Death Of A Salesman By Willy Loman - 1076 Words

This modernized tragedy, Death of a Salesman, illustrated the last days of life for poor Willy Loman. Realistic dramas, emotionally, physiologically, and spiritually, this action-filled play occurred in the present. When the play goes back into the past, it makes the audience feel as if they have drifted into the past, almost like a dream. In some of the scenes, Biff and Happy appeared as if they are in high school, but only their father, Willy, can see them. This method is often referred to as using a flashback. Using this â€Å"flashback† method, Willy’s older son, Ben, makes an appearance as well, and this is whom Willy turns to for advice and talks to when he becomes lonely. This play is not only complicated because it goes back and forth from the present and past, but because it shows all the betrayal in Willy’s life and all of the lies he told. As a woman, it is easy for us to point fingers at Willy and say that it is all his fault, but that is just a femin ist point of view. One of the main characters, in which the story revolves around, Willy, was considered a tragic hero. His suicide only reveals a part of the truth in his story, depicting who he was as a person. He tried so hard to make everyone in his work and professional life happy, he forgot all about his own family and betrayed them in more ways than one. He never understood himself in an emotional, physical, or spiritual way. Many people focus too much on the lies that he told, delusions, and deceptions onShow MoreRelatedDeath Of A Salesman By Willy Loman860 Words   |  4 Pagesend up worth more dead than alive.† This is said by Willy Loman in Act 2 of the play â€Å"Death of a Salesman.† Willy is a 63-year-old man who has been a salesman for 34 years working for the same company. As he ages, his sales decrease due to his lack of strength and pep. The opening quote is Willy reflecting on his worthlessness of all the years that he spent working. Once Willy gets fired he feels as though he has nothing left. This is not how Willy pictured his life and this ends up alienating himRead MoreDeath Of A Salesman By Willy Loman1683 Words   |  7 PagesBefore even beginning to read ‘Death of a Salesman’, we know what the play is going to be about from the given title. However, this play is much more than just a death of a salesman, it’s about the death of the promise of the American Dream. At heart, it’s about the protagonist’s desire for success, respect, and status — and failure to achieve it. The play opens with a huge chunk of precise stage directions, immersing the reader in a vivid description of the Loman house and its surrounding areaRead MoreDeath of a Salesman: Willy Loman Essay681 Words   |  3 PagesWilly Loman: Failure of a Man In Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman is an example of a failure as a good father. He did not discipline his sons well by not punishing them. He did not set a good example to his sons by not admitting his faults. He did not make his family his number one priority. Instead, it was his work, coming before his family, his friends, and even himself. Not only is Willy Loman not a good father and husband, but he was a failure by not becoming successful, notRead MoreIs Willy Loman a Tragic Hero in Death of Salesman1305 Words   |  6 PagesWilly Loman’s character in Death of a Salesman portrays him as a tragic hero. Willy Loman continued to want his recognition and his reputation but never forgets about his family. These characteristics describe him as a tragic hero in Death of a Salesman. Willy Loman’s tragic flow leads him to purse the idea that reputation in society has more relevancies in life than knowledge and education to survive in the business. His grand error of wanting recognition drove him crazy and insane and lead toRead MoreCompare And Contrast Death Of A Salesman And Willy Loman1377 Words   |  6 Pages The Death of a Salesman written by Arthur Miller. A book about an old man whose occupation is a salesman. The story takes place in Brooklyn Manhattan, in a nice quite neighborhood and the main protagonists is named Willy Loman. Willy Loman main goal in life was to succeed and make a name for himself but since he didn’t achieve it, he passed on that dream to his two sons. From Willy Loman point of view his second son did make a named out of himself but for his first son, that dream of success didn’tRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Willy Loman In Death Of A Salesman838 Words   |  4 PagesWilly Loman from â€Å"Death of a Salesmanâ €  by Arthur Miller is a tragic hero. A tragic hero is someone who has a judgement error and inevitably ends up destroying himself. Miller believes that the common man makes the best tragic hero as we want to be seen as a image and or not be thrown away. That fear, which he believes is very strong today, is what makes us the best tragic hero. I would take the stance that Willy Loman is a tragic hero. Willy starts to show signs of flaw of judgement, reversal ofRead MoreSimilarities And Differences Between Willy Loman And Death Of A Salesman1112 Words   |  5 PagesWilson and Death of a Salesman was written by Arthur Miller are two plays that can be considered different in terms of their plot. Both plays have two