How to Write Physician Assistant - The PA Grammar Guide

Do you know the correct answer to these important questions? Do you capitalize the word physician assistant? How do you write the plural of physician assistant? What is the proper name of the PA profession? All these questions are real We know because we see the mistakes in capitalization, grammar, and worse, the name of the profession just about every day as essays roll in. If you want to get it right, read on! (window["TotalPollAsync"] = window["TotalPollAsync"] || []).push({id:"15906", container:"totalpoll-async-5e099b19da03e"}); How to Correctly Write Physician Assistant 1. Do you capitalize the word physician assistant? The general rule is no; physician assistant is not capitalized. If you doubt my word, check (other:-D ) reliable sources medical dictionaries for one, like the U.S. Library of Medicine. Many medical schools, PA studies programs and universities have writing guides with the correct way to spell or cite various professions. Theyre usually on the schools website. Of course, there are exceptions. The main one relates to formal titles. Anytime youre citing a specific program name or degree title, youll capitalize the words. For example, its Rutgers University Physician Assistant Program, and Master of Physician Assistant Studies. Its also possible that a specific school will have a different opinion about the subject. Always check the school website to see if physician assistant is capitalized and if so, in what context. Follow the schools lead! Examples of correct usage: I will be the best physician assistant the world has ever seen. In order to be the best physician assistant the world has ever seen I need to complete the Brown School of Physician Assistant Studies. Examples of incorrect usage: I will never get into Physician Assistant school because I dont know the rules. My interest in becoming a Physician Assistant started when my parents said they wouldnt pay for medical school. "There is one mistake that pretty much guarantees your application will go out with the recycle. Thats getting the name of the profession wrong."By the way, most professions are not capitalized. That includes physician, doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner and dietitian to name a few. Look it up before you use it. A mistake in capitalization doesnt mean your application will necessarily land in the reject pile. However, there is one mistake that pretty much guarantees your application will go out with the recycle. Thats getting the name of the profession wrong. 2. It is not physicians assistant. Ever! When I interviewed Admissions Directors and faculty across the country about writing these essays for our book, How To Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement, all said getting the name of the profession wrong is a big red flag. It tells them that people likely just looked at a website to learn about the profession and have no clue what its really about. Examples of correct usage: We repeat, there is never a time when you will write physicians assistant. Examples of incorrect usage: I want to be a physicians assistant because it sounded like fun when I read about it on the Internet. I want to be a Physicians Assistant because it sounded like fun when I read about it on the Internet. 3. The possessiveand the plural of PA Just to be clear, the possessive of physician assistant is physician assistants or if using the acronym, PAs. The plural is physician assistants or if using the acronym, PAs. Examples of correct usage: The physician assistants demeanor was warm and welcoming. (possessive) The PAs demeanor was warm and welcoming. (possessive) The physician assistants I shadowed were warm and welcoming. (plural) The PAs I shadowed were warm and welcoming. (plural) Examples of incorrect usage: The physician assistants demeanor was warm and welcoming. The PAs demeanor was warm and welcoming. The physician assistants I shadowed were warm and welcoming. The PAs I shadowed were warm and welcoming. Weve spelled it out for you. Now its up to you to spell it right! You can download a FREE PDF version of this guide:How to Write Physician Assistant the Definitive Guide A note from Stephen: To show you just how important thisis, here is a personal email I received from Janette Rodriguez, editorial director at The American Academy of Physician Assistants. She knows a thing or two about writing the word physician assistant and here is what she had to say about my poorPA prose: From: Janette Rodrigues Subject: Apostrophes Message Body: Stephen, We havent talked for a while but you know Im a fan. You are one of the best PA bloggers out there, and youve created something amazing with The PA Life. But youre killing me with the creative grammar. The plural of PA is PAs, not PAs. Take care, Janette at AAPA See, none of us are immune to looking like an idiot 😉 So please, dont repeat my mistake, spell the name of our profession right. Not only will your essay or blog post avoid the trash compactor, but you may also find yourself outsmartingmany well-intentioned pre-PAs or PAs like myself who didnt know any