Social Housing Providers And Homelessness Social Work Essay Essay Example

Social Housing Providers And Homelessness Social Work Essay Essay In seeking to compose a study on the impact that societal lodging suppliers have had on turn toing the issue of homelessness in the UK it is to be appreciated that there are a figure of important issues to be dealt with with a position to deciding this complex societal job. Chiefly there is a demand to recognize that a figure of factors serve to act upon cases of homelessness originating including household dislocation, intoxicant or drug abuse, eviction, or mental and physical wellness that are all important societal issues on their ain to be resolved but are merely made all the more complex to decide in position of their links with homelessness. With this in head, it will be recognised that societal lodging suppliers by and large seek to promote relocation of persons made homeless to carry through the purpose of assisting to decide this issue and offer support whilst besides empower people to pull on their ain accomplishments and cognition to so do their attempts at happening adjus tment more successful. It is so necessary to see the impact upon societal lodging suppliers through the consideration of three specific illustrations by manner of practical instance surveies before looking to reason with a sum-up of the cardinal points derived from this treatment in relation to their critical success factors for accomplishing a decrease in the degree of homelessness within society. ( 2 ) Introduction We will write a custom essay sample on Social Housing Providers And Homelessness Social Work Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Social Housing Providers And Homelessness Social Work Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Social Housing Providers And Homelessness Social Work Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Having recognised the country to be discussed in relation to societal lodging suppliers as being the demand to look to efficaciously turn to the issue of homelessness within society in the UK, it is necessary to first expression to sketch the cardinal issues that are to be dealt with in this respect by lodging suppliers. Then, following on from the acknowledgment of such issues that are associated with homelessness, there is a demand to look to measure the impact upon societal lodging suppliers with this in head through the consideration of a figure of illustrations so as to better exemplify the points that are made in this respect. Finally, this study will look to reason with a sum-up of the cardinal points that have been derived from this treatment of the impact societal lodging suppliers have had upon the affair of homelessness with respect to what are recognised as being the critical success factors. To better exemplify the point a critical success factor refers to an component n ecessary for the accomplishment or success of the mission of an administration or single undertaking ( Boynlon A ; Zmud, 1984 ) . For illustration, a critical success factor related to homelessness is user engagement i.e. in other words, stateless people responding and being proactive in relation to the affair of societal lodging suppliers supplying them with places and declarations to their other associated jobs. ( 3 ) Issues With a position to recognizing the issues involved with societal lodging suppliers efficaciously deciding jobs of homelessness it is to appreciated that this is a multi faceted job that has come to be good noted by a considerable figure of different research workers as a much more complex issue than merely happening adjustment ( Anderson A ; Tulloch, 2000 ) . On this footing, it has been recognised that cases of homelessness can originate from out of a figure of factors including household dislocation, intoxicant or drug abuse, eviction, or mental and physical wellness that can besides present important jobs ( Lemos, 1999 ) . In each single instance as it arises such troubles can function to do it well more complex to look to resettle single citizens into their ain adjustment in the event of their holding been recognised as homeless by the local governments ( Pearl, 1997 ) . Problems in this respect are so really frequently merely farther compounded by the troubles that are found to be inherently involved with remaining in impermanent adjustment like a inn. The ground for this is that there is a demand to understand that some inn adjustment can be said to move as a farther complication as opposed to a benefit for those desiring to resettle into the community in independent adjustment ( Clapham, 2005 ) . By manner of illustration, faculty members including Galchagan A ; Wallace ( 2001 ) have served to propose that before an person can be resettled a drawn-out procedure of going unsettled may hold led to a individual being homeless and in impermanent adjustment so that this so serves to intend that the affair of homelessness has come to be something of a revolving door procedure ( Galchagan A ; Wallace, 2001, p.2 ) . On this footing, societal lodging suppliers by and large seek to promote relocation of persons that have been made homeless to carry through the purpose of assisting to more efficaciously decide this issue and offer support whilst besides functioning to authorise people to pull on their ain accomplishments and cognition to be able to so do their attempts at happening adjustment well more of a success ( Clapham, 2005 ) . The ground for this is that it has been recognised that without support faculty members including Schofield ( 1999, at p.3 ) have come to propose that certain groups like those with mental wellness jobs will stop up sing the same jobs. In add-on, it is besides to be noted that the Homelessness Directorate of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister ( 2002 ) has antecedently served to foreground the fact there is excessively small information presently available with respect to the extent with which cases of repetition homelessness have arisen although it should be not ed that the figures that have been generated from certain local governments have served to gauge this figure could be at least 20-30 % of all instances originating to be decided upon ( Cave, 2007 ) . With this in head, Schofield so looks to reason that non merely is this really frequently something of a crushing blow to the non inconsiderable recognised hopes and aspirations of a stateless individual but it besides incurs an unbelievable cost imposed by occupancy failure and excess clip spent in impermanent adjustment, which is necessarily