very different cultural backgrounds. The background affects each protagonist therefore differently. However, there are also similarities beyond the plot. Despite the different backgrounds of each protagonist or main characters, they are both trying to achieve their dre ams. They both fail ironically in similar ways .Willy Loman in the death of a salesmanRead More Willy Loman as Tragic Hero of Death of a Salesman Essay1519 Words   |  7 PagesWilly Loman as Tragic Hero of Death of a Salesman       Willy Loman, the title character of the play, Death of Salesman, exhibits all the characteristics of a modern tragic hero. This essay will support this thesis by drawing on examples from Medea by Euripedes, Poetics by Aristotle, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, and Shakespeares Julius Caesar, while comments by Moss, Gordon, and Nourse reinforce the thesis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Death of Salesman, by Arthur Miller, fits the characteristics of classicRead MoreEssay Death of a Salesman, Tragic Hero. Willy Loman.1503 Words   |  7 PagesTo what extent can Willy Loman be considered a tragic hero according to Aristotle’s rules? Arthur Miller presents his play ‘Death of a Salesman’ in the ancient form of a tragedy. Aristotle has defined his idea of the ‘perfect’ tragedy in his text, ‘Poetics’ (350 BC).Here he suggests that the protagonist must fall from an elevated social standing as a result of a â€Å"fatal flaw† within the character; the fall from the main character creates resolution to the play which is seen as just; finally, AristotleRead More Willy Loman as Coward in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman876 Words   |  4 PagesWilly Loman as Coward in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman Everybody feels the penetrating presence of fear throughout life. However, people’s reactions to this fear separate the brave souls from the cowards. Mark Twain once said, Courage is resistance to fear; mastery of fear, not absence of fear (Twain 6). In Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman fears rejection by his son, Biff, and the business world. His fears master him, creating in him a fantasy world of life as it

U.s. Foreign Policy Policies - 1297 Words

As was laid out in the previous section, the United-States always had a ‘hegemonic presumption’, the conception that Latin America was inferior, a supposition that gave the right to Washington to intervene in the region’s political and economic affairs (LeoGrande, 2007:384). This second chapter will explore how the U.S. intervened in Latin America, more specifically after the World War II. Indeed, the U.S. benefitted greatly from the aftermath of the war. A subsection will be dedicated to the Pink Tide in Latin America, with a focus on the U.S. foreign policy under President GW Bush and President Obama. The overthrown Presidents of Honduras and Paraguay were part of this movement and their outset signals a reversal in the region. The different policies set by the U.S. must be understood with the imperialist framework developed in the previous section: the U.S. never intervened or designed their foreign policy out of good benevolence, but rather used different discourses and strategies with the same intention, ensuring their global leadership. During the 19th century the United-States, already a regional power, slowly emerged as an imperial one (Slater, 2010; Steinmetz, 2005). Up until the 20th century, the country was mainly focused on fulfilling its ‘manifest destiny’ and centred its foreign policy on Latin America (Kissinger, 1994). It was of great importance for the Americans not only to differentiate themselves from the colonialist Europe but also to assert theirShow MoreRelatedU.s. Foreign Policy Policies1370 Words   |  6 PagesThe U.S. foreign policy has always been linked to the domestic policy since the U.S. never feared of expanding its national interests over the national boarders. Isolation for the U.S. usually implied slow economic growth and the large number of destructive conflicts within, while impudent foreign policy always guaranteed an abrupt economic growth for the U.S. economy. After the U.S. intervened in the WWI and the WWII, the U.S. economy witnessed a tremendous economic growth, ne arly elimination ofRead MoreU.s. Foreign Policy Decisions716 Words   |  3 Pagesreasons.† (Kaufman pg. 3). Here Kaufman begins to unravel the differences between these two types of foreign policy. The extraordinary are the issues surrounding war, terrorist attacks, cyber warfare. The mundane, is as simple as the labels on your clothing, but as complex as who is allowed entry into the U.S.. These topics do not elicit as much of a reaction, because as Kaufman argues â€Å"the foreign policy decisions that most people know about and follow closely are those that are extraordinary becauseRead MoreU.s. Bush s Administration On Foreign Policy Over The Last Forty Years1717 Words   |  7 Pagesdefinition of unilateralism and its application to US foreign policy over the last forty years. In defining the term, this essay will leave aside the debate between the competing concepts of unilateralism and multilateralism, which has occupied extensive literature after the 9/11 attacks and the