Government Regulations and Standards That Affect the Policy and Target Population Essay Example for Free

Government Regulations and Standards That Affect the Policy and Target Population Essay Use the information you gathered for the Week Two assignment and research government regulations and standards that affect the policy and target population you chose. You can research your state’s legislative department or the Web sites listed in Appendix G, for example, for laws, regulations, and standards affecting human service organizations. Describe the current government regulations or standards you researched. What kind of impact do these regulations or standards have on your issue and target population? Identify obstacles that would prevent you from meeting the needs of your target population. Consider future trends and changes to social policy that may be necessary in order for your issue to be resolved or for the target population to have its needs satisfied. Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper in APA format, with references, summarizing your research results. Post your paper as a Microsoft ® Word attachment. Due: Day 7 Michigan Works and the Department of Human Resources are both government funded agencies to assist those in the state of Michigan that are in need of basic survival needs. Both of these agencies work together to help families get back on track to support themselves and develop a better understanding of how to assist themselves. Under the Department of Human Resources (DHS), the regulations to obtain cash assistance or welfare, from the State, the individual needs to attend the Michigan Works program to seek employment (to get off the welfare). Due to major cuts last year, the state has made reformed decisions on ways of obtaining help from the state. Family Independence Program (FIP) also known as cash assistance in the state of Michigan requires the applicants to sign up for the JET program (Jobs, Education and Training) through Michigan Works. The main goal of FIP is to help families become self-supporting and independent. FIP is temporary cash assistance for low-income families with minor children and pregnant women. FIP helps them pay for living expenses such as rent, heat, utilities, clothing, food and personal care items. Recently, the eligibility requirements have gotten tighter. There is a 48 month lifetime limit now, in which thousands lost their assistance last October. Also to qualify for FIP, children must be under the age of 18, or a high school student age 18. The childs parents, stepparents, and siblings who live together normally make up the FIP group. A relative acting as a parent or legal guardians may be included in the group if the parent is not in the home. A person can sometimes be eligible for FIP when there is no child in the group, such as a pregnant woman, or parents whose child is in foster care but is expected to return home within one year. Only U. S. citizens are eligible for FIP and must only have up to $3,000 in assets. And with assets such as your vehicles and personal belongings are not counted. The property asset limit is $500,000. The state will step in also if one of the parents in not on the same case as the child which would require a support statement through the courts (child support). Finally, anyone who receives cash assistance must attend the JET program to ensure that individual is seeking employment weekly. All programs are there for those who As for policies of FIP, this policy is necessary to ensure that Michigans limited resources are available to help those truly in needs that require a hand-up on the road to self-sufficiency. The State of Michigan has a number of programs available to help recipients step toward independence. Many of these programs focus specifically on the welfare of children ensured for their health, care and development. Those programs include Medicaid, Food and Rent Assistance, Child Developmental Care, WIC, MiChild, Step Forward Michigan, Children’s Special Health Services, Michigan Works, Vaccines for Children, Child and Adolescent Health Center Program, Maternity Outpatient Medical Services, State Emergency Relief. The mission for Michigan Works is to provide leadership and services, and promote quality and excellence for the advancement of Michigan’s Workforce Development System and its customers and professionals. Michigan Works! Association was established in 1987 to provide services and support to Michigan’s Workforce Development System. Michigan Works! Agencies assist job seekers and employers in their communities. While each agency is unique, all 25 Michigan Works! Agencies share several fundamental qualities: Locally-responsive and demand-driven, Governed by a Workforce Development Board comprised of private sector representatives and Local Elected Officials, Provide access to a full range of core employment-related services to help businesses find the skilled workers they need, and help job seekers find satisfying careers. Their policies are to educate, train and help obtain employment for anyone who needs it. DHS will designate individuals to Michigan Works to help individuals gain independence and not have to receive welfare. Michigan Works! Association builds and maintains strong relationships with legislators and advocates on behalf of the Michigan Works! System. Through the Association, members can access timely, relevant professional development opportunities to ensure high-quality programs and service delivery to all customers. The Association also convenes meetings as a way for members to network and share best practices, and coordinates events to promote the Michigan Works! System.

