James Joyces View on Sin free essay sample

A study of the battle with sin in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. This paper examines the main character Stephen Dedalus, in James Joyces `A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man`, struggle with sin and society. The paper describes the main characters childhood and religious upbringing, and later his emergence into independent adulthood. The author writes that after a battle with sin followed by a religious rebirth that he can find a level of peace within himself. Stephen Dedalus, in the book A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce is forced throughout his life to deal with the issue of sin. Early in his childhood he is taught the basics of right and wrong by his parents. This matter becomes complicated and fearsome under the influence of the Catholic Church, and Stephen, despite his desire to be pious, begins to question it. We will write a custom essay sample on James Joyces View on Sin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

Background information about waste disposal practices Essays

Background information about waste disposal practices Essays Background information about waste disposal practices Paper Background information about waste disposal practices Paper A primary objective of waste management today is to protect the public and the environment from potentially harmful effects of waste. Some waste materials are normally safe, but can become hazardous if not managed properly. For example, 1 gal (3. 75 1) of used motor oil can potentially contaminate one million gal (3,790,000 1) of drinking water . Every individual, business, or organization must make decisions and take some responsibility regarding the management of his or her waste. On a larger scale, government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels enact and enforce regulations governing waste management. These agencies also educate the public about proper waste management. In addition, local government agencies may provide disposal or recycling services, or they may hire or authorize private companies to perform those functions. Throughout history, there have been four basic methods of managing waste: dumping it, burning it, finding another use for it (reuse and recycling), and not creating the waste in the first place (waste prevention). How those four methods are utilized depends on the wastes being managed. Municipal solid waste is different from industrial, agricultural, or mining waste. Hazardous waste is a category that should be anteed separately, although it sometimes is generated with the other types. The first humans did not worry much about waste management. They simply left their garbage where it dropped. However, as permanent communities developed, people began to dispose of their waste in designated dumping areas. The use of such open dumps for garbage is still common in many parts of the world. Open dumps have major disadvantages, however, especially in heavily populated areas. Toxic chemicals can filter down through a dump and contaminate groundwater . The liquid that filters through a dump or landfill is called leached. Dumps may also generate methane, a flammable and explosive gas produced when organic wastes decompose under anaerobic (oxygen-poor) conditions. The landfill, also known as the sanitary landfill, was invented in England in the 1 sass. Ata landfill, the garbage is compacted and covered at the end of every day with several inches of soil . Landfill became common in the united States in the sass. By the late sass, it was the dominant method for disposing municipal solid waste in the nation. Early landfills had significant problems with leached and methane, but those have largely been resolved at facilities built since about he early 1 sass. Well-engineered landfills are lined with several feet of clay and with thick plastic sheets. Leached is collected at the bottom, drained through pipes, and processed. Methane gas is also safely piped out of many landfills. The dumping of waste does not just take place on land. Ocean dumping, in which barges carry garbage out to sea, was once used as a disposal method by some United States coastal cities and is still practiced by some nations. Sewage sludge, or waste material from sewage treatment, was dumped at sea in huge quantities by New York City as recently as 1 992, but his is now prohibited in the United States. Also called bossily, sewage sludge is not generally considered solid waste, but it is sometimes composted with organic municipal solid waste. Burning has a long history in municipal solid waste management. Some American cities began to burn their garbage in the late nineteenth century in devices called crematory. These Were not very efficient, however, and cities went back to dumping and other methods. In the 1 sass and sass, many cities built new types of more-efficient garbage burners known as incinerators. The early incinerators were rather dirty in arms of their emissions of air pollutants, and beginning in the sass they were gradually shut down. However, in the 1 9705, waste burning enjoyed another revival. These newer incinerators, many of which are still in operation, are called resource recovery or waste-to-energy plants. In addition to burning garbage, they produce heat or electricity that can be used in nearby buildings or residences, or sold to a utility. Many local governments became interested in waste-to-energy plants following the energy crisis in 1973. However, since the mid-1 sass, it became difficult to find locations to lid these facilities, mainly because of public opposition focused on air- quality issues. Another problem with incineration is that it generates ash, which must be landfill. Incinerators usually reduce the volume of garbage by 70-90%. The remainder of the incinerated waste comes out as ash that often contains high concentrations of toxic substances. Municipal solid waste will likely always be landfill or burned to some extent. In the past 25 years, however, non-disposal methods such as waste prevention and recycling have become more common. Because of public concerns and the high costs of entangling and burning (especially to build new facilities), local governments want to reduce the amount of waste that must be disposed in these ways. Municipal solid waste is a relatively small part of the overall waste generated in the United States. More than 95% of the total 4. 