Resurrection and Body Paragraph Essay Example for Free

Resurrection and Body Paragraph Essay Detail 1:Carton believes that he is a waste of life and has no purpose being the world †¢ I am a disappointed drudge, sir I care for no man on earth and no man on earth cares for me. (2. 4. 70) †¢Detail 2:Starts to show his slow resurrection when he admits his love for Lucie the last dream of [his] soul. (book 2 Chapter 130 †¢Detail 3:Carton redeems himself by sacrifices his life for the women he loves and her happiness showing that he has been resurrected I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die, (3. 9. 89). †¢BODY PARAGRAPH II: †¢Transition/Opening Sentence:_________________________________. †¢Detail 1:When Dr. Manette is first released from prison he is like an infant that doesnt know the world. Prisoner 105, North Tower, †¢Detail 2:Starts to realize who he is when he meets his daughter Lucie at the Defarge winery †¢ She was the golden thread that united him to a Past beyond his misery, and to a Present beyond his misery: and the sound of her voice, the light of her face, the touch of her hand, had a strong beneficial influence with him almost always. (2. 4. 3) †¢Detail 3:He is finally shown in his full resurrectional the towards the end of the novel when he find out his bench has been taken away Transition/Opening Sentence:_________________________________. †¢Detail 1:Marrying Lucie had hide his past from many people in France and England I know that when she is clinging to you, the hands of baby, girl, and woman, all in one, are round your neck. I know that in loving you she sees and loves her mother at her own age, sees and loves you at my age, loves her mother broken-hearted, loves youthrough your dreadful trial and in your blessed restoration. (2. 10. 9) †¢Detail 2:His past was now coming back for him like a zombie coming out a grave. I care nothing for this Doctor, I. He may wear his head or lose it, for any interest I have in him; it is all one to me. But, the Evremonde people are to be exterminated, and the wife and child must follow the husband and father. (3. 14. 6) †¢Detail 3:He now knows that his old life will never come back to him and he must live his new life with the help of Carton.

Japanese foreign aid Essay Example for Free

Japanese foreign aid Essay Japan was the highest donor country in the mid 1990s. The rise to this status was gradual, spanning over 40 years. What began as a compulsion as an after effect of the Second World War, became an important tool of the foreign policy of Japan. It was under the US pressure that Japan began giving financial aid to the poorer countries. The amount kept on rising, to reach its peak in mid 90s. This was followed by a steep decline in the total amount disbursed as foreign aid. The decline was very steep. There may have been many reasons that can be attributed to the cause of this decline. However, one of the main reasons was the increasing fiscal deficit in its own budget. The economy of Japan, did not maintain as picture as rosy as it was during the mid 90s. In this context, the following two visuals are worth looking at. Figure 1. Japanese foreign aid (Cooray N. S. and Shahiduzzaman Mohd. , table 2, page 8) Fig. 2 Fiscal situation of Japan (current Japanese fiscal condition ) These charts indicate that the fiscal situation of Japan has been deteriorating since the mid 90s, at a constant rate. The issuance of deficit bonds, has been comparatively much higher than in any of the earlier years. A direct implication of this fact is that the government has been requiring more and more money to cover up its fiscal deficit. This amount is raised by issuing bonds. This condition has compelled Japan to reduce the foreign aid every successive year. No sooner Japan reached its position as the highest donor, it has been losing its position. The rapid downfall of Japan as a donor country is indeed a interesting study, and the fact that there is hardly any research done on the effect of fiscal position on the foreign aid, makes this topic even more interesting. This paper intends to make an in depth study of the fiscal situation which compelled Japan to reduce its foreign aid. It analyzes the major governing factors of the economy of Japan since the late 90s. The quickness with which Japan lost its status as the highest donor, is bound to be a good case study for other donor countries also. This study reveals that Japan has a glorious economic past. Despite the aftermath of the World War II, it had a sound economy witnessing a GDP growth nearing to 15% in the 50s, 60s and 70s. This enabled a freehand distribution of foreign aid. However, the sorry state of fiscal affairs of Japan, have compelled her to lost its status as the highest donor country. This paper in the first section briefly looks into a research paper on this subject. It tells about the history of Japanese foreign aid and discusses few important characteristics of Japanese aid. This includes the features of aid, the shift in policies and the central importance of China as a top priority receiving nation, of this aid. In the second section, details about how the fiscal situation of Japan has affected the reduction in foreign aid will be demonstrated. The