Genies Character in The Secret of the Wild Child Assignment

Genies Character in The Secret of the Wild Child - Assignment Example In my opinion, Genie should be placed in a home where she is adopted by parents whose primary concern and care are towards her safety, protection, and comfort. Since she is mentally like an infant, she should be treated like a child and be left to play and interact with children while receiving mental care at another facility. My emotional reaction to Genie’s case is one of profound sadness. Her traumatic childhood experience, her lack of inability to grasp grammar despite four years of training, her situation with the scientists. In some instances, the psychologists and therapists seemed to care more about scientific discovery rather than her well- being. If I was a social worker, I would have ensured that there was a specific distinction between where she lived and where she received her treatment. I would ensure that she received the proper mental care she needed outside her home, where she would remain a child and not the subject of an experiment. As a therapist, I would primarily employ cognitive behavioral therapy, which is useful when modifying unwanted behavior such as temper tantrums exhibited by Genie. According to Dobson, cognitive behavioral therapy would also be effective since it enforces conditioning human behavior from the environment and external stimuli.

What Constitutes True Friendship Philosophy Essay

What Constitutes True Friendship Philosophy Essay Why, according to Aristotle, is the true friend such a rare area and abiding benefit. What constitutes true friendship and how is it distinguished from other forms. Why is the true friend necessary for the good life? Why is true happiness impossible without the true friend? Evaluate Aristotles argument: does his ideal of friendship continue a measure, or, if it is an impossible standard, should we toss it out as unrealistic? What then, in your view, constitutes a true friend? How does Aristotelian phillia differ from (and is similar to) Platonic eros? In his book, Aristotle has conceived an ethical theory which aims towards providing a better and more improved way of life. Like Socrates and Plato, Aristotle too believes that virtues play an essential role in order to achieve the goal of a well-lived life. However, while acknowledging this claim, Aristotle differs from the pre-requisite that of training in the sciences and meta-physics as suggested by both Socrates and Plato. Aristotle instead believes that the virtues are a product of rational, social and emotional skills. He further states that aspects such as friendship, virtue, honour, wealth and pleasure are essential for this purpose. Thus comes into play the factor of a virtuous character, who according to him aims and seeks for the good by which he refers to the highest good of happiness. Thus we desire for the best in order to live well. Living well and happiness are synonymous concepts for him. For Aristotle, human being is different from all other creatures present on this planet, and is the smartest among them all since he is the only creature that possesses the ability to reason his thoughts and hence is rational in nature. Thus he is compelled to exercise his reason with virtue so as to achieve the state of happiness. For him to be able to exercise this reason with virtue, Aristotle points out the necessity to discipline eros present within man. This disciplining begins at a young age with the acquisition of good habits. Yet the exercise of virtue in the right amount that is by means of securing the golden mean can only be achieved with the help of a true friend. Aristotle then undertakes the job of describing and defining the types of friendships that exist. He thus classified them into three categories: (1) friendship of utility: under this form of friendship, the basis is laid down on account of the utility to be derived by each individual. Thus here, the whole relation is based on sort of a precondition where a person is to be used only for the benefit of oneself. Thus one remains friends for just as long as they continue to derive their benefits from engaging in this kind of a relationship. Any individual at any point of time is not capable of managing everything on his own throughout his life. At this point he does feel the need for someone that could help him out in situations which if were to be handled alone, would turn out to be complete dead-ends. If we go to see, most of the relationships in todays world have such kind definitely present at any given point in time. Well in defence of such relationships, I would like to say that no t every individual is capable of handling everything by himself. He most certainly is not a perfect individual. He will need the help of some other individual, a person who makes up for the qualities that he lacks and thus is able to fulfil his needs. So obviously at such times, he cannot go up to a stranger to ask him for help. At such points it is absolutely necessary to have some contacts, these contacts usually are more similar to acquaintances, yet they do stand up for you. And as Aristotle has defined, the longevity of this kind of a friendship is very short as when we finish seeking utility, we no longer have any interest or rather any incentive left that provokes us to continue with this relationship. This to some extent is true because a certain individual is capable of providing only so much utility that after a point he can do nothing more. Also, it is very easy to be replaced by someone else for the same purposes, for the seeker has no real personal attachment to the per son who fulfils his utility. Hence the duration of this kind of a friendship is not long since it exists on nothing more than a give and take relationship. (2) Friendship of pleasure: this kind of friendship as well is not really different from the one that we have discussed above. The differences lie in the factors such as it (friendship) is seen to develop during the young days of any individuals life span since as we can observe, with the process of aging, one cannot derive the same pleasure that was attained at an earlier date. When we observe old people, their friendships usually have the possibility of changing their nature from that of a friendship of pleasure to friendship of utility as they have nothing to gain at their age. They are concerned about the company and help required with carrying out day to day activities as they cannot perform them the same way as before. When concerned with lovers, their pleasure is usually constrained to the youth of the body, once that has been taken away, there is nothing more that remains. Unless the people involved have grown fond of each others company, otherwise, even this kind of friendsh ip does not have a great longevity. (3) Friendship of character: This is the type of friendship that Aristotle is interested in. While talking about the friends that will help any man achieve his golden mean that would in turn lead him towards the acquisition of happiness by means of living well, he refers to the true friends who will help him in this process. He describes them as nothing like what has been described in the above two categories. In fact, the true friends maintain this relationship with each other because they enjoy each others company in the truest sense. They aim for the well-being of each other. For whatever they intend to do, their actions always aim for the best interests of their friend. He thus describes such a friendship as rare as it is permanent in nature, they are always in close proximity, and there are no selfish purposes included on part of any friend in such a friendship. He also states that there exists this very important feature of reciprocal good will that is very distinct and is spec ific only to the third category of friendship. In discussing the characteristics that help define this type