5 billion tons of solid waste generated in the United States each year is agricultural, mining, or industrial waste. These wastes do not receive nearly as much attention as municipal solid waste, because most people do not have direct experience with them. Also, agricultural and mining wastes, which make up 88% of the overall total f solid waste, are largely handled at the places they are generated, that is, in the fields or at remote mining sites. Mining nearly always generates substantial waste, whether the material being mined is coal , clay, sand , gravel, building stone, or metallic ore. Early mining concentrated on the richest lodes of minerals . Because modern methods of mining are more efficient, they can extract the desired minerals from veins that are less rich. However, much more waste is produced in the process. Many of the plant and animal wastes generated by agriculture remain in the fields or rangelands. These wastes can be beneficial because they return organic matter and nutrients to the soil. However, modern techniques of raising large numbers of animals in small areas generate huge volumes of animal waste, or manure. Waste in such concentrated quantities must be managed carefully, or it can contaminate groundwater or surface water. Industrial wastes that are not hazardous have traditionally been sent to landfills or incinerators. The rising cost of disposal has prompted many companies to seek alternative methods for handling these Wastes, such as Waste prevention and recycling. Often a manufacturing plant can reclaim certain east materials by feeding them back into the production process. Hazardous wastes are materials considered harmful or potentially harmful to human health or the environment. Wastes may be deemed hazardous because they are poisonous, flammable, or corrosive, or because they react with other substances in a dangerous way. Industrial operations have produced large quantities of hazardous waste for hundreds of years. Some hazardous wastes, such as mercury and dioxins, may be released as gases or vapors. Many hazardous industrial wastes are in liquid form. One of the greatest risks is that these wastes will contaminate water supplies. An estimated 60% of all hazardous industrial waste in the United States is disposed using a method called deep-well injection. With this technique, liquid wastes are injected through a well into an impervious reconfirmation that keeps the waste isolated from groundwater and surface water. Other methods of underground burial are also used to dispose hazardous industrial waste and other types of dangerous material. Pesticides used in farming may contaminate agricultural waste. Because of the enormous volumes of pesticides used in agriculture, the proper handling of unused pesticides is a daunting challenge for waste managers. Certain mining techniques also utilize toxic chemicals. Piles of mining and metal-processing waste, known as waste rock and tailings, may contain hazardous substances. Because of a reaction with the oxygen in the air, large amounts of toxic acids may form in waste rock and tailings and leach into surface waters. Public attitudes also play a pivotal role in decisions about waste management. Virtually every proposed new landfill or waste-to-energy plant is opposed by people who live near the site. Public officials and planners refer to this reaction as NIMBI, which stands for Not In My Backyard If an opposition group becomes vocal r powerful enough, a city or county council is not likely to approve a proposed waste-disposal project. The public also wields considerable influence with businesses. Recycling and waste prevention initiatives enjoy strong public support. About 19% of United States municipal solid waste was recycled or composted in 1 994, was incinerated, and 71 % was landfill. Preventing or reducing waste is typically the least expensive method for managing waste. Waste prevention may also reduce the amount of resources needed to manufacture or package a product. For example, most roll-on deodorants once came in a plastic bottle, which was inside a box. Beginning about 1 992, deodorant manufacturers redesigned the bottle so that it would not tip-over easily on store shelves, which eliminated the need for the box as packaging. This is the type of waste prevention called source reduction. It can save businesses money, while also reducing waste. Waste prevention includes many different practices that result in using fewer materials or products, or using materials that are less toxic. For example, a chain of clothing stores can ship its products to its Stores in reusable garment bags, instead of disposable lactic bags. Manufacturers of household batteries can reduce the amount of mercury in their batteries. In an office, employees can copy documents on both sides of a sheet of paper, instead of just one side. A family can use cloth instead