Intrusion Detection System Case Study

Intrusion Detection System Case Study Abstract Intrusion Detection system (IDS) has become powerful to provide security against the attack. It will help us to identify the deterring and deflecting malicious attacks over the network [1]. To remove all these problem regarding to security has been removed by this paper. In this paper we will go through the theoretical basis for intrusion detection. A distributed intrusion detection system based on agents and on multi agents based distributed intrusion detection also discussed in this paper. Some string matching algorithm are also used for the intrusion detection system. Keywords Distributed Intrusion Detection System; Agents; Multi Agents. 1. Introduction In the introduction of this paper, we are concerning the string matching algorithm in intrusion detection algorithm. In further we will see how to use the algorithm in IDS. String matching algorithm provides the solution to the problem of Intrusion detection. This algorithm will help us to detect the suspicious attack. Bad Character Heuristics The bad character heuristics [2] is very similar to the Boyer Moore string algorithm before. In this algorithm the string is divided into n number of character. Then the message is to be checked to remove the malicious attacks. In this algorithm it will check the first character of a string which is to be entered in a message. If that string is to be considered wrong that means there is some attack and the whole message is not to be considered whether it is right. The problem regarding to this is that it can easily hide the default part in the strings. Aho-Corasick:-Aho-corasick Algorithm is also used to remove the limitation of pervious algorithm. In this algorithm Aho-Corasick [2] make a algorithm as a tree structure. In this there is current node such as a message which to be checked, then if there is a matching node found in the testing than for that other node is to be made. Then after that if any other current node is being tested and if any problem is matched to the present node then the other string is to be tested. SFK Search In SFK search algorithm [2] in this there is a sibling node or the text cases are being present in the form of sibling. So that the current node is being tested by the sibling node ,then at that point the detection is being found ,then it will be added to the sibling node. Otherwise the next node will be tested. By using this algorithm we can find an efficient result. Wu-Manber This algorithm was developed by Wu-Manber [2] in this the limitation of bad character heuristics algorithm is being removed. In this algorithm the shift and hash two table are made to make the detection easy. In this there is character set in the shift table then it will be c be checked in the first table if the defect is found then it is move to the second table. 2. Problem in String Matching Algorithm Some problems are discussed here:- Snort:-Snort uses a set of rules that being derived by a attacks or other defects [2]. The rules are being made by the expert .If the condition is being satisfied then the action is being applied. Snort is a best practices and knowledge of the internet. Snort is a method through which some problem can be removed. In snort there is problem that the use of internet increases, then the definition of snort also increases. In this the use of snort increases so that the database also being very loaded so that there is a complexity in the data base. Due to this the speed of the snort database will decreases. 3. Agent Based Intrusion Detection System To use agent in the intrusion detection system there are some problem which we discussed here:- a) Real time of the intrusion detection and response is not so good [3]. b) If we make the centralized database and all the collective information is sent to that host then there should be overloading [3]. C) If some new hosts are added in the centralized database then the load increases [3]. d) Flexibility of system is not so good. e) Lack of co-operation between different intrusion detection system. To remove this problem there is agent based intrusion detection system used. 1. Agent-Agent is a self-adaptable. Intelligent and collaborative. In this the one is agent interact with the other agent. There are two type of agent: (a)Static agent:-static agent is proposed by the agent technology. In this which platform is being made it is being final, no changes should be made [3]. (b)Mobile agent:- It is capable to move from one node to another network [3] . 3.Working of Distributed Intrusion Detection Based On Agent:- Some merits of agent technology in this paper we will discussed the distributed intrusion detection based on agents [3] . Some parts are: Manage agent, Host Agent, Net Agent .Manage Agent include Mobile Agent Dispatcher (MAD), Learn Agent, Update Agent. -Static Agents are Net Agent and Learn Agent. -Mobile Agents are Manage Agent and Update Agent. In this the data will first checked by the Host Agent and Net Agent. They will detect the suspicious activity found in the data. Then it will send to the manage agent it will check the list in Mobile Agent Dispatcher which attack the host list and the Manage agent move to all the agent to find the similar attack. If mobile agent and and other agent found the threat then it will sent and inform to the Learn Agent which have the learning ability and Learning agent will update to the VHL. So the database is update and checks the other threat. Figure 1, Architecture of Distributed IDS Based on Agents [3]. 