Benefits Of Distributed Leadership Education Essay

Benefits Of Distributed Leadership Education Essay Leadership is not all down to the Head teacher, the head of department or, in the classroom the teacher. If it is, nobody is learning anything at all about leadership. The first rule about leadership is that it is shared. (Brighouse and Woods, 1999:45) Most often administrative leadership is viewed as different from any kinds of leadership in school. The roles might be different since most managerial roles are completed outside the classrooms while teachers leadership is exercised within the classroom. Nevertheless in school, teachers, administrators, Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), parents and students can all work together towards the improvement of Distributed Leadership (DL). That is why Sergiovanni states that, If leadership is a practice shared by many then it must be distributed among those who are in the right place at the right time and among those who have the ability. (2006:189-190) In this section, literature will be organised and focused round the following questions: What are the benefits of distributed leadership in a secondary school? To what extent is leadership shared among all stakeholders in Sunflower School? How far can distributed leadership facilitate learning? How effective to the schools improvement and success can distributed leadership be? What are the benefits of distributed leadership in a secondary school? A successful leader is classified as such, when s/he manages to involve others in the process of leadership. According to Sergiovanni, when principals share leadership, they get more power in return (2006:185). DL also enables those involved to develop their own leadership skills. With DL, Principals are helping their colleagues by boosting their self-confidence, and to make their own decisions (Nicholls, 2000). Recently, Mifsud found that Maltese Heads practise shared decision-making to ensure widespread ownership (2008:7). Thus all teaching-staff (Teachers and LSAs) will become more autonomous, while abiding with the School Development Plan (SDP) and curriculum. Sharing leadership with all stakeholders involves dedicating time to achieve good results (Brighouse and Woods, 1999). The pure type of collegiality (Bush, 1995:52) works its best, when the institution is formed by a small number of staff. Having a large number of teaching-staff will surely make DL difficult. Although in our schools context we have a large number of staff, DL can still work since the teaching-staff is divided into smaller groups. Likewise, Brighouse and Woods say that, The smaller the school or teaching unit, the more leadership, as well as work, can be shared (1999:45). According to Leithwood et al DL helps teachers to be satisfied with their work, increases their sense of professionalism, stimulates organisational change, increases efficiency and encourages cross-interactions between teaching-staff (1999:115). Although, Blase and Blase argue that entrusting teachers with self-autonomy and empowerment makes them feel satisfied, motivated and confident and they are likely to give their utmost in their job (1994:29); this sometimes may also lead the teaching-staff to overpower the Principal like it happens in our school. Yet, Blase and Kirby (1992) found that when teachers are empowered through autonomy, their attitudes and performance will get better. Moreover, even when leadership is shared among teaching-staff and students, this creates an attitude of respect between them, especially when they are so directly involved. Having a democratic leader helps gain attentive listening from subordinates, which in turn will also help improve relationships. When teachers working in democratic schools but had previous experiences in other schools which have authoritarian leaders were interviewed Blase and Blase (1994) concluded that teachers classroom autonomy enable them to have class control. An autocratic style called by Brighouse and Woods north pole-north pole leadership will lead teachers to work to rule and nothing more (1999:51). In contrast having a democratic style called north pole-south pole where leadership is shared among all stakeholders, will unlock enormous surges of energy and effort among professionals (Brighouse and Woods: 1999:51). They also argue, that sharing leadership will relieve Heads form some leadership stress. Thus DL, leads to sharing of responsibility which will not remain a burden on the Heads shoulders. Until recently, according to Cauchi Cuschieri (2007), leadership in Maltese Church Secondary Schools was seen as the Head teachers job. However, the style used nowadays is much more DL amongst stakeholder s. In our school this is not the case, since from its founding, it was believed that DL enables sharing ideas and responsibility which finally leads to the schools improvement. Duke et al, (1980) established, that the school is democratic one when the teaching-staff, is involved in the process of decision making. Likewise, Blase and Blase argue that increasing teacher access to decision making is essential to empowering teachers (1994:33). Also, Churchfields secondary school study shows, that teachers feel the need to participate in the schools management as it gives better results in the decision making process (Bush, 1995). Finally, when a decision is taken, it is the teaching-staffs responsibility to put it into action. So, being involved leads the staff to make a decision (Bush, 1995). Rivalland (1989 cited in Wolfendale 1992:57) presents a number of benefits that can be achieved from parental involvement in schools: They work for a better learning environment since it is for their own childs interest; Whatever is needed to be done in school, and whatever parents are able to do, they do it and they offer themselves as human resources to the school; They create the learning connection between schools and students respective homes; With their presence in school, they will become aware of what the school needs from time to time. Although, Wolfendale (1992) argues, that having parents involved in the study and formulation of schools behaviour and discipline policy will give a good result; this