Analyzing Success in the Stories of Martin Dressler and Robert Irwin Essay Example for Free

Analyzing Success in the Stories of Martin Dressler and Robert Irwin Essay When I first read Martin Dressler: The Tale of An American Dreamer, I thought it was a very inspiring book. It talked about the life of an individual whose hardwok and perseverance took him to the top of his dreams. Well, it can be inspiring in some way. Holding to your dreams and trying your best is one of the main themes of the story. However, after I finished the book, I realized that it was not as inspiring as I thought it is. For me, it is now a book that tells something about the bitter side of life and success. It exposes one of the painful things this world is trying to conceal—that success is the golden crown of an empty heart. From the story of Martin Dressler, I realized that success is not as great as what most of us think and dream of. Success is a traitor that kidnaps the people’s opportunities to be happy with the one they love. Once success has kidnapped you, it will ask for your most precious possession—your family—as its ransom. As Martin Dressler moves to the top of his ladder of success, he also moves down to the pit of his decaying family. Following his dreams was indeed an achievement for him, but it was also the same thing that leads him to a miserable family life. In my opinion, most of us share the same situation with Martin Dressler. I, myself, have also experienced to be kidnapped by success. When I started college, which I consider as one of my greatest achievements because not everyone could have the access to good education, I noticed that I was becoming too busy with my studies that I almost forgot to spend some quality time with my family. I got too blinded with the achievement that I was holding with my hand. During that time, I feared that I might lose the chance to be in college if I would not get serious with my schooling. As a result, I spent most of my time inside my room and in the library studying. Until one day, my mother asked me to have a conversation with her. From that, I learned how fast my relationship with them has changed since I went to college. I realized my mistake and from then on, I incorporated good time management to my everyday life. For me, success can never bring danger if one knows how to manage his time well. Success can never betray you if you know how to deal with it. Another thing that I noticed with the character of Martin Dressler is his great ability to make things happen. If examined, he started barely from anything. His perseverance was very admirable, especially during in his time when only the rich people could afford to put up a business like what he had. On my own opinion, though, hardwork and perseverance is not enough. One’s character is not the only thing that matters when following a dream. A person should not think that he can achieve success by relying solely on his own. He should also consider the people around him. Through building good relationships with people, one can have a better reach of his dreams. Everyone of us is a dreamer. Most of our dreams are actually an American dream. To be successful is not bad. To be on top of our achievements is not selfishness. However, I realized that if we let our dreams to be our masters, the more it is hard for us to achieve them. Our dreams are our navigator to the place where we want to be in the future. But they should never be the center of our life for we might miss the real treasure—our family. Meanwhile, another book shares almost the same things of Martin Dressler’s story—Seeing is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees, presenting the life of the American installation artist Robert Irwin. Although both characters have opposing personalities and were born in two different time frames, Martin Dressler and Robert Irwin still share the same experiences and philosophy in life. Both of their stories are a representation of a fulfilled dream—Dressler in achieving his dream of becoming a successful businessman, and Irwin in achieving his dream of finding the best field where he excels at. The two biographical writers namely Steven Millhauser and Lawrence Weschler, however, used two different approaches in portraying Dressler and Irwin. Millhauser, in his book The Tale of an American Dreamer, has included not only the beautiful and inspiring aspect of Dressler’s life but also the downside effect of the success he achieved. This was not incorporated by Weschler in presenting the life of Irwin. For me, his book simply narrates how Irwin started to have interest in the field of arts, how he became a painter, how he became inquisitive with his artistic limitations, and how he finally got his way to the field of installation art. Reading the first few pages of the book Seeing is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees, I easily got hooked into it. The first part was describing Irwin’s childhood and the people and the kind of environment that mainly influenced him. However, as I continue reading, I felt alienated in the way Weschler describing things on Irwin’s craft. Sometimes, I found myself clueless of what he was narrating. Probably it is because I have no idea at all with some of the jargons in painting and installation art. There were some words that I did not understand and required me to research about them. The book, for me, seems a little bit technical if compared to the book The Tale of an American Dreamer. Analyzing the main character’s life, though, leads me to conclude that his story is nevertheless the same as ours. In some point in our lives, we get confused on which path it is that we really will be taking. Everday, we are confronted with many choices, from the time we awake up to the time we take rest. It then makes me wonder how people make choices, specifically the right ones. What could be their criteria? In my own point of view, people make their choices by selecting the option where they would feel greater happiness or fulfillment. But depending on what kind of person you are, happiness and fulfillment is very subjective. Everyone has his own story when asked about what it is that makes him happy and fulfilled. Eventhough it is hard to agree on such an issue, I think the important thing to remember is that we fully identify and know ourselves. By knowing ourselves means knowing our needs, including our need for happiness. When we recognize this need, then I think it is easier for us to know where we can find happiness. This for me is what the book about Irwin’s life represents. He looked for his happiness by addressing his need to express his thoughts and his self. For me, the works that he did can make him feel that a portion of his self is being fulfilled. Talking about dreams, Dressler and Irwin, for me, are both portrayers of it. However, they represent dreams in two different faces: one is a dream in exchange for something, and two is a dream in search for something. It seems to me that Dressler’s American dream is crueler than Irwin’s dream. Although self- fulfilling, Dressler’s idea of success yields more on the financial aspect as compared to the psychological one that Irwin has. For me, that of Irwin’s is a degree higher than that of Dressler. As a result, both of them gained successes that are in two different aspects, too. What Dressler achieved is a financial success while Irwin attained a more personal one. Works Cited Millhauser, Steven. The Tale of an American Dreamer. New York: Vintage Books, 1997 Weschler, Lawrence. Seeing is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees. USA: University of the California Press, 1982