third and the final section will deal with an analysis of the study. History and Characteristics Japanese foreign aid A research paper published by Marie Soderberg, associate professor, at Stockholm school of Economics, provides a good insight into the various aspects of Japanese foreign aid. The history of Japanese foreign aid begins in the 1950s as a result of war reparations agreement with Burma, Philippines and Indonesia were signed. This agreement and the subsequent aid granted by the Exim Bank were tied up with purchase from Japanese firms and very well served the interests of Japan. So far, Asian countries were the major recipients of the Japanese aid. The oil crisis of the 70s, saw the Arab nations also getting a fair share of the foreign aid from Japan. The late 1970s saw a huge rise in the foreign aid amount of Japan. This was partially a result of Japan’s wish to be respected by the international community.

Reflective Practice And Risk Essay

Reflective Practice And Risk Essay The purpose of this essay is to critically evaluate the following statement with reference to my own practice experience in working with risk. As social workers it is especially critical that we apply a resilience-lens, that is, a strengths-based practice approach (Saleeby, 2006, p.198). With the focus of this piece of practice on working with a family, this essay will predominantly explore the above statement from the perspective of a Children and Families placement. The essay will start with a brief outline of the practice experience that will be referred to and will then explore the concepts of resilience and strengths-based practice as well as risk assessment and risk management. The social, cultural and political concepts that shape practice in relation to risk management will also be explored. A reflective discussion of my practice will follow and this will incorporate the concepts of resilience and strengths-based practice as well as risk assessment and risk management and how this approach was utilised to complete BBs Pre-Birth Assessment. This discussion will also be set within a theoretical framework of reflection. The practice experience that will be referred to within this essay is the assessment process I undertook in order to prepare for the completion of a Pre-Birth Assessment which had been requested by the Community Ante-Natal Midwife. The completed Pre-Birth Assessment would be sent to the Local Authoritys Child Protection Officer. This was in line with the Local Authoritys High Risk Pregnancy Protocol. BB is 18 years old and pregnant with her second child. She lives alone in local authority housing in a small village. Her oldest child, CA, was at the time of the referral 9 months old. BBs partner, BA, who is aged 21, is currently in prison serving a two year sentence for Assault to Severe Injury. BA is not expected to get released from prison until October 2010. The Midwife was concerned that BB would find it difficult to cope with the new baby as well as her daughter and described BB as appearing to lack capacity in her understanding of responsibility of CAs health and welfare and the health and well-being of both herself and her unborn baby. The midwife also raised concerns about BBs mental well-being with respect to her partners long term prison sentence and in particular raised concerns that BB was finding it difficult to contemplate the birth of her second child without the support of her partner. The Midwife was satisfied that substance/drug misuse was not an issue with BB. The concept of resilience refers to a dynamic process of overcoming the negative effects of risk exposure, coping successfully with traumatic experiences and avoiding the negative pathways associated with risks. (Rutter, 1985; Luthar et al, 2000). From a developmental perspective, a pathway can become negative when circumstances lead to lower than expected progress or regression. Positive pathways occur as individuals or families overcome adversities. Turning points represent times when a pathway alters direction, such as when professional intervention enables a family or individual to start on or return to a positive pathway. (Hill et al 2007). Gilligan (2004) also suggests that three elements are seen as essential to understanding resilience which arises from a process and results in positive adaption in the face of adversity. Further to this, Fergus and Zimmerman (2005) argue that a key requirement of resilience is the presence of both risk and protective factors that either help bring about a positive outcome or reduce and avoid a negative outcome. In order to illuminate how resilience may operate, the key relationships in the lives of children and their families should be explored. The relationships the children and their families have with the wider world as well as their relationships with professionals should also be included in this exploration. (Gilligan, 2004). According to Hill et al (2007) many of the findings concerning resilience among young people as they move into adulthood are relevant to parents. The capacities and supports that assist their resilience also help them manage stresses arising from parental roles. However, much of the work on parent and family support has been based