may not be applicable in our school since it seems that the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) tackles only social issues and personal concerns of parents. However, this will be investigated later on in this study. King states that students leadership is mostly exercised in the prefectorial system (1973:141). However, this does not seem to be the only solution for our school, since leadership is also exercised through the students council. It is true that the ultimate responsibility of decision-making in schools is in the hands of the Principal. Nonetheless, as Frost claims Schools can also be enriched by students contributions to decision-making and curriculum development (2008:356). Moreover, when students are consulted in certain matters such as finance they are taught some of the hard lessons of democracy (Colgate, 1976:123). Prefects and councillors are students particularly chosen to help in school control and decision making. If their appointment is successful they may also serve as role models for other students (King, 1973). Contrary to all the benefits of involving all stakeholders, one has to say that collegiality is an intense activity since it entails work after school hours. Likewise, Smylie and Denny (1990) argue that the involvement of the teaching-staff in leadership may be time consuming and may have an effect on the students needs. The time for training and the funding allocated for these functions are not enough, argues White (1992). These problems make DL more difficult to succeed. However since all teaching-staff in our school have free periods during the day, this may not be a problem. Adding to this, having a large number of participants might create problems in communication, even when having a wide range of different views from all participants (Bush, 1995). To what extent is leadership shared among all stakeholders in Sunflower School? Leadership is not a one man job, because to be successful this must be shared. Moyo writes that: The concept of distributed leadership is the idea of sharing leadership amongst all stakeholders. These stakeholders, as stated earlier include head teachers, middle leaders, teachers, parents and students. (2010:25) It is not leadership if a person orders, requires, seduces, or threatens anothers compliance, (Sergiovanni, 2006:192). So true leadership is when it is shared among all those having the ability to be involved in it. Similarly, Brighouse and Woods emphasise that: One person may be key but leadership is shared among pupils, teachers and other staff and members of the community (1999:48). Likewise, Leithwood et al (1999) refers to DL as a key element of many SDPs. Until recently the Head teacher in Maltese schools was seen as the schools ultimate authority (Mifsud, 2008). Rather than having an autocratic school, having a democratic one entails having a DL (Bush, 1995). With collaboration, and exchange of ideas, problems can be solved collegially, while individual qualities are developed further (Leithwood et al, 1999). This is what Bush calls collegiality (1995:52), and claims that there are two different types of collegiality, one is the restricted, meaning that a number from the staff are chosen to participate in the process of decision making, while the other called pure is the process which involves everyone equally (Bush, 1995:52). Teachers, LSAs, parents and students who are enormously committed to children and school life (Brighouse and Woods, 1999:49) are perfect for participating in DL, because they are more approachable, more trusted, and their main goal is school improvement. In one of the interviews carried out in Blase and Blases (1994) study, a teacher describes best what a shared governance principals attitude should be like, that is, to guide not to dictate. Teachers interviewed could make comparisons of past and present principals. Although its ideal to involve everyone in the process of decision making, in the context of our school, there should be a person that leads both the discussion, and assumes responsibility for taking the final decisions, which should be the Principal or a delegate. About this, Blase and Blase state that principals are compelled to assume full responsibility over all school matters (1994:78). Dunford et al also maintain that whilst the Head will remain the leader, others will need to add a leadership role to their management responsibilities (2000:5). Weick (1976, cited in Blase and Blase 1994:135) claims that now schools have developed into organisations, in which administrators and teachers work separately and independently. This does not appear to be our schools situation, as the stakeholders all seemed to be involved in teamwork. In contrast, Blase and Blase (1994) research presents principals under study as being open to others opinions, collegiality and DL. When this issue of DL was introduced, most Senior Management Team (SMT) members were being involved. Arguing this Dunford et al (2000) say that particularly having more SMT members in a secondary school, leads to the shared responsibility and the establishment of different roles. Leithwood et al (1999:121) in their study found that teachers were most likely involved in school planning and school structure and organisation while the principals leadership is more focused to management issues. In our school this is not the case as in school planning the Principal is the Chairperson. Normally, people think that teacher leadership is exercised only within the classroom. However, in democratic schools like ours, teachers are involved in all aspects of the school, even when taking decisions. Blase and Blase also state that, Successful shared governance principals show trust in teachers capacity for responsible involvement in both school-level and classroom-level decision making. (1994:27) Similarly Leithwood et al argued that there are two forms of teacher leadership; one is the formal style for leadership of class control, or an informal one: By sharing their expertise, volunteering for new projects and bringing new ideas to the school helping their colleagues to carry out their classroom duties, and by assisting in the improvement of classroom practice, (1999:117). Brighouse