Grapes Of Wrath Essay -- essays research papers

Grapes of Wrath   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book, Grapes of Wrath, follows the life of the Joad family, who live in Oklahoma during the Depression. The story begins with the return of Tom Joad from prison, where he has spent the last few years. He killed a boy in a bar fight and is now on parole. He is taken by surprise when he returns to Oklahoma only to find that his house is in ruins and his family is not there. He doesn’t know that, while he was gone, the banks forced his family and thousands of others off their land. Tom is accompanied by a former priest, Casey, who searches with Tom for his family. Tom and Casey find the Joad family at Tom’s uncle’s house. The family is preparing to move west to California in hopes that they will find jobs and escape the Dust Bowl drought. The Dust Bowl drought has killed all the farmer’s crops and the land has lost it’s richness. Tom decides to travel with his family, even though he’s going against parole rules by leaving the state. The Joads travel west with all twelve members of the family and Casey piled into an old truck. The trip to California proves to be hard when their grandpa dies just days after their departure. Truck problems are regular occurrences and the penetrating heat tires the migrating family. They have very little money and they have many family members to feed as well as gas to buy. Tom is warned by families going back east that there are no job opportunities in California. They say the Joads will be forc...

Literature in the Trash Essay

Society has almost forgotten how to appreciate literature. These are the themes of both Mario Vargas Llosa’s essay entitled, Why Literature, and Bob Swift’s On Reading Trash. Both writers believe that people nowadays are not delving into books because of misconceptions regarding reading. However, they have written their ideas using very different and contradictory approaches. Llosa’s belief is that people are so engrossed in their own worlds or professions to provide time for reading good literature. Society has learned the wrong notion that great books can only be read by those who can afford to devote time to it. Since work is the priority in most people’s schedules, literature has to be put aside. He also believes that this miserable state of literature in society is caused by the fast development of science and the other scholarly aspects of life. Llosa states that â€Å"in our time, science and technology cannot play an integrating role, precisely because of the infinite richness of knowledge and the speed of its evolution, which have led to specialization and its obscurities.† However, Llosa strongly feels that literature is a binding force that helps humans reconnect with each other through their experiences, dreams and ambitions. He writes that â€Å"the brotherly link that literature establishes among human beings, compelling them to enter into dialogue and making them conscious of a common origin and a common goal, transcends all temporal barriers.† His most controversial claim is that â€Å"genuine literature is always subversive, unsubmissive, rebellious, a challenge to what exists.† He simply wants to imply that good stories or readings usually depict a life that is much better than what reality has to offer. This normal characteristic of literature is a driving force that makes humanity attempt to copy the fictional worlds in books so as to live better lives. Bob Swift’s very brief essay, on the other hand, recounts how he has grown to love reading. His story does not directly point out society’s weaknesses but it is evident to the reader that he is attacking the wrong notion that appreciating literature is only for those who like classical readings. He clearly believes that children should be free to read even popular books (a.k.a. â€Å"trash†) because their appreciation for these simpler to understand books can lead them to love good classical literature. Although both writers are criticizing society for not reading enough, Llosa and Swift have written their essays in very different ways. Llosa used lengthy, descriptive sentences that can easily tire and lose the reader. His use of words that are not commonly heard in daily living can really be very boring to a young reader. Words like â€Å"solipsism† and â€Å"arcane† are deterrents in getting his message across. It might have been easier to understand these words if they were not part of such long sentences that seem to be saying more than just one message at a time. Swift was direct to the point and frank in every way. His use of brief but very concise words allowed the reader to quickly pick up his point. The hardest word in his essay seemed to be â€Å"omnivorous.† However, because the word was used in a very short sentence, it was easy to understand what it meant. Llosa’s approach encompassed the whole world. He even used Spain’s surveys to prove his point. Swift’s farthest distance to get his message across was the local library. Somehow, Llosa’s essay tends to be arrogant and cynical. Statements like â€Å"I feel sorry for these men† and â€Å"they earn my pity† forces the reader to look up to him and feel his judgmental tones. His sentences such as â€Å"When we close the book and abandon literary fiction, we return to actual existence and compare it to the splendid land that we just left. What a disappointment awaits us!† gives a peek to how negative this writer is about his surroundings. Although Llosa claims he loves literature, he delved too much on the subject of what hinders good literature from being read to the point that the reader does not feel the passion in his words. The author’s perspective dwelt so much on current and historical problems that it was inevitable for the reader to feel anxious throughout the essay. It seems he has alienated himself from the world because of literature. Swift’s love for reading is very much felt in every paragraph of his essay. His personal approach and overflowing description of his excitement when he is reading books was contagious. One cannot help but reach out for a story to read after finishing his essay. Swift’s very practical and positive outlook is evident in the way he has written his essay. His own theory that states â€Å"if you get kids interested in reading books – no matter what sort – they will eventually go to the grander literature all by them selves† shows how down to earth the author is. It also shows how much faith he has on beginning readers. Mario Vargas Llosa and Bob Swift both recognized that society’s misconception about literature is a problem that needs to be addressed. Their approaches to the subject provide clues to their own outlooks in life. Whichever approach may be preferred, it is still to a reader’s advantage to learn his lesson from these authors and read a good book soon.

