... has replaced recreation as the American family's pastime. In an economy soured by a volatile stock market and mortgage lender meltdowns, two-paycheck families are busting the budget on necessities. Even conservative spenders are growing weary. During a recent small group discussion, a mother of three held back tears as she described the effects of the dollar's weakening buying power. She and her husband both work and have been ... their routes, even for weekend errands, to cut gasoline consumption. Feeling the pinch, Americans are cutting back as their standard of living erodes. Asked b...

• Word Count: 398
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... novel, "A Land Remembered- is a modern literary masterpiece. Published in 1984 by Pineapple Press, Patrick D. Smith's historical fiction novel gives a fictional, albeit accurate account of the history of Florida from its pioneer days in 1868, shortly after the American Civil war to 1968, arguably one of the most tumultuous years in the history of American culture. The story is that of a family (The MacIvey family) through three generations, a family emigrated from ... . While many of the struggles faced by MacIveys are now the stuff of history, the choices they make, the feelings they en...

• Word Count: 399
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... of their ideas, but deep down, they have had a very powerful effect on us. Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis and Albert Camus' The Stranger described the main characters' parents directly and indirectly, often being expressed through the protagonists' actions, feelings, and characterization. Camus uses Maman as more of an indirect influence in his story than Kafka's use of Mr. and Mrs. Samsa, and Meursalt's father isn't even mentioned ... , and eventual hamartia. She would speak often of how one can get used to anything after a while, so even the most horrid concepts couldn't be all that b...

• Word Count: 1172
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

Texas judge William Adams, who ironically presides over child abuse cases, caused uproar when daughter Hillary Adams uploaded a video on YouTube of him savagely beating her with a belt when she was sixteen years old. According to Hillary, the abuse was not a one-time thing. Her mother, Hallie Adams who has since divorced William, claimed that her ex-husband had bouts of violence caused by his "addiction," which they kept as a "family secret" for a long time. Because the statute of limitations has lapsed, William cannot be charged with child abuse, although it is yet to be seen whether his care...

• Word Count: 531
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

My sister-in-law had a miscarriage about three month ago. It was a second time she had a miscarriage. First time was two years ago. She did Not crying at that time. But this time ... she can eat a lot food. And her body is going be strong. So my father bought her running Machine. She was happy with that. Because she wanted to running all the time but nobody wanted to run with her. She asked me to run with her long time ago. I said "no" because I'm smoking too much. I can not run with my bad ... with her. That why he felt bad about that. But now we all exercise together. Three times a week....

• Word Count: 421
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... that he experienced in India many years ago to support this we can see when Vera says, " I expect it was the spaniel," said the niece calmly; "he told me he had a horror of dogs. He was once hunted into a cemetery somewhere on the banks of the Ganges by a pack of pariah dogs- ( ). We can see that both the story she told her guest and the story she told about ... 's home Vera won't have able to realize her lie. In these story we can see that although in the most genteel ambient runs a strong line of cruelty. In these case Vera is who represents the cruelty disguised of a excruciatingly co...

• Word Count: 515
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... : This book was written in the latter part of the 90's which was the time frame for this book. The seeting lets you know why the main character acts and thinks the way she does. Where: This book took place in New York City at Albert Einstein High School. Throughout the book it jumps from place to place. A large portion of the book was at her house in Greenwich Village. And lastly ... her "Princess Lessons- were held at the Plaza Hotel. * Characters: The protagonist in ... this story is Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermoplis Renaldo, known as Mia. She is an outcast she has few friends but...

• Word Count: 1090
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... story. I"m not sure how it started but my dad decided to walk out when I was 9, I remember looking at the door as he left thinking another long day at work. I've always wanted to be "daddy's girl" the one who he took shopping and held on his shoulders at county fairs no matter how close we weren't I still ... at him much like he had become a stranger to me, to my life. We welcomed him back into our family and now he is trying to become the man he wished he could have been. He missed my dance recitals, my first cheerleading competition, and those first days of school where he and my moth...

