Role Adversity Plays in Shaping Identity

Role adversity plays in shaping an individual’s identity Discuss the idea(s) developed by the text creator in your chosen text about the role adversity plays in shaping an individual’s identity. A man is insensible to appreciate prosperity until he has tasted adversity. Adverse situations shape an individual’s identity and play a significant role in one’s life by shaping personal values, determining one’s own potential and self worth. Khaled Hosseini conveys how hardships shape individuals identities through the characters of Amir, Baba, Hassan and Ali in his novel The Kite Runner. Like every individual they go through a series of incidents and hardships that shape who they become and how well they deal with struggles in life. Life is not about finding one’s own self, but about creating and learning from experiences. As one goes from childhood to adulthood and deals with the hardships of life, they grow as a person and learn from their experiences. Amir’s journey of life displays how incidents and hardships shape ones identity. Amir as the kite fighter lets Hassan the kite runner get raped by Assef due to fear, jealousy and need for love. He sacrifices Hassan for his selfish desires and the need to prove himself worthy to Baba. â€Å"I actually aspired to cowardice, because the alternative, the real reason I was running, was that Assef was right: Nothing was free in this world. Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba. † Hassan’s rape shaped Amir’s identity and his personal values. He valued Hassan but he valued Baba’s love even more. He valued his need for acceptance more than humanity and loyalty to his friend. Rape created guilt and regrets; it shaped Amir’s personal values. After betrayal the need to belong was a struggle for Amir. He looked for ways to make Baba proud of him and searched for acceptance. It’s only natural to want to be accepted and loved however one has to decide how far they are willing to go to achieve that. Amir’s actions and decisions resulted in his loss of innocence which shaped his identity and character. Adverse situations in Amir’s life made him realize his own potential and had an effect on self worth. When Amir is at last given a way to be good again he redeems himself by becoming the kite runner. Amir goes into Afghanistan under the Taliban regime, as an adult, to rescue Sohrab. By rescuing Amir relives himself of overwhelming guilt that compounded over years. Getting beaten up by the rapist and bringing Sohrab back home makes him feel worthy. He no longer feels useless however he achieves true redemption when he becomes the kite runner instead of the kite fighter for Sohrab. By saying â€Å"For you, a thousand times over,† he amends for Baba and his sins and forgives himself. Hardships made Amir who he was since the beginning and he grew as a person by the end. Amir learned from experience and determined how adversity played a role in shaping his values, determining his potential and providing him with a feeling of self worth. Every individual learns from experience and grows as a person all together. Baba as Amir’s father also faced adversity and it shaped his identity as a person. Incidents from his past created his future and played a significant role in creating his character. Baba slept with Ali’s wife behind his back and Hassan was the living proof of his betrayal and disloyalty towards his friend. Sanaubar carrying Baba’s son created an adverse situation which teaches everyone a lesson about honor and disloyalty. All his life he had to hide the truth from the world and by keeping Ali and Hassan safe in his house he was revising for his mistakes. â€Å"I don’t care about the money or the watch. † He forgives Hassan for stealing despite the fact that he considered theft as the only crime. He was always nice to Ali because he was guilty and wanted redemption. His past affected his decisions and shaped his identity. It strengthened his personal values and made him question his self worth. Baba’s experiences with women in his life made him stronger since he stood up for a strange women’s honor on their way to Pakistan. When the Russian soldier asked for half an hour with the lady in the back Baba stood up and spoke against it. Baba had the courage due to his past experiences and adverse situations he has already faced. I will take a thousand of his bullets before I let this indecency take place. † His personal values and beliefs went against Russian soldiers demands only because incidents before have had an impact on his character and they shaped his identity. Baba constantly tries to do good deeds to redeem and perhaps forgive himself. Another example of shaping identity is society pressure. Baba’s image mattered, how other people saw him and how they treated him was a part of his personal values and self worth. Wealth, status and honor were how he was portrayed in front of society. Society pressure and judgment shaped Baba’s identity and impacted his decisions. He was ashamed to tell everyone that he is Hassan’s father, a father to a Hazzara. He did not want to lose his identity of being a Pashtun or be disrespected due to his past. Just as Amir Baba was willing to deal with guilt and regret for personal desires and searched for true redemption the rest of his life. Different people have various beliefs and their own way of doing things. Hassan was one exceptional character whose loyalty overruled all betrayals in the novel. Just as any other individuals Hassan dealt with hardships in life however Hassan’s selflessness made him far different from Amir and Baba. Hassan was illiterate and wanted to learn how to read and write. He used Amir for his personal desires, the desire to read and learn. â€Å"we sat for hours under that tree, sat there until the sun faded in the west, and still Hassan insisted we had enough daylight for one more story, one more chapter. † At that time in Afghanistan written words were no use for servants especially if they were labeled a Hazzara. Hassan being Ali’s son, who was only true for the world, had to live with being illiterate and deprived from his rights to knowledge. Difficult events and hardships shaped Hassan’s identity and life. His illiteracy was a part of him and had an impact on the decisions Hassan made in life. Hassan was naive and his innocence poured out through his actions of friendship and true loyalty. The character of Ali also conveys how situations of life shape ones identity, how they create a person and determine ones potential. Ali was Baba’s servant and that was a reason for why he was never able to speak up for justice. When Hassan was framed for stealing from Amir, Ali had the choice to tell the truth, he restrained from giving up Amir only because he gave Hassan his word. Baba and Amir were always superior and Ali’s personal values told him that it was better to leave it as it was. Ali realized his self potential then and left home with his honor and dignity. Adversity was essential for developing his self worth and Ali’s role as the servant shaped his identity and plays a significant role in his values and beliefs. Similar to Ali Hassan strengthened his beliefs through hardships and truggles, Hassan was loyal at the beginning and despite of all the betrayal and deception from Amir he stood loyal and strong until the end when he sacrificed himself once again while guarding Baba’s house. When faced with adversity, there are a select few who can push it aside for the greater good. It takes a special kind of person to do what Hassan did. He followed through his principles which s haped his character and identity. People don’t appreciate happiness and everything they have until life takes a turn and teaches a valuable lesson. Amir, Hassan, Baba and Ali’s identities and characters were shaped around adverse situations and hardships of life. Difficult situations they faced created who they were; it strengthened their personal values, determined their potential and provided the feeling of self worth. Adversity teaches one’s self that a path with no obstacles, probably doesn’t lead anywhere. It is essential for growth of an individual throughout life because sometimes in tragedy one finds his life purpose- the eye sheds a tear to find its focus.

