Life Values free essay sample

Lifes Values Values are beliefs of a person or social group n which they have an emotional investment. They are many different values that people have and they all tend to have different opinions on them. I feel that having values in life is such an important thing. I believe that having values, beliefs, and principles in life are all tied together in helping face lifes challenges and reaching happiness. My top three values I believe in are establishing relationships with others, valuing ones self, and living your life being honset. My personal values start with establishing relationships. It is something I truly value. Relationships are the way in which two or more people are connected. The relationships that we make in life all seem easy to forge but they are always hard to maintain. I feel like having relationships with people throughout your life is key to reaching happiness. We will write a custom essay sample on Life Values or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It brings a great feeling knowing that there are people out there in your life that truly do care about you. It is a nice to know that there will be someone there to pick you back up when you need it. Finding those loving relationship with people is something that Jane faced in her life in the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. She never truly had the relationship with someone who truly cared. However she reached her happiness when she finally did get that relationship when she found her long lost family members. This is only one example of many more which show how establishing relationships with others is key to happiness. I can say that within this year of my life the relationships I made with people is something I will cherish for the rest of life. I may never see majority of these people again but I am happy that I got to know them. They were there for me when I was in time of need and my friends will always know how to show me a good time. Without these relationships, I know for a fact I would be less happy with my life. Self-respect is another very important value in my life. You have to believe in yourself and accept yourself anyway that you are no matter how not as attractive, over-weight, or anything else you do not like about yourself. All these things do not matter, it is whats on the inside that does. If a person does not have self-respect then they cannot make any decisions for themselves. This relates to the narrator in the novel The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. He was struggling to find his way and he only focused on living his life based on the opinions of others. He never thought about his own self and his dreams he wanted to achieve. That is a clear example of someone not having any self-respect. I always like to keep in mind that this life is mine and not anyone elses. I go about my life proving to myself what I am able to achieve and so much more. I like to set goals and go way beyond them. This makes me happy knowing that I can do so much better than what I orignally thought. Lasly, I feel that honesty is one of the most treasured values to a human being. Living life honestly means being open and showing ones true self to others. Honesty is important in life because it acts as glue olding people together. Not only does honesty do that, but it also helps you exel in life and conquer problems. In the novel Snow Falling on Cedar Rapids by David Guterson, Kabuyo was able to conquer his problem of pleading not guilty because he was totally honest the whole time. He got to go back to his life with family and he got his happily ever after. This shows how being honest can lead to you being happy in life. In every situation that life puts me through I try to always be as honest as possible. I always keep in mind the saying what goes around comes around. It keeps me on check that if lie to someone then in the long run it is going to bite me back in the ass. That is why I do not like lying at all. It is not a good thing to do at all. However, when you are honest, good things tend to happen to me. That is why I value being honest in life. In conclusion, by living life establishing relationships with others, having self-respect, and being honest, a person will find that life is more meaningful and enriched. These are my values which I feel are intertwined together in helping me reach my happiness is life. Having that relationship with someone or people helped me to realize that there truly are people out there who care about you and your successes. Valuing self-respect allows you to constantly thrive for better in your life and never settle for less. Being honest just helps you in many different ways. It just makes your life better overall. You never have anything to hide. There is such a larger variety of values to live by but these are my main three.

