Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Types of motivation

Types of motivation Five Types of Motivation: Have you ever wondered what drives you, to want to become a better person? That feeling you get when you want to accomplish something that seems out of reach, that feeling that makes you do dumb things that you know you should not do, but do it anyway so a certain someone would like you better. That feeling that made you want to work harder in class to get that gold star up by your name, or that fear of being punished if you did not work harder. Well each one of those feelings is a different type of motivation. What is motivation? â€Å"Motivation is internal and external factors that stimulate desire and energy in people to be continually interested in and committed to a job, role, or subject, and to exert persistent effort in attaining a goal. Motivation is the energizer of behavior and mother of all action. It results from the interactions among conscious and unconscious factors such as the (1) intensity of desire or need, (2) incentive or reward value of the goal, and (3) expect ations of the individual and of his or her significant others. (BusinessDictionary.com, 2009) There is many different types of motivation but the five main ones that I will cover in this paper are Achievement motivation, Socialization motivation, Incentive motivation, Fear motivation, and Change motivation. Achievement motivation is the motivation that a person gets when they want to attain a goal. It is that drive that makes you do what needs to be done to reach that goal no matter what the cost. This form of motivation can be related to a track and field athlete. That sprinter knows that his competitor is a few seconds faster than he is. So that athlete is going to feel that drive to practice harder and longer to become that few seconds faster to win. If there is a goal that needs to be reached Achievement motivation is most likely to be used. Most individuals with high Achievement motivation have distinctive characteristics witch separate them from their peers. First they like to put themselves in situations where they can take a personal responsibility for their finding solutions to problems. This gives them a personal satisfaction for their achievements. A second characteristic of Achievement motivation people is that they like to set moderately high goals. This will give that person more personal satisfaction for reaching them goals. Another distinctive characteristic of high achievers is that they love to get feedback on their performance. Socialization motivation is the motivation that drives people to act or do certain things to fit in. The dictionary definition of Social motivation is â€Å"An incentive or drive resulting from a sociocultural influence that initiates behavior toward a particular goal.† (Mosbys Medical Dictionary, 2009) This motivation is most evident when there is a lot of peer pressure. Some people use this motivation to gain feeling of acceptance or being equal to their peer group. Some examples of socialization motivation could be that young kid being passed that first drink, being told that he is not cool if he doesnt drink it. Incentive motivation is influenced by beliefs, that if they accomplish the task they will receive a reward. Incentive motivation is closely linked to achievement motivation. The only difference is that with incentive motivation, your drive is to attain that reward after you reached that goal. Whereas achievement, is more focused on just attaining the goal itself. Fear motivation is mostly used when incentives do not work. This motivation is the drive to do things because the fear of punishment or failure. Fear motivation is the fastest acting tactics to motivate someone to do something. An example of this motivation is the motivation you feel when you see that speed limit sign and want to go a little faster but are scared of that cop that could be up the road waiting for you. Or when someone shoots at you and you become motivated to run a lot faster. Another example of this is test anxiety or fear of failure. Having this fear will get you to study harder or concentrate little better to succeed. â€Å"Most of this research fails to distinguish among the components of test anxiety or to recognize it as only the negative side of motivation, that is, only half the story of the performance in evaluative situations. The positive side of motivation (e.g., need for achievement) is also aroused in evaluative situations and makes a contribution. (Har old F. Oneil, 1994) Fear motivation always points out consequences you will receive if you dont do or accomplish certain tasks. Change motivation is the push you feel when you want to bring change in your life or surroundings. Its that motivation you feel to get out in your front yard to cut that grass because you are sick of seeing it long every day. Its the motivation you get after you become tired of how things are and seek ways to improve it and make it better. These five theories of motivation are just a few types that drive you to be the person you have become today, and that will push you to become a better person and make you want to improve yourself every day. Now knowing each one of these five types of motivation, you know what gets you through each day. References BusinessDictionary.com. (2009). BusinessDictionary.com. Retrieved 11 19, 2009, from BusinessDictionary.com: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/motivation.html Harold F. Oneil, M. D. (1994). Motivation : theory and research. Hilsdale, New Jersey : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Mosbys Medical Dictionary. (2009). The Free Dictionary. Retrieved 11 25, 2009, from The Free Dictionary: social motivation

