Max and Liesel; How Max Plays an Important Role in Liesel’s Life

The idea of a Jewish male and a German girl becoming good acquaintances is an unimaginable, punishable thought in the time that The Book Thief is written. However, Max Vandenburg and Liesel Meminger went against this abomination during this time and during their friendship Max Vandenburg gave many things to Liesel: purpose through strength, purpose in knowing that Jews are humans as well, and purpose in knowing the power of words. Max and Liesel are two similar but very different characters in The Book Thief. These two characters although conflicted find comfort in each other through seeing things in color and words, which gives Liesel a different view on varying prominent things in her life, in Germany. By better understanding how Max and Liesel compare and differ in character a reader can determine how Max’s life gives Liesel purpose through making her stronger, showing her the brutality of the Nazi’s, and showing her the power of words. Liesel becomes stronger emotionally through having a shared feeling of abandonment between Max and her from their past experiences. After she and Max Vandenburg share their nightmares in the basement of the Hubermann’s, Liesel begins to deal with her nightmares by herself and to not let them envelop her. Liesel also realizes through these stories of Max’s experiences that if he can fight for his life everyday and live by running then she can persevere through her nightmares and be stronger. By keeping some emotions inside her, like fear and love, she helps adjust to relying on just herself which is shown in the ending of the book, â€Å"Hot tears fought for room in her eyes as she would not let them out. Better to stand resolute and proud† (Zusak 512). Having strength also gave her a voice allowing her to stand up to different people and change people’s minds in very intricate ways. As Liesel became stronger it led her to have more of a purpose in different ways and she finds new reasons to live. One of the most prominent of differences between the two characters is physical; Max is Jewish and Liesel is German. As the book is set during the time period of World War II in Germany, the separation between the Jews and the Aryan race is an outstanding factor in people’s lives. Liesel overcame the sense of being hypnotized to the Furher’s words through Max and their friendship. Beginning to realize the brutality of the Nazi’s and the nature of the Jews, Liesel changes her mind about the Nazi government, allowing her to not be as easily swayed by the propaganda of the dictator of Germany. People begin to realize the innocence and the lack of prejudice in a child especially through Liesel as she grew older, â€Å"She was a Jew feeder without a question in the world on a man's first night in Molching† (Zusak 532). This gives Liesel purpose to show other Germans the same realization that both those of the Aryan Race and the Jewish people are human and they can share the same interests as each other. Through Max’s and Liesel’s shared love of books and writing Max gives Liesel the extensive knowledge of the power of words. For the rest of her life she cherishes this knowledge, â€Å"She was still holding onto the words who had saved her life† (Zusak 499). Words not only helped her and Max, but she found her true calling in comforting people through reading to them. â€Å"The Standover Man† and â€Å"The Word Shaker† allows Liesel to see the effects of words on her through someone else’s eyes as well as the effect of her words on someone else. Max shows her that she too has made him stronger and he accepts several troubles in his life. Through recognizing this it gives Liesel purpose and eventually led her to write a book on her own called â€Å"The Book Thief†. Soon after Max leaves the Hubermann household Liesel finds out the reason she steals books and why they mean so much to her, giving her stealing a purpose as well. The knowledge of words from Max really contributes to Liesel’s purpose in life and allows Liesel to grow as a person by knowing the effect of words on people. Max gives Liesel a different outlook on different things in her life like her bad experiences, the German government, and words. Liesel becomes stronger as she begins to realize that compared to Max she is without struggle in her life. She sees that before she met Max Vandenburg she was devoted to the ways of the Nazi’s and now seeing what they have done to those like Max, she changes her ways. Also, the biggest thing Max has bestowed on Liesel is showing her the power of words; this gives Liesel true purpose in giving her the power to comfort and harm people through both reading and writing. The relationship between Max and Liesel is a great marvel in Markus Zusak’s, The Book Thief, and is a huge turning point in the book as well.

Metaphorical Criticism of American Beauty Essay

Metaphorical Criticism of American Beauty - Essay Example As the paper declares the underlying message in the film is every human being’s quest for happiness and beauty, but this message is communicated through metaphors rather than stated directly in the dialogues. One of the most significant metaphors in the film is the use of the color red, as represented in the rose and rose petals that occur periodically in the film. The red symbolizes love and lust, yet it also symbolizes violence and death. Similarly, the metaphor of a garbage bag is used to present a message that is quite the opposite – that of beauty and transience. Each one of the characters in the film is involved in the same search – the search for happiness, although in each character’s case, the object of happiness is different. For the protagonist Lester, happiness lies in sexual conquest of his daughter’s friend by becoming youthful again, which reflects his desire to pull himself out of his current family situation where he is controlled b y his wife and her perceptions of what is socially correct. According to the report findings a metaphor is an outward symbol that helps in the process of attaining knowledge about the world. It is a group of things related in a particular manner in order to discover similar relations within another group, through the agents of language, categorization, comparison and contrast. It presents visually, the message that is being transmitted mentally, through the cognitive abilities of association.

