Explain what it means to be educated. Make sure you use at least one Essay

Explain what it means to be educated. Make sure you use at least one reading as the base of your argument - Essay Example In reality, to be educated means to have knowledge, potential to think, ability to learn, and the capacity to make use of language. The mental capability of such an individual enables one to have awareness of any vagueness, realize when knowledge is missing, open minded, readiness, capability to doubt, questions things, logical curiosity, and happy to learn. Education has the potential to enhance knowledge, skill, and attitude which empowers individual’s to deal with problems. In this way, an educated person is one who has the power to deal with life problems using the experiences that come from education. For instance, in â€Å"Coming to an Awareness of Language† by Malcolm X, it is clear that Malcolm was uneducated because he could not read or write. However, he transformed himself and began to teach himself vocabulary from the dictionary and from this he began gaining knowledge. This knowledge opened his language skills to begin writing coherently and precisely in wo rds that could be understood (Buscemi and Smith, 2012). An educated person should have not only knowledge but also the potential to make informed decisions. It is a case where someone is enlightened about issues and realizes the need to make a certain decision for the betterment of one’s life. An educated person is therefore, familiar with various ideas which shape one’s view of reality. ... Thinking abilities are part and pursue of an educated person because this is what leads to making of rational informed resolutions. This thinking ability is still what results in knowledge that an individual holds. Just like if a person is analytically thinking about a physician’s suggestion, one would be required to have a bit of knowledge about medical information. It is now possible to think if the recommendation the doctor is offering makes sense or not. This is because with the thinking ability, the knowledge to make rational decisions for the betterment of one’s life is realized. For instance, Malcolm admires Bimbi from prison because he is eloquent and can contribute in any conversation. It is apparent that Bimbi is educated and can converse easily because his thinking abilities translate to knowledge. In the same, way Malcolm assumes this thinking ability by taking Bimbi as his role model and works hard to learn the language (Buscemi and Smith, 2012). It is also evident that an educated individual has learning abilities to independently cope with the changing society. It is not possible for a person who cannot learn independently to be regarded as educated. Independent learning is not only reading books or internet materials but the ability to acquire knowledge through personal effort. This could be to learn through the existing material or creating understanding where there is none. This is the art of rational inquiry where a person has the potential to absorb or acquire information without any reliance on other people’s opinion. Learning is the process of expanding, modification, and refining existing knowledge which further, strengthens the thinking potential. For instance, from â€Å"Coming to an Awareness of

An Overview Of The The Indian Film Industry Media Essay

An Overview Of The The Indian Film Industry Media Essay Every year, 1000 films are released in India, which are watched by 3 billion movie goers. India is the worlds largest film producer, volume-wise. However, factors such as poorly developed revenue stream, excessive reliance on domestic box office collections and inefficiencies prevalent across the value chain, have resulted in poor revenue collection for the industry. As a result, the Indian Film Industry accounts for only 1% of global film industry revenues. However, in the past 3-4 years, the industry has undergone major alterations bringing positive results. Due to the availability of organized funding, advent of multiplexes and increasing overseas collections, the film industry now stands at a better position. The provision of 100% foreign direct investment has made the Indian film market attractive for foreign enterprises such as  20th Century Fox,  Sony Pictures, and  Warner Bros. (1) Over the past years the business of film making has changed due to corporatization, increasing production costs, spiraling actor fees and high acquisition costs for content. With the recent economic showdown, the film industry is witnessing earlier some of the earlier excesses being brought down to a more realistic level playing field. (1) Components of the Indian film industry The 20th century saw commercialization of the business of film making. The Indian, Chinese and American film industries became global enterprises. Our film industry found markets in over 90 countries. If we bifurcate the Indian Film