and Woods (1999) concluded that because teachers are leaders in classes they dont like to be followers, and so expect to participate more in school leadership. Moreover, they also say that: Successful Headsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are men and women with ideals and the ability to share those ideals with those whom they lead. (1999:54). Therefore, through the sharing and openness of ideas, leadership is shared and decisions taken will hold much more. However, in the context of our school, if leadership is to be shared and if teachers are to work in different groups, they are to be monitored either by the Principal or assistant principal. Moreover Leithwood et al, (2000) claim that the number of people involved in DL varies according to different tasks. Most effective distribution of leadership functions would vary the numbers of people providing leadership in response to the complexity of the tasks to be performed-more in the case of complex tasks and fewer in response to simple tasks (2007:58). Research shows that in Malta, Practically all schools have teachers involved in one team or another (LIE, 2009:176). The benefits of DL indicate that Maltese schools are trying to work hard on it. Since 1980, the Education Act in England ensured parental representation on school governing bodies (Wolfendale, 1992:62). Likewise, the Maltese Education Act that was reformed in 2006 states that the Maltese Directorate for Educational Services, Should promote, encourage and monitor the democratic governance of schools through School Councils with the active participation of parents, teachers and students. (GOM, 2006:7) Thus the PTA and Students Council were introduced in Maltese Schools so that they may participate actively in school leadership and decision making. As Wolfendale (1992) said, the aim for parents participation is to represent other parents, to discuss common interest issues and to inform other parents of decisions taken through written circulars or school meetings. It is also described as a forum for teachers and parents to meet and engage in social and perhaps fundraising activities (Wolfendale, 1992:74). Furthermore, research in Malta confirms that parents are indeed involved in policy decision making and practice (LIE, 2009). Parents are always keen to participate in school leadership for the benefits of their own children and for the schools improvement (Wolfendale, 1992). In our school, this may not be the situation, since there are those who are passive and do not participate in any activities or meetings even if it regards their own childs interests. In most of the Maltese schools or colleges, only a small percentage of parents are involved through the PTA committee, while others get involved only through activities organized by the school or the PTA. Some parents are called upon by the schools to offer their expertise where necessary (LIE, 2009:175). However, Wolfendale (1992) notes, that sometimes teachers do not feel the benefit of parental involvement in school. Harding and Pike (1988 cited in Wolfendale, 1992:59) suggest ways in which parents can be directly involved in the school. This can be done through: Personal contact with the school and staff; Written communication; PTA or other parental groups within the school; Their involvement in school matters and learning. In contrast, in primary schools the rate of parental involvement in the PTA is higher than in the secondary. This most probably happens because secondary schools are much larger in number and more teachers are involved, so the rapport between parents and teachers may not be that strong. These issues have been called by Wolfendale as difficulties to set up and maintain teacher-parent initiatives in secondary schools (1992:58). The development of the School Development Plan was one of the main activities where DL was exercised in Maltese schools with the intention of including all stakeholders in planning and discussion. As the aim was for the schools improvement and improved learning for all students, it was noticed that students were not included in any of the discussion. This issue was later tackled firstly by a students school council (LIE, 2009) and then by an Ekoskola committee, which takes care of the environment (Bezzina, 2007). Since, students are the final achievers of the educational institution, they should have space and opportunities to share their views and talk about their needs. Bell and Harrison (1998) state that it is of mutual importance for the school to work in collaboration with students and encourage them in teamwork. Likewise, Brighouse and Woods (1999) stress the importance of involving children in leadership roles within the school, to make them more responsible and prepare them for the world of work. However, there are two types of student leaders and these must be clearly distinguished. There are those called bullies, who use their power to intimidate others and as a result push away all other students. The other group is called unofficial leaders (Brighouse and Woods, 1999:48), who somehow always attract others. Moreover, they may be trusted and given a number of leadership duties to carry out as they are seen by teachers as capable and responsible pupils. To distinguish between these kinds of leaders, the school can organise a socio-gram test at the beginning or at the end of the scholastic year. How far can distributed leadership facilitate learning? Leithwood et al (1999) argue that there is a challenge between leadership practice, and the research that points out ways in which leadership affects students and their learning. In contrast, Spillane claims that: What matters for instructional improvement and student achievement is not that leadership is distributed, but how it is distributed (2005:149). However, Leithwood et al (2006b) maintain that after classroom teaching, leadership is next to influence students learning. Lately, Leithwood and Massey emphasised that Leadership is a major cause for the improvements in student achievement. (2010:79) Principals and other SMT members are encouraged to work hard towards creating a better environment for better learning. This means that they are to ensure