on the concept of coping and the development or building on the strengths of families facing difficulties rather than that of resilience (Pugh et al, 1995; Quinton, 2004). Nevertheless, as Hill et al (2007) point out successful coping equates to resilience (Hill et al, 2007, p.19). In order to identify and bolster strengths, as well as reduce risk Corcoran and Nichols-Casebolt (2004) consider how a risk and resilience ecological framework (Kirby and Fraser, 1997) can fit with social works emphasis on empowerment and the strengths-based perspective. Corcoran and Nichols-Casebolt (2004) put forward the ideas that the strengths perspective underlies the concepts of protective factors and resilience in which people are not only able to survive, but also triumph over difficult life circumstances. The ecological emphasis of the framework expands the focus beyond the individual to a recognition of systemic factors that can create problems as well as ameliorate them. (Corcoran and Nichols-Casebolt, 2004, p.212) In describing elements and principles of strength-based practice, Saleeby (2000) asks us to imagine an equilateral triangle. P at the apex stands for promise and possibility whilst C on the left represents capacities, competencies and character. R on the angle to the right symbolises resources, resilience and reserves. Taking into account the character and tenor of the helping relationship using the work of Carl Rogers (1951) by utilising respect, genuineness, concern, collaboration and empathy as well having useful and appropriate interventions can provide a context for the family and/or individual to confront the difficult and consider the future. Central to the strengths approach is to begin making an assessment of the assets, resources and capacities within the service user and equally within their environment e.g. household composition, extended family, neighbourhood and local amenities as well as access to community resources. (Saleeby, 2000; Corcoran Nichols-Casebolt, 2004). Further to this, professional assessment needs to focus on strengths as well as deficits, on protective as well as risk factors. (Werner Smith, 1992; Gilligan, 2001). What also needs to be understood, in terms of professional assessment is that protective and risk factors have been found to vary according to the type of adversity, type of resilient outcome and life stage. Also risk factors in one context may by protective in another. (Rutter, 1999; Ungar, 2004). Risk assessment should be understood as collecting information on the two key risk elements; these are known as the outcomes (also known as the consequences, harm or damage) and their likelihood (also known as chance or exposure) and to assess a risk both should be taken into consideration. (Carson Bain, 2008; Titterton, 2005). Risk assessment is also described as a systematic collection of information to identify if risks are involved and identifying the likelihood of their future occurrence. It can also be used to predict the escalation of the presenting behaviour as well as the service users motivation for change. (Calder, 2002) When considering outcomes Carson Bain (2008) argue that a risk assessment only requires from a legal, ethical and professional perspective to cover reasonable outcomes. The goal should be to include as much information, and as many considerations as necessary but to keep the decision as simple as possible. Including unreasonable outcomes quickly become counterproductive and thereby show poor practice. Further to this beneficial outcomes should also be taken into consideration. Risk assessment should also take into account that risk is being considered, and can be justified because its likely benefits may be more important than the possible harms. Quality risk assessment requires us to think about the amount of harm and/or benefits which might be achieved. When assessing likelihood Carson Bain (2008) suggest that the knowledge source and the quality of knowledge are variable. They advocate the adoption of the cognitive continuum model by Hammond (1978 cited in Carson Bain, 2008). This suggests that we should be able to distinguish six levels of knowledge. The lowest level being intuitive judgement next is peer-aided judgement where two or more people will share knowledge, experience and discuss assumptions and predictions. The third is system-aided judgement e.g. supervisor/manager aided. The final three levels relate to the quality of scientific and empirical research which may or may not be available. However, as Carson Bain point out the value of the cognitive continuum is that it reminds us that When making an assessment of likelihood we ought to use knowledge from the highest level, providing it is relevant knowledge. (Carson Bain, 2008, p.142) Therefore, when conducting an assessment, it is important that the nature of the interactions between the family and environmental factors are examined carefully, including both positive and negative influences and knowledge and meaning attached to them explored and weighed up with the family. What is useful in this respect is the use of grids and visual aids such as resilience/vulnerability matrix (Daniel Wassell, 2002), My World Triangle and genograms. The usefulness