more expensive for the person involved ( Schofield, 1999, at p.3 ) . ( 4 ) Impact on Social Housing characteristics With respect to the impact upon societal lodging suppliers, in relation to the affair of lodgings allotment more by and large, Parts VI and VII of the Housing Act 1996 govern the manner councils allocate their lodging and how they should help those designated as being homeless. The Homelessness Act 2002 so served to amend the Housing Act 1996 at Parts VI and VII so the processs for using for ( and the allotment of ) lodging were revised along with the responsibilities owed by councils to those recognised as confronting homelessness in the UK. As a consequence, societal lodging suppliers have been actively encouraged to take part in undertaking homelessness by functioning to place a Homelessness Champion and besides develop their ain schemes for battling this all excessively copiously complex societal job to be engaged their precedences and partnerships. For illustration, the Bath A ; North East Somerset Council Homelessness Strategy, 2008-2013 ( 2008 ) recognised Knightstone Housi ng Association and Somer Community Housing Trust are the country s chief local lodging suppliers although the figure of leases has been diminishing ( e.g. 79 in 2005/06 fell to 55 in 2006/07 ) . Therefore, the council felt it was necessary to work with suppliers to better maximize leases to homeless people since societal lodging is accessed by registering on the local authorization s online pick based leases scheme Homesearch . As of 2008 there were over six thousand people registered with the Bath A ; North East Somerset Council about two tierces of which necessitating one sleeping room places but the job is that leases have diminished in the last five old ages so demand for lodging far outstrips supply ( Bath A ; North East Somerset Council, 2008 ) . A farther illustration of societal lodging suppliers work arose when more than 100 lodging associations situated in the North West sought to undertake the affair of homelessness through the constitution of a set of committednesss in the tally up to Christmas 2009. To this consequence a study by the North West Housing Association entitled The North West s Housing Associations Our Committednesss to Tackling Homelessness ( 2009 ) has found there are merely non sufficient places available in the part. That this has proved to be the instance is marked by the fact waiting lists for a societal place have increased by over 50 % in the last five old ages and will increase even more due to the economic downswing ( National Housing Federation, 2009 ) . However, to better trade with the job good over 100 lodging associations have signed up to the aforesaid committednesss since they jointly manage over 450,000 places to organize a homelessness scheme. This is brooding of the fact it is possible for them to work together to vouch lodging associations and local governments work together to present cardinal services, supply support and offer solutions to undertake homelessness by placing and covering with factors that cause the job in the first topographic point including worklessness , fiscal exclusion, anti-social behavior and low educational attainment ( National Housing Federation, 2009 ) . But lodging associations in the part are already assisting undertake homelessness in many ways as the study included in the aforesaid study found 74 % provide entree to preparation to increase renters opportunities of employment ; 76 % have linked up with recognition brotherhoods ; and 98 % of associations offer their renters entree to a lodging advice service with a position to offering aid to those who do lose their places ( North West Housing Association, 2009 ) . Another illustration arose in the Liverpool part with the Riverside Project ( 2009 ) will increase low-cost places supply to people within the part, offer comfy adjustment for those people who are likely to be stateless and offer tailored lodging and support services ( a ) set uping a mark to construct 2,000 new low-cost places between 2008/2011 ; ( B ) supplying first-class supported lodging services to our 3,000 bing service users and by bettering the quality of our lodging stock by accomplishing what are recognised as Decent Homes marks ; ( degree Celsius ) doing suited adjustment available to appliers that are stateless ; ( vitamin D ) looking to develop new strategies for supported lodging as set out in the concern program and vouching specialist proviso for the homeless is delivered to run into the demands of the wider community ; ( vitamin E ) developing our bing drifting support services and furthering internal and external links with cardinal spouses ; ( degree Fahrenheit ) guaranteeing that local schemes allow us to see the demands of the homeless and those that are threatened with homelessness ; ( g ) working to cut down overcrowding by runing a sensitive allotments policy and optimizing stock s best usage by back uping renters who are under busying to travel to more appropriate adjustment ; ( H ) back uping the development of strategies for local and national mobility ; ( I ) providing or facilitating AIDSs and versions and working together with other bureaus to assist handicapped people remain at place. ( 5 ) Decision In seeking to reason this study on the impact that societal lodging suppliers have had on turn toing the issue of homelessness in the UK it is to be appreciated that one of the most important critical success factors is user engagement. Therefore, it is incumbent upon societal lodging suppliers to look to promote those who are stateless ( or those who might be made homeless ) to use their services with a position to staying feasible members of society. The ground for this is that, in concurrence with local governments in the UK, societal lodging suppliers have looked to non merely cover with the issue of homelessness that serves to plague our society. However, whilst societal lodging suppliers have doubtless looked to help the homeless in a assortment of ways, as the illustration of the Bath A ; North East Somerset Council Homelessness Strategy, 2008-2013 ( 2008 ) has served to exemplify the figure of leases by societal lodging suppliers has really been diminishing at a clip when p eople are arguably at there most vulnerable in position of the hapless economic system. Therefore, as has already recognised possibly the most important critical success factor for deciding the issue of homelessness is for societal lodging suppliers to look to work with the local governments to break trade with peoples demands within a peculiar part.