following military actions. The essay will  Definition of unilateralism (800 words) Meaning of unilateralism Unilateralism in american foreign policy Was Bush the first one? How long it has beenRead MoreU.s. Foreign Policy Policies Essay1312 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican foreign policy relates to what is done in foreign countries by the United States of America. The foreign policies include controlling of the governments of foreign countries or setting some rules in those countries. The foreign policy of America has always been changing all through the US existence. The changes have stemmed from the dynamics of exogenous and substantial influences of watershed up to the international system and also the effects and changes of endogenous inside the governmentRead MoreU.s. Foreign Policy Policies916 Words   |  4 Pagescandidate and their proposed foreign policy stance which will be enacted should they be elected. Any nation that is apart of a globalized market such as The United States must be careful when choosing their next president. More importantly they need a president that is in tune with the current international system and one that focuses on a foreign policy based on realism instead of a foreign policy based on idealism. In the following, I will look at the foreign policies of the current presidentialRead MoreU.s. Foreign Policy Policies Essay2045 Words   |  9 Pagesmomentous in its ramifications as it was anticlimactic in its occurrence.† Soviet Premier Gorbachev’s dual policies of glasnost and perestroika had relaxed central control and encouraged self-sufficiency among the republics of Eastern Europe, but it also revealed the underlying economic weakness of the Soviet system. The collapse of the Soviet Union sent shockwaves through a U.S. foreign policy establishment that had, for decades, overwhelmingly focused on the containment of the Soviet Union. LackingRead MoreU.s. Foreign Policy Policies Essay1119 Words   |  5 Pageswith Clinton at 42% and Trump at 40.9% (as of September 15,2016). Donald Trump, who is a successful businessman, turns to a different path to become a p A government’s strategy in dealing with other nations is important in today’s world. The U.S. foreign policy is designed to achieve national objectives. There are many immigrated citizens coming into the United States every year. However, we question the ones who are undocumented immigrants. The United States has concerns about the Islamic State groupRead MoreU.s. Foreign Policy Policies1847 Words   |  8 PagesSyria because US-backed fighters coordinate and are enmeshed with the outfit. The newspaper also reported that the Pentagon had refrained in 2015 from attacking ISIS militants in and around the Syrian city of Palmyra in order to further the US foreign policy goal of regime change in Damascus. The United States has a long history of forming tactical alliances with political Islam to counter secular Arab nationalists, whom it views as inimical to its interests of dominating the Arab world, with itsRead More U.S. Foreign Policy Essay930 Words   |  4 PagesStates has remained consistent with its national interest by taking many different actions in foreign policy. There have been both immediate and long term results of these actions. Foreign policy is the United States policy that defines how we deal with other countries economically and politically. It is made by congress, the president, and the people. Some of the motivations for United States foreign policy are national security, economics, and idealism. The United States entry into World War IRead MoreU.s. Foreign Policy Approaches1424 Words   |  6 PagesThe United States (U.S.) uses two approaches to their foreign policy. The first approach is realism. This viewpoint stresses that the principal actors, states, will pursue their own interests in an anarchical world. States will try to establish a balance of power that restrains aggressive states from dominating weaker ones. The second approach is idealism. This view stresses that states should transform the system into a new international order where peace can prevail. This approach emphases the

Management Procedure SEMCO

Question: Discuss about theManagement Procedurefor SEMCO. Answer: Introduction The development of the business organization is based on the formation of the appropriate measures and operations for the business organization (Benghozi, Krob and Rowe, 2013). The employees and workers of the organizations form the base for the improvement and operations of the business organization. The increase in number of managerial issues has resulted in yielding many issues at workplace such as conflict, labor unrest, and growth of dissatisfaction. However, the use of appropriate tools and strategies would help in dealing with the effect of these negative issues. The following report has been made for understanding the role and concept of the growing ICT business organization. The case study selected for the analysis is of SEMCO and the decisions taken by Richard Semler. The following report highlights and evaluate the decisions of Semler for the organization of SEMCO. The managerial decisions, strategies behind it, and their impact would be analyzed in the following sections. The evaluation of