of friendship, Aristotle does not deny the fact that among the other things that are fulfilled by such friends, it is very much possible that they can derive some utility in such a relationship and that the occurrence of such an event is foreseeable but he further goes on to specify that this event is justifiable only as long as while seeking utility, the friends continue to enjoy each others company. Thus according to Aristotle, all these aspects of such a friend distinguish them from the other categories. According to Aristotle, it is this friend that helps you to make the distinction between a lot of things and helps you to reason with virtue and act in accordance with it. It is this friend that helps you to obtain the clarity of thought that is required while making any decisions. Thus as Aristotle has mentioned earlier that in order to lead a well-lived life which leads us towards happiness, mans eros needs to be disciplined. This friend helps in the disciplining after the first task of acquisition of good habits has been achieved. We often find our elders mentioning quotes like one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel and advising us on the importance of keeping good friends by our side always. I think that this has a great deal of significance because once we step out of the protected boundaries of our homes, leave the ever caring and nurturing warmth of our loved ones to face the real world, our primary socializing group does not hold the same effect on the way we go on to shape our selves after this point. There is no denying that they do continue to influence us in the way we think but the level of influence begins to diminish with the growth in the amount of exposure that we continually gain with time. As human beings, we can never really run away from the influence of the people around us and hence at such a point, it becomes very crucial to stay in good company. Hence I feel Aristotle emphasises so much on the need to have a true friend in ones life. Because after all, we are constantly being groomed and guided by the people in our company and in a way we allow them to shape us and guide us in our future endeavours. I believe that every person must have noticed the change in himself over a period of time. As with time, a lot of things change around us, the most important factor among which is the situation that we are in. In this process, we do gain and lose the company of the friends that we have around us resulting from which we realise, in the abse nce of the certain people in our life, we end up reacting differently each time. Thus with this change in the people around us, we constantly allow ourselves to be motivated or affected by somebodys presence and their influence on us. I assume that as a result of this facet of life, which is a common factor for every human being despite the differences that they are born with, that Aristotle stresses on the need for this one true friend. The true friend in ones life will continue to be the one steady factor that will continue to stay constant despite all the changes and this is something that is essential. The one true friend who loves our company and believes in doing what is best for you. Part of being a part of a friendship that is true is that the two friends involved, are both good people. Thus all that they do together is virtuous in nature this why their friendship is pleasant and beneficial. And since virtue is something that is stable, this friendship can stand strong against the tides of time. For bad company has often lead people down the wrong path and looking at the fact that how easy it is to find friends that belong in the first two categories, the true friend is very much rare and an abiding benefi t. Also to add to the reasons why true friendship is rare, it takes time and effort to build a relationship and maintain it at the same time. This is not something which is possible to do with a lot of people. It is only with the selected few that such a bond can be established. Apart from the characteristics of the types of friendships that have been discussed before, there are a few more things that help distinguish true friendship from that of the other two types. One of the most obvious reasons is that the bad or the evil people cannot participate in a friendship that is long lasting owning to their nature. As according to Aristotle, the necessary component of a true friendship is that it requires the two people involved to be virtuous in nature. These bad individuals are then found to be indulging in a friendship that is based on the utility or pleasure aspect. Whereas true friends continue to maintain their bond because they are a part of it for the sake of each other and that their friendship is not obligated to any sort of qualifications or pre requisites. True friendship does not subject itself to the inequality among the two friends for it mainly rests on liking the other and not on being liked. Being liked is a pre requisite that is in place for t he other types of friendships described by Aristotle as these friendships cannot possibly tolerate any form of inequality between the friends (inequality with regards to wealth, status, virtues, etc.) as such friendships basically concentrate on being liked than liking the other. Hence friendship between such individuals is unlikely to develop or last for that matter. They mainly thrive on being liked by the one who is in the inferior position, as most individuals prefer being flattered by someone and they often regard this flattery as the confirmation of their own opinion about themselves. Thus they enjoy being liked for the sake of themselves and not for that of someone else. True friends, according to Aristotle can never engage in erroneous activities as they have each other. Whereas the bad friends only enjoy each others company as long as they can benefit from the evil habits of their friends. The friendship between such people is based on the utility of their contrary interest s and these are some more aspects that distinguish the true friends from the other types. The true friends believe in loving unconditionally rather than being loved since it is the virtue that characterizes them and as a result of this very reason that the friendship between two unequal individuals can be successful. The whole aspect of loving unconditionally added with reciprocal desire is what helps eliminate the inequality between them and helps them to become equal. They indulge in sort of a competition which is healthy in nature. Since true friends always indulge in doing things that result in acts of good will, this competition is certainly healthy in nature also for other reasons such as when friends indulge in such competitions, they do not do so for the sake of winning rather they indulge in it so as to compel their friend to succeed and excel beyond their capacities with a view to perfect themselves. They engage themselves in an act of pushing each other to their respective limits, which is reciprocal in nature, as they desire for the well-being of one another. Thus this resultant perfection gets them closer towards the ultimate goal of happiness and it is only a true friend who helps one proceed towards it. Hence the need for the true friend is advocated by Aristotle in leading a good life. To conclude, I would like to say that though Aristotle conceptions may be too idealistic in certain aspects, yet they are not completely inapplicable. Even today, in a world that is drastically different from what existed back then, the rules, characteristics and the basic mechanism put forth by him still is righteously applicable to all in some form of the other. Putting in my personal opinion, I think this text has helped me gain certain insights regarding situations in my life and I must admit that I have found answers and peace of mind that none of the other people who tried to counsel me, could provide me with.

