The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien Essay - 977 Words

The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien The Things They Carried list the variety of things his fellow soldiers in the Alpha Company brought on their missions. Several of these things cannot be seen, including guilt and fear, while others are specific physical objects, including matches, morphine, M-16 rifles, and MMs candy. Throughout the collection, the same characters reappear in various stories. The first member of the Alpha Company to die is Ted Lavender, a grunt, or low-ranking soldier, who deals with his anxiety about the war by taking tranquilizers and smoking marijuana. Lavender is shot in the head on his way back from going to the bathroom, and his superior, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, blames himself for the†¦show more content†¦Though OBrien is not close to Lemon, in The Dentist, he tells a story of how Lemon, who faints before a routine checkup with an army-issued dentist, tries to save face by insisting that a perfectly good tooth be pulled. Lee Strunk, another member of the company, dies from injuries h e sustains by stepping on a landmine. In Friends, OBrien remembers that before Strunk was fatally hurt, Strunk and Dave Jensen had made a pact that if either man were irreparably harmed, the other man would see that he was quickly killed. However, when Strunk is actually hurt, he begs Jensen to spare him, and Jensen complies. Instead of being upset by the news of his friends swift death en route to treatment, Jensen is relieved. The death that receives the most attention in The Things They Carried is that of Kiowa, a much-loved member of the Alpha Company and one of OBriens closest friends. In Speaking of Courage, the story of Kiowas death is relayed in retrospect through the memory of Norman Bowker, years after the war. As Bowker drives around a lake in his Iowa hometown, he thinks that he failed to save Kiowa, who was killed when a mortar round hit and caused him to sink headfirst into a marshy field. OBrien realizes that he has dealt with his guilt over Kiowas death differently t han Norman Bowker in Notes. Just before the end of the war, OBrien receives a long letter from Bowker that says heShow MoreRelatedThe Things They Carried by Tim Obrien1426 Words   |  6 PagesThe War at Home The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, transports the reader into the minds of veterans of the Vietnam conflict. The Vietnam War dramatically changed Tim O’Brien and his comrades, making their return home a turbulent and difficult transition. The study, titled, The War at Home: Effects of Vietnam-Era Military Service on Post-War Household Stability, uses the draft lottery as a â€Å"natural experiment† on the general male population. The purpose of the NBER (National Bureau of EconomicRead MoreThe Things They Carried by Tim O’brien1610 Words   |  7 PagesThe Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien Plot: 1. RISING ACTION †¢ In the summer of 1968, Tim O’Brien receives a draft notice. Despite a desire to follow his convictions and flee to Canada, he feels he would be embarrassed to refuse to fulfill his patriotic duty and so concedes to fight in Vietnam. CLIMAX †¢ During their tour of duty, the men of the Alpha Company must cope with the loss of their own men and the guilt that comes from killing and watching others die. FALLING ACTION †¢ After he returnsRead MoreThe Things They Carried by Tim OBrien1156 Words   |  5 PagesIn Tim O’Brien’s novel, â€Å"The Things They Carried,† imagination is seen to be both beneficial and harmful. This novel consists of a story truth and a real truth. Tim O’Brien writes the book about the Vietnam War based primarily on his memory of the war. He does not remember every detail of the war, thus he makes up some false details to make the story seem more interesting. He does not only describe his own experiences, but also describe the experiences of other characters. He wants the readers toRead MoreThe Things They Carried by Tim OBrien1154 Words   |  5 PagesThe novel The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien begins by Mr. OBrien describing his dramatical events that happened during the middle of his Vietnam experience while he was fighting in the war. Mr. OBrien received his draft notice in the month of June in the year of 1968. When he received this notice Mr. OBrien had feelings of confusion, and that drove him to go north to the Canadian border, and it had him contemplating if he wanted to cross it or not because he does not want to be forced toRead MoreThe Things They Carried by Tim OBrien793 Words   |  3 PagesIn the novel, The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien there is an ambiguity assigned to the life of a soldier in the Vietnam war, an ambiguity that represents no clear moral victor, no clear heroes, and seemingly no end. In the movie, Platoon, written and directed by Oliver Stone, the same ambiguity is depicted, with no clear moral direction, no clear heroes, and no clear resolution. In the short story, â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story,† O’Brien talks in great detail about how a true war story, andRead MoreThe Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien550 Words   |  2 Pagespersonnel documents are in order. These are just a few items that need to be checked off of a to-do list, or inventory if you will. In â€Å"The Things They Carried† by Tim O’Brien, the main character, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, runs through a series of events that he had his squad carried, both on their person and in their minds. â€Å"The Things They Carried† is about Cross and the soldiers under him and their activities in Vietnam during the war. The story begins with Cross introducing the objectRead MoreThe Things they Carried by Tim OBrien529 Words   |  2 PagesIn the story The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien didn’t mention anything about traditional war heroes. I think this was a great idea, because there are no traditional war heroes. A traditional war hero is someone who is fearless and someone who can’t be harmed mentally or emotionally. But in The Things They Carried the soldiers out on the front lines were emotionally and physically scarred. Tim O’Brien didn’t write about traditional war heroes, O’Brien wrote about normal people, people with differentRead More The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien580 Words   |  2 Pagesbook, The Things They Carried, author Tim O’Brien tells the captivating story of soldiers and everything they ha d to go through during the Vietnam War. He tells of the many things that change a person during a war and what helped many to get through it. One of the main things that helped them to get through was women. While women did not play a huge role in this book, they did play a very important role. Women were the†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Martha was the lady that Lieutenant Jimmy Cross loved. He carried letters andRead MoreOverview: The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien1510 Words   |  7 Pages The Things They Carried is a novel written by Vietnam Veteran Tim O’Brien. The Vietnam War took place between 1955 and 1975. Most of the soldiers fighting were young teenage men around the age of eighteen and nineteen years old. Like O’Brien many of these young men were pulled away from their families and life to fight a war they didn’t approve of or even know about. This had a strong affect on most of these men and O’Brien uses different ways to show how the Vietnam War affected them both physicallyRead MoreThe Things They Carried by Tim OBrien580 Words   |  2 Pagesdaydreaming and felt the pain of Lavenders death. He came to realize he was to blame for the death of Ted Lavender. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’ mind was mixed with the emotions of both Martha and the death of Ted Lavender. While Lavenders body was being carried to the chopper, all Lieutenant Cross could think about was Martha. He was thinking about how he loved her more than anything, even more than his men. He believed Ted Lavender was dead because he loved Martha so much and could not stop thinking about

The Pain And Joy Of Becoming A Mother. Life Experiences

The Pain and Joy of Becoming a Mother Life experiences pose obstacles that are both challenging and rewarding, sometimes offering mixed and conflicted feelings throughout the experience. Becoming a parent is one of those life experiences that many people will face in their lifetime, and there are as many difficulties as there are rewards. We will explore my journey to motherhood and the challenges and lessons I learned pre and postpartum. Life experiences can be challenging and difficult while also beautiful and rewarding. One of the most difficult experiences that I have ever faced was my journey to motherhood. While every day is a new learning experience, testing my patience and sanity, having my daughter and learning†¦show more content†¦Brian was different from anyone I have ever dated. He knew how to court, be a gentleman, and exhibited the love and compassion that I saw my parents share, and their parents, too. I always knew there was something special about him. But amongst all the exceptional qualities he had, being a father was something he excelled at. He was nurturing, thoughtful, and purposeful with Sabrina, and I could not wait until we had our own child. Fast forward to three years later. I had just finished practical nursing school and secured my first job as a nurse. We were engaged, and together, we decided that we would try for our first child. Sabrina, who had been longing for a sibling, hoped for a little sister, and we were more than happy to oblige. Within a month of trying to conceive, we were pregnant with our first child. The first three months of pregnancy were blissful. We were relieved to make it out of the â€Å"danger zone† of pregnancy, finally able to tell our family and friends that we were expecting, and were coming to terms with the fact that we would be welcoming a new baby in June of 2013. I was elated to be symptom free. There was no nausea, no vomiting, no food aversions, and other than an annoyingly keen nose, everything was perfect. That was until we went to the doctor and discovered our baby had no heartbeat. I was crushed, defeated, and was battling to keep my sanity every day. I mourned thatShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Motherhood In Infant Joy By William Blake1578 Words   |  7 PagesThe role of mothers and their sacrifice has been a valued part of society for millennia. Although women now hold a much more advantageous place in society as members of the workforce, women are still encouraged to pursue more domestic goals as wives and mothers as well. 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Enhancing Strategies Workplace Performance -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Enhancing Strategies Workplace Performance? Answer: Introducation Organizational change management is an important aspect which can be explained as a framework adopted by the business for the management of the impact of structural change, cultural change or new business processes. This assignment will discuss the different aspects related to change management so as to analyze the impact of change management on the performance of the business. An organization may face various challenges while implementing changes and these challenges need to be dealt by applying strategies or approaches. This assignment is based on a case study provided in which a restaurant Le Chic is facing several challenges which are creating an impact on the performance, profitability, and growth of the business. Le Chic has appointed a new manager who has suggested a business strategy for improving