of paper napkins. Composting grass clippings and tree leaves at home, rather than having them picked up for disposal or municipal composting, is another form of waste prevention. A resident can leave grass clippings on the lawn after mowing (this is known as grass-cycling), or can compost leaves and grass in a backyard composting bin, or use them as a mulch in the garden. When the current recycling boom began in the late sass, markets for the recyclables were not sufficiently considered. A result was that some recyclable materials were collected in large quantities but could not be sold, and some ended up going to landfills. Today, the development of recycling markets is a high priority. Close the loop is a catch-phrase in recycling education; it means that true recycling (I. E. , the recycling loop) has not taken place until the new product is purchased and used. To boost recycling markets, many local and state governments now require that their own agencies purchase and use products made from cycled materials. In a major step Fontana for recycling, President Bill Cloudiness an executive order in 1993 requiring the federal government to use more recycled products. Many managers of government recycling programs feel that manufacturers should take more responsibility for the disposal of their products and packaging rather than letting municipalities bear the brunt of the disposal costs. An innovative and controversial law in Germany requires manufacturers to set up collection and recycling programs for disused packaging of their products. The high cost of government-created recycling programs is often criticized. Supporters of recycling argue it is still less expensive than landfill or incineration, when all costs are considered. Another concern about recycling is that the recycling process itself may generate hazardous wastes that must be treated and disposed. Recycling of construction and demolition (CD) debris is one of the growth areas for recycling. Although CD debris is not normally considered a type of municipal solid waste, millions of tons of it have gone to municipal landfills over the years. If this material is separated at the construction or demolition site into separate piles of concrete, wood, and steel, it can usually e recycled. Composting is considered either a form of recycling, or a close relative. Composting occurs when organic waste-? such as yard waste, food waste, and paper-?is broken down by microbial processes. The resulting material, known as compost, can be used by landscapers and gardeners to improve the fertility of their soil. Yard waste, primarily grass clippings and tree leaves, makes up about one-fifth of the weight of municipal solid waste. Some states do not allow this waste to be disposed. These yard-waste bans have resulted in rapid growth for municipal composting programs. In these orgasm, yard waste is collected by trucks (separately from garbage and recyclables) and taken to a composting plant, where it is chopped up, heaped, and regularly turned until it becomes compost. Waste from food-processing plants and produce trimmings from grocery stores are composted in some parts of the country. Residential food waste is the next frontier for composting. The city of Halifax, in Canada, collects food waste from households and composts it in large, central facilities. Biological treatment, a technique for handling hazardous wastes, could be called a high-tech form of composting. Like composting biological treatment employs microbes to break down wastes through a series of metabolic reactions. Many substances that are toxic, carcinogenic (cancer-causing), or undesirable in the environment for other reasons can be rendered harmless through this method. Extensive research on biological treatment is in progress. Genetic engineering, a controversial branch of biology dealing with the modification of genetic codes, is closely linked with biological treatment, and could produce significant advances in this field. Waste management became a particularly expensive proposition during the 1 9905, especially for disposal. Consequently, waste managers constantly seek innovations that will improve efficiency and reduce costs. Several new ideas in land-filling involve the reclamation of useful resources from wastes. For example, instead of just burning or releasing the methane gas that is generated within solid-waste landfills, some operators collect this gas, and then use it to produce power locally or sell it as fuel. At a few landfills, managers have experimented with a bold but relatively untested concept known as landfill mining. This involves digging up an existing landfill to recover recyclable materials, and sometimes o re-bury the garbage more efficiently. Landfill mining has been criticized as costly and impractical, but some operators believe it can save money under certain circumstances. In the high-tech world of incineration, new designs and concepts are constantly being tried. One waste-to-energy technology for solid waste being introduced to the United States is called fluoride-bed incineration. About 40% of incinerators in Japan use this technology, which is designed to have lower emissions of some air pollutants than conventional incinerators. A 1 994 United States Supreme Court ruling could increase the cost of incineration significantly. The Court ruled that some ash produced by municipal solid-waste incinerators must be treated as a hazardous waste, because of high levels of toxic substances such as lead and cadmium. This means that incinerator ash now has to be tested, and part or all of the material may have to go to a hazardous waste landfill rather than a