4. Distributed Intrusion Detection System On multi-agent In Distributed intrusion detection system only one agent is used to detect the suspicious attack. But the multi-agent it will helpful to find the suspicious attack [4]. (a)Problem:-Some problems are in multi-agent Distributed Intrusion Detection System [4] :- 1) Intrusion Detection cant test entire packet. 2) Signature Database update is not be done timely. 3) It is a single detection. 4) IT cannot interoperate the Intrusion Detection. 5) Intrusion Detection System and other network security cannot be interoperating. (b) Advantages:-some advantages are of Multi-agent are: 1. Intrusion Detection System based on multi-agent technology has a good independent, flexible, scalability [4]. 2. It will use top-down control mechanism which will work to prevent the damage [4]. 3. Each agent can inspect the system to ensure its safety. If it will lose the function, it will send its first message to the upper and then upper will restore the work[4]. 4. Agent analysis application software to protect a number of applications. Use the integrity analysis technology to make detection accurate [4]. (C) Working:- In this Multi-agent based IDS can monitor a analysis network and provide the accurate detection with improve speed. In this there is data collection agent which is configured according to network rate, data encryption etc, parameters. There is a data analysis agent which is based on expert system, state analysis and attacking tree analysis, data analysis agent can achieve high detection rate. There is communication agent which is the main part of multi-agent based IDS.IT must be configured to provide reliable security mechanism. There is a also a center agent which handle those condition that are not handled by analysis agent [4]. 5. Conclusion We have study the most common used String Matching Algorithm that are Bad Character heuristics, Aho-corasick, SFK search, WU-manber and also study the Intrusion detection in distributed computing that are based on agent and multi-agents. We have found that multi-agent based intrusion detection system can improve detection accuracy and detection speed and enhance the systems on security. We also found that Distributed Intrusion Detection Based on Agents and Multi Agents is the Reliable and more efficient than other IDS available Today. In future it also has scope for networks. 6. References Zhuowei Li , Theoretical Basis for Intrusion Detection , Amitabha Das, Jianying Zhou ,Proceedings of the 2005 IEEE workshop on Information Assurance and Security US Military Academy, west Point ,NY. Nathan Tuck, Deterministic Memory-Efficient Matching Algorithms for Intrusion Detection , Timothy Sherwood, Brad Calder , George Varghese, IEEE INFOCOM 2004. Jianxiao Liu , A Distributed Intrusion Detection System Based on Agents , Lijuan Li , IEEE Pacific-Asia Workshop on Computational Intelligence and Industrial Application, 2008. Weijian Huang , A Multi-Agent-Based Distributed Intrusion Detection System, Yan An, Wei Du , 3 rd International Conference on Advanced Computer Theory and Engineering (ICATE) 2010.

An Investigation Into Electrical Resistance :: essays research papers

Background Knowledge Resistance, in electricity, is a property of any object or substance to resist the flow of an electrical current. The quantity of resistance in an electric circuit determines the amount of current flowing in the circuit for any given voltage applied to the circuit. The resistance of an object is determined by the nature of the substance of which it is composed, its resistivity, accounting for its dimensions and its temperature. Resistivity is expressed in terms of Ohms / cm3 at 20Â ºC. An electrical conductor is any material that offers little resistance to the flow of an electric current. The difference between a conductor and an insulator, which is a poor conductor of electricity, is one of degree rather than kind, because all substances conduct electricity to some extent. A good conductor of electricity, such as silver or copper, may have a conductivity billions of times as great, or more, as the conductivity of a good insulator, such as glass or mica. Method We were set the task of investigating the factors that come into play when determining the resistance of a piece of wire. We would be provided with the necessary apparatus needed to carry out the investigations. The basic setup would involve a circuit with a set of cells connected in series with an ammeter and the piece of wire being investigated, and a voltmeter connected in parallel with the wire. The ammeter is placed in series with the wire. An ammeter has a low resistance, so that it introduces as little extra resistance as possible into the circuit. The voltmeter is connected in parallel with the wire. Voltmeters have a high resistance, so the current they take is usually negligible. We decided on the variables that could affect the resistance of a wire:  Length of the wire  Thickness of the wire  The material used as the wire  Temperature We were to investigate as many of these factors as possible given a limited period of time. We would carry out a set of experiments where in each one we changed one variable while keeping the others constant. In each case we would have to measure the current passing through the circuit and the potential difference across the wire; given these the resistance could be calculated using the formula R=v/i, where R is the resistance in Ohms, v is the potential difference in Volts, and i is the current in Amperes.