the changes and the factors of risks would be examined from the provided case study of the SEMCO. Overview of Case Study of SEMCO The case study has highlighted the various decisions and operations of the SEMCO Company. SEMCO is a Brazil company that had expertized in manufacturing industrial machines and among them machine pumps holds the most prior position. The company was founded by Antonio Selmer in the year 1950s and since then hierarchical system of management was followed. The company was autonomous and the rules and regulations set by the governing authority controlled the operations and people of SEMCO. Due to the issue of recession, Antonios son Richard Selmer implemented some transformations and development strategies for dealing with the issues and problems that rose in that situation. He drew some basic changes and modified the management system to go through the poor performance of the company. Justification of the Universal Application of Transformational Plan The transformational plan at SEMCO was established for developing some strategies that would help in modifying the processes of the company along with policies, processes, and procedures (Delak and Bajec, 2013). The main benefit of the organization for implementing the transformational plan was to deal with the decreasing performance in production and dealing with the recession issue. However, the transformational plan can be universally accepted and implemented for the various organizations to increase their performance and form better acceptance. The main benefits that the transformational plan could bring to the business organizations are explained in the following points. Growth of business organization: The business organizations have to evolve with the passage of time for forming better solutions and services (Engelmann and Pessoa, 2014). The transformational operations would be helpful for forming the scope for the development of the business organization. The business organizations have been following the use of transactional planning and management for their operations. However, the modern operations and situation have resulted in forming the faster operations the deployment of transactional planning with the ICT technologies would help in stimulating the growth of the business organizations by providing them with faster and better system symbolic operations and processes. Solution to potential issues: The transformational planning helps in dealing with the immediate issues and their impact on the business organization (Gonzlez-Bailn, 2014). The formation of the transformational planning would help in dealing with the issues of the business organizations. The issues include uneven performance, lack of superior quality of output, and economic issues. The issues can be dealt by employing a systematic development and formation of the transformational planning at the organization. The solution of the issues would be helpful for the formation of the quick solution and system development. Retention of employees quality: The transformational plan is useful for retaining the issues of the employees (Gulati, Mayo and Nohria, 2014). The employees are the main source of the functional operations in the business organization. Hence, it is important for dealing with the issues of the degrading quality of the business organization. The role and involvement of the employees can be improved by forming a systematic development of the transformational plan. The planning process is most suitable for the implementation of the employees performance improvement by providing them with suitable perks and profits for the amount of work they do. Motivation to the employees: The adjustment of the business management had helped in forming the growing motivation among the employees. The shift of operational control from the central authority to the employees would encourage them for the operations of the business organization. The use of the employees motivation plays a crucial role for the development of the operations and formation of the improved solutions at the organization. Explanation of Main Changes for Motivation at SEMCO SEMCO was facing the issue of recession when Selmer introduced the transformational planning in the organization. The strategies were formed for developing the business organization and formation of the effective operations to motivate the employees within the organization. The situational demand resulted in implementation of self managed teams, reward structure, and profit sharing. Selmer has implemented these strategies for managing the operations of SEMCO and motivating the employees to perform better. The explanation of the above stated strategies is provided below: Self managed teams: Selmer abolished the hierarchical control of the team and implemented the self managed team for motivating the teams. The self managed teams were responsible for all the operations of the organization. The strategy supported the consideration of an individual team and their operations were not controlled by Selmer. The team would perform and self manage the operations allocated to them. It would form the most suitable solution for the underperforming teams to perform better and improve their functions (Hamad, 2015). The self governing team