Grapes of Wrath Essay: Naturalism in The Grapes of Wrath :: Grapes Wrath essays

Naturalism in The Grapes of Wrath In John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath, the Joad family and the changing world in which they live is portrayed from a naturalistic point of view. Steinbeck characterizes the Joads and their fellow migrants as simple, instinct-bound creatures who are on an endless search for paradise (Owens 129). The migrants and the powers which force them to make their journey--nature and society--are frequently represented by animals. The Joads, when they initially leave home, are a group of simplistic, animal-like people who barely understand or even realize their plight, but as the story progresses, they begin to grow and adapt to their new circumstances. They evolve from a small, insignificant group of creatures with no societal consciousness into a single member of a much larger family--society. Steinbeck strongly portrays the Joads and other displaced "Okies" as being animalistic. They often talk about their predicament in simplistic terms that suggest that they are initially not conscious of the circumstances that force them to leave Oklahoma. Muley Graves, for instance, tells Tom Joad and Jim Casy that the rest of the Joads, whose house has been destroyed by a tractor, are "piled in John's house like gophers in a winter burrow (Steinbeck 47)." This presents the image of a family of animals that have clustered together, hoping to fend off a predator with their greater numbers. They see the societal problems around them in terms of a predator as well; on one occasion, Casy asks a man at a service station, "You ever seen one a them Gila monsters take hold, mister? (Chop him in two) an' his head hangs on. An' while he's layin' there, poison is drippin' into the hole he's made (Steinbeck 132)." This refers to the devastating, unbreakable grip of the socioeconomic forces a t work above them (Lisca 96). A particularly important element that represents the migrants on a naturalistic level is the turtle (Lisca 97). Introduced in the first interchapter, the turtle trudges along wearily but steadily on a relentless search for a better place to life. In a similar way, the Joads are constantly on the move. They do not really comprehend why they have to travel, yet they accept it (Owens 131), and are determined to reach the promising paradise of California. Neither the turtle nor its human counterparts will be stopped by any obstacle.