Postmans Review essays

Postman's Review essays Amusing Ourselves to Death, by Neil Postman informs us on the evolution of communication. Neils views are expressed clearly in the text through his opinions and views. I believe that you distinguish his standpoints strong passionate that he writes on his ideas. Along with his passion I sense his attitude, by coming forth in the beginning of the paperback and saying, ..as plainly as I can, this book is an inquiry into and a lamentation about the most significant American culture fact of the second half of the twentieth century: the decline of the Age of Typography and the ascendancy of the Age of Television(p.8). I deem that this statement shows his straight views, how he says things the way that he really believes, and this is the case through the book. He takes us through the evolution of communication by talking of its birth in the New England Region of the United States and its growth from there. He discusses the meaning of epistemology and how it pertains to his written text, and his broad thoughts. From the epistemology, he moves on to the written word and how it developed in many diverse directions. At the birth of our nation there were no; emails, telephones, or printed material floating around. With these conveniences not in our reach the only tool for communication was found in between our chins and noses: our mouths. Using our mouths as the only implement for communication made things difficult. With this it took a long time for people to be informed on what was going on in the country. People heard everything by what was passed on from the person next to them. So, when there was breaking news about in the country how reliable and accurate do you think that it was? How different do you think that news was from when it started eventually until it ended? For instance with the tragedy on September 11, how long do you think that it would have taken for us Kansans to hear of this? How ...