Women in top management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Women in top management - Essay Example The essay will apply the use of secondary research, which means that it will solely rely on secondary data in order to meet the set objective. In order to attain the objective stipulated above, this study will begin with a literature review that aims at discussing the feminist theory, women’s position in the society, and the positive contribution women can make towards an organisation if their level of participation is increased. In the third sub-section, the essay presents case examples that demonstrate how increasing women’s participation in top management teams can be beneficial for organisations. In the conclusion, the essay will provide a recommendation to the managers in regards to the benefits of increasing women’s participation. Theoretical background This section will discuss the theory related to discussion of how increasing women’s participation in top management team can be beneficial for organisations.... ory, since the study is related to increasing women’s participation in the top management teams of organisations and the likely impact this can have on the performance of the organisation. Women’s position in the society The position of women in the society has been an issue of debate more so in the 21st century where numerous efforts have been made to redefine this position as well as the role of women in the society. According to McKee (2006), these efforts have been aimed at giving women a more vibrant role and a significant position in the society rather than the ones confined by the earlier traditions or cultural beliefs and attitudes. For example, in the biblical times, writings indicate that women were confined to lower ranks than men in the society were, and they were expected to be submissive to demands and wishes of men. The Biblical writings even hint to the fact that that women owe their origin to the male gender (the story of God using Adam’s rib to create Eve). From the earlier cultural beliefs that are not only exhibited in the Christian faith but also in the Islamic faith as well as other cultures, women were naturally excluded from certain roles and positions within the society mainly because of gender bias. Brush et al. (2010) argued that in the modern world and more in particular the years before, the new millennium, gender segregation was mostly exhibited in the working environment and in the political environment whereby the participation of women was limited to minor roles. However, Brush et al. (2010) noted that in the 21st century there have been tremendous improvements in women trying to gain equal status as men in the work environment and in the political arena. For example, the present Chief Executive Officer of Yahoo, Inc is a woman

Analysis Hitler as leader Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Analysis Hitler as leader - Assignment Example In addition, the paper will also shed some light on Hitler’s leadership using two concepts of current leadership constructs of Power and Influence. On April 20, 1889 in Braunau-am-Inn, Austria, a youthful peasant girl, Poelzl Klara and her husband Alois Hitler Schickelgruber gave birth to a baby son. Growing up, Hitler began going to school at the age of six, although his family kept shifting from one village to another around the town of Linz. Shirer (1960) makes it clear that Hitler had a younger brother, by the name Edmund. Edmund only managed to live until the age of seven. The young Hitler was a discontented child, moody, lazy and was deeply hostile towards his authoritative father, but was very close to her industrious mother. Finally, his mother passed on from cancer, which was a shattering blow to Hitler. Greatly affected, Hitler’s performance at school nosedived. He left school at the age of seventeen after spending four years in Realschule. He quit school with the dreams of becoming a successful painter. In October 1907, Hitler left his hometown for Vienna, where he remained until 1913 leading a life of a vagabond and societal reject. Hitler’s rejection of his application to join the Viennese Academy of Artistry greatly embittered him. He decided to indulge in odd jobs like hawking of sketches in the taverns of Vienna and a watercolor painter. Fest (1970) observes that Hitler was so miserable and frustrated, which he compensated for by engaging the societal low class and cheap men in low-priced cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s and taverns in talks about his grandiose dreams for a greater Germany. He openly declared his hatred for the Marxists and Jews, as well the cosmopolitan Habsburg monarchy and the liberalists. Liddell Hart (1971) draws attention to the fact that Hitler’s aggression and hatred were fuelled by the rejection of his application to join the Vienna Academy