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein and John Miltons Paradise Lost Essay

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and John Milton's Paradise Lost â€Å"Forth reaching to the Fruit, She pluck’d, she eat:/ Earth felt the wound, and Nature from her seat/ Sighing through all her Works gave signs of woe,/ That all was lost [†¦]† (PL 8. 781-784) In the gothic novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley weaves an intricate web of allusions through her characters’ expedient desires for knowledge. Both the actions of Frankenstein, as well as his monster allude to John Milton’s Paradise Lost. Book eight of Milton’s story relates the tale of Satan’s temptation and Eve’s fateful hunger for knowledge. The infamous Fall of Adam and Eve introduced the knowledge of good and evil into a previously pristine world. With one swift motion sin was birthed, and the perfection of the earth was swept away, leaving pain and malevolence in its wake. The troubles of Victor Frankenstein begin with his quest for knowledge, and end where all end: death. The characters in Frankenstein are a conglomeration of those in Paradise Lost. Frankenstein parallels Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, as well as God, while his monster acts an Eve/Satan mixture. The most predominant theme of this novel is the characters’ ever-present search for knowledge. It is this thirst for learning that spurs Frankenstein’s psychotic attempts to give life to inanimate tissue, ultimately causing his demise. Frankenstein, in this way, mirrors the character of Eve in Paradise Lost. Eve lives her most peaceful life in the Garden of Eden, her only job being to tend the plants in the Garden which she loves so much. In the novel Frankenstein, Frankenstein lives in an Eden of his own, though macabre in nature. His â€Å"garden of life† is actually mo... ...was influenced greatly by Milton’s work, evidence of which lies in the eerie similarities between the two. The allusions to Paradise Lost give the reader a story by which to subconsciously compare the characters of Frankenstein, thus also reiterating one of the main themes; the quest for knowledge and the resultant death. Following the death of Frankenstein, his monster utters his own last words. â€Å"‘But soon,’ he cried, [†¦] ‘I shall die. [†¦] I shall ascend my funeral pyre triumphantly, and exult in the agony of torturing flames’† (225). Works Cited Milton, John. Paradise Lost. 1667. Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library. 20 Nov. 2005. id=MilPL67.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/ modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=8&division=div1> Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. 1818. New York: Penguin Classics, 2003.

