Families Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Families - Essay Example While men are often looked at as the fundamental breadwinners for the family, it becomes quite difficult for some to provide their children with the time and association they require. Children require contact and interaction. Most men complain that they lack association with their father simply because their fathers did not provide for them when they needed them. Men tend to reserve more time for their children than what they had been given by their fathers. Most fathers tend to feel protective about their children besides letting them out and explore their world on their own. This is so because they are aware of all the threats their children might encounter because they did face them themselves. Many fathers in the present age have lived a much free and leveraged childhood in terms of freedom as compared to what their children are allowed. Childhood in the past was enriched with an outdoor taste while today, outdoor games have been replaced with technical indoor activities, both related to school and otherwise. Today’s fathers are more protective towards their children. Many fathers tend to provide their children with sufficient leverage so that they can decide their future as per their interests and aptitude. Many children might even consider this a neglect on the part of the parents, but it is a fact that in most cases, parents hardly have time to help their child with his/her studies. However, parents do all to ensure that the child gets the finest education available. I think the authors have been quite rational in their realization of the four traits of fatherhood. Good fatherhood is an integration of provision, protection, endowment and emotional closeness. These are four factors many men miss about their relationship with their fathers. Emotional closeness is the most fundamental trait of fatherhood that decides the level of intimacy a father would develop with his children. Fathers need to provide their children with time,

Phoenix Rising Essay Example for Free

Phoenix Rising Essay The Young adult novel Phoenix Rising: or how to survive your life by Cynthia D. Grant is a candid sensitive story about the serious effects of seventeen-year-old Helen Castle’s death from cancer on her family. The story is told through the eyes of Jessie who has been traumatized by her older sister’s death. Jessie and the other members of her family begin a healing process, while Helen, whose world we see through Jessie comes to terms with a life that seems capricious and unjust to Jessie. She feels pain, anger, loneliness, confusion and withdrawal throughout the novel. The family is shattered. Its new dynamics are realistically revealed with the already strained relationship between Lucas, and the father that become explosive. Jessie reads on in the journal to learn Helen’s feelings as her cancer progresses, which ranges from morbid despair to soaring hope that is made more poignant to the readers reading along with her. The setting of the story is white, comfortably middle-class, California suburbia. The characters in Phoenix Rising are of average intelligence and are raised above being stereotypical characters by the pain, reflection, and eventual growth of Helen’s death forces upon them. They remain true to their backgrounds and natures throughout their trials and adjustments. It is the mark of Cynthia D. Grant’s talent that the reader never doubts they are reading this novel through believable teenage eyes. The central character of the novel is Jessie, and the one who is most dangerously affected by the older sister’s death. Jessie’s tendency is not only to idealize her sister making her feel worthless, and unattractive but she also feels that she has failed to reach Helen and talk to her about her illness making Jessie shut herself off from her father, mother, her friend Bambi, Helen’s boyfriend Bloomfield, and their next-door neighbor; little Sara Rose. Jessie not only stops eating toward the end of the novel, she also shuts herself off more ultimately refusing to leave her room. Jessie’s brother Lucas is the kind family philosopher. On the surface, however he plays a role of a rebellious youth whose love for loud rock music. He is an exceptionally good electric and acoustic guitarist and this puts him at odds with his father, whom he engages in arguments at the slightest opportunity. Jessie’s hard-working architect father seems fixated on his role as a family provider and Lucas as the antagonist. Jessie tells the reader â€Å"My father thinks he won’t cry as long as he keeps screaming. It is as if the father and the other members have been so traumatized by the Helen’s death that a kind of static role-playing is easier for them than facing their world and moving on with their lives. Jessie’s mother seems simply to have been bludgeoned into being a relatively passive person who can do little more than to keep up with the necessary household chores, to weep for her oldest daughter, Helen as well as the self destructive, Jessie and to drink several glasses of wine to dull her pain. Two more important characters round out the characters in this novel. One is Bloomfield, who is always called by his last name. He is Helen’s boyfriend and the other is Bambi. Bambi is both sister’s plump, loud mouthed, and mildly sex-crazed friend. Jessie reads further into the Helen’s journal and discovers Bloomfield is not the fair-weather friend she has criticized him as being. Similarly, she finds there is more to the tattooed, fake nailed Bambi than meets the eye. She is surprisingly admirable for her down-to-earth, her common sense ability to cut through the silliness that ordinarily surrounds her.