the performance of the restaurant. For the analysis of the effectiveness of the business strategy, internal as well as external drivers for change will be analyzed. Theories will be applied for the analysis of the nature of the change which is faced by Le Chic. Possible reactions of the employees for the proposed change will be discussed along with the recommendations for the formulation of plans and execution of plans for the proposed changes by the management. An analysis of the change context taking into account both the internal and external drivers for change PEST Factors Description Political factors Rules and regulations related to the food safety, for operating restaurants and employees, must be followed for complying with the legal framework. Economic factors The Economic crisis has created an adverse impact on the performance of the restaurant as funds are required for the execution of operations (Mashhadi and Rehman, 2012). Social factors Competition is increasing as new restaurants have entered the market. This has created an impact on the choice of the customers or potential customers. Responsibility towards the society must be fulfilled for developing brand image and customer loyalty. Technological factors There is no information system used by the restaurants for contacting with the suppliers and for the standardization of ordering, payment and accounting process of the restaurant (Gupta, 2013). SWOT Strengths Weaknesses Strong employee base. Strong customer base as it is offering fast services with good quality food. Lack of coordination between the kitchen and waiting staff. Decreasing quality of the services offered to the customers. Limited seating capacity at the restaurant. The decrease in the profits (Welter, 2012). Opportunities Threats Fast services to the customers will help in attracting the customers. Expansion opportunity is available which will improve the performance of the restaurant. Reduction in the waiting time will result in enhancing the quality of service as well as attainment of the sales targets (Kwai Zhang, 2016). Increase in the competition. The Economic crisis can result in adverse impact on the performance of the restaurant. An analysis of the nature of change facing Le Chic using key theory Le Chic is planning to implement a change in the business strategy of the restaurant so as to improve its performance. Force field analysis has been used for the analysis of the nature of the change which Le Chic is planning to adopt. Le Chic must focus on establishing a balance between the forces which are driving the change and the factors which are restraining the change (Swanson Creed, 2013). The change which Le Chic is planning to implement has been planned by the new manager. A new business strategy will be implemented for improving the performance and attainment of the objectives framed. This change is a planned change which has been planned and objectives have been decided for guiding the efforts towards the right path (Phillips, 2013). Driving forces include increasing competition in the market, growth and expansion opportunities available, employee base, improving the quality of food and attainment of sales targets. Restraining forces include economic crisis, lack of train ing to the employees, lack of coordination between the kitchen staff and waiting staff, resistance from employees and declining quality of the services offered to the customers (Connelly, 2017). A critical examination of the possible types of employee reactions to the proposed change, again using the key theory of underpin the discussion and giving consideration to the different types of employees employed by Le Chic Kirkpatrick theory has been applied for the examination of the different types of reactions employees can give to the proposed changes. This theory is used for the analysis of the reaction of individuals towards the change which has been proposed. While implementing the proposed change, Le Chic may face different reactions from the employees working in Le Chic. These reactions of the employees can differ from each other which are discussed below: Positive reactions: employees may feel positive about the proposed change and support Le Chic in implementing the proposed change in a better manner. Le Chic is planning to implement a new business strategy which includes the hiring of new employees and this strategy will provide growth opportunities to the existing employees of Le Chic. Training sessions will be organized for developing the knowledge and skills of the employees (Forest, 2016). Le Chic is planning to set up two new restaurants in different cities which will provide growth opportunities to the experienced employees. Employee base of Le Chic includes permanent employees as well as part time employees. Employees of Le Chic will be in the favor of proposed change as this change in beneficial for the organization as well as for the employees. 50 % of the employees of Le Chic are permanent employees and growth opportunities to the permanent employees will attract them and they will provide their support to the proposed cha nge (Raziq Maulabakhsh, 2015). Negative reactions: employees may respond in a negative way to the proposed change as this change can affect their job. In the case of Le Chic, employees will be in favor of the proposed change (Richardson, 2014). For dealing with this situation, Le Chic can provide training sessions and ensure employees for the growth opportunities and job security. Part time employees may oppose to the proposed change as they may sense a threat of job loss as they are part time employees and organization may prefer permanent employees for the long Le Chic has an option to ask the part time employees to get converted into permanent employees as they have knowledge of the manner in which operations of the restaurant are carried out. Proper communication and trust need to be developed so as to encourage employees