Free Essays on The Downfall Of Tsarism

Without Russia’s previous history World War One would not have created such discontent and wouldn’t have led to a revolution during February 1917. World War One highlighted the weakness in the autocratic system and was a contributing factor to the February uprising and thus the fall of the Romanov rule. The impact of the First World War was a key factor in the downfall of Tsarism as it created enormous pressure on the Tsar. However there were also a number of other factors which too helped to destroy the Tsarist state including the fact that Nicholas II was ill suited to the role which he was poorly prepared to face. However Nicholas II’s ability was not in question because he was next in line and whether he was fit for the challenge was not an issue of concern. One of the weaknesses of a hereditary system such as that of Tsarist Russia is that it does not rely on the ability of the person it instead depends upon the line of inheritance. Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia was ill-suited to the role of Tsar and hence found the responsibilities it brought challenging and difficult to handle. For generations Russia had ruled by the system of autocracy that is rule by one person as the see fit. Therefore the decision to enter the war was purely a catalyst which helped accelerate the collapse of a system which was beginning to look outdated by the 20th century. The personality of Nicholas II was not however the only factor in the downfall of Tsarism in 1917. The growth of industry and with it new industrial classes both middle and working class exaggerated the division between those citizens with power and those without. The demand for a measure of parliamentary democracy was growing which put the Tsar and his supporters from the landed aristocracy under increasing pressure. However the demand for democracy in the form of a parliament was only growing from a small minority of the middle classes and the liberals who looked at wha... Free Essays on The Downfall Of Tsarism Free Essays on The Downfall Of Tsarism Without Russia’s previous history World War One would not have created such discontent and wouldn’t have led to a revolution during February 1917. World War One highlighted the weakness in the autocratic system and was a contributing factor to the February uprising and thus the fall of the Romanov rule. The impact of the First World War was a key factor in the downfall of Tsarism as it created enormous pressure on the Tsar. However there were also a number of other factors which too helped to destroy the Tsarist state including the fact that Nicholas II was ill suited to the role which he was poorly prepared to face. However Nicholas II’s ability was not in question because he was next in line and whether he was fit for the challenge was not an issue of concern. One of the weaknesses of a hereditary system such as that of Tsarist Russia is that it does not rely on the ability of the person it instead depends upon the line of inheritance. Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia was ill-suited to the role of Tsar and hence found the responsibilities it brought challenging and difficult to handle. For generations Russia had ruled by the system of autocracy that is rule by one person as the see fit. Therefore the decision to enter the war was purely a catalyst which helped accelerate the collapse of a system which was beginning to look outdated by the 20th century. The personality of Nicholas II was not however the only factor in the downfall of Tsarism in 1917. The growth of industry and with it new industrial classes both middle and working class exaggerated the division between those citizens with power and those without. The demand for a measure of parliamentary democracy was growing which put the Tsar and his supporters from the landed aristocracy under increasing pressure. However the demand for democracy in the form of a parliament was only growing from a small minority of the middle classes and the liberals who looked at wha...

Dissertation

Dissertation A dissertation is always a challenge for college students. Here is a short dissertation writing guide to make this task easier. In case you need professional help team is always there for you! For any student that is about to write a dissertation, there is a lot of information that you have to assemble ensure your paper includes the relevant data for a dissertation. You also have to make sure that your work is well-researched and then it’s going to be clearly structured. Here are a few tips to guide you through the dissertation writing process. What Is a Dissertation? You might ask, â€Å"What is a dissertation and how do I set it up?† It’s best to read through sample instructions first so you understand how to read your dissertation and the difference between a dissertation and the thesis to help guide you in your work. Dissertations, so that you know, are the documents that are going to be required for you to earn your Ph.D. This document is going to be something that will generally be published but it also is going to help you to specialize in your particular field of study. DISSERTATION WRITING You may be wondering what a completed dissertation looks like. There are plenty in the library for you to peruse. When you examine them, notice how varied they are. But student life is too short to spend it in libraries, you can always count on us our professional writers will gladly  help you to conduct research. Thesis vs. Dissertation The dissertation is not the same as writing a thesis because a thesis is on a smaller scale and it’s something that’s required for graduate school. This is not the same as a dissertation which is required for your Ph.D. to get your doctorate. To give you a better understanding of the difference between a dissertation and a thesis, your dissertation is a very lengthy document that will help you get your doctoral degree at the particular college or university that you’re studying at. When you study for a thesis, and you want to prepare a thesis, this is completely different because it’s a smaller paper that’s going to help you to support a particular argument. You may look for research on a topic and expand upon that based on what you find online and other information. How to Structure and Outline a Dissertation? In understanding how to structure an outline a dissertation, there are several key steps to consider and that’s one of the reasons why you want to take your time and set up all of the different parameters so that way you have all of the information that you need. Your dissertation outline is going to help guide you through your work. That’s why you need a thorough understanding of how it needs to be structured because you actually need an outline which is more like a linear plan that’s going to guide you through. DISSERTATION FORMAT In terms of how to structure your dissertation, you want to definitely be organized in your work,  because there a lot of different sections that you have to work on. You want to build the language for your work and you also want to look at the different types of academic supporting documents you are going to use in your dissertation. How to Write a Dissertation? In understanding how to write a dissertation, there are a lot of different areas that you can tap into, but it’s best to go from the introduction to the conclusion to help you to better understand how to draft your paper in a streamlined way so that it structured and it’s clearly focused. Introduction.  The introduction is where you want to discuss what the topic is and why you are studying it. You can also mention what your focus is. Research Question.  You are going to have a research question and this is going to be the area where you’re going to ask a question and you going to explain and define all of the terms that you’re going to use throughout your dissertation. Literature References. You’re going to outline the particular parameters of literature that you’re using so this is the area where you’re going to have your literature references. As you can see this is already different from a thesis paper or a regular research paper where you would have your references at the end because this is the section where you’re going to include your key references, and who is behind any underlying theoretical ideas that you might be using. Research Methodologies. You are going to have your research methodologies. This will be the area where you may decide how you want to argue your paper and whether not you want to use pros and cons, where you pick one side versus the other. You may want to stress the analysis of the particular data that you’re using, and you may want to use the presentation of your data in terms of explaining what you found in the results that you were able to come up with. Supporters. This is a  section that’s devoted to supporters for the document. You may have counter arguments that you found in your research that goes against your beliefs or states how their opinion is worded and conclusions that they came to. You can also point out your own point of view and then your argument to support your beliefs and what you may find in common with other theorists and what they come up with. Conclusions. You’re going to go into your conclusions and you’re also going to discuss whether or not there is a need for further research. This is the segue for other students who may come behind you and work on your paper to develop their own dissertation. Bibliography and Appendixes. This is the area for your bibliography and your appendix. Any additional information that you add is going to be in this section and you’re going to include it here. List all of the references and the different types of materials that you were able to use whether that  were online videos or interviews. Dissertation Writing Tips When you write your dissertation, it has to be well organized and you also have to be very well versed in the language that you use and how you word your document. It is also very important that you keep track of your information. You also need to keep track of any areas where you found a gap in information or areas that you were not able to get research if you trying to prove a point and you couldn’t draw a conclusion from it. You need to state this in your work. The Dos and Don’ts of the Dissertation Writing Process Because your dissertation can be up to about a hundred thousand words, this is a very lengthy document that’s almost the size of a book. That’s why it has to be well-organized and it has to be very in depth. You also have to know how to write on this level to help you to get from one section to the next. There are a few dos you should focus on: You do want to consider your time management skills in assessing how your work will be laid out so that way you can clearly structure it and focus your time. As you work on your dissertation, you also want to take regular breaks and intervals to keep track of the work that you’re doing and also to allow large blocks of time so that you can focus on different sections to keep it consistent all throughout. DISSERTATION WRITING SERVICE You want to make sure you understand the purpose of your dissertation because it is a thing it is based on your ability to understand research and also offer insightful ideas into the research that you’re finding. In terms of the various types of don’ts as it relates to your dissertation, you want to make sure that you’re giving enough time to the dissertation and the work that you have to assemble, so don’t wait until the last minute. You also want to ensure that you are giving the research enough time, so don’t forget to set up a timeline and outline. You will need ample time to measure the data you’re collecting and you want to make sure that you’re developing tests that are going to coincide with and correspond to the particular hypothesis that you’re coming up with as you have to account for various variables. Because you do want to make sure that you’re allocating enough time for the work at hand, don’t take this work lightly. Jumping ahead, what does a faculty member look for in a proposal? It should be well-written Organized, with a logical flow Concise, but also complete Good grammar Are you looking for a model custom writing service? can help with your assignment!