Summer Of My German Soldier Essay Questions Example For Students

Summer Of My German Soldier Essay Questions Bette Greene wrote Summer of my German Soldier. This book is about a 17 year old teenager who gets caught up in World War 2. When he gets drafted his girlfriend takes serious action to save her boyfriend, but also takes the risk of losing her life. This book takes place in Jenkins Ville, Arkansas in a train station. A young lady named Patty Bergen that just turned twelve is anxiously waiting for the arrival of president Roosevelt. The president is planning a secret military in Arkansas, and Patty thinks that is a big mistake. Patty thinks that Arkansas isnt very patriotic and is a bad place for a military. Everything seems fine, and then Patty soon finds out that the Nazis are putting together concentration camps to torture all of the Jewish people. When Patty hears the bad news, she is horrified. Patty and her mother have an idea that might just determine life and death, they would hide from the Nazi soldiers. It was the middle of winter and the cold air blew through the windows like ice. Patty and her mother fixed themselves a cup of hot chocolate to keep warm. As they sipped the hot chocolate, they watched the television set, and watched who was going to be drafted. We will write a custom essay on Summer Of My German Soldier Questions specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Patty suddenly saw a boy that she knew. Patty and her mother heard someone outside, quickly turned off the T.V. set, and carefully got quiet. Patties mother looked outside to see who it was, and saw that it was a Nazi soldier. She quickly scampered to her bed, but tripped over the rug, and the soldier caught both Patty and her mother. They were put in a concentration camp and were immediately struck and beaten. They were put in bunks with many others with low food. Patty was reluctant to get out, but it was a big risk to take, she was going to climb over a wall, and escape from the camp. She was afraid that she would lose her friends and her mother. It was the middle of the night and the coast was clear, she ran towards the wall, climbed over and was shot in the back with a rifle. She was immediately taken to first aid, but it was to late. She had lost to much blood and died! In the end the outcome was very bad and Patty was no more. Patties mother was terrified, and Patties friends were petrified. The end was sad, and this book was sad but it taught me a bunch about World War 2.

The truth about Thanksgiving Essay Example For Students

The truth about Thanksgiving Essay The truth behind the tradition is surprising. Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims seem to go together, but the truth is, the Pilgrims never held an autumnal Thanksgiving feast. However the Pilgrims did have a feast in 1621, after their first harvest, and it is this feast, which people often refer to as The First Thanksgiving. This feast was never repeated, though, so it cant be called the beginning of a tradition, nor was it termed by the colonists or Pilgrims a Thanksgiving Feast. In fact, a day of thanksgiving was a day of prayer and fasting, and would have been held any time that they felt an extra day of thanks was called for. We will write a custom essay on The truth about Thanksgiving specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Nevertheless, the 1621 feast has become a model that we think of for our own Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims were not the first people to have a celebration of this kind. Many other civilizations held festivals to celebrate the harvest. The ancient Greeks and Romans prayed to the gods and goddesses of the harvest, and also originated the idea of the cornucopiathe horn of plenty. The Jews celebrate the holiday Sukkot, which honors the awards of the harvest, and the Chinese enjoy the celebration of the Harvest Moon. Even native New Yorkers commemorate the harvest long before Thanksgiving arrives. Pumpkins, apples and corn are abundant in the open-air markets of the city beginning in late September. The autumn of 1621 yielded a plentiful harvest and the Pilgrims, gathered together with the Massasoit Indians to reap the awards of hard work.Celebrating Thanksgiving is like celebrating an even that includes the dead of over 11,000 Wampanoag Indians died due to illnesses that they contracted from white settlers. The truth of the matter is, when the Pilgrims arrived, they found an abandoned Wampanoag village and moved right in. In 1618, a massive epidemic of an unknown disease left by English explorers swept across Wampanoag country and decimated many of the villages. This epidemic caused the death of ten to thirty percent of the total population and all but a few of the 2,000 people of the village of Patuxet. When the Pilgrims arrived in 1620, they landed at Patuxet with no idea of what had occurred. At this point, there were only about 2,000 members left in the Wampanoag tribe, down from 12,000 in 1600. Despite the incredible losses to his people, Wampanoag leader Massasoit and 90 of his men sat down for a harvest celebration offered by the white men. For three days the Wampanoag and Pilgrims feasted on deer, wild turkey, fish, beans, squash, corn and other foods native to North America. Although the celebration was good-natured, this event truly signifies the beginning of a drastic decline of native culture and Thanksgiving would be more fittingly observed as a day of mourning rather than a celebration. In the years that followed, skirmishes occurred and more Native Americans were killed. In 1637, English soldiers massacred 700 Pequot men, women and children as an example of the English way of war, yet we still celebrate Thanksgiving as a joyful event. So, as we sit down for our Thanksgiving dinner, let us consider the words of Frank James in his 1970 speech: Today is a time of celebrating for you but it is not a time of celebrating for me. It is with a heavy heart that I look back upon what happened to my people. When the Pilgrims arrived, we, the Wampanoags, welcomed them with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end. Bibliography: .

