A Critics Opinion of a Dolls House - 1743 Words

Destiny Maxfield Mrs. Collar Engl. 1302 19 November 2012 A Critic’s Opinion of A Doll’s House In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House many views could be seen from both sides of the gender world. Critics will argue about the true meaning of the story and why Ibsen wrote the story. The main points of the play that critics discuss are sexuality i.e. feminism, the wrong doing of the father figure, and spiritual revolution. I believe these critics are each right in their own way from my understanding of the play and their ideas about the play. Sexuality or, in the case of A Doll’s House, feminism plays a huge role in how Nora ends the play for the readers. As I read through several criticisms of this play the main one that stuck out to me was how†¦show more content†¦Linde†¦is the victim of an absent father. To support her sick mother and her brothers†¦she married a man she did not love. The absence of her father forced her to seek a new father figure in a rich husband, but he too fails in the rol e. By depicting the father as absent or polluted, Ibsen defames the patriarchal figure† (Rosefeldt). A morally polluted father is the next type that is depicted in the play not only for Nils Krogstad but for Dr. Rank as well. I read that, â€Å"Nils Krogstad†¦he has committed forgery†¦he has covered up the crime†¦every breath the children take in [his home] is filled with the germs of something degenerate† (Rosefeldt). In those times fatherhood stood for everything that mattered in life and society. â€Å"Fatherhood is connected with a moral disease that will infect and destroy the lives of the children† (Rosefeldt). Paul Rosefeldt also explains that, â€Å"†¦because Rank’s father kept mistresses and contracted syphilis, Rank inherited the disease†¦must suffer for ‘somebody else’s sins’†¦fatherhood itself is connected to universal pollution† (Rosefeldt). Nora is told several times she is just like he r father which keeps on with the polluted father figure, â€Å"her carelessness about debt, Helmer states that she is ‘exactly the way your father was’†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢all your father’s flimsy values have come out in you’†¦the father has passed on his corruption to his child. But the influence was also passed on toShow MoreRelatedKatherine Mansfield s The Garden Party And The Doll s House Essay1954 Words   |  8 Pageswithin her writing (The Garden Party and The Doll’s House) which was influenced from her upbringing and childhood Katherine Mansfield was a 1900’s modernist writer of short fiction who was born and raised in a socially prominent family in Wellington, New Zealand. Much of her work was strongly themed around issues such as classism, a woman s place in society, sexuality, adulthood and also grief. The central theme in Katherine Mansfield’s stories The Doll’s House and The Garden Party centres around theRead MoreBibo1025 Words   |  5 Pagespaper. Feminism Fiction Brunnemer, Kristin. Sexuality in Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House. In Bloom, Harold, ed. Human Sexuality, Blooms Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2009. Blooms Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 6 Nov. 2012. In this article, Kristin Brunnemer explores writer Henrik Ibsen and the transformation of Nora, the main character in Ibsen’s â€Å"A Doll’s House† (Brunnemer 1). There is much debate over whether Ibsen intended to promoteRead MoreA Dolls House -H.Ibsen ,Critical Analysis1554 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Subject : Drama B Writer : Henrik Johan Ibsen Genre : Realistic Modern Drama Name of the Work / Play : A Doll’s House ( 1897 ) in three acts Characters : Major Characters / Minor Characters Nora Helmer ( wife of Torvald Helmer ,mother of three children ) Torvald Helmer( husband of Nora Helmer , a lawyer ,father of three children ) Dr. Rank ( doctor ,friend of Nora Torvald Helmer, confidant ,commentator ) Mrs. Kristine Linde ( old friend of Nora Helmer ) Nils Krogstad ( barristerRead MoreMrs Alving in Ghosts by Ibsen1187 Words   |  5 Pageswithout a sense of duty were often shunned and rejected by their fellow citizens. Henrik Ibsen was well-known for his somewhat controversial plays. Just before writing Ghosts, â€Å"Ghosts† he wrote A Doll’s House about a young woman seeking to escape the bonds of duty. While the classic feminist story in A Doll’s House has a hint of hope for Nora Helmer, who decides to speak up for her own rights as a woman and as a human being, Ghosts seems to me to be the gloomy alternative, as Mrs Alving overcomes yearsRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1666 Words   |  7 PagesMy understanding of cultural and contextual considerations of the work, A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, was deepened through the interactive oral. We discussed about the cultural values of the time with its emphasis on the position of women, and the play’s influence on feminism in Norway. In fa ct, A Doll’s House is more relevant than before, since a paradigm shift occurred in the modern society that women are no longer dependent upon men. After the publication and the first stage production, theRead MoreA Doll’S House. By Henrik Ibsen. Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906),974 Words   |  4 PagesA Doll’s House By Henrik Ibsen Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906), Norway’s major playwright and poet during the 19th century, was a pioneer of Western modernism (Wikipedia). His plays founded the realist school of Western theatre and some literary critics even consider him as â€Å"the father of realism† or refer to the rise of â€Å"Ibsenism† (iii) when discussing his work. A Doll’s House (1879) is one of the most influential plays in European literature because it created a new, realist style of staging plays, movingRead More Analysis Of Ibsens A Dolls House Essay1839 Words   |  8 PagesA Doll House A critical Analysis When Nora slammed the door shut in her dolls house in 1879, her message sent shockwaves around the world that persist to this day. I must stand quite alone, Nora declared after finding out that her ideal of life was just a imagination of her and that all her life had been build up by others peoples, specifically her husband and her dad ideas, opinions and tastes. Nora is the pampered wife of an aspiring bank manager Torvald Halmer. In a desperate attemptRead MoreAnalysis of Doll House Play Essay1916 Words   |  8 PagesRorke English 102 1st Nov. 2005 A Doll House A critical Analysis When Nora slammed the door shut in her dolls house in 1879, her message sent shockwaves around the world that persist to this day. I must stand quite alone, Nora declared after finding out that her ideal of life was just a imagination of her and that all her life had been build up by others peoples, specifically her husband and her dad ideas, opinions and tastes. Nora is the pampered wife of an aspiringRead MoreA Dolls House As A Tragic Hero Analysis967 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus Rex, Sophocles laid the foundation for what is now considered the ideal tragic hero. Within A Doll’s House, Ibsen creates a modern hero in Nora Helmer; a woman who was oppressed for going against social rules for saving her husband. Nora follows the Aristotelian journey of a tragic hero, from hamartia through her tragic fall into catharsis. She is considered a modern day heroine, but critics argue that Nora does not represent the classic tragic hero because she does not have a reversal of fortuneRead MoreFeminist Analysis : A Doll s House1001 Words   |  5 Pageswidespread acknowledgment of the female being inferior, women began to accept their lesser status. Female critics â€Å"look at the depiction of women in male texts in an effort to reveal the misogyny (negative attitudes towards women) lurking there† (Dobie 106). This means critics look at mistreated women in texts. Such as blanks, unfinished sentences, and even silences. Henrick Ibsen’s, A Doll’s House, captures the unfavorable gender-role of oppressed women who are treated as mere â€Å"dolls† played by men

The Definition of Happiness - 505 Words

What does happiness mean? According to Merriam-Webster happiness (1) is a state of well-being and contentment, (2) an experience that makes people happy. There can be many definitions of the word happiness because it may mean different things to people. What may make me happy may not make others happy. For me happiness is as simple as feeling good about myself, doing what I love and having the people I love around me. According to the Declaration of Independence, they do not guarantee us happiness, but they do guarantee us the right to pursue what makes us happy. Happiness is hard to achieve, and that is why most of us live trying to find those things that make us happy. My family brings joy and happiness into my life. They are a very important part of my everyday life. My family accepts and understands me as I am, and they support me no matter what. They are the ones who encourage me whenever I have a problem and help me survive in tough times. They teach me the values of love, affection and care. They are an essential part of my development and personality; thanks to them, I am a good person today. It makes me happy to go home every day and see my family, have dinner with them and spend time together. I think my life will not be the same without my parents and my sister. They are a complement to my happiness. I pursue happiness through education. It makes me happy to go to school every day and learn new things. Getting good grades is a big satisfaction for me. In addition,Show MoreRelatedDefinition Of Happiness942 Words   |  4 Pagesthose around me. The definition of happiness is important. Some people would say that those that seek happiness will never obtain it. I certainly agree that people who want bliss all the time, will never get there, but I don’t think that applies to all types of happiness. Someone who wants to be happy, and I don’t mean the delirious, madly euphoric kind of happy, can, with time and effort, achieve this goal. I think many people also fall into the fallacy that happiness is either begotten throughRead MoreDefinition Essay On Happiness757 Words   |  4 PagesHappiness Many people show happiness in many ways from a smile to a laugh, but do we really know what’s behind our happiness? Happiness is derived from the old English word, hap, which means lucky. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes happiness as â€Å"a state of well-being and contentment†; â€Å"a pleasure or satisfying experience† (â€Å"happy†). â€Å"Happiness encompasses living a meaningful life, utilizing your gifts and your time, living with thought and purpose† (Flora). This is the physiological definitionRead MoreDefinition Essay On Happiness717 Words   |  3 PagesAccording to the Dictionary, â€Å"happiness is the mental or emotional state of well being which can be defined by others. A pleasurable or satisfying experience.