Judge Hang M. Quick
County Circuit Court
Any St.
Anytown, USA
Case #
To the Court,
Integrity, honesty, compassion, loyalty and just plain telling it like it is. These are just a few traits of this truly unique man, Ralph Stephens. One of a kind. If I ever have a question, or if I’m on the fence about something, Ralph, in a few sentences gives me the options and helps me clear it up. You always knew where you stand with Ralph. Politically correct? That isn't a big concern of his. He isn't trying to win a popularity contest.
But beneath that tough exterior is a warm, gentle man that is there in a heartbeat if you need him. There were times when I needed him. And nobody has been more there for me. Being there and being strong for his family is the most important thing to Ralph. He is a great Son, Brother, Husband and Father.
Ralph is a great engineer, and from what his employees tell me, a great boss. Ralph has a genuine concern for all those he works with. One colleague aptly described Ralph as a "true scholar of engineering", pursuing knowledge and learning how things work purely because he enjoys doing so. He never intends to impress someone down the road with what he has gleaned – although that often happens anyway – nor does he learn to simply improve his resume. He just has a desire to understand those things around him, whether they be cars, heavy equipment or the latest in high-technology.
Ralph has an idealistic view of the world and he always strives for righteousness and perfection in himself and in others. I think that because he expects perfection in this world, he is disappointed with the imperfections in himself and in others as well as the unfairness in the world. Facing difficult situations, one after another in his life, has affected him deeply because of his idealistic view of the world.
Ralph, in some ways, parallels a school teacher. He always tries to do what is in the best interest of the community, but sometimes is over powered by the majority and gives in. In over words, he does his best to keep order and peace, but of course can’t all the time because of disagreements, stubbornness and rebellion.
Even though they don’t last very long, the fact that he tried to help the group is what makes him a better leader. Ralph’s wisdom and ability to look toward the future also has an advantage over Jack. He has a sense of keeping his focus on getting off the island. When the fire goes out, Ralph gets upset because the chance to be rescued was gone as well. Ralph enforces his role of leadership as he gives the boys a sense of stability as an authority figure.
This is the turning point for Ralph, not only as a person, but as a character in the book. Ralph goes from a somewhat flat character, to a round character, and with this transformation, he completes his dream, a dream which he had with him the whole time. Not only has he come to peace with himself and his accomplishments, he has come to peace with those around him, “Ralph watched the water fight with sadness in his heart, never guessing the scene would one day hearten him, as it did now.” (p296). Some may say that Ralph never achieved his dream. I say that he achieved his dream about half way through the book, he just didn’t realize all he had, and all he could lose until it was almost gone.
Ralph’s power at the beginning is secure but as the group succumbs to their savage instincts, Ralph’s influence declines as Jack’s rises. This is due mainly to the cruelty and violence that goes on in the story. This cruelty reveals that Ralph’s commitment to civilization and being rescued is so strong that he will not allow himself to change his morals and become cruel like the others. The cruelty in this novel also shows that Ralph is a very intelligent character. His intelligence can be proven because there was a point in the novel when he hunts a boar for the first time and he experiences the thrill of bloodlust. He also attends one of Jack’s feast where he is swept away by the frenzy and participates in the killing of Simon. This is a very tragic moment for Ralph because this is when he realizes the evil that lives within himself and every human being. It is the cruel acts that happen in this novel that reveals Ralph’s character of being intelligent and being able to think deeply about human experiences. He even weeps when getting saved because of his knowledge about the human capacity for
The twentieth century is the century with the greatest loss of human life in the history of civilization. It was a time of mistrust and espionage. To be loyal is defined as “faithful to one's oath, commitments, or obligations” (OED). Some loyalties are bought, while others are earned. Earned loyalty tends to last while loyalty that is bought tends to fade. Two books, The Human Factor by Graham Greene and The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro show this difference. While both characters demonstrate external loyalty, Stevens’ loyalty was purchased, and Castle’s was earned. Castle’s genuine loyalty allows him to risk his life, while Stevens’ loyalty is only compliance.
Wiedemann, Barbara. “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Short Fiction: A Critical Companion. 1997. Literary Reference Center. EBSCOhost. Pulaski Technical College Library, AR. 22 Nov. 2011.
Not only do the two character's decisions clash so do their personalities. Ralph is caring and considerate, being kinder...
Roth, D. A., & Heimberg, R. G. (2001). Cognitive-behavioral models of social anxiety disorder. Psychiatric Clinics Of North America, 24(4), 753-771. doi:10.1016/S0193-953X(05)70261-6
SAD is the third most prevalent mental disorder behind depression and alcoholism. About 5.3 million American adults have social phobia, which usually begins in childhood or adolescence, according to NIMH. For many social phobics, preoccupation with what others think may interfere in their job, school, relationships or other social activities. "Everyday interactions can become very problematic for people with social anxiety disorder," (Dittmann, 2005). Recent update of Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) stated that about 15 million American adults have social anxiety disorder. 36 percent of people with social anxiety disorder report symptoms for 10 or more years before seeking help. Furthermore, reported typical age of onset is 13 years old (ADAA, 2014) suggests that children and adolesce...
Social anxiety goes from not being able to socialize with people in a class to never leaving home due to the anxiety that is causes. Markway’s article states that there are three categories involved with social anxiety; mental distress, physical distress, and how avoidance affects someone socially. Mentally, it is exhausting to talk to people for to people and have that constant anxiety about the way they talk and act. People with social anxiety often think about how they can humiliate and embarrass themselves in front of others. This drives someone to fear that they may do something wrong at any given moments and may be rejected altogether (“Markway”, 2013).
---. "The Yellow Wall-Paper." Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. 3rd ed. Orlando: Harcourt, 1997. 160-73.
Anxiety is a feeling of nervousness and uneasiness about something that has an uncertain outcome. For instance, the thought of not knowing the outcome on an examination can cause anxiety. Anxiety can be caused by many things, and everyone has different triggers. Something minuscule that will not affect a person might have a major effect on another person. “Approximately 20%” of adolescents suffer from Social anxiety disorder (SAD)” (Mehtalia, Vankar, 2004.). Social anxiety is the nervousness of being in a social setting or that involves one to socialize with others. Social anxiety has many contributing factors. Factors like the fear of being laughed at or being unaccepted by peers, along with their perception of themselves. A feeling of inadequacy
“The loss of innocence for which Ralph weeps at the novel's close is not, however, a matter of transformation from childish goodness to adolescent depravity, is not a growing into wickedness. It is rather the coming of an awareness of darkness, of the evil in man's heart that was present in the children all along,” (Boyd). At the end of the novel, Ralph cries for a few reasons. He cries because he has lost his friend Piggy. He also cries because he has lost his innocence. He now realizes that there is evil in every man.
Social anxiety (or social phobia) is a disorder that alienates people and causes them to avoid social situations at all costs. It is described by the National Institute of Mental Health as “a strong fear of being judged by others and of being embarrassed (NIMH).” This means that people with this disorder have a fear of people’s thoughts and as a result will try to isolate themselves from others. Social anxiety has a very large limit as to the things that can trigger it. It can go from the simplest of things, such as simply buying an item to the extent of having to do a presentation in front of a large crowd.
There are numerous distinctive discernments about individuals with social anxiety. Individuals who do have it are frequently seen by others as simply being timid, remote, compelled, hostile, uneasy, quiet, aloof, or restrained. The individuals who are tormented with social anxiety may be obfuscated by these recognitions also, so they may neglect to look for medication. Since the issue is for the most part inconceivable, they may imagine that they are the main ones who experience the ill...