Forrest Gump Essay Example for Free

Forrest Gump Essay Forrest Gump is a movie whose title is named after its main character, Forrest Gump. The main character is not a fast-witted fellow, who kills time in waiting for the bus by sharing the story of his life to anyone who sits with him on a bench in the bus stop. He always remembers the time when he met Elvis Presley, and also when his dear mother died. He shares stories about going to college and how he dealt with his new life in that new environment, and proudly tells strangers about how a scholarship grant has helped him enter college. He recalls stories about him entering the army. As a member of the army, he was sent to Vietnam. From this experience, he returned to his country of origin as a hero because in Vietnam, he was able to save his friends in the army. Since he was able to make himself a hero, he shares to strangers how many presidents of different countries he has already met. He also recalls how he got wealthy by setting up a business. He looks back to the days when he was very engrossed into professional ping-pong. He is telling people who sits beside him on the bench about his popularity which he got from running to and from one country to another, for three consecutive years (McCarthy, 1994). All these stories which Forrest Gump keeps on sharing to strangers seem different from each other. However, when one takes a better and closer look at it, the sum of Forrest Gump’s stories revolves around Jenny. Jenny is the one true love of Forrest. He falls in love with this girl so deeply that he never notices other girls. He thinks about her every now and then. He is too enamoured with too many thoughts about Jenny. Because Forrest Gumps life is not perfect, he loses Jenny along the way. Everything that Forrest does from that time on was towards finding Jenny. With much perseverance, and also even luck, he was able to find Jenny once again. They reconnect with each other. With this reunion, Forrest finds out that he and Jenny have a son together. Jenny, however, was almost dying all through the years. He is suffering from a disease which has no treatment or medication. Then again, even after knowing this, Forrest still decides to marry Jenny. After a very short period of time, Jenny dies from the incurable disease. What Forrest did was to raise their son even when Jenny was no longer around. He became a father to his son on his own (McCarthy, 1994). Forrest Gump, in this story, is a very good representation of the genre â€Å"innocent at large†. His snippets of wisdom are very sensible although they are very simple. He is also slow-witted. The way he looks portrays innocence because he is donning a buzz-cut hairstyle. The world around Forrest Gump is undeniably a stressful and a hectic one, but even if he is living in this kind of world, he is still able to look at the world in a good way. He still thinks that the world is a nice place to live in. While Forrest looks very innocent, viewers will still understand and see that he is not completely innocent, and that he also knows things. It simply goes to show that Forrest defies the stereotype of a hero. Heroes are expected to be man enough, to be smart, fit and almost perfect. Forrest still managed to be a hero despite all his imperfections. Jenny, on the other hand, was the opposite of Forrest. While she knew a lot about the world and was rich with experiences, she is constantly confused. She hooks up with boys she barely knows; she does drugs, and battles thoughts and attempts of suicide. She only decides to settle down with Forrest when she was almost dying, and this time, she sounded and acted more matured. Again, she defies the stereotype of smart people making smart decisions, since Jenny, being knowledgeable, being the women who taught Forrest how to read and write, is the same woman who always creates poor decisions (McCarthy, 1994). As a reader, it is easy to relate with Forrest Gump because there are times when wishes and dreams are achieved even without the conventional way of reaching it. It can be related to the many times people do not believe in what I can do or what opinions I am capable of making. It can also be as simple as doing everything in my power to buy my dream pair of shoes, or the book I have been meaning to read for the longest time, and even when getting them seems impossible, I end up having them land on my hands. The movie discussed many things about family, marriage and society. Throughout the entire film, we can see that Forrests mother is very supportive of him. She supported him even though a lot of people think that he has no future with his IQ that is below average. She pushed him to do normal things despite what other people say. She even went as far as to entertain the indecent wishes of the school principal just so Forrest can enter school. In all these examples, the role of the mother as a family member who supports other members is clearly shown. The film also explored the family theme in Lieutenant Dans determination to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors who died in battle. Lieutenant Dans only wish is to be killed in action and nothing else. This reflects the tendency of members of a family to follow the choices in life of fellow members. However, Lieutenant Dan failed to follow the footsteps of his ancestors because he was saved by Forrest. Marriage is discussed in the movie in the scene where Forrest proposes to marry Jenny. Forrest made it clear that she loved Jenny despite the fact that he is â€Å"not a smart man. † Upon learning that he has a child that also has his name, Forrest also gladly assumed the role of a father even though his intelligence is below average. In addition, Forrest and Jenny got married even if Jenny is already dying. These events show that marriage should be founded on the responsibility of each member and their love for each other (McCarthy, 1994). Society was also discussed in the film because it was shown that Forrest had to go through many challenges as he tried to accomplish things that normal people accomplish. His classmates didnt like him in the school bus and he was always bullied in school. His classmates even chased him with their pickup truck. Forrest was able to break through the challenges that society presented though through his talents and skills. Since he can run very fast, Forrest was able to go through college with a scholarship for playing football. His talent in ping-pong also allowed him to go to China and play with their leader. In the military, his fast rifle assembly skills made him look good in the eyes of his commander. While these instances are exaggerated, they do make it clear that it is possible to be accepted by society if you willingly share your talents and skills to other people. Critics absolutely love Forrest Gump. It sparked intense debate among critics about whether the film was promoting conservative or liberal values. Roger Ebert praised Eric Roths screenplay and Tom Hanks acting. Some critics though, did not like film. Entertainment Weekly and The New Yorker said that the film reminds them of Disney because the film tends to reduce history to a colorful theme park. Currently though, the film is considered a classic among many film critics. Forrest Gump is also rated very high in various movie review websites (McCarthy, 1994). I love the film because it is very touching and deep but is still interesting and funny. Forrest Gump is very inspirational because he achieved so many things in life despite the fact that he has a very low IQ. Its not only Forrest though who made his victories and successes possible but also the people around him: his mother, Bubba, Lieutenant Dan, and even Jenny. This shows that society also works to help us achieve our goals no matter what our skills are. I also like the film because it went through a long part of the United States history but it presented it in a comedic and sarcastic way. Since Forrest does not know the real depth of the issues that surrounds him, history looks less serious people would normally think. The film gives the impression that everything that has happened to the world, including the Vietnam War, can be viewed as ridiculous and probably unnecessary. Bubba died needlessly in battle just because he had to serve in the war. His dreams ended just like that and Forrest was willing to accept the death of his friend. Forrest Gump is a great movie that everyone must watch. If you want to dig deep into the emotions of people and the issues of society, this is an excellent film to watch. Truly, Forrest Gump is a classic that entertains and educates its viewers. Reference McCarthy, T. (July 11, 1994). Forrest Gump. Variety Online Magazine. Retrieved 18 December 2008 http://www. variety. com/index. asp? layout=Variety100reviewid=VE1117487968content=jumpjump=reviewcategory=1935cs=1p=0.