Monday, August 19, 2019

Wilfred Owen and his Pity of War :: Wilfred Owen Poems Poetry War Literature Essays

Through His Poetry Wilfred Owen Wished to Convey, to the General Public, the Pity of War. In a Detailed Examination of these Poems, With Reference to Others, Show the Different ways in which He achieved this. Wilfred Owen fought in the war as an officer in the Battle of the Somme. He entered the war in January of 1917. However he was hospitalised for war neurosis and was sent for rehabilitation at Craiglockhart War Hospital in Edinburgh that May. At Craiglockhart he met Siegfried Sassoon, a poet and novelist whose grim antiwar works were in harmony with Wilfred Owen's concerns. It was at Craiglockhart where Wilfred Owen produced the best work of his short career under the tutelage of Siegfried Sassoon. Siegfried Sassoon had recently made a public declaration against the continuation of the war by throwing his Military Cross medal for bravery into the River Mersey in Liverpool. Wilfred Owen's earlier work ignored the subject of war but Siegfried Sassoon urged him to write on the war. Wilfred Owen wrote his poems while at Craiglockhart as a cathartic experience to help him to forget his experiences in France. He also wrote his poems as an attempt to stop the war and to make people realise how horrific it was. In a thorough examination of the poems "Anthem for Doomed Youth", "Dulce et Decorum Est" and "Disabled" and also with some reference to other works by Owen, it can be seen that he uses different poetical features, styles and methods. Wilfred Owen addresses his readers from different stances right up to him addressing the reader personally. This method is very effective in evoking feelings from great anger and bitterness to terrible sadness and even sarcasm, making the reader sometimes even feel guilty. Whichever way he chooses to portray the pity of the war the end result is always the same. "Dulce Et Decorum Est" is a direct attack at the people in Britain who had been taken in by the propaganda drive by telling them the truth of what life is really like at the front and in what conditions their sons, fathers, brothers etc. are in. "Dulce Et Decorum Est" consists of four unequal stanzas, the first two in sonnet form, and the last two in a looser structure. The first stanza sets the scene of soldiers limping back from the front. The authorial stance is of Owen telling us of his own personal experiences. The second stanza focuses on one man who could not get his gas mask on in time. This is a recurring nightmare that Owen has, where he sees one man "drown" in the gas and

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Satire in George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) :: Nineteen Eighty-Four 1984 Essays

Satire in 1984 1984 is a political parable. George Orwell wrote the novel to show society what it could become if things kept getting worse. The first paragraph of the book tells the reader of the "swirl of gritty dust....The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats." Just from these few lines Orwell makes it clear that there was absolutely nothing victorious abuot Victory Mansions. Every image the reader recieves from Winston Smith is pessimistic. Hate week, for example, is a big event in Oceania. The citizens prepare for it like Christmas. Instead of jolly songs with family and friends over punch, Hate week is celebrated with fists in the air while chanting about death, Goldstien, and whatever the party wanted the citizens to disgust. Winston hates the party and Big Brother. He hates the "pure" ones, also. Everthing about Winston's life drives him closer and closer to a suicidal point each day. What makes things worse, hte Party makes Winston think that he is crazy for wanting to be free to think and for wanting to remember. These simple things are taken for granted today. George Orwell devilishly illustrates the brutality that man can be capabel of when he is given such power. The people of Oceania are forced to love Big Brother. There is possibly no one that loves Bill Clinton, besides his family. there are several that love to makes fun of him, but on the political mainstream love is not involved as it is in Oceania. The setting in itself is an extremely important part of the novel. Winston lived in a "dark, gray drab jungle." Posters of Big Brothr were everywhere. The telescreen could see and hear asmost everything that Winston did. However, Winston could hide from it long enough to write in his diary even though he knew he would get caught eventually. Winston was alienated before Julia. He didn't have much contact with other people; he was constantly hungry both physically and emotionally. However, it is ironic that Winston enjoys the work he does but he hates

