What are some good thesis statements for First Confession?

This is a wonderfully humorous book about the horrors of the Roman Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation from the viewpoint of a seven year old boy, Jackie.  There are countless essays that could be written about this wonderful novel, but I will give you a couple of thesis statements to choose from in order to provide ample support.

One thesis statement could be as follows:  The elderly Ryan proves, through her actions and stories, that “hell had the first place in her heart.”  This thesis statement uses a direct quotation from the book and highlights the character of Ryan as put forth by the character of Jackie.  Ryan is the old woman who is supposed to get Jackie ready for his first confession. If you use this quotation, you can prove your point through Ryan’s actions.  One support could be Ryan’s story about the man who made the “bad confession” by demanding a confession from a priest and then leaving before it was finished.  Ryan also asks the children to hold their fingers in a candle flame (to simulate hell-fire) for a full five minutes.  Another support (and a wonderful piece of irony) is that Ryan bribes the children with money in order to exert this “temptation.” (This can be seen as a sin in itself.)

Another thesis statement could be the following:  Frank O’Connor uses humor throughout the book in order to entice his reader.  This is a fairly easy thesis to prove in that O’Connor’s book is absolutely full of humor.  Even Jackie’s description of his grandmother is humorous.  She continually drinks beer and eats with her hands.  These things disgust Jackie.  Further, Jackie has thought about killing both his grandmother and his sister, Nora.  This is also humorous in that almost every child fantasizes in this why when he or she is mad at a parent or sibling for some trivial thing.  Even the details of Jackie’s confession lend themselves to humor.  Jackie is paralyzed with fear, tumbles out of the confessional, and is then beaten by his sister.  The ultimate irony is that, as a result of Jackie being forgiven by Christ through the priest, Nora admits that there is no reason to try and be good at all.  Goodness, of course, is the entire purpose of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

What are examples of foreshadowing in the short story, "Through the Tunnel" by Doris Lessing?

Several instances of foreshadowing, or hints of what is to come, occur in the exposition of Doris Lessing's "Through the Tunnel."

The story opens as Jerry follows his mother to the beach. In the first instance of foreshadowing, they walk to the customary beach, but Jerry, who is behind his mother, glances out at the wild bay. His mother notices his look of longing and asks him about it in another instance of foreshadowing,

“Why, darling, would you rather not come with me? Would you rather—” She frowned, conscientiously worrying over what amusements he might secretly be longing for, which she had been too busy or too careless to imagine.

Jerry's mother senses that her son wants to venture off from her, and she worries that maybe he wants to become more independent. In a further instance of foreshadowing, on the following day, Jerry tells his mother that he wishes to go to the wild bay and examine the rocks. So, she realizes that her anxieties about his wishing to be more independent were real.

These actions and desires of Jerry, along with his mother's anxieties about treating him too much like a child indicate that Jerry is at a point in his life in which he will soon make the transition from boy to teenager. The mother, also, wants to keep herself from being too protective so that Jerry is able make this transition to being more independent. Thus, these actions and conversations foreshadow Jerry's swimming successfully through the rock's tunnel, completing his rite of passage into young adulthood. 

Explain: harmful bacteria.

Bacteria are microscopic life forms and are unicellular organisms or prokaryotes. They are ubiquitous and are present in almost all types of environment. Among the large variety of bacteria, many are useful to us, while some are harmful to us. 

Harmful bacteria are those that have some negative effect on us. Among these harmful bacteria, the bacteria that cause disease or infection can be termed as pathogens. Some of the pathogenic bacteria include Escherichia coli O157:H7 (causes diarrhea and kidney damage), Salmonella (causes food poisoning), Staphylococcus (causes pneumonia), etc. 

Apart from causing diseases, bacteria can also eat up metals. They can cause the corrosion of ships and other metallic objects. The protection of such surfaces cost a lot of money every year worldwide. Bacteria can also develop in pipelines and on membranes or filters. This is known as biofouling and needs to cleaned up to ensure smooth functioning of processes (such as filters at water treatment plants, membranes at sewage treatment plants, etc.). 

Hope this helps. 

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind. Nor hath Love's mind of any judgement taste;...