Maritime piracy along the malacca straits in Southeast Asia Research Paper

Maritime piracy along the malacca straits in Southeast Asia - Research Paper Example Singapore th efeoe ecame a typeically diffent stllemntwioth both Euroeopand and Asian elemntsanndintersts, leading to develop,ntof the Irnum maradduing fgnag thth attcejd Englisgh shipps trading inthis region with a passon leadiong to heacy losses and marginally contgruibuted to declining trade in Singapore at this time ( Wong Lin Ken, 1960 82-83). Singapre as explained was creted as a redistruibutin center by western forces Mills (1966, 223) argue wtht Europen powers emp[loyed draconian approaches to reduce clocal comeotyoninteh area nd enjoy a complte monopoly destroyin the indegneous systems,w hich imprecverisehd he local sn and the merachants, who dweeloped sesdneof ravage and a sense f legitimiston attcks on ships along the strait.t he Maly and ghe Illunun were biter rivals and piracy continued thpoighh atck of ships and was at its peak between 1826 and 1836 (Freeman, 180). There the fact th SIngapiore was a destin f o the west heithned pirate attcks on ships tow the countery an d had almost chocked the port sof Singapore (Freeman, 182). The 1849 bid to elimintate pircacy aliong the striat led by te British though asuslton theassialnts (Freeman, 183) 0was reamrble in crating divides between Sinaopre and the restof the region as a choise fo the westen forces (Mitchel 1976, 178). Piracy thrives ina area where it is culteurally acceptable and in ASoutegh east asia, it has been aemvbraced as as an acceptable way oflivfe eaimed at profvding support for poor local villages (Murphy, 17). This explinsw hry teerrosimis more rampant along Indonesian coast whre poverty is much higher (Young, 61) and is not considered as a global problem (). M,oroever, closelnessof the sttes has been a factrt to heighten sensitvuity ion stte soverignity, which has hampred efforts for cordiotna nd intergraton in coabatig the piracy meannce

Business proposal. JUST PART B (which is 5 pages) The rest is my group Research Paper

Business proposal. JUST PART B (which is 5 pages) The rest is my group members - Research Paper Example The restaurant is fully equipped with the furniture, fixtures, and other essential equipment. Thus, the initial cost will only entail capital for starting the operations. In 1946, Taco Bell was started by Glen Bell, who opened a hot dog cafà © in San Bernardino, California. In 1950, he began Hot Dog and Hamburgers in San Bernardinos barrio (OFallon, 2011). Bell has grown and currently is operating numerous restaurants in California. Taco Bell Restaurant Company is currently over five hundred fast food restaurants word wide. The restaurant will daily serve concession every day of each year from 5:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. Taco Bell selected this restaurant due to its strategic placement. This step will allow the travelers to have their dishes before and after their journeys. There are other competitors in the place, but our quality and reliable service will be the bait for our customers (OFallon, 2011). We will provide healthier meals with simplified wholesome ingredients. Taco Bell will position itself premier fast food and quick service restaurant at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. This position will be attained by providing quality foods of highest hygiene and positive health impact. The restaurant will provide a conducive atmosphere for our customers to enjoy their meals, and they will be greeted by the smiles as they enter our restaurant. Our customers will be moved by our standard menu fare, together with seasonal menus that can use to take advantage of saving costs and maintain the trends of the current food industry. We are certain that the restaurant business is a crucial place where one can begin their career and pursue it to full-time (OFallon, 2011). In Taco Bell, we know that our restaurant will offer job opportunities to both new applicants and part-timers. Taco Bell will remain current with the ever growing food industry

The Presence of Darkness in James Baldwins Sonnys Blues Essay

The Presence of Darkness in James Baldwin's Sonny's Blues In the story Sonny's Blues the author, James Baldwin, uses the image of darkness quite frequently. He uses it first when the older brother (main character) talks about his younger brother Sonny. He says that when Sonny was younger his face was bright and open. He said that he didn't want to believe that he would ever see his "brother going down, coming to nothing, all that light in his face gone out." Meaning he had gone from good (clean and innocent) to bad ( giving into drugs like so many of the other young people). The older brother then goes on to talk about his students and how they had limited possibilities stating that "all they really knew were two darknesses, the darkness of their lives, which was know 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 time and more alone." He believes that there is little opportunity for these kids to get out of the pretty much doomed future they have with drug addiction and crime being what it is in the city. There was one boy whistling through the "harsh, bright air," while the other boys were laughing in their unforgiving way. The brightness of this boys whistling could symbolise that some of them do get out and make something of themselves ( bright futures). The author then uses darkness to describe the faces of the adults on Sunday evenings after dinner when everyone is relaxing with their own thought's. "For a moment nobody's talking but every face looks darkening, like the sky outside...The silence, the darkness coming and the darkness in the faces frighten the child obscurel... ... way they are moving from the bad things all around them into the good, that is, the music. In this way they are in a way escaping from the darkness that is around them every day even if only for a short time. It's the only light they have. This is when the author uses the image of darkness for the last time. " 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." This supports that their music is the only thing that is totally good in their lives. With all the violence and despair that is around them all of the time, music is the only way they can free themselves. Work Cited Baldwin, James. "Sonny's Blues." The Norton introduction to Fiction. 6th ed. Ed. Jerome Beaty. New York: Norton, 1996. 47-70.