Whitewater vs. Watergate :: American America History

Whitewater vs. Watergate. Both are political sandals that have rocked the nation. As Watergate unraveled, many of Nixon's dirty tactics were learned, including assorted lists of enemies (a number of which became targets of IRS tax audits), wiretapping, political sabotage, burglary, blackballing, and smear campaigns. Similarly, as Whitewater unfolded, the scandal appeared to involve more than just an illegal loan. It touched on possible hush money paid to witnesses and includes the acquisition of more than 900 confidential FBI files on Bush and Reagan appointees. In many aspects, the two are very similar. They are alike in the cover-ups they both produced. But they still are about two totally different events. Each of these scandals is associated with a central criminal event and both involved a web of political intrigue.1 First, what were Whitewater and Watergate? Whitewater started as a land development of riverfront property in Arkansas in the 1980s. The Clintons received a large share of the development without putting up any money. The development went bad, so additional capital was needed. There is evidence and testimony suggesting that this cash was obtained illegally from the federal government and never paid back. As for Watergate - though it was revealed by the Senate Watergate committee as an unprecedented abuse of presidential power that was extremely dangerous to the country, it is remembered 25 years later as a strange and unsuccessful burglary in the Watergate office building by people linked to the reelection committee of Nixon. But Watergate was so much more than a political burglary. The Senate hearings showed Watergate was composed of constant criminality by the Nixon White House, and was driven by an extreme commitment to maintain control of power by any means, including criminal co nduct. It included the break-in of a psychiatrist's office for the purpose of smearing Daniel Elsberg - the leaker of the Pentagon Papers; the misuse of the IRS and other federal agencies to punish those on the president's "enemies list"; the illegal wiretapping of journalists and members of Nixon's own administration; and the purposeful editing of government documents to enhance a political agenda.2 Many similarities come up when discussing Whitewater and Watergate. The scandals may be separated by two decades, but much irony is evident when they are compared. For example, in 1974, Hillary Rodham was employed as a lawyer by the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment inquiry, along with Bernard Nussbaum, former chief counsel at the Clinton White House. Whitewater vs. Watergate :: American America History Whitewater vs. Watergate. Both are political sandals that have rocked the nation. As Watergate unraveled, many of Nixon's dirty tactics were learned, including assorted lists of enemies (a number of which became targets of IRS tax audits), wiretapping, political sabotage, burglary, blackballing, and smear campaigns. Similarly, as Whitewater unfolded, the scandal appeared to involve more than just an illegal loan. It touched on possible hush money paid to witnesses and includes the acquisition of more than 900 confidential FBI files on Bush and Reagan appointees. In many aspects, the two are very similar. They are alike in the cover-ups they both produced. But they still are about two totally different events. Each of these scandals is associated with a central criminal event and both involved a web of political intrigue.1 First, what were Whitewater and Watergate? Whitewater started as a land development of riverfront property in Arkansas in the 1980s. The Clintons received a large share of the development without putting up any money. The development went bad, so additional capital was needed. There is evidence and testimony suggesting that this cash was obtained illegally from the federal government and never paid back. As for Watergate - though it was revealed by the Senate Watergate committee as an unprecedented abuse of presidential power that was extremely dangerous to the country, it is remembered 25 years later as a strange and unsuccessful burglary in the Watergate office building by people linked to the reelection committee of Nixon. But Watergate was so much more than a political burglary. The Senate hearings showed Watergate was composed of constant criminality by the Nixon White House, and was driven by an extreme commitment to maintain control of power by any means, including criminal co nduct. It included the break-in of a psychiatrist's office for the purpose of smearing Daniel Elsberg - the leaker of the Pentagon Papers; the misuse of the IRS and other federal agencies to punish those on the president's "enemies list"; the illegal wiretapping of journalists and members of Nixon's own administration; and the purposeful editing of government documents to enhance a political agenda.2 Many similarities come up when discussing Whitewater and Watergate. The scandals may be separated by two decades, but much irony is evident when they are compared. For example, in 1974, Hillary Rodham was employed as a lawyer by the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment inquiry, along with Bernard Nussbaum, former chief counsel at the Clinton White House.