History of Company Renault

History of Company Renault Introduction Renault, a motor vehicle manufacturing company was founded in 1898. The headquarters of the company is in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. It operates in 118 countries and provides employment for approximately130, 000 people. The production output of the company in 2010 was 3,195,810.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on History of Company Renault specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The French automaker produces cars, vans and makes the third largest automaker in the world owing to its alliance with Nissan. The company contributes significantly in the electric car manufacture industry being one of the major manufacturers among leading companies. The company has extensive associations and owns Automobile Dacia a Romanian automobile manufacture and Renault Samsung a Korean company (Taylor, 2010). The company has a long history of car manufacturing and gourmet creativity since it was founded by Louis Renault, Marcel and Ferdinand who were brothers. The unity of the family and dedication of the brothers produced the company which has been sustained to date by family loyalty and contribution. The business acumen of Marcel and Ferdinand acquired from running their fathers textile firm made the young aspiring engineer’s designs a reality. The world in the recent past has been engaged in extensive measures to sustain the environment by reducing pollution. All manufacturers are required to utilize environmental friendly production methods and at the same time ensure that their products are also designed to minimize environmental pollution. Renault Company has been involved extensively in this effort by having elaborate sustainability criteria. Sustainability criteria The advent of technology and rising number of industries all the world has culminated into worldwide concern on sustainability. The future generations face a risk of living in a world that is highly polluted and inhabitable.Advert ising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In this light, industries all over the world are required to adhere to strict environmental regulations aimed at promoting sustainability. The Renault Company is one such company that has embarked on stringent measures to ensure sustainability both in the environment and in the corporate arena. The company has taken a step in ensuring environmental sustainability through the design of its vehicles; in this effort, it has spearheaded the design of an electric vehicle. The company believes that innovation favors progress; however innovation is only beneficial if majority of people stand to gain. This line of thinking culminated in the launching of Renault eco vehicles in 2008 (Easier Cars, 2008). The vehicle adheres to strict environmental sustainability criteria from the time of manufacturing in ISO 14001 certified plants which produce le ss than 140g/km carbon dioxide emissions with 85 per cent of the vehicle’s parts recyclable at the end of its useful period (Steven, 2008). The company has embedded sustainability in the design of its vehicles to ensure road safety and environmental preservation (Automotive design-Europe, 2009). This sustainable development involves the production of safe vehicles, enlightenment of current and future drivers, providing good working conditions for the employees and environmental preservation. The company has an environmental policy that aims at reducing the risks caused by industries as well as mitigating the environmental impact caused by its vehicles in every stage of their life cycle. Furthermore, the company has implemented sustainability at innovation and design stage. The company has taken a life cycle approach in this mitigation effort. The environmental impact of each vehicle that the company produces is accounted for since the time its design is conceived to the time the vehicle is rendered unserviceable. One perfect example of this recycling approach is evident in its application on the company’s Renault Modus model. This model has utilized 18kg of recycled plastic to make components such as bumpers, dashboards and hidden vehicle parts. Environmental friendliness to ensure sustainability has been extended to countries where the Renault Company operates.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on History of Company Renault specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Embedding sustainability through design has led the company to employ over 600 employees who directly deal with safety issues daily. The vehicle’s designs are produced with utmost consideration of safety right from the early stages of design development. This quest for safety in the company does not end at the design of the vehicles rather the company is engaged in promotion of safety awareness. For instance, since 2000 the company’s safety for all programs has substantially enlightened children- the future road users on road safety. The program has also reached international audience with its deployment in over twelve countries engaging approximately 6 million youngsters. On the background of rising fuel costs and the pollution associated with exhaust gases, Renault’s designs are innovative and sustainability minded. The vehicles are economical benefiting from the company’s latest technological innovations which cut fuel consumption. The engine design is a direct petrol injection which has been downsized to smaller cubic capacity without decrease in performance. However, just optimizing the existing technological solutions on minimizing fuel consumption is enough, a fact that that the Renault company is well aware of. Therefore, the company has taken the gauntlet of sustainable mobility to a new level. The Renault company innovative designs are geared to zero emission. The electr ic vehicle is a breakaway technological innovation, which the company is set to market on a large scale (Pearson, 2009, pp3.). The Renault Company enforces sustainability through the development of three major policies namely; environmental policy, human resources policy and road safety policy. Environmental policy In the recent years the number of vehicles on our roads has been rising steadily making mobility easier. This increase is impacting on our environment negatively through greenhouse gas emission and noise pollution.