Augustine and Freedom Essay -- Papers

Augustine and Freedom Evil-doing is neglect of eternal things and love of temporal things to the extent of becoming subject to them. This is done by the free choice of the will . . . Free will makes sin possible but it was given that man might live righteously.1 This is a brief summary of what Augustine believed regarding (1) the origin of sin and (2) the purpose for which humanity was endowed with free choice of the will. Though insightful as it may seem, Augustine's statement will not set to rest all the issues raised by the notion of human freedom and divine activity, since with free choice of the will come perplexing questions that continue to rage in philosophical circles. Some questions, however, can be set forth that outline parameters within which to begin understanding Augustine on the issue of human freedom and its origins/causes. If evil originates in the human will, from where does the will come? Are there any limitations to human freedom? Is the human will neutral or does it have a bias toward good? A bias toward evil? Where does free choice of the will come into play when individuals are saved by God's grace alone? What is meant by free will? On these questions, and many more related, Augustine has been an immense help. In this work an attempt will be made to illustrate Augustine's view of free will. Such categories as God's sovereignty in election and salvation, the origin of evil and its impact upon humanity, the justice of God, human responsibility and the providence of God in sanctification of the believer will be utilized. Augustine's understanding of human freedom should corroborate with (1) the nature and character of God, (2) the integrity of... ...God's relationship to time changed when time came into existence see William L. Craig, "God, Time and Eternity" Religious Studies 14 (1978): 497-503. 32.Norman L. Geisler, Philosophy of Religion (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, n.d.), note 10, chapter 14, 331. 33.Cf., Lewis and Demarest, Integrative, vol. 1, op. cit., 310-328. 34. On Free Will," Book II, xv, 48, AEW, 166. 35. Ibid. 36."The Simplican," The Second Question, 3, ALW, 388. 37.Ibid., 12, op. cit., 394-395. 38.AEW, Book III, vi, 18,181. 39."The Simplican," The Second Question, 13, ALW, 395. 40.William L. Craig, The Only Wise God (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1987), 135. Though Craig holds to fallen creatures having power to contrary, it is likely that middle knowledge is still possible given the alternative view of freedom offered here (viz.,

The Changing Role Of Fathers In The Last Thirty Years

The world is dynamic and has witnessed major changes over the past decades. Lifestyles have changed and so have priorities. The role of fathers has not been left behind too; in the past three decades fathers have changed greatly. This is an evolution that has been necessitated by the changes occurring in the various aspects of human lives and relations. Nothing would exemplify this change in roles than taking a critical look at the image and responsibilities of fathers in the 1970s. By then fathers were highly authoritative and much of their time was spent working.They were expected to be the sole beneficiaries in the family. Fathers took care of the financial obligations such as school fees, bills, rent and others. Mothers were expected to play good housewives and take care of the children and the house. Respect and reverence characterized the father’s image; they were hard to understand and were looked upon by everyone in the house. This is a role that would slowly and gradu ally start changing on the 1980’s probably as feminism became institutionalized in almost all modern societies.Women were no longer wiling to stay indoors watching the house and children. They were taking up more challenging tasks that priory were a preserve of the men. This newfound competition would force men to adapt and start spending more time with their children. Fathers started being more responsible and nurturing to their children, playing a visible role in their upbringing. Men at this time were no longer the sole breadwinners; women were chipping in and meeting some of the costs of running the family and thus spending more time away from home.Men hence were forced to make concessions and play an active role with the children. Nothing has seen a rapid evolution during the past three decades than the father involvement in their children’s lives. A study conducted by Levine and Pleck amongst others operationalizes the above fact. The study revealed that over the last recent decades, fathers were able to spend more time than before with an increase of over 10 percent. It is also this period that saw fathers watching over their children at home when their mothers are out working.  (Levine, James and Pittnsky T. , 1997).The image of father across the 70’s and the 80 changed considerably, but it is the late 90s and the last years of this millennium that has almost accorded modern fathers completely new roles that would have been unimaginable thirty years ago. It is not in question that fathers are no longer the breadwinners and the authoritative figures of the past. Parents are supporting each other financially, emotionally and in other essential cores of raising the families.Today’s fathers are looking for their children and changing their diapers. They are taking the children to school and helping them with homework at home. They are even raising the children single handedly in case of death, separation or divorce of a spouse and doing a commendable job out of it. There are those that are divorced and granted periodic visitations, a new role that many are still grappling with. Being a good father is no longer defined along economic lines only, it is a composite product of responsibility at home and being there fore the children.Fathers are playing an important role and being more close to their children than before, their satisfaction according to surveys, emanates from spending more time with their families. Indeed the roles have changed. Men of today are supposed and expected by the society to take up more roles than before. They are no longer inhabited by the societal traditional norms that could see them present a macho figure. In today’s world, they are playing an active role bringing up the kids rather than sticking to the financial obligations alone.