Positive Regard Essay

Unconditional Positive Regard is a central concept in the theories of Carl R. Rogers, both for psychotherapy and for interpersonal relations. A universal need for positive regard by others appears at about the same time a person begins to experience awareness of self (Rogers, 1959). In therapy, UPR is a quality of the therapist’s experience toward the client (p. 239). Rogers’ writing sheds light on various aspects of this construct: Unconditional One experiencing UPR holds ‘no conditions of acceptance . . . It is at the opposite pole from a selective evaluating attitude.’ (p. 225) Positive One offers ‘warm acceptance . . . a â€Å"prizing† of the person, as Dewey has used that term . . . It means a caring for the client . . . ’ (p. 225). Regard One regards ‘each aspect of the client’s experience as being part of that client . . . It means a caring for the client, but not in a possessive way or in such a way as simply to satisfy the therapist’s own needs. It means caring for the client as a separate person, with permission to have his [or her] own feelings, his [or her] own experiences.’ (p. 225) Theoretically, the importance of UPR lies in its power to build up or restore the recipient’s unconditional positive self-regard. Unconditional positive regard requires that a person be warm and accepting even when another person has done something questionable. While most parents attempt to give their children unconditional love, few grant their children unconditional positive regard. Many therapists advocate giving their clients unconditional positive regard as part of the therapeutic process. UPR is most notably associated with person-centered therapy, or Rogerian therapy. Carl Rogers (1951) viewed the child as having two basic needs: positive regard from other people and self-worth. How we think about ourselves, our feelings of self-worth are of fundamental importance both to psychological health and to the likelihood that we can achieve goals and ambitions in life and achieve self-actualization. Self-worth may be seen as a continuum from very high to very low. For Carl Rogers (1959) a person who has high self-worth, that is, has confidence and positive feelings about him or her self, faces challenges in life, accepts failure and unhappiness at times, and is open with people. A person with low self-worth may avoid challenges in life, not accept that life can be painful and unhappy at times, and will be defensive and guarded with other people. Rogers believed feelings of self-worth developed in early childhood and were formed from the interaction of the child with the mother and father. As a child grows older, interactions with significant others will affect feelings of self-worth. Rogers believed that we need to be regarded positively by others; we need to feel valued, respected, treated with affection and loved. Positive regard is to do with how other people evaluate and judge us in social interaction. Rogers made a distinction between unconditional positive regard and conditional positive regard. Unconditional positive regard is where parents, significant others (and the humanist therapist) accepts and loves the person for what he or she is. Positive regard is not withdrawn if the person does something wrong or makes a mistake. The consequences of unconditional positive regard are that the person feels free to try things out and make mistakes, even though this may lead to getting it worse at times. People who are able to self-actualize are more likely to have received unconditional positive regard from others, especially their parents in childhood. Conditional positive regard is where positive regard, praise and approval, depend upon the child, for example, behaving in ways that the parents think correct. Hence the child is not loved for the person he or she is, but on condition that he or she behaves only in ways approved by the parent(s). At the extreme, a person who constantly seeks approval from other people is likely only to have experienced conditional positive regard as a child. How Unconditional Positive Regard Works in TherapyRogers believed that it was essential for therapists to show unconditional positive regard to their clients. He also suggested that individuals who don’t have this type of acceptance from people in their life can eventually come to hold negative beliefs about themselves. The demonstration of UPR from a therapist can encourage people to share their thoughts, feelings, and actions without fear of offending the therapist. A therapist might simply ask a client to expand on why he or she behaved in a particular manner, rather than condemning the person’s action or inquiring as to how the other person might have felt. Some