that the school atmosphere is good both for teachers to work in and for students to learn. This does not refer only to the physical environment, but also to the distribution of leadership and teachers autonomy. Principals acceptance of trust and DL within their school means that they let the teaching-staff choose their ways and means of teaching that is best applicable for the students under their responsibility (Blase and Blase, 1994). This also can be done through encouraging teamwork between teachers and LSAs. Similarly, Bezzina claims that Only by involving all stakeholders and respecting differences can we give birth to new ideas (2006:86) and thus create a better atmosphere for better learning. Moreover, Brighouse and Woods highlight that DL and collaboration among all staff will result in: raising the achievement of pupils (1999:83). Christopher Bezzina conducted a case study in one of the Maltese Church schools, where the academic achievement was not so high. The schools Head, having had experiences in different schools introduced the issue of DL for better learning. Teaching-staff, parents and students were encouraged to participate in the schools matters and decision making programmes. The result was successful concluding that quality improvement initiatives placed a great emphasis on the leadership of the organisation (Bezzina 2008:23). Thus, one can conclude that having DL in a school has a great impact on learning. According to Moyo, DL has an effect on students learning through teachers, who are the closest leaders in contact with students and their learning; But in order to achieve this, teachers need to be involved and motivated by the leadership, (2010:23). Teachers having a personal view of DL, help children to learn more. This is done by involving them in leadership practice inside and outside the classroom. Brighouse and Woods (1999) note that even the type of teacher-student relationship has an influence on students learning. Moreover, having autocratic leadership style in class does not help in creating a learning atmosphere for students. The teacher with good student relationship encourages pupils to never give up, and aim high in life for the future. As stated by Blase and Blase (1994), teachers autonomy is when they are free to decide their own ways and means, to carry out their work. In Malta, teachers autonomy is mostly linked with the classroom; where they are free to design their lesson plans, with their own resources, while also having autonomy to students control, which Blase and Blase (1994:73) call it disciplinary matters. This kind of DL will also influence students learning. Besides this type of autonomy in the classroom, new methods and techniques should be tried and encouraged. This so called innovation facilitates learning for all students, as education becomes not just one size fits all, but adapted especially to the pupils needs (Blase and Blase 1994:75) through the organisation of differentiated learning. In school, this entails teamwork, reinforces collegiality and sharing of the resources within. For teachers to improve students learning, they must first share their ideals with others and then work together towards that ideal. It is the job of the management to bring those ideals together into common set of objectives, (Brighouse and Woods, 1999:54). Parents are considered as the first educators, great contributors of all aspects of learning, and always interested in helping their children to learn better. Wolfendale (1992:60) argues that, parents as educators, can make a significant contribution to childrens acquisition of reading and literacy skills. Moreover, Leithwood et al argue that: No matter what the student population, involving parents primarily in the teaching of their own children is most likely to contribute to childrens learning (2006a:102). The study by HMI (Her Majestys Inspectors) showed that Parents involvement in schools, lead to students success (1991, cited in Wolfendale, 1992:56). Its interesting to study ways in which parents can help both teachers and students in relation to learning. However, one must also take note of the relationship that exists between parents and teachers and not cause any job meddling. Usually, we only think of academic results when it comes to students learning. However, research shows that through their participation in leadership, students gain more knowledge and acquire new skills. These skills are needed for their future in society. Frost claims that students participation in leadership also helps them acquire other non-academic achievements; greater self-esteem, heightened self-confidence, interpersonal and political skills, and self-efficacy when students have opportunities to exercise responsibility (2008:356). When given certain leadership roles, students set their own targets for learning through that experience (Brighouse and Woods, 1999), which might also be of help to other students. Brighouse and Woods (1999) argue that a teacher can give responsibility to students to help those in need in a certain matter. Through each others support, those that have less academic abilities will achieve and learn more. Research shows that pupils have so much to say about their learning, and as such they should be consulted for the benefit of their learning, and the methodology used by teachers in class (Morgan, 2011). How effective to the schools improvement and success can distributed leadership be? Fink sees schools as living systems where: Leadership is distributed across the various cells that affect a school such as students, teachers, parents, unions, social services, County Hall, and local communities. (2010:44) Bezzinas study carried out in a Maltese Church School revealed, that when teachers were involved in DL the majority of staff felt responsible for determining the way forward (2008:24). He then concluded that school improvement and success can be achieved, with hard work, sacrifice and commitment expressed by the Head teacher, the senior leadership team, pupils, parents and teachers, (Bezzina, 2008:26). LIE maintains that when a policys decision making process involves all stakeholders in a school including, SMT, teachers, students and