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The world has been in the recent past greatly concerned with the protection of the environment by encouraging companies to embrace sustainable manufacturing procedures that have a reduced negative impact on the environment. Renault has not been left out in this noble cause as environmental protection is at the heart of the company’s commitment to sustainability. Human resource policy The Renault Company is dedicated in promoting sustainable mobility evidenced by the establishment of the Institute of Sustainable Mobility in September 2009 by Renault Foundation and ParisTech in a bid to promote sustainable mobility in the world. The academic world and Renault engineers’ joint effort is aimed at encouraging research on innovative mobility systems, particularly electric vehicles (Sean, 2008). Furthermore, the institution is dedicated to training top managers and scientists in an attempt to transportation needs while taking up challenges that are posed by sustainable mobili ty. The company has embedded sustainability through design and implementation of innovative mobility systems. The institute is carefully planned with eight school and ten laboratories dedicated to the development of sustainable designs. Logistical requirements of an electric vehicle that will be used all over the world are foreseen by the Electrical Mobility Systems laboratory. Moreover, the institute has a business model that seeks to guarantee smooth development of electric vehicles. Safety policy Road accidents claim a significant number of lives and loss of property. Many young people have been involved in road accidents particularly because they have not received proper road safety training. This is not the only cause of road carnage, some of the blame can be directed to car manufacturers who are not involved these youth education programs. The Renault Company realizes that road safety is vital ingredient to sustainable development. In this light, the company invests on safety research and development a huge amount of money in the tune of 100 million Euros. This dedication has earned the company a lot of praise as it is being regarded as the pioneer of road safety. All these efforts are geared towards sustainability through design. Sustainability opportunity The company’s large scale marketing approach is driven by the desire to ward off competition from other manufacturing companies who also produce electric cars. The company is set to launch Kangoo Express Z.E and Fluence Z.E this year (Wired News, 2010). The intended large-scale use of electric vehicles requires a smooth transition from the current mobility system, thus the company has charged the Worldwide Vision with this mandate. Finally, for the large scale project to succeed efficiency and reliability of the electric batteries is compulsory. In this light, the institute has a Battery Technology department that taken up this challenges. Renault Company has also paid attention to the training of its managers towards sustainable development by launching the Electrical Master’s diploma. This was done with the engagement of the Renault Foundation and ParisTech to present a high-level course that is open to students from all over the world. The Institute of Sustainable Mobility is also open to the companies and universities from all over the world who wish to join. The development of the company’s core values presents an opportunity to contribute to sustainable development. The company’s values revolve around respecting its employees and promoting transparency according to the company’s code of conduct. The company’s management reckons that future success is pegged on the present decisions. This commitment has ensured that the company is mindful of the future generations. The company has successfully embedded sustainability of in its company by fostering active teamwork. The Renault Company is committed in training its employees on sustain able development. This effort has led to an empowered management that has the company’s values at heart. The company’s organizational structure is tailored to ensure employee engagement and participation by having short lines of command, networking and cross-departmental initiatives (Renault, 2010). This move to engage its employees has a positive impact on productivity and sustainability. For a company dedicated to promoting sustainability it is paramount for its management to reckon that charity begins at home thus the key to success in its endeavors is by having a sustainable and reliable workforce. Benefits The Renault Company has realized numerous benefits for embedding sustainability in its designs. The company has secured its future by showing concern to the environment. A favorable environment is paramount requirement for any company which has its eyes trained on the future. All manufacturing companies must check that they do not surpass the allowed greenhouse gases emissions failure to which a hefty fine is imposed on the defaulter. The Renault Company has evaded this loophole by implementation of manufacturing procedures and vehicle designs that environmentally friendly. Secondly, the company has strengthened its workforce and built a strong team that is transparent and committed to the achievement of sustainability as well as the company’s corporate objectives. Since 1898 the company’s success has been pegged to teamwork and dedication which is the root of the company’s success. Teamwork has also set a stage for the company’s future success with employees who share in the company’s long term objectives. Embedding sustainability in the design of the vehicles has led to the acclamation of the Renault Company as a pioneer in the electric vehicle manufacture on a large scale, a fete that has made the company one of the leading automobile manufacturing companies in the world. The company is involved in var ious projects that promote social and economic well being in the local communities. For instance, the company’s involved in its Romanian Pitesti site has endowed the local community with social, economic and environmental benefits. In its Pitesti site the company engaged the local players to combat unemployment by founding the Development and Solidarity Foundation in 2000. The foundation’s objective is developing employment opportunities in the area by creating a business conducive environment. This endeavor has culminated into the setting up of over 30 companies in Pitesti-Mioveni thus providing bountiful employment opportunities and promoting the region as major reference point in Romania. Furthermore, this project has inspired the establishment of similar. Developing sustainable development is a win-win achievement for the company in the sense that the company has received praise and accolades from the world all over at the same time laying a foundation for its futu re success. References Automotive design-Europe. (2009) Automotive Design line. Web. Easier cars. (2008) Renault launches its Renault eco line of vehicles. Web. Pearson, D. (2009) Renault itching to return to the US. The Wall Street Journal. Pp. A.3-A.3. Renault. (2011) Renault Group governance. Web. Sean, O. (2008) ‘Renault bets on electric’. The Independent (UK). Web. Steven, S. (2008) ‘Renault to develop electric cars for Israel project’. Reuters.Web. Taylor, A. (2010) Around the world for Renault Nissan. Web. Wired News. (2010) Renault’s Fluence Z.E. headed for a better place. Web.