standard landfill. A much smaller type of incinerator is used at many hospitals to burn medical wastes, such as blood, surgical waste, syringes, and laboratory waste. The safety of these medical waste incinerators has become a major issue in some communities. A study by the Environmental Protection Agency released n 1 994 found that medical waste incinerators were leading sources of dioxin emissions into the air. The same study warned that dioxins, which can be formed by the burning of certain chemical compounds, pose a high risk of causing cancer and other health hazards in humans. The greatest impetus for waste prevention will likely come from the public. More and more citizens will come to understand that pesticides, excessive packaging, and the use of disposable rather than durable items have important environmental costs. Through the growth of the information society, knowledge about these and other environmental issues will increase. This should result in a continuing evolution towards more efficient and environmentally sensitive waste management. Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal, managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics. Waste management is a distinct practice from resource recovery which focuses on delaying the rate of consumption of natural resources. All waste materials, whether they are solid, liquid, gaseous or radioactive fall within the emit of waste management. Waste management practices can differ for developed and developing nations, for urban and rural areas, and for residential and industrial producers. Management of non-hazardous waste residential and institutional waste in metropolitan areas is usually the responsibility of local superconductivitys, while management for non- hazardous commercial and industrial waste is usually the responsibility of the generator subject to local, national or international authorities. Waste collection methods vary widely among different countries and regions. Domestic waste collection services are often provided by local government authorities, or by private companies in the industry. Some areas, especially those in less developed countries, do not have a formal waste-collection system. Examples of waste handling systems include: In Europe and a few other places around the world, a few communities use a proprietary collection system known as Invade, which conveys refuse via underground conduits using a vacuum system. Other vacuum-based solutions include the [emailprotected] [3] single-line and ring-line automatic waste collection system, here the waste is automatically collected through relatively small diameter flexible pipes from waste collection points spread out up to a distance of four kilometers from the waste collections stations. In Canadian urban centers curbside collection is the most common method of disposal, whereby the city collects waste and/or recyclables and/or organics on a scheduled basis. In rural areas people often dispose of their waste by hauling it to a transfer station. Waste collected is then transported to a regional landfill. In China, Plastic paralysis or Tire paralysis is: the process of converting waste lactic/tires into industrial fuels like paralysis oil, carbon black and hydrocarbon gas. End products are used as industrial fuels for producing heat, steam or electricity. Paralysis plant is also known as: paralysis unit, plastic to fuel industry, tire to fuel industry, plastic and tire recycling unit etc. The system is used in USA California, Australia, Greece, Mexico, the united Kingdom and in Israel-For example, REESE paralysis plant that has been operational at Texas USA since December 2011, and processes up to 60 tons per day. [J In Taipei, the city government charges its households and industries for the volume of rubbish they produce. Waste will only be collected by the city council if waste is disposed in government issued rubbish bags. This policy has successfully reduced the amount of waste the city produces and increased the recycling rate. In Israel, the Arrow Ecology company has developed the Aerobic system, which takes trash directly from collection trucks and separates organic and inorganic materials through gravitational settling, screening, and hydro-mechanical shredding. The system is capable of sorting huge volumes of solid waste, salvaging recyclables, and running the rest into biogas and rich agricultural compost.

Public International Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Public International Law - Essay Example Jus cogens symbolizes principles of international law that are considered to be so fundamental that no nation can ignore them. In particular, where international crimes are alleged to have been committed by a former head of State, it is even more important that justice is not executed by local authorities but by the application of the principles of international law, which can ensure that justice is done through the application of impartial principles that are universally valid. In the context of the trail against Saddam Hussein for crimes against humanity, the Iraqi ruler was guilty of crimes against humanity, which by application of the principle of jus cogens would involve the fundamental application of international criminal law. According to Michael Sharf, the Saddam Hussein trial can be classed as one of the most important cases in international law because (a) the scale of atrocities was high (b) Hussein was a top ranking leader (c) interest of the international community due to the coalition led against Iraq (d) sets a legal precedent for international crimes and (e) effect of the trial and whether it was perceived as fair.