Good And Evil: “How to Kill A Mockingbird” Harper Lee Essay

Good and evil go hand in hand. The relationship between good and evil can be seen in the Bible, through the stories of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel. The correlation between good and evil is seen throughout history, through medians such as literature and the media. Neither good nor evil can exist without the other. The coexistence of good and evil is portrayed in Harper Lee’s â€Å"To Kill A Mockingbird† when the characters of Jem, Dill and Scout come across good and evil through Maycomb society. Jem is placed in situations where he is exposed to both good and evil in Maycomb. This is shown when Jem encounters good and evil through the closing of the knothole, the jury’s unjust verdict, and Mrs. Dubose. Jem is portrayed as a more mature character in this book but there are many instances in which he shows his ignorance to the evil in Maycomb. Jem is exposed to evil when Nathan Radley plugs the knothole with cement. Jem feels that, in a way, Nathan Radley is breaking the only connection between Boo and the children. The reader can see that the cementing of the knothole really affects Jem in the following quote, â€Å"When [the children] went in the house [Scout] had seen [that] [Jem] had been crying† (Lee pg.63). The closing of the knothole is perhaps the first time Jem realizes that Maycomb is not the perfect town he has always perceived it as, because it has both good and bad. Jem starts to understand that there is a lot more going on in Maycomb than what is seen on the outside. Another example of Jem’s exposure to the good and evil in Maycomb society is seen when the jury convicts Tom Robinson. Jem’s reaction reveals his emotions, as seen in the following passage: â€Å"[Scout] peeked at Jem: his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and [Jem’s] shoulders jerked as if each â€Å"guilty† was a separate stab between them† (Lee pg.211). Jem’s body language shows the thoughts and the feelings he has towards the jury’s verdict. Jem put a lot of faith into the jury, thinking that they would produce a fair verdict but he was let down when they all said â€Å"guilty†, even the Cunningham who had at first opposed the rest of the jury. This is another encounter Jem has that reveals both the good and evil in Maycomb. Finally, Jem faces both good and evil in the form of Mrs. Dubose. His initial reaction to her rudeness is anger, which is described in the quote, â€Å"‘Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse lawing for niggers! ‘† Jem stiffened. Mrs. Dubose’s shot had gone home and she knew it†¦. Jem was scarlet† (Lee pg. 101-102). All Jem can see in Mrs. Dubose is an evil old woman. The only time he sees something more than evil is when Atticus reveals to him that Mrs. Dubose was an ex-morphine addict. This changes his view of Mrs. Dubose. Jem sees a new side of Mrs. Dubose that he had never seen before. Jem starts to see that although she was grumpy and crude, she possessed courage, and in her own way, was good. Through the knothole incident, the verdict, and Mrs. Dubose, Jem starts to see the relationship between both good and evil and he understands that nothing is ever all good or all evil. Another character that has to face the reality of the coexistence of good and evil is Dill. Dill is still young and innocent. Through encounters with both good and evil in society, Dill gains experience and grows mentally and emotionally. Dill finds good and evil in the trial, the way his parents treat him, and Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Dill compares the roles that Atticus and Mr. Gilmer play in the trial. He becomes sensitive to the good of Atticus and the bad of Mr. Gilmer, the prosecutor. When Mr. Gilmer is cross-examining Tom Robinson, Dill feels that Mr. Gilmer is treating Tom Robinson unfairly. Unlike Atticus, Mr. Gilmer shows no respect for Tom and Dill empathizes with Tom. Dill’s feeling towards the unfairness is seen in the following passage: â€Å"‘That old Mr. Gilmer doin’ [Tom] thataway, talking so hateful to [Tom]'† (Lee pg. 198). Dill feels that it is wrong for Mr. Gilmer to treat Tom like he is inferior just because he is black. In seeing the comparison of Atticus and Mr. Gilmer in the way they carry themselves in the trial, Dill is starting to see the coexistence of good and evil. Dill feels that his parents are sometimes good and sometime bad. Dill feels that in many ways his parents are evil because all they do is ignore him. We see that he feels unwanted when he says â€Å"‘The thing is what I’m tryin’ to say