Explain How You Could Promote Inclusion

To answer this question one would have to first define the terms ‘inclusion, equality and diversity. According to Ann Gravells inclusivity is â€Å"involving all learners in relevant activities rather than excluding them for any reason either directly of indirectly† Gravells defines equality as â€Å" the rights of learners to attend and participate, regardless of their gender, race, ethnic origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation and age.And finally Gravells definition of diversity is â€Å"valuing the differences in people, whether that relates to gender, race, age, disability or any other individual characteristics they may have†. ( Gravells, A. , 2008, pg. 18). The Government defined inclusion in 2001 as â€Å"†¦ a process by which schools, local education authorities and others develop their cultures, policies and practices to include pupils†(http://www. csie. org. uk/).The essence of the definitions of all three terms is acceptance it im plies that the objective of teaching is to impart the knowledge and to assist the entire group in achieving their educational goals regardless of their background. As a teacher I must ensure that I do not allow anyone to feel marginalised or show favouritism and know that everyone is an individual with various abilities, needs, background and experiences and that all learners have the right to be treated with respect and dignity.Any barriers or boundaries to learning must be identified at the outset thereafter continuously monitored throughout the course for students to successfully and effectively participate in learning. The individuality and characteristics of each learner should also be identified and respected and if there is a cultural diversity in the group then the teacher should be culturally sensitive when delivering sessions. Adoption of such method can promote a sense of inclusion, equality and diversity at an individual level, which can translate to a more beneficial co llective learning practice throughout the course.Cultural and language differences; disabilities/age/medical issues, family commitments; lack of support, peer pressure, previous learning experience, travel issues, lack of confidence, emotional or psychological problems and learning difficulties, all these issues can potentially act as barriers to learning. (Gravells, 2008, pg. 16) As my subject will be Third World Development I could expect ‘some’ learners with extreme passion to issues of developing countries which can at times affect students’ morale and potentially result in dropping out or being very pessimistic – this could be a potential barrier.As a teacher I will have to deal with such cases by motivating those students and include them in all activities and discussion by telling them that they need to learn about causes and solutions to developing world’s problem so that they can become part of the solutions. Promotion of inclusion, equalit y and diversity can be achieved by the teacher first having the knowledge of the existence of potential barriers then identifying these barriers within the learning group thereafter finding ways towards overcoming them.Francis and Gould assert â€Å"It is important to recognise the differences in the learners we teach as these may influence how we interact with them. To act professionally as teachers we will want to ensure that we behave in ways acceptable to all our learners, taking into account factors such as race, gender, age, previous experience or background. † (Francis M and Gould J. , 2009, pg. 70) During the course enrolment forms, discussions, assessments and individual learning plans can ensure that no learner is disadvantaged or subjected to unfair discrimination on any grounds in relation to accessing appropriate learning methods and resources.Collecting this data also helps identify areas that may require referral to counselling, creche facilities, health advice or a basic skills tutor in order to overcome obstacles. Promoting inclusion by identifying variation in needs ensures that learners have equality throughout their learning experience. Data collection through assessment is valuable when analysed, acted upon and continuously monitored to ensure consistency in inclusion through equality. Advocating equality through more effective provision of resources according to individual need is essential to the learning experience.Planning and implementing various strategies throughout the course to support learners with various learning requirements such as VAK style or learners with dyslexia may benefit from having different colour and bigger fonts on the teacher’s projector screen can help tackle exclusion and inequality. If there is wheelchair users on the course the appropriate venue for teaching should be considered. For students that have a disability (such as being blind or deaf, etc. ) it may be useful for the student to have lea rning support whilst attending the classes.Carefully prepared resources can also help with inclusive learning e. g. handouts should be in a font size which is big enough for partially impaired vision learners. Any resources need to be in simple English (i. e. avoid unnecessary jargon). A good layout combining colours and pictures for easy reading. Using non-discriminating language, resources that echo the diversity of the group and that are adaptable to meet the needs of the learners can be a conscious, active and constant way of tackling exclusion.Use constant assessment methods to give equal opportunity to all the learners and at the end of the course give the learners the option to evaluate the course. In conclusion, processes of inclusion are wide-ranging, dynamic and varied. They consist of: ? forging relationships ? building community ? increasing participation Inclusion in education is concerned with breaking down barriers to learning and increasing participation for all stud ents, treating all learners on the basis of equality and non-discrimination. In educational and social settings of all kinds, working towards inclusion entails celebrating differences of: ? ulture ? ethnicity ? gender ? needs and abilities (http://www. csie. org. uk).Bibliography Gravells A. , Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector, 3rd Edition, 2008, Learning Matters Ltd. Francis M and Gould J. , Achieving Your PTTLS Award,: A Practical Guide to Learning in the Lifelong Learning Sector, 2009, Sage Publications Ltd. Reece R. Walker S. , Teaching Training and Learning: A Practical Guide, 3rd edition, 1997, Tyne and Wear Business Education Publisher Ltd. http://www. csie. org. uk/ Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education