Hierarchy vs Heterarchy in Organizational Structures Research Paper - 1

Hierarchy vs Heterarchy in Organizational Structures - Research Paper Example Conversely, a heterarchical structure supports the autonomy of the workers from the various departments of an organization. In essence, this structure advocates for horizontal management of the affairs of an organization, as opposed to a vertical management, embraced by a hierarchical organizational structure. The management of an organization can take either a centralized control of operations or decentralized control of operations. Depending on the structure that an organization adopts, both structures have their merits and demerits in terms of improving the operations of an organization. In some organizations, the management often prefers controlling every aspect of operations under their supervision. This calls for a situation where employees work according to the management’s preference. On the other hand, there are organizations that prefer giving employees space to undertake their own initiatives within the work environment so long as these initiatives can improve the o rganization’s performance (Diefenbach and Sillince 1518). In this paper, I will examine the debate that surrounds hierarchy versus heterarchy in organizational structures and their successes and limitations in an organization’s setting. Having a command center in any organization is essential because of those under the top management work according to orders from the management. This is a key feature of organizations based on a hierarchy structure. Organizations operating in this line often embrace a vertical line of authority where there are levels and each level has an authority figure. In essence, this involves embracing an office cadre where authority starts with CEO moving to the bottom level of the organization. At each level, there is an authority figure with employees under him or her. This organization helps to simplify the chain of command, but the overall authority lies with the CEO of the organization.

The business of water Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The business of water - Essay Example Investopedia defines it as a corporate proposal to both assess and take blame for effect of company’s activities on social welfare and environment. This term usually applies to the efforts made by a company that steer away further and may be needed by environment protection groups and regulators. The Corporate social responsibility may also be known as â€Å"corporate citizenship† and can take into account sustaining short-term costs that do not give a direct financial gain to company but foster positive environmental and social change (Investopedia, 2013). Most of the companies enjoy immense power in community and national economy. They organize many of their assets and have billions of dollars at their disposal for social investments for the purpose of corporate social responsibility. ... The aims of this assignment are to critically assess various theories pertaining corporate social responsibility based on CSR four part model in accordance with Business of water case; and to critically evaluate the affect of demand and supply of water on corporate social responsibility initiatives such as Partnership agreements as mentioned in the case (Investopedia, 2013). Task 1 In 1979, Carroll classified Corporate Social Responsibility in a paper on performance of corporate culture in which he gave out four theories of corporate social responsibility: legal, ethical, discretionary, and economic. These four layers show that business history gives a premature emphasis on legal and economic aspects first and then on discretionary and ethical aspects of CSR. In 1991, he first presented this model of CSR in the form of a pyramid as the following figure represents. It was proposed that even though all the components are not found to be mutually exclusive, it assists the manager to vis ualize the varying kinds of duties which are in relevance to each other (CSRQuest, 2013). (CSRQuest, 2013) In 2004, Carroll tried to take into consideration the stakeholders’ viewpoint. Economic responsibility holds the idea that one should do what global capitalism asks him to go. Legal responsibilities contain that company’s usually only do what global stakeholders want them to do. Ethical responsibility says that do what global stakeholders expect you to do. The philanthropic responsibility however believes that do what global stakeholders require you to do. This was the overall emphasis by Carroll (CSRQuest, 2013). This four-part model of CSR has been immensely cited and used in literature. Some reasons

Elements of a Good Nursing Report