to provide their support to the proposed change (Boohene Williams, 2012). Mixed reactions: There are chances that casual employees may give mixed reactions to the proposed change. As part time employees are less concern for the job. Le Chic must convince part time employees so as to encourage them and provide growth opportunities. This will provide an advantage to Le Chic as selection and recruitment cost of the restaurant will be low and skilled and knowledgeable employees (Raziq Maulabakhsh, 2015). Recommendations As to how management should plan and execute the proposed changes so as to ensure its successful implementation using one of the change models covered in the lectures Plans need to be formulated for the purpose of implementation of the proposed changes in an effective manner and forming a base for the implementation of the proposed changes in a successful manner. Le Chic needs to adopt a plan and implement the same so as to ensure that the objectives are attained. Kotters 8 step change model for leading change is used for formulating a plan and execution of the proposed change of Le Chic. Creating a sense of urgency: a need of the change must be developed so as to ensure that the change is adopted by the company. This initial step will help in motivating the company and guiding the efforts for the further steps. Le Chic must explain the need for the change to its employees so as to make them understand the need of the business. Le Chic is planning to expand the area of operation and enhance the performance as Le Chic is incurring losses (RBS group, 2013). Constructing a dedicated team for implementing change: Business needs to convince the internal stakeholders of the business so as to make them understand the need of change. Leadership skills need to be applied so as for motivate employees for working as a team. Le Chic needs to encourage employees for accepting the proposed change and to provide support to the restaurant for implementing the proposed change. Forming a strategic vision and taking initiatives: a clear vision must be set so as to make the proposed change and its need understood to everyone in the organization. Le Chic must set a clear vision so as to gain support from the employees and explaining them the goals of the business. Le Chic is proposing a change in which it is planning to expand the area of operation and setting up two new restaurants in different cities (Mourfield, 2014). For this objective, Le Chic is planning to recruit employees and experienced employees will be transferred to the new restaurants for providing training to the new employees and executing the operations in a proper manner. Le Chic must explain the role of employees which will motivate and encourage them. Communicating the need for change: the need to change is an important aspect as this needs to be explained to the employees as support is required from the employees. Le Chic needs to communicate the vision by calling a meeting so as to explain them the role they have to play. Communication must be done with every employee so as to gain support from the employees. Le Chic is planning to use a new information system which will reduce the burden of employees and chances of errors (Mulder, 2014). Empowering the staff and removal of obstacles: one must know the role it has to play and responsibilities it has to fulfill. This will help in overcoming the issues which may arise due to lack of clarity of roles and responsibilities. Le Chic needs to define the roles and responsibilities of every employee so as to encourage them and ensure that the proposed change is implemented in a successful manner. Creating short term goals: for the attainment of the objectives, there is a need to create short term goals. Attainment of the short term goals will help in motivating the business for the attainment of the long term goals. Le Chic needs to set short terms goals which will encourage the employees and will develop trust among the employees towards the restaurant (Calder, 2013). Being persistence: Le Chic must be persistence while implementing the plans so as to make sure that the targets are attainment effectively. Constant improvements need to be made for achieving the objectives (Auguste, 2013). Implementation of the permanent change: Le Chic has defined the vision clearly among the employees which will help in implementing the change in an easy manner. Clear roles and values help in focusing on the set objectives. Values must be adopted for guiding the focus of the employees towards the right direction (Auguste, 2013). Conclusion An organization must manage the changes in an effective manner so as to ensure the survival and growth of the business. A systematic approach must be applied for the management of changes in an effective manner. Le Chic is planning to implement a change for the expansion of the business. PEST and SWOT analysis have been done for analyzing the different aspects related to Le Chic. Le Chic can use the strengths available for grabbing the opportunities and attaining the targets set. Theories have been applied for the analysis of the nature of change. Le Chic has proposed a planned change for enhancing the performance of the business and expansion of the business. Employees may respond to the proposed change in different ways and these ways need to be analyzed for ensuring the support of the employees. Measures can be adopted for gaining the support of the employees as employees may resist due to the fear of job loss, lack of trust and lack of effective communication. The recommendation has been provided to the management for formulating the plans and implementing the proposed changes for the attainment of the targets. References Auguste, J. (2013). Applying Kotters 8-Step Process for Leading Change to the Digital Transformation of an Orthopedic Surgical Practice Group in Toronto, Canada. J Health Med Informat. Boohene, R. Williams, A. A. (2012). Resistance