All My Sons as a Tragedy

All My Sons as a Tragedy All My Sons is an American play, set in a typical, suburban town in the backyard of a family home. The Kellers are a family who live a life of tension and un-realistic aspirations after losing a son at war. As the Kellers try to live a normal life they are left struggling when they are left to face dealing with the consequences of their actions these lead to the central tragedies of the play. Chris Keller is an honourable man, a man who tries to see the good in people, a man of war. His father, Joe Keller is a chief character who is about three things: Business, money and making a profit. However, Joe Keller is a family man above all else, and has sacrificed everything, including his honour. Nonetheless, he must face up to what he has done and with these actions he must step forward into an inevitable future. Throughout the play the character introduce familiar faces, hard situations, memories both bitter and sweet, the first example of this is the morning after the thunderstorm, the Kellers awaken to their memorial tree, has been torn down (which was planted in memory of Larry after he was lost at war). This gives the Keller family a rude awakening that Larry is probably gone forever; this is a tragic realisation for most of the Kellers. Obviously the main tragedies in this play include the horrendous crime that Joe Keller committed, killing many pilots which included the unfortunate murder of his son. This is a realisation that soon occurs to Keller which unavoidably leads to his Suicide. In regardless of Joe Keller being such a family man, he had caused such deceit not only to his family and to him self, but people all around him. He had caused too much deceit and hurt that he could no longer deal with blood left on his hands. Regardless of these actions, Joe Keller was once a poor man, a poor man with a big dream. And in some ways he is a fine example of what conquering the American Dream stands for. Yet, when he reached to the top his money obsession continued. He ultimately became power hungry, a man fixated and possessed by the mere thought of money and business. He became a man who murdered dozens and a man who took advantage by using the death and destruction of the war as an excuse for making more money. The only question is was he really making it for his family, or was he just making it for himself? This is something that his son, Chris would by no means would or even think about doing, I Didnt want to take any of it Chris Keller is a man who would never take money, let alone blood money from anyone. Chris is just a simple guy that believes that greed can destroy lives, and in his fathers case, it did exactly that. Joe and Chris Keller may be father and son; nevertheless they are still particularly diverse from each other. Chris is an optimistic man, he is a romantic and idealistic. Everything in Chriss mind is wonderful and faultless. His father on the other hand is a practical man. He is sensible and thinks only about the important things in life e.g. money and his family. As protagonists and father and son they are inescapably much alike and this leads to tension and confrontation. Both the Keller men both have short tempers; this is a quality that brings anger and constant anxiety and strain to the play. Chris has always looked up to his father, he always saw him as the sole provider, the protector and the hero in his life. In Chriss eyes Joe Keller fought against the court of law, to prove his innocence. However and unknowingly, when behind the shadows of all this, lingers deceit when family friend Steve Deever is sent to prison for tragic crime he did not commit, he was sent to prison for something Joe Keller did. In many ways, I think Joe Keller is in denial about the situation. I believe he fought so hard to try and prove his pretend innocence that he almost convinced himself and wife Kate that he did nothing wrong and that he is innocent. I believe that he lied in the way he did due to his fear of people finding out the truth, especially Chris and also because he was frightened to lose all his power. If Chris was to discover the truth Keller would no longer be able to live with him self. The idea of killing one son and losing another was almost never an option Keller wouldnt even have contemplated on doing. Because he spent so long building his business empire he was terrified to lose not only that. But the love and respect from his only other son. Chris and Joes relationship in all means ended up deteriorated and this some ways is the central tragedy, a father who loses two sons because of his own mistakes and greed. Thats what a war does. I had two sons, now I got one. It changed all the tallies. In my day when you had sons it was an honour. This quote is ironic, the way Keller says Thats what war does he seems to be so in denial that he seems to be blaming the war, when he is the reason his son dies. Joes character mentions only having one son left, but even Chris begins to drift away from his father; Sometimes you infuriate me, you know that? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ You have such a talent for ignoring things. Chris seems to have unknowingly stunned Keller by saying this, the word ignore implies that Keller is fully aware of what exactly has been going on and he is ignoring his past as if nothing had even happened in the first place. The relationship between Chris and his father seems to allow the audience to understand how the two of these characters think and interact not only with each other but other characters in the play also. Joe Keller is a man who believes he owes nothing to anyone other than himself and family, however as Chris served in the war he believes in a superior responsibility to humanity, he likes to help people, make people feel good about themselves. This illustrates the completely parallel characteristics that Keller and Chris have. The relationship Joe and Chris Keller share is diverse throughout, as father and son they joke and butt heads from time to time. But as Chris discovers the dark past his father has hidden, he is in utter shell shock. Not only has this man killed dozens of pilots, he killed his own son and left an innocent man rotting in a jail cell. As this tragic truth began to sink into Chriss mind and no matter what Keller had to say for himself, to Chris this no longer matters. Its not enough to be sorry. I think because Keller was such a businessman, that Chris in some ways felt that his fathers job seemed almost more important to him than Chris, but Chris was still a priority. So when Chris found that that his brother was murdered by his own father for business, this was the final straw. The cats in that alley are practical; the bums who ran away when we were fighting were practical. . . But now Im practical, and I spit on myself. Im going away. Im going now. Everyday three of four men never come back and he sits back there doing business. . . This quote suggests quite clearly that Chris is disgusted at the fact that all those men died because of his father and it seems utterly insane that Keller was able to sit back and continue to run his business as everyday men were dying because of his father. To conclude, Chris and Joe Kellers relationship contribute to the central tragedies of the play in a massive way. It proves that just because two people are related and share the same blood, does not mean they are compatible. And asks the question, do we really know our family? Chris spent years look up to his hero of a father, however towards the end of the play Chriss utter disappointment, aversion and almost hatred for Keller becomes apparent. This consequently leads to Kellers revelation, Then what is this if it isnt telling me Sure, he was my son. But I think to him they were all my sons. And I guess they were, I guess they were. This then leads to the final tragedy of the play, Kellers abrupt suicide.