Vark analyis paper

Learning Styles This paper will explore the kinesthetic learning style identified by the VARK questionnaire. This paper will look into the dentified characteristics of a kinesthetic learner as well as the dfferent learning and studying strategies that can make the kinesthetic learner successful. Preferred Learning Style: Kinesthetic learning Is a style of learning that Is based on being actively Involved In the learning process. Kinesthetic learners use all five senses to be able to grasp Ideas and retain the Information that is being taught.The kinesthetic learning style nables the learner to learn material by â€Å"doing† such as with â€Å"hands on activity. It is essential that these learners have activity involved in their education. Kinesthetic learners have to be active participants in their learning in order to retain taught information. â€Å"Kinesthetic learners need to move around and work with ideas. They need to be touching or doing things that pertain to the ma terial being taught. Kinesthetic learners sometimes have difficulty sitting still in class and Just listening as they are â€Å"hands on learners†. The more actively you are Involved in doing a skill, the better you learn It.The more skin and muscles you use, the better you remember. Even small motions that seem unrelated to the activity help these learners to understand materiel. Kinesthetic learners learn best by doing or experiencing the Information being sought out. The more senses you can Involve In learning, the better you will remember it. † (Nelson, 2013) Preferred Learning Strategies: Kinesthetic learners do well with labs, demonstration, field trips and hands on experiences. The kinesthetic learner should attempt to take the concepts that are being taught and convert those ideas into â€Å"real† experiences.With the use of case studies and applications this can assist the kinesthetic learner to retain taught information as well as help with recall of in formation at a later on time. Learning tools that benefit the Kinesthetic learner include: being comfortable, kinesthetic learners are comfortable with studying in places such as a comfortable chair or sitting on the floor; listening to music or the TV, kinesthetic learners do study well while listening to music or with the television on as this allows them to use the hearing sense; also allowing room to move, kinesthetic learners need room to move round and change posltlons while studying.Preferred and Identified Learning Strategies: similarities are numerous. The author of this paper is a kinesthetic learner. The author prefers to understand an idea through â€Å"hands† on experience. The VARK learning strategies mirror the author's preferred learning strategies. The ability of the learner to have self-assurance in their studies is increased once the learner has identified and put into practice learning strategies that work best for them. Changes Needed in Study Habits: As stated previously, kinesthetic learners will flourish in an environment that is onducive to active participation by the learner.With that said kinesthetic learners must learn to adapt methods of study and learning to be successful in other learning environments. These environments can include online learning and lecture halls. Changes in study habits that can benefit the kinesthetic learner include practicing how to take organized notes during a lecture or online discussion. This â€Å"practice† can enable the learner to utilize one of their strengths. Also, practicing Strategies from other learning styles such as recording and re-listening to a lecture at a later time ay help the learner to make information more concrete.VARK Learning Style Analysis Summary: The VARK learning style analysis assists not only the teacher but the student as well to identify different learning styles. The VARK learning analysis identifies five different learning styles: visual, aural, reading/wr iting, kinesthetic, and multimodal. â€Å"Visual learners learn best by seeing. Things such as charts, diagrams, illustrations and handouts are beneficial learning tools for this type of learner. Visual learners prefer to see information in a visual form. Auditory learners (Aural) learn by hearing information.

Is The Best Thing About Attending College - 1405 Words

March Madness is the most unpredictable time of year for basketball fans. Brackets are busted, hearts are broken, and the basketball jubilee reigns supreme for fans, and players. For players in the NBA, college basketball is over, but the memories they created during their college career still hold a fond memory in their hearts. We recently sat down with the following players and spoke about their fondness for March Madness. For a lot of kids kids college can be a fun thing, and in some cases the best experience of their lives. What was the best thing about attending college? Isaiah WhiteHead (SH) - Probably winning the BIG East Championship, we weren t supposed to be there and to actually win BIG East MVP in Madison Square Garden†¦show more content†¦James Young: We knew we were going to make it, it was just what seed we were going to get. They put us back in the 8th seed so we had a chip on our shoulder, so that s what motivated us to keep going. Terry Rozier : It was gr eat, we were second in the ACC we kind of knew we were going to make it, when you find your seed together that s exciting. What do you remember about playing in the NCAA Tournament? Isaiah WhiteHead: Against Gonzaga I played terribly, it I was disappointed that we lost, but overall it was a good experience to be apart of it. Cody Zeller: Mostly the road to the NCAA tournament is always a tough one playing in the ACC. I remember having hard fought games against Duke. Terry Rozier : it wasn’t really exciting, but everyone giving it their all in those win or go home situations made it exciting for me. James Young: The last game, playing for the national championship. Everyone was real hungry to win the championship. Playing for the national championship was a good experience. What was it like playing for the national championship? Cody Zeller: It was a good feeling just to make it, but to actually win it felt like a dream come true. 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