Cats Can Cure
Almost everyone goes through something tough in their lives. It is always nice to have someone there for you when money issues, family issues or any other problems happen. In the movie A Street Cat Named Bob, that someone is a cat. This is based off of a true story where Bob helps turn a man named James life around.
Having company is something that some people may not realize is important. James, a drug addict, is working on quitting his addiction and getting his life back together. He finally has a small place to live, thanks to a program that provides homes for the homeless. This is when Bob comes along. Bob is what gives James hope一 hope that things will get better. Quitting an addiction is known to be one of the hardest
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things a person can do. Having Bob there for him, even just his presence, helps James feel less lonely. An article, “Cats Are The Unsung Heroes Of Mental Health.” from a website called The Establishment, states that cats can help calm anxiety and loneliness with just their presence (Fabian). Quitting a drug addiction and being alone don’t work well together. Because Bob follows James around and never leaves him alone James is never tempted to relapse. The love that James has for Bob and the knowledge that Bob needs him makes it easier to quite the drug. When quitting an addiction people often have a lot of withdrawal symptoms. Research has shown that spending time with cats, and also other animals, can increase a person's oxytocin levels, which is proven to increase a person’s sense of well-being (Fabian). With Bob in his life James has a warm and gentle friend that reminds him that these symptoms are not permanent and he can get through them. Of course Bob’s presence is important for James to quit his addiction, but James also needs stability. Having to put someone else before themselves often can be quite a challenge, in James case it shows that his addiction is becoming less of a priority.
During the film James has to make some tough decisions. When Bob first arrives into James life Bob is injured. James had to take him to the vet. During the vet visit James was forced to make a very important choice. He had to choose to stay at the vet and miss his mandatory appointment with his drug counselor, or skip the vet to make the appointment. James chooses to help Bob and stay at the vet. This shows that James is putting more important things before himself and he is learning to care about more than just drugs. With another mouth to feed James is desperate to have a job so he can take care of Bob. James is a singer, he plays music on the streets, but doesn't make that much money. Because of the lack of payment in this career James finds different odds and ends jobs to do. He doesn't give up, even when obstacles get in his way. Before Bob came into his life he did all of his work for drugs. After getting Bob he works hard to provide for his friend and himself. Bob is James new …show more content…
motivation. Motivation is a key factor in getting better, no matter what the situation. In the beginning of the film James has no family, no home, and no healthy relationships. It’s obvious that in a situation like his it would be hard to have any sort of motivation, until Bob shows up anyway. An important role Bob has in James life is helping him make friends. Ami Somers, a cat behaviorist, states “Cats have a similar connection with people, especially when they’ve been socialized with people early on in life. They want to be with you and they want to connect with you. The truth is cats are very social and they’re very trainable and they do enjoy living with people.” (Fabian). Cats are approachable, and often love to socialize, this is what helps James meet new people and make friends. Having friends can make all the difference when someone is trying to better themselves, they provide support that everyone needs. Bob also motivates James to continue working. Not only does he make James realize the importance of making money, but he helps James excel in the job itself. Before Bob James would rarely make enough money to buy a meal, but when he starts to bring Bob along with him and carry him on his shoulders, it draws a crowd. Being able to successfully make money is a a huge motivation factor. When James does well in his job, it only makes him want to work harder to get better. Eventually, James has the opportunity to get completely off of his drug. In the film James states that the main reason he thinks he can break his addiction is because he will have Bob there to support him. Without Bob who knows how long it would have taken him to get off the drug or if he would have ever been able to. After James detoxes he is able to reunite with his family, he continues to reach out and make friends, and he even writes a book about his journey. All of James success and improvement is because of Bob the cat. Cats can really be something that changes people's lives.
This movie proves that even a simple cat can change a person and make their lives better than they thought possible. For James this cat came into his life, became his companion and best friend, taught him how to put others before himself, and motivated him to turn his life around. Without Bob, who knows what would have happened to James. Thankfully, we will never have to find
out.