Industry, we have various Regional Film Industries. The most prominent and popular amongst them at is the Hindi Film Industry, which is based in Mumbai. Other industries are Marathi, Punjabi, Urdu, Bhojapuri, Telugu, Bengali, Oriya, Kannada, Malayalam and Tamil. These industries enjoy monopoly in their respective regions. For example, Keralites will prefer Malayalam movies over Kannada movies. Regional choices greatly influence the marketing strategy for the promotion of a film or a product. The cultural variety that the Indian Film Industry offers is what that makes it unique from every other film industry in the world. Its varying range is its identity. Citation FICCI-KPMG Media Entertainment Industry Report-2009 http://www.scribd.com/doc/24474505/FICCI-KPMG-Media-Entertainment-Industry-Report-2009 Total Number of Films censored in 2009 by CBFC: 1288 *Source: Central Board for Film Certification Bollywood In 2009, out of the 1288 films released in India, 235 were Hindi films. This means 19% of the films released in India in 2009 were Hindi films. Hindi film industry is the largest producer of films in India, of which Bollywood is a major part. In fact, Bollywood is referred as the Hindi Film Industry. Out of the 200-plus Hindi films made in India each year, around 150 are made in Bollywood. Bollywood films are the only films in India that enjoy a national audience. Along with that, they also enjoy overseas audience. (2) Since Bollywood films enjoy maximum viewership, they also account for over 40 percent of the total revenues of the overall Indian film industry. The total revenue that Bollywood earned in 2008 was Rs 10,900 crore with an overseas collection of Rs 977 crore. Bollywood today is one of the biggest money making industries in India which provides employment to over 6 million people. (3) Citation 2. Central Board for Film Certification, Annual report 2009 http://cbfcindia.gov.in/html/uniquepage.aspx?unique_page_id=30 3. The Viewspaper, voice of the youth, www.wordpress.com http://theviewspaper.net/brand-bollywood/ Regional Films The Southern film industry is the major regional film industry followed by Bengali and Punjabi. The market size of the Tamil and Telugu segment is ` 7.7 billion, the Malayalam segment is ` 1.4 billion and the Kannada segment is worth ` 0.5 billion. Percentage wise, Telugu and Tamil account for 45% revenue each, Malayalam accounts for 8%, whereas Kannada accounts for 2% revenue of the southern film industry. However the regional market is under tapped, the non-theatrical revenue is lesser as compared to the Hindi film industry and the southern film industry is poorly propagated amongst the international sector. (4) Application of the concept of 4ps to the Film Industry of India The 4Ps: 1) Product 2) Place 3) Price 4) Promotion Product Citation: 4. Indian Entertainment Down South: From Script to Screen, 2009, Report, FICCI Ernst YoungA product is an article or substance that has been manufactured and refined for sale. In this case a film is a product. This product has major components. If we take Bollywood into consideration, itll be safe to call it a highly competitive zone. For the producers, movie making is like a business, where they are selling their product, ie the movie. So in order to make that product the talk of the town, their aim would be to get maximum visibility for their product. Every movie has its own target audience. There are many factors on the basis of which the audience choose to watch a particular movie. They could be ranging from the talent (film stars), genre (comedy, drama, action, thriller, romance), storyline, music and the presentation of a movie. For example, the movie Aisha scored big amongst young girls, teenagers and women (Aged 15-35 years), while it was highly criticized by men. The women chose Aisha because its packaging was in feminine colours like pink and orange, the story was based on a Jane Austen novel Emma about a young girl who likes match making, and primarily, the movie revolved around beauty, women and fashion. According to the oxford dictionary a film is defined as a    story or event recorded by a camera as a set of moving images and shown in a cinema or on television. A movie product on the other hand is the intellectual property of various individuals who are involved in it and is distributed in the form of theatrical exhibits, non-theatrical exhibits, CDs DVDs, film or tape, internet and television broadcasting through cable or sometimes without cable. Place After making a product which is worth selling, comes the time to find a place where this product will be sold. In this case a place can be anything ranging from cinema halls, multiplexes, broadcast media centres like radio and television, homes, internet, mobile phones (caller tunes, my song), games and news. Distribution takes place through theatres, rental stores; sell-through stores, catalogues, non-theatrical groups, the