members would perform best in absence of the pressure from governing authority. The self managed teams would be highly motivated considering that they would be recognized for their good commencing and completion of the operations allocated to them. Reward structure for employees: The use of reward structure at Selmer highly motivated the employees for performing better. Individual recognition and formation of the reward structure would form the most suitable solution for the motivation of the employees (Harrison, 2017). The use of tangible goods and appraisals for the recognition of good work performed by the employees would help in motivating the employees. It has been seen that due to the absence of recognition and appraisals in an organization, many employees performing well leave the organization due to lack of motivation factors. The implementation of the reward structure would end in formation of strong motivation reasons in the organization. The recognition of the employees would help in formation of increased motivation among the employees in the organization. Profit Sharing with the working divisions: The sharing of the profit was the most compensating strategies of the transactional planning. The use of the profit sharing strategies would help in motivating the employees and workers (Hoption, 2015). A fixed 25% of the total profit was shared with the division of work in the organization. An elected committee would be held responsible for distribution of the profits with the employees and workers. The profit sharing with the employees would help in motivating the employees for performing better. The employees and workers would perform better in scope for getting a share in the profit distributed. It would help in increasing the overall involvement of the employees for the operations of the SEMCO Organization. Flaws and Tension of SEMCOs Organizational Structure The organizational structure of SEMCO followed the structure of hierarchical management and operational control (Lee, 2013). The governing body was responsible for all the operations of the organization and he would have to manage and take care of individual operations. It resulted in formation of the basic issues of operations in SEMCO. The chain reaction for operations included the reporting of proposal of individual operation to successive senior and then to manger. The manager would have to report it to the vice presidents and the vice president would have to report it to the president. The flaws of hierarchical structure in SEMCO were resistant to deal with recession, inflexibility of operations, slower operations, and employee dissatisfactions. The flaws and tension of the SEMCO has been explained below: Resistant to recession issue: The recession had a major impact on the operations of SEMCO and their economic conditions. The hierarchical management system had made the operations of the SEMCO resistive to the development and progress. The hierarchical management system had a stiff structure and it follows top-down structure for decision making process (Parker, 2013). The use of hierarchical system would lead to improper response to the competitive threats of the business organization. The deployment of such hierarchical management system in the organizations has resulted in the creation of discomfort among employees to accept any changes processed by the management. Inflexibility of operations: The hierarchical management system in SEMCO had the prior operation system to vague for the operations of business organization. The employees would have to seek permission from their head and the head would have to seek permission from managers (Phoocharoon, 2013). The scale of operations was notched down for completions of operations in the allocated time. It resulted in limiting the aspects of the organization operations and forming a rigid structure for the operations. The inflexibility of the operations had resulted in forming the issue of not accepting and adapting the latest technology and innovation in the operations of the organizations. Slower operations: SEMCO had to face the issue of slower operations and sluggish functionality due to the structure of hierarchical management system. Hierarchical management system involved the process of single authority at the SEMCO. The stiff structure and top-down structure for decision making process would require the decisions taken by the president to be channeled one by one step to subordinates (Volberda, Van Den Bosch and Heij, 2013). It would take considerable time for deploying the system operations. Overall, the processing is very slow and it results in taking longer time for completing any operation. Employee Dissatisfaction: The growth of employees dissatisfaction has been resulted due to the following of the hierarchical operations in the SEMCO. The dissatisfaction have been eventually resulted because lack of recognition for their work done and performance (Stoichev, 2014). The hierarchical structure did not give importance to the employees and workers. Risk Factors for the Transformational Planning at SEMCO The risk factors at SEMCO for implementing transformational planning include the non acceptance of transformational planning management by the existing managers, misuse of