Saturday, August 17, 2019

University Students Should Wear Uniforms

Recently, we know that the global warming had become big crises that occur not only in our country but it also occurs at other country for example Australia, Japan, and England. Physically, if we look what happened around us, due to the development of buildings, forest deforestation and open burning. This shows that we are not very concern about how important taking care of our earth as we want the best to protect it from any pollution especially global warming.Besides, if there is a lot of process of development that occurs, maybe it will destroy our ecosystem. Besides that, as we know, global warming can be defined as the earth’s average temperature increases. The average temperature in our earth is increasing due to human activities that occurs a long time ago until now it gives negative effects to our environment for example droughts, melting of polar ice and glaciers causing a rise in sea level, change in wind directions and weather patterns.We can handle it by contributi ng an awareness campaign, which if global warming do not occur, maybe a lot of people know how to take care of our earth , but in reality they are still do not realize what they are doing whether it is good or bad. Among the awareness campaign which can handle the global warming from human and globalization are the celebration of Earth’s Day that was held in year of 2011 every 22 April. This celebration was held to aware everyone how important protects or conserves our earth.A lot of people do not realize the existence of this earth’s day, but some of them who are really love nature or the association of a love nature will involved themselves in giving awareness to the others so that they will not too greedy to destroy our earth. A part of that, the Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty signed by countries was held 11 December 1997 as they are committed to the reduction of release in greenhouse effect such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous dioxide (N2 O) and chlorofluorocarbon (CFCS), besides they want to ensure that the reduction of release in gases by the rate of 5. percent in 2010 rather than in year of 1992. The negative effects can be reduced if every individual plays an important role in limiting the release of greenhouse gases. In addition, since year of 1992, the Unity of national countries of environment and development (UNCED) or now it is known as the Council of Rio Culmination had organized an awareness campaign about the global warming. This campaign had reached to the highest level. Among the matter that is approved, rich countries are needed to reduce the pollution in their countries; help a development country manage the energy generator efficiently.Besides, they also want to reduce the poverty, increase the quality of water, use more clean energy, a better administration, and use product that nature friendly. Nevertheless, their result were not achieved due to some of the countries try to make their own action Fu rthermore, Earth Hour is another of the awareness campaign that is organized by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) starting from the year of 2004 by WWF Australia. This celebration was held every year on 26 March which it will celebrate by switch off all the lights starting from 8. 30pm until 9. 30pm.Why this campaign was held? This is because a lot of countries had through a badly changing temperature such as Myanmar, Honduras, Vietnam, Nicaragua, India, Haiti, Republic Dominica, Filipina and China. These are the list of the top 10 of the countries that undergo the phenomenon of global warming. A part of that, Bangladesh also through a badly changing temperature which based on the statistic between 1990 and 2008 which the average of their residents died out there are 8240 people every year. A rise in sea level every year also gives harm to them who live near the beach.The Earth Hour is one of the awareness campaigns that achieved reducing 10% of the effect of the global warming. Why? This i s because a lot of countries besides Malaysia also show their concern in saving the earth. Many people around the world do not realized; if we keep reducing the use of energy or reduce the burning of fossil fuels maybe we can avoid from the global warming from occur. So that’s why even only 10%, if we make it every year, maybe we can reduce the effects of the global warming until 50% to 80% in a decade.