Internet, cell phones etc. However one of the biggest challenges that our industry is facing is Piracy. According to industry sources piracy is a 20 billion market and its share of the total video market is increasing day by day. (1) Price If we take a birds view of the industry, it appears to be uniformly priced, but the reality is something else. Currently India has 1000 multiplex screens which are supposed to become 1800 by the end of 2010 (1). The advent of the multiplex audience has definitely resulted in revenue hike for the producers, but it is important to realise that single screen movie halls are still in a majority and as compared to multiplexes, tickets are priced keeping in mind the average Indian. For example: A PVR cinemas ticket costs somewhere around `150- 300 depending upon the location, day and time, whereas a balcony seat i.e the most expensive seat in a single screen theatre like Vishal Cinemas (In Rajouri Garden, West Delhi) costs `90. A distribution contract can be structured in many ways that result in very different returns for the producer, the key creative talent, and even the distributor. Elements that are negotiated include Movie Release Date ex: Releasing a movie around Diwali is more profitable than releasing it on a normal day. Territories and market segments ex: A crossover film like Bend it Like Beckham will only do well in metros and not in tier-II and tier -III cities. Splitting of the profit, means of payment and percentages Final budget for promotion (digital, grassroot, print, outdoor The spending capacity of people has increased in the last few years. According to the PWC report, the Indian film industry is projected to grow by 11.5% in the next five years, reaching 184.7 billion in 2018 from 107 billion in 2008. Domestic box office segment is expected to grow at a cumulative rate of 10.2% over the next 5 years to reach an estimate of 132 billion in 2013 from present size of 82 billion. (1) The issue of pricing has become a global issue. Producers are careful to strategize the release of the DVDs at such a time, that it doesnt interfere with the theatrical release of the movie as it is the main source of revenue. However, the piracy industry has created such havoc in the home video market, that the producers are incurring huge losses. In order to curb this nuisance, the producers have come up with cheaply priced DVDs so that the rising phenomenon doesnt become a thorn in their flesh. Promotion Promotion is a powerful marketing tool, not only during the premier of a new product, but throughout its lifecycle. Producers create the end-product for the consumer, but they seldom market that product directly to the consumer. They market their story to investors and distributors. Distributors market to exhibitors, retailers and sub-distributors. The theatre exhibitors, retailers, store clerks, and Internet strategists market to the end consumers. And then, to top off this complex stew, some consumers even market to other consumers their family, friends and co-workers. STATEMENT To study the effectiveness of digital promotion in the box office response of Hindi films Todays Bollywood presents a very different scenario. With over 1000 films releasing in a given year, all of them fighting for a common goal i.e. the box-office success, the multiplex domination it has become a necessity for those involved, to do whatever it takes to enforce that must-watch feeling among the masses in order to win this very competitive rat-race. I want to find out how big a role does the internet play in promotion of a film. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESEARCH The internet is increasingly emerging as a profitable medium to create hype and promote a new film. There are approximately 30-40 million internet users in India today. Internet as a medium to promote a film is a viable option as it offers a wide platform of activities like reviews, trailers, bulletin boards, email, and blog for marketing movies which in turn creates a buzz about the film. Industry experts believe that the cost effectiveness of the online medium is one of the reasons for its popularity. An online campaign on the other hand costs only one-tenth of the amount a producer will spend advertising the film in the print medium. A recent survey conducted by the Internet Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) says that close to 90% internet users surf the net for movie related information and 42% of the surfers use the net for this purpose more than once a week. The survey also found that 54% of the net users watched at least one movie per month. Among the first studios to have started off promoting films on the Net was Yashraj Films. Their Mujhse Dosti Karoge went on to win the prestigious ABBY Gold award for its Internet marketing initiative in 2004. To promote Kabhi Alvida Na Kahna, the entire song Wheres the party tonight was featured on MSNs desktop TV. MSN