Grass Soup And Food Division Essays - Forced Migration, Convict

Grass Soup And Food Division Barbara Jones Food Division Zhang's attitude towards splitting up food rations at the reform camp suggests he has not been completely broken down and reformed by The Party. The significance of the dividing of foods illustrates his remaining integrity and emotions that the hunger has affected, but not removed. "Unfortunately, no matter what group I was assigned to, the others always trusted me" (164). Being trusted usually is a positive sign of your character, but Zhang feels it is an unfair burden and responsibility that he would rather not have dealt with. The fact that the other convicts trusted him indicates the fact that he was a cerebral convict who had some integrity left. In this way Zhang is not as reformed as his fellow intellectuals because the other small workers are quick to criticize others, especially other intellectuals - a form of betrayal. Their betrayal displays the self centered attitude that makes others doubt that particular convict would be fair in the partition. Zhang is more unwilling to turn people in and overanalyze what others say so that he can seem better in the authorities' eyes. Only when he is asked specifically about Babylon does Zhang reveal something negative about him, yet even then he withholds comments that would have surely been used against Mr. "I like to eat watery things". Convicts cannot trust criminal convicts either because it is obvious they are not worthy of anyone's trust and would partition the food completely unequally without fear of retribution. These convicts have no rectitude and are already accustomed to no one trusting them. "When it came to the question of how to divide up food, criminal convicts were not given a say" (166). Criminal convicts cannot participate in the partitioning of food, because they would undoubtedly cheat others out of their food. The division of food is much too important a responsibility to be placed on a criminal. The fact that they can underhandedly attain more food (i.e. - by stealing) also leads the intellectuals to believe that the people who rely merely on the partitioned food would divide it honestly and equally. The fact that Zhang steals food and still is trusted enough to divide the food is indicative of his worthiness. The convicts in the camp do not seem completely void of emotions. "Seeing it, one could believe that these men, scraped clean of everything including freedom, could have made an aeroplane with their own bare hands" (165). The convicts proudly create works of art with their hands when fashioning tools used for measuring food. This burst of ingenuity is one of the few signs that the convicts have any emotion left. The lack of displays of affection for family members or loved ones exhibits the state of disrepair the sentiments of these convicts were in. They see their homes as sources of food, not as their source of humanity and love. The only way these men and women feel anything is if food is involved. The care with which they attend to the discussion and creation of measuring tools indicates that their passion though not directed at amorous affairs or cozy homes, is alive and channeled through their hunger into inventiveness in the division of food. On the other hand, negative emotions are also reached when dealing with the partition of food. "I silently pick up the pile of cucumbers remaining on the ground, one by one, and when I eat them the flavour is often mixed with my tears" (161). One of the few times Zhang shows any sign of outward emotion is in dealing with the division of the food. He openly cries at the frustration he deals with in collecting his meager portion of food that no one wanted. He does not cry at the death of convicts, or even at the last episode in the book. He cries not thinking of his mother or the outside world. He cries at the possibly smaller ration of food rejected by the other members of his group that he must eat. He does not get the luxury of choosing what to eat because he divided the food. The Party has cut off almost all his emotions using hunger, so that the only pain he feels is related to food. The worst torture in the camp seems to be the rationing of sparse food into smaller bits for other convicts. Zhang's emotions and character have obviously been adversely affected by the reform camp because of The Party's ability to