influence, and no leadership involvement. The impact of risk factors had resulted in forming issues of the individual leaving the company and issues of non applicant of the transformational planning. These factors have been explained below: Non acceptance of system: The transformational planning would not be easily accepted by the managers (Scarborough, 2014). The shift of power of operations from managers to the employees would result in discomfort among the managers. The non acceptance of the transformational planning has resulted in forming a disagreement of power division for the managerial decisions. It has resulted in forming the issue of the non agreement and many managers have left the SEMCO. The non acceptance of the system would lead to the issue of flaws in implementing the system and acute inhospitality among the managers and heads. Misuse of influence: The most significant issue of the transformational planning management in SEMCO could be misuse of influence. The problem arises when there is lack of role models in the organization for completion of any operation (Seethamraju, 2012). The absence of leaders and role models could result in forming chaos for managing the operations and maintaining the working culture of the organization. No leadership involvement: The absence of involvement of the leadership would result on distracting the employees to work sincerely. It can be possible that the employees would face the issue of the not being able to deal with any issue. Selmer would not have to dent the issue of the flaws in the organization operations. However, the implementation of the transformational planning and management at SEMCO has overcome the issues and made the development of the system more effective. Conclusion The report had been made for understanding the role and concept of the growing ICT business organization and implementation of the transformational plan by considering the case study of SEMCO. The transformational process includes modifying the policies, processes, and procedures. It can be stated that the main benefits of the transformational planning and management in SEMCO was growth of business organization, solution to potential issues, retention of employees quality, and motivation to the employees. The strategies were formed to motivate the employees within the organization. The self managed teams, reward structure for employees, and profit sharing with the working divisions were the main transformational change strategies that were implied in the organization of SEMCO. The issues of the company included the resistant to recession issue, inflexibility of operations, slower operations, and employee dissatisfaction. The various risk factors include the non acceptance of system, misuse of influence, and no leadership involvement. However, the conclusion of the report has provided the successful implementation of the transformational management and planning. It can be concluded from the report that the transformational management plays a very crucial role for the development of the present business organizations. The business organizations can use the development of transactional planning and information system for improving the operations and functions of the organizations. References Benghozi, P., Krob, D. and Rowe, F., 2013.Digital enterprise design and management 2013. 1st ed. Berlin: Springer. Delak, B. and Bajec, M., 2013. Framework for the Delivery of Information System Due Diligence.Information Systems Management, 30(2), pp.137-149. Engelmann, J. and Pessoa, L., 2014. Motivation sharpens exogenous spatial attention.Motivation Science, 1(S), pp.64-72. Gonzlez-Bailn, S., 2014. Networked. The new social operating system.Information, Communication Society, 18(12), pp.1428-1429. Gulati, R., Mayo, A. and Nohria, N., 2014.Management. 1st ed. Mason, OH: South-Western Pub. Hamad, H., 2015. Transformational Leadership Theory: Why Military Leaders are More Charismatic and Transformational?.International Journal on Leadership, 3(1). Harrison, R., 2017. Leadership, leadership development and all that jazz.Leadership, 13(1), pp.81-99. Hoption, C., 2015. It does not add up: Comparing episodic and general leadership ratings.Leadership. Lee, C., 2013. Road Tracking based on Prior Information in Video Sequences.Journal of the Korea Industrial Information System Society, 18(2), pp.19-25. Parker, S., 2013. Information-based rights, corruption and more.Information Development, 29(2), pp.99-100. Phoocharoon, P., 2013. Embedding from Inside: Transformational Teacher on Promoting Transformational Leadership Behavior through Innovative-Driven Action Learning.International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology. Scarborough, N., 2014.Essentials of entrepreneurship and small business management. 1st ed. Boston: Pearson. Seethamraju, R., 2012. Business process management: a missing link in business education.Business Process Management Journal, 18(3), pp.532-547. Stoichev, K., 2014. The Role of Business Continuity Management in the Business Management System.Science Journal of Business and Management, 2(3), p.97. Volberda, H., Van Den Bosch, F. and Heij, C., 2013. Management Innovation: Management as Fertile Ground for Innovation.European Management Review, 10(1), pp.1-15.