also designed a theme pack on Messenger based on the films characters. RDBs characters wrote interactive blogs; Anthony Kaun Hai ran an online contest with winners meeting the stars. Lage Raho Munnabhais promotion on MSN India consisted of video clips from the film aired on desktop TV airs, and a web link to the official movie website with storyline, information on cast, crew, music, photos and screensavers, trailers, contests and interactive features. Online promotions also enable filmmakers to tap the overseas market. NRIs are also passionate about movies and like to download wallpapers, ring tones and take part in celebrity chats. If we look at our latest internet publicity successes, Ghajini is a very good example. Geetha Arts launched a computer game based on Ghajini, called  Ghajini The Game, developed by Hyderabad-based  FX LABS. Its a3-D PC console game which was built at a cost of Rs 30 million it attracted a lot of fans. UTV  owned Indiagames had also developed five mobile based games on Ghajini which was a huge success Aamir also kept up the internet marketing of Ghajini, with his blog  and the new Ghajini site, which invites journalists to register on the site, upload their photos, and receive personal notes from him. Websites like www.rememberghajini.com; www.findghajini.com and www.wallofsuspects.com  were built to drive curiosity levels around the movie and provide a movie like experience on the Internet. These are just a few examples. There are many more which will follow. Gone are those days when plastering a few posters on the walls and hand-painted Billboard signs were the only means available for a films publicity; Actors barely promoted their films, film-makers never ventured in-front of the camera and our main stream media couldnt care less. However the internet has shaken things up and revolutionized the way movie publicity is done. OBJECTIVES To find out how much of a role does internet play in the promotion of Hindi films. To find out examples where internet played a huge part in a films promotion. Ex: Ghajini To spread awareness of the use of internet among the masses. To make people realise how useful, economic and great is the internet. HYPOTHESIS Internet is emerging as a hotspot for a low cost promotion. The internet is not an effective means for promotion in the box office response of hindi films.

Middleware :: essays research papers

Middleware In the past several decades, a trend has emerged where mid to large size corporations have needed to integrate their existing mainframe systems with their newer PC based information systems. With this shift in focus toward PC based communications and productivity software that became available on the market, companies scrambled for ways to tie PCs and mainframes together. This created the need for middleware. Companies discovered that the hardware and programming, involved in maintaining mainframe systems, was too costly to replace overnight. In addition to the expense, the applications in place for the most part served their purpose and appeared to be much more stable than the personal computers. They maintained master files for customers as well as inventory levels, generated bills and invoices and, with the right programmer and vision, the mainframes could extract just about any information that managers needed. As PCs became more prevalent for a fraction of the cost and with the development of the Internet and a global network, PC applications with productivity software such as Microsoft Office and connection to the Internet have become imperative in almost every business setting. As these resources became available, users such as employees could now access information easily and instantly, share information simultaneously, and communicate both externally and internally through electronic mail. The questions then arose concerning what to do with the expensive mainframe systems and how to permit the PCs to interact. Middleware has become the solution to this problem.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A middleware program is an interface between an application and a server. The most useful are those that allow access to the vast resources stored on the highly developed and expensive mainframe databases with a simple user friendly program, like a web browser. Another example is what Kaiser Permanente implemented to ease the ordering and monitoring of prescriptions. Kaiser bought a NetWeave middleware solution to tie its VAX pharmacy systems to a Tandem master subscriber database to allow subscribers to dial in prescription orders from their touch-tone phones. NetWeave gives us an illustration of how middleware works below. You can find more information on NetWeave at www.netweave.com. It is clear that with the rapid shift in business focus to pc-based information systems, which the demand for scalability and information on-the-fly, will create a huge demand for middleware.