to Organizational Change: A Case Study of Oti Yeboah Complex Limited. International Business and Management, 4 (1), 135-145. Calder, A. M. (2013). Organizational Change: Models for Successfully Implementing Change. Undergraduate Honors Theses, Paper 144. Connelly, M. (2017). Force Field Analysis - Kurt Lewin. Change Management Coach. Retrieved from: https://www.change-management-coach.com/force-field-analysis.html. Forest, E. (2016). Kirkpatrick Model: Four Levels of Learning Evaluation. Educational Technology. Retrieved from: https://educationaltechnology.net/kirkpatrick-model-four-levels-learning-evaluation/. Gupta, A. (2013). Environment PEST Analysis: An Approach to ExternalBusiness Environment. International Journal of Modern Social Sciences, 2 (1), 34-43. Kwai, Y. Zhang, Q. (2016). Swot Analysis on One Menus Market Standing against its Competitors. PSU. Mashhadi,A. H. and Rehman, Q. I. U. (2012). Impact of External Environment on thePerformance of the Fast Food Industry.International Journal of Management, Economics and Social Sciences, 1 (1), 19-25. Mourfield, R. (2014). Organizational Change: A Guide to Bringing Everyone on Board. SPEA. Mulder, P. (2014). Kotters 8 Step Change Model. Toolshero. Phillips, S. W. (2013). Using Volunteers in Policing: A Force Field Analysis of American Supervisors. SAGE Journals. Raziq, A. Maulabakhsh, R. (2015). Impact of Working Environment on Job Satisfaction. Procedia Economics and Finance, 23, 717-725. RBS group. (2013). The 8-Step Process For Leading Change. RBS Group. Richardson, F. W. (2014). Enhancing Strategies to Improve Workplace Performance. Walden University. Swanson, D. J. Creed, A. S. (2013). Sharpening the Focus of Force Field Analysis. Journal of Change Management, 12 (1). Welter, K. (2012). Sustainability in the Restaurant Industry: A Cape Town Study. Stellenbosch University.

Sports Related Knee Injuries Essays - Knee, , Term Papers

Sports Related Knee Injuries Sports have been around for a very long time. The Maya used to play a game with a rubber ball similar to basketball. The nobility in the medieval era played a primitive form of tennis. Most civilizations have had a sport of some kind. Sports are a way for us to get exercise and expend energy. However, in modern society, sports have become much more competitive and more popular. There are now numerous professional sports leagues and every year, millions of people go to see professional sporting events. Nowadays in football, as a man on the defensive line, your goal is to try and smash the quarterback, whereas 30 years ago, the goal was to just to win the game. This change in mindset, to be more aggressive and more intimidating, has happened in many sports such as basketball, hockey and soccer. This is in part due to the advancement of equipment technology. With more protection you can push yourself harder and longer, but many people push too much. Because of this new, harder and more intense way of playing, the rate of injuries has gone up. And by far, the most effected limb has been the knee. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most commonly injured ligament of the knee. The ligament is most commonly injured during an athletic activity. Due to the fact that sports are an increasingly important part of day to day life in the United States, the number of ACL injuries has steadily increased over the past few decades. Many sports have been associated with ACL tears. Those sports requiring the foot to be planted and the body to change direction rapidly (such as basketball) carry a high incidence of injury. Football, of course, is the most common source of an ACL tear. Football combines the activity of planting the foot, rapidly changing direction and the threat of bodily contact. Downhill skiing is another frequent source of ACL tears, especially since the introduction of ski boots that come higher up the calf. These boots move the forces caused by a fall to the knee rather than the ankle or lower leg. The ACL injury usually occurs when the knee is forcefully twisted, or hyper-extended. Many patients recall hearing a loud pop when the ligament tears, and feel the knee give way. This injury has received a great deal of attention from orthopedic surgeons over the past 15 years and very successful operations to reconstruct the torn anterior cruciate ligament have been performed. The tearing oh the posterior cruciate ligament is another sports related knee injury, though less common than the ACL. This injury can occur when the knee is forcefully twisted or hyper-extended, but other ligaments are usually injured or torn, before the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is torn in these injuries. The most common way for the PCL alone to be injured is from a direct blow to the front of the knee while the knee is bent. If the tibia moves too far back the PCL can rupture. This is a common cause of injury to the PCL during an automobile accident. As the automobile strikes another and stops suddenly, the front passenger or driver slides forward. The bent knee hits the dashboard just below the kneecap. This forces the tibia backward on the femur tearing the PCL. The same force can occur during a fall on the bent knee, where the force of the fall on the tibia pushes it back against the femur and tears the PCL. The PCL may not be the only ligament injured when the knee is injured violently, such as a severe hyperextension injury where the knee is forced backwards (bends in the opposite direction that is should). This injury may occur when the foot is planted on the ground and the knee is struck from the front, (such as with a car bumper, or another player in soccer or football). It is not uncommon to see several ligaments injured in addition to the PCL during a true knee dislocation. Cartilage tears are another type of knee injury and can be very painful. The most common cause is an abnormal twist in your knee while your weight