Events in Eiffel Tower

In this report I will be discussing many things about the Eiffel Tower. Such topics are: when the Eiffel Tower was built, how it was designed, and who the architect was. I will also tell you about how it was and how it is now used in Paris. I will also state the time and materials used to build the Eiffel Tower. I will tell you about Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the architect and builder of the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower was built by a man by the name of Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. Gustave Eiffel was born in the year of 1832 in Dijon and attended the Ecole des Arts et Manufactures in Paris. In school he specialized in the area of design of large metal structures. He then established his own business in Paris in 1867 and quickly established his reputation with building. He was responsible for such things as the first to use compressed air for underwater caissons, such as on the railway bridge over the Carunne at Bordeauz. Gustave Eiffel has built a series of ambitious railway bridges, of which span across the Dovso at Oportu, Portugal, was the longest at 525 feet (or 160 meters). Then in 1881 he provided the iron skeleton for the Statue of Liberty. He also helped in the French attempt at the Panama Canal, where he designed and partly constructed huge locks. Then the project collapsed in 1893 and Eiffel went to prison for two years. In 1900 he took up aerodynamics and worked with that until his death in 1923. Then 1889 Eiffel built his most popular project ever. His most popular project is the Eiffel Tower, which was begun in the year 1885 and finished in the year 1889. It was originally built for the World†s Fair or Centennial Exposition of 1889 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. It took him a year to design it and three years to build the tallest structure of that time. The structure was meant to be disassembled after the World†s Fair was over in the year, but was preserved for other better uses. The materials used to build the huge structure were 7,742 tons of iron, 2-1/2 million rivets, and 15,000 pieces of metal. That which brings us to the process of building. To build the tower, the workers would first fabricate all the parts in a welding shop, then number them, and send them to the sight. The building design was to be built with cross-braced lattice girders or a diagonal brace, which runs from vertical support to vertical support, which allows very little movement. Even in hurricane strength winds there would be only 8. 8 inches (or 22 centimeters) of movement. All the highest quality wrought iron. The Eiffel Tower is resting on 25 square foot (or 2. 25 square meter) masonry piers. The piers are set in seven feet (or two meters) of concrete far below ground. The tower has three above ground stages. Below the first platform, which is at the height of 188 feet (or 57 meters), the four legs are connected by structurally sound arches. The second platform is placed at 380 feet (or 115 meters) where the legs are brought almost completely together. Then the third platform is 911 feet (or 276 meters) above the ground. Above the final platform is the lantern, which warn airplanes above, and the final terrace. Then in 1959 the addition of a radio antenna raised the height of the tower from about 990 feet (or 300 meters) to 1,056 feet (or 320 meters). The tower is now used for other things. The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France is located in the â€Å"Champ de Mars,† on the south bank of the River Seine. Its uses have diversely changed throughout the years. After 1889 and the closing of the World†s Fair, Gustave Eiffel spent his time to save his monument and find new and profitable uses for the tower. He supervised changes to accommodate a meteorological station in 1890, a military telegraph station in 1903, and laboratories for studying aerodynamics in 1909. Then in 1900, 1923, and 1937 further modifications were added. The tower was then used for radio and television transmission, as a meteorological recording station, and has a restaurant and office space. Then for many years the Eiffel Tower was owned by a public firm and was in need of repairs. Then in 1981, the government of Paris took over its management. Then in the years 1981 to 1983, the tower underwent serious renovations and reconstruction in preparation for its 100th anniversary in 1989. The remodeling cost over $40 million, and stripped all the paint off down to the girders, removed the excess weight, and built new lighter buildings within the tower. The current state of the first level is three glass-enclosed structures: a museum and the Cinema, which shows films about the tower. The central level is made up of two of its own sections, each of which has a restaurant: Le Perisien, on the lower section, and La Belle France, on the upper section. The third level is the Salle Gustave Eiffel, which provides spaces for conferences, expositions, cultural events, and social gatherings. Also on the second level is a snack bar and souvenir shop. There are also glass-enclosed elevators, which take you to the first and second levels. To conclude my report I would like to say my opinion of this beautiful structure and how it has always been one of the most visited monuments in the whole world. The Eiffel Tower is Paris† most loved monuments and will probably never be disliked. The beautiful structural design and architecture just surprises me for its age. So, a masterpiece that was supposed to be torn down after the World†s Fair has lived a much longer life, a 102-year life. The Eiffel Tower was used in many collectors† plates in its early life. The most popular plates number over 82 today. In its life time, the Eiffel Tower has been visited by over 2. 5 million people and is still today a tourist trap so from a French military telegraph station to restaurants and souvenir stores, the Eiffel Tower has lived trough it all. The Eiffel Tower also went through two world wars, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, and Desert Storm, so never question the strength of a worldwide known monument.