Elements of a Good Nursing Report Introduction The mechanism of the nursing report is a comparatively ancient one. Certainly it was routinely used in the pre-Nightingale era of nursing and there are reports of such formal handover mechanisms in Chaucer and other medieval writings (Carrick P 2000). As the nursing profession has evolved over time, the requirements, expectations, demands and indeed the procedures employed in the giving of the nursing report, have also evolved and become more formalised. (Mason T et al 2003). The giving of the report can be a very useful procedure on many different levels. Obviously there is the imparting of information between members of the nursing team, but the report also has the potential of serving more subtle purposes such as increasing team bonding, team motivation, engendering of good working practices and increasing patient empathy amongst the whole nursing team. It also can serve the purpose of a forum for the interchange of ideas between professional members of staff. (Yura H et al. 1998) . Other sources suggest that the peer pressure experienced by the new or student nurse, can shape their own practice by observing the attention to detail (or otherwise) as the report is presented. (Fawcett J 2005) We note that the procedure has â€Å"the potential† for these purposes, as with all processes that involve human input, there is inevitably an inbuilt variability of process. It is seldom perfect and a number of studies have shown that its standard and content can vary across a spectrum from excellent to abysmal (RCN.2003) If we consider the evidence base for this statement, we can find support in two landmark studies that have been completed. The two authors (both Danes) coincidentally produced studies which were published in 1992 (Ljukkonen A 1992) (Kihlgren et al 1992). The latter study was structured in a way that analysed the functional components of the nursing reports in several large hospitals over a three month period, it then offered a period of training on improving the content and delivery of the reports, and then remeasured the staff performance using the same set of measurement parameters. The paper itself is both long and detailed as well as being particularly analytical. To condense (and paraphrase) the findings of the initial section of the paper we can cite the findings that the initial reports were found to be: Highly task oriented and (it was noted that) the staff often discussed the patients reaction in vague and general terms without imparting any specific or useful information. The authors went on to comment that structure was frequently absent or minimal and the nursing process was seldom in evidence. After the professional feedback sessions, the second analysis period showed a marked change to the fundamental nature of the reports to the extent that they now included the observation that there were: More messages per report after the intervention compared to the control ward and the messages with psychosocial content had doubled. This was reflected in a greater appreciation and satisfaction on the part of the receiving nurses and a demonstrable improvement in team empathy We note that the authors stated that in organising the mid-section training sessions they utilised the research work of Orlando (et al. 1989), who crystallised the essential elements of the nursing report into the basic concepts of â€Å"prioritisation, communication and presentation skills, together with instruction of the important ingredients of the actual nursing report.† The Ljukkonen (A 1992) paper has similar findings but was set in two nursing homes for the elderly where the authors found that the low turnover in patients was the prime reason for the decline in nursing report standards observed. The lack of trophic peer pressure was also considered to be a major relevant factor. The comments cited by Yura (regarding team building) earlier in this essay have their origins in this paper. Charboyer (2001) expands them further with the suggestion that a â€Å"vital part of the nursing process† is the ability to interact with all of the other members of the nursing team, both in terms of hearing (learning) and expressing opinions. These two papers effectively pose the unformulated question â€Å"just what elements are ideally required in the definitive nursing report?†. We can take the lead from the Kihlgren paper which considered the work of both Orlando and Dugan (1989) who analysed the essential elements of the nursing report and categorised them as: Prioritising care and patient needs. Communication Skills. Non-Judgemental Approach. The precursors of these elements were initially formulated in a paper published by Orlando in 1987 (Orlando I. J. 1987) who suggested that it was a fundamental function of the nursing process to prioritise the patient’s needs after elucidating them and use these perceived needs to instigate and plan an appropriate course of action which could be presented at the formal nursing report. He conceded that such an analysis was a function of the individual and unique interaction between patient and healthcare professional (by implication, the nurse) and that the nurse should ideally use their communication and analytical skills to present their assessment to the professional colleagues. These concepts eventually evolved into Orlando’s preposition that the â€Å"backbone of the nursing report† would be this analysis and prioritisation of the patient’s perceived needs and their presentation in a â€Å"logical sequence†. Orlando concludes his original paper with the comment that this