WWl essays

WWl essays There were many pros and cons of the United States getting involved in World War I. Some reasons are as follows. Economics - trade, banking, industry - all are affected by war. A permanent stance of neutrality by the U.S. would have permanently scarred our relationships with GBR and France. Possible protection of our borders, with the Zimmerman Telegram being intercepted by Britain from Germany to Mexico we knew that our country was in danger, so we had to get involved. Some propose that the US was never actually neutral, but had been supporting the British all along. Others propose that as German forces crept into the Atlantic and threatened to conquer Britain, the US felt that its defenses and the country's security were threatened, again justifying involvement in the war. It is impossible to pinpoint the entry of the United States to a number of certain events and it was most definitely a combination of many factors. Most Americans favored staying out of the conflict and P resident Wilson publicly stated that the United States would follow a policy of neutrality. However; it was just a matter of time before the United States would find itself in the middle of the Great War (Bass). The war in Europe raged on and Americans were clearly on the side of the allies. The Germans were painted as the aggressors, and Americans came to believe that the Germans were vicious and blood thirsty (social). Case in point was the way the Germans conducted their submarine attacks in the ocean. This was called unrestricted submarine warfare. On May 7, 1915 the British cruise ship Lusitania was sunk by German U-boats off the coast of England. Over 1.198 lives were lost including 128 Americans. This act set off the American people who wanted revenge. However; the Germans backed off and in 1916 the Germans agreed to the Sussex pledge which ended unrestricted submarine warfare. This put off the inevitable Ameri ...

What is nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What is nursing - Essay Example lling a vital role within a given industry or business, the definition of nursing that has been laid out above strictly differs from the definition or â€Å"scope† that many jobs may have (Azuri et al., 2014). As a means of understanding this and delineating what the specific responsibilities and expectations are for nurses, the following analysis will seek to engage the reader with a more profound and nuanced interpretation of what the nurse actually does and how they are expected to fulfill their unique role within the medical community. Through such a discussion, it is the further hope of this student that the reader will be able to come to a more informed understanding of the role of the nurse and how this vital position serves to strengthen the outreach and scope that the medical community has. A discussion of what defines a nurse would not be complete without briefly discussing some of the roles and responsibilities that nurses have. Although the following will not be an exhaustive list, as such a list might require a dissertation length response, the core responsibilities that will be defined are generally shared amongst most nurses. Firstly, the nurse is required to directly interact with the patient and gather information that the medical professional, whether a doctor, PA, or other professional, can utilize as a means of addressing issues relating to the health of the patient and their future prognosis. In such a way, the nurse is oftentimes required to engage in a physical exam or a discussion with the patient; as a means of categorizing and seeking to provide actionable information to the doctor or PA (Christiansen et al., 2013). In a more direct sense, nurses are oftentimes required to provide health counseling and education. Although this is sometimes overlooked, in lieu of the fact that this is an expectation of a doctor, the fact of the matter is that a nurse’s extensive medical training prepares him/her to counsel patients with regard to

Planning on research on Inclusive Education Essay

Planning on research on Inclusive Education - Essay Example Inclusive education can include a number of strategies. Most of the research on this topic focuses on; global movements, laws on inclusive education within and without a given country, resources, deconstruction of special schools, sources of funding for inclusive schools and other ideas that may boost the development of Inclusive education. There are various global movements that have worked towards the inclusion of the pupils with special educational needs. Schooling of these pupils with special educational needs has changed from neglect previously to integration presently. Global movement is taking part in the African countries, the Asian countries the European countries and also in the South American countries. In the United Kingdom there is a very strong policy framework which is based on the inclusive principles and values together with additional funding. Similarly the movements have allowed the pupils with the special educational disabilities to understand their needs well and this has enabled them learn to live in a world that is full of differences. This movement has a global dimension whereby there is a connection between the various countries globally and this has spurred a commitment by various countries to set their national targets for the pupils with special educational needs. (Norwich, 1994) Special schools have been in place since the days of old. ... In the year 2001, there were close to sixty one percent of children with special needs that were placed in mainstream schools this was an increase of five percent from the mid nineties. Besides, there was a seven percent decrease of special schools in the UK. Staff working in these special schools also reduced by close to eleven percent in that same year. However, more still needs to be done as there is still a large portion of the education system that has not included children with special needs in their program. Laws have also been regulated towards the realization of this agenda. In the UK, there have been a number of laws that have been passed that worked towards implementation of inclusive education. There were acts that were passed in the year 1986, 1993 and 1996. All these acts placed emphasis on the fact that children with special needs should be given the right to attend mainstream schools if their parents allow it and if there is a provision for them in that institution. In the year 1998 and 1997, the Government made publications specifically relating to children with special needs. Here, they addressed plans that would assist in this inclusion program. There were a number of newsletters written by the government concerning inclusive education at that same time. Later on, a special education needs and disability act was passed that reinforced special children's entitlement to mainstream schooling. An exception was provided if the child would cause very serious impairment to education in the classroom or if their parents did not allow it. (The Children Act 2004, 2004) It has been found that there is a lack of funding towards this form of