better! Are you looking for some more inspiration? Take a look at these 31 sample PA school personal statements shared through members of our community. Use it as a guide to see what works and possibly what doesn't as you sit down to write your 5,000 character CASPA essay. View all posts in this seriesHow to Write the Perfect Physician Assistant School Application EssayThe Physician Assistant Essay and Personal Statement CollaborativeDo You Recognize These 7 Common Mistakes in Your Personal Statement?7 Essays in 7 Days: PA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 1, A PA Changed My LifePA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 2, I Want to Move Towards the Forefront of Patient CarePA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 3, She Smiled, Said Gracias! and Gave me a Big HugPA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 4, I Have Gained so Much Experience by Working With PatientsPA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 5, Then Reach, my Son, and Lift Your People up With YouPA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 6, That First Day in Surgery was the First Day of the Rest of my LifePA Personal Statement Workshop: Essay 7, I Want to Take People From Dying to Living, I Want to Get Them Down From the Cliff.Physician Assistant Personal Statement Workshop: To say I was an accident-prone ch ild is an understatement9 Simple Steps to Avoid Silly Spelling and Grammar Goofs in Your PA School Personel Statement5 Tips to Get you Started on Your Personal Essay (and why you should do it now)How to Write Your Physician Assistant Personal Statement The Book!How to Write Physician Assistant The PA Grammar Guide101 PA School Admissions Essays: The Book!5 Things Ive Learned Going Into My Fourth Physician Assistant Application Cycle7 Tips for Addressing Shortcomings in Your PA School Personal StatementThe #1 Mistake PRE-PAs Make on Their Personal StatementThe Ultimate PA School Personal Statement Starter KitThe Ultimate Guide to CASPA Character and Space Limits10 Questions Every PA School Personal Statement Must Answer5 PA School Essays That Got These Pre-PAs Accepted Into PA School7 Questions to Ask Yourself While Writing Your PA School Personal Statement101 PA School Applicants Answer: Whats Your Greatest Strength? You may also like -9 Simple Steps to Avoid Silly Spelling and Grammar Goofs in Your PA School Personel StatementDid you spot my grammar goof? If not take a second look at the title. You have spent days, weeks, and months writing and perfecting your personal (not personel) statement. You have slaved countless hours in front of the computer []5 PA School Essays That Got These Pre-PAs Accepted Into PA School Ever wonder what PA school admissions directors are really looking for in a winning PA school essay? Have you been searching the internet and physician assistant forums for samples of PA school applicant essays for []The Ultimate PA School Personal Statement Starter Kit If you are struggling to write your PA school personal narrative, then this message is for you. Here's why . . . PA school admissions teams have an uncanny ability (honed on the job) to detect when an applicant's essay rings []

Do You Agree with the View That Gandhi’s Campaign Methods...

It’s clear that Gandhi’s campaigns of non-cooperation and attending political meetings with high ranked British officials during the early 1930s, were hugely significant as they mounted pressure on the Raj, leaving the British with no other alternative than to make concessions towards the nationalists. However, Purna Swaraj wasn’t achieved by Gandhi’s campaigns in the 1930s, due to the limitations of his methods as he was unable to cooperate and negotiate with the British. Conversely, demands for nationalism increased across India and the British began to lose any moral authority they had over the Indians. Gandhi’s methods of non-violent, civil disobedience were hugely effective in turning many Indians against British rule, increasing†¦show more content†¦Gandhi directly attacked the Raj as he declared it a ‘crime’ to submit to its rule in hope he could connect with the Indians and encourage them to follow his lead. He successfully did this as a result of the Salt March. Although only 78 of his supporters followed him on the entire march, many other Indians got involved. On route of the march, many Indian officials resigned from their posts. Elsewhere, another march was organised in South India were protests in Bombay, the North West Frontier Province and 2000 non-violent demonstrators at a salt production plant in Dharasana were attacked to the ground by police. This again is evidence of the ‘inhuman rule’ Gandhi speaks about in his declaration, and consequently shows why the British lost a lot of moral authority over the Indians. Source 2 explicitly shows that Gandhi’s non-violent campaign methods were effective at challenging the Raj and allowing them no other option that to begin making political concessions towards the activists. It adds a lot of weight to source 1 as it shows the effectiveness of Gandhi’s campaigns in relation to the British response. Lord