†. Of course that’s true, the feeling of happiness is what it’s scientifically defined as, but happiness is much more than that. Happiness could be a certain sound, a smell, even feeling a certain pi ece of clothing or a thick warm blanket. People spend hours even years trying to work for what they think is happiness. They work for hours to getRead MoreA New Definition Of Happiness909 Words   |  4 PagesA New Definition of Happiness By Alec Borenstein | Submitted On November 07, 2011 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook 1 Share this article on Twitter 1 Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon 1 Share this article on Delicious 1 Share this article on Digg 1 Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest Expert Author Alec Borenstein THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS Happiness. It s a wordRead MoreAristotle And Socrates And Aristotles Definition Of Happiness1157 Words   |  5 PagesHappiness is an absolute state of mind, where a person can realize the ultimate contentment in their life regardless of circumstances. Happiness is the end of every desire, after which nothing is desirable. Socrates believes that happiness is a concept of morality and the stable state of ones’ mind, which is non-dependable on the material goods, resources and circumstances. Whereas Aristotle in the Nicomachean Ethics, states that â€Å"happiness depends on our self†, where both the material satisfactionRead MoreThe Definition of Happiness in Tom Hewitts Article Learning from Tison970 Words   |  4 Pagesqualifications for this particular term, happiness actually can be defined. In fact, it usually helps to best define happiness in terms of what it is and what it is not. Happiness is certainly a state of fluctuation there is no consistent, prolonged st ate of felicity. If so, it then becomes normal, the normal becomes boring, and the result a sort of benign content becomes a bland, meaningless state devoid of any significant stimulus. Instead, what is needed for happiness is the vicissitudes of life. WereRead MoreHappiness Essay982 Words   |  4 PagesHappiness is most prominent in those that are fortunate. Those with many friends, a supportive family, and an abundance of material goods are the happiest. Aristotle teaches that happiness is the ultimate goal in a successful life. It is a sense of fulfillment that comes to all who are blessed. Happiness is acquired through competence and prosperity. It is a reward to all who flourish in life. Those born into poverty and anguish are more likely to be miserable than happy. It is highly necessary forRead MoreThe Aim of Man Essays707 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"The Aim of Man† Aristotle starts off in his essay explaining the definitions of Good, Primacy of Statecraft and the study of Ethics. He defines good as where all things are to be aimed, for example health. He then defines Statecraft as citizens of a state, a country, and of the world need to do good for their own good but more importantly for the good of the state. He also characterizes various types of good. Finally, the definition on study of Ethics. This talks about the pure excellence of justiceRead MoreUnit 4 Happiness Assignment1205 Words   |  5 PagesUnit 4 Happiness Assignment Levi Wilson Kaplan University HU300-26 The first person I interviewed was my friend’s grandmother. Although I have not met her, I have heard many things about her. She is 85 years old and has a good perspective on life. The second person I interviewed was my friend’s daughter. I know her very well. We have spent a great deal of time together. Interview with Mrs. Sally Watson Question: What is your definition of happiness? Response: Being happy meansRead MoreZiyin 1 1 Essay1327 Words   |  6 Pagescountry. He uses a beguiling mixture of travel, psychology, science, and humor to investigate where happiness is. Rhetoric has enjoyed many definitions, accommodated differing purposes, and varied widely in what it included. The traditional definition of rhetoric, first proposed by Aristotle, was the art of observing in any given case the â€Å"available means of persuasion.† It is such a wise definition. In a broader sense, good rhetoric can refer to the effective use of language in any form of discourse

The Relationships Between Human Health and Agriculture Free Essays

Spedding (1988) defines agriculture as â€Å"an activity (of Man), carried out primarily to produce food and fibre (and fuel, as well as many other materials) by the deliberate and controlled use of (mainly terrestrial) plants and animals†1. Inherent in this definition is the importance of agriculture and its impact on the lives of virtually all human beings around the world. Through their ability to control and cultivate whole biological systems for their own purposes and survival, agriculture can be regarded as one of the most revolutionary and distinguishing aspects of mankind. We will write a custom essay sample on The Relationships Between Human Health and Agriculture or any similar topic only for you Order Now Read also Six Dimensions of Health Worksheet In this way, it is also directly linked to human welfare, and one can explore the way advances in the two domains affect one another, building up to an almost symbiotic relationship between human health and agriculture. Even with a cursory thought, there is a significant link between agriculture and human health. Raeburn insists that the main contribution to human welfare is food, and that mankind depends on almost all supplies on agriculture2. Indeed, humans as heterotrophic organisms are dependent on the intake and digestion of organic substances as a source of energy, required for maintaining basic metabolic activities as well as providing chemical