern Studies), Vol. 10, No. 2 (1983), pp. 121-130. Mahfouz, Naguib. Midaq Alley. Reprint edition. New York: Anchor, 1992.   

Great Expectations By Charles Dicken - 1764 Words

In Charles Dicken’s novel Great Expectations there is a wide diverse cast of characters who play different significant roles that affect the character development of Pip. One of the unsung heroes throughout the book, that’s role can be often overlooked is Herbert Pocket. At first glance, it can seem as if Herbert does not have as much of an influence on Pip as he tends to blend into the background, along with the fact that at different points can compare to other minor characters that only show up when they are needed to help move the plot along. Herbert stands out from this crowd due to different factors in his relationship with Pip, and how this association allows him to be able to affect and help mold Pip’s character. This close bond began with Pip’s first experience with how a gentleman would react in different circumstances that he uses as an expectation as he takes the path to become a gentleman himself. On this path to becoming a gentleman Pip confi des in Herbert many times, and seeks his advice that ultimately directs Pip’s decision on whatever topic he went to Herbert asking for help on. Herbert never fails to come to Pip’s aid, proving his trustworthiness, always doing so with a cheery attitude that Pip later reflects upon how it influence over him and others as well. This further engraves the trust and friendship that Pip and Herbert share, Herbert being there to provide Pip with a family type of love between Pip’s different father figures he is presented with. 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