Educational Principles Essay

Jean Piaget’s theories continue to have a major impact on both teacher training and classroom practices. This essay will discuss the three educational principles derived from his theory and also discuss the limitations of preoperational thought from his point of view. The first educational principle is discovery learning. In this principle, children are encouraged to discover things for themselves by interacting with the environment (Berk, 2010). Teachers provide them with things that will promote development thru their imagination and exploration. By providing a variety of materials like art supplies, books, building blocks, musical instruments and more, teachers are offering opportunities to widen their creativity and enhance their learning (Berk, 2010). Through their exploring and thinking students are taking on an active role in their learning and knowledge building. According to Castronova (n. d), â€Å"Piaget was the first to show that children were not â€Å"empty vessels† to be filled with knowledge, but active builders of knowledge. With our current access to so much on the internet and through technology, there are many more opportunities for teachers to introduce children to discovery learning. Another principle is sensitivity to children’s readiness to learn. In this theory, teachers introduce new activities that build on their current skills while challenging their incorrect ways and allowing them to practice those new skills. They do not push them before they are ready (Berk, 2010). It is ok to allow children to experiment and search out answers for themselves. Teachers should assess and identify a child’s strengths and weaknesses. This is where Piaget saw the teachers as facilitators and there to guide the students (Ginn, n. d). Children need to make mistakes and be able to learn from them. The third educational principle is the acceptance of individual differences. Piaget’s theory assumes that children develop at different rates, but in the same sequence, so teachers must plan activities for small groups and individuals (Berk, 2010). This theory’s implication is that instruction should be adapted to the development level of the learner and that the content is consistent with that level of learning (Piaget, n. . ). A child needs to be compared to their own previous level of development. The limitations of preoperational thought from Piaget’s point of view are described by him as what they can’t understand (Berk, 2010). The term preoperational suggests that he compared them to older, more competent children (Berk, 2010). One of these limitations is egocentrism. Piaget assumes that the egocentric child assumes that other people see, feel, and hear exactly the same way that they do (Berk, 2010). This is responsible for animistic thinking that inanimate objects have lifelike qualities (Berk, 2010). Children also have the inability to conserve. That is, something stays the same in quantity even though it’s appearance changes. For example, two children have identical boxes of raisins, but when child 1 spreads their raisins on the table, child 2 is convinced that they have more (Berk, 2010). Preoperational children also have the inability to reverse steps. They can’t mentally go through steps in a problem and reverse direction to the starting point (Berk, 2010). Lastly, they have difficulty with hierarchical classification. This is the inability to organize objects into classes and subclasses based on their differences and similarities (Berk, 2010). In conclusion, according to McLeod (2010), Piaget drew a number of conclusions about the limitations of preoperational thought: (1) Understanding of these situations is ‘perception bound’. Child is drawn by changes in the appearance of the materials to conclude that a change has occurred. (2) Thinking is ‘centered’ on one aspect of the situation.  Child notices change in level of water or in length of clay without noticing that other aspects of the situation have changed simultaneously. (3) Thinking is focused on states rather than on transformations. Child fails to track what has happened to the materials and simply makes an intuitive judgment based on how they appear ‘now’. (4) Thinking is ‘irreversible’ in that the child cannot appreciate that a reverse transformation would return the material to its original state. Reversibility is a crucial aspect of the logical (operational) thought of later stages.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Chronology of Events in Pakistan from Historical Perspective