What this quote from A Midsummer's Night Dream means is that when a person falls in love, they will see the beloved as beautiful whether or not that person is beautiful to the rest of the world. If one's "eyes" are objective organs that take in light and therefore know what things look like, then they should be able to see things as the rest of the world sees them. Thus, if the rest of the world sees a hideous person with an ass's head, a person's "eyes" should be objectively capable of easily seeing that the person in question is a hideous creature. That would be reasonable or show the person was judging using their reason or logic. However, people in love do not behave reasonably or perceive the beloved with objective eyes. Instead, when we say they LOOK at the beloved with their imagination, we mean the lover has created an idea in his or her mind of what the person they love looks like that may bear no relationship to reality. To the lover, the beloved is always beautiful. So they are seeing not with their eyes--which would show them that perhaps the person is ugly--but subjectively, with a picture their imagination has provided. The perfect example of this is Titania. When under the spell of the love potion, in other words, when in love with Bottom, her imagination shows him to be beautiful even though in reality he looks like an ass. In short, Shakespeare communicates that love is not objective or rational but a form of lunacy.

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, how does Hermione demonstrate gender inequality?

While the series as a whole provides a lot of opportunity for both genders, it is usually blood-status that prevents characters from prevailing in the Harry Potter books. While there are few moments in the series when Rowling pointedly ensures that Hermione is working to overcome gender inequalities, these inequalities are present especially in Harry Potter in the Order of the Phoenix.

One of the most obvious moments of gender inequality in Order of the Phoenix is the one in which Hermione asks Harry to be the leader of Dumbledore’s Army, a group that she came up with the idea for and keeps running behind the scenes. While she understands that Harry will be seen as a great leader for surviving Voldemort’s attack in Godric's Hollow, the context is there for the reader to understand that Hermione is always going to be the brains behind the operation. Along with coming up with the idea for Dumbledore's Army, she is the one to create the coin communication system; this system proves to be very important to many other characters in the following book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

When recalling all of the moments that Harry shone throughout his previous adventures, the Dumbledore’s Army members are neglecting the fact that Hermione lies at the crux of why Harry was able to accomplish everything. She is the main reason the trio was able to survive events such as Devil’s Snare in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, or solve the mystery behind the Heir of Slytherin in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

With Hermione admitting that Harry would be a better leader for Dumbledore’s Army, she admits further that he is able to take credit for a lot of her brilliance and leadership. Without Hermione’s guidance and intelligence, it would not be possible for Harry to continue his battle against Voldemort.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of federal systems and centralized governments?

Many countries of the world have unitary systems of government.  In this system, the central government has all the power and only gives lower governments (states, provinces, prefectures, or others) whatever power it wishes to give.  The major strength of this kind of government is that it is more efficient than a federal system.  If the national government, for example, wants to implement a system of health care, it does not have state governments suing it, trying to prevent it from doing so.  The national government can do what it wants without having to deal with resistance from the lower levels of government.  The other important strength of this sort of government is that it is more consistent.  When the national government makes all the rules, the rules are the same for people everywhere.  In a federal system, you might have (as the US does) the death penalty in one state but not in another.  You might have abortion be harder to get in one state than another.  Not all citizens of the country enjoy the same rights in a federal system, but they do in a unitary system.

The United States has a federal system.  In this system, the Constitution spells out what powers the national government has and what powers the state governments have.  Neither level of government can simply take powers from the other level.  The most important strength of this system of government is that it allows different parts of a country to feel that they have more self-government.  This is particularly important in a big country, like the US, and/or in countries where different regions are very different.  It is important for people in a conservative place like Utah to feel that they do not have to have the exact same laws as people in a liberal place like New York City.  In a unitary system, all would have to follow the same laws, leading to more bitterness and resentment among people whose opinions lost out.  The other main strength of this system is that it allows different state governments to try different things.  In a unitary system, the whole country does the same thing so it is hard to determine if there is a better way to do that thing.  In a federal system, each state can do things differently.  People can then study the different approaches (for example, different ways to fund education) and can determine which method is the best.  This sort of “laboratory of democracy” is not available in a unitary system.

Both of these systems have their strengths and weaknesses, which is why it is hard to know which type of government is best.

What are pervasive developmental disorders (PDD)?

Introduction

Defined by a marked impairment in socialization, communication, and sometimes sensory integration, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a diagnosis introduced in the fifth edition of the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM-5). It encompasses the previously separate diagnostic categories of autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified. Clinicians had long had difficulty distinguishing among these categories, and there was insufficient research to support maintaining them as separate diagnoses.

Autism spectrum disorders are thought to have a biological basis. One of the strongest associations is with genetics. ASD generally has a familial linkage and researchers have begun to identify combinations of genes responsible for the conditions. Pre- and perinatal disruptions have also been implicated in causing ASD. Research suggests that being born very prematurely, being exposed to viral infections in utero, and experiencing oxygen deprivation during the birth process can increase the likelihood of developing ASD. The notion that ASD is caused by vaccinations has been refuted by research.