Escape of the Gymnasium

As I sat in a managerial meeting, nervously taking the wrath from demanding hierarchy management, my mind began to drift back to an incident in my early childhood†¦ â€Å"Nice shot Shrimps!† There I was shooting the basketball in gym class, all five foot four inches, 125 pounds of me. I am known as â€Å"Shrimps,† but my real name is Donald I am a small kid, with the heart of a kitten. Patiently waiting for the school bell to ring, to notify me and the rest of the school it was time to go home for the day and come back again in a week and half, I could hardly wait to get home and show my parents my straight A report card. It seemed like two life times had passed already, but I was still stuck there waiting to hear the ring of the damn bell. All of a sudden, I realized Lenord was headed into my vicinity. My pulse began to race, sweat dripping from my forehead; I continued to shoot the basketball. Soon I became scared, so scared I thought I was going to wet myself. The threat was real, very real, but this wasn't the first time I'd been in danger and sure seemed like it wouldn't be the last. I can still see him even now, with a crystal clear vivid image of him. How could anyone forget what he looked like? Everyone in the school knew him as J Dog, but behind the slang name J Dog, he was known to all too many as Lenord. Lenord was double the size of any average Joe his age, standing tall looking over the top of his peer's heads desperately awaiting someone to step in his way. J Dog, the big fat aggressive pain in everyone's bottom, the school bully. J Dog was always with four of his immediate peers. J Dog generally picked fights with weaker students. He would abuse them with his strength and powerful vocal cords, which built his ego on his victims. For nearly the past seven years I have watched him and his four man mafia pick on younger boys. I can not even count the times on my twenty fingers and toes that I was the onlooker, watching sadly from the â€Å"birds eye view,† waiting for their time to come and be put in their place. One incident I witnessed was when J Dog and his four man mafia picked a fight with a varsity football player. As I observed the attack through the bathroom stall the fight seemed too unfair. J Dog and his crew attacked the peer in the boys' bathroom. They all took their turns aggressively punching and kicking the peer. I sat in the stall curled up on the toilet, bracing myself nearly feeling every blow. Showing no remorse they continued on their brutal attack until they seemed too tired to go on. The fight ended with a vicious kick to the face by J Dog. Constantly and repetitively J Dog and his crew moved away from the school handbook and the countless school policies that it entailed. Yes indeed I knew what they were doing, as well as everyone else at the school including the school staff, but no one took the time to create a peaceful environment. It just seemed that no one would stand up to their mischievous behavior. I never understood why this was this way. Why do we all sit here back on our heels and watch this reckless' abandon go on with his terror? We were all equally guilty, guilty as J Dog and his fellow perpetrators. The longer we stood back and accepted their behavior and the longer they were able to rage throughout the school, the stronger they became. This was not a good thing for me, or for the entire school. J Dog and his four brotherhood boys came for me one spring morning. In fact it was the last day of school prior to a well anticipated eleven day Easter break. I'd been playing basketball with a few of my peers in the schools' gymnasium. Looking on the other side of the gym behind a set of bleachers, sat J Dog and his fellow four up to no good teasing and laughing at fellow students. The obnoxious jerk himself, Lenord, and his four manned mafia soon came to the side of the gym where I was playing basketball. Before I had the chance to warn my friends I heard abruptly, â€Å"Donald, you four-eyed worthless piece of shit,† the bully said. â€Å"It's your turn.† My heart hit rock bottom, feeling myself gasp for air, I asked myself â€Å"oh no here we go, I think it is my turn to be plum bulled, or isn't it?† Such simple words, so much unsaid. I didn't need any further explanations. I knew what they wanted and it was not their sanity back. As mentioned earlier I'd seen others after they'd had their turn. It was never a pretty sight. Too many times over the years I have witnessed the brutal attacks on my fellow classmates. In time they would have progressed beyond schoolyard aggression, sinking lower into the anti-social status of the criminal underworld. They'd never be leaders of any kind, just straight up thugs. They'd been well schooled in this art. I had never once in my life been in a fight. Well unless my sister counts? To say I was scared of the upcoming attack would have been an understatement. I was petrified. I knew if I was not careful in what I said or did I may end up dead. As I sat there overshadowed by five ruthless thugs, I knew that even in a fair fight I couldn't possibly win. Other students swirled around us, isolating our little group. It was well known everyone in the oval knew of the intended attack. Sweating profusely, I was nearly drowned in my own sweat, knowing what was waiting for me, wondering why he didn't just lash out and end this mockery, this teasing. I did not even realize then that he'd had to work himself into a frenzy so he could just hit, and hit, and hit. â€Å"What's up, Shrimps? Don't you want your pretty boy face all smashed up like everyone else in this school? Or will you be upset because you will need a face lift?† As I sat there I could only think of dumb things like this girl name Ashley sucking her thumb and my friend telling me to imagine my peers naked while giving a speech. Only the sight of these two things registered on my numbed, frightened brain. â€Å"Why don't you leave me alone? Go annoy someone else.† I took the basketball and dropped it at my feet. â€Å"Are you throwing the basketball at me, Shrimps?