Comparing of mice and men with the withered arm Essay

Introduction Of mice and men is a novel written in a based in America during the depression. It was written by John Steinbeck and set on a ranch in Soledad, a small rural area in California. This eye-opening tale is based on two contrasting men, George, a small, intelligent yet modest man and Lenny, as big as a bull and as strong as an ox, but seemingly mentally challenged, who travelled around with each other working as ranch hands to earn enough money to eventually own their own piece of land and succeed in living the American dream. The withered arm is a short story written by the legendary author John Steinbeck. It is set is Wessex (the south west of England) and is based around four main characters; Rhoda Brook, a milkmaid on a dairy, her son, Farmer Lodge, the owner of the dairy and father to Rhoda Brooks child and Gertrude Lodge, the young wife of Farmer Lodge. All of these characters feel isolated due to their social status yet between them there is an unfortunate set of events involving witchcraft, superstition and death About the authors-John Steinbeck John Steinbeck grew up in California in the early 1900’s. There he attended school, university and worked on a ranch. This is where he got the inspiration for the short novel ‘Of mice and men’. Working a ranch hand he saw up close and personally the kind of events he speaks of in his book, which is why he is capable of bringing the characters he uses to life. He wrote such other stories as the pearl, the red pony and the moon is down Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy was brought in Dorset in the mid 1800’s. He lived with family in a small cottage and like most children of his generation worked manually from a very young. The inspiration for his short stories and novels came from his grandmother’s tales. He would sit in front of the fire in his home and listen to the ‘old wives tales’ she would tell him. The withered arm is one such memory he has shared with us in his exceptional writings. When Hardy was old enough he moved to London where he lived with electricity, telephoned and other luxuries he had never experienced as a child. Although he came to know London, the lifestyle and the people very well, it was in the past he knew about only from old stories that he chose to base his exceptional tales Show how effectively these stories reflect the times they were set in. Examine character settings and social condition There are several themes to include in this essay, loneliness, dreams, and the role of women. These are just a few of many I will discuss Dreams are an important factor in both stories and I will explain why First of all what is a dream according to the Reader’s Digest Great Encyclopaedic Dictionary, Third Edition a dreams are a Train of thoughts, images, or fancies passing through mind during sleep; Conscious indulgence of fancy, reverie, thing of dream-like beauty, charm, goodness, etc. As it is described above, a dream is something you indulge in, to escape momentarily from life. This seems to be the context that John Steinbeck intended his characters in Of Mice and Men to dream in. The role of dreams in of mice and men is incredibly important. After the Wall Street crash hundreds of men became unemployed and had to travel around working as ranch hands for a bit of cash. And most of these people had what is known as the great American dream, to own their own bit of land where they can live work and be proud of, something they could call their own. These ranch hands or ‘bindle stiffs’ as they became known had nothing apart from what they could carry in their bindle. All their earthly possessions were kept wrapped in a piece of cloth and had to be light enough so that they could walk around with it where ever they went. George shared the great American dream and believed that one day he would be able to achieve it. Lenny was incredibly simple minded and forgetful, much like a young child. He only remembered what he wanted to remember which in his case was â€Å"tending the rabbits† and live with George on their own piece of land. When we are first introduced to George and Lenny’s dream it is clear that they have spoken of it many a time before. Lenny shows the excitement of an eager child on Christmas morning just at the thought of being in the place he so longed to be. To us their dream sounds very simple but for them if it was to happen it would literally be a dream come true, this is the section from where we are first introduced to the dream; â€Å"Some day – we’re gonna get a jack together and were gonna have a little house and a couple of an’ a cow and some pigs and—-â€Å" â€Å"An’ live of the fatta the lan† Lenny shouted. â€Å"An’ have rabbits. Go on George! Tell about what we’re gonna have in the garden and about the rabbits in the cages and the rain in the winter and the stove, and thick cream is on the milk like you can hardly cut it. Tell about that, George.† â€Å"Why’n’t you do it yourself. You know all of it.† No. . . you tell it. It ain’t the same if I tell it. Go on . . . George. How I get to tend the rabbits.† â€Å"Well,† said George. â€Å"We’ll have a big vegetable patch and a hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, we’ll just say the hell with goin’ to work and we’ll build up a fire in the stove and set around it an’ listen to the rain comin’ down on the roof-Nuts!† The key line in that section is when Lenny says â€Å"An’ live of the fatta the lan† That sentence rounds up the great American dream, to be able to live on your own land and look after yourself. Lenny, with his child-like mentality, believes whatever he hears, so when George tells him that they will really get their own land, he believes with all his heart. To Lenny, the question is not if, but when: â€Å"George, how longà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s it gonna be till we get that little place anà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ live on the fatta the lanà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ – anà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ rabbits?† However George is really keeping Lenny sweet because he knows how difficult and unlikely fulfilling the dream would. That is why he shows so much surprise in the bunk-house when candy gets involved and eventually says; â€Å"S’pose I went in with you guys. Tha’s three hundred an’ fifty bucks I’d put in. I ain’t much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some. How’d that be?