Times got harder and more rough over time. Josh begin to worry about Joey, thinking he was going to get sick. Surprisingly Joey’ health was better than Josh’s health. Josh came down with a bad cough with everyday it got worse. Joey was the one who spent money to buy cough syrup for his brother. He would go to soup kitchens and beg to and bring the food back to his brother. It became harder and harder for them to stay alive each day. The only thing keeping them was that they were getting closer and closer to Lonnie. It was pretty risky for them, but
He was offered a “Club cap” but James “gave it back” to his friend, Kris. They waited until Kris left the apartment building, then played a game of checkers. James had wanted to fit in with his friends in the “K-Bones” club but had realized that his brother was more important. He pushed his friend away to play games with Isaac. Furthermore, James has to “take care of” Isaac when his mother is at work. Even when he is trying to fit in with a devious club, he would still “hold Isaac’s hand” or even “carry him home”. James is a very nice and caring brother. This is logical because, that is what a good brother should look like. James must truly love Isaac as his brother, and admires his family more than his
James the landlord is one of them. He appears to be a brave and fearless character ignoring his morals in his work life, while in his personal life, his wife pressures him into doing his job harshly and without thinking about morals just to get money. This is sometimes reflected in society by politicians who run for office because they think they can help society, but are willing to do and say things they may not believe in just to get elected. Like Mr. James, they behave in a way that is in conflict with their internal morals. A politician's desire for power drives them to do or say things they might not really want to do or believe in. Power and recognition conflicts with their desire to do good, and Mr. James is the same. He collects rent or evicts tenants even though it creates a moral conflict in side. In conclusion, while Mr. James appears to be harsh and fearless on the outside, on the inside he is fearful of his wife, uneasy about taking money from the poor but does not stand up to his greed-filled wife, allowing the hypocrisy to go on, like a politician and his
Unknown, to James at this point he did not realize that he was having a problem with a psychological theory called behaviorism. Now this theory is one that is saying human behavior is developed through learning experiences which in this case would apply to James. His behavior as an adult was reflected by the way he was treated as a kid by his father and mother because they fought all the time. They never truly paid any attention to him, which in terms taught him how to stay out of their way and learn how to steal and burglarize places without getting caught. Therefore, within the psychological theory of behaviorism Behaviorists saw crime as something that is a learned response to life’s situations such as James situation which led him to a life of crime because of his parents. Although, he was never truly mistreated, he did not receive his father attention due to the fact of the way his father was treated as a child growing up an abusive household. Therefore, he did not want to place his son in the same situation. There is also the fact that James could be suffering from the psychodynamic theory which says that a person’s personality can be controlled by their unconscious mental process and that is grounded in them in early childhood. These entire things such as the id, ego, and superego
Johnny was a Greaser and had bad parents. Johnny had gotten into a terrible situation. Johnny got jumped in a lot by a group of Socs, Bob and his friends. Bob is known to be wealthy and has a Mustang, he was a Soc, had blond curly hair, and known for his rings which he was so proud of. Johnny was the pet of the gang. Ever since he had gotten that day Johnny was always scared he would get jumped again. He would always make sure there were no Socs around him when he was walking. He was the scared one of the
Just as Johnny’s courage shines through so does his fast maturity from child to adult. His childhood was stolen away from him by his illness but instead of sulking he pulls himself together. He takes every difficulty in stride, and gets through them. Even when he is feeling down he hides it for he does not want anyone else to feel his pain. Being a seventeen year old boy he wants to do the things all other seventeen year old boys do.
As a boy, James questions his unique family and color through his confusion of race issues. Later in his life, as an adolescent, his racial perplexity results in James hiding from his emotions, relying only on the anger he felt against the world. It is only when James uncovers the past of his mother does he begin to understand the complexity of himself and form his own identity. As James matures, issues of race in his life become too apparent to ignore. His multiracial family provides no clear explanations on prejudices and racism, and when "[James] asked [Ruth] if she was white, she'd say, No. I'm light skinned and change the subject.
He lived a life without parental guidance. His mother left him with his father when he was only 4 years old. James was often left alone while his father traveled to turpentine camps selling tar for a living. James recalls the times he spent alone walking around in the woods looking for doodlebugs, and playing a harmonica his father gave him. During this time alone, he never had anyone around to talk to but himself (Brenchley, 2003).
