Hrm Change Model

Understanding this model and Its underlying concepts therefore helps us understand why the other change models are effective in overcoming resistance to change, and in creating an environment that is conducive to permanent change. The refreezing process happens once the desired state has been reached. When the desired state Is reached, the forces that are holding this new state In equilibrium are again identified, and now reinforced or â€Å"frozen† into place through a variety of actions. 2) Action Research Model The Action Research Model has two major phases.A preliminary or preparatory phase, and then a cycle phase. * In the preliminary phase, the problem Is first Identified. It refers to the fact that something which needs to be changed, Is identified. * Consultation is then held with a behavioral science expert, for example an ODD consultant, an organizational psychologist, or someone similar who can shed light on typical causes and solutions for such a problem, based on certain existing models. This consultation leads to the planning of a method for diagnosis. Data is then gathered and analyzed, and a preliminary diagnosis is done.Therefore it does not need a 1 OFF expectation that things could be better. * The first step is therefore simply initiating an enquiry. Often, this enquiry will not be very specific. It could be a team wanting to improve in some area, or it could be an organization identifying that it needs to improve something, e. G. Profitability or market share – but it might not be sure what to change. * The services of an expert, together with research of the organization and other organizations are utilized to identify the things that the organization has done really well, in the past.It could be compared to a story telling process where organization members tell stories of the things they'd done really well. * These success stories are then analyzed to identify the organization's major strengths. Themes of strengths are then discovered. * Based on these strengths, the organization designs for itself an ideal future. The organization then designs ways to achieve that future, and implements those plans 4) General Model of Planned Change a) Entering and Contracting: The first set of activities in planned change concerns entering and contracting.Those events help managers decide whether they want to engage further in a planned change program and to commit resources to such a process. Entering an organization involves gathering initial data to understand the problems facing the organization or the positive opportunities for inquiry. Once this information is collected, the problems or opportunities are discussed with managers and other organization members to develop a contract or agreement to engage in planned change.The contract spells out future change activities, the resources that will be committed to the process, and how ODD practitioners and organization members will be involved. B) Diagnosing: In thi s stage of planned change, the client system is carefully studied. Diagnoses can . Focus on understanding organizational problems, including their causes and consequences, or on identifying the organization's positive attributes. The diagnostic process is one of the most important activities in ODD. C) Planning and Implementing Change:

Art Essay

The urban vernacular landscape is built from corrugated GI sheets and concrete; its architectural philosophy, expressed by maximizing minimal spaces and improvising. Luis Santos takes the visual language of the streets into the gallery with Structures, his fourth solo exhibition. Born from his interest in random abstract forms, the show is a riff on patterns found in mechanically created assemblies. The starting point of Structures is a galvanized iron (GI) sheet—a ubiquitous roofing material in developing countries—that Santos has distorted, warped, and bent to his will. Four twisted sheets lie on the gallery floor at the feet of a diptych, two square canvases that have been tilted and angled as a reference to construction poster boards, prefabricated tin tabernacles, and provisional lean-to shelters. The strength of Santos’s technique is evident in the three-dimensional quality of his work: the texture, metallic sheen, and rippling surface of the GI sheets are depicted in high fidelity. Each crumple and crease is rendered in minute detail with utter care and attention. In this regard, Santos is comparable to a 15th-century artist obsessed with draped fabrics and communicating the physical properties of cloth—how it folds and falls over a human subject—on canvas. In Structures, the industrial polish of galvanized iron replaces the delicacy of silk and the rich heft of velvet. Structures meditates on many things: the unexpected tessellations arising rom mundane, overlooked objects; the improvisational ingenuity of urban vernacular architecture; and the expanded definition of painting beyond oil and canvas. My Feedback/Insight : For me when i say this work of art i was supprised and stunned cause i always see stuff like this when i go out of the house. So i was interested to know why he did it and what he thought about the artwork that he made. Other people may think his art is made up only by a plain metal sheet and and wooden chairs but for me it offers a macroscopic view of the immense ocean of steel that rolls through the city, and captures the beauty of landlocked waves undulating and glinting under the sun. This piece of artwork is effortless but can go through the hearts of alot of people. For me it shows the hard life of the non wealthy people it reminds me of people who live near the bridges in paranaque and people who have no pemanent home and just build their houses or shelters using plain metal sheets. It reminds me that alot of people struggle because of lack of money but also gives me the impression that even though alot of filipino’s are having a hard time living and even though they just have a small house to live in, even though its just made of plain metal sheets and wooded planks alot of families are still together yes some go seperate ways but most of them stay together cause thats what they have their family. If i put it to simple words, This work of art symbolizes the life of the penniless and their hard times as a poverty stricken person. The texture of the art work is just metallic the shape of it a square actually its just a corrugated metal sheets mounted on wooden panel, the artwork is also shiny and curved like the usual roof you see in low class houses in the phillippines. I find it beautiful and misunderstood at the same time. The artwork puts alot of things in my mind and reminds me of the houses in the philippines. The color of the are just gray and fills me with sadness and reminds me of hard times. The lines of the artwork are curvy there is no space movement. It does not have to much color so the art work is just monochrome.

Describe the causes, events, and consequences of the Salem Witch Essay

Describe the causes, events, and consequences of the Salem Witch Trials - Essay Example In truth the Salem witch trials involved accusations of witchcraft, which is essentially perceived as devil worship, by people against their neighbors, family members, and friends. There were no witches in Salem Massachusetts casting spells or harming people. In fact, in took very little to earn an accusation as a witch, but surviving such an accusation is a whole other story. The Salem Witch Trials represent the power of fear and false accusations that can consume an entire community until it turned itself inside out. The era of the Salem Witch Trials is a time period that would have been rather frightening to be living in. Salem Massachusetts in the late 1600s had been through a great deal of hardship. There was rampant disease, poor harvests, and a number of Indian attacks that was making people fearful and on edge all of the time. With all of this unpleasantness the atmosphere was ripe for some kind of violent outburst in response. It all began in 1692 in the home of Reverend Sam uel Parris. Whose daughter had begun having seizures or spasms, suffering delusions, and had fallen in to a strange trance-like state. It was the doctor that examined her that brought him the side effects of witchcraft as a cause. He suggested that Betty Parris was either a practitioner of the dark craft or a victim of it.1 All of the girls who were companions of Betty, Mary Warren and Abigail Williams, admitted that they had danced and carried on in the woods under the encouragement of Tituba, the Parris’s foreign servant. Soon enough all of the girls, including Tituba are accused of witchcraft; but to save themselves they confess and ask forgiveness. They begin behaving as if other witches and the devil, himself, were attempting to punish them and torment them because they no longer wished to serve the devil. Soon enough this group of girls began naming names of, mostly woman in the community who may be witches. The Courts were established to try those accused. From here it is important to mention that most people associate the events in the story of the Salem Witch Trials through the play the â€Å"The Crucible, â€Å"by Arthur Miller. However, his work changed certain elements for dramatic effect that strayed from the true history a bit. For example, Miller portrays Tituba as more of a slave of African descent. In truth, Tituba was an Indian from the island of Barbados. Another major plot in the â€Å"The Crucible† is the love affair between Abigail Williams and John Proctor, a respected citizen of Salem. It is Proctor’s spurning of Abigail’s attention that caused her to turn on him and accuse his wife of witchcraft. However, in reality, Abigail Williams was only 12 years old; there is no verifiable historical proof that there was any relationship at all between Abigail and John Proctor. This as part of the cause of the trials is only an invention of the theatre.2 However, there are 4 specific reasons that can be attributed to the cause of the Salem Witch Trials. â€Å"Religious hysteria† is one of these theories. The Puritans were a very devout sect, who believed fully that both God and the Devil can play interactive roles in the lives of mortal men. The idea that witchcraft and devil worship was rampant in their town would have been terrifying for many of the residents. Another theory suggests that it may have begun with a legitimate illness, but not one caused by the Devil. Rye poisoning was a possible culprit. The consumption of it acts like LSD on the system and could produce

Marketing plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Marketing plan - Assignment Example er and better means of connectivity to consumers and masses around the globe have increasingly provided the seeds of birth to a highly popular virtual world, thanks to the widespread popularity provided by the massive surge of online social networks and various micro blogging sites. The rise of the virtual world is strong and its presence is being actively felt by individuals around the world, as they increasingly try to gather information, work or even relax in their daily lives, irrespective of their physical presence in diverse geographical locations around the world. However, it is of utmost importance to address the fact that the access to the virtual world is only restricted by the process of accessing the World Wide Web from various highly sophisticated and latest technology based digital gadgets like Smart phones and laptops. It is of utmost relevance in this case to state that all these technological gadgets are essentially is dependent on electrical battery, which in turn acknowledges electricity as the primary source of power. Hence charging up of the electrical gadgets is highly important for the purpose of maintaining connectivity with the entire world through the access of World Wide Web (http://travellingtwo.com/resources/keeping-gadgets-charged). However, while talking in terms of charging up of the electrical gadgets, it can be increasingly said that the customers all over the world face various issues while travelling, due to the non compatibility of the charging devices with the electricity outlets. Most of them increasingly resort to the process of carrying separate connectivity devices like universal Adapter and reverse voltage charger. Hence, a new product named ‘EasyConnect’ is being introduced in the market, which will help in the process of charging of technological gadgets in the market. The most unique advantage that is being provided by the new product ‘EasyConnect’ is that it will have the dual and integrated combinations of