• Word Count: 286
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... find some way to save his son. He finds a magnificant pearl. Kino and his wife belive that they will be wealthly and live the rest of their lives in happiness, but when Kino visits the local pearl handlers, he feels the prices which they offer him are ludicrous and refuses to sell. Kino takes his family and together they set out on a trip to ... , is a strong willed, if stubborn, man. He refuses to sell the underhanded pearl dealers his valuble pearl although he desperately needs the money. He does this because he feels very strongly that what the men are doing to him is wrong, and he re...

• Word Count: 338
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... his wife about his age, she was his half-sister Ankhesenamen. There was an evil man named vizier, Aye he was very powerful in Egypt. He wanted to be king, he told the young Pharaoh what to do and the young pharaoh trusted him, but Aye should not have been trusted. After 7 years of Tutankhamen ruling Aye conspired against him. Aye wanted to ... be king and he wanted Ankhesenamen as his wife. On King Tutankhamen's 18 birthdays there was a large celebration, everyone was there but King Tutankhamen's. They found him dead in his bed. Ankhesenamen pleaded ... her but some how before he got t...

• Word Count: 274
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... his way towards his dresser. Every other step he took he stepped on some sort of toy or piece of garbage that had been in his room for weeks. He pulled out the yellow painted chipped drawer and started getting dressed. Immediately after, he remembered that he needed to count his money. He rushed over to ... four, six, eight, nine, ten. Aw man! I need two more dollars until I can get my special Goldfish from Fish-A-Lot." Sean said. He trampled down the stairs to ask his mother if he could go to Mrs. Johnson's after church to mow her lawn. She said yes because she knew how much he wanted...

• Word Count: 499
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... it is functional for the family. The young woman often expects to fulfill her true nature as a loving wife and mother. This is supposed to bring complete happiness to her life. After marriage she will become pregnant. This is suppose to make her happy by being a wife, mother and housemaker. This is the image of the American dream for a woman. In reality the author says life is ... a lot different. The middle-class woman is likely to work until she is pregnant. Whether she works or not ... not need anything but a good provider and healthy children to make her happy. The traditional Amer...

• Word Count: 337
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... of a fairy tail nature that soon turns into an attitude of harsh reality. White slowly describes his love for the lake to express the lifeline of a person. He explains how people live a dual existence from children in their fairly tail land, to adults realizing the reality that everything isn't always perfect, as everything is constantly changing. White uses a great amount of imagery to show ... son, as he was his father. He realized that these is an end, and he has now taken his fathers role in life, and is closer to the end of his lifeline then he was when he was his sons age playing ...

• Word Count: 326
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... with her black family, letting him know that his family was different from what was considered normal and acceptable by society. He became confused about his own color and uncomfortable with the fact that his mother was white. He wanted to be accepted by others, and he thought that life would be easier if his family was just one color, black or white ... . 2) The main point of view James McBride wants answers and closures to his ethnicity and heritage. Growing up without such information ... rid of that name when they moved to America. They changed her name to Rachel Deborah Shilsky opp...

• Word Count: 364
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... memories have been made around this dinner table. My grandma can always be seen sitting in the living room, on the couch reading a new mystery book and drinking her steaming black coffee with no sugar or cream. Old fashioned she calls it. My grandpa can always be seen sitting in his old and worn out lazy boy recliner, watching TV or doing a crossword puzzle ... of my summer days here with my grandparents. Many of the days we spent at the pond behind their home. Although, most of the time, the pond looked more like a swamp. It was home to many tadpoles, frogs, and fish. Once a week my gr...

• Word Count: 519
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... is a story that puts an African American woman named Carmen in care of the child of a white family, despite the fact that she already has a son of her own to take care. Carmen has to sacrifice looking after her own son, while she watches over a white ... child so she can make enough money to support her own family. Carmen has been with Francoise, the white child, ever since she was a few months and cares for her like her own, but despite that she faces not wanting to go to work quite often ... needs to make money, so she ends up going to her job and has some relatives from the village...

• Word Count: 276
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... mentions about how death would come before the money. ANother example of foreshadowing. SO the next day while the boy is at work his quote comes true he is caught in machinery and dies. The irony of that is the Whites get the money as compinsation for the boys death from the company at which he worked. The next wish is made by the mother she wishes that her son would come ... back to life. the next night they hear a rappin ... on the door. Shocked scared and suprised the father doesn't know what to think ... ...