therapists believe that UPR can serve as a temporary substitute for parental love that may help clients gain confidence to explore their issues. This belief is heavily influenced by Sigmund Freud and is not popular among contemporary mental health professionals. Through providing unconditional positive regard, humanistic therapists seek to help their clients accept and take responsibility for themselves. Humanistic psychologists believe that by showing the client unconditional positive regard and acceptance, the therapist is providing the best possible conditions for personal growth to the client. David G. Myers says the following in his Psychology: Eighth Edition in Modules: People also nurture our growth by being accepting—by offering us what Rogers called unconditional positive regard. This is an attitude of grace, an attitude that values us even knowing our failings. It is a profound relief to drop our pretenses, confess our worst feelings, and discover that we are still accepted. In a good marriage, a close family, or an intimate friendship, we are free to be spontaneous without fearing the loss of others’ esteem. Drawbacks of Unconditional Positive Regard UPR can be especially problematic in couples counseling, where couples often desire a referee who will tell them when they are doing something detrimental to the relationship. When clients feel that UPR in therapy is contrived, it may backfire. For example, some people want a therapist to tell them when they are doing something wrong, to bring awareness to the behavior. UPR can be difficult for a therapist to sustain, particularly when a person is making negative or unhealthy choices on a recurring basis. Consequently, many therapists attempt to strike a balance by remaining positive, upbeat, and nonjudgmental while at the same time pointing out when a person’s actions are harmful to himself or herself or to others.

Critical evaluation †blood brothers Essay

The play did not open with the curtain going up but instead with the lights going up. My seat was in the gallery, which is quite high up, but after I got over the sense of vertigo my view of the play was fine. I could not see the gantry at the back of the stage or the very front of the stage, but very little of the action took place in these areas. The play was written in the early 1960’s by the Liverpudlian playwright Willy Russell and was first performed in the early 1980’s. The play is a ‘slice of life’, or an impression of life starting in Liverpool in the early 1960’s through until the 1980’s, of poor working class families. The play combines music and song with narrative. The set of Blood Brothers consisted of, on either side of the stage a row of terraced house fronts. At the back of the stage there was a gantry which was used by the narrator and once by Mrs. Johnston when she sang a song that was an overview of the action that had just taken place, there was a countryside backcloth with two moveable ‘brick wall’ flats which moved across to cover this. The set was very appropriate for the play, it combined well with the ‘slice of life’. The props were minimalist and brought on stage by the actors. There were four moveable flats, two that slid across the floor and two that came down from the ceiling. All the costumes and fixings were appropriate for the era of the play, they worked well together producing a realistic setting. The play opens with the twin brothers, lying down on stretchers and then being carried away. The narrator then informs the audience of the events that have just happened and then the play begins. The play is about Mrs. Johnston, a working class mother of seven children who after her husband has left her for a younger woman discovers she is pregnant with twins. Mrs. Johnston is a cleaner who works for a middle class couple, Mr. and Mrs. Lyons. Mrs. Johnston tells Mrs. Lyons of her predicament and so Mrs. Lyons who can not have children of her own and whose husband has gone away on business for six months offers to take one of the twins for herself and bring him up as her own. After some persuasion Mrs. Johnston gives one of the boys to Mrs. Lyons. She finds it difficult to keep Mrs. Johnston on as her cleaner because she can see that there is a bond between mother and child and so fires her. Several years pass, the boys are now seven, nearly eight, they meet when out playing, become great friends and ‘Blood Brothers’. Both Mrs. Johnston and Mrs. Lyons try to keep the boys apart but are unable to do so. In a desperate attempt to separate the boys the Lyons move to a house in the country well away from Mickey and the estate where the Johnston’s live. A few years later the council decide to demolish the estate where the Johnston’s live