Thanksgiving free essay sample

It was a thanksgiving long weekend and my cousin’s family had come over for some turkey. I was hugging and greeting them with a humongous smile on my face as though I hadn’t seen them in ages. Although we live close by, we never got to see each other, due to lack of time. My cousin, Sally, came and said hello, â€Å"Lucia! We finally meet again!† This was her way of salutation. She jumped up and down with her brother cheerfully. Once she had told me that coming and visiting me was the best thing in the world, and, interestingly enough, I didn’t have any other choice but to hide how I felt the opposite. Inspiration is sometimes derived from surprising sources. I didn’t actually hate her, I just couldn’t stand her. She was always a sign of perfection though it was not always in educational ways. We will write a custom essay sample on Thanksgiving or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Her hair was always perfectly tied back into a pony tail with pretty ribbons that her mother, my aunt makes. She was short for a thirteen year old, however she did not have any complex about it; I think it was her general optimism. While Sally and her brother were watching a movie downstairs, I helped out in the kitchen with dinner. I have to admit, making dinner for thanksgiving is not easy or simple. My job was to set the table and bring the dishes over, when the dinner was ready. I called my cousins down stairs instead of actually going down and bringing them up. My mother already warned me about it, but I could not help my indolence. Sally and her brother came up and we were all seated at the table. As we were eating, Sally spoke, â€Å"It’s so nice to get together once in a while and eat with everybody like this, it makes me so content!† I knew that she used a variety of words, but don’t children usually say ‘happy’ instead of ‘content’? Sometimes I wonder if she actually thinks of what she is going to say, and repeats it several times in her head before saying them out loud. It was nearly eight o’clock and I was in the kitchen once again, however, this time, I was putting the dishes in the dish washer. Then, my mother told me that I could go downstairs and keep my cousin company. I nodded at her and went down the stairs two at a time. At the bottom, there she was, staring at the door to our recreation room. I asked her what she was doing and after a moment of brief pause, she asked pointing at the door, â€Å"Does this mean anything specific to you?† To tell the truth, I had no idea what she was talking about so I just answered her without actually giving at least a bit of a thought to it. â€Å"It’s an object that allows me to enter a room of any kind?† There was a slight tone of sarcasm mixed in my voice, which I think she ignored. This time, Sally opened and then closed the door. She asked me if I ever thought about how my whole life could change because of a single door that does not appear to be too important to anybody . She also said that when we come to think about it, ‘door’ could mean something very profound. â€Å"You know,† she continued, â€Å"It could mean something.† Now she had all my attention as she added. â€Å"Maybe it’s a door to your future, or for some people, it could be a door to their freedom.† At first, I thought she was joking because, I mean, what she was really trying to say was it was like a door to a fantasy land, was it not? But when I looked her in the eyes, I quickly wiped off the silly smile on my face because I realized that she was being sincere. The next thing I knew, I was looking at her as if I could not believe the words that were coming out of her mouth; I knew that she was clever, diligent and reflective, but I did not know that she gave a lot of thought to simple objects around her. Things that people do not usually pay any attention to, such as a door. I asked her if there was anything that she was waiting for or expe cting from the door, and if she were how she could know what’s coming or what’s really behind it. I tried to make myself sound logical, but I don’t think I did a very good job of it. And her next few words left me standing speechless with my feet glued to the floor. â€Å"That’s the thing Lucia, you DON’T know what’s behind the door. All you do, all you can do, is to wait till you open it and see it for your-self.