Coach Carter and Communication Essay

The film â€Å"Coach Carter† demonstrates many great examples of good communication between coach and athlete. I will point out a few examples of good communication from the film and I will explain why the examples I discuss demonstrate characteristics of effective communication. I will use a few excerpts out of the communication chapter of our text book, Chapter 11. I will use these excerpts from Chapter 11 of our text book to explain why the examples/quotes from the film, that I have pointed out, demonstrate good communication skills. The film â€Å"Coach Carter† is a great film about a high school basketball team that is located in a bad area of town. The kids that play for this basketball team unfortunately do not have some of the opportunities as other players of different team may have. This is just a fact of life; some people are fortunate to have a community and parents that are in a position to provide their children with good opportunities to succeed in school and in life, while other children do not have the same luxury. Some communities, parents, and schools unfortunately are not in the position to provide the same opportunities to their children and student athletes, whether due to financial reasons or other reasons. It is just a fact of life that sometimes people have to fight and work very hard to rise above the challenges life presents to them and through the road of hard work to accomplish their goal they will grow as a human being and become a better person in the end. In the film, Coach Ken Carter demonstrates excellent communication skills that are very effective. One quote from the film that stuck out to me is when Coach Carter is addressing his team after they lost the game against Saint Francis at the end of the film. Carter states; â€Å"l came to coach basketball players, and you became students. l came to teach boys, and you became men. † This quote is a great example of the correct use of praise. In Chapter 11 â€Å"Effective Communication: The Foundation of Effective Leadership†, Anshell describes the sandwich approach model to praise and critism presented by Smith & Smoll (1977). The sandwich approach tells us the correct use of praise and gives us a formula to use to make sure we give praise to our athletes in an appropriate manner. The sandwich approach states that you should say something positive, correct the skill that needs attention, and end with another positive comment. In the qoate from the film I used above, Coach Carter does not use the sandwhich approach excatly as it is modeled, but he does praise his team in an appropriate manner. A coach will be more efffective in correcting the skills and habits of any of their athletes by using the sandwich approach. The athlete will feel good about himself/herself hearing the first positive statement and this will also grab that athletes attention to the constructive critism or skill critique from the coach. The coach will leave the athlete with a positive concluding statement such as, â€Å"I see you excelling in the future with this†. The athlete will still have a good feeling at the end of the conversation and will pay attention to what the coach told him to do differently to improve his/her skill. In the movie, Coach Carter is consistent in his statements about what his intentions are as the new basketball coach and what his goals/expectations are of the young athletes. Chapter 11 of our text book, Anshell discribes the Ten Commandments of Communication. The Ten Commandments of Communication are as follows: â€Å"Thou shalt: (1) be honest, (2) not be defensive, (3) be consistent, (4) be empathetic, (5) not be sarcastic, (6) praise and criticize behavior, not personality, (7) respect the integrity of others, (8) use positive nonverbal cues, (9) teach skills, and (10) interact consistently with all team members. (Anshell 2012)†. Coach Carter demonstrates most of these commandments of communication, he especially demonstrates honesty, consistency, and respect the integrity of others throughout the film. The Players respect Coach Carter and his decisions on and off the court, they put their faith in their coach and the end result is rewarding. Coach Carter demonstrates consistency more than ever when he is talking to the board in the hearing about the lockout he has put into place. Coach Carter says; â€Å"You really need to consider the message you’re sending this boys by ending the lockout. It’s the same message that we as a culture send to our professional athletes; and that is that they are above the law. If these boys cannot honor the simple rules of a basketball contract, how long do you think it will be before they’re out there breaking the law? I played ball here at Richmond High 30 years ago. It was the same thing then; some of my teammates went to prison, some of them even ended up dead. If you vote to end the lockout, you won’t have to terminate me; I’ll quit. † This statement is very powerful and certainly gets Coach Carter’s message across to the administration and the parents of his players. The consistency of Carter even in a high stress environment and a very tense situation, he stands behind his beliefs and never once lets up or lets something go like ending the lockout so the basketball team will play the big game and stay undefeated. The players respect Coach Carter and his decision to keep the lockout in effect until the whole team has the GPA requirements to play games, as stated in the contract they signed. The team demonstrates their faith in their coach with the statements they make when Carter walks into the gym after the board made the decision to end the lock out to let his athletes know what the board decided. Coach Carter enters the gym to find his basketball team sitting at desks and studying instead of practicing. The team says the following when Carter walks into the gym; Jason Lyle: â€Å"[to Coach Carter as he walks into the gym] Sir, they can cut the chains off the door, but they can’t make us play. † Damien Carter: â€Å"We’ve decided we’re going to finish what you’ve started, sir. † Worm: â€Å"Yeah, so leave us be, coach. We’ve got shit to do, sir. † After Worm finally answers Coach Carter’s question; What is your biggest fear? Jason Lyle says; â€Å"You said we’re a team. One person struggles, we all struggle. One person triumphs, we all triumph. † This scene shows how Coach Carter’s communication skills inspire and motivate the players to improve on and off the court. I believe that coaches should focus on teaching their athletes more than just the game that is being played, but a good coach will demonstrate and teach young athletes about â€Å"life†. A good coach focuses on the entire picture of developing good strong contributing members of society. Coaches should give the athletes skills that will carry each athlete through life and teach the athletes the skills/lessons that will help them succeed.