ASD is usually diagnosed in children around three or four years of age. Some children with autism show signs of developmental issues throughout their infant and toddler years, while others develop in the expected manner at first, but then slow or even regress. Symptoms typically include deficits in using and understanding language and difficulty relating to people and events. Symptoms also include unusual play with toys and other objects and difficulty with changes in routine or surroundings. In some cases, children exhibit repetitive body movements or behavior patterns. Unusual responses to sensory information, such as loud noises and lights, are also common. The condition typically remains with the individual throughout his or her life, although the course of the disorder can improve with early behavioral intervention. For individuals with ASD, an applied behavioral intervention strategy known as discrete trials has been successful in improving functioning. Individuals with high-functioning autism can often lead successful lives, although the impairments in socialization and communication continue throughout their lives. Children with ASD can have intelligence test scores that range from profoundly retarded to gifted. Although rarely seen, autistic savants can display extraordinary talents in select areas such as painting, counting, and memory. These individuals, however, often display intelligence quotients (IQs) in the mental retardation range. Raymond Babbitt, the main character from the film Rain Man (1988), is a good example of an individual with autistic savant skills. Raymond was able to count cards and remember events when provided with a specific date but was otherwise incapable of caring for himself or even providing correct change to purchase a candy bar.

Diagnosis

Individuals with ASD tend to show symptoms in two distinct areas. The first is deficits in communication and social abilities. People with ASD may have difficulty reading tone or body language, tending to take everything said at face value. They may not initiate conversations and may have difficulty sustaining a conversation once started. Often, they avoid eye contact and are uncomfortable with physical contact. They may also struggle to understand how other people feel or the reasons for their feelings. As a result, people with this disorder often have difficulty forming and maintaining interpersonal relationships.

The second category of characteristic symptoms is restrictive repetitive behaviors, interests, and activities, or RRBs. A person with ASD may have an extremely strong interest in one narrow subject and might talk about it constantly even if those to whom he or she is talking do not show any interest in it. Some autistic people may repeat a single word or phrase over and over or make repetitive nonverbal noises. They may also display repetitive physical behaviors, such as rocking back and forth or flapping their hands. Finally, they may be especially sensitive to sensory input of various kinds. The ways in which this sensitivity manifests vary among individuals, but some examples include being upset by loud noises, being bothered by particular clothing textures, and being a picky eater.

Severity of symptoms is classified according to a series of levels: Level 1, or requiring support; Level 2, or requiring substantial support; and Level 3, or requiring very substantial support. Individuals with mild, or Level 1, symptoms are usually able to attend school alongside neurotypical children their age, hold down jobs, and generally care for themselves. Meanwhile, those with more severe, or Level 3, symptoms may be unable to speak or perform basic self-care tasks and as such may require care throughout their lives. The two groups of symptoms are classified separately, so someone might have, for example, Level 2 difficulties with social behaviors but Level 1 RRBs.

Prevalence

As of 2007, the prevalence of ASD was estimated to be six cases per one thousand people. These rates have been found to be consistent across cultures and ethnic groups. However, they vary greatly by gender; on average, women and girls make up roughly one in four diagnoses of ASD, according to a 2009 study. ASD has, therefore, traditionally been considered to appear more frequently in males than in females, but more recently it has been proposed that females with ASD are underdiagnosed because they display different symptoms from males. ASD is often comorbid with other disorders, including epilepsy, intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, and sensory processing disorder.

Controversy

The combination of the various disorders formerly categorized as pervasive developmental disorders into a single diagnosis in the DSM-5 has attracted criticism. Some of this criticism comes from people formerly diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome (a form of ASD without language development or cognitive delays), who feel that being considered autistic will increase the stigma against them. Another concern that has been raised is that the new criteria for ASD will make it more difficult to diagnose people whose symptoms are on the milder end of the spectrum.

Conclusion

Children with pervasive developmental disorders display impairments in communication and socialization, and often display stereotyped behaviors such as hand flapping, rocking, and intense interest in objects. The course of an autism spectrum disorder does not remit, although early intervention can improve social and communicative functioning. Individuals with severe versions of the disorder often require lifelong care. Higher-functioning individuals can often function independently and lead vocationally productive lives. Treatments for individuals with ASD usually involve behavioral therapy augmented by selected psychotropic medication. The cause of ASD is thought to be genetic, although researchers have not yet uncovered a definitive cause.

Bibliography

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