and relocate the families to the countryside close to where the Lyons now live. Mickey has a girlfriend, Linda, a girl he has known since childhood. One day when they are out walking they come across Eddie, (Mickey’s twin), and rekindle their friendship. The twins are now sixteen years old and their friendship continues to grow until it is time for Eddie to gone away to university. However Eddie declares his love for Linda before leaving but she continues her relationship with Mickey and soon falls pregnant with his child and so they marry and move into Mickey’s home. Mickey’s older brother, Sammy, gets into trouble and Mickey agrees to help him out but instead ends up taking the fall for Sammy killing a man and goes to prison for seven years. During this time he becomes depressed and withdrawn from Linda. She turns to Eddie for support and they soon become emotionally attached. When Eddie’s mother becomes aware of the romance she tells Mickey who, now out of prison, goes to Eddie’s work place. Mrs. Johnston now feels she must tell the boys that they are brothers but this is too much for Mickey to understand in his present mental state, distressed and confused he shoots Eddie. Just as Mickey is doing this a policeman takes aim and fires killing Mickey. Both men are dead. On the whole the script and the play were very good. At first it took a little time to get in to the play but it soon flowed naturally. The play held the audience’s interest by the use of the narrator who appeared on the stage behind the action and would burst into song. A lot of information was given on the characters through the use of song, so the audience received much of the necessary information without realising it. The part of Mrs. Johnston was played by the singer and actress Dennis Nolan. Ms. Nolan described the history of her character through the song ‘Just like Marilyn Monroe’. Her story is not extraordinary or uncommon. A girl from a Roman Catholic working class family who falls in love with a young man who takes her dancing and says she ‘looks a lot like Marilyn Monroe’. Romance soon fades once the babies start arriving. Possibly because of her faith, which would have instilled a belief that children are a blessing, she soon has a large family and her husband begins to look elsewhere for what he first found attractive in his wife. He begins to go dancing with a girl who he says ‘looks a lot like Marilyn Monroe’. When he leaves home Mrs. Johnston discovers she is pregnant with the twins of the story. This is when the events that lead up to the final tragedy really begin. Mickey is the twin that Mrs. Johnston kept. He grows up in this very poor working class family but as a child is mainly happy and full of mischief. He does not expect an easy life and accepts who he is and what his future will be. He does not expect to go to university like his friend Eddie because in his mind and at this time it was usually only children from better off families who went. Mickey would have been happy to work and bring up his children in a working class family. It is unemployment and bad choices that take away his pride and his future. He becomes very depressed, feels worthless and finally sees his marriage fall apart. The actor who played Mickey had to act the part of a child through to an adult, his mannerisms were very good and his gestures appropriate for the different ages. When he was seven Mickey acted and moved as if he was seven and when he was twenty he acted and moved like a twenty year old. His voice changed as well, it moved from a high quick voice to a deeper more solemn one. Linda is the childhood friend of Mrs. Johnston’s children and especially of Mickey. The two children grow up together, play together and become girl and boyfriend. This relationship is threatened by Linda’s attraction to Eddie, Mickey’s twin, but although she realises that it is Eddie that she loves she does not end her relationship with Mickey. When Eddie goes away to university she becomes pregnant with Mickey’s child and marries him. Linda’s role in the play is huge, it is her relationship with Eddie which finally destroys Mickey and leads to the final tragedy. The play contained quite a lot of swearing but this was only used to aid the script and made it more realistic. At the end of the play many people in the audience were in tears which showed how good the performances had been. As a straight play this would have been a very sad story of some very hard lives but because the story is told partly in song the mood is much lighter. It shows that there can be laughter in even the most difficult of lives, but also how our own upbringing, superstitions and prejudices can make our lives more complicated and more difficult.