Irwin, the Viceroy of India at the time, recognised that ‘political dialogue’ was the only way forward from the current position in 1931, due to theShow MoreRelatedLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 PagesAttributionNonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. That is, you are free to share, copy, distribute, store, and transmit all or any part of the work under the following conditions: (1) Attribution You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author, namely by citing his name, the book title, and the relevant page numbers (but not in any way that suggests that the book Logical Reasoning or its author endorse you or your use of the work). (2) Noncommercial You may not use this work for commercial purposesRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 PagesRights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Edmonds, Ennis Barrington. Rastafari : from outcasts to culture bearers / Ennis Barrington Edmonds. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-19-513376-5 1. Rastafari movement. 2. Jamaica—Religious life and customs. I. Title. BL2532.R37 E36Read MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesedited by Michael Peter Adas for the American Historical Association. p. cm.—(Critical perspectives on the past) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-4399-0269-1 (cloth : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-4399-0270-7 (paper : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-4399-0271-4 (electronic) 1. History, Modern—20th century. 2. Twentieth century. 3. Social history—20th century. 4. World politics—20th century. I. Adas, Michael, 1943– II. American Historical Association. D421.E77 2010 909.82—dc22 2009052961

Essay On Grendel - 984 Words

John Gardener’s ‘Grendel’ depicts the monstrous Grendel, previously portrayed as the vicious villain in ‘Beowulf, journeying through his life, attempting to achieve some kind of self-realization. Spending much of his time observing humans, Grendel develops a great disdain for religion. Gardener reinforces Grendel’s with anti-religious quotes from poets and philosophers, like William Blake and Francis Nietzsche. As his spiritual void increases, Gardener slips into an existential despair, fueled by the talk of the Shaper, who’s strangely persuasive words confuse Grendel’s underdeveloped mind. Finally, as Grendel slowly recognizes he is separate from men, his encounter with the dragon drives him to the self-realization that he is a monster†¦show more content†¦After waiting in a tree to catch a glimpse of men, Grendel attempts to communicate with the humans in the woods. Initially the humans feed Grendel, but his laughter at the pr ospect of food frightens them, and they decide to attack them. Grendel, observing the humans plan out their attack, realizes that humans are not dumb, they strategize and plan, making them more dangerous than he could have imagined. And what’s more, there’s nothing he can do to make them see he does not want to harm them. At this moment, Grendel realizes that he is completely separate from man, that there is no meaning to the world: â€Å"The world is all a pointless accident...I exist, nothing else!† (Gardner 28).The arrival of the Shaper further hurls Grendel into an existential despair. The Shaper tells tales of glory in battle and other such things that Grendel condemns; however, he does it in such a persuasive way that Grendel doesn’t know what to think: â€Å"Thus I fled, ridiculous hairy creature torn apart by poetry...I clamped my palms to my ears and stretched up my lips and shrieked again, a stab at truth† (Gardner 44-45). Here, Grendel o fficially identifies himself as a separate entity, calling himself a ridiculous hairy creature. The poetry confuses him and Grendel gives up on trying to obtain truth, slipping further into despair. While Grendel’s existential despair leads him away from the world of men,Show MoreRelatedGrendel Essay761 Words   |  4 Pagescharacteristics. In the literary pieces of John Gardner’s, â€Å"Grendel,† unknown author of, â€Å"Beowulf,† and Robert Louis Stevenson’s, â€Å"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,† the characters are portrayed as having both qualities of good and evil, proving there to be a duality of decency/immorality, righteousness/depravity, and virtue/evil. The character, Grendel, in Gardner’s, â€Å"Grendel,† is a prime example of this inseparable bond between right and wrong. Grendel is originally wrongfully viewed as solely a complete andRead MoreEssay on Grendel1169 Words   |  5 Pages In 1971, American author John Gardner wrote Grendel. With a mastermind of creativity, John Gardner successfully retells the classic epic poem, Beowulf. He captures the reader by giving an interesting view of order and chaos, good and evil, hero and monster, allowing the monsters point of view to be seen. On July 21, 1933 John Gardner was born in Batavia, New York. He was the son of a preacher and diary, and his mother taught English. They were very fond of Shakespeare and lovedRead MoreGrendel Essay768 Words   |  4 PagesIn both works, Beowulf and Grendel, Grendel