Why oriental simplistic styles can successfully in MUJI shop products Essay

Why oriental simplistic styles can successfully in MUJI shop products - Essay Example Based to a great extent on the noble concept of â€Å"simple, natural and fundamental†, all their products are designed by using this core theory. Another fundamental consideration is the term â€Å"plainness†, which is a cultural aesthetic idea that already exists in Japanese daily life for centuries. Through the establishment of Muji brand image, this Japanese unsophisticated oriental aesthetics has a chance to thrive. A research has been done so as to find more about Muji’s style and its product design in the quest of exploring the significance of its overall brand image. From the cultural point of view, this research also explored the oriental simplistic style of Muji, and its correlation to Japanese culture, as well as the connotation hidden behind this unique style. Another endeavor of this research was to find the essential elements of its oriental plainness and to make available an applicable method for design adaptation, which can be used as a reference for future design implementations on oriental unsophisticated Muji style. A practical design was put into practice after the results of the research and its feasibility was verified. According to the analyzed results, the perceptive degree of the oriental basic factors of the practical design was comparable to that of the studied samples of Muji which meant that the theoretical results and the actual practices had a significant degree of achievability. Aim In recent years, this oriental simplicity style has spread out with design fashion. For instance the Japanese brand "Muji" which is known for its modest style with the unique identity that emphasizes "minimalistic, natural, and basic ", is a concept that has become the core of all product designs; by taking "nativity" as the basis of its ideology in the aesthetics of life and culture that has triumphed since the ancient times of Japan. The establishment of brand image promotes the Japanese oriental modest aesthetic concept and Muj i carries the exact keynote of "nativity" forward and starts to carry out cultural exchange with the rest of the world. It is expected that this study, though the research of the design and style of Muji, investigates the brand's overall image and related brand definition, by progressing from the cultural aspect to discussing the oriental inconspicuous style under the Japanese culture its cultural connotations behind the brand. The early stage of the study will be devoted to the collection of literature associated to the brand image, which includes the brand’s definition, and the brand image of Muji, after which the study will move to the business concept, development principles, and the product characteristics. Based on this knowledge of the brand-related theories and the initial concept of image definition, the study moves from the perception of "minimalistic, natural, and basic" of Muji to investigate the modest design style and the nuance in the Japanese culture in an eff ort to trace the cultural distinction and vein behind the Japanese design. Objectives Through the enterprise of brand image, this Japanese unconventional oriental aesthetics then has a chance to advance. This research studied Muji’s style and product design in the quest of exploring the significance of its overall brand image. From the cultural point of view, this research also examined the oriental unconventional style of Muji, a brand filled with Japanese culture, and the conception hidden in this style. Another endeavor of this research was to get the indispensable elements of oriental simplicity and to make available an applicable method for design adaptation, which could be used as a reference for future design executions on oriental unsophisticated style. A practical design was implemented and the feasibility was

Choose the topic Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Choose the topic - Term Paper Example She studied art from 1905 to 1912, and took up teaching for two years, in the Texas Panhandle, where she found the vast, dry country with heavy winds to be remarkable in its beauty (Goodrich and Bry 9). â€Å"A trip to northern New Mexico renewed a passion for sky, mountains, and magnificent vistas† (Harvey 36) earlier experienced when teaching in west Texas fifteen years ago†. O’Keeffe loved her country America, and its natural beauty in all its manifestations. As an artist, â€Å"the sun and sky; mountains and plains; trees, plants, and flowers were her frequent subjects† (Davidson 62). With great clarity and vibrancy, she revealed these as dynamic, growing forms, and not as stationary objects. Her flower paintings are particularly noteworthy in their sheer numbers, over 200, as well as in their beauty, realistic depictions, magnification to a huge size, and close examination of their form. O’Keeffe did not use the deconstructed, dislocated or fragmented styles of Cubism in her flower paintings. Most of her works in this genre were of single flowers, rarely did she use more than one flower in her art. She enlarged the image of the bloom to fill the frame, crowding out the other parts of the flower and its surrounding environment. For example, her painting of the Black Iris, 1926 is seen at close quarters (Fig.1). As seen in Fig. 1 below, the natural object stood out in the foreground, facing the spectator with a stark, almost frightening nearness. The oil on canvas painting of the Black Iris, 1926 by O’Keeffe is a monumental piece of art, and one of the artist’s masterpieces. She captures the fleeting colours of the springtime flower using a subtle gradation of shades and hues, from â€Å"impenetrable black-purple and deep maroon to soft pinks, grays, and whites† (MetMuseum, 2012). Expanding the petals to over-lifesize proportions, O’Keefe compels the viewer to face that which may otherwise be overlooked, thereby raising the

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Philosophy - Essay Example Basing our argument on philosophy, it can be noted that the previous philosophy or rather the ancient philosophy do not give out the same picture as it used to be some years ago. As the way of life changes, so are things like philosophy and sociology just to mention but a few. However, before a change can fully be implemented, there must be a motivation. The same applies to the modern philosophy. Before attaining its current state, there was a motivational appeal, which our ancestors anchored on to foster the attainment of their desires. First, our ancestors had a sense of recognition in that they recognized the existence of a new path that had departed from the medieval scholasticism. From that point, they started to refer to their own philosophizing style as â€Å"modern.† Notably, the recognition of medieval scholasticism departed path designating the modern philosophy. Secondly, the early philosophers acknowledged the Greek philosophical schools, after which they breathed life back to them. The philosophers believed that the schools contained the middle age’s lost vitality, which they knew would help them drive to the modern philosophy. In short, education was a pertinent motivator to the modern philosophy. In other words, education laid a foundation to proper thinking, and so it motivated the philosophy to their destiny. Thirdly, freedom formed another motivator to the current philosophy. Through freedom, the early philosophers got the chance and time to move freely out of the oppression of the Catholic Church. In doing so, they stood on a good position of defending themselves from the trouble they experienced with the religious and legal authorities. It is noteworthy that most innovative philosophers always experienced impeachment as heresy. However, freedom made them overcome these accusations. Lastly, scientific achievements in fields s uch as biology, engineering, chemistry, and astronomy staged the early philosophers on a good platform of

Institutional Framework of Federal Acquisitions Research Paper

Institutional Framework of Federal Acquisitions - Research Paper Example risk in case of unpredictability of the market prices since the burden of the extra cost will be shouldered by him and not the other contracting party but also in case of a reduction in the price, the contractor will be on the benefitting end. This therefore provides the incentive for the contractor to do the planning work not only efficiently but effectively as well observing time and being accountable for each and everything as there is fear of bearing loss. The work being contracted on will therefore be completed mostly according to the budget and time (Feldman, 2012). 2. Discuss the importance of cost reimbursement contracts in creating effective, efficient and accountable acquisition planning. Support your discussion with FAR regulations. This type of contract is important to use in case the prices or the cost of what is to be acquired is uncertain. It therefore protects both parties (the contractor and the contacting party) from risks of price increase and therefore rendering t he planning useless in the process or slowing down the project. The benefactor in this type of contract is the contractor as he is reimbursed all the costs he incurs the way specified in the contract unless they exceed the agreed upon price â€Å"These contracts establish an estimate of total costs for the purpose of obligating funds and establishing a ceiling that the contractor may not exceed†¦( General Services Administration, Department of Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2005)† This therefore provides a motivator and an incentive for the contractor to seek only the best of the materials and hence making the planning process and the final product effective. The contractor is also accountable for each and everything since there is reimbursement to be made. The contract type also requires justification on the part of the contractor for the decisions and materials included in the planning â€Å"the contracting officer shall document the rationale for selecting the contract type in the written acquisition plan and ensure the plan is approved and signed at least one level above the contracting officer† and the final work and hence making this a very efficient and effective type of contract to be entered into by especially non-profit organizations which often have financial and time constraints and pressure of accountability to the last cent. 3. Discuss the importance of time and material contracts in creating effective, efficient and accountable acquisition planning. Support your discussion with FAR regulations. This type of contract as stipulated in clause 16.601 is one of the most cost-effective, efficient and with the highest rate of accountability for both the contractor and his officers and also for the contracting party. This is so because it avoids any wastage of time or money and materials through uncertain estimates and no party for this matter may have to bear the loss of increase in the ceiling when planning. This is so because in this contract, the contractor is paid once the work is completed and according to

How does today's film in the U.S influence people perception of Research Proposal

How does today's film in the U.S influence people perception of Chinese culture (Please try to focus on a specific film genres) - Research Proposal Example Xie (9) has carried out a number of research projects on the influence of media on Asian stereotyping giving particular focus and emphasis on how the Chinese culture is portrayed in films in the United States of America (USA). In the research projects conducted, various issues were pointed out and they included; discrimination and racism. The goal of this research as the ones conducted byXie (7) is to identify how a majority of films in the United States of America (USA) miss represent the chines culture. The research shall focus on how Chinese men are represented by films in the USA, how Chinese women are represented by films in the USA, the level of violence associated to them as well as the morals and ethics about the Chinese culture that are miss represented or represented accordingly in the films. For example, a majority of the female chines characters are portrayed in many of the films in USA as being highly sexually seductive individuals and they are trained from a tender age to use this seductive technique to kill men. A majority of the films portray Chinese people as highly trained in elements of martial arts, these is evident in films where Chinese actors Jackie Chan and Jet Li are anchored, this exhibits fraudulent behavior (Chan, 3). Other films portray the Chinese as highly intelligent individuals, mostly appearing in films as computer wizards and sharp when it comes to solving puzzles and mathematical queries (Chan51)Not forgetting about the ethics and morals, some films portray chines girls as immoral, being used for sexual activities especially in the USA as illegal immigrants, other films portray the Chinese people as good and calm with high consideration of the four elements of nature i.e. land, water, and air (Stein, 7). With critical analysis of data intended to be collected, this research will help give a clear picture of what the Chinese culture is really about and whether what we see

N analysis of any assigned primary source document from the book Major Term Paper

N analysis of any assigned primary source document from the book Major Problems in American History Volume II - Term Paper Example In the eighth stanza, Randolph laments that he cannot take up the musket and fight anymore.1 The word â€Å"anymore† illustrates that he probably took part in the recently ended war. The conflict was bitter and quite biased against the North, so he views the Republic and the constitution as mere instruments from the latter region. His biases have thus caused him to speak against critical principles of the US like freedom. Southerners were regarded as masters by their slaves; not only were they going to lose this status, but they now had to submit to the North. The hatred and bitterness should not come as a surprise as the defeat had adverse consequences. It is these sentiments that informed the writer of the song. He probably detested the fact that he now had to play to demands from the ‘Yankees’. He has a rebellious character in the song because he lost so much. It is for this reason that he does not care for their pardons; he boldly claims that he wishes he could kill some more Northerners, but the law does not allow him. The song was written in 1860 immediately after the Civil war; the South had lost, and one of the terms of the war was to integrate them into the Union. A lot of losses had been reported and it was clear that the people were devastated. In the period just before composure of the song, an appalling loss of lives had been recorded. It is estimated that approximately 20% of the adult white male population had been wiped out in the South. Therefore, the men were physically and emotionally wounded. Farm buildings in the region had been fully ruined. Additionally, work animals as well as the machinery used for in economic activities were destroyed. The value of everything within the Southern states was low because of the War. In fact it is estimated that even 10 years after the Civil war, all the assets in the South were still 30% less than their former value. The people left behind would soon have to tackle a long road to