Pakistan-Table A – Chronology of Important Events Pakistan Index Period Description ANCIENT EMPIRES ca. 2500-1600 B. C. Indus Valley culture ca. 1500-500 B. C. Migrations of Indo-Aryan- speaking tribes; the Vedic Age. ca. 563-483 B. C. Life of Siddartha Gautama–the Buddha; founding of Buddhism. ca. 321-180 B. C. Mauryan Empire; reign of Ashoka (r. ca. 274-236 B. C. ); spread of Buddhism. ca. 180 B. C. -A. D. 150 Saka dynasties in Indus Valley. ca. A. D. 78-ca. 200 Kushan Empire; Gandharan art flourishes. ca. A. D. 319-ca. 600 Gupta Empire; classical age in northern India.COMING OF ISLAM 711 Muhammad bin Qasim, an Arab general, conquers Sindh and incorporates it into Umayyad Caliphate. 1001-1030 Mahmud of Ghazni raids Indian subcontinent from Afghanistan. 1192 Muhammad of Ghor defeats Rajputs. 1206-1526 Delhi Sultanate. 1398 Timur destroys Delhi. THE MUGHAL PERIOD 1526 Babur defeats last Lodhi sultan in first Battle of Panipat, thus laying foundation of Mughal Empire. 15 56 Akbar victorious in secondBattle of Panipat. 1556-1605 Reign of Akbar. 1605-27 Reign of Jahangir; in 1612 East India Company opens first trading post (factory). 1628-58 Reign of Shah Jahan, builder of Taj Mahal. 1658-1707 Reign of Aurangzeb, last great Mughal ruler. 1707-1858 Lesser emperors; decline of Mughal Empire. BRITISH PERIOD 1757 Battle of Plassey and British victory over Mughal forces in Bengal; conventional date for beginning of British rule in India. 799-1839 Sikh kingdom established in Punjab under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. 1830s Institution of British education and other reform measures. 1838-42 First Anglo-Afghan War. 1843 British annex Sindh, Hyderabad, and Khairpur. 1845-49 Sikh Wars; British annex Punjab; Kashmir sold to Dogra Dynasty, to be ruled under British paramountcy. 1857-58 Uprising, variously known as Indian Mutiny, Sepoy Rebellion, and by Indian nationalists as First War of Independence. 858 East India Company dissolved; rule of India under British crown ( the British Raj) begins; marks formal end of Mughal Empire. 1878-80 Second Anglo-Afghan War. 1885 Indian National Congress formed. 1893 Durand Line established as boundary between Afghanistan and British India. 1905 Partition of Bengal. 1906 All-India Muslim League founded. 1909 Morley-Minto Reforms establish separate electorates for Muslims. 911 Partition of Bengal annulled. 1916 Congress-Muslim League Pact (often referred to as Lucknow Pact) signed. 1919 Montague-Chelmsford Reforms; Third Anglo-Afghan War. 1935 Government of India Act of 1935. 1940 Muslim League adopts â€Å"Pakistan Resolution† demanding separate nation for Muslims of India. â€Å"Two Nations Theory† articulated by Muslim League leader Mohammad Ali Jinnah and others. 1946 August Muslim League observes â€Å"Direct Action Day. Widespread communal rioting spreads to many parts of India. 1947 June Legislation introduced in British Parliament calling for independence and partition of India; communal ri oting and mass movements of population begin, resulting in next months in 250,000 deaths and up to 24 million refugees. INDEPENDENT PAKISTAN 1947 August Partition of British India; India achieves independence and incorporates West Bengal and Assam; Pakistan is created and incorporates East Bengal (East Wing, or East Pakistan) and territory in the northwest (West Wing, or West Pakistan);Jinnah becomes governor general of Pakistan; Liaquat Ali Khan becomes prime minister. October Start of first Indo-Pakistani War over sovereignty of Kashmir. 1948 September Jinnah dies; Khwaja Nazimuddin becomes governor general. 1949 January United Nations-arranged cease- fire between Pakistan and India takes effect. 1951 October Liaquat assassinated; Nazimuddin becomes prime minister; Ghulam Mohammad becomes governor general. 1955 August Ghulam Mohammad resigns; succeeded by Iskander Mirza.October One Unit Plan establishes the four provinces of West Pakistan as one administrative unit. 1956 March Con stitution adopted; Mirza becomes president. 1958 October Mirza abrogates constitution and declares martial law; Mirza sent into exile; Chief Martial Law Administrator (CMLA) General Mohammad Ayub Khan assumes presidency. 1965 August Start of second Indo-Pakistani War over Kashmir. 1969 March Martial law declared; Ayub Khan resigns; CMLA General Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan ssumes presidency. 1970 July One Unit Plan abolished; four provinces reestablished in West Pakistan. December First general elections; Awami League under Mujib secures absolute majority in new National Assembly; West Pakistan-dominated government declines to convene assembly. 1971 March East Pakistan attempts to secede, beginning civil war; Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Mujib), imprisoned in West Pakistan, declared provisional president. April Formal declaration of independence of Bangladesh issued; Mujib named president.December Pakistan launches preemptive air strikes against India; India invades East Pakistan; India recog nizes Bangladesh; Pakistani military forces in East Pakistan surrender to Indian armed forces, marking Bangladeshi independence; Yahya Khan resigns; Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto becomes CMLA and president. 1972 July Bhutto and India's prime minister, Indira Gandhi, conclude Simla Agreement, adjusting 1949 cease-fire line between Pakistan and India and creating new line of control. 1973 August New constitution goes into effect; Bhutto becomes prime inister. 