energy. These organic substances are what we normally refer to as food, but also essential are the various by-products of agriculture, the main ones being â€Å"food, fibre, and raw materials for industrial use†3 used in our everyday lives to increase our comfort (e. g. otton and wool used for the production of warm clothes). The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as â€Å"a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity†4. This definition allows us to tackle the impact of agriculture on human health from a number of different perspectives. Undoubtedly, the most significant agricultural products contributing to the ‘absence of infirmity or illness’ in human beings are alimentary products. Read this Ch. 22 Respiratory System The fruits, vegetables, cereals, nuts, meat, milk, produced by cultivation, contain vitamins and minerals as well as proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, which are indispensable to maintain a healthy, functioning organism. For example, Vitamin C and E (mainly found in fruits and vegetables) act as powerful antioxidants, protecting cells from foreign toxins and pollutants, as well as cancer-causing agents. Calcium, abundant in dairy products and some green leafy vegetables, is responsible for strong bones and teeth, as well as helping nerve conduction and muscle contraction. They provide a source of fibre as well, which lowers blood cholesterol levels and is believed to prevent certain forms of colon cancer. Of these micronutrients, a majority are not normally produced by our bodies, hence they must be acquired through diet. According to a recent report from the FAO/WHO Expert Report on Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases, most populations are still falling short of the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables. An estimated 2. 7 million people die each year from the risks related to low fruit and vegetable intake5. Low fruit and vegetable intake also affects one’s risks of being affected by Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), such as weakened immune systems, type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and various cancers. The total world population has grown from just under 2 billion to about 6. 2 billion in a mere century6. Read also Intro to Public Relations Notes This is attributed in part to certain technological innovations in the agricultural domain during the 1950s, collectively referred to as â€Å"The Green Revolution†, Through utilization of high-yield crops, irrigation and controlled water supply, and fertilizers and pesticides, the world is producing more food than ever before, mainly by maximizing the output from every hectare of soil. Major arable crops such as rice, wheat, and corn have been experimented on, for they germinate earlier and grow quicker, allowing the harvest of two or three crops a year. New varieties are constantly being developed, which have led up to a 30% increase in maximum yield, as well as more resistant varieties of crops (e. g. wheat which has become resistant to rust and mildew). Chickens and pigs yield twice as much meat and dairy cows twice as much milk as they did 60 years ago, argues Lomborg. An increased interest in irrigation and water control has allowed drier areas to cultivate their fair share of crops, as well as increasing soil fertility in some areas of the world and increase the harvesting opportunities. Indeed, irrigated land makes up only 18% of the world’s total agricultural landmass, but contributes to 40% of the Earth’s food7. Fertilizers and pesticides have also proved indispensable for plant growth and warding off disease-causing insects. The Green Revolution is provides evidence of the positive contribution of agriculture to human health and welfare: food quantity and quality produced have increased, making it feasible for the agricultural domain to keep up with the nutritional needs of a rapidly increasing population. A more tragic example of human dependency on proper agricultural methods is the Irish Potato Blight of 1845 to1847. Whitlock (1965) describes how the popularity of potatoes as a farm crop, after having found their way to Ireland originally from South America through Spain, started to increase, for it was a cheap crop perfectly suited to the needs of a newly urbanized population. Consequently, the Irish population rose from 1 500 000 to 4 000 000 habitants in the course of the eighteenth century. However, the working class’ over-dependency on a potato-based diet resulted in the severe famine that followed the widespread infection of the potato crops by the fungi Phytophthera infestans. The severe famine over the following years and caused a decline of about 1 622 739 Irish citizens between 1841 and 1851 due to the destruction of the staple food supply of the Irish. The physical and social well being of humans is affected by agriculture both at the consumer level, as well as that of the farmers themselves. Farmers and their families face numerous risks working at the farm, such as zoonoses, overexposure to chemical substances, hearing loss, as well as dangers on the farm. Consumers on the other hand, face more indirect risks of chemical residues and quality of food produced. Farmers may be exposed to zoonoses, diseases transferable from animals to humans. These diseases have captured society’s attention often over the course of the past few years, mostly due to notorious examples such as the human variant of BSE (bovine spongioform encephalopathy), the Creutzfield-Jacob disease, even though in the period of 1981-85 they contributed to only 