parents; Then the values which are held dear by the school will be on the road to success because they would have been owned by all (2009:176) Brighouse and Woods (1999:45) confirm that research done in the past and again lately by OFSTED shows that, leadership in schools is the key factor in improvement and success. They also argue that, A key ingredient to school success is the extent to which the values of school life are shared among all the members of the community, (Brighouse and Woods, 1999:55) According to Telford (1995) collaboration between all stakeholders within a school brings about school improvement. She argues that the following points which lead to school improvement affect both the individuals within the school and the institution itself; Development of the educational potential of students, professional development of teachers, good organizational health, institutionalization of vision (Telford, 1995, cited in Bell and Harrison 1998:14). It is interesting to note that it is much easier for principals to control goals rather than humans. To gain control for the accomplishment of a goal, leadership must be shared (Sergiovanni, 2006). Little (1981, cited in Sergiovanni, 2006:186) found that when principals work through collegiality with teachers, the school will improve. It is of importance to equalize the principal and teachers opinions in a discussion, since no one should be preferred to the others as everyone is sharing from his/her own knowledge, for the schools best interest (Blase and Blase, 1994). Similarly, Nicholls (2000) argue that leadership is best carried out when a number of people having the same values and aims challenge each other for getting better results. In other words, one can say that school leadership is best fulfilled when all those involved in the institution, share their thoughts without being considered as superior to one another. Thus, including group activity liberates leadership and provid es the framework we need for widespread involvement in improving schools (Sergiovanni, 2006:186). In successful schools, when a debate crops up on school improvement, the staff should work on: Involving pupils, parents and governors (Brighouse and Woods, 1999:83). Likewise, Davies and Davies (2010) also claim that it is crucial to involve others in school leadership as it leads to school improvement and success. Moreover, they say that: Engaging all the staff in discussions about where the school is, where it needs to go and hence the skills and knowledge we need to learn to achieve progress is a uniting factor. (Davies and Davies, 2010:15) Shared leadership might bring about changes which are required for school improvement to take place. The best change is usually one generated from something or someone within the school because it Recharges energy in participants and embraces the greatest likelihood of improvement in teaching and learning styles, simply because it is so localised, (Brighouse and Woods, 1999:60). Changes for school improvement are gained faster, when teachers are involved in the process of decision making (Bush, 1995). Furthermore, Brighouse and Woods, (1999) argue that when change for school improvement is required, time has to be allocated in the schools diary, since the staff needs time to work on the implementation process. In their study Leithwood et al concluded that teachers consider their participation in leadership, as a step for the school to be more effective and innovative (1999:121). Moreover, when teachers are involved in the decision making they are less likely to have adverse reactions to principals expectations. According to Dunford et al (2000) when the decision making process involves those who are closest to its impact it gives a positive attitude towards school improvement. In addition, they say that if secondary schools want to be effective, leadership must be shared at least among senior staff. Furthermore, Sergiovanni (2006) emphasises that in schools where power is shared among principals, teachers, parents and others, work is done autonomously towards schools aims for school improvement. Likewise, Nicholls (2000) claims, that a shared vision is indispensable for school improvement. Trusting teachers through empowerment may lead principals to achieve their desired goals without imposing them. Building trust is critical to empowering teachers, (Blase and Blase, 1994:29). They also claim that this shows that the principal demonstrated great faith in them and valued them as experts and professionals, (Blase and Blase, 1994:77). Teachers involved in different leadership roles are expected to work for the improvement of the decision-making process (Leithwood et al, 1999). This collegial process of involving others in the decision making process is exercised through discussion and shared power in the institution. In a collegial, collaborative environment, principals consistently concentrate on enabling others to examine and redesign schools for improved learning, and teachers learn to share power and work as a team. (Blase and Blase, 1994:33) Leithwood et al (2007) concluded that when DL is implemented and when opportunities are offered, staff will be much more motivated to work towards school improvement. From their research Leithwood et al established that: Informal leaders had more involvement with creating high-performance expectations and motivating others than formal school leaders, while formal leaders had more to do with identifying and articulating a vision. (2007:57) With informal leaders we can include both parents and pupils. When students are at home most of them speak about their school experience with their siblings and through this parents get to know their thoughts and feelings. Hence, parents might be another link between schools and children. Parental involvement in schools may bring about changes which will finally lead to school improvement. Similarly, Wolfendale argues that, parental opinion can be mobilized to bring about significant changes (1992:63). Conclusion Schools success lies in the skills and attitudes of the professional staff, not merely within the leadership capabilities of the principal. (Blase and Blase, 1994:28) Thus DL is needed for growth and development because the Principal sometimes is in need of other staff members to solve certain problems. According to Bezzina, DL calls for an extension of that power vertically downwards to involve all members of staff, (2000:305). Moreover, the final result of school success is a job that belon