Dramatic Tension in this final act Essay Example for Free

Dramatic Tension in this final act Essay Perplexed still, we get the impression that John Proctor wants his life but cannot stand having a guilty conscience. Elizabeth perhaps adds to his puzzlement, I want you living John. Thats sure. This is the first real emotion we have seen between them in the play. Elizabeths words finally persuades John to save himself, and as he confess Rebecca Nurse is brought in. Her presence makes John ashamed and guilty, especially when asked Did you ever see Rebecca Nurse with the devil? He is under immense pressure and when at last he is asked for his signed testimony we realise another factor as to why he took the ultimate sacrifice. Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I live and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul, leave me my name! The presence of Rebecca Nurse, a saint in his eyes, the importance of his name are all important factors as to why John Proctor gives up his life, but he also realises he will die a good man. It is the one good thing he can do for Elizabeth after all the pain he has caused her. There is a dignity in what he is doing for himself, Elizabeth and his own community. He is an important figure in his society and by standing up to the corruption and being brave enough he is truly doing the right thing but not just for himself. The last act shows John proctors emotions and his own physical bodily actions in agony, but when he tears up his false testimony his can stand up straight for the first time. His death will also bring redemption from his own guilt. He has made a statement as to how un-just and corrupt their justice system was, and by leaving behind a world of prosecution and pragmatism he has become a man of principle. In act four, John Proctor decides to give up his own life rather than confess to being with the devil falsely. We encounter Proctor as a different character, a martyr, almost Christ like. Procter wavers, and at one stage he wants his life, I will have my life, but at the last minute he tears up his confession to save his integrity. Arthur Miller builds up the tension in the last act by using the interaction of characters, language and stage directions. Arthur Miller reveals a characters innermost thoughts and feelings. In comparison to Act two, when Elizabeth and John Proctors conversation had been confrontational and short plagued by the crime John had committed, in the last act when they meet for the final time, they act truly in love and this is portrayed by the stage directions given to the actors. John is described to be weak of body, but seems to be stronger here than at any other time in the play.