plan should be enunciated and modified in accordance with the patient’s illness trajectory at each successive nursing report so that the stated goals can be achieved as expediently as possible. We have made earlier reference to the importance of good communication skills in the nursing report. It follows from our previous discussions that the communications skills must also ideally be in evidence between the healthcare professional and the patient in order for the nursing report to have maximal relevance (Arnold et al 2004). The importance of this comment can be judged from the fact that interpersonal communication is considered to be one of the six core attributes in consideration of optimum personal effectiveness in the â€Å"modern nurse managerâ€Å" (ICN 1998). The traits and deficiencies in the area of communication in general, identified by both Ljukkonen and Kihlgren, were studied in greater detail by Heinmann-Knoch (2005), who analysed the topic in direct relation to the nursing report in admirable detail and went on to suggest the mechanisms by which such deficiencies could be addressed. If we accept, as Davies (et al. 2002) enunciates, that communication is a skill that is seldom innate or totally intuitive â€Å"it has to be learned, acquired and actively practised.† Other authors point to the fact that other common failings of the nursing report include elements such as stereotyping or judgementalism. (Brechin A et al. 2000). When such elements are found to be present they clearly cross not only professional boundaries but also moral and ethical boundaries as well. (Stowers K et al. 1999) Eye contact is an often overlooked element of professional interaction either between nurses themselves or between nurses and their patients. Eye contact implies attention and respect and can signal perceived degrees of dominance and submission in the pecking order (Hurley R 2006). Similarly lack of eye contact can imply ignorance, confusion, indifference, and ineptitude (Fielder A 2000). As a communication tool it can be used to advantage by the skilled professional nurse both to elicit information from patients and also to ensure attentive listening in the nursing report situation. (Platt, F W et al. 1999) Body language is another often overlooked element in the art of communication. It has not received a great deal of overt scrutiny in the peer reviewed medical press but the majority of experienced healthcare professionals would attest to its value in both eliciting and conveying information (Edmondstone W M 1995). There is a considerable body of evidence to suggest that body language and nonverbal communication has a greater ability to impart information relating to the sincerity of the speaker than the words they are using (Trimboil A et al. 1997), equally it can be used to advantage when trying either to elicit or to suppress a response from the recipient (Tomlinson J 1998). Reflection is a vital part of the learning process. It has been described and modified by many authors. Taylor (2000) suggests that it should be an active process embarked on after the event so that memories and perceptions of a situation can be rationalised and appropriate strategies considered for more optimal outcomes. Palmer (2005) observes that reflection is both a professional requirement and also a dynamic process whereby the practitioner will be prepared for any similar occurrences and can build a knowledge base to enhance his or her practice, and therefore grow as a professional. On a personal note I find that the Gibbs reflective cycle (Gibbs, G 1988 ) is both convenient, practical and useful It is beyond doubt that the nursing report, in its ideal form, should be carefully constructed, structured and prepared. It should address all of the needs of the patient – not only the medical and nursing ones, but as Hendrick, (J. 2000) points out – it should also address the more subtle needs of the patient such as their psychological, socio-economic or social needs as well, if they are appropriate. Its proper delivery is not just a matter of chance or the last item on the shift for the departing staff nurse, it is one of the fundamental tools of the nursing profession and needs to be prepared, considered and focussed before it is actually invoked. The messages that the nursing report conveys are not simply those messages that relate to the continued nursing care of the patients, but also those that speak to the professional expectations of the nurses. Those who listen to their peers delivering the nursing report in a professional and intelligent way are more likely to be indoctrinated with professional attitudes and ideals than those who view the report as little more than a nuisance at the beginning of their shift. (Clarke J E et al. 1997). The nurse who uses all of the tools of communication, including presentation, positive body language and meaningful eye contact together with clear unequivocal language is far more likely to make a positive and dynamic impression with her report than the nurse who simply puts together a few sentences relating to each patient. (Hewison, A. 2004) References Arnold Bloggs 2004  Interpersonal Relationships: Professional Communication Skills for Nurses  London : London Meridian 2004 Brechin A. Brown, H and Eby, M 2000  Critical Practice in Health and Social Care  Open University, Milton Keynes. 