From a young age, James Gatz has plans to change his social status; he plans his days hour by hour; forfeits his given name for a new one; deserts his home, family and friends; and most importantly picks up a job as a bootlegger to make his desired sum of money. The schedule taken from an old book of James' shows his plan for an entire day and includes a list of "GENERAL RESOLVES (Fitzgerald, 173)," both of which show a general urge for success. James' resolve to, save $3.00 per week (Fitzgerald, 173), displays an early understanding of the American dream and the necessity of money. His further understanding of the way life works is expressed through the action of changing his name from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby, a name that seems to flow easier and deserve a greater deal of respect than his previous, harsh name of James Gatz. His new name, in essence, opens up a new life for Gatsby, and allows him to start over the way he wants to. Gatsby's next choice, to abandon his home, family, and friends in order to sail aboard a yacht for years with a near stranger, displays Gatsby's belief that living a fanciful life aboard a yacht will enable him to lead a fantastic lifestyle in all aspects of his living. Finally, it is at this point where Gatsby makes the biggest decision of his life, solely on the belief that a high income will bring him happiness, and ultimately the love of his life; Gatsby chooses to accept partnership with a man working as a bootlegger of grain alcohol.
Another aspect of the hero’s journey that wasn’t really changed during the final scenes was the resurrection. A resurrection is when the person is changed from the person who started out. Jim Morris never really went through a series where he changed throughout the course of his journey. The person that was changed most by Jim’s journey was his father. After Jim’s first appearance in the majors where he struck out his only batter on three straight fastballs, after the game he ended his interview midsentence to walk over and give his father that ball. Jim Sr. who was a skeptic through the entire film harping how Jim should be doing what he was meant to do in life, his life changed seeing his son knowing he finally made it.
I chose to view the movie Lion, a movie based on the book A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley. This movie is about a five-year-old boy, Saroo, living in a poor, rural area in India. Saroo convinces his older brother Guddu, to let him tag along and find work in a nearby city. Saroo ends up trapped and alone in a decommissioned passenger train that takes him to Calcutta, over 1,000 miles away from his home.
Born to Rocco and Angela Valvano, James Thomas Anthony Valvano was not your typical child. Growing up James was a character. He had crazy aspirations that ultimately shaped who he would become in later decades. When James Valvano was around the age of seventeen he pondered what he wanted to be when he grew up, just like many of his peers at that age. James took a small index card and wrote down everything he wanted to accomplish in his life. On that single index card, James wrote he ...
The memoir begins on a plane with a very beaten and disoriented Frey. He has no memory of the past two weeks, how he received several injuries, nor the criminal charges against him. Once off the plane, James is stunned to find his parents there to pick him up. However, he has no idea of the plans that his parents have in store for him. They are saddened by the physical and emotional state of their son and check him into rehab in Minnesota the next day. The first couple of days in the clinic are centered around James and his pain in the process of getting sober. He is almost always vomiting, and he is in desperate need for something to dull the pain of not having any alcohol or drugs. The former addict has a hard time accepting his new life in the clinic and takes some time to adjust.
...r but Octavia tells him "You not a bum," she says. "You a man."(p.404) This is significant because it shows he is not seen as a young boy by his mother anymore, he is now seen as a man. We see the influence and change in James by all of the life lessons his mother instills in him, she tells him he needs to not cry, to be strong, and be able to stand alone symbolizes that he must be independent, he must also put others before himself and do things he may not like to do but must do as a necessity to live, such as killing the cardinal birds for supper. Helena also shows James that everything in life you must work for, that is why she tells him to take out the trash cans.
James was an authoritarian parent. He was controlling, in-charge and no one questioned him. He would play the role of the doting father. When his children made mistakes, he made a point to criticize them. He often compared them to other kids that he felt were “more perfect.” When his often unspoken expectations were not met he would yell and scream striking fear into his entire family. “He’s not a warm, fuzzy kind of guy, and he’s not going to inspire feelings of intimacy. But when his system works, he can boast about one thing: His recruits tend to obey” (Dewar).