† He snorted, searching for any excuse to start a fight with me. I didn't want to give him an excuse. He stood there warlike; hands on hips, wearing his all blue attire. His stomach fat erupted through ragged holes in his once blue t-shirt. Supporting the color blue was what J Dog felt was the holiest color known to mankind. â€Å"Don't be silly, I just dropped it at my feet,† I whined, not at all mentally prepared for the brutal assault. â€Å"I know you didn't just call J Dog silly,† one of his collogues shouted. â€Å"Or I'll flatten you myself. Come on J Dog, give the idiot a reason to talk back and let's get the hell out of here. It is just too hot in here to have to put up with all of this shit,† he added as he grinded his teeth, showing the enormous gap in his bottom teeth, so enormous I could kick a field goal through it. â€Å"You call me silly, did you? You're nothing but a poor excuse for human life. You can run to the teachers all you like, see, I am not afraid of them.† Thoughts began to race inside me. I wondered why school authorities put up with him. Too many times Lenord and his four mates' behavior were over looked. School fights happened; sometimes students went home a little worse for wear. I could not help to notice that in a mere two minutes the bell would sound. Thinking to myself will that bell ever ring and let me out of this mess I got myself into? I responded to this coward known to too many as J Dog, â€Å"I didn't call you silly; I just said I did not throw the basketball at you.† I was answered by a heavy push in the chest, the first sign of physical violence. Staggering back, it was followed by another massive blow from the aggressive J Dog. He stepped back up to me, face to face, as J Dogs four amigos stood close beside him, crowding me like flies on dead carcass. â€Å"Won't you stay and fight?† He spit little specks of salvia at me but I dared not acknowledge them. â€Å"Bloody little coward.† He'd been right; I was a coward, so scared I couldn't run, even if I wanted to, even if there'd been somewhere to go and get away from the mess I was in. I silently choked back sobs, fighting to hold back tears of terror. The panic controlled me; I stood there looking like a buffoon right in front of Lenord, his four friends, my best friend, twenty other students, and one especially hot girl named Cindy. Again the palms of his massive hands stabbed at my chest and, again, I staggered back. I felt the impact of his hands long after they'd abruptly returned to his hips. The five men closed back up on me as we danced further away from the gymnasium bleachers or what I like to call protection from a fall and embarrassment. I felt my grip on reality slipping further and further away. Others were here to only see another beating set forth by J Dog and to witness my shame. Not that J Dog and his mates wouldn't let everyone know how well, or poorly, I took the abuse. There was a certain honor in taking your licking like a man. I hadn't felt like a man, and had been sure there was little honor in J Dog. However, I couldn't hide for the rest of my life. It had been time to stop the hopelessness and stand up for myself and for the rest of the school population. It had to be all or nothing. I preferred nothing, but in the back of my head I wanted nothing more than to set the example. Putting on a brave face, I firmed my voice and looked the outsized buffoon in the eye. â€Å"I know you can beat me like a red headed step daughter, I don't doubt it at all.† As the jittered mess in my voice came out I wanted to look and feel confident in what I said to this animal. â€Å"But Lenord,† I added, â€Å"Just remember one thing. When I hit the ground, so too will your front teeth, you worthless coward. I'll get one punch in, you know I will, and that punch will be directed right for your front teeth. When I am done with you, you will no longer look like the donkey you look and smell like now! Is beating me up worth losing your front teeth?† I was being optimistic, I doubted that I could even get in one punch; I doubted even if delivered I could have knocked out any of his teeth. The reaction from the overweight J Dog was almost priceless. Suddenly it was the bully who backed off, looked lost, looked everywhere but at his bewildered fellows or me. â€Å"Er†¦ er†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he stuttered, â€Å"you're not worth the effort, you are just a waste of my breath, you little crap headed pansy. I wouldn't waste my spit on you. You better get away from me before I change my mind and pound the crap out of you.† Now I was the one standing aggressively, hands on hips, watching the fast disappearing of the other bullies as they soon walked away in disbelief. Cocky in my arrogance, I spit out a final mouth of spit in their vicinity. It had been the most rewarding victory of my life, standing there on that field of honor, knowing that I had conquered the mighty, invincible J Dog. I wanted to shout it out to the rest of the school and let everyone in the school district know of J Dog's defeat. My mind switched off that near death episode, back to the present, to the here and now. Hierarchy management surrounded me, trying to pressure me and abide to their will. Tacky school clothes were replaced with tailored business suits, the overt threat of violence with an undercurrent of raw power. Things hadn't changed. As before, I was the underdog, the potential victim. These smiling men were planning on beating me far worse than the luckless J Dog could ever have imagined. Here I was fighting for my life, my work life, and for the future of my family and myself. I could lose everything. I felt too old to start everything all over again. These smiling piranhas had planned on chewing me up and spitting out the bones. I had to fight for myself and for what I knew was right, and it was time to either stand up and fight their smirking aggression, or lie down and die like a dog. I thought again of J Dog the bully, remembering how quickly he'd collapsed after I stood in his way of destruction. Clearing my throat, I looked straight in the owner's eyes. â€Å"This is what should happen,† I began, as an idea rushed into my mind. Fully knowing what I was going to say, I continued as I spilled out the beans.