Free Essays on A Night In Question

"The Night in Question" There are a variety of themes to Tobias Wolff’s "The Night in Question" that need to be considered in order to understand what the story is truly about. One of the main themes that we need to look at is unselfishness. Throughout the story, Wolff shows a great deal of family bonding and connections. We look at whether it is a good connection between Frank and Frances or a bad bond between Frank and his father. The story also displays a great deal of religious devotion along with testing your faith. We learn in Frank’s story that the main character, Mike, is faced with a decision that he has to make that will affect his life as long as he lives. Mike is faced with the decision of saving his son’s life or sparing the lives of the people on the train that he doesn’t even know and probably will never meet. How can he give up his own son’s life when he knows that his son isn’t guilty of anything, and maybe the people of the train are guilty? This shows how unselfish one can be by Mike’s being willing to save others over his own son. Mike knows that he has very little time to think about this and that he isn’t alone on this decision: "He can’t. Of course he can’t, on his own. But Mike isn’t on his own. He knows what we all know, even when we try to forget it: we are never alone, ever". This is where the religion aspect plays a part. Mike know that he is not alone and that no one is ever alone: "He will not leave us alone. He is with all of you, as He is with me". Frank is talking about God being the He here. He, being God, is always around and is always telling him, but we can’t always go with what his heart is telling him, but we can’t always go with what is in our hearts. Sometimes our feelings have to be pushed aside, and what we know is right has to be done. We have to do what our minds are telling us because it knows what is right. He knows that his decision i... Free Essays on A Night In Question Free Essays on A Night In Question "The Night in Question" There are a variety of themes to Tobias Wolff’s "The Night in Question" that need to be considered in order to understand what the story is truly about. One of the main themes that we need to look at is unselfishness. Throughout the story, Wolff shows a great deal of family bonding and connections. We look at whether it is a good connection between Frank and Frances or a bad bond between Frank and his father. The story also displays a great deal of religious devotion along with testing your faith. We learn in Frank’s story that the main character, Mike, is faced with a decision that he has to make that will affect his life as long as he lives. Mike is faced with the decision of saving his son’s life or sparing the lives of the people on the train that he doesn’t even know and probably will never meet. How can he give up his own son’s life when he knows that his son isn’t guilty of anything, and maybe the people of the train are guilty? This shows how unselfish one can be by Mike’s being willing to save others over his own son. Mike knows that he has very little time to think about this and that he isn’t alone on this decision: "He can’t. Of course he can’t, on his own. But Mike isn’t on his own. He knows what we all know, even when we try to forget it: we are never alone, ever". This is where the religion aspect plays a part. Mike know that he is not alone and that no one is ever alone: "He will not leave us alone. He is with all of you, as He is with me". Frank is talking about God being the He here. He, being God, is always around and is always telling him, but we can’t always go with what his heart is telling him, but we can’t always go with what is in our hearts. Sometimes our feelings have to be pushed aside, and what we know is right has to be done. We have to do what our minds are telling us because it knows what is right. He knows that his decision i...

School Counselor Self Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

School Counselor Self Assessment - Essay Example Much attention though is directed to students with special needs as they will require special attention, like special education, services while in school and assessment which is essential to their management and treatment. School Counselors Counselors work in different society settings and are intended to provide various counseling services and support. Counselors are majorly given the challenge with adolescents, children, and adults and families with various issues like health regarding mental state namely addiction and other mental disorders. Counselors must identify the various issues so that they can offer the suitable counseling and support to their clients. School counselors should at all level assist students to know how to deal with their social problems, their actions and how to manage personal problems (Trolley et al., 2009). Counselors put emphasis on preventive measures in counseling so that students enhance their academic, social and personal growth and this offers these students with skills they need in life so that they can manage their troubles before they come to the worse. The student counselors also provide services that are unique like offering programs on prevention of alcohol and drugs. They identify domestic cases like abuse and other problems revolving in the family which may interfere with the development of the student. Their interaction with students can be done at an individual level, manageable groups or even the whole class. For the success of the students, the counselors discuss with parents and work together with them so that support is given to students. They also collaborate with the administrators of the school, medical workers, psychologists and social staff. A good counselor must have a strong personal attitude whereby he must know how to relate with different people because people are not equal and; therefore, he must be able to accommodate different people with patience. This will depend on his interpersonal skills whereby people should be handled as individual and not as a group (Trolley et al., 2009). Special Education Special education is a preventative intended to manage small troubles from being a disability. The remedy used is intended to reduce the disability effects. Special education is intended to congregate the distinctive needs of children who have a disability. Through this, special education offers extra services, maintenance, programs, environments and places that are special so that all the needs for students are taken care of. The services offered in special education make students qualify while parents do not feel any cost. The number of students who have special needs is many, and their wishes are addressed via special education. The support varies on the basis of the need and the educational influence. Typically, the students with disabilities are recognized in the law within the special education. Students who qualify in this category require a lot of support, which extends beyon d what a normal student is offered in a regular school (Smith and Tyler, 2010). The special education has a goal of ensuring that students with special needs obtain education and get accessed to the curriculum as much as possible. All students, therefore, are required to access education so that they can manage to achieve their potential. If a child is suspected to be in need of exceptional education support, then the school exceptional educa