2000 Carrick P 2000  Medical Ethics in the Ancient World  Georgetown University press 2000 ISBN : 0878408495 Chaboyer, Najman , Dunn 2001  Cohesion among nurses: a comparison of bedside vs. charge nurses perceptions in hospitals.  Journal of Advanced Nursing 35 : 4, 526-532 Clarke J E Copcutt L 1997  Management for nurses and Healthcare Professionals.  Edinburgh : Churchill Livingstone 1997 Davies Fox-Young 2002  Validating a scope of nursing practice decision making framework  International Journal of Nursing studies 39 , 1 , 85-93 Edmondstone W M 1995 Cardiac chest pain: does body language help the diagnosis? BMJ , Dec 1995 ; 311 : 1660 1661 Fawcett J 2005  Contemporary Nursing Knowledge: Analysis and Evaluation of Nursing Models and Theories, 2nd Edition  Boston : Davis Co 2005 ISBN : 0-8036-1194-3 Fielder A Book : Sight Unseen BMJ , Jan 2000 ; 320 : 66 ;   Gibbs, G 1988  Learning by doing: A guide to Teaching and Learning methods EMU Oxford Brookes University, Oxford. 1988 Heinmann-Knoch, Korte, heusinger, Klunder Knoch 2005  Training of communication skills in stationary long care homesthe evaluation of a model project to develop communication skills and transfer it into practice Z Gerontol Geriatr. 2005 Feb ; 38 (1) : 40-6. Hendrick, J. 2000  Law and Ethics in Nursing and Health Care,  London. Stanley Thornes : 2000 Hewison, A. 2004  Management for Nurses and Health Professionals: Theory into practice. Blackwell Science : Oxford. Hurley R 2006 Ways of seeing BMJ , May 2006 ; 332 : 1219 ;  ICN 1998 International Convention on Nursing   Scope of nursing practice Geneva : ICN 1998 Kihlgren, Lindsten, Norberg Karlsson 1992  The content of the oral daily reports at a long-term ward before and after staff training in integrity promoting care. Scand J Caring Sci . 1992 ; 6 (2) : 105-12.   Ljukkonen A 1992  Contents of daily reports and nursing practice in 2 homes for the aged] Hoitotiede. 1992 ; 4 (5) : 194-200. Mason T and Whitehead E (2003)  Thinking Nursing.  Open University. Maidenhead. 2003 Orlando, I. J. 1987.  Nursing in the 21st century: Alternate paths.Journal of Advanced Nursing, 12 , 405-412 : 1987 Orlando, I. J., Dugan, A. B. 1989.  Independent and dependent path: The fundamental issue for the nursing profession. Nursing and Health Care, 10 (2) , 77-80 : 1989 Palmer 2005  Palmer in Learning about reflection from the student Bulpitt and Martin Active Learning in Higher Education. 2005 ; 6 : 207-217. 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Commentary on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn :: essays research papers

This passage comes from the first chapter of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. Huckleberry is explaining how life is with the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson. He is describing one evening at his new home in their company. This section serves to characterize the two ladies, to foreshadow some events that will happen later in the novel, to create a mood of death, to reinforce the theme of death and rebirth, and to characterize Huckleberry. At the beginning of the passage, Huck describes Miss Watson as a deeply religious person. She talks about the â€Å"good place† (3), as a reward for â€Å"sivilized† people. Twain satirizes religion when the widow says that all a body does in heaven is play the â€Å"harp and sing forever and ever† (3). Indeed, why would she want to sing endlessly once she is dead? But because of Huck’s pure heart, he â€Å"didn’t think much of it† (3). All he wants is to be with Tom Sawyer. So even at the beginning of the story, Huck is already rejecting society because he does not care about going to heaven. In addition, Miss Watson is mean toward Huck. She keeps â€Å"pecking† (3) at him. The word â€Å"pecking† is very important in this passage because it compares Miss Watson as a bird that strikes with its beak. This comparison suggests that Miss Watson is a nag and that her constant criticism is painful to Huck. With the help of Huckâ₠¬â„¢s description, the reader can infer that the two ladies are civilized and educated, but surprisingly, when it comes to slaves, they lose all of their humanity and just â€Å"fetched the niggers in and had prayers† (3). They treat them no better than they would treat animals. Their behavior toward slaves demonstrates how superficial and hypocritical they are. In addition, Mark Twain foreshadows death, which will happen later in the book. For example, when Huck goes up to his room, he feels â€Å"lonesome† (3), he wishes he were dead. In this passage, Twain emphasizes the theme of Huck’s quest for freedom. Huck has a need for liberty. Since he is stuck in a house he feels â€Å"tiresome† (3), and locked in. The author also uses many morbid words to foreshadow death, such as â€Å"mournful†, â€Å"dead†, â€Å"crying†, â€Å"die†, â€Å"shivers†, â€Å"ghosts†, â€Å"grave† and â€Å"grieving† (3). As a result, the death imagery and diction creates a dreadful mood.