• Word Count: 359
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

The main themes in "The Rocking-Horse Winner" are the pursuit of love and luck. Both of the main characters in "The Rocking-Horse Winner," the mother and Paul, are in pursuit of love. First the mother marries for love, and the love fades. She gains children from her marriage, but she can not love them. Nowhere in her life can she find love. She rejects the closest thing to love, her young son ... Paul. Her feelings toward her children, especially Paul, are exemplified when her children are around. She feels the centre of her heart go hard. Everyone thought of her as a great mother who ... lu...

• Word Count: 260
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... Horse Winner is only using a little sight, a little noise and emotional sense. He used many different objects to be symbolizes. Some symbols that might define as lucky and money are used in the story are the following: Lawrence background, signs of symbolism, fascination of money, and Although Paul is just a young boy, he is curious and realizes that his Mother and Father keep secrets ... from each other and his Mother quite bitterly but finely tells her son that she does not love his Father. The houses came to be haunted by the unspoken phrase ... "there must be more money" continuall...

• Word Count: 265
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... parent's marriage. Knowing this makes divorce seem like a common thing and easy to get through. However, the effects my parent's divorce has had on my sister and I have been detrimental. Divorce causes a change of roles in the household. Due to the fact that I legally am an adult, I have the choice of which parent I want to live with. Unfortunately, my sister wasn't graced with this privilege ... . She goes one week with my mom, and then the following with my dad. The lack of her presence and the presence of my father increased the roles that I have in the household. I didn't realize jus...

• Word Count: 608
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... China starts with Suyuan Woo, who passed away and her daughter, Jing-mei "June" Woo taking over her mother's seat at the mah-jong table which triggers the unraveling of memories and events in all of the characters. The varying stories of the daughters" ranging from marital problems to individual, inner matters, to cultural issues effortlessly and naturally entwine with each others" and their ... takes a major event to trigger the building of strength that allows a person to take themselves out of a bad situation. Although she lost her marriage, she regained her self worth and integrity f...

• Word Count: 394
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... two step sisters,12 and 14, were only with us for half of the day, really seemed to like my sister and me, but at the same time fighting the jealousy of us having their father all the time. I only hope they would eat! My dad and my mom had been married in January of that same year, so this was our first Christmas as ... a blended family. She was so worried about making sure everyone else was happy that I was not enjoying it myself. The mismatched dishes that were displayed embarrassed me on our table, opened two sets of matching china ... ! There were so many gifts under the tree! Every...

• Word Count: 730
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... a kid and lazy summer vacations, with plenty of time to read as many books as I wanted. I will never forget the image of my grandpa's bedside table; it was never empty. Always heaping with history, religion and politics books. Sometimes I would sneak in and open them to see what was so interesting about it, however, I was too young to understand. My mom started ... I haven't stopped. I started reading everything that I could, my grandpa's books and even his office's books. I would spend entire days submerged in a book and finish it in less than 3 days, depending on the size of the book....

• Word Count: 428
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... father has a bit fatty funny face with a forever smile and eyes slits like the person who always laughing. He looks like a comic sometimes. My mother has stern face features and I can compare her look to politic. I often think that she has something in common with Hakamada, one of the politicians in our country. If starting comparing their attitude to work I can mention that my ... mother prefers more stable job. She have worked for the same department for the last sixteen years. My father during ten years changed four places when he left ... the factory he worked for to make his own b...

• Word Count: 287
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... is about a ten-year-old boy named Billy who lives in the Ozarks. He is always seeing men hunting with there hounds and really wants to become a coon hunter. He asks his mom and dad for fifty dollars to buy two hounds but his parents don't have the money. Billy's grandpa owns a store in town and his grandpa told him that he could have ... a job there to save up for the hounds. Billy works for his grandpa for two years before he has enough money to buy ... the hounds. Once he gets the fifty dollars he orders the hounds right away. In a week he walks to a town called Tahlequah and picks u...

• Word Count: 519
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School