† Her fixed smile on her sweet little face made me think of just one thing: how can a thirteen year old girl think of such a thing? I just hope that she sticks to her opinions, just like how she has been, as always. My young cousin, whom I’ve never thought of admiring, not even a single day in my life, made me realize deeper significance of an object we see every day. Because of her precocious thought towards a door, I now view the world in a completely different way. Thanksgiving free essay sample The old van drove down the dirt road, kicking a steady stream of dust into the humid air. Inside, the atmosphere was stifling, the windows did not open wide enough, and the air conditioning was still broken. A bead of sweat traced a line down my face as I gazed outside, taking in the strange world of palm trees and new smells outside. I thought about home, where late November means cold, and usually snow. After what seemed like an eternity, the van entered the town, passing donkeys, chickens, little stores, and battered houses. The van stopped at a fork in the road, and we were greeted by a large group of people holding signs of welcome. Bienvenidos a Nahualapa, El Salvador. To the other villagers, the sight might have looked comical, a procession of smiling children, friendly elders, and everyone in between leading the group of gringos down the road, and up the hill to the church. We will write a custom essay sample on Thanksgiving or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The church, our church’s sister parish, was nothing more than a dirt floor and a tin roof held up by fallen branches of trees tied together under a tree in the clearing. A little barefoot girl took my hand and pointed proudly at the church, yammering away in her native tongue, not aware that, despite my experience of four years of Spanish in school, I had no idea what she was saying. I waited patiently until she finished, then smiled and nodded. She smiled back, apparently receiving the response she wanted. Over the course of the next few days, we slowly became part of the community. I met Wilson, a boy who had to quit school to sell oranges by the highway to support his family; Liliana, a girl who was living with her aunt because her parents had been killed; and Pedro, a leader of the community, who inspired the best in those around him. Everybody had a story to tell, and although I could not always understand, I was glad to listen. Between helping organize a community garden to make healthy foods more readily available, playing games with the children, discussing micro-loans to start a community chicken business, and generally helping out where we could, there was never a shortage of ways to help. One of the best things we did was arrange scholarships through members of our church to sponsor the education of the children, giving parents the hope of a brighter future for their children. These families must pay for all their own school supplies, shoes and uniforms, as well as transport ation to and from school. Education in rural El Salvador is free in name only. When the time came to leave, I felt like I was leaving an adoptive family, and, despite our differences and the language barrier, I had a place in the community. I had some amazing experiences, from learning how to communicate using hand gestures and only the most basic Spanish vocabulary, to eating a chicken heart (it was surprisingly good). I wouldn’t say that it â€Å"changed my life†, but it was an eye-opening experience. I learned a lot, not only about the world that exists outside of mine, but also about myself, my ability to create a positive change in somebody’s life, and make a difference. The spirit of the Nahualapan people was truly inspiring. This culture’s perspectives differ so much from our own. They have so little in comparison to me, and yet they seem infinitely more content and thankful for what they do have. They treasure their possessions, instead of thinking about what they don’t have and wanting more. The Nahualapans are proud; they don’t want the relationship between us to be one-sided. Instead, they want our respect and partnership, with each side giving and receiving something to and from the other. They have so much more to offer than I could have imagined. What the Nahualapan people gave to me was an intangible shift in my attitude and a newfound feeling of gratitude. I have never felt as grateful for what I have, and the opportunities I possess, as I did on that Thanksgiving one year ago.