Personal Narrative: Cheerleading :: essays research papers

Cheerleading A jolt of energy rushed through my body and hit my heart when they call me up to get the team trophy. Not fourth, third, or second, but first place for the third year in a row. Being a captain of a team is an amazing experience. You get to see your team physically, mentally, and emotionally prepare for competition. It's a lot of hard work, but if you try your hardest, make all the practices and have a passion for cheerleading its worth it. Every year we take a few weeks to build a competition routine, the out come is incredible, but the celebration is the best part. Preparing for competition is easier said than done, you need a passion to complete the task. Competition is extremely stressful, but amazing at the same time. It?s a process of mixed emotions, not knowing if it?s importance will have a meaning in the end. Having practice six times a week allows us to work on our jumps, cheers, dances, tumbling, and the most difficult, stunting. Just the counts and lifting people in the air is traumatic enough, but repeating it over and over again it gets strenuous. Dancing is relaxing when you have counts to them, but when you have to learn the dance to the music people get confused and don?t know when to leave to the next formation. Team members start getting fed up with each other at the closing stages of practice, it?s just a natural human reaction after practicing with the same fifteen to twenty girls for three hours. At last we had brought all our practicing skills into work at the final stages. After working hard for three solid months it all paid off, the competing mat was beneath our feet. It was as if I could almost hear the girl?s hearts thumping before we walked onto the mat. I couldn?t stop smiling, I had the biggest grin on my face as if I were the cat who just ate the canary. Only when I thought that was enough, my facial expressions were amazing, all the nights I spent in front of the mirror or watching my self through the reflection of the glass door in my kitchen. It?s hard to go first because watching all the other teams compete makes you think, how did I do?