Ataturk Reforms Possible

Ataturk Reforms Possible Abstract: Most studies on Ataturk Reforms focus on the intentions of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Yet, the intentions alone do not explain how the reforms became possible. This paper rather looks at the conditions prevailing at the time of the reforms. It shows that due to a variety of factors, both domestic and international, the state and the society stood in opposite relations in Turkey: the former was exceptionally strong while the latter was seriously weakened and fragmented. The contingent nature of these conditions throws doubt on the re-doability of Ataturk reforms elsewhere. Extremely impressed and overly excited, Bryan Woodman speaks to his wife on the phone. The topic is an Arab Prince, Nasir, he recently met for a business purpose. Having a PhD in economics from Cambridge, young, ambitious, and reformist, Nasir could be like Ataturk. So Bryan Woodman told her wife, the most he could say in expressing his admiration for the Prince charming, Nasir. What does this symbolize, the mention of the name, Ataturk, in the mouth of an unlikely figure, an energy specialist in a Geneva-based investment company, in a movie like Syriana? No one probably wonders and questions the appropriateness of the name chosen to describe Nasir. For many Ataturk seems the perfect match for our problems in the Middle East. He was well mannered, well dressed, and well educated, could speak French and knew the Western philosophy and lifestyle very well. He could dance in the private gatherings and was a true gentleman to women, marrying only once. His political actions even testify better. Ataturk is an icon of everything the West has wanted to export to the rest of the world: nation building, state building, republicanism, liberation of women. More importantly, he is the champion of secularization. Therefore, in the post 9/11 world, the name, Ataturk, probably arouses even more admiration for he did what is now even unimaginable to many today. He abolished the caliphate, the symbol of political Islam, closed down the madrasahs and Sharia courts, banned the Sufi brotherhoods, changed the Islamic law to a Western law, so and so forth. For many all other modernizers in the Middle East, from Gemal Abdel Naser of Egypt to Reza Shah of Iran failed simply because they could not become Ataturk enough in one way or another. Mustafa Kemal, or famously known as Ataturk, was an Ottoman general, who became a war hero as a commander in the Dardanelles in the First World War. The Ottoman Empire was on the losing side when the war ended and signed the treaty of Sevr, according to which the Turks were left with a small piece of territory in Anatolia, all the former extensive Ottoman lands being divided among various Allied countries. Therefore, when Mustafa Kemal Ataturk landed in Samsun in May of 1919, the country was under foreign occupation. In the following three years under his leadership what is now Turkey (except Hatay province) was cleared off from foreign forces through a combination of war and diplomacy. Starting with the abolition of the sultanate in 1922, Ataturk then led a series of reforms, an important part of which was to rewrite the Turkish history. According to this, the new Republic of Turkey was truly like a phoenix, a legendary bird coming into being from the ashes. This official attitude h ad three mutually reinforcing historical assertions. First, the new republic was a radical break from the past, a novel and original state on its own. Second, the republic owed its existence to the genius of one-man, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Third, and more importantly, the new republic denied any credit to the Ottoman period, claiming that she inherited nothing, but an extremely backward society from the past, implying furthermore whatever good contemporary Turkey now enjoys was all product of the new republic. And, it worked quite successfully. This new image of Turkey was well accepted at home, understandably because the new state propagated its official history with all means available: state rituals, school textbooks, national monuments, which were constructed to serve the myth of Mustafa Kemal as the sole prophet of the Turkish nation and national holidays, such as 19 May or 30 August, which ritualized the celebration and commemoration of important events. More surprisingly perhaps, this new image of Turkey was wholeheartedly accepted abroad. It was probably best reflected in the image of Ataturk himself. Academicians and journalists alike have this image of Ataturk all over as a stubborn idealist, driven only by ideas and ideals with no practical concern at all in other realities all around, a dedicated missionary, who followed not his self-interest, but what he thought as good for his country, a miracle maker turning an Islamic country into a Western society, an extremely magnetic pe rson, whose mystical aura, under which a whole nation united, still has an enduring effect over the central Turkish state institutions, especially, the army, an unbelievably and absolutely powerful figure, nothing but whose likes and dislikes determined the whole historical course of a nation. Thus in every comparison we, as scholars, intellectuals and journalists, made we created an Ataturk, a sort of a Feurbachian figure, who has all attributes we think our hopeless Middle East needs. No question Ataturk was a phenomenal transmitter between the West and Turkey of the formers institutions, lifestyle, and philosophy into the latter. And, he was quite successful in that. His legacy clearly marks Turkey off from the rest of the Islamic world. Without taking into account his reforms, it is almost impossible to explain and understand, for example, the process and associated problems of democratization in Turkey, contemporary Turkish-Kurdish problems, contemporary issues of religion and politics in Turkey, and Turkeys drive toward European Union. Having said that, all forms of unchecked nostalgic and romantic ideas about him will not help us to understand and, if possible, derive lessons from his example for our contemporary world. This paper is an attempt to bring Ataturk from the Olympus Mountain back on the ground, addressing more specifically the following question: what made Ataturk reforms, apparently so radical, possible in the early 20th century Turkey? This has at least two immediate payoffs. First, academically, we will have a much clearer understanding of an important historical period in the history of the Middle East. Second, practically, we will be much more realistic about the do-ability of similar reforms elsewhere. The paper is organized as follows. In the coming section I visit the explanations proposed to account for Ataturk reforms. The underlying logic in these explanations is to show the possible intentions could motivate the reforms. The objection I raise in this paper is that understanding the intentio ns is not enough to explain the reforms. Rather we need analyze how conducive the conditions were to undertake the reforms. Then, I discuss two conditions that were present in Turkey during the time of Ataturk reforms: a strong state and an extremely weakened society and religious community. What Has Been Proposed? The following Ataturk reforms have been generally considered as touching religion and religious institutions in Turkey and as secularizing the Turkish state and society. Historically first introduced, major reforms came in March of 1924: the caliphate was abolished, (3 March), the madrasahs (3 March), the office of Sheikh al Islam (3 March), the ministry of religious affairs and pious foundations (3 March), and the sharia courts (8 March) closed down. A second major set of reforms came in November of 1925: hat reform and dress code were introduced (25 November), Sufi orders closed down and their activities banned (30 November). In October of 1926, the Swiss civil and the Italian penal codes were adopted. In November of 1928, the new Turkish alphabet, adopted from Latin alphabet, was introduced, replacing the Arabic one. And, finally, in November of 1934, religious nicknames and titles, such as, haci (one who went to pilgrimage), hafiz (one who memorized the Quran), hoca (religious te acher), molla (religious student), were banned. As to why Ataturk undertook these reforms, most explanations put forward the following simple story. Because he was extremely impressed by the West, Ataturk wanted to transform the Turkish state and society into something they had never been: western, or modern or secular. For this to happen, he had to cut the ties to the Ottoman past, which had been Islamic. With this master project in mind, Ataturk introduced his reforms. Then, the whole explanation discusses how the aforementioned reforms contributed to the master project guiding Ataturks actions. Bernard Lewis The Emergence of Modern Turkey is probably the best study to be shown as exemplifying the explanations of this sort. Lewis signals this right at the beginning, in Preface saying the theme of this book is the emergence of a new Turkey from the decay of the old. Only in Chapter VIII of the book, titled the Kemalist Republic, he sets out to explain the logic of Ataturk reforms, each reform being an attempt to break the ties with the past. For him, for example, transferring the capital from Istanbul to Ankara was an act against the new Turkeys past. For nearly five centuries Istanbul had been the capital of an Islamic empire†¦ Turkish Istanbul, with its mosques and palaces, its divines and courtiers; Pera, the Levantine suburb†¦ these were intimately associated with the past†¦ And so a new capital was chosen, symbolizing and accentuating the changes that were taking place. Likewise, the caliphate was the link with the past and with Islam. It was precisely for that reason that he [Ataturk] was determined to break it. Hat reform, banning the tall, red, challenging fez proclaiming at once his refusal to conform to the West and his readiness to abase his unimpeded brow before God, was vivid and profound, the forcible transference of a whole nation from one civilization to another. The alphabet reform, with which Mustafa Kemal†¦ was slamming a door to the past as well as opening a door to the future, destroyed the last symbol that bound her [Turkey] to the Orient and set her apart from the Western community of nations -the Arabic script. The Emergence of Modern Turkey was first published in 1961, in the heyday of modernization school. More than forty years later, two Turkish scholars would still speak in the same language. Mustafa Kemal and his supporters imagined a new state modeled on the basic principles and outlines of the European style national state. For them this required a cognitive and political negation of the old regime and an establishment of a new era. There have been fancier attempts in the same spirit. For example, Serif Mardin (1991), a famous Turkish sociologist-historian, argues that Ataturk disliked the Ottoman street, Mahalle, so much that his reforms eliminated the components of the Ottoman street in the new Turkish society. Likewise, Volkan and Itzkowitz (1984) claim, for example, that the alphabet reform reflected Ataturks psychological urge to liberate her mother, who was equated with the Turkish nation in his mind, from the forces of oppression, obscurantism, and superstition. Hence, the ref orm saved the nation, replacing the dead mother now, from the same devils. In contrast to this dominant, excessively idealistic view of Ataturk reforms, there have been, however sporadically attempted, studies proposing alternative explanations grounded more in rationalism or in strategic circumstances of the period. Unlike the idealistic views approach of one-overarching explanation for all reforms, these studies analyze each reform on its own. A discussion of a few examples will suffice for our purpose here. Behind the adoption of the Swiss Civil code in 1926, for example, Dora G. Nadolski sees Turkeys desire to establish full control over its own legal system by destroying the last vestiges of the capitulatory system. Under this system, as G.L. Lewis puts it, foreigners were not subject to Turkish laws; they paid no taxes, their houses and business premises were inviolable, and they could be arrested or deported only by order of their own Ambassadors. This system not only let foreign powers to intervene in internal affairs of Turkey, thus challenging her sovereignty, but also privileged foreigners and non-Muslim Ottoman citizens, who took foreign passports, in the commercial life of Turkey. The capitulations were first abrogated in 1914 unilaterally. However, they were re-imposed again after the First World War to be re-abrogated in the treaty of Lausanne, now recognized by France and Britain. Nadolski (1977) argues that the abrogation was still not complete. It was because the Mecelle, codification of the Sharia based on the Hanefite fiqh and replaced by the Swiss Civil code in 1926, was not itself a complete civil code for it did not contain that portion of the Sharia which treats procedures of family, marriage and inheritance. As a result, secular court systems would not be able to deal with cases related to these issues. This would remain as a possible venue for the foreign power to intervene in lawsuits involving non-Muslim foreigners in Turkey. In any case, Turkey was obliged to adopt a Western law system for its minorities according to the treaty of Lausanne. Rather than keep a dual system, the new regime preferred a unitary legal system within its territories. In short, the adoption of Swiss Civil code meant the abandonment of the dual court system, religious and secular, final abrogation of the remaining vestiges of the capitulatory system, and the abolition of the Mecelle. How well did Turkey in implementing the Swiss Civil Code? The International Association of Legal Sciences met in 1955 to discuss this issue, and Hilmi Ziya Ulken summarizes the finding: of the 937 articles of the Swiss Civil Code, only 335 by 1955 have been used effectively, that in the case of two-thirds of the articles no circumstances to which they are applicable have emerged. Surprisingly, the Swiss Civil Code, was hardly implemented in two areas: family law and land laws, two areas which almost all scholars single out as the Code turning the country truly into a Western or secular one. Why is there a discrepancy between the declared objective and the realized outcome? Here is not the place to speculate on the reasons. However, it is an important question to answer because Turkeys performance in fact may indicate the pragmatism, not idealism, of Turkish rulers in adopting the Swiss Code. It should be also noted that there were minor changes introduced into the Swiss Code before a dopted in Turkey. As noted by Gotthand Jaschke, one change is a telling one. The Code banned marriages between couples if they were milk-bred by the same woman (in Turkish, sut kardesleri), which was clearly from the Islamic law. For the alphabet reform, not only the Turkish reformers themselves but also a few scholars like Uriel Heyd (1954) and Frank Tachau (1977) noted the inefficiency and the inability of the Arabic script to render Turkish words and expressions as correctly as possible. There are a few inefficiencies to be noted. First, there are no letters in Arabic script for certain sounds of Turkish, like p as p in put, j as g in mortgage, à § as ch in chat and ÄŸ. This problem was easy to solve for some other symbols, like Ù ¾ for p, Ú˜ for j, Ú†, for à § stood for them. More serious problem was with the Turkish vowels. In Arabic vowels are not written. Even for a native Arab speaker this may pose a trouble in cases where the endings of words change in accordance with grammatical functions they have in a specific sentence. Two factors alleviate the problem for native Arab speakers. First, Arabic is an extremely structured language. Second, there are basically three vowel sounds in Arabic. T urkish does not enjoy the same