Hopis Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hopis Anthropology - Essay Example Consequently, the view on the Hopi people’s origin is also a major question that is to be sought. The subject is relevant especially in the contemporary society since an academic study of past events and the origin of humanity are critical in enhancing cohesiveness. Hopi people should understand their past dealings and origin to pragmatically define their future. Anthropology enables individuals to establish the meaning of the archeological sites and cultural practices thus enables them to nurture the practices (Kuwanwisiwma, 161). The key perspectives of the subject appertains to enhancing understanding of the Hopi people on their origin, the significance of the archeological artifacts, ancestral sites and cultural practices. This is to; avoid erosion of their social and cultural heritage that contributes in enhancing mutual coexistence. However, critics oppose the understanding and advancement of past dealings asserting that the practices are part of the old order that does not hold relevance in this century. As noted, Hopi immigrants originated from Sipaapani (place of emergence) and travelled buried and lived in Hopistutskwa-Hopiland with their ancestors. The cultural landscape of the region is identified by landforms that hold great association with deities. The landscape also holds historical events, rivers, springs, shrines and the Itakuku as termed by the Hopi people that mean â€Å"our footprints† (Ferguson & Roger, 99). It is imperative to note that the cultural sites and events were crucial in executing traditional rituals including ceremonies. The footprints that include the pottery, stone tools, the ruins of former settlements and diverse artifacts are significant monuments that present undisputed proof of ancestral migration.

The Mending Wall Essay Example for Free

The Mending Wall Essay A stone wall separates the speaker’s property from his neighbor’s. In spring, the two meet to walk the wall and jointly make repairs. The speaker sees no reason for the wall to be kept—there are no cows to be contained, just apple and pine trees. He does not believe in walls for the sake of walls. The neighbor resorts to an old saying: â€Å"Good fences make good neighbors.† The speaker remains unconvinced and mischievously presses the neighbor to look beyond the old-fashioned folly of such reasoning. His neighbor will not be swayed. The speaker envisions his neighbor as a living relic from a justifiably outdated era, an example of a dark-age mentality. But the neighbor simply repeats the saying. Review The image at the heart of â€Å"Mending Wall† is striking: two men meeting on terms of civility to build a barrier between them. They do so out of tradition, out of habit. Yet the very earth conspires against them and makes their task Sisyphean. Sisyphus, you may recall, is the figure in Greek mythology condemned perpetually to push a boulder up a hill, only to have the boulder roll down again. These men push boulders back on top of the wall; yet just as inevitably, whether because of the hunters or sprites or at the invisible hand of nature, the boulders tumble down again. Still, the neighbors persist. The poem, thus, seems to be based on three themes: barrier-building (segregation, in a sense), the doomed nature of this activity, and our persistence in this activity regardless. The speaker may dislike his neighbor’s pointless wall-building, may observe the activity with humorous indifference, but he himself goes to the wall at all times of the year to mend the damage done by hunters; it is the speaker who contacts the neighbor at wall-mending time to set the annual appointment. Which person, then, is the real wall-builder? Looking at it from a different perspective, the building of walls, both literal and figurative, mark the very foundation of society. Figuratively, rules and laws are walls; justice is the process of wall-mending. The ritual of wall maintenance highlights the dual and complementary nature of human society: The rights of the individual are affirmed through the affirmation of other individuals’ rights. In this way the neighbor’s need for wall-mending seems justified.