English coursework (Oscar Wilde) Essay

In an essay of 3-4 pages discuss how Oscar Wilde uses stereotypes and concepts from traditional fairy-tales and in invert them in his short stories. In the majority of Oscar Wilde’s fairytales there are numerous stereotypical characters and concepts. In an exemplary fairytale there is the philanthropic character, who is very important to the format of fairytale, for instance a Prince or King, This individual usually, forms an advantageous partnership with a bi-character such as Princess, Queen, Frog, or a Wizard, this may work in reverse in some fairy tales where e.g. the Princess is the leading character and the King is the sub-role. The enemy of the protagonist is called as a villain whose only existence in a fairytale is to try and prevent the leading character and his/hers acquaintances from saving the day or more importantly the world. The evil being is primarily associated with negative images for example bad manners, ruthless personality, or the trademark evil express of amusement. In contrast the valiant hero/heroine is linked with a clean depiction. Witches, Dragons, and Wolves are more often than not portrayed as Villains. Fairy-tale writers use techniques in which they lead the reader to believe that the hero/heroine will prevail in the battle against evil, because the story gives the impression that the villain is superior to the central character. Almost ever fairy-tale begins with the opening phrase ‘Once Upon a Time’ and end with ‘†¦and they live happily ever after.’ Use of these phrases result in the reader instantaneously recognises that it is a fairy-tale. Castles are prominent buildings in fairytales because most of fairy-tales were written in medieval-times where castles were the biggest buildings you would see, and they are also related to Kings and Queens. Wilde makes extensive use of traditional fairy-tale characters, which do not exist in real life, in his stories such as ogres, giants and talking birds. I think Wilde choose to do this because he knew bizarre creatures put the message of his choice across much easier to the readers, children in particular. I know this from ‘The Happy Prince’ and ‘The Selfish Giant’ where the winter season is given human characteristics and actually given a voice to speak: â€Å"He is too selfish†. What separates Oscar Wilde from other writers in Victorian times is that he uses traditional fairy-tale characters to address contemporary issues to express his opinion. In ‘The Happy Prince’ Wilde embarks upon the difficulty of poverty and privilege, which were disregarded subjects in that era. When the Prince was alive he lived in the palace of San-Souci, here he wasn’t allowed to see the outside world, that didn’t bother the Prince because there he had everything he wanted and needed. He was very happy this led to people naming him the Happy Prince: â€Å"My courtiers called me The Happy Prince, and happy I was indeed, if pleasure be happiness. In the Palace no grief would enter, his courtiers fearing the happy prince would see true misery and sadness. The Prince lived a very luxurious and rich life and was easily pleased with his wealth. When he died they made a statue of him and placed high above the city. From this position he had a respectable view of everything. This meant that he was able to life outside the Palace: Beggars starving, children being abused, poverty all this made the Happy Prince grieve because he was powerless to stop any of this as he was a statue. Here Wilde makes a direct comparison between the rich and the poor. Wilde does this to make the reader sympathise with the poor people: When the Swallow flies over the city he sees rich people sitting in the warmth of their expensive residences and beggars sitting outside of their gates. The Swallow also spots to children hungry and cold lying in each others arms for warmth under a bridge to seek shelter from the heavy rain, but they are told to leave by the watchman, and they walk back out into the rain. Incidents like this make the Happy Prince cry every single day as he sits and watches the wretchedness of the city. Wilde sends the message that human fickleness is a weakness in ‘The Happy Prince’. As a statue the Happy Prince was very beautiful and expensive. His body was covered in leaves of fine gold, he has two bright sapphires as eyes and a large red ruby encrusted in his sword-hilt. The Happy Prince was admired by many people in the city as a consequence of this awe-inspiring appearance. A mother says to her child: â€Å"Why can’t you be like the Happy Prince† She uses the Happy Prince as a role model for her son, little does know of the Happy Prince but him being a very expensive statue. This show how people judge based on small assumptions of physical appearance only. Eventually the Happy Prince loses all his fine possessions, as he has given them away to those whose needs are greater, and two townsfolk spot the statue. They decide to take it down; they compare its value to that of beggars: â€Å"As he is no longer beautiful he is no longer useful†. The Arts Professor believes that without beauty the statue is useless. This indicates that they didn’t place the statue above the city as a symbol representing something with a deep philosophical intent, but merely as an appealing decoration for the city. Wilde also shows some fickleness and its consequences in ‘The Nightingale and the Rose’ where the nightingale observes a young student who is in love with his teacher’s daughter. He wants to give her a rose which symbolises his love for her, but cannot afford one. The nightingale sympathises for the young student, he decides to go through agony and in the end sacrifice his life to get that rose for him. The student receives the rose, and goes to the professor’s daughter to ask her if she will accept his rose, but she frowns and says that she has been given far better gifts from another man. The