4% of all fatal accidents in agriculture8. Examples also include Farmer’s Lung, a respiratory condition caused by inhalation of fungal spores from mouldy feed or litter, responsible for an allergic reaction in the alveoli and breathing difficulties. Other dangers of normal farm labour include risks of physical injury when working with complicated equipment, like tractors. In 1981-85, about 30% of fatal accidents in agriculture were caused by self-propelled machines, and a further 13% by other field machines9. In addition, hearing loss or permanent ‘ringing’ may occur if working in a tractor for long periods of time without ear protection, for the normal noise level is about 95-105 dB. Possibly, labouring in the agricultural sector is much tougher than most careers in the service sector, contributing to a higher risk of physical exhaustion and stress, as well as technical risks from different machines. Farmers also risk suffering from depression and marginalization, as well as large differences in income. The number of farmers has decreased dramatically over the last century, and it in this way that social exclusion and depression may threaten farmers, especially in the developed countries where the proportion of working population employed in agriculture makes up only around 3%10, and decreasing constantly. Risks for the potential consumer include exposure to chemical residues, mostly from herbicides and pesticides used in the production. After the initial enthusiasm following the success of increased use of fertilizers and pesticides during the Green Revolution, internationally accepted quality standards have been set up in attempt to minimize health hazards of pesticide use, such as the WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme (WHOPES). Some famous examples of potentially toxic chemicals are DDT and paraquat. DDT, a neurotoxic, has been associated with serious damage to the CNS, as well as reproductive abnormalities, in both humans and other organisms. An investigation carried out on a group of men in close contact with DDT at work showed that they appeared to have a decreased fertility rate; in addition, a higher rate of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, and congenital effects were prevalent amongst their offspring11. Indeed, the use of DDT was banned in 1972 in the USA, due to excessive use and its persistence in the environment and fatty tissues in humans and other animals. Paraquat, an organochlorine herbicide, is admitted to be generally safe provided certain precautions are taken, but at the same time it is considered to be highly toxic. Its effects can be quite hazardous, from lung scarring, kidney and heart failure, and carcinogenic risks in the long run, as well as skin irritation, nosebleeds, and eye injury resulting from non-lethal long term exposure. As is the case with many pesticide residues, when consumers are exposed to minute amounts of the substance over a long time period, the chronic effects may have quite a devastating impact on not only human health, but that of other organisms and the environment too. However, it seems reasonable to say that their use in the recent decades has greatly increased yields of the major crops like corn, wheat, and rice, contributing to an increase in the average daily calorie intake of populations, especially in developing countries12. It may be that usage of pesticides and herbicides proves to be more beneficial than harmful to the human population in the long run, for an increase in yield contributes to a decrease in price of fruit and vegetable produce, essential to our health as we have seen in the previous paragraphs. Lomborg (2001) points out that carsinogenic properties of various pesticides and chemicals have been greatly exaggerated by the press, given that in reality, deaths from pesticide-originating cancers have been found to be less than 1% of all cancer-derived deaths. The last century has seen mankind blessed with many inventions and technological advances which have allowed him to even further manipulate and control the world and mechanisms surrounding him. The agricultural domain has also had its fair share of innovations, which have allowed it to become more efficient, more intensive, and more productive. These advances, such as the development of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and machinery to improve crop yields, appear beneficial to agricultural production, promoting both quality and quantity of food produced. Worries over human health have also reached the point where agriculture is constantly being driven to more intense measures and inventions to increase yield and quality to the products. However, new as these techniques are, their thorough impacts on human health cannot yet be fully assessed. Most techniques affect us strictly through the food we choose to eat, but some may also involve by-products which are harmful to the environment, thus indirectly affecting our health, as well as that of other organisms and the environment. Thus, we can say that the impact of agriculture on human health is significant. The varied, and often direct relationships that exist between agriculture and our welfare demonstrate to what extent it is present in different areas our everyday lives. Each and every human being on the planet is somehow affected by agriculture, for its main contribution is food, indispensable for our health and survival (not to forget other important raw materials). Through the evolution of cultivating land into a wholly organized form of profit-making business, the 20th century has seen the development