1976 February Pakistan and Bangladesh establish diplomatic relations. 1977 March General elections; massive victory by Bhutto's party evokes widespread rioting and protest. July Army chief of staff, General Mohammad Zia ul-Haq, appoints himself CMLA and proclaims martial law. 1978 September Mohammad Zia ul-Haq becomes nation's sixth president, replacing Fazal Elahi Chaudhry. 1979 February Islamic penal code introduced. April Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto hanged.November Mob storms and burns down United States Embassy in Islamabad, killing two Americ ans and two Pakistani employees; United States cultural centers in Rawalpindi and Lahore also torched; attacks in response to Iranian-inspired rumors that United States citizens responsible for November 20 attack on Grand Mosque in Mecca. December Large-scale movements of Soviet troops and military equipment into Afghanistan. 1980 January United States president Jimmy Carter pledges military assistance to help Pakistan defend itself against Soviet hreat; Carter offers US$400 million, rejected by Zia as â€Å"peanuts. † 1983 August President Zia ul-Haq announces that martial law will be lifted in 1985 but warns that army will retain key role in future governments. 1985 January Non-Islamic banking abolished. February General elections held for National Assembly. March Mohammad Khan Junejo invited by Zia to form civilian cabinet. July Economy declared to be in conformity with Islam. 1986 August Movement for the Restoration f Democracy (MRD) launches campaign against government, demanding new general elections; Benazir Bhutto arrested in Karachi. December New federal cabinet sworn into office by President Zia with Mohammad Khan Junejo continuing as prime minister. May Prime Minister Junejo expands federal government to include five new ministers and three new ministers of state; President Zia dismisses Junejo government, dissolves national and provincial assemblies, and orders new elections to be held within ninety days. August Zia, the United States mbassador to Pakistan, and top army officials killed in mysterious airplane crash near Bahawalpur in Punjab; Ghulam Ishaq Khan, chairman of Senate, sworn in as acting president; General Mirza Aslam Beg becomes chief of the army staff. October Salman Rushdie's novel, The Satanic Verses, banned in Pakistan; joint United States- Pakistani investigatory committee concludes that Zia's death was caused by â€Å"criminal act of sabotage. † November Elections held for National Assembly; Pakistan People's Party ( PPP) wins ninety-three out of 207 seats contested.December Benazir Bhutto sworn in as first female prime minister of a Muslim nation; PPP and MQM parties sign â€Å"Karachi Declaration,† an accord to restore peace in Sindh; Pakistan and India sign accords at South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Islamabad, including agreement not to attack each other's nuclear facilities. June Combined Opposition Parties (COP), consisting of most opposition groups, formed in National Assembly, with Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi as leader. February Soviet Union completes withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.September Pakistan's largest ever military exercise, Zarb- e – Momin (Sword of the Faithful), commences. October Pakistan rejoins Commonwealth of Nations. December Ethnic riots in Sindh claim scores of lives. 1990 May-June Ethnic troubles mount in Sindh; rift develops between PPP and coalition partners. August President Ghulam Ishaq Khan di smisses Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, her cabinet, and National Assembly; orders new elections for October 24, 1990; Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi becomes caretaker prime inister. October United States president George Bush is unable to deliver annual certification that Pakistan does not possess nuclear weapons as condition of continued assistance and arms and technology transfers, leading to cutoff of most aid. National elections held; Bhutto's PPP loses to coalition of rightist parties. November Mian Nawaz Sharif elected prime minister. 1991 February Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif liberalizes economy, lifts controls on foreign currency entering country, and announces policies to encourage new investment; numerous pro-Iraq emonstrations and widespread public opposition to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's support of Desert Storm but pro-United Nations stance reiterated. May Shariat Bill is adopted by National Assembly. July Opposition members call upon president to dismiss government because of deteriorating law and o rder situation, particularly in Sindh. 1992 December Babri Mosque in Ayodya, India, destroyed by Hindu fundamentalists seeking to build Hindu temple on contested site; communal violence mounts over incident; Pakistan asks Indian government to protect Muslims in India. 993 April President Ishaq Khan dismisses government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, citing corruption. July President Ishaq Khan and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resign under pressure from military; World Bank officer, Moeen Qureshi, named caretaker prime minister pending elections in October. October Benazir Bhutto's PPP wins slim margin in national elections and builds coalition government; Benazir appointed prime minister. November PPP stalwart, Farooq Leghari, defeats acting President Wassim Sajjad and becomes president. Data as of April 1994