Why is Smith's work on the division of labour still of interest after Assignment

Why is Smith's work on the division of labour still of interest after almost 250 years - Assignment Example The notion of division of labour is associated with the cooperative structure of supplying labour services to perform that task. Division of labour has been applied by producers of all goods and services and after the introduction of industrialisation this concept has been widely used by these producers (Brown and Rose, 2010, p.34). This research attempts to describe the notion of division of labour which was marked by Adam Smith and also describes the reasons of application of Smith’s idea of division of labour in the modern times. An effort is made to critically analyze the reasons behind importance of the concept of division of labour even after 250 years of its introduction in economic theories. Smith’s notion of Division of Labour: Adam Smith has argued that in the face of industrialisation and growing demand for various goods and services, it is most necessary for producers to apply the notion of division of labour into the production processes. The application of division of labour into production processes will not only increase the amount of output produced, but also will increase the quality of produced output. Adam Smith has opined in his book, The Wealth of Nations, that applying division of labour helps the producer by splitting up the entire production process in smaller divisions and by applying labour service to each division of the complete production process (Smith, 1776, pp.10-12). According to Adam Smith, using division of labour in the production process will also help labourers to efficiently perform a single tack and to achieve the level of expertise in the production of the part of the entire production process which is assigned to one labourer at a time. These developments in the process of production of the good help labourers to increase the volume of production and also help to augment the quality of production of that good. Adam Smith has also argued that the difference between a steel doorkeeper and a philosopher is a consequence of division of labour. A steel doorkeeper can apply the concept of division of labour by engaging others (mainly his family members) and increase the productivity, as well the quality of production of the service. A philosopher cannot divide his thinking process with the help of the notion of division of labour (Smith, 1776, pp.12-17). Adam Smith has opined that the introduction of division of labour in the production processes will help labourers to match their skills with the equipments available to them for producing different goods and services. He himself gave an example of pin production. In the production of a pin, one person produces the head and another person produces the body. Both these labourers are using the best (most efficient) available and different types of technology to produce either the head or the body of the pin. In this way the total volume of production can be increased along with the quality of production. However, Adam Smith also criticised t he application of