of these is enhanced when completed together with the service user. At this point it is useful to mention that there are two basic assessment tools used to assess risk. These are clinical which involves professional judgement, information from research on risk factors and constructs risk management as well as allowing intervention strategies to be tailored to situation. The other is actuarial and is based upon statistical calculations of risk and uses scales to assess parental dangerousness. This method does not allow for children and their families unique cluster of circumstances and also takes no account of child development theory. (Barry, 2007; Davies, 2008). Risk management is discovering and controlling the dimensions of the proposed risk into a plan to manage the risks; it is involved with implementing, monitoring, influencing, controlling and reviewing the risk decision. Risk dimensions are features of risk that could be influenced by the practitioner, for example the available (and the availability of) resources to manage the risk and uncertainty (Carson and Bain, 2008). Gurney (2000) defines risk management as processes devised by organisations to minimise negative outcomes and suggests that risk management moves along a continuum between control, legitimate authority and empowerment. Between the empowering and controlling ends of the continuum lie models of risk minimisation which seek to reduce harms and maximise benefits. (Manthorpe, 2000). However, in order to have good risk management we must be able to make effective use of all the dimensions of the risk assessment. Risk management suggest ways in which a decision may be best implemented. Different levels of resources may be applied. For example, the child who is perceived possibly to be at risk may be visited more frequently. People are an example of a major resource for risk management. The number of people being able to visit to check on a risk decision will be important but will be of little advantage if they are not sufficiently knowledgeable or skilled in identifying problems or opportunities and to make appropriate interventions. However, the availability of resources is money orientated and the availability of risk management resources in one part of the country (or neighbouring local authorities) could lead to a different risk proposal being assessed from that in another local authority that does not have those resources available. (Carson Bain, 2008) Webb (2007) identifies social work as operating within a risk society, that is, a society which views risk as something which should be managed and can be identified and eradicated. Since the beginning of the 21st Century there have been several reports regarding child abuse deaths and, as pointed out by Ferguson (1997), there are Few more disturbing phenomena in advanced modern society than the premature deaths of socially valued children who were known to be at high risk. (Ferguson, 1997, p. 228) Examples of high profile child death inquiry cases include Victoria Climbià © (2003), Caleb Ness (2003) and Baby P (2008). These are all very good examples of how the media and public blamed practitioners. The resultant media coverage of how risk assessment and risk management have failed along with demands for minimising risks and organisational and professional accountability have, over the years, constrained the role of a social worker. With respect to this Houston and Griffiths argue that Approaches to risk assessment and management in child protection have led to an emphasis on prediction, control and culpability. (Houston and Griffiths, 2000, p.1). Furedi (1997) argues that the worship of safety and the avoidance of risk make up the new moral order, an order which is prescriptive, intrusive and deeply anti-humanistic. From this perspective, concern about identifying risk is becoming more dominant than concern about identifying need in assessment and resource allocation in risk management. Avoiding risk is a difficult business which cannot be reduced to simplistic methods and rather than try to calculate the incalculable social workers should develop mutually trusting, respectful relationships with service users. Also this approach to risk assessment and risk management may deny the social worker empowering approaches which respond to need, focus on prevention and which more centrally tackle issues of poverty and social inequality. (Stalker, 2003; Ritchie Woodward, 2009). Further to this Ritchie Woodward (2009) point out that if social workers are preoccupied with high risk situations they are less likely to find the space to work either creatively or therapeutically. Additionally, the Changing Lives Report (2006) suggested that the social work profession had become increasingly risk averse. One of the key areas identified in Changing Lives was the need to develop a new organisational culture and approach to risk management and risk assessment which promoted excellen ce. (Scottish Executive 2006). In order to complete BBs pre-birth assessment I took into account risk factors and strengths which I had to analyse and reflect on. Calder (2002) offers a framework for conducting risk assessment by assessing all areas of identified risk and ensuring that each