The Man with the Golden Arm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Man with the Golden Arm - Essay Example .. Mr. Algren, boy, you are good" ("Review Quote": np). After reading this novel, I am compelled to agree. This novel is at times strange, at times very dark, and always engaging and very interesting. People the world over all know Chicago by reputation, and yet the version of this famous city offered up by Nelson Algren is grittier and edgier than the versions offered up by tourist brochures or television sitcoms. The characters are also intriguing and engaging. There is an almost simultaneous sense of disgust and admiration as we experience how these characters aspire and strive in uncertain and distasteful circumstances. The atmosphere which he creates deepens rather than minimizes the reading pleasure. The novel's world is both plausible and foreign; more particularly, it is an atmosphere which we can imagine existing, but which also seems to be an atmosphere that we will never actually step into personally. There is a certain feeling of safety in this distance, which Nelson Algren provides through the medium of the novel. Finally, i t is also important to note that Nelson Algren chooses and uses his words, both narrative and dialogue, meaningfully and succinctly. He does not bore the reader with tangential information. He does not deaden the plot with unnecessary details. Every word conveys meaning. The result is a novel which is extraordinarily difficult to put down, and even more difficult to forget once the final page is read. This is a book which under normal circumstances I would probably never have read. This book report will explain why I am so happy that I have now read the novel. As an initial matter, this is the story of a Chicago drug addict. This character, Frankie the Machine Makjinek, works as a card dealer at illegal poker games. The golden arm reference is to his steady, card-dealing arm. Frankie has just returned to his old neighborhood in Chicago, from jail and a temporarily successful attempt at detoxification, and he works as a card dealer while he tries to turn his life around. He wants to beat his morphine addiction, and he also wants to stay out of trouble and out of jail. The story revolves around his attempts to straighten out his life while simultaneously existing alongside other drug addicts, attempting to pacify a dominant wife, and striving to beat his own former addiction to morphine. In many ways, this is a similar type of story. A person has made a mistake, the mistake has had negative consequences, and the person wants to pursue a better and a more productive life. There are thousands and thousands of stories premised in the same fundamental fashion. What is different about The Man with the Golden Arm, however, is the way in which the story is presented. There is a tremendous depth in the characters. There is a very particularized depth in the setting. More significantly, Nelson Algren presents this quest by the main protagonist as an almost impossible quest. There is an almost mocking tone extended to notions that human beings are civilized or otherwise capable of suppressing deep-seated urges and instinctive desires. Nelson Algren seems alm ost a cynic and a realist at the same time. He feels sympathy rather than pity for his main protagonist. In this way, the reader is compelled, at times, to question whether Frankie the Machi

Analysis of NCLB and IDEA 2004 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of NCLB and IDEA 2004 - Research Paper Example Schools that fail to meet the AYP objectives for two or more years are categorized as the institutions â€Å"in need of improvement†. Schools under this category may face various consequences (Thomas, Brian, J., Caroline, & Helen, 2010). The NCLB plan demands states to base tests on academic standards and start examining students in Math and reading in grades 3 through 8, on an annually basis. Furthermore, students should receive such tests at least once in grades 10 through 12. The most recent guideline recommends 100% proficiency in Mathematics and reading. NCLB argues that each child must test on grade level in Math and reading. Furthermore, NCLB authorizes school districts to hire educators designated as â€Å"highly qualified† to teach major academic subjects in Title 1 plan. Lastly, the accountability section demands states to describe their strategies for closing the achievement gap and ensuring that all students including the disadvantaged ones attain academic p roficiency (Beekman, 2009). IDEA 2004 targets building equity, responsibility and excellence in education for individuals with disabilities. The plan demands special education teachers to be highly qualified. Furthermore, the plan guides that all students with disabilities should participate in state or district testing in alternate examination (Beekman, 2009). IDEA also states that short-term goals and standards with the exception of the category under alternate assessment should be placed in a temporary alternative setting for involvement in violence, weapons and drugs. In summary, IDEA guides that administrators and policy makers should run customized systems that accord special attention to students with disabilities. The NCLB and IDEA provisions generate a serious controversy because they involve various sensitive aspects. Some scholars believe that the provisions provided by these plans are important for developing better education systems. However, critical observations argue that some provisions are vague and unattainable. For example, critics emphasize that the idea of 100% participation is unachievable because of the challenges associated with the disabled students. Furthermore, the idea of hiring â€Å"highly qualified† teachers may be unrealistic because students’ performance is not entirely dependent on teacher’s competence (McCaffrey, 2004). NCLB and IDEA provisions are likely to affect my activities in the classroom. This is because; my actions must fall within the provisions’ guidelines. It is apparent that as a special education teacher, I have a major duty of ensuring successful implementation of NCLB and IDEA proposals. Often, attaining the plans’ objectives may be challenging because of the great gap between regular students and students with disabilities. However, being a special education teacher, I must devise strategies for handling all controversial concerns within my classroom (Thomas, Brian, J., Car oline, & Helen, 2010). Initially, NCLB and IDEA provisions oblige me into presenting high degrees of professionalism and competence when handling my students. This highlights that with the presence of the plans’ guidelines, the special education teacher career is likely to be a sensitive duty. For example, a provision of the NCBL plan emphasizes the need of hiring â€Å"highly qualified† teachers. This means that I should present commitment towards conforming to the standards of the