himself is generally given the same connotations. He is given kennings, called names, referred to as the evil spawn of Cain, and even viewed as a monster; but why? Why in both books is he a wicked, horrible, person who is harshly excluded from everyone? After stumbling upon John Gardners book, it was halfway expected that some excuse would be made for Grendel; that he wasnt really the inexorable monster the thanes in Beowulf portrayed him as. But allRead MoreEssay on The Humanization of Grendel1037 Words   |  5 PagesJohn Gardner’s Grendel is the retelling of the heroic epic poem Beowulf; however, the viewpoint has shifted. Grendel is told from the viewpoint of one of Beowulf’s antagonists and the titular character of Gardner’s work—Grendel. In Grendel, Gardner humanizes Grendel by emphasizing parallels between Grendel’s life and human life. Through Gardner’s reflection of human feelings, human development, and human flaws in Grendel, this seemingly antagonistic, monstrous character becomes understood andRead More Existentialism In Grendel Essay1616 Words   |  7 PagesExistentialism In Grendel The debate between existentialism and the rest of the world is a fierce, albeit recent one. Before the dawn of science and the Age Of Reason, it was universally accepted that there were such things as gods, right and wrong, and heroism. However, with the developing interest in science and the mechanization of the universe near the end of the Renaissance, the need for a God was essentially removed, and humankind was left to reconsider the origin of meaning. JohnRead MoreGrendel : Evil Essay833 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novel, Grendel by John Gardener, Grendel is a human-like creature capable of rational thought as well as feeling emotions. Early on in the story Gardener depicts Grendel as being very observant, critical and somewhat spiteful of the world around him. He describes himself as a murderous monster who smells of death and crouches in the shadows. Grendel watches the humans from the shadows of the trees and at first it seems as though they are the real monsters, slau ghtering and pillaging all forRead MoreBeowulf and Grendel Essay1654 Words   |  7 PagesBeowulf and Grendel Beowulf and Grendel are actually the same stories in the fact that they are based on the same epic Beowulf. Beowulf, that is told of here is translated by Kevin Crossley-Holland, and there are many different translations which makes Beowulf the epic so interchangeable. Although Beowulf and Grendel seem very similar they do have many differences as well. Reading the two stories back to back gives you the impression of how many differences there are. For exampleRead MoreGrendel and Beowulf Essay616 Words   |  3 Pageson with this function. 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I said, quot;Is it good friend?quot; quot;It is bitter-bitter,quot; he answered; quot;But I like it Because it is bitter And because it is my heart.quot; -StephenRead More Is Grendel Evil? Essay2273 Words   |  10 Pageswhich is the cause of most human misery, and prevents peace on earth. In John Gardner’s book Grendel, the retelling of the ages old story Beowulf, further blurs the line between good and evil. Circumstance and perhaps a confused view of reality allow the monster, Grendel, to conceivably defend his evil beliefs. In order to better understand evil, using Grendel as a guide, I intend to attempt to justify it. Grendel is born a neutral being, perhaps even good, but nevertheless, without hate. The transition

John Gibbs s Better Know As St. Clair Drake - 1056 Words

John Gibbs St. Clair Drake better know as St.Clair Drake was born on January 2nd 1911 in Suffolk,Virginia. His father was an immigrant from Barbados and his mother was a Virginia native. Shortly after Drake was born his father decided that it would be best for the family to follow the trend and move Northward like the many other African Americans of that time so the family packed up their things and moved to Pennsylvania. Growing up Drake was not allowed to partake in activities such as dancing and playing cards due to his father being a devout baptist minister. Drake recalls that although he knew what prejudice was he had never experienced it while living in the North. It wasn’t until his parents divorced and he moved back to the South that he learned the harsh realities of life as a Negro in America. Segregation laws were in full effect when Drake attended high school but somehow he seemed to breeze through it. He wrote poetry, helped edit his school’s yearbook, and e ven graduated a year early. After high school he attended Hampton University where he immediately became involved on campus. One of the first things he noticed when he arrived was the lack of black professors, so he engaged in a strike along with a few of his classmates in the hopes of changing this and encouraging diversity at the school. Unfortunately administration intervened and the strike was ended but as a result of the strike many reforms were eventually implemented. Drake graduated from Hampton

A Family Vacation to Florida in Flannery OConnors Short...