is considered separately e.g. child, parent and surrounding environment. To counteract the risk factors present family strengths and resources were also assessed, for example good bonding, supportive networks. I undertook research regarding parental resilience and according to Hill et al (2007) a vast array of research shows that parents in poverty or facing other stressors usually cope better when they have one or more close relationships outside the household and these are activated to give practical, emotional or informational support. In the case of BB she had a practical and supportive relationship with her mother as well as the support of her extended family which included her grandmother. BB also had a good relationship with BAs family and his mother in particular was a source of support for BB as she regularly took CA overnight. Whilst completing the assessment I centred my practice on the strengths-based perspective. As Saleeby (2000) explains the work of the strengths-based approach is the work of empowerment as both a process and a goal. As a goal, those who are empowered seek a firmer sense of purpose, self-esteem, the possibility of choice and connections to resources. As a process it is the collaboration between a social worker and a family or individual, working together on a mutual plan that will move them closer to their aspirations. Utilising a strengths-based practice with BB was important as she was finding it difficult to interact with the Community Health Visitor and Midwife. BB felt that she was a bad parent as she was not conforming to the routines the Health Visitor had recommended. BB also described how she felt that the Health Visitor was judging her and finding her wanting as a parent. Taking this conversation into consideration I realised that BB had no sense of self-efficacy, self-esteem or self-concept which Payne (2005) describes as resources that people have in order to cope. However, BBs strengths lay in the care of her daughter. She had a good bond with her daughter and was quick to attend to her needs. BB also had a routine in place with regard to mealtimes, naps and a bedtime routine. CA was also reaching her developmental milestones, had age appropriate toys and had the freedom of the living area. BB had also erected a baby gate to stop CA from gaining access to the kitchen and stairs. After a thorough analysis and supervisory discussions with my practice teacher I recommended that a Post-Birth Multi-Agency Conference not be convened. BB was happy to continue to work voluntarily with the Children and Families Area Team which would allow ongoing assessment and intervention. However, I recommended that a Post-Birth Multi-Agency meeting be arranged to discuss future interventions as I was aware that the birth of the new baby could be a future pressure on BB. I also recommended a further assessment take place when BA returns to the family home in October 2010. These recommendations were accepted by the Child Protection Officer at the Local Authority. In conclusion, Kolbs Reflective Cycle (1984) was useful in the reflection of my practice concerning BB as it allowed me to take into account Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) Codes of Practice, particularly Section 4.1 and 4.2. This reflective cycle also helped me look at BBs situation holistically by looking at resilience and risk, strengths-based practice and risk assessment and management. On reflection I felt confident that I had used the resources available to me well, particularly research and knowledge and I could justify my risk decision if harm was to occur and would be able to explain how I came to my risk decision. Overall, I felt that my first practice was very much influenced by the negative issues associated with risk however, I believe that this placement allowed me to put risk, risk assessment and management into perspective and accepting that risk decisions should not be influenced by the blame-culture but from a balanced approach which takes into consideration beneficial outcomes. This will in the future enable me to better support service users. 2,998 words

Essay --

On July 1919, Chicago Illinois swept a wave of destruction that left 23 african americans and 15 whites dead, 537 injured, and over million dollars of property damage. This was one of the most devastating of all the 25 race riots that occurred in the country during the â€Å"Red Summers† of 1919. Under the pressure of the Great Migration and living condition worsen, tensions grew in size.. Adding to the racial antipathy that led to the riots were historic conflicts over labor. For decades white workers in Chicago's stockyards had excluded the black workers, denying them their membership, blacks had often allowed themselves to be used as replacement labor. Despite some positive movement toward integration of labor unions, by the summer of 1919, it all exploded on July 27, where an african boy was killed after he crossed an unofficial segregation line and was stoned to death. The result would be widespread violence in the streets, turning neighbor against neighbor, white again st black, worker against coworker Throughout Chicago this â€Å"segregation† is quite real. It’s reach a point where th...