Business Reasearch Method Part 1

Business Research Methods Part I Sara Gonzalez QNT/561 March 19, 2013 Business Research Methods Part I A business organization must make tough decisions when faced with a dilemma. They could be rising costs, employee turnover, or in the case of British Petroleum (BP), safety. The recent explosion, deaths, and environmental impact of the deepwater Horizon oil drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico brought the question of drilling platform safety to the forefront of the news, continuing to do so over two years later. The disaster is one of the more recent events and â€Å"is the largest marine oil spill in history† (Cleveland, 2013).Research Question The dilemma that BP faces is keeping their employees safe while working in an industry known for its immediate danger. Are there warnings in the form of safety incidents that show likelihood that an event similar to the deepwater Horizon could happen again? Research Design A case study, â€Å"also referred to as the case historyâ €  (research text) is used to â€Å"obtain multiple perspectives of a single organization, situation, event, or process at a point in time or over a period of time†. (Cooper & Schindler, 2011, p. 81) The research for this case study will include safety reports from many global oil companies. The purpose for researching many companies is because â€Å"When multiple units are chosen, it is because they offer similar results for predictable reasons† (Cooper & Schindler, 2011, p. 181). It is expected that researching different oil companies will show a common factor in safety incidents leading to catastrophic events. Sample Design A non-probability sample design will be used for collecting data. However, to select effectively a sample design certain questions must be answered.They include, â€Å"What is the target population? What are the parameters of interest? What is the sampling frame? What is the appropriate sampling method? What size sample is needed† (Coop er & Schindler, 2011, Chapter 14, Steps in Sampling Design)? Target Population Our target population will consist of the employees at BP that can provide or have access to statistical data related to our research question. This includes workers who are exposed to the possibility of injury while performing regular day-to-day job duties. Parameters of InterestPopulation parameters will describe the â€Å"variables of interest in the population† (Cooper & Schindler, 2011, Chapter 14, Steps in Sampling Design). These include the sample mean, sample variance, and proportion of safety incidents to incidents resulting in injury. Sample statistics will serve as a â€Å"basis of our inferences of the population† (Cooper & Schindler, 2011, Chapter 14, Steps in Sampling Design). Sampling Frame The sampling frame will be a list of the subjects that make up the population of our sampling design. Characteristics can include age, work experience, and position within BP.Appropriate Sa mpling Method Our sampling design is limited to team member Scott Thrasher’s exposure to BP’s employee population. Again, a non-probability sampling design is the most appropriate method because it does not require the entire affected population at BP and only relies on the subjects who are readily available to him (Crossman, n. d. ). Sample Size At this point we have not established a standard for sample size. It is, however, agreed that a larger sample will provide the most accuracy, precision, and least chance for error (Cooper & Schindler, Chapter 14, Steps in Sampling Design, 2011).References Cleveland, C. J. (2013). Deepwater Horizon Disaster: Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Retrieved from http://www. eoearth. org/article/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill? topic=50364 Cooper, D. R. , & Schindler, P. S. (2011). Business Research Methods (11th ed. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Crossman, A. (n. d. ). Types Of Sampling Designs. About. com. Retrieved from http://sociology. about. com/od/Research/a/sampling-designs. htm

Battle of Poltava in the Great Northern War