advantages. For example, there are eight vowels in Turkish, a as in a in father, e as e in red, Ä ± as e in open, i as ee in beet, o as o in no, à ¶ as e in her, u as oo in pool, and à ¼ as u in nude. There were some introductions into the Ottoman script to represent the Turkish vowels, Ùˆ, Ù‰, and Ø § used in the place of vowels. However, the solution was not complete; for example, Ù„Ø ¤ could be pronounced as either lu, là ¼, lo or là ¶, Finally, لى as li or lÄ ±. In addition to the confusions that may arise with the vowels, there are not only letters in Arabic script that have no corresponding sound in Turkish, like Ø ¹ and Ù‚, but also quite a number of letters that are close enough that will sound like one sound to a native Turkish ear. For the example of this latter group, Ø ¶, Ø ², Ø °, and Ø ¸, all sound very close to the Turkish letter z as z in zip; Ø · and Ø ªvery close to the Turkish letter t as t in top; à ™â€¡ , Ø ®, and Ø ­, very close to the Turkish letter h as h in hot; Ø ³ and Ø µ very close to the Turkish letter s as s in sand. Therefore, in an age of the modern states educating their citizens en masse, the alphabet reform seems quite efficient step to take. In fact, literacy level rapidly increased in Turkey, which can be attributed in part to the alphabet reform. When we analyze each reform within its own particular context, paying particular attention to domestic and international factors involved at the time of the reform, we face a rather different picture of Ataturk reforms, a different set of factors at work. For many this is not surprising because different paradigms, grounding the motivations of actors in different factors, be it idealistic or materialistic or individual-psychological or structural, are at work in different analyses. In this paper I neither offer another explanation, challenging the existing explanations of Ataturk reforms, nor visit the old debates among various paradigms. In fact, I firmly believe that this debate has been a healthy one for our understanding of politics, therefore, should continue. Rather I want to offer here a complimentary analysis, focusing instead on the factors that affected the reformers opportunities, making the reforms possible. Why is this latter analysis important? Any analysis, just focusing on the motivations of Turkish rulers in introducing the reforms, suffers from at least two weaknesses. First, such an analysis portrays, either implicitly or explicitly, an image of Ataturk who was absolutely powerful and extremely magical. His personal wishes, likes and dislikes will matter more than any other reason. Not only logically, but also historically this is unacceptable if we are not a sort of a Carlylian hero-worshipper. Any reading of his long speech, called Nutuk, delivered in 15-20 October 1927, will show conclusively that his authority was not well established up until 1927. His speech later became the official Turkish historiography, in which Mustafa Kemal discredited not only the sultan in Istanbul, but also his former colleagues, who actually fought in the independence war, and emphasized his own role and the novelty and originality of the national movement he had led. Second, and more importantly, such an analysis will invite us to make more speculations on why some other reform suggestions, as logical as those already introduced and implemented, were not implemented or never introduced in the first place. The most notable example was Ataturks personal initiative to turkify the language of basic Islamic rituals, like adhan, preaching in the Friday prayer and the Quran recitation. In this vein, in the month of Ramadan in 1932, he visited Istanbul to promote the recitation of the Quran in Turkish. He personally participated in the programs held in 22 January 1932 in Yerebatan Mosque, then in the Sultanahmet Mosque on 29 January of 1932. The most impressive program was held in Ayasofya mosque on 3 February 1932. Not only the Quran, but also the adhan was recited in Turkish, the whole program being aired in the radio. The final novelty was introduced on 5 February 1932, Ataturk personally asking Hafiz Sadettin Kaynak, who later became a famous compose r, to deliver the Friday prayer preaching in Turkish, Kaynak wearing western clothes rather than traditional religious garbs. The adhan in Turkish had been successfully implemented until 1950 when the Democrat Party lifted the ban on the adhan in Arabic. In Turkey, preaching in the Friday prayers is still held in Turkish except for the final parts which are in Arabic. But, for reasons unknown to us, Ataturk simply did not pursue the idea of the Quran recitation further, devoting his time to the purification of Turkish language from Persian and Arabic from then on. There were other reform potentials in Turkey. For example, the language of Islamic prayer, namaz, could also be turkified for there were suggestions along this line. In fact, in 1926 a certain imam of Goztepe Mosque in Istanbul, Celalettin Efendi, led the prayer in Turkish, upon which he was fired from the Directorate of Religious Affairs. But, apparently, Ataturk was not interested in the idea for we do not know any attempt on his side to promote the prayer in Turkish. Ataturk also did not pursue the idea of banning the veil for women, which Reza Shah of Iran and King Emanullah of Afghanistan, both being contemporary of Ataturk, pursued in their countries. In fact when King Emanullah was overthrown, Ataturk was reported to say I warned him to proceed slowly on the issue of womens veil. What Made Reforms Possible? Unlikely Conditions Like any other politician, whose authority was not inherited, but obtained, Ataturk faced opposition at every stage from his landing in Samsun on. He was not alone in the leadership cadre of the independence movement. This can readily be seen through a comparative reading of memoirs, written by individuals like Kazim Karabekir, Halide Edip Adivar, Ali Fuat Cebesoy, Riza Nur, Rauf Orbay, who wrote their own narratives of the independence war in response to Ataturks Nutuk. In contrast to one-man leadership of Nutuk, these narratives show the agency and significance of a plurality of leaders and common people who took part in the Independence Struggle and the process of nation building in the twenties. Ataturk and his clique, therefore, competed with other political rivals both during and after the war of independence. During the war, for example, some former Unionists attempted to replace Mustafa Kemal with Enver Pasha, Ottoman minister of war during the First World War. Only Ataturks successful command of the Turkish forces in the war of Sakarya killed the dreams of Enver Pasha. There was even more serious challenge to Mustafa Kemal and his clique in the Turkish parliament. There emerged a group in the parliament, consisting of 118 deputies opposing Mustafa Kemal, the remaining 197 deputies supporting him. After the war, Mustafa Kemal organized his supporters into a political party, the Peoples Party, and called for an election. The opponents could not organize into a single party and lost the elections. Out of 118 deputies only 3 could get into the second parliament. It was this second parliament, which declared Turkey as a republic and elected Mustafa Kemal as its president. Opposition to Mustafa Kemal even continued in the second parliament, now led by much more formidable opponents. In November of 1924, the first leaders of the independence war, Rauf Orbay, Refet Bele, Ali Fuat Cebesoy, and Kazim Karabekir, commanding great reputation and respect both in the army and among the masses, formed an opposition party in the parliament. The party was joined by others, who resigned from Ataturks party. According to a calculation, the percentage of military officials in this party was 44 percent, in contrast to just 18 percent in Ataturks party. Especially, the Istanbul bureaucracy, who was not happy to lose their privileges with the shift of capital to Ankara, was behind Rauf Orbay, himself a war hero during the First World War. In the memoirs of these individuals one strongly feels how marginalized they saw themselves in the post-Ottoman Turkey by those, who joined the war of independence late yet were close to Ataturk. In the meantime, a massive Kurdish rebe llion broke out in the Eastern Anatolia in February of 1925, giving Ataturk and his clique, controlling the government and the parliament, an opportunity to accuse the opposition party of inspiring the rebellion. The party was closed in June of 1925. One year later an assassination attempt on the life of Mustafa Kemal was thwarted in Izmir. An extra-ordinary court was formed, entirely run by the deputies of Ataturks party. The court ruled the execution of 19 former Unionists and jailed Rauf Orbay. Partly due to public outcry, Ali Fuat Cebesoy and Kazim Karabekir were released. Only after the trials ended, resulting in the complete exile from active political life of all possible political rivals, Ataturk and his clique could feel secure in their positions. As a side note, it is rumored that toward the end of his life, Ataturk wanted to heal the broken-hearts of his friends, but no meeting between him and his former colleagues and then rivals materialized as far as we know. An interesting anecdote is illustrative of his approach toward dealing with the opposition. It was during the committee meetings in the Turkish parliament in 1922. The issue was whether to abolish the Sultanate or not. The ulama members of the committee engaged in a hot scholarly debate about whether the caliphate and the sultanate could be separated. Enraged by these never ending debates, Mustafa Kemal interrupted the committee meeting and asked for permission to speak up. Granted, he bluntly said: Sovereignty and Sultanate are not given to anyone by anyone because scholarship proves that they should be; or through discussion or debate. Sovereignty and Sultanate are taken by strength, by power and by force. It was by force that the sons of Osman seized sovereignty and Sultanate of the Turkish nation; they have maintained this usurpation for six centuries. Now the Turkish nation has rebelled, has put a stop to these usurpers, and has effectively taken sovereignty and Sultanate into i ts own hands. This is an accomplished fact -the question is merely how to give expression to it. This will happen in any case. If those gathered here, the assembly and everyone else could look at this question in a natural way, I think they would agree. Even if they do not, the truth will still find expression, but some heads may roll in the process, in the final sentence, waving his hand toward the members around their necks. Ataturk was indeed a man of his word, not failing to resort to force if his authority was challenged. And, as I briefly described above, his authority did not go unchallenged. Yet, there is a feature common to all opponents of Ataturk. They had no societal power base, their influence coming mostly from their positions in the state apparatus. The elimination of none of the potential rivals in fact led to massive protests from the society. Only Seyh Said rebellion, which broke out in 1925 in Eastern Anatolia, does not fit into this category. It was a massive rebellion, led by a Kurdish Nakshi Seyh. Yet, it is better to consider this rebellion not as a domestic opposition to Ataturk, but to the whole idea of Turkish state by the Kurdish populations in Eastern Anatolia. In this nature of the opposition we can clearly see two important mutually reinforcing conditions, which, in my opinion, made the Turkish reforms possible. First, by the time Ataturk came to power, the Turkish state had already eliminated all possible societal power bases, thanks to the Ottoman modernization. The Ottoman modernization had been driven by the necessities of the international military environment. With Russia alone, the Ottomans fought four major wars in the 19th century in 1806-1811, 1828-1829, 1853-1856, and 1877-1878. Internal rebellions especially in the Balkans paralyzed the Empire throughout the same century. The Ottomans survival as an independent political entity depended among other things on the intricate working of balance of power. Territorial losses and commercial concessions followed up every defeat in the field, the magnitude of which ultimately depended on the will of other powers involved. Though severely shaken by the tidal waves of every international military confrontation and internal problem, the Ottomans survived the 19th century. Against this background of ever-increasingly hostile international environment, uninterruptedly from the period of Mahmud II (1808-1839) on, the Ottomans tenaciously pursued reforms by all available means in the military, the administration, state finance, education and the legal system. After abolishing the Janissaries in 1826, Mahmud II established a new army upon European model. The successive Ottoman statesmen later expanded the army in size and updated it with the newest technology. In this vein, the Empire heavily imported arms supplies from Germany, Britain and France. Thus, the Ottoman Empire became â€Å"one of the most important markets for armaments in the world.† The Ottoman statesmen also hired foreign military personnel in the army, opened new military colleges, modernized the new reforms, and introduced conscription. If exhausted all domestic resources, the Ottoman statesmen sought for external financial resources from foreign governments and international finan cial institutions to continue the reforms. Eventually, the Ottoman government became so indebted that it declared bankruptcy in 1878, and deferred the collection of certain revenues to a European controlled institution, the Ottoman Public Debt Administration, in 1881. The success of the Ottoman modernization can be best seen in her performance in the First World War. The Ottoman Empire entered the war in November of 1914 on the side of the Central Powers. The Empire was the least populous and the most economically backward among the major powers of the war. In the words of a military historian, â€Å"By 1914, the Ottoman Empire had fallen far behind the European Great Powers in every category of resources necessary for the conduct of modern war.† Yet, the Empire fought in the war quite impressively. By far superior, Russia could not finish the war and succumbed into a revolution in 1917. Only when it became evident that the Germans lost the war, the Ottomans stopped fighting. As late as 1917 in the war, the Ottomans were still holding the southern frontiers against the British and the French. During the World War, the Ottoman Empire could mobilize more than two million troops, and could fight in five frontiers spreading over a vast area. Th e state could mobilize all resources of the country for the war efforts, not only through forceful means, but also through voluntary organizations. The strengthening of the state went in tandem with the weakening of other societal institutions. In fact, the Ottoman modernization truly started after Mahmud II eliminated two powerful groups in the Ottoman society: the janissaries and the local strong families, or the ayans. The bloody suppression of Seyh Said rebellion in 1925 was a part of this process of demilitarizing the society, by and large completed among the Turkish populations by the 1920s and was to be completed among the Kurdish populations by the end of the 1930s. Religious institutions also weakened in the face of ever-strengthening Turkish state. This was natural because the Ottoman modernization did not remain within the field of military, but spilled out into education and legal system, two strongholds of religious institutions. Neither Mahmud IIs reforms nor later reforms in fact meant a frontal attack on the privileges of the religious institutions. The Ottoman reforms did not eradicate all livelihoods of the Sun ni Ulema; instead they created a new space for the newly educated classes in parallel existence with the one existing for the Ulema. Religious courts and schools continued to work alo