student walks away in disgust and throws the rose into the gutter where gets flattened by a cart-wheel. The nightingales sacrifice was in vein. The student decides to exclude himself from ever loving again and he dedicates the rest of his life to studying philosophy. This tale has had an important morale stressed by Oscar Wilde. He uses a dramatic ending to emphasise his point. He undoubtedly shows the destructiveness of a fickle nature. The fairytale ‘The Selfish Giant’ explores selfishness and ignorance by portraying the stereotypical character of a giant as a ruthless monster in some part of the story. Wilde uses little children to contrast the enormous giant’s dominance. When the giant arrives at his castle he finds children playing innocent games in his garden. The giant furiously chases them away and builds a high wall around his garden. As a result of this no seasons but winter enters his doomed garden. As summer, autumn and spring comes and goes one constant climate remains in the giant’s garden and his only. Wilde uses the endless winter a metaphor for the ongoing sentence of the giant’s misery, that winter has sentenced him for being selfish and cruel to the children. The giant soon realises his that all that time he was away, the little children had been preserving his garden and now that they were away it was winter forever. He figures this out when he sees one of his trees blossoming because a group of children climbed upon it. The giant apologises to the children and breaks down the stone fence: â€Å"†¦and my garden shall be the children’s playground for ever and ever†. The giant’s change of heart causes his garden to blossom and allow the ‘other’ seasons to enter accordingly. When the giant dies, he goes to paradise. Wilde does this to stress the story’s morale and message by showing that if you stop being selfish you will be rewarded. Wilde does use many traditional fairytale conventions but still his stories are different from the tradition in a variety of ways. Traditionally the good triumph when they have made a noble sacrifice. Wilde doesn’t necessarily do this. In fact he tends to not do it at all. This is evident in ‘The Nightingale and the Rose’ where a nightingale unselfishly sacrifices his life for something as minor as getting a red rose to a student who is in love. In the end the student is rejected by the girls he loves, and the nightingales sacrifice was in vein. This story shows that Oscar Wilde will write sorrowful endings if he has to emphasise his point. A reasonable amount of Wilde’s tales do not introduce the story with the phrase ‘Once upon a time†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ and conclude it with ‘And they all lived happily ever after.’ Wilde is very attentive in the ways in which he opens a fairy tale, but when it comes to ending one he usually goes with a harsh approach, and does not include psychological twists. In a world of magic and wonder Wilde does not exclude the use of religious imagery, this is hardly ever done in fairy tale. For example; when the Happy Prince and his little assistant the swallow both die doing their heroic deeds. God orders an angel to bring Him the two best things in the city the angel chooses the Happy Prince and the Swallow, because they were recognised for doing good deeds and therefore rewarded with an entry to God’s paradise. In the ‘Selfish Giant’ we also see Wilde’s strong belief in God, when the giant dies and allowed entry in Paradise by God, because the giant has become a better individual. I think Wilde does this because he himself believes that good things come to those who deserve it, and he wants to encourage the readers to believe in that too. This is especially aimed at younger readers. Though Wilde’s stories are fairy tales they bare a resemblance to modern day life. In the beginning of storytelling fairy tales were used as a form of entertainment and written for that purpose as well. Where Wilde’s tales differ is when the tales carry a message hidden behind a great storyline, this not only done to give the reader a good read but also to teach and educate things that they perhaps didn’t know or had a different perspective of. Nowadays stories always have these messages in them, but Oscar Wilde was one of the first to introduce this style of story-formatting, as readers crave for more than just a good story. The drama and intensity was also quite unusual elements Wilde added in his tales. These days drama is an essential ingredient to almost every genre of literature, Wilde was one of the first to discover this, which is one of many reasons why his tales are still loved and admired across the world to this day.

Essay on A P by John Updike - 516 Words

AP The short story â€Å"AP† written by John Updike, is about three girls who change Sammy’s life. The three girls came from the beach and are not dressed properly to enter a grocery store called AP. Sammy, the main character, is a check out clerk, and observes every detail about the girls. Sam even gives each of the girls a name. His favorite is â€Å"Queenie.† Sammy is obviously the type of guy who doesn’t get a lot of girls. Sam has a conflict of person vs. society. Because of his dead end job, obsession with Queenie, and his noble act to save the girls from embarrassment, Sammy has a conflict between himself and society. Sammy has a job checking customers out at a small town grocery store. Sammy seems to hate his job, he†¦show more content†¦She’d been watching cash registers for fifty years and probably never seen a mistake before.† He knows the customers inside and out and categorizes them. Sammy also goes through the noises he hears when checking out a customer, he seems to know them pretty well. Sammy seems to be the daydreamer type and probably wont ever be anything more than a checkout clerk for many years to come. Sammy’s obsession with Queenie shows how Sammy doesn’t get much action. He is about a twenty year old guy who is obsessing over a 16 or 17-year-old girl. Sammy gives every single detail about Queenie; for example, he says, â€Å"She was the queen. She kind of led them, the other two peeking around and making their shoulders round. She didn’t look around, not this Queen, she just walked on slowly, on these white prima-donna legs.