Colonists Living Among Natives in the New World Essay -- American Amer

Colonists Living Among Natives in the New World When the Europeans invaded the New World in 1492 they brought along their culture and way of life. The Europeans were not prepared to encounter a previously developed culture, which was home to the Indians. The negative stereotype of the Indians as viscous savages and barbarians was immediately formed by the Europeans beginning as early as Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World. These negative stereotypes made Europeans believe that Indians were hardly human and "believed that no civilized person would choose to become an Indian" (Axtell, Invasion 302). When in fact the opposite became true. Despite the European view of Indians as savages, there were many English and French colonists who actually chose to live among the Indians. The colonists lived among the Indians when they discovered that the Indians had a more desirable way of life and a very moral society. The colonists also joined the Indian society to escape the corruption of the colonial society and to gain personal freedom with the Indians. This paper focuses primarily on the English and French colonists experiences with Indians of the Northeastern United States. But the Spanish, who were the first to arrive at the New World, did spend time living with the Indians as well. One of the most important examples of a Spanish person who lived with the Indians was the discoverer of America, Amerigo Vespucci. Vespucci actually spent some time living and observing the Indian way of life (Washburn 6). He wanted to share in their lives so he shared their experiences, or as Gerbi world say, "he becomes a savage to understand the savages" (41). During the time that Vespucci stayed with the Indians, he found the Indian... ...ife and the rejection of the corrupt colonial society led to the number of colonists who voluntarily spent their lives with the Indians to be quite large and could have been even larger. "Had [the captives] not been compelled to return to colonial society by militarily enforced peace treaties, the ranks of the white Indians would have been greatly enlarged" (306). WORKS CITED Axtell, James. The European and the Indian. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981. Axtell, James. The Invasion Within: The Contest of Cultures in Colonial North America. New York: Oxford University Press, 1985. Gerbi, Antonello. Nature in the New World. Pittsburgh: U of Pittsburgh Press, 1975. Rosenstiel, Annette. Red & White: Indian Views of the White Man. New York: Universe Books, 1983. Washburn, Wilcomb E., ed. The Indian and the White Man. New York: Anchor Books, 1964.

Alice Walkers Everyday Use :: essays research papers

What’s Your Background?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alice Walker’s life as an African-American novelist and poet has led to many award winning short-stories and books. She was raised in the southern state of Georgia and her parents were sharecroppers. This taught her that being an African-American can have its rough times. After being shot by a BB gun when she was eight, Alice remained blinded in one eye. Her ailment caused her to seclude herself from other children her age. Alice’s feeling of being older than she was shows in her writing of the short story “Everyday Use';.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the story’s main character’s, Maggie, is a direct relation to the beginning of Alice Walker’s life. Maggie, though we don’t know her exact age, appears to be a young woman. The story tells of her past as though Alice Walker was telling a slightly altered version of her own life up to that point. Maggie was burned in a fire that was, though never proven, thought to be set by an older sibling. After the fire, Maggie walked “chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle';, ashamed of her looks (Perrine 91). In relation, Alice’s older sibling shot her in the eye. This blinded her and made her feel like she was unpleasant to look at. She secluded herself and felt ashamed. These events led to the other, non-social activities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alice Walker, after being blinded by the BB gun, turns to reading stories and writing poetry. Many of her writings are related to her life as a young black woman. In “Everyday Use';, Alice uses the character of Maggie to express her own internal struggles. Maggie is taught by her grandmother to make quilts, and quilts are made to put to everyday use. The opposing character in the story, Dee, only asks for the quilts to hang them and display them as a piece of her heritage. Alice shows both girls opinions to prove that either of the girls could be right. Dee could try to preserve her heritage, if she actually cared about it, by hanging the quilts. However, Maggie has been raised to know that she can use the quilts and still preserve and continue her heritage by repairing the quilts with new scraps, which have their own meaning. Alice wanted to show the relation between African-American people who actually know and live their heritage, as opposed to just pretending for trend’s sake.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dee’s character in the story is a direct relation to the number of people in modern society that does not know their true heritage.