Reading Intervention Programme

Reading Intervention Programme Effects of an Out-of-school Intervention Program on Reading Ability and Attitude in Low-achieving First-grade Students Abstract This study, conducted at *****, proposes instituting a before- or after-school program to address the needs of struggling first-grader readers. Biweekly intervention sessions, lasting 30 minutes each, will take place from early September through May. Using individualized instruction targeting deficiencies in individual student skills and a balanced literacy approach, data will be collected to determine the effectiveness of the program and student attitudes about reading. Parent attitudes and participation in their children’s learning will also be explored. Data will then be compared to the average gains made by typical first-grade students. I anticipate these sessions will have a positive effect on student learning and attitudes, and that participants will make slightly greater gains than typical first graders. Introduction Background/School Information In the fall of 2008, I will begin my third year as a first-grade teacher at ******. According to the 2007 School Report Card (2007), the **** student population includes 335 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. It is a diverse school (51.9% White, 2.1% African American, 34.0% Hispanic, and 11.9% Asian/Pacific Islander). 17.6% of students are from low-income families and 21.2% have limited English skills. The average size of my class over the past two years has been 25 students, with over half (14 last year) speaking a second language (including Italian, Polish, Serbian, Spanish, Tagal, and Urdu) at home. Some parents refuse bilingual or ELL services in favor of a regular classroom placement. Students begin the year at many different literacy levels. The majority of students make excellent progress with the current literacy program (Harcourt Trophies). While most of the students who attend kindergarten in our district have mastered their letter names and successfully integrat e their phonemic awareness skills with phonics instruction, there are a few students each year that struggle with these skills and have not mastered our basic kindergarten sight words. Often students who come from other school districts are even further behind. Some parents of these students have admitted to spending little or no time reading with them at home, either because the child is reluctant to work with the parent, lack of time, or because their own literacy skills may be lacking. My Philosophy/Past Efforts I believe it is my responsibility to ensure that every student learns the necessary skills to become a successful reader and to develop a love of reading. I also assume that every student will learn if expectations are high. I believe in using a balanced approach to literacy instruction (Tompkins, 2003), using phonemic awareness, phonics, and literacy instruction which incorporates both reading (shared and independent) and writing. In searching for a way to reach struggling students and help them improve their emerging reading skills, I began a biweekly guided reading group during lunch during the 2006-07 school year for four struggling students. The students were tested using AIMSweb ® and made considerable improvement between January when the program was implemented and the end of the year. One student’s reading fluency increased from ten to 33 wpm, an increase of 330% in four months. Although the lunch hour was a convenient time to work with the students, it was difficult to ensure they were focusing on the lesson and finishing their meals at the same time. I have considered the advantages and disadvantages of working with them either before or after school. While an after-school program will afford more structured time to better meet their needs, a before-school program might ensure better attendance (***, personal communication, July 7, 2008). **** has offered both a before-school remediation program with fourth graders and an after-school book club with second graders, noted that students seemed more focused in morning sessions (*****, personal communication, July 14, 2008). Before implementation, I will survey parents to determine which format best suits their schedule. Role of the Researcher As an active participant and researcher in this study, I will be working directly with four to six of my lowest-achieving first-grade students. Individual student needs will be targeted through word activities, shared reading, independent reading, guided reading, and writing activities. Area of Focus The purpose of this study is to describe the effects of a biweekly out-of-school intervention and guided reading program on reading ability and student attitude about reading in low-achieving first-grade students. Research Questions My focus question is: How will implementing an out-of-school intervention and guided reading program affect reading ability and student attitude about reading in low-achieving first-grade students? I plan on implementing this program at the beginning of the 2008-09 school year and continuing it through the end of May. I hope to answer the following questions through this action research project: How will biweekly out-of-school intervention and guided reading sessions affect reading fluency? How will these sessions affect student reading comprehension? What effect will this program have on student attitudes about reading and school in general? What effect will these sessions have on student writing ability? What effect will this program have on parent attitudes about their child’s reading ability and education in general? Will parent involvement in working with their children be affected by their participation in the program? Key Terms AIMSweb ® – â€Å"a scientifically based, formative assessment system that informs the teaching and learning process by providing continuous student performance data and reporting improvement to parents, teachers, and administrators to enable evidence-based evaluation and data-driven instruction† (AIMSweb ® Organization Website, n.d.). Analytical Reading Inventory (ARI) – â€Å"The ARI is an individually-administered assessment conducted during a one-on-one reading conference. It is administered periodically to students in grades 4-8. Results are used to determine a student’s instructional reading level, guide teachers in planning classroom instruction, identify appropriate supports and interventions, and document progress over time.† (â€Å"Student Testing,† n.d.) Differentiate – â€Å"To use differentiated instruction – an approach to teaching essential content in ways that address the varied learning needs of students with the goal of maximizing the possibilities of each learner† (ASCD Website, n.d.). Fluency – â€Å"Reading smoothly, quickly, and with expression† (Tompkins, 2003, p. 397). Grapheme – â€Å"A written representation of a sound using one or more letters† (Tompkins, 2003, p. 398). Phoneme – â€Å"A sound; it is represented in print with slashes (e.g., /s/ and /th/)† (Tompkins, 2003, p. 399). Phonemic awareness – â€Å"The ability to manipulate the sounds in words orally† (Tompkins, 2003, p. 399). Phonics – â€Å"Instruction about phoneme-grapheme correspondences and spelling rules† (Tompkins, 2003, p. 399). Running Records – While observing individual children as they read aloud, â€Å"teachers calculate the percentage of words the child reads correctly and then analyzes the miscues or errors† (Tompkins, 2003, p. 386). Effects of an Out-of-school Intervention Program on Reading Ability and Attitude in Low-achieving First-grade Students Literature Review Introduction Students today enter school at very different developmental and readiness levels. First grade is a year of exciting growth, presenting new challenges for developing children – from the all-day format to learning how to read. While many students adapt to the all-day schedule and flourish in the first-grade classroom, some are not able to keep up, slowly falling further and further behind their classmates. Teachers often struggle to differentiate instruction to meet the diverse needs of their students. They also look for ways to ensure that every student is functioning at or above grade level, particularly since the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was enacted in January, 2001 (Huncosky, 2004). Because time is limited during the school day and class sizes are often large, many teachers turn to after-school hours to remediate instruction for their struggling students (Brown, 2008; Davis-Allen, 2008; Huncosky; Little Hines, 2006; Saddler Staulters, 2008). Their studies show varied results in gains among the lowest-achieving students. What is a struggling student? Davis-Allen (2008) uses the term â€Å"at-risk,† describing these students as â€Å"strangers to the behaviors and values of the middle-class (as cited in Davis-Allen, 2008). Students were asked to participate in her study because of prior substandard academic achievement (Davis-Allen). To meet Huncosky’s (2004) criteria, students were functioning below grade level in reading or failing to turn in homework. Reading Recovery uses an assortment of tests given at the onset of first grade to target the lowest-achieving students for their 12-20 week program (MacKenzie, 2001). In simpler terms, struggling students are those who, academically, are not performing at grade level. As I begin my third year teaching first grade at Wesley School in Addison, Illinois, and as I reflect on ways to improve learning for all my students, I have found that the majority of my students have been well-prepared for first grade, with a strong background in phonemic awareness and a firm grasp of phonics. They already understand the grapheme-phoneme connection and are ready to begin putting letters and sounds together to make words. Even those who may be a little behind their classmates developmentally catch up quickly and are usually reading at grade level by the middle of the year. Unfortunately, each year I have had three or four students that slowly lose ground, either because they lack a solid background in literacy, have difficulty attending to the daily lessons, or have potential learning disabilities which have not yet been diagnosed. As the work gets progressively more difficult, these students struggle with the district’s literacy curriculum. The second grade teachers report that these low-achieving students sometimes continue to struggle throughout second grade (C. Walters, personal communication, July 14, 2008). This led me to wonder if we were to target the lowest students right from the beginning of the year, would this lead to better outcomes for them in first grade and beyond? According to C. Wartman (personal communication, July 7, 2008), principal at Wesley School, we often take a wait-and-see approach in first grade. As stated earlier, many low students are successful with the curriculum as we differentiate to their needs in the typical classroom; thus, the wait-and-see approach works for them. But for those few who quickly fall behind, the wait-and-see approach is not acceptable. My goal through my action research project is to find a way to reach these students before they fall too far behind their peers. These past two years I have had the assistance of a reading aide for 2-1/2 hours per week. At the beginning of the 2006-07 year, she led extra guided reading sessions with all of my students through a push-in model. It quickly became clear that four students needed extra remediation; therefore, she began pulling them out three times a week. This offered several disadvantages, the most significant being they missed valuable classroom instruction and may have felt disconnected from their classmates. How, then, might I find a way to fill in the gaps in their education without taking them out of the classroom for remediation? My first thought was to institute an out-of-school program. Relevant Literature Very little research is available on out-of-school programs for first graders. Perhaps this is because it is already a great adjustment for them to be in school all day, and it may be difficult for them to add an extra half hour or more to their already demanding schedule (C. Wartman, personal communication, July 7, 2008). Parents may not be available, particularly those who work, to drop their children off early or pick them up after the school bus has already departed (C. Wartman). A study by Huncosky (2004) addressed at-risk students in first through third grades through a ten-week, biweekly, after-school reading and math program (Huncosky). Students were selected for this program either because they were below grade level in reading achievement or because they failed to complete homework (Huncosky). One teacher who worked with students in this program commented, â€Å"It is not a program to narrow the huge gap. It’s a program to help kids who are ready to be helped† (Huncosky, p. 14). Other teachers believed that the students accepted in the program should be able to work well on their own and in small groups (Huncosky). Most low-achieving first graders, because they are not yet able to work independently, do not meet these criteria. Huncosky (2004) did not include a pre- or post-assessment, instead relying on teacher questionnaires to evaluate the effects of the program. The literacy activities used varied from teacher to teacher, and she does not state whether or not efforts were made to address the needs of individual students (Huncosky). The focus of the study was on student attitudes about reading, rather than on assessing their performance (Huncosky). Qualitative data (teacher questionnaire addressing reading gains) of the survey showed mixed responses as to improvement in reading ability in these students. With a teacher-to-student ratio of 8:1 and inconsistent teaching approaches, this format would not work well with struggling first-g rade students. This study indicates a need for structure and consistency in instruction, lessons which address specific skills in which individual students are deficient, and small teacher-to-student ratios in order to meet the needs of low-achieving first-grade students. Reading Partners I reviewed literature on two programs that include one-on-one instruction with elementary students. The first program, Reading Partners, used trained tutors (master’s degree students) who implemented consistent interventions with at-risk fourth grade readers in an inner-city elementary school. The tutors were trained to: â€Å"(a) review past material; (b) introduce or extend a strategy; (c) read a new selection; (d) engage in related writing; and (e) provide a related, supplemental activity to extend or enrich the learning† (Saddler et al., 2008, p. 204). Sessions were held twice a week and were 60 minutes long. An Analytical Reading Inventory (ARI) (cited by Saddler et al., 2008, p. 205) and interest inventories were used to assess student reading and comprehension ability and to form bonds between the tutors and tutees (Saddler et al.). The average participant gained at least one grade level in reading, along with other intangible benefits, such as a more positive attitude and interest in reading (Saddler et al.). Reading Recovery Another very successful program that addresses struggling first graders is Reading Recovery. According to their website, â€Å"Reading Recovery is a highly effective short-term intervention of one-to-one tutoring for low-achieving first graders† (â€Å"Reading Recovery,† n.d.). The program targets the four lowest first-grade readers for daily half-hour one-on-one sessions with teachers trained in the Reading Recovery program format (â€Å"Reading Recovery†). Once a student is reading at grade level (after an average of 12-20 weeks), he/she graduates from the program and becomes part of a literacy booster group (MacKenzie, 2001). The Reading Recovery organization reports that 75% of struggling readers are reading at grade level after completion of the program, while the remaining 25% are recommended for further evaluation and remediation (â€Å"Reading Recovery†). Both the Reading Partner and Reading Recovery programs reinforce the positive academic benefits of one-on-one and small group lessons to assist low-achieving students to make and maintain gains in their literacy development. It also demonstrates the need for continued small-group reinforcement once students are working at grade level. Students with High Reading Potential Next, I turned to literature to find out what other types of programs are being offered and which are the most successful. Little and Hines (2006) studied the effects of a 12-week, biweekly, after-school reading program on students in third through sixth grade. The study targeted students with â€Å"high reading potential† (Little et al., 2006, p. 11), offering book talks, read-alouds, and supported independent reading, followed by choices of literacy activities. As part of the 90-minute sessions, students were encouraged to read books independently that would be challenging and of interest to them (Little et al.). The goals of the program were to build reading fluency and to make reading more pleasurable (Little et al.). Although the study showed varied results, students in third and fifth grade made above average weekly gains in reading fluency compared to a national sample (Little et al.). One sixth grade student with a â€Å"negative attitude† (Little et al., p. 29) had a 40-point decline between pre- and post-test scores, which adversely affected the average scores of the 15 sixth-grade students in the study (Little et al.). This study demonstrated the benefits of teacher read-alouds, self-selected independent reading, and varied literacy activities. It also indicated a positive correlation between students in an after-school program who read books at their instructional level and weekly reading fluency gains. 21st Century Community Learning Center Initiative Brown (2008) studied a 21st Century Community Learning Center Initiative (CCLC) after-school program over three years, following the progress of 20 at-risk students from second through fourth grade in rural Georgia. She discusses the many benefits of a structured after-school program, such as improved attendance rates, attitude, homework completion, social skills, and student aspirations (as cited in Brown, 2008). Brown used yearly Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) reading scores to assess student progress. The students’ scores improved between second and third grade (+1.85 points), but decreased between third and fourth (-23.85 points) for an overall decrease of 22 points. Report card grades in reading also decreased 2.9 points between second and fourth grades. While this may, on the surface, seem discouraging, these students outperformed the average student at the school, whose CRCT scores decreased 34 points over this same period. With no control group, we cannot ascertain how these students compare to similar at-risk students who did not participate in the after-school program. Because program participants outperformed the average student, I believe the program was successful for these students, and it demonstrates the benefits of out-of-school remediation for at-risk primary students. After-school Programs and NCLB In 2003, the U.S. Congress, seeing a need for quality after-school programs to ensure that every child is successful, set aside $993.5 million for after-school programs as part of the NCLB Act (as cited in Brown, 2008; Davis-Allen, 2008). Recent literature shows mixed reviews of the effectiveness of these programs. One reason for this may be that many of the studies do not have a control group; thus, it becomes difficult to determine whether after-school programs are truly effective. Many students, despite enrollment in after-school programs, are still achieving below grade level, but without these programs, they may possibly have fallen even further behind. Because the students have made greater gains than the norm in most of these studies, I believe they demonstrate that extra remediation sessions, particularly those that target specific deficiencies in individual students and include one-on-one and small group remediation, are effective in achieving success for struggling students . Conclusion The review of existing literature has led to some important components I will include to remediate instruction to my struggling first-grade students. To ensure optimum attendance, I will first survey parents to find a before- or after-school time that will fit their weekly schedule. Through pre-assessment and teacher observations, instruction will be targeted to individual student needs. At the beginning of the year, we will work on phonemic awareness, phonics, and sight words to address deficiencies in student reading readiness. Future sessions will follow a consistent schedule, including word work in targeted areas, teacher read-alouds, independent reading, guided reading, and writing. Guided reading at student instructional levels will be conducted in small groups of four or fewer students. Time will be spent each session working one-on-one with students or having the students read one-on-one with me, in order to assess their individual needs. This one-on-one time will also be use d to assess student progress through running records, AIMSweb ® testing, and/or reading inventories. In order to incorporate these strategies, the biweekly sessions will be limited to four students with each period lasting 30 minutes. If necessary, a third weekly session may be added to meet the needs of these emerging readers. I will track their progress and make adjustments to the curriculum depending on student progress. Parent involvement is a major component in student learning outcomes, particularly in struggling students where an â€Å"extra boost makes all the difference in the world† (H. Byers, personal communication, July 14, 2008). To encourage their participation, I will use parent surveys and home reading logs to determine and track parent involvement in working with their children. Data Collection Methodology 1. My reading aide will administer AIMS Web tests biweekly to assess student progress in fluency. This will serve as an objective assessment (quantitative data) of whether my intervention program is successful and will be one method of tracking student progress. 2. I will also assess using running records once or twice a month. Since I will administer these assessments myself, they will give me a good indication of what areas to target in our before-school sessions. I will use the results (quantitative data) to track student progress and adjust instruction. 3. During one-on-one and small group guided reading time, I will use a checklist (and take notes) to determine if students are able to read with expression. This will be a third indicator (quantitative and qualitative data) of reading progress to document in my study. 4. I will collect data on individual student reading comprehension using three methods: 4a. The weekly end-of-story tests (quantitative) will be an immediate indicator of whether students are able to read using recently-taught skills and comprehend what they are reading. The ability to write an answer the open-ended question at the end of the test will also be used to assess student progress (qualitative data). 4b. Once students develop basic reading skills, I will assess each student using a reading inventory – either the John’s Basic Reading Inventory (BRI) or a Qualitative Reading Inventory (QRI) to target areas that need remediation. This will be used on an as-needed basis, depending on student progress. It will also be used to track the success of the remediation program (quantitative and qualitative data). 4c. The third comprehension assessment will be in the form of unfamiliar reading passages, followed by a series of questions. These will most likely be introduced during the second half of the year, and will provide quantitative data to assess student comprehension by recording the number of correct answers. 5. I will also use several surveys to assess student and parent attitudes. These surveys will include closed- and open-ended questions and will be given at the beginning and end of the year to determine if participation in the program has changed student/parentattitudes, interest, and motivation to read. 6. I will use teacher observations (in the form of a Likert scale) to assess student attitudes, interest, and motivation in reading. 6. Another survey will be used to assess parent involvement in literacy activities with their children. By using pre- and post-survey data, I will discover if parent involvement is affected by student participation in my remediation program. Call for Action References 2007 School Report Card (2007). Retrieved July 7, 2008 from http://www.asd4.org/docs/srcards/Wesley.pdf. AIMSweb ® Website (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2008 from http://www.aimsweb.com. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development ASCD Website (n.d.) Retrieved July 16, 2008 from http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/menuitem.3adeebc6736780dddeb3ffdb62108a0c/. Brown, G. D. (2008). An analysis of an after-school program in a small, rural elementary school in Georgia. (Ph.D., Capella University, Minneapolis, MN). Retrieved July 5, 2008, from Dissertations Theses: Full Text database. (Publication No. AAT 3297914). Davis-Allen, Y. R. (2008). Impacts of an after-school program on student achievement for at-risk children. (D.Ed., Capella University, Minneapolis, MN). Retrieved July 7, 2008, from Dissertations Theses: Full Text database. (Publication No. AAT 3289497). Huncosky, K. (2004). Closing the achievement gap at Huegel Elementary School: What can I do? Madison, WI: Huegel Elementary School. Little, C. A., Hines, A. H. (2006). Time to read: Advancing reading achievement after school. Journal of Advanced Academics, 18(1; 1), 8-33. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ753969) Retrieved July 5, 2008, from ERIC database. MacKenzie, K. K. (2001). Using literacy booster groups to maintain and extend Reading Recovery success in the primary grades. Reading Teacher, 55(3), 222. Reading Recovery: Basic Facts (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2008, from http://www.readingrecovery.org/reading_recovery/facts/index.asp. Saddler, B., Staulters, M. (2008). Beyond tutoring: After-school literacy instruction. Intervention in School Clinic, 43(4; 4), 203-209. Student Testing on San Diego Unified School District Website (n.d.). Retrieved July 17, 2008, from http://www.sandi.net/indices/testscores.html. Tompkins, G. E. (2003). Literacy for the 21st century. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Appendix A Beginning of Year Parent Survey – Page 1 Appendix A Beginning of Year Parent Survey – Page 2 Appendix B End of Year Parent Survey Appendix C Beginning of Year Student Questionnaire Appendix D End of Year Student Questionnaire – Page 1 Appendix D End of Year Student Questionnaire – Page 2 Appendix E Checklist Appendix F Interview Protocol 1.Do you think a before- or after-school format is better suited for first grade remediation? 2.How do you think an after-school literacy and guided reading program might affect struggling first grade students? 3.How would you decide which students should be included in an after-school program? 4.How many first graders should be included? Should there be a limit? 5.What strategies would you recommend to help these students? 6. If is always helpful to have reinforcement at home. What methods can be used to encourage parents to read with their children? 7.How do you think parent involvement affects student outcomes? 8.How do you think student involvement in an after-school program would affect parent involvement in reading to their children? 9. How do you think technology can be used in remediation programs? 10.How effective do you think â€Å"reading buddies† are to help first graders improve reading skills? 11.How long do you think each session should last? What do you think the optimal size of each guided reading group should be? What literacy skills are lacking in second grade students at the beginning of the year? How might the leveled books that will be available this fall be used in an after-school program? Are there any leveled books available to be sent home with the students? Very little literature exists on after-school programs for first graders. Why do you think that might be? 17.Are there any recommendations you might have for this program? Appendix A Triangulation Matrix Research Questions Data Source 1 2 3 1. How would two extra literacy/Guided Reading sessions a week affect reading fluency in struggling readers? AIMSweb ® Pre- and Post-Tests Running Records (Ongoing) Teacher Observations/ checklist 2. How would these sessions affect student reading comprehension? End-of-Story Tests Comprehension Passage Quizzes Reading Inventory 3. What effect would this program have on student writing ability? Writing Portfolio End-of-Story Tests Teacher Observations 4. What effect would this program have on student attitudes about reading and school in general? Pre-Survey