In Flannery O’Connor’s short story, â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find,† a family, including the grandmother, Bailey the father, the mother and their two kids named John Wesley and June Star, are about to take a family vacation. The grandmother wants to vacation in Tennessee instead of Florida like the rest of the family. She tells Bailey about an article on an escaped inmate named â€Å"Misfit† that is suppose to be heading towards Florida. The family does not pay her any attention and the next morning they are all in the car and on the road going from Atlanta to Florida. The grandmother convinces Bailey to take the kids to see an old plantation she once visited. As Bailey starts to travel down a winding dirt road to get the house, the grandmother is startled because she just realizes that the plantation is actually in Tennessee that she bumps the basket containing her cat which jumps out of the carrier and onto Bailey’s shoulder. Which causes Bailey to have a terrible accident, however everyone is alright. Soon after the Misfit and his two servants come along. The family initially thinks they are going to help them until the grandmother recognizes the Misfit as the escaped convict. The Misfit talks with the grandmother while his servants take, the son and father to the woods to kill them. After they return, they proceed to take the mother, daughter and the baby. The grandmother makes a comment; the Misfit shoots her three times in the chest. The grandmother is a non-conventionalShow MoreRelated The Effective Use of Tone in Flannery OConnors A Good Man is Hard to Find657 Words   |  3 PagesThe Effective Use of Tone in Flannery OConnors A Good Man is Hard to Find Flannery OConnors short story, A Good Man is Hard to Find, begins with a Southern family preparing to go on what seems to be a typical vacation. The story is humorous at first because the reader is unaware of how the story will end. The tone changes dramatically from amusing to frightening and plays an important part in making the story effective. The narrator starts the story giving background informationRead MoreA Good Man Is Hard And Find By Flannery O Connor1190 Words   |  5 PagesIn Flannery O’Connor’s short story â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find†, O’Connor tells the story mainly on the emphasis of the grandmothers prospective. The grandmother was never named in the short story, only leaving the reader to guess if this story was how O’Connor portrayed a feeling toward society and religion. In order for the reader to understand the point of view of the story, the reader must look at the back ground of the author. Born in Georgia, where the story takes place, O’Connor was raisedRead MoreA Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery OConnor645 Words   |  3 PagesA Good Man â€Å"She would have been a good woman†¦if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life† (Gardner). Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† tells of Bailey, his wife, their three children and Bailey’s mother all heading to Florida for vacation. In this paper I will summarize the story, and discuss the irony of the story and the morality and religion in the story. The family, Bailey, his wife, three children and his mother, are set to go on vacation to FloridaRead MoreFlannery O Connor s Faith And A Good Man Is Hard Essay1795 Words   |  8 PagesJada Silverhorn Flannery O’Connor’s Faith and â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† Research Essay Dr. Jeff Conine English Comp. II 12/10/16 â€Æ' Flannery O’Connor’s Faith and â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† Flanner O’Connor, author of â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†, has an underlying theme within her writing, which is Christianity. If a reader does not keep O’Connor’s Christian background in focus, it will be impossible to fully interpret/understand O’Connor’s stories. In Flannery O’Connor’s writing, she leansRead MoreA Good Man Is Hard to Find: Summary 61451 Words   |  6 PagesFlannery OConnors story A Good Man is Hard to Find, is about a family taking a trip to Florida that all get killed by an escaped convict, how calls himself the Misfit, and two of his friends. In this story the reader may assume some of the men in the story is the man the title refers to, but as the story unfolds, and the family continues on their journey, every man on the story displays a considerable fault. With Regards to Flannery OConnors short story A Good Man is Hard to Find this essayRead MoreFlannery OConnor and Her Southern Gothic Style1187 Wor ds   |  5 PagesFlannery O’Connor, known for her original Southern Gothic style of prose has been titled â€Å"the master of the short story† (O’Connor). Her application of symbolism and the themes of Southern religion deem her as one of the most influential writers in American history. Born in Savannah, Georgia in 1925 and raised in the South, O’Connor was socialized as a member of the Catholic Church which proves evident throughout her writings. She studied journalism at the University of Iowa, but quickly migratedRead MoreIdentify Irony in Flanners Oconnors a Good Man Is Hard to Find1421 Words   |  6 PagesThe Irony in Flannery O’Connor’s Irony is a significant rhetorical technique used in demonstrating a condition which is conflicting or expression whereby the result is the exact opposite of what is anticipated. This device of literature creates absurdity in the story according to its tone. Irony has an element of indirectness hence making the writing interesting to the reader. In the story of Flannery O’Connor’s â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find,† Irony has aided deeper comprehension and understandingRead MoreGood vs. Evil in â€Å"a Good Man Is Hard to Find† Essay1052 Words   |  5 PagesGood vs. Evil in â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† Flannery O’Connor shows her readers a realistic look at their own mortality in â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find.