Breaking Through Essay

â€Å"Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it’s the courage to continue that counts†(Winston Churchill). Life is dependent on our dreams. If you ever fail along the way to your success, you’ll be tempted to get yourselves right back and continue your journey. Although, if ever found yourself to be successful, would you stop there? Or would you have the courage to continue and set higher goals for yourself? In the book â€Å"Breaking Through† in which Francisco Jimenez is the main character and author, he faces many obstacles. Although, Francisco has encountered multiple obstacles, he has many characteristics, which are being responsible, ambitious and respectful. Francisco has faced many dilemmas in his life, yet they’ve made Francisco a better person at the end of the day. Francisco has countless of characteristics. Although the ones in which stood out the most would be being responsible, ambitious and respectful. Francisco has a large number of characteristics, which make him such an admirable character in the book â€Å"Breaking Through†. The first characteristic that plays a big role in Francisco’s character would be being responsible. Francisco’s dreams are to go to college and have a better future for himself and his family. Although his home situation and him being emigrate from Mexico, struggling with English cause him to face many obstacles before he reaches his goal. Due to his home situation, Francisco learns to be very responsible. One perfect example would be when Roberto and Francisco come back to Bonnetti ranch with out their parents. Roberto and Francisco had to go to school and work and lastly save money to send to their parents back at Mexico. Francisco says, â€Å"The sounds of Papa’s coughing, the rattle of his aspirin bottle, and the rolling of Mama’s twelve-inch lead pipe as she pressed dough to make tortillas were absent.† Francisco says (19) The second characteristic Francisco has would be is being very ambitious with helping his family and his personal goals like attending college. Francisco has always loved learning but English has not always been easy for him to learn. Although Francisco has other responsibilities apart from school he works in the  fields and with Mike Nevel. One example that shows how ambitious Francisco is when he runs for student body president. Regardless of Francisco’s other obligations he was determined to make time for school priorities. â€Å"If I run and win, I’d have to study more in the evenings after work, sleep less, and skip some scho ol dances.† â€Å"Francisco says (140) Lastly, the third characteristic that stood out to me as well is Francisco is very loyal. Francisco and papa have different opinions about the future. Although papa would prefer for Francisco to not leave for college, Francisco always has Papa’s wishes in his heart. Every decision he makes or takes into consideration, Francisco always thinks about how will it affect his family finically or emotionally. One example to this characteristic would be when Francisco is at his second semester of his senior year. When his fellow classmates are sharing their options on what university they might attend. Although not for Francisco, he is positive about Papa not letting him continue his education beyond high school. â€Å"Some were going to the University of California at Santa Barbra or UCLA. Others got into Fresno state but were waiting to hear from Berkeley. I did not share their enthusiasm. I had to stay at home and continue helping my family.† Francisco says (163) In conclusion, although Francisco has many characteristics that are shown in â€Å"Breaking Through† the ones that stood out the most me were being responsible, ambitious, and loyal. Characteristics are what make us a good or bad person at the end of the day. Also, it’s meant for us to show other people are potential in life or other wise.