† George was very defensive at first but eventually adapted to the idea. The section goes on; they fell into a silence. They looked at one another, amazed. This thing they had never really believed in was coming true. George said reverently, â€Å"Jesus Christ! I bet we could swing her† The line underlined in that section is extremely important because however much George and Lenny spoke of this dream, unlike Lenny, George new the likelihood of it actually happening was extremely improbable but now he could see the light at the end of the tunnel. This dream had been based on a kind of fantasy, the way a 10 year old boy fantasises of playing football for England, you always think about but never expect it to happen, and George shock and delight in their new found wealth to put towards this home is clear when he says reverently â€Å"Jesus Christ! I bet we could swing her.† Candy does not seem to have a dream until he meets George and Lenny. He is swept up in the plausible reality of this dream, a dream he would probably be too scared to initiate by himself. Candy is not happy with his life on the ranch, but he doesn’t think that there is anything that he can do but now the three men really have something to aim for which is within reasonable sight, they are expecting a dream come true George and Lenny’s dream is the most potent throughout Of Mice and Men but it isn’t the only one Curleys wife’s dream was to be in the movies and star in a Hollywood epic as is shown when she says; â€Å"Nother time a met a guy, an’ he was in pitchers. Went out to the Riverside dance palace with him. He says he was gonna put me in the movies. Says I was a natural. Soon’s he got back to Hollywood he was gonna write to me about it.† She looked closely at Lenny to see if she was impressing him. â€Å"I never got that letter,† She said. â€Å"I always thought my ol’ lady stole it. Well I wasn’t gonna stay no place†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Whether or not the letter was sent she stood by her dream and wouldn’t accept that she might not have made it on to the silver screen. Also Crooks, the coloured stable buck made a point of his a dream, the thing he wanted above any thing else was companionship and equal rights. This is shown when he speaks to Lenny whilst the others are in town. In this conversation his jealousy of Lenny’s race, and of his relationship with George are quite clearly shown. This is what he says; â€Å"George can tell you screwy things and it don’t matter. It’s just the talking. It’s just bein’ with another guy. That’s all.† He Paused His voice grew soft and persuasive. â€Å"S’pose George don’t come back no more. S’pose George went into town to-night and you never heard him no more.† Crooks pressed forward in some kind of private victory. â€Å"Just s’pose that.† He repeated Crooks goes on â€Å"torturing† Lenny speaking about George not coming back until Lenny goes on the offensive and questions Crooks. When Crooks senses he could be in danger he backs off and goes on to say â€Å"Maybe you can see now. You got George. You know he’s goin’ to come back. S’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go in to the bunk-house and play rummy ’cause you was black. How’d you like that? S’pose you had to sit out here an’ read books. Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books. Books ain’t no good. A guy needs somebody-to be near him.† He whined. â€Å"A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. I tell ya,† he cried. â€Å"I tell ya a guy gets too lonely, an’ he gets sick Crooks speaks to opens his heart to Lenny even though he said he didn’t even want him there, but that last speech shows Crooks’ envy for what George and Lenny have and how his dream is to be around people and be cast aside just because he â€Å"Just some nigger†. This envy however comes out at first in anger, which also shows the jealousy coming through for what the two friends have In the withered arm John Steinbeck reflects the time his novel is set in through the implication of dreams through different characters. George and Lenny have the great American dream which was shared by millions during the depression, Curleys wife dreams of being a movie star, and as the film industry really kicked off during the time this book is set in and crook’s dream is that of the coloured man during this time in history, to have equal rights and companionship In the withered arm dreams are also extremely important but some are shown are shown in a completely different way to the dreams in Of Mice and Men. When talking of dreams in The Withered Arm you have to discuss the dream, which the story is based around, Rhoda Brooks dream. Rhoda was a milkmaid on an â€Å"eighty cow dairy† And was well known around her small community for two things, one was her affair with Farmer Lodge, the wealthy land owner, which left here with a child, and number two for the rumours spread by the villagers about her usage of unnatural powers and performing rituals etc. using witchcraft. These rumours came from her involvement with a man by the name of conjurer Trendle, a wizard if you will. Now Farmer Lodge had, since his affair with Rhoda Brook, betrothed a beautiful young women named Gertrude and obviously after her marriage to Farmer Lodge became known as Gertrude Lodge. Rhoda Brook initially hated Gertrude Lodge with a purpose. She would send her son to get a look at her to find out whether she was pretty and kind etc. She was basically extremely jealous of Gertrude’s youth and beauty and was envious of her marrying the Father of her son. In Rhoda Brooks dream she is visited by Gertrude Lodge, only not by the Gertrude Lodge that had married Farmer Lodge but by an older distorted Gertrude Lodge. This is an extract from the story describing the dream; But the figure which had occupied her so much during this and the previous days was not to be banished at night. For the first time Gertrude Lodge visited the supplanted women in her dreams. Rhoda Brook dreamed – since her assertion that she really saw, before falling asleep, was not to be believed – that the young wife, in the pale silk dress and white bonnet, but with features shockingly distorted, and wrinkled by age, was sitting upon her chest as she lay. The pressure of Mrs. Lodge’s person grew heavier; the blue eyes peered cruelly into her face; and then the figure thrust forward its left hand mockingly, so as to make the wedding ring it wore glitter in Rhoda’s eyes. Maddened mentally, and nearly suffocated by pressure, the sleeper struggled; the incubus, still regarding her, withdrew to the foot of the bed, only, however, to come forward by degrees, resume her seat, and flash her left hand as before. Gasping for breath, Rhoda, in a last desperate effort, swung out her right hand, seized the confronting spectre by its obstructive left arm, and whirled it backward towards the floor, starting up herself as she did so with a low cry â€Å"O, merciful heaven!† she cried, sitting on the edge of the bed in a cold sweat; â€Å"that was not a dream – she was here!