Earnest Hemingway: Would Be King :: Writing Literature Papers

Earnest Hemingway: Would Be King In the period immediately before World War I, there was a revolution in all art forms. The impressionists in France, late in the nineteenth century, had abandoned photographic realism to imply their emotional impressions of a scene. By the time of Picasso and Braqueat the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, painters were analyzing shapes, deconstructing them for component elements, or later, doing away with representationalreality all together. Composers like Igor Stravinski and Charles Ives introduced atonal, dissonant passages into music. Artists did not want to create in the same manner as theirpredecessors; they wanted to extend the range of their art. Beyond the arts, Sigmund Freud demonstrated the existence of the sub-conscious, a theory that would revolutionize the field of psychology. Einstein changed the face of Physics by proposing the theory of relativity and Werner Heisenberg predicted that complete and accurate depictions of phenomena wereimpossible. It was a time of sweeping change; the world if literature was no exception. In poetry, Ezra Pound was reacting against the metronomic beat of Victorian poetry. His credo was "Make it new." He insisted that writers use no superfluous word and avoidabstractions at all cost. T.S. Elliot followed Pound's technique, his voice and the voice of post-war Europe coming through in his masterpiece, The Wasteland. In fiction, James Joyce was insisting on removing the obvious presence of the author. Gertrude Stein was experimenting with sentence structure and word repetitions, trying to immerse her readers in a sense of ongoing present. Sherwood Anderson, like Joyce, wrote stories that did not snap shut at the ending, but developed gradually, aimlessly, their intent being a revelation of character. All these authors defined character less through authorial description and more through what the character said and did. Earnest Hemingway knew and studied with many of the best modernists. Their influence accentuated the spare laconic style he had already developed in high sc hool. The spare unadorned, grammatically simple, declarative sentences, largely devoid of adjective or adverb, also echoed Hemingway's own philosophy. For Hemingway, loss was inevitable: fate, circumstance, something always brought on the end. Love expired, through death or disenchantment, fame always dwindled, youth and vitality crumbled through the years; life itself was nothing more than a unpredictable feast of the senses. His philosophy is both stoic and existential: one should not complain, one should show grace under pressure (Hays, 41) Also, one should care about one's craft because it was the individual's actions which defined the character.