† The story is about a family of five, a father, mother, grandmother, and two children, starting out on a vacation to Florida from Georgia. The family, on their way to a routine vacation, takes a detour that will change their lives forever. Through the use of literary elements like symbolism and characterization, O’Connor creates a theme ofRead MoreA Good Man Is Hard To Find Short Story Essay720 Words   |  3 Pagestomorrow may hold. In Flannery O’Connor’s short story, â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find,† a southern family is taking a vacation to Florida, but the real journey takes place in the events leading up to their demise. Flannery O’Connor gives you insight to the end of her story by using foreshadowing. In the beginning of the story, the Grandmother disagrees with her son Bailey on wanting to go to Florida; she would rather go to Tennessee. Although the Grandmother does not want to go to Florida, the following morningRead MoreQuestions for Critical Thinking1690 Words   |  7 PagesQuestions for Critical Thinking A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor 1) What is the grandmother’s attitude toward the South as opposed to the rest of her family’s attitude, particularly her grandson’s? How do you account for the difference? In the short story â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find,† the grandmother’s attitude toward the South is that the â€Å"old South† was better than the current South. For example, in paragraph 14, John Wesley, the grandson, states â€Å"Let’s go through Georgia

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 37 Free Essays

This Square in My Hand My father refuses to go with Mom, so I put on the new suit she bought me earlier this month and accompany her to the candlelit Mass at St. Joseph’s. It is a crisp night, but we walk the few blocks required, and soon we are in the very sanctuary where I was confirmed so many years ago. We will write a custom essay sample on The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 37 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Rows of red and white poinsettias are lined up on the altar, and antique wrought-iron lamps stand guard at the ends of the pews, just like every other Christmas Eve. The candlelight makes the stone building look even more antiquated – almost medieval. And sitting down in the pew again reminds me of when Jake and I were just boys. We’d come to Christmas Eve Mass so excited for the next day, ready to tear into all those presents. But tonight it’s just Mom and me, as Jake and Caitlin are spending Christmas Eve in New York City with Caitlin’s parents, and Dad is home drinking beer. After some announcements and Christmas hymns, the priest talks about stars and angels and mangers and donkeys and miracles, and somewhere in the story, I start praying. Dear God, I know it would take a miracle to get Nikki to show up tomorrow at the place where we were engaged, but lucky for me, You and I both believe in miracles. As I sit here thinking about this, I wonder if You actually believe in miracles, since You are all-powerful and can do anything. So technically, Your making Nikki show up tomorrow or putting Baby Jesus inside of the Virgin Mary is no more difficult for You than, say, watching an Eagles game – which has been pretty easy since backup QB Jeff Garcia has managed to win three straight. It’s sort of funny when I think about it now. If You created the world in only a week, sending Your Son down to do a mission must have been no sweat for You. But I am still glad You took the time to send Jesus to teach us all about miracles, because the possibility of miracles happening keeps a lot of people moving forward down here. I don’t have to tell You that I have been working pretty hard on bettering myself since apart time began. I actually want to thank You for disrupting my life, because I would never have taken the time to improve my character if I did not get sent to the bad place, nor would I have met Cliff, or even Tiffany for that matter, and I know this journey has been for a reason. I trust that there is a divine plan in effect, and that is why I believe You will make sure Nikki shows up tomorrow. I want to thank You in advance for helping me get my wife back. I am looking forward to the years ahead, when I can treat Nikki how a woman should be treated. Also, if it is not too much trouble, please allow the Eagles to win on Christmas Day, because a win over the Cowboys will put the Eagles in first place and then my dad might be in a good mood and maybe he will even talk to Mom and me. It’s strange, even with the Birds in play-off contention, Dad has been a grinch this holiday season, and it has really made Mom sad. I’ve caught her crying several times, but You probably alre ady know that since You are all-knowing. I love You, God. I cross myself just as the priest finishes the homily, and then the candles are passed out and lighted while the people sing â€Å"Silent Night.† Mom is sort of leaning against me, so I throw an arm around her shoulder and give her a little squeeze. She looks up at me and smiles. â€Å"My good boy,† her lips mouth, bathed in candlelight, and then we both join in with the singing. My father is in bed asleep when we return home. Mom pours some eggnog and plugs in the lights, and we sip in the glow of the Christmas tree. Mom talks about all the ornaments Jake and I made as little kids. She keeps pointing to painted pinecones, little Popsicle-stick picture frames with our grade school photos inside, and reindeers made from clothespins and pipe cleaners. â€Å"Remember when you made this in so-and-so’s class?† she keeps saying, and I nod every time, even though I don’t remember making any of the ornaments. It’s funny how Mom remembers everything about Jake and me, and somehow I know that Nikki will never love me as much – no matter how much I improve my character – and that’s what I really truly love about my mom. Just when we are finishing the last sips of our eggnog, the doorbell rings. â€Å"Who could that be?