Light And Darkness Essay

As the sun rises, birds begin to sing the joy of light and as the day ends, the birds fly back into the darkness of night. The darkness of our lives is often transformed by the delusion of light. In James Baldwin’s essay, â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† the title itself sets up an irony that is explored throughout. The name â€Å"Sonny,† when read, sounds like â€Å"Sunny,† meaning brightness, light and hope. The word â€Å"Blues† presents the reader images of night, darkness and sadness. The darkness represents the reality of life on the streets of Harlem, a community living in an environment where there is no escape from the reality of drugs and crime. The dreadful nature of the streets lures adolescents to use drugs as a means of escaping the darkness of their lives. The main character, Sonny, a struggling Jazz musician, finds himself addicted to heroin as a way of unleashing creativity and artistic ability within him. Using music as a means of crea ting structure in his life, Sonny attempts to step into the light, a life without drugs. Coping with the light and darkness of siblings can be one of life’s most exhausting challenges as they grow-up and struggle to form their own identities. The different images of light and darkness serve as the abstract framework for Baldwin’s essay. This imagery is first viewed when the narrator, Sonny’s older brother, thinks about Sonny’s fate in the dark subway. â€Å"I stared at it in the swinging light of the subway car, and in the faces and bodies of the people, and in my own face, trapped in the darkness which roared outside†(270). The â€Å"swinging lights of the subway car† allows him to read about Sonny’s arrest, while the â€Å"darkness roared outside.† This allows the narrator to realize that he has to find a way to absorb and live with this new understanding of Sonny as an addict and as a blues musician. The darkness is the representation of the community of Harlem, where like the passengers on the subway, the community is trapped in their surroundings by economic, social, or physical barriers. The dreadful life of darkness has overwhelmed everyone and everything living in Harlem. The narrator, an algebra teacher, is fearful for his students who are falling into a life of crime and drugs. The harsh realties of the street have abandoned the light from the faces of his brother and his students. â€Å"These boys, now, were living as we’d been living then, they were growing up  with a rush and their heads bumped abruptly against the low ceiling of their actual possibilities. They were filled with rage. All they really knew were two dark nesses, the darkness of their lives, which was now closing in on them, and the darkness of the movies, which had blinded them to that other darkness, and in which they now, vindictively, dreamed, at once more together than they were at any other time, and more alone†(271). This illustrates how darkness has engulfed the lives of the children without them realizing it. In addition, the misdirection of the movies has kept these boys from achieving and doing anything with their lives. The community of Harlem, filled with disaster, is following the dull path of previous generations. As Sonny and his brother return to the streets of their youth, they recognize the similarities between their childhood and the lives of the children who are growing up in the hostile community of Harlem. The vivid description by the narrator describes how over the course of time the neighborhood has not changed for the better, yet for the worse. He describes how â€Å"most of the houses in which we had grown up had vanished, as had the stores from which we had stolen, the basements in which we had first tried sex, the rooftops from which we had hurled tin cans and bricks. But houses exactly like the houses of our past yet dominated by landscape, boys exactly like the boys we once had been found themselves smothering in these houses, came down into the streets for light and air and found themselves encircled by disaster†(275). This shows how the children, seeking to escape from the darkness of their houses, fled into the streets for refuge. However, the children only found more darkness creeping around in their community. Darkness can be fearful and soothing. â€Å"The night is creeping up outside, but nobody knows it yet. You can see the darkness growing against the windowpanes and you hear the street noises every now and again but it’s real quiet in the room. For a moment nobody’s talking, but every face looks darkening, like the sky outside. Everyone is looking at something a child can’t see. For a minute they’ve