Behaviourists explain maladaptive behaviour in terms of learning Essay

Behaviourists explain maladaptive behaviour in terms of learning principles that sustain and maintain it.DISCUSS this statement - Essay Example In the wider perspective, maladaptive behaviour has been discussed from different viewpoints such as biological, psychological, and socio-cultural perspectives, and these viewpoints stress the significance of causal factors of this behaviour. Significantly, the Freudian psychoanalytic theory is the oldest psychological point of view about maladaptive behaviour and it was, for a long time, preoccupied with principles regarding libidinal energies and their suppression. Later on, the behaviourist theorists also came with their viewpoints about maladaptive behaviour and they formulated several principles to explain this characteristic in human beings. â€Å"The behavioural perspective focuses on the role of learning in human behaviour and attributes maladaptive behaviour either to failure to learn appropriate behaviour or to the learning of maladaptive behaviours. Adherents of the behavioural viewpoint attempt to alter maladaptive behaviour by extinguishing it and/or providing training in new, more adaptive behaviours.† (Carson, Butcher, Mineka, and Hooley, 2000, P. 105). Therefore, it is fundamental to comprehend that maladaptive behaviour is explained by different psychological schools in different ways. For example, Behaviourists explain maladaptive behaviour in terms of learning principles that sustain and maintain it. This paper makes a reflective exploration of the behaviourist principles concerning maladaptive behaviour in order to maintain that the behaviourist’s approach therapy is in stark contrast to a psychoanalytic (Freudian) approach. PART ONE: Behaviourist Principles and Maladaptive Behaviour The behaviourist approach to abnormality deals with maladaptive behaviour and its basic causes. According to this approach, the maladaptive forms of behaviour that have been learnt by an individual are the basic causes of mental disorders. In other words, the behaviourist viewpoint of abnormality maintains that the learning process in human behavio ur plays a significant role in the acquisition of maladaptive behaviour. The Behaviourists argue that mental disorders are due to â€Å"a complex of learned, inappropriate behaviours, or the absence of appropriate behaviour sequences. In the first instance, behaviour is termed ‘maladaptive’†¦ Further, the rules of acquisition of maladaptive behaviour are no different than the rules of acquisition of adaptive sequences.† (Medcof, Emslie, Roth, 1979, P. 264). In their provocative explanation of abnormal behaviour, the behaviourists emphasizes on how a particular maladaptive sequence is learned, because they believe that the maladaptive behaviour can be removed only by comprehending the specific conditions underlying the behaviour. Thus, the behaviourist approach makes use of the learning theory which incorporates the theories of classical conditioning and operant conditioning. In a reflective exploration of the behavioural model of abnormality, it becomes luci d that this psychological theory emphasizes the role of learning in the acquisition of maladaptive behaviour. In other words, the behaviourists maintain that the human actions are determined mainly by the life experiences of the individuals, and the role of the unconscious forces or the underlying forces is largely limited. According to the behavioural

Oskar Schindler Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Oskar Schindler - Essay Example Oskar Schindler is known to have saved the lives of around a thousand Jews at the time of the Holocaust. What follows is a detailed account of Mr. Schindler (Crowe, 2004). The Life of Oskar Schindler Many people believe that Oskar Schindler was a true hero, at a time when the Jews were brutally murdered; Oskar Schindler actually saved the lives of 1000 Jews. What is most remarkable is the fact that he himself was a Jew ant that too one belonging to the Nazi party. For someone to have the courage to do that speaks volumes about his character. Oskar Schindler owned three factories, out of which only one employed Jewish forced laborers. In 1944, Emalia (the factory that employed Jewish laborers) was at its peak and had employed 1700 workers out of which 1000 were Jews. During the time of the torture, the Emalia workers were also subject to brutal treatment at the Plaszow concentration camp, however, whenever possible Schindler intervened to see that the treatment at the camp was as less severe as possible. Moreover, Schindler also gave refuge to his employees at the Emalia along with approximately 450 other Jews so that they were able to evade the torture and brutal murders at Plaszow (Bulow, 2009).

Post War Era, 1946-1954 - Written Assignment Essay

Post War Era, 1946-1954 - Written Assignment - Essay Example ype, represents a fusion of jazz, blues, and boogie-woogie in a swinging upbeat designed to offer some comic relief in substance and rhythm, meaningfully and emphatically conveyed through percussions. Hoochie Coochie Man, on the contrary, features a more relaxed tempo and appears to have much inclination to romantic subjects with some degree of sophistication. In his performance, Muddy Waters was able to deliver a content peculiar with the black culture during post-war era. The need to tone down and experience soothing transition readily builds within the atmosphere and though the jazz level of the song leans towards neoclassicism, it is still one that could do justice to an unpopular struggle of uniqueness in which notes and succession remain unpredictable though artfully crafted to encourage slow yet sensational moves in response. As rendered through percussive selection, the music in Hoochie Coochie Man had been arranged to appropriately coincide with the overall composition such that it forms a trend in classic blues that was later to influence the modern rhythm and blues with flexible style and confidence. Choo Choo Ch’ Boogie seeks compatibility with those whose mood is up for raving and dancing in quick-paced steps and boogie fashion. An audience under rock and roll framework would most likely acquire fondness to blend with it, having a nature similar to the original preference. While Choo Choo Ch’ Boogie would normally target to have frolicking listeners, Hoochie Coochie Man is equivalently expected to play in front of a somewhat nostalgic or maudlin crowd hoping to be mildly stirred as thoughts dissolve into the blues with a little troubled lightness. It enables its audience to drift into a dimension of soul while maintaining a significant awareness of the reality. Being a mood music of its kind, either Choo Choo Ch’ Boogie or Hoochie Coochie Man brings about an attitude which each audience might not know they’d be taken into on the process. As