† Mom asks in a dramatic way, suggesting she knows exactly who it could be. I start to get excited because I think that it might be Nikki, that Mom has arranged the best Christmas present ever. But when I answer the door, it’s only Ronnie, Veronica, Tiffany, and little Emily. They all but skip into the foyer and start singing, â€Å"We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.† At this point Tiffany stops singing, but Ronnie and Veronica continue to belt out the first verse, and my mother is all smiles as she listens to the good tidings they bring. Little Emily looks like an Eskimo, all bundled up, but her parents’ singing makes her little round face look content. I can even see the Christmas tree lights reflected in her dark eyes. As they sing, Ronnie’s family looks like a happy one, and I envy my friend. Tiffany is looking at her feet, but she rejoins the singing when they get to the chorus again. The song ends with Ronnie holding the last note too long, but my mother claps anyway, and then we are all seated around the Christmas tree drinking more eggnog. â€Å"Maybe you want to give your friends their presents,† Mom says. Mom had taken me shopping many times in the past few weeks, and we picked out presents for the people who have helped me get better, because Mom says it’s important to recognize the special people in your life around the holidays. Cliff loved his Eagles dartboard, and it turns out that Veronica and Tiffany both like the perfume we purchased – thank God, as I did sniff just about every bottle in the Cherry Hill Mall. Ronnie loves the official NFL leather football I picked out for him so that he can work on his throws, and little Emily hugs the stuffed eagle wearing an Eagles jersey that I picked out special for her, and she even begins to chew on the yellow beak just as soon as she finishes ripping off the paper. For my mom’s sake, I keep hoping my father might come downstairs and join the party, but he doesn’t. â€Å"And we have a present for you too,† Ronnie tells me. â€Å"Come on, Em. Let’s give Uncle Pat his present.† He hands Emily a box, which is too heavy for her to carry, even though she is walking pretty well now, so he and Emily both carry the present over to me. â€Å"For Pap!† Emily says, and then starts to rip off the wrapping paper. â€Å"You want to help me?† I ask her, and she tears the rest of the paper off as everyone watches. Once Emily finishes with the paper, I open the box and fish through the Styrofoam peanuts and find what feels like a plaque of some sort. I pull it out of the peanuts and can see it is a framed picture of Hank Baskett. He’s in the end zone with a football in his hand. â€Å"It was taken during the Dallas game,† Ronnie says. â€Å"Read what’s written on the picture,† says Veronica. To Pat, You’re on the road to victory! Hank Baskett #84 â€Å"This is the greatest present ever! How did you get Baskett to sign the picture?† â€Å"Veronica’s cousin’s a barber,† Ronnie explains, â€Å"and one of his customers works for the Eagles promotions department, so we were able to pull a few strings. Vinnie said that this was the first request his contact got for a Baskett autograph, and Baskett was actually pretty excited to get a specific request, since his autograph is not in such high demand.† â€Å"Thanks, Ronnie,† I say, and then we give each other one-armed manly hugs. â€Å"Merry Christmas,† Ronnie says to me as he thumps my back. â€Å"Well, I hate to break up the party, but we need to get Emily in bed before Santa comes down the chimney,† Veronica says. As they put on their coats, my mom is putting their presents into a holiday bag with fancy handles and thanking everyone for coming over, saying, â€Å"You don’t know how much it means to Pat and me. You’ve been so good to us this year. You’re good people. All of you. Such great people.† And then Mom is crying again, saying, â€Å"I’m sorry. Thanks. Merry Christmas. Don’t mind me. God bless you.† Just before everyone leaves, Tiffany grabs my hand, kisses me on the cheek, and says, â€Å"Merry Christmas, Pat.† When she pulls her palm away from mine, I have a square in my hand, but the look in Tiffany’s eyes commands silence, so I stick the square in my pocket and say goodbye to Ronnie’s family. I help my mother clean up the wrapping paper and empty eggnog mugs, and then she catches me under the mistletoe in the hallway. She’s pointing up and smiling, so I kiss her good night, and she reaches up to hug me. â€Å"I’m so glad I have you in my life right now, Pat,† my mother says to me, flexing her arm muscles so hard, pulling my head down so that her shoulder juts up into my throat and it becomes a little harder to breathe. In my room, by the light of the electric Christmas candle Mom has stuck in my window for the holiday season, I unfold the note Tiffany passed me. How to cite The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 37, Essay examples

Memory Keepers Daughter Literary Analysis free essay sample