Position of Women in Society in a Doll's House Essay

Position of Women in Society in a Doll's House - Essay Example In A Doll’s House, Ibsen explores the realism of women’s social position. Nora enjoys a doll’s roles and attitudes, until she learns that a doll’s life is neither appealing nor fulfilling. This paper analyzes the symbolisms and theme of A Doll’s House. Symbolisms, as well as Nora’s and Torvald’s characters, depict the theme of women’s position in society as dolls, which Nora reverses as she reclaims her humanity. One of the strongest symbolisms in the play is the house, which represents the only private space where women actively work, but also remain duly suppressed as genuine actors of society. The title itself talks about a doll’s house. Nora seems to be playing the lead role, since girls play with dolls and she is seen as a mere girl by all men in her life. But Kashdan underscores that she is not an actor, but a doll inside this house, where men see women as: â€Å"†¦dolls to be housed in toy mansions and be ind ulged, but only sparingly† (Kashdan 3). Nora is one of the dolls in society that must be controlled. Men are the ones who do the controlling. When they marry, they treat their wives like dolls that they put into their houses. Men, as traditional breadwinners, own these houses. They are masters, while their wives are followers, most often than not, they are slaves. Before, Nora enjoys being in this house. The house stands for her feminine domestic duties, which she dutifully follows. Gillian Brown calls this as the â€Å"domestic cult of true womanhood† (Lee 623). Nora’s main goal is to create and maintain a â€Å"beautiful, happy home† (Ibsen Act 1). Later on, Nora becomes the breadwinner of the house to make ends meet- a gender role reversal. She is supposed to stay inside the house, a prisoner of the private space where women can only exist with the secondary social roles in life. Torvald, however, does not appreciate his wife’s sacrifices and eff orts. For him, this house is his house to control alone. As Monrad points out that Monrad believes in nature: â€Å"†¦nature, which again is the creation of God, for ever given and unalterable† (Langas 150). Torvald does not want altered gender roles, because it threatens his power and superiority. The door and Tarantella dance represent Nora’s way out of her doll-like existence and an entry into her humanization. One of the ways that Nora humanizes herself is when she diverges from her doll’s roles. Lee says: â€Å"Nora’s ‘humanity’ relies on a sense that she is the exclusive owner of herself, her body and her work† (623). She becomes independent when she takes matters into her own hand and uses lies to save Torvald’s ego and life. Then, she also secretly works and earns money, another act of defiance and autonomy. Nora, however, is not yet aware of her humanity. She does not even use the word human being to describe herse lf until Act 3. During this time, she says: â€Å"I believe that before all else I am a reasonable human being, just as you are--or, at all events, that I must try and become one† (Ibsen Act 3). When she closes the door, she takes control of her life as a human being. MacPherson stresses that people reach their selfhood through their freedom, and Lee interprets this that for Nora, it entails being a â€Å"proprietor of her own capacity (624). She becomes a person, a human being with free will and civil liberties. Nora’

The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurty Essay Example for Free