Absalom Absalom and Love Essay

Many of the novels we have read this semester contain prevailing themes that provide insight into American society. One of these themes that we have closely examined throughout the semester is a person’s right to love. Love is undoubtedly a powerful force in one’s life. As we have seen through our readings, however, this force is often obstructed by the need to conform to social standards. Whether or not a couple is ALLOWED to be in love says a lot about what is socially acceptable for that particular area and time period. Although love is technically a right given to all, American Literature shows how it is often denied by social standards and therefore ceases to exist. William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! tells Rosa Coldfield’s version of how Thomas Sutpen was the demise of her and her family. As the story progresses, it becomes known that Thomas’s son, Henry, kills Charles Bon to prevent him from marrying his sister, Judith. One would infer that Henry’s reason for his desperate need to prevent their marriage was because Charles was their half-brother, and therefore their marriage would be considered incest. We come to find out, however, that this is not exactly the case. In Chapter 8, in response to whether or not Judith will marry Bon she says â€Å"Yes. I have decided. Brother or not, I have decided. I will. I will (283). † As the chapter progresses, however, Quentin and Shreve accept that â€Å"it’s the miscegenation, not the incest, which (they) can’t bear (285). †In this case, two socially unaccepted taboos prevent Judith from pursuing her relationship with Bon. The fact that it is worse in the eyes of her family that Judith may be marrying a man with black blood than a man who is her relative, however, says a lot about how strong racial prejudices were in the south during the 1800s. Judith’s right to love Bon is forcefully obstructed by social norms, and is a perfect example of Southern culture during that time period. Another instance of love being obstructed by social standards is seen in F.  Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby. Jay Gatsby, a resident of West Egg and a symbol of new wealth, falls in love with Daisy, a resident of East Egg and a symbol of established wealth. Daisy and her husband, Tom, are described to have lived in â€Å"†¦a rather distinguished secret society (17)† to which members of old money had often tried and failed to become a part of. Throughout the novel, it is clear that Daisy had married Tom for his â€Å"†¦person and his position (151)† rather than for love. Yet when Daisy finally accepts that she had never loved Tom and was currently in love with Gatsby, the class divides remain too prevalent for her to pursue a relationship with Gatsby. Tom quotes â€Å" Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions, and next they’ll throw everything overboard and have intermarriage between black and white (130). † From this quote and the happenings throughout the novel, the force obstructing the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy is the social condemnation of new money marrying old money. The Great Gatsby shows how in our society, is often difficult for people of different economic backgrounds to pursue a relationship. T. S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is an examination of a typical man’s psychological struggle to express himself emotionally and conform to social standards. Throughout the poem, the narrator shows insecurity in almost everything he does, fearing that his moves will be frowned upon. He says â€Å"There will be time, there will be time to prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet† and often asks â€Å"Do I dare?  Ã¢â‚¬  and thinks about what â€Å"they will say. † His insecurity prevails in an encounter with what seems to be a woman he loves. He seems afraid that the woman will deny him because of his balding hair and thin composure, and thinks about what he should say in order to impress the woman; â€Å"And how should I then presume? How should I begin? † In the end the narrator concludes that â€Å" It is impossible to say just what I mean,† and he drifts into a fairytale by the sea until â€Å"human voice wake us, and we drown. † Eliot’s poem is an example of a man’s love for a woman being obstructed by his own need to conform to what is socially acceptable of a man. He refuses to open up and share with the woman his feelings in fear that he will be mocked and denied. â€Å"The Love Song of Alfred Prufrock† shows the struggles of maintaining masculinity, and the fear a man has of loosing his composure. While the last stories had similar circumstances and outcomes, love doesn’t always have to be between a man and a woman, and social norms aren’t always successful at obstructing love’s powerful force. In Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, the love shared between Huck and Jim leads to a powerful revelation in Huck’s life and a groundbreaking relationship considering the South’s intrusive social standards. When Huck begins his journey with Jim, he is overcome by an instilled guilt for assisting in the runaway of Miss Watson’s slave. Huck says â€Å" It would get all around, Huck Finn helped a nigger get to his freedom; and if I was to ever see anybody from that town again, I’d be ready to get down and lick his boots for shame (226). †As their adventure progresses, however, Huck begins to realize how much he enjoys Jim’s company, slave or not; â€Å" But somehow I couldn’t seem to strike no places to harden me against him, just the other kind (227). † Huck struggles internally with this realization, but cannot get over the feeling in his heart telling him to keep Jim around. Finally, Huck decides that he would not turn in Jim, and that he would go to Hell if that were what it meant. In this instance, Huck valiantly goes against what is socially acceptable, and the force of love prevails. Huck and Jim remain friends even though it is extremely frowned upon. Although love is a freedom, one can see how easily and often this freedom is taken away due to what is acceptable in the eyes of others. The circumstances involved in the obstruction of love shows a lot about the society in which these characters live, and the values held by the people who lived there.