of agribusiness. We can even consider the relationship between human health and agriculture as being a symbiotic one, where human health works as a guiding force of agricultural innovations, while problems encountered with certain agricultural techniques, methods, and products result in a continuous quest for new solutions to improve the state of human health and agriculture overall. Albeit much progress into human welfare and how to further increase it through output of improved food materials, numerous controversies still exist as to whether too much importance is being attributed to purely human interests, in the place of more global and environmental ones. Humans must find a compromise between their own welfare interests and those of animal welfare and environmental problems if the expansion and popularity of agricultural innovations is to continue in the future. How to cite The Relationships Between Human Health and Agriculture, Papers

My Hero free essay sample

John C. Maxwell, an expert in leadership, defines leadership as influence. One leader in my life that has influenced me more than anyone else is a woman named Bailey. She is a formal cheerleader from Baylor University, and graduated with a degree in entrepreneurship. She then pursued a teaching career at my school for one year. While teaching at my school, Bailey influenced many lives including my own. She was my Bible teacher my freshman year, which was a good start to my high school. She always listens to me, and offers her advice on any question I have. She is always willing to help and has always been extremely selfless. Any time I am ever near her she is always smiling, and she has a gift to spread joy to anyone she is around. I shattered my ankle in the sixth grade and was forced to quit gymnastics. When I got off crutches in the eighth grade I started back up in tumbling. We will write a custom essay sample on My Hero or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Bailey encouraged me to try cheer, and for three months, she spent multiple days a week after school teaching me and pouring into my life. Not only did Bailey help me in my academics and athletics, she continuously helped me in my spiritual life. She invests much of her time in listening to every word anyone has to say, and she never rushes them. She treats everyone as if they are the only person in the world she has to focus on. She constantly builds everyone up, and never makes anyone feel unimportant. She makes an effort to not just forget about a person the next year, but she keeps up with them. She never judges, and is always accepting of anything you tell her. Bailey can find a solution to any problem, and is always willing to work with you every step of the way. I always know I can come to her if I ever need an encouraging word, or just to see a sweet smile. Not only is she beautiful on the outside, her inner beauty shines brighter than anyone I have ever met. She is easy to spend time with and a person anyone could talk to for hours on end and get lost in the interesting conversations you would have. I will never forget her and I hope I am blessed with many more years with her. My Hero free essay sample The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. How Full is Your Bucket? The self-help books of the decade. These both have been New York Times bestsellers. Government officials and average citizens throughout the world buy books and tapes on how to improve themselves and their lives. I won’t lie. I’ve delved into a couple of these books (you can’t avoid them with a paranoid mother). In each book I read, it stresses you grow from your mistakes, and that your â€Å"problems† make you stronger. Is it odd that I have grown more from one of my closest cousins’ trials and errors, and not my own? â€Å"Are they twins? They’re adorable!†My cousin and I used to get that each time we went to the local grocery store. We were inseparable. We would play horse in the fields, pick strawberries, and hoola-hoop the summers away. The years passed, but the summers were different. We will write a custom essay sample on My Hero or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page We drifted. Although she was far away, she was still my hero. I admired her hop scotch skills, her confidence, and how cool she was. Tanya. My best friend. We promised we would never drift, but it happened. It was almost like having my vision taken away. It was hard to live without. Today, she’s nineteen. She’s in prison, facing six felonies and forty years. Heroin and coke replaced me as her best friend. But they can’t laugh with her. They can’t swing with her, gossip about boys, or help mend a broken heart. She wasn’t even the same girl anymore. I felt like my hero had disappeared. So, who do I look up to now? I’m not trying to tell you a sob story. I know hardships happen in every family. But my cousin impacted me in a way that no one else has. By seeing her potential ruined, I realized I have a chance to make a difference. She was made for greatness, and I want to choose the path she could have taken. I’m planning on going for a psychology major, so I can do my best to prevent tragedies in other families. Maybe I can be like the self help book for a family in need. If I could help even one person like my cousin, I would be satisfied. I love Tanya dearly, and I wish for nothing but the best. But you don’t always get the best. The saying, â€Å"the most you can do is hope for the best, but expect the worse† has stuck with me. Thanks to my cousin, I’d like to change that. For myself, I hope and expect nothing but the best.