The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurty Essay The Last Picture Show is a story of isolation and dysfunction. Death is also a prevailing theme – death of a town, of friendships, of marriages and of friends. It is a story full of characters that can seem larger than life one moment and inconsequential the next moment. As different as they all appear to be, they all share traits in common and these are that they all feel separated from the rest of the world, they all seem to want more out of life than they currently have, and most feel an emptiness that loneliness and desire do not quite give full explanation or understanding of. The story covers a time span of one year in the town of small Thalia, Texas in the 1950s, a dusty and desolate place where everybody knows not only everybody else in town, but everybody knows everybody else’s business and secrets may not always be exposed, but also they are almost always known. Thalia is a place where the undersized population appears to have settled into their unsatisfactory existences even while they often make blundering mistakes in efforts to burst out of their current lives. McMurty’s story has an unusually large cast. Sonny Crawford, a high school senior and football player, is the story’s protagonist. An all-American genuinely nice young man full of deep sadness and quiet thoughts, Sonny lives in a rooming house with his best friend Dwayne, also a high school senior and football player. Duane, a main character, is a little rougher around the edges than Sonny. He is quicker to lose his temper and though he appears as unsatisfied as other characters he does not acknowledge his feelings as profoundly as others. Jacy Farrow is another main character. The beautiful rich girl of Thalia, Jacy is a young woman whose unhappiness with her life, her family, and her fear of the future feeds the fuel of her wild side and unleashes her inhibitions.   The town of Thalia itself is also main character and an absolutely vital part of the story. Thalia, which in the beginning of the story is an old town clinging to life with its unchanging reliability, undergoes metamorphosis’s which parallel and oppose the lives of the characters within it. As the story progresses The Last Picture Show highlights Thalia’s own slow death with the changes it must face. There are many lesser characters, which the story relies on to bring it depth and reinforce and are intricate to the themes of McMurty’s tale. These additional characters also allow the author to show very personal aspects of the main characters as they intermingle with each other. The story centers on these three young adults as they search for something beyond their own existence. The reader follows them through their ordinary lives as they date, dream, and push against internal and external barriers. The story exposes these characters weaknesses as they journey through monotonous days of loneliness where they end up betraying each other and themselves to varying degrees. The story also shows human strength in continuing on during the bleakest of times. Family dysfunction is a constant theme of this story. Sonny’s mother is dead and his relationship with is father is strained and shallow. His real family is Sam, a local businessman who runs the pool hall that is Sonny’s second home, and a handicapped boy, Billy, with no family of his own. Sonny lives in a rooming house with his best friend while his father lives in a hotel in town. Sonny does not like his own girlfriend and he covets his best friend’s girl. Without planning, Sonny because the lover of his coaches’ wife. The coach is hinted to be a closet homosexual with a mean streak a mile wide. Ruth, his wife, has almost given up of finding any happiness in life. Sonny feels sorry for Ruth and their relationship develops into more than Sonny can handle. Duane has no family and his father figure is a callous roughneck, Abilene, who sleeps with Duane’s girlfriend and his boss’s wife who happens to also be the love of his best friends’ life. Jacy is showered with material items from her family but is neglected by her parents emotionally and is filled with unfeeling and despondent advise from her mother. Jacy uses her body to get what she wants and uses people with as little thought as well. Her mother is an unsatisfied woman that cheats on her husband whose focus in life is on making money in a town on its last legs. The family dysfunction is critical to the story because it emphasizes the frailty of the characters and explains the needs they face as well as the choices they make. The town and the characters are supposed to inspired by the real life experiences of the author. How close to accurate portrayals The Last Picture Show is to his reality is unknown to this reader, but McMurty was able to create a life within his pages, which felt like it could have been real. He created visual images that really give off one of the main themes of the story, which is isolation. The town is isolated and seem as far removed from the rest of the world even though it is only a short distance to the much larger Fort Worth. Most of the characters are isolated because the dysfunction of their family situations does not easily lead them to trust others or openly show their true feelings. The characters are isolated too because as much as they want change, especially the younger characters, they are fearful of as well. There are some humorous moments in the story and these brief moments provide necessary alleviation of the overall melancholy, but the most memorable moments in the story are the poignant ones. One instance is when the boys return from Mexico, thrilled to be able to boast about their great adventure, but even more excited to be back in Thalia. They were grateful then, for the same things that often despised, the sameness of the town – they were happy then for the monotony of their Thalia. But that happiness was too brief because it is only minutes after their return that that they learn Sam has died during their time away. Another very moving section is at the very end of the book. After Billy’s death Sonny is numb and in a great deal of pain. Duane has left town, Sam is dead, he feels guilty about Billy, and he knows Jacy is not an option for him. Instinctually, Sonny heads to Ruth.   Her own pain is all too obvious as well. And in their pain they are able to comfort each other in a very touching way. The Last Picture Show is a cheerless story. There is no pat happy ending to be had for any of the characters. But, this book is one I would certainly recommend to others because it is an American story which carries a ring of truth to it; life is not always perfect, happy, or fulfilling and fairytale endings are not realist and would not have fit the tone of this story. The realist qualities and the powerfully accurate believability McMurty is able to generate enable the characters to come to life and produces profound feelings in the reader. The reader has become so involved in the lives of the characters that for those characters left at the end of the story the reader possesses intense hope for their future. When an author can bring into being these qualities they present a book incredibly worth reading.