forgotten the children. Maybe somebody got a kid in his lap and is absent-mindedly stroking the kid’s hair. The silence, the darkness coming, and the darkness in the faces frighten the child  obscurely. He hopes that the hand which strokes his forehead will never stop-will never die. But something deep and watchful in the child knows that this is bound to end, is already ending. And when the light fills the room, the child is filled with darkness. The darkness outside is what the old folks have been talking about. It’s what they’ve come from. It’s what they endure. The child knows that they won’t talk any more because he knows too much about what’s happened to them, he’ll know too much too soon, about what’s going to happen to him† (277). The light is a consciousness of the dark and reality. With the light comes the understanding of the world for the child lying in his mother’s lap. Although the child may want to learn the truth, by doing so he exposes himself to the world and looses part of his innocence and childhood. Therefore, the child may wish to remain in darkness. The images of light and darkness, which serve as truth and reality, are used to show the struggle between Sonny and the narrator. The narrator recalls a story his mother once told him about an uncle whom a car of drunken white men killed. The narrator’s father â€Å"never in his life seen anything as dark as that road after the lights of that car had gone away†(279). The narrator’s father so depressed by the incident that he â€Å"never did get right again. Till the day he died he weren’t sure but that every white man he saw was the man that killed his brother†(279). The story serves as a lesson for the narrator to â€Å"hold on to your brother and don’t let him fall, no matter what it looks like is happening to him and no matter how evil you gets with him† (279). In the story, this significant event alters the narrator’s responsibilities as an older brother. With this new responsibility comes the burden of raising his younger b rother, Sonny. However, when the narrator confronts Sonny to discuss his future, he refuses to accept his brother’s goal of becoming a jazz musician. After going through many hardship and pain, the narrator eventually realizes that â€Å"Sonny was at that piano playing for his life†(283). The narrator accepts Sonny’s life as a musician when he accompanies him to a nightclub in order to hear him perform. Within the nightclub, there is a struggle between light and darkness. As Sonny and the rest of his quartet wait to go on  stage, his brother notices that â€Å"the light from the bandstand spilled just a little short of them and, watching them laughing and gesturing and moving about, I had the feeling that they, nevertheless, were being most careful not to step into the circle of light too suddenly; that if they moved into the light too suddenly, without thinking, they would perish in flame†(290). This indicates that, to embrace the truth and gain awareness too fast is painful and devastating. As Sonny plays the piano, the older leader of the band, Creole, leads him into the light, into the water. â€Å"He w anted Sonny to leave the shoreline and strike out for deep water. He was Sonny’s witness that deep water and drowning were not the same thing-he had been there, and he knew. And while Creole listened, Sonny moved, deep within, exactly like someone in torment. Creole wasn’t trying any longer to get Sonny in the water. He was wishing him Godspeed† (291-292). Creole is helping Sonny to unleash his artistic ability not through drugs, but through the emotion of pain and suffering. Music is a way of creating order in a disordered world and the narrator sees that musicians are trying to â€Å"find new ways to make us listen. For, while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard. There isn’t any other tale to tell, it’s the only light we’ve got in all this darkness† (291). The daily struggles of life are all the same for everyone, yet the manner in which it is confronted and dealt with is different. Within this consciousness of reality, there is peace and hope that makes the darkness and life worth living. The two brothers, the narrator and Sonny, deal with the harsh realities of their daily lives and are surrounded by a world full of shadows and light. Together they face the inescapable and all encompassing darkness that had plagued their lives. Using music as a form of communication, the brothers are able to overcome their differences and create order in their disordered life. The painful realization of the truth has enabled them to redirect their lives and rebuild on a relationship tarnished by drugs and poverty.