is – they do get on a lot better without me†¦. They buy me everything I want but it’s now-you’ve-got-it-go-play-with-it'† (Lee pg. 145). Dill explains why he ran away from home and in his description of the way his parents treat him, there is a connection between good and evil. It can be classified as good that Dill’s parents buy him everything he wants. On an emotional level Dill feels detached and unimportant to his parents because once they buy him his toy, they leave him by himself. In his relationship with his parents, Dill feels that there is both good and evil. Lastly, Dill encounters both good and evil when he meets Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Mr. Dolphus Raymond shows his â€Å"evil† side to the community in Maycomb but shows his humanity when taking care of Dill during the trial. This is seen in the quote, â€Å"†Cry about the simple hell people give other people – without even thinking† (Lee pg. 201) Through Mr. Dolphus Raymond, Dill sees that there is always more than what is seen on the surface. Though Maycomb society sees Mr. Dolphus Raymond as a drunk, and therefore â€Å"evil†, Dill and Scout witness the good in him. In a way, Mr. Dolphus Raymond has more good than most people in Maycomb because he understands the way things should be. This influences Dill because he realizes that even though Mr. Dolphus Raymond is thought of as evil, he is actually good. Through Dill’s experiences with the trial, his parents, and Mr. Dolphus Raymond, Dill is exposed to the coinciding of good and evil. In this book, the person most exposed to the good and evil in society is Scout. In the course of the story, Scout is exposed to good and evil through the mob, the fire, and Boo Radley. Scout finds out that all people have good and bad sides, When Scout sees Atticus confronted by the mob, she at first feels that they are ready to hurt him, and in her eyes, the gang must be bad. Scout tries to stop the confrontation and in doing so, wakes up the good in Mr. Cunningham, the supposed mob leader. The reader sees that Scout changed something within Mr. Cunningham in the next quote: â€Å"Then he straightened up and waved a big paw. ‘Let’s clear out,’ he called† (Lee pg. 154). Mr. Cunningham acts humanely, unlike the way he acted within the mob. It is as if the mob as a whole is bad but each individual is good. Scout brings out the individual in the mob, bringing out the good from the bad. Another example of Scout’s encounter with good and evil is during the fire. In Maycomb County, there are a lot of stereotypical and prejudiced views. Scout is exposed to Atticus’ way of thinking of all people as equals, and to Scout this is good and the prejudice in Maycomb citizens is bad. During the fire, Scout sees that although there are people in Maycomb whose views are wrong, they were still at the fire, helping, proven in the following quote: â€Å"The men of Maycomb, in all degrees of dress and undress, took furniture from Miss Maudie’s house† (Lee pg.69). Maycomb society shows solidarity during the fire, which is good, though sometimes that very solidarity used for good is turned into a prejudiced view shared by most of the citizens of Maycomb, which is bad. Through the fire scene, Scout sees that although sometimes Maycomb is evil because of its racism and chauvinism, the community shows goodness when coming together to help Miss Maudie. Finally, Scout sees good in Boo Radley even though society portrays him as evil. When Bob Ewell tries to kill Jem and Scout, Boo saves them by killing Bob Ewell. Although murdering Bob was bad, Boo was doing good because he was protecting the children. The following quote shows that Scout knows Boo was trying to protect her: â€Å"‘Mr. Tate was right’ †¦ ‘Well, it’d sort of be like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it? ‘† (Lee pg. 276). Scout understands that sometimes there is good even in the evilest of actions. Scout finally realizes that Boo Radley is indeed human and although he has always been portrayed as a monster, there is good in him. Through the mob, the fire and Boo Radley, Scout learns that there is always good where there is evil and vice versa. The theme of the coexistence of good and evil is emphasized in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. Throughout the novel the reader sees the different events that characters are exposed to, thus affecting the way they perceive good and evil. One must start to realize that nothing is ever all good or all evil. The coexistence of good and evil can be seen everyday, out on the streets, in our schools, and in our homes.