† She could feel her antagonists arm within her grasp even now – the very flesh and bone of it, as it seemed. This dream shows the Rhoda Brooks hatred is pure jealousy of Gertrude’s relationship with farmer Lodge and of her youthful looks. In the dream the way the spectre flashed the wedding ring at Rhoda showed a great deal if envy and resentment for what Gertrude has. And also how Gertrude is disfigured shows that even though Gertrude is a pretty young woman to everyone else, Rhoda sees her as a disfigured old hag. During the 1800’s children born through unmarried parents were looked down upon, well not so much the children as the parents, but as Farmer Lodge owned the land where most villagers lived and worked Rhoda was the one who was isolated because if it. Although the book describes Rhoda Brook as a â€Å"faded woman on thirty† and as a woman of â€Å"well defined features with a large frame I would imagine fro her to have a relationship with Framer Lodge she would have had too have been a beautiful, popular young woman in her late teens early twenties and because of rejection from her Childs father and her community she had become less attractive and more worn, and this dream made Gertrude the older, unattractive woman. But still she had the ring on and still she had the love of Farmer Lodge. Although this dream left Rhoda brook shaken she wasn’t overly bothered about it until the day Gertrude appeared at her front door and showed her a strange mark which she had discovered on her left arm. Gertrude said she awoke with the problem two weeks ago when the clock struck two. In naming the night and the hour Rhoda Brook had her encounter it looked as if Rhoda’s dream was more than just a dream, after all there were rumours about her using witchcraft. Gertrude Lodge’s dream in The Withered Arm is similar to that of the dreams in of mice and men. She longs to be loved by Farmer Lodge and when she begins looking less attractive she becomes worried and will go to any length to stay beautiful. This reflects the time it was set in because a wealthy man would tend to marry beauty and when this beauty begins to lessen they would become uninterested and move on to someone new. Gertrude makes a point of this in a conversation she has with Rhoda Brook; Rhoda shivered. â€Å"That’s fancy,† she said hurriedly. â€Å"I wouldn’t mind it, if I were you.† â€Å"I shouldn’t so much mind it,† said the younger with hesitation, â€Å"if – if I hadn’t a notion that it makes my husband – dislike me – no, love me less. Men think so much of personal appearance.† â€Å"Some do – he for one.† â€Å"Yes; and he was very proud of mine at first.† â€Å"Keep your arm covered from his sight.† â€Å"Ah – he knows the disfigurement is there!† She tried to hide the tears that fled her eyes. Gertrude just wanted to feel loved and not be cast aside by her husband Thomas Hardy reflects upon the times this short story was set in, just as Steinbeck did, by using characters. The way Farmer Lodge could have women how and when he pleased or until they weren’t as easy on the eye and also how people used to believe in witchcraft. Hardy’s story could have been believed as a true story not much more than a century ago. Loneliness is an extremely important theme throughout both stories. Nearly every character is an outcast in his or her own little way, despite being part of a bigger community. In Of Mice And Men George and Lenny really stand out because they aren’t alone. People during the depression would work a month on a ranch, take their earnings and be on their way. As George said whilst speaking with Lenny; â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world† And it was true. These ‘Ranch hands’ or ‘Bindle stiffs’ arrived alone, worked alone and left alone. But George and Lenny were different because they travelled around together. George’s conversation with Lenny continued; â€Å"They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake an’ then go inta town an’ blow their stake, and the first thing you know they’re pounding their tale on some other ranch. They got nothing to look ahead to† Lenny was delighted. â€Å"That’s it – that’s it. Now tell how it is with us.† George went on. â€Å"With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don’t have to sit in no bar-room blowin’ in out jack jus’ because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us.† Lenny broke in. â€Å"but not us! An’ why? Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.† I have underlined â€Å"We got somebody to talk to† because that is an extremely important line. Crooks says to Lenny when talking about loneliness â€Å"A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody†. But George and Lenny are friends and have each other, and although Lenny can be a Burden on George he is glad they are together. They have a kind of father and son relationship, with George the father and Lenny being the son. George knows that Lenny isn’t too bright, he thinks like a child, so the only way George can keep him form â€Å"doin’ bad things† is by keeping him in check the way a father would. There are many examples of this. The first one is when the two men have just escaped from weed and Lenny is drinking the dirty water. George says; â€Å"Lenny! Lenny for god’s sake don’t drink so much.† Lenny continued to snort into the pool. The small man leaned over and shook him by the shoulder. â€Å"Lenny. You gonna be sick like you was last night.† George speaks to Lenny firmly like this so he knows he doing something wrong the way a father would but he also does other things similar to a father for example praising him so he knows he’s done something right, like when George tells him not to speak when they get to the ranch. Lenny remembers this so George says â€Å"Good boy. That’s swell. You say that over two, three more times so you wont forget it.† He also brags about Lenny to other people such as when he first speaks to slim about working slim asks if George and Lenny have ever bucked Barley and George replies â€Å"Hell, Yes. I ain’t nothing to scream about, but that big bastard there can put up more grain alone than most pairs can† George feels he has to show Lenny off to new people the way a parent would with their child Some people were suspicious of George and Lenny because they never saw people travelling around together. One person was the boss at the ranch. He grilled George because he thought that George was stealing Lenny’s pay. This is part of their conversation; â€Å"I said what stake you got in this guy? You takin’ his pay away from him† â€Å"No, ‘course I ain’t. Why ya think I’m selling him out?† â€Å"Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy. I just like to know what your interest is† This reflects upon the time it was set with most people travelling alone, trusting no one Another lonely character on the ranch is Curley’s wife. Despite the fact she has recently become married to Curley she is isolated on the ranch. Throughout the whole book she isn’t allocated a name, making her out to be on of Curleys possessions like Curleys shoe or Curleys leg. She walks around the ranch heavily made up, with rouge lips and her hair in curls, dressed to impress, apparently looking for Curley but she is just trying to get attention from the Ranch hands. As the only women on the ranch you would expect the men to be all over her but it is the exact opposite, in fact most of them dislike her, they call her â€Å"jail bait†, â€Å"tart† and several other offensive names because they think they se her giving them â€Å"the eye.