Rochester as the Rake in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre Essay -- Jane Ey

Rochester as the Rake in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre    The rake became one of the most recognized figures of the Restoration Comedies. The rake character was seen as unmarried, cynical, coarse but with the manners of a gentleman, manipulative and self serving. By the twentieth century the rake had given away to the Regency dandy and the dark Byronic hero of Victorian literature. However, the rake does not completely disappear from twentieth century novels. Charlotte Bronte resurrects the Restoration hero in the creation of Edward Rochester in Jane Eyre. Edward Rochester exhibits many of the qualities associated with the Restoration rake; he manipulates the woman around him and his actions are self serving. Bronte’s rake varies just enough that she can present her character as both hero and villain which eventually allows for his reformation. Readers are often deceived into believing that the rake should be viewed as a villain, hence their resistance in accepting Edward Rochester as a rake. However, as Harold Weber suggests that readers should not be concerned "with whether or not the rake emerges as a hero or a villain – he must [. . .] be both" (Weber 53). The rake’s mistreatment of women categorizes him as villain. Rochester’s mistreatment of Jane and the other women in the story is detestable. He confesses that he used Blanche Ingram to make Jane jealous. Rochester admits that he "feigned courtship with Miss Ingram" (261; ch.24). Rochester deceives Blanche into believing his intent was marriage; yet she was merely a pawn in his romantic conquest of Jane. The whole time Rochester pursues Jane he is already married to Bertha. Rochester hides his marriage in an attempt to find his definition of a more suitable wife. He t... ...tion. In the creation of her hero, Edward Rochester, Charlotte Bronte resurrected the Restoration rake. Rochester posses many characteristics associated with the rake. His past life is nonexistent without discussing some former lover. He deceives Jane into believing he is unmarried. Like many rakes, Rochester can be viewed as both villain and hero. While his actions towards the other characters in the novel are villainous, Bronte presents them in such a manner that the reader’s sympathies lie with Rochester. Rochester repents for his debauched lifestyle and is rewarded by the death of Bertha and his marriage to Jane.    Works Cited Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Ed. Beth Newman. Boston: St. Martin’s, 1996. Weber, Harold. The Restoration Rake-Hero: Transformations in Sexual Understanding in Seventeenth-Century England. Madison U of Wisconsin P, 1986.

Congugal Cacaphony in Anita Desai’s Novels

CONGUGAL CACAPHONY IN ANITA DESAI’S NOVELS Suneeta Upadhyay, Research Scholar M. M. H. college, Ghaziabad, C. C. S. University, Meerut Indian novelist and short story writer, Anita Desai is specially noted for her insightful depiction of the inner life of the female characters in her writings. In most of her novels Anita Desai dwells on the themes incongruity, incertitude and hazards of human relationship particularly the man-woman relationship. D. H. Lawrence points out: The great relationship for humanity will always be the relationship between man and woman.The relation between man and man, woman and woman, parent and child will always be subsidiary. Desai in her portrayal of man-women relationship mostly broods over the predicament of modern women particularly in male-chauvinistic society and her destruction at the alter of marriage. According to Anita Desai most marriages are proved to be unions of incompatibly. Though she does not negate the futility of institution of ma rriage but depict the psychic state of her protagonist at some critical juncture of life.She has presented conjugal cacophony in Indian male dominated traditional families. In India where women have resigned role, which does not allow any room for individualism, identity and assertion, Anita Desai talks of women who question the age old traditions and want to seek individual growth. They try to discover and rediscover meaningfulness in life through the known and establish. Thus, Desai dramatises the clash between two irreconcilable temperaments (man-woman) who does not find a proper channel of communication.She writes mostly about the miserable plight of women suffering under their insensitive and inconsiderate husbands, fathers and brothers. So man-woman relationship brings characters into alienation, withdrawal, loneliness, isolation and lack of communication that frequently occurs in her novels. Most of her novel’s protagonists are alienated from the world, from society, f rom families, from parents and even from their own selves because they are not average people but individuals. When these characters have to face alienation, they becomerebels.Anxiety,uncertainties, misery gloominess, disenchantment fretfulness and fright become their lot and they lose their sense of sanity and mental poise, for example Maya in Cry, the Peacock, Sita in where shall we go this summer? And Nanda Kaul in Fire on the Mountain. Some characters like Monisha and Nanda Kaul are unable to reconcile to alienation and meet with a tragic end. The novel Cry, the Peacock, is mainly concerned with the theme of marital discord between husband, Gautama, and wife, Maya.In this novel dreamy, sensitive and emotional, Maya cries for love and understanding in her loveless marriage with realistic, insensitive and rational Gautama. The matrimonial bonds that bind the two are very fragile and tenuous; the growing tension between them reaches its culmination when Maya in frenzy murders Gauta ma and then commitssuicide. In Voices in the City, Anita Desai also deals with the incompatible marriage of Monisha and Jiban. Like Maya she is also miserable misfit among her in-laws.Monisha’s husband is the prisoner of conservative customs and considers that a woman’s most important roles besides child bearing are of family household under the authority of a stern mother-in-law. Monisha feels that her privacy is denied to her. Monisha’s ill matched marriage, lack of intimacy with her husband, infertility and stress of living in a combined family push her to commit suicide. In Where Shall We Go This Summer? Anita Desai highlights how different attitudes, individual complexes and fears add to estrangement between the husband and the wife resulting in conjugal disharmony.Raman and Sita have irreconcilable temperaments and attitudes to life and confronted with the same problem of husband-wife discord. Sita affirms, â€Å"they are nothing-nothing but appetite and sex. Only food, sex and money matters. † Sita shudders the idea of giving birth to a fifth child in aworldnot fit to obtain it. Against all sane advices she goes to the magical world so that she could prevent the biological process of delivery. Nand kaul in Fire on the Mountain, a great grandmother, totally disillusioned with all marital bonds.Her husband was the Vice-Chancellor of Punjab University but treated her simply as some useful object in house. He carried on a life long affair with another woman. He is such a coward that he could not marry a Christian lady because he could not dare break social conventions. Nanda could not belong to the family and her position is no better than a house keeper. Outwardly, the Kaul’s are an ideal couple for university community but from inside their relationship is all-barren. After Maya, Monisha and Nanda Kaul there comes a change in the concept of matrimony for Desai’s heroine.Sarah, Bim, Sarla, Leila, Lotte, Aruna and U ma. They face their problem unflinchingly. They too have their poignant predicament, mental and spiritual incongruity, supremacy of male community, suffering at the hand of their in-laws, conjugal cacophony etc. still they struggle and compromise in their wedded life and survive. They believe there is no other way out and inspite of adverse conditions, life is worth to be lived. In Clear Light of Day rather we get a fresh addition in the treatment of man-woman relationship at the hand of novelist.Desai does not write about the strain and incoherence between husband and wife but brother and sister. The chief protagonist Bim is left alone after her parents’ death to take care of her aged, alcoholic aunt, younger brother Raja and her mentally retarded brother Baba. It is these burdens and responsibilities that shatter her marital bliss and destroy her conjugal identity. Utterly neglected and treacherously deserted, Bim muses painfully on how the passage of time has ravaged the o ld relationships of childhood and created a changed pattern of relationship in the family.Marriage to Bakul affords Tara a means of escape. For Raja Marriage is means to become rich and fat by marrying the one time landlord’s only daughter. In Custody, delineates the theme of marital friction and relationship problem. In this novel, Deven an improvished college lecturer lead an unhappy married life with a gloomy and tedious wife Sarla. has no interest in literature. She is ignorant about Devan’s interest and concludes her husband’s frequent visits to Delhi for meeting his girl friend. Both of them are frustrated in their own ways but they are unable to do anything for each other.Bye-Bye Blackbird mirrors marital confrontation of Adit and Sarah. Sarah’s inter-culture marriage fails to offer her anything striking and extraordinary. Sarah is peculiarly drifting apart within and try to find her ‘self’ that is lost after her marriage with an India n immigrant. Her life becomes perfunctory keeping an emotional aloofness from anyone and anything. Anita Desai’s Fasting Feasting represents that repression of woman in India directly or indirectly connected with worn out customs. For Anamika’s parents marriage is seen as the only career for women.How bride becomes a prisoner in joint family by arranging marriages too hastily which further proved disastrous. The beautiful and talented anamika is regularly beaten by inlaws and finally was slaughtered at the alter of marriage. To conclude, Anita Desai presents to reader her opinion about complexity of human relationships as a big contemporary problem and human condition. So, she analyses this problem due to shows changing human relationships in her novels. She is a contemporary writer because she considers new themes and knows how should to deal with them.Anita Desai takes up significant contemporary issues as the subject matter of her fiction while remaining rooted in t he tradition at the same time. She explores the anguish of individuals living in modern society. Desai deals with complexity of human relationships as one of her major theme, which is a universal issue, as it attracts worldwide readers to her novels. She strives to show this problem without any interferes. In other hand, she allows to her readers who have their judgment about her novel’s characters and their actions. ======== References