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Illusion of American Dream

People, In one way or another, are continually and Invariably trying to Improve the quality of their lives. Some believe their happiness lies within materialistic goods and the freedom to buy them; while others believe their happiness Lies within the bonds and relationships they have. The American Dream is a combination of both. Stereotypically, the American Dream is to marry the perfect someone, move to a suburban house with a white picketed fence, have kids that attend private school, both parents work and do not have to worry about financial issues.Although in the ass's the Idea of the American Dream was exaggerated to match the glamour and luxury of the era also known as the Roaring Twenties. F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby exposes and emphasizes the American Dream as a failure and an Illusion. The failure and illusion of the American Dream is seen through the corruption of morals, purposeless lives of the aristocrats and the out-of-reach dreams fueled by the idea that anyth ing was possible.Arguably sexual attraction is what could have caused Myrtles immoral behavior and made her vulnerable to Tom's sexual objectification; however Myrtles affair with Tom Is an attempt to get a glimpse of the American Dream. Her desperateness results In her corruption of morals which leads her to become an object of desire to Tom. The description of their first encounter made it clear the intentions of the soon-to-be relationship. â€Å"He had a dress suit on and patent leather shoes†¦ † (Fitzgerald 40).In Myrtles recollection of the memory it is significant that she mentions his appearance for it is reflective of his wealth and is season she took interest in Tom. As she continues to retell the story to Nick, Toms actions proves the value he gives to her; ‘When we came Into the station he was next to me and his white shirt front pressed against my arm— and so I told him I'd have to call a policeman but he knew I lied. I was so excited that when I got into a taxi with him I didn't hardly know I wasn't getting into a subway train. (40). Tom's aggressive, domineering come-on shows he feels superior to her. Tom did not even have the decency to introduce himself. To Myrtle it did not matter because she knew she was out of her league chasing Tom and the social circle he revolved In, but hoped desperately and pathetically to Improve her situation. For Myrtle and those who are far from living the American Dream, the luxury and glamour this Illusion presents led her to devalue herself. On the other hand, Tom and Daisy seem to be living the American Dream.They have all the material possession one could ever need and such great wealth to securely fall back on, but all this and they are unsatisfied with their lives. Tom and Daisy's lives show that achieving or obtaining the American Dream leads to purposeless lives. During Nick's first visit at Tom and Daisy's house, Tom begins discussing his recent readings about the white supremacy. Nick made an observation that â€Å"There was something pathetic in his concentration as if his complacency, more acute than old, was not enough for him anymore† (18).Tom's satisfaction in life is no longer enough to shield him from his unhappiness, so he becomes absorbed with supposedly ‘scientific' books about white supremacy, hoping o find the root of his disillusionment. Later that evening Daisy shares with Nick conclusions she has made about life on the basis that she has â€Å"†¦ Been everywhere, young age of Daisy she feels she no longer has nothing left to do. With great fortune, social standing and material possession do not have much else to desire or seek in life thus putting into question the greatness and happiness that is associated with the American Dream.Gatsby experienced this greatness and happiness of the American Dream when he came so close to achieving it. Although he devoted all his time and effort toward his ultimate dream of winning Daisy back, it still proved to be unattainable due to his overblown idealization of her. Jordan Baker explains to Nick about Gatsby mysterious behavior that â€Å"†¦ It was no coincidence at all. Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be Just across the bay' (83). Gatsby entire presence is built so that Daisy will notice him.Despite the flashy parties and careless wealth that imply he is living in the moment, he is in fact stuck is the past. Nick attempts to reason with Gatsby naive thoughts about reliving the past but Gatsby simply responds â€Å"Can't repeat the past? Why of course you can! † (116). At the point it is foreshadowed, that once again, the great American Dream is unrealistic since Gatsby is leading an unrealistic life, based upon a reality that may soon come crashing down around him. Fitzgerald expresses his disillusioned view of the American Dream in the last line of the book where Nick reflects on Gatsby ending. Gatsby believed in the green light, the o rgiastic future that year by year recedes fore us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter ? tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther†¦. And one fine morning † (189) the dream is dead, just like Gatsby. The book ended with Fitzgerald disenchanted view of the American Dream. Regardless, he ends the story with hope. Even though no one really gets what they want in this story and the â€Å"American Dream† is seen to be a scam; he knows that people will still pursue their dreams, Just like Gatsby chased after Daisy.