Kim Edwards shows through the whole book that we are only human, the themes that life is beyond our control and through the connection between suffering and joy. Edwards uses plot to set up a sort of life schedule. It goes in order into the future but occasionally skips years ahead. She also cleverly sets the book up so that each year, or â€Å"chapter† has both sides of the story, that of Caroline who is raising Phoebe and then the life of Norah and David raising their son Paul. As the book starts off it is that of a happy tone with Norah giving birth and then leading to a depressing and melancholy tone as Dr. Henry lies to his wife telling her that their daughter has died, to save her from the pain of their daughter having down syndrome. Norah gains more and more depression as the years go on, always wondering â€Å"what if†. With all the depression going on in the story line of Norah there is a gain of strength in Carolines story line as she raises Phoebe. This shows the theme of suffering and joy. The idea that even though the character is suffering they are the one with the most joy. Norah Henry has it all: the doctor husband, money and a healthy son but still wants what she never had; her daughter. Caroline has struggled with at first the decision to keep Phoebe and raise her as her own, then struggling with actually raising this baby girl with down syndrome alone and with no one, but she is joyful in the book never having the depression that plagues Norah and her marriage with David Henry. When Caroline finally sees David 18 years later, she says: You missed a lot of heartache, sure. But David, you missed a lot of joy. In the theme that life is beyond our control the author Kim Edwards has the book move through the years rapidly and at a fast pace in order to demonstrate how life flys by. Throughout the book Edwards uses photography as a metaphor showing the character Davids growing obsession with taking photographs as a desperate attempt to make time stand still: Photo after photo, as if he could stop time or make an image powerful nough to obscure the moment when he turned and handed his daughter to Caroline Gill. Life may also feel as it is out of their control with there being a constant aura of uncertainty or â€Å"what if† quality. That being said, the characters in the end will always wonder what life would have been like if David had never given his daughter away, but find it exhausting to wonder once they are brought together in the end after the death of David. As Paul reflects at the end of the novel: His mother was right; he could never know what might have happened. All he had were the facts. Life was also seeming to be out of anyones control with the struggle of the melancholy tone through the novel with Norah becoming more and more depressed becoming that of a drinker in Pauls young life and then being so unhappy with her marriage with David for him being so distant that she has an affair with a man while she is on a trip to Aruba with her job. Even with the tone the author seems to have it progress in a rapid fashion just as the years fly by in the story line. Life is inevitable, people make mistakes, and the mistakes people make have great impact and effect not only them, but the people around them; just as David Henrys mistake haunted his life and tormented that of his wifes. In day to day life there are always the people that make mistakes with good intentions. The authors point wasnt to completely make David the antagonist in the story but yet he was that one person whos mistake was made with half hearted good intentions, he wanted to spare his doting wife the pain of having to raise one child with down syndrome, he didnt want her to think that it was her fault in anyway. David just wanted the problem to go away not fully realizing that the problem wasnt his daughter it was him having to deal with his own past. David Henrys sister died at the young age of twelve and she had down syndrome as well, it is really sad that this character couldnt deal with his own past so much that he ruined his present and his future. He knew the pain that his sister having down syndrome had left on him and her death that not only was he trying to spare his wife the pain of having a daughter with down syndrome but yet the author was trying to convey to the reader that he also did it to protect his son from it as well. Norah becomes the character you feel bad for not a protagonist but yet just that good character whos life unfolding before her is the result of decisions from those around her. She is constantly depressed from thinking she lost her daughter, then she is also gaining more and more eternal sadness with her husband not letting her gain any sort of closure with this or even to simply tell her the truth of his actions and what he had done. The relationship between Norah and David grows further and further apart with him setting himself more distant from her as time goes on due to his guilty conscious eating away at him. Then on a happy note you have Caroline, she turned her whole life around for the life choices of David and that of herself. She raises Phoebe alone at first always fighting for more advanced learning abilities for down syndrome, she gains a man in her life named Al who helped her in the very beginning get to shelter when she had decided to keep the baby but then her car wont start in the middle of a blizzard, he becomes her knight in shining armor. Al becomes a big character having sought out Caroline after years and years of that first encounter with her and stays in her life loving and caring for both her and Phoebe, he becomes the father figure Phoebe never got to have. Kim Edwards set up all the right kind of characters for this plot and in every right way to develop the novel. In the end the themes of life being out of our control and the connection between suffering and joy are evident throughout the story. Kim Edwards used immense characterization that helped to develop those following themes with having the right selection of types of characters. The plot definitely has to do with developing the story, for it ties in with the life is out of our control theme having time go by so rapidly demonstrating that life is always constant and never stopping or standing still like a photograph for anyone or anything. Photos represent memories in life, David became enthralled with taking photographs in an effort to make time stop, maybe capture the memory he had when he made the decision to give his daughter away. The metaphor of David and his taking pictures ties into the Title â€Å"the memory keepers daughter† for he was the memory keeper, the keeper of the biggest life secret and lie. Kim Edwards made everything tie together with literary elements of metaphor, characterization, and Plot.