† When Curley’s wife speaks to Lenny in the barn she tells him all about how lonely she is, she says; â€Å"Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.† Lenny said, â€Å"Well, I ain’t supposed to talk to you or nothin'† â€Å"I get lonely,† she said. â€Å"You can talk to people, but I cant talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. How’d you like not to talk to anybody† She has probably grown up quite lonely and only married Curley to get away from home. She tries to get attention by dressing up but when she realises she wont get it she tries talking to Lenny because she knows he wont tell her to go away because she can out talk him. He is very simple and doesn’t like confrontation. Both Curley’s wife and Crooks use Lenny to talk to about their loneliness. It is quite ironic how Curleys wife spent all her time on the ranch look for attention but when she finally got it from asking Lenny to touch her hair she didn’t want it and its what led to her unfortunate death. As Curleys wife was the only woman on the ranch she represented the way women were treated during the period in the same way Crooks was the only coloured man on the ranch. He represented the way an entire race was treated and felt during and before the depression. Crooks is the crippled stable buck, the book describes him as a proud aloof man, and his loneliness came out as anger. In chapter four he speaks to Lenny about how he feels. He is defensive at first but soon opens up and eventually becomes quite friendly. He’s very specific about his rights and shows this when Lenny says â€Å"I seen your light.† Crooks very sharply replies with â€Å"Well I gotta right to have a light. The conversation between Lenny and Crooks spans over several pages but leads up to Crooks saying this; â€Å"A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, longà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s he’s with you. I tell ya,† he cried. â€Å"I tell ya a guy gets too lonely, an’ he gets sick† He’s happy talking to Lenny because Lenny is simple. He won’t offend him or tell other people what he’s been speaking about and Crook’s is happy to have spoken to someone but when George gets back form town and finds Lenny in the room with Crooks, Crooks soon backs off and becomes defensive again. The other characters on the ranch, Carlson, Curley and Slim are probably lonely just as the rest but the book doesn’t go into too much detail about them but there is one part where a man named Whit finds a magazine article written by someone who used to work on the ranch. He seems very proud of this and shows it off to Slim. It would appear Whit had started to become friends with this person before they left which would have been a real rarity for people on the ranch There is a big part for loneliness in The Withered Arm too Thomas Hardy chooses to constantly switch your attention, by not concentrating on one characters lonely portrayal, but on three, this is of the main characters of Rhoda, Gertrude and the boy. The first three chapters are mainly focused on Rhoda and you instantly recognise how emotionally isolated she is, when the others chat to each other she doesn’t join in, you see how she is different and lonely from the rest, although it doesn’t help when they speak of Farmer Lodge. Since her affair with him she is outcast and although the other women recognise this, they don’t welcome her. The end of the story concludes Rhoda’s loneliness when still no one communicates with her even after the recent death of the son. Rhoda brooks only companion was her son. Much like Curleys wife in of mice and men her son doesn’t have a name, he is known simply as the boy. The boy is also very isolated through no fault of his own. He is like a slave to his mother running errands for her and acting like her spy this is shown very early on when she says; â€Å"They’ve just been saying down in Barton that your father brings his young wife home to-morrow,† the woman observed. â€Å"I shall want to send you for a few things to market, and you’ll be pretty sure to meet ’em. â€Å"Yes mother, â€Å"said the boy. â€Å"Is father married then?† â€Å"Yes†¦. You can give her a look and tell me what she’s like, if you do see her.† â€Å"Yes, mother.† â€Å"If she’s dark or fair, and if she’s tall – as tall as I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The boy responds to Rhoda Brooks every command with yes mother, as if he’d been trained that way. It reminds me slightly of the film Psycho the way he lives with his mother and agrees with her every command. It is no fault of the boy that he is isolated but it is a classic example of the times and even today in a sense, that the townspeople didn’t want their children associating with him because if his background. It is quite ironic that the boy, who spent so much of his life alone, happened to be hung alone The other lonely character in The Withered Arm is Gertrude Lodge. After receiving the unfortunate curse of the withered arm her husband paid her no attention and she became rather isolated. After making the trip with Rhoda Brook to see conjurer Trendle she also, due to what she saw there, stopped speaking with Rhoda. She spent her time waiting for conformation of a hanging so she could get her â€Å"blood turned† and go back to how things used to be. This is when she says; â€Å"O, Lord, hang some guilty or innocent person soon!† It is quite ironic that she should say this due to the fact she wanted someone to be hung so she could continue life the way she wanted it but it turned out to lead to her death Thomas Hardy used loneliness to reflect upon the times the book is set in by basing Gertrude’s loneliness around superstition and witchcraft and Rhoda Brook and the boy’s loneliness around Rhoda’s affair with Farmer Lodge which at the time would have led to rejection from society. Hopefully in this essay I have explained how both stories reflect the times they were set in by pointing out the importance of dreams, loneliness, social class, relationships and role of women. I believe both authors used characters to get their point across about life and mentality at the time and made it clear without actually saying it how much things have changed To conclude I would like to say how both stories are captivating and entertaining but also if you look at them closely enough they can be used as historical references into the way people lived and worked in the times they were set.