† About 80% of the story is dedicated to the description of Queenie. When Lengel sees the girls at the checkout counter, he says, â€Å"Girls, this isn’t the beach.† As the girls leave the in a hurry, Sammy says, â€Å"I quit.† Sammy hopes that the girls will hear, but they don’t and just keep on walking out to their car. Lengel reassures Sammy that he doesn’t want to quit, but Sammy wants to be these girls hero. As Sammy gets out to the parking lot, he looks around for the girls. He hoped that they would wait for him. Sammy thinks that he could hook-up with Queenie if he quits his job.Show MoreRelatedA P By John Updike982 Words   |  4 PagesThe story that this research paper is being written over is â€Å"AP† by John Updike. This story is filled with good grammar and has a well written plot and good transition. A person reading the story â€Å"AP† could see it as an interesting story filled with good symbolism. The main character, Sammy, uses a great deal of symbolism when describing the three gir ls in bathing suits who walked into the store he works in. the three girls in bathing suits that walked into the store where the center of the wholeRead MoreA P By John Updike1190 Words   |  5 PagesA P is a story of Sammy who is a 19 year old boy working as a clerk at a grocery store in a small town in New England. Published back in 1961 narrative defining A P is the popular mythology of 1960s basically where youthful rebellion powers took over the soulless system. (Sustana) Therefore Updike has written a story that includes key elements of myth along with the background of postwar prosperity and the attendant consumer culture. Where there is a strong hint of the Cold War as hero characterRead MoreA P By John Updike1704 Words   |  7 PagesIn the story AP by John Updike a young cashier by the name of Sammy learns about the power of desire and the mystery of others minds when working at an AP supermarket in a small town north of Boston in the 1960’s, where there was a lot of social norms and many people didn’t step out of them. The young nineteen-year-old Sammy wasn’t expecting his Thursday shift at AP to go the way it did when income three young girls but, these are not your socially normal teenagers who come walking in the doorRead MoreA P By John Updike1160 Words   |  5 Pagesthe girls’ exit and regret fills him. What he thinks is noble and just becomes a changed, regretful soul. In â€Å"AP† by John Updike, the symbolism portrays the theme of the desire for change. The girls’ immodesty is a symbol of rebellion, revealing the theme of the desire for change. As Sammy acknowledges in the short story, the story takes place â€Å"north of Boston† (Updike 360). The estimated time period is the 1960s. At this time, most of the younger generation longed for change, whichRead MoreA P, By John Updike1019 Words   |  5 Pagespsychoanalytical lens can be used to analyze AP, a short story by John Updike, lone, a piece of art by John William Godward, and â€Å"To My Best Friend - Short Film†. Through this lens, readers can draw the theme that all humans have basic instincts and urges that lie in the unconscious mind. Throughout Updike’s AP, it stands clear that we are always being influenced by fundamental human desires. AP is told from the perspective of Sammy, a teenage cashier at AP. In the beginning of the story, three teenageRead MoreA P By John Updike843 Words   |  4 Pageshelp establish the uniqueness of his or her use of speech through the story’s title, structure, punctuation, setting and the communication between characters. In the story A P by John Updike, the author sets the story in a very ordinary place where everyday people go shopping for their groceries, in a market known as A P. Updike’s style within the story shows many aspects of ordinary life. For example, in the first sentence of the story, the narrator Sammy uses incorrectly the word walks, â€Å"InRead MoreA P By John Updike1441 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Updike is considered one of the greatest writers in modern American history. He is known for the idea that seemingly ordinary aspects of American life are actually quite fascinating. He wanted readers to see the beauty and magic of life, so he tried to describe everyday things using the most clear but beautiful language possible. Many of Updike’s pieces are drawn from his own life such as his marriage and his boyhood, as shown in three of his short stories: â€Å"AP†, â€Å"Ace in the Hole†, and â€Å"PigeonRead MoreA P By John Updike765 Words   |   4 PagesJohn Updike wrote, â€Å"A P† in 1961. In this era of the 1950s and early 1960s, conservative dress mirrored conservative social values. Conformity was the measure of popularity as well as a measure of moral rightness. During this time, people were more afraid of being labeled outsiders than they were afraid of the outsiders themselves (â€Å"A P†). Gender issues and the emergence of feminist consciousness are represented when Lengel states the rules that proclaim the girls are decently dressed-codingRead MoreAP by John Updike512 Words   |  2 Pages â€Å"AP† by John Updike is a story about a boy who learns that all actions have consequences. In â€Å"AP† three girls walk in to the store AP in nothing but their bathing suits. Sammy one of the stores cashiers describes what the girls are wearing and what they do throughout the story. The girls walk up and down the aisles catching the attention of many of the other customers. The girls then get in line at Sammy’s checkout, the manager Lengel walks up and tells the girls they will have to leave thisRead MoreA P By John Updike1033 Words   |  5 Pageshow we face these decisions will have an impact in our lives, and sometimes the ones that seem to be small are the most important ones. John Updike understood how making decision affects people’s life, and he develops it in his short story â€Å"A P,† which is the story of an unhappy boy who quits his job for a pretty girl. In order to develop this theme, John Updike takes Sammy, the main charac ter of the story, through three different stages. In the beginning stage, Sammy is just a boy who is not happy

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