A Comparison of Competencies between Associate and Bachelor Degreed Nursing Graduates Essay

Nursing is complex, and within the profession there are many spectrums of career possibilities. Nursing is based on a foundation of caring and what draws many to the profession is a commitment of service. The knowledge and education sought to prepare nurses however differs between the two â€Å"entry† level paths of associate degreed nurses and baccalaureate degree nurses and thus forms a difference in the way they perform their professional practice. Associate Degreed Nurses Associate degree nursing programs were developed in the early 1950’s as a response to postwar shortages (Creasia, Friberg. 2011) they were intended to be two years in duration and designed to prepare the graduate for bedside care in the secondary setting. These program quickly became successful and programs spread across the United States at a record pace. The associate degree program were found to be clinically sound and offered heavily hands on approach, they traditionally graduate nurses that are task oriented and perform well. Associate graduates are tested via the NCLEX after program completion to obtain licensure. The associate degreed path remains the major point of entry into the profession today. The educational prerequisite of the associate degree nursing program are not as robust in sciences often eliminating the need for organic chemistry and advanced mathematics. The associate degree nursing path also is remedial as compared to the BSN in the liberal arts, often leaving the graduate with subpar communication skills when compared to the BSN counterpart. Baccalaureate Degreed Nurses Baccalaureate degree programs are traditionally structured as four year programs with the nursing clinical focus at the latter two years. Programs differ from Associate programs in that there are courses required which  focus on the professional development of the student, and thus the growth of the profession. Baccalaureate programs prepare the graduate for scopes beyond bedside care. Leadership and research roles favor the bachelors prepared graduate. The advanced professional focus allows the graduate to view the practice beyond the task orientation of the associate degreed nurse. A comparison study (Ginger, N. & Davidhizar, R., 1990) found that baccalaureate nurses were more concerned with research methodology, teaching of the individual and the group, and community assessments. The study concluded that the baccalaureate nurse was more process driven than the task oriented associate degreed nurses. Healthcare today is composed of a multiple disciplinary team of practitioners with varied levels of education, preparing nurses at the minimum of the baccalaureate level has been a push of many professional organizations. Recent research (Aiken, 2008) has confirmed a strong link in the educational level of nurses and improvement in patient mortality. The study found when the institution increased the percentage of baccalaureate prepared nurses by 10% that the corresponding mortality decreased by 4%. Practical Comparison One of the situational comparisons that I feel would demonstrate the practice focus differences of the two educational preparations is in dealing with imminent death and dying. Throughout the career of any healthcare provider we will be faced with this challenge, and while there are many task associated with the algorithm of advanced life support or complexity of the hospice patient, there are multiple psych social aspects to consider. The baccalaureate nurses educational preparation allows her to focus on the causes of the underlying pathophysiology, understand the chemistry of the multiple medications involved and problem solve for alternative treatments is initially unsuccessful. The baccalaureate nurse is able to communicate effectively with the healthcare team and reassuringly guide the family thru this difficult process. In my years of practice I feel that clinical experience and confidence can elevate the associate degreed nurse to a comparable level in this situation as well but I have seen that the baccalaureate graduate achieves this standard well before the counterpart. Patient presentation has become more complex and the array of treatments available seems almost endless. Our patients and their families deserve the  best outcomes from the best prepared team.

Breast Cancer Risk Factors

Breast Cancer: Risk Factors According to latest reports breast cancer is the most common cancer women have in both developing and developed areas. It is also the principal cause of death from cancer among women globally. These data are quite disturbing and show clearly that this is the disease women should beware of. To be able to prevent it or mitigate its effects it is vital for us to know what trigger to turn off in the first place. Unfortunately, scientists are not able to indicate the exact causes of breast cancer yet. However, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance of developing breast cancer. Estradiol exposure is recognised as the most common reason. Therefore, women with late menopause are more likely to develop this disease as the increasing number of menstrual cycles results in extra estradiol production. The older the woman is the bigger is the possibility of breast cancer. Similarly, women who have resorted to hormone medicine or used birth control pills during a prolonged period of time are more susceptible to it. Hereditary, dietary and lifestyle factors should also be taken into account. Your risk of breast cancer is higher if any of your close relatives has ever been diagnosed breast cancer. Diets, lack of physical exercises and alcohol lead to increased estradiol levels and, as a result, put your life in danger. All in all, breast cancer is a serious disease that should not be taken lightly. It is well-known that prevention is better than cure: women, who want to avoid such a diagnosis, should better lead a healthy lifestyle, do self exams and get mammograms regularly to deal with the illness at its primary stage.