The Driving Age Should Be Raised to 18

The Driving age should be raised to 18 Since people have changed, some driving laws ought to change as well. The Department of Motor Vehicles must Observe and Acclimate unto the Motor Vehicle’s Operators with Revisions. While observing, DMV will find that many drivers treat their vehicles like mini living rooms and have mocked the customs and values of driving and they ought not to tempt children to do the same. Many drivers observe people driving while eating, text messaging and watching videos. â€Å"10 percent of drivers aged 14 to 24 years old are on their phone at any time. (NHTSA, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) To adapt unto this grave temptation of drivers is to mandate the legal age to 18 years old. I have been driving for 33 years and I was 16 years old when I was given a legal permit to drive a motor vehicle. Nevertheless, in 1979 the phones were in the living rooms, kitchen walls and the bedrooms of our houses. We as â€Å"Baby Boomers† did extremel y well, while driving with the customs and values of being â€Å"An Motor Operator. † There weren’t many distractions of our own. It was a practice of being attentive with other motorists which made it immeasurably easier to drive safer. It was also and always a predictable effect as well when we smiled at the other motorists. We had conceived a good sense of motivation and inspiration, not road rage. I can recall the time when I was driving and had an a pair of encounters with the parents of two of my friends while crossing each other at an intersection upon separate occasions when in both instances, the parents conceived inspiration from my attentiveness, smile and a kindly wave. Months later, I was a passenger in both of my friend’s new car. With this calling to mind, underage drivers were adequately allowed to drive, because people were adequate drivers. People were not treating their cars like mini living rooms. DMV should take the stand upon this issue, because many parents feel proud and dedicated to allowing their children to drive. Many will allow them because they themselves starting driving at the tender age of 16. Consequently, with today’s unprincipled driving practices of unsafe drivers, DMV should adhere unto the fact that â€Å"The number one source of driver inattention is use of a wireless device. † (Virginia Tech/NHTSA) Just a week ago, I took interest to observe closely my associated-by-default-drivers coming home from work in the rush hours of the day and noticed 6 out of 10 motorists were unsafely driving while eating, texting or video watching. Who would want their child to drive like them or drive besides them? Only proud parents I presume. Another case in point, is that under-aged drivers do drive with heavy duty vehicles, such as Tractor-trailers weighing over 80,000 + pounds and from my encounters from 2007 through 2008, when I was driving a heavy loaded cab-over tractor double trailer tomato truck. I was generally in the right lane most of the time and had numerous encounters with young drivers entering the on-ramp driving like Mickey and Minnie Mouse scurrying casually upon the ramp. On one occasion, a young teen was text messaging or perhaps dialing a number. Another occasion, I remember a car load of teens were excitingly viewing a video of interest. And another occasion, I’d encountered a young boy reclining in his car seat like he was in a concert listening unto his stereo. On all occasions, I had to rapidly down shift gears and with gear in neutral, I revved up the accelerator in order to create a loud sound effect to get their attention. Every time, they either dropped their cell phone, stopped watching their video or sat up straight from their reclining seat and accelerated like they should’ve done with a 55 mph heavy truck. Each of those times, I exhaled a great sign of relief. Not because of my wrong doing, I was rightfully in my lane, but because I will have to take out my fire extinguisher and assist with their calamity. A child’s at that. My heart is heavy with concern from this recollection. Some driving laws ought to change. A lot of drivers have changed dramatically over the years. There are drastically too many unethical driving practices for the young and innocent to be exposed to. Therefore, the driving age should be raised to 18. Children ought to be exposed unto the wonders and the beauty of the world, not to be imperiled by the vulnerabilities of them, by driving in this age and time. I shall not speak a thousand words to convey that a lot of drivers have changed for the worst and a revised law will surely help change the minds of proud and dedicated parents by raising the age limit to 18 years of age to operate a motor vehicle.