Developments of Public Square Designs

Developments of Public Square Designs A public square is defined as an open area located in the heart of a city. It always existed, started at least 6000 years ago. The squares acquired more and more functions with the development of human society and the development of cities. In recent times, theaters, restaurants and museums are also finding their place on the squares. Cities themselves, are actually becoming museums, a collection of human experiences that preserve numerous cultural values. Particularly since the invention of motorized traffic, the individual vehicle has almost destroyed most of the open public spaces. Christopher Alexander indicated that Outdoor spaces which are merely left over between buildings will, in general, not be used. (1977, p. 518) It is important to note, square has taken over the most important responsibility of outdoor space. Theoretically, we could say great squares and plazas give identity to cities. Although there are already so many public squares all around the world, it is always a challenging job to find the criteria for public square. What we really want from a public square? What can make a square become more exciting? The need in square design First of all, square has been consciously used a gathering place, usually it has strong sense of enclosure and convenient connections to streets. It is usually refers as an area that framed by buildings. Therefore, the sense of enclosure is commonly argued. The value of enclosure affect the success of square is also argued. Camillo Sitte (1989) derived a series of artistic principles. For Sitte, enclosure was the primary feeling of urbanity, and his overarching principle was that public square should be enclosed entities. He thought it should not be possible to see out of the square along more than one street at a time. Paul Zucker (1959) outlined types of urban squares. He indicated there are different types of square in visual dimension: the closed square, the dominated square, the nuclear square, grouped squares and the amorphous square. He thought that square does not have to be entirely close, it could be created by some recognizing buildings. It also can be characterized by a building or group of buildings towards which the space is directed, and to which all surrounding structures are related. The reason why people extremely concerned about enclosure of square comes from the need of safety, comfort and contained. Some of them even thought square must be entirely closed. But, in fact, unenclosed squares are not always uncomfortable and unsafe. That fact that people feel more comfortable in a space which is at least partly enclosed is hard to explain. To begin with, it is obviously not always true. For example, people feel very comfortable indeed on an open beach, or on a rolling plain, where there may be no enclosure at all. (Alexander C 1977, p. 520). Clare Cooper found: people seek areas which are partially enclosed and partly open not too open, not too enclosed (1969). In other words, the extent of enclosure should be carefully considered when we do distribution. With no doubt, enclosure is one principle of making beautiful square, but there is no absoluteness. Discovery public square People want coherence and a sense of safety in public spaces, but they dont want blandness (Kaplan and Kaplan 1989, Marsh 1990). To be honest, sometime, we focus too much on safety. However, comfort couldnt make the square exciting at all. Lovatt and OConnor (1995), others, have written about liminal spaces those formed in the interstices of everyday life and outside normal rules where different cultures meet and interact. Discovery might also involve programmes of animationWe wanted a place that was green and that was a center of activity for downtown, but we didnt want a place that was tranquil and beautiful, but there was nothing to do. explains Bob Gregory. (a former General Motors executive who oversaw the planning of Campus Martius)Therefore, what we need for square is the attractions for seeking people. The psychological attraction to the square comes from curiosity. It is different from Sittes principle, actually, as we walking through a place, we like to see the diversific ation. It is our innate habit to discover the space. So, practically speaking, distribution of square might be only one small fraction of making successful square. A square must content lots of factors to be really successful. Undoubtedly, square is designed for people to use. Therefore the functional facility should be the physical attraction to all the users. Jan Gehl simplified that outdoor activities in public spaces can be divided into three categories, each of which places very different demands on the physical environment: necessary activities, optional activities and social activities. (1971) For square, the necessary activities are generally compulsory. So transportation and shopping facilities should be included and they would be used mostly all time. But optional activities in squares are more relied on the exterior condition. Therefore, the diversification of optional activities could make square suit for different weather and season conditions. Social activities are included communal activities of various kinds, the opport unity of communication is relied on the environment and surrounding of square. Just imagine, if there are shopping opportunities around the square and there are sitting facilities with nice green or water features, then people will gather and rest unselfconsciously. That is something we could not be forced. Sometimes, activities which expected to have never appear. It is because lack of understanding of the type of square. The type of square can help us to roughly separate them into different circumstance. It could be a ceremonial, religionary, social, traffic or even mixed. All the functions we put into should fit the square. However, a successful square should provide activities opportunities, but, that is to say, it must be informed by deeply understanding of how people using it or what is the need from people. It is crucial to find the appropriate use for certain places and to engage the space with right activities. This is based on the observation of the relationship between activities and space. Visual analysis could give a probable perception of the space. When you observe a space you learn about how it is actually used, rather than how you think it is used. advised by project for public space(PPS, 1999, p51) Thats to say, we need to understand the square before we start to do so mething about it. Regeneration project of Nottingham Old Market Square Old market square in Nottingham is one of the oldest public squares in the UK, with an 800 year history as a marketplace. The square form the central city and the prospect became a mental image remembered by citizens. But only couple of years ago, old market square was a completely different image. The square was the original setting of Nottingham Goose Fair, an annual fair held in October originating over 700  ­years ago. It was moved in 1928 for the redevelopment of the square. Previously, the Square has been nicknamed Slab Square because of the high numbers of concrete paving slabs that made the former Square. The Square was redesigned to compliment the New Council House in 1927 with several different height platforms creating a central procession way. The form of old market square is not common as what we discussed above. The plan revealed the complicated composition of buildings surrounded and the open gesture in comparison to other squares. The original intention of the place is market space, therefore, it is only partly enclosed by City Council House in the east and it has terrible intervention of traffic in the west to the south. It seems fundamentally the fabric against Camillo Sittes principle at all and not meet Paul Zuckers visual dimension exactly in the first place. As the success of the square design has been argued, the old market square has been a question which left over by history for urban designers. In 2004, Gustafson Porter won the competition of the redesign project. The construction finished in two years and the square re-opened in 2007. After the regeneration project finished, as we could see now, lots of factors has been improved, such as: accessibility, new or retained features, safety, flexibility and so on. The new pedestrian routes improved accessibility by removing level change. The green featured square existed before is an intention for a central green garden in front of City. With nice trees, grass and seats, it seems like a great idea for social activities. But, however, before the regeneration, old market square is a place which citizen often walks around in a sort of sense. To be honest, sometime, people dont want to walk through a place which they couldnt easily see through. They dont want to waste time to walk up and down the steps if they just want to go through. It has restricted movement on the square especially disable people. Besides, because of the barely used, the green feature absolutely comes into certain hidden danger because of the shield space it created. Another intention is about the old role of dividing the city. The tie area used to be a cut off of the surrounding borough. People are looking for the new design could create better relationship between square and contexts, and there is no long a border or barrier excited. As we all know, one thing has bothered the square for a long time traffic. On the southern side of the square, along South Parade is the tram stop of the Nottingham Express Transit. Because the Market Square was once at the heart of the citys road network, it has set lots of tram and bus stop. Although, today it is closed to all traffic except buses along Beast Market Hill and the tram. It is the biggest interruption to the square, as there is no way to get away with it. However, for the new design, a water feature located at the west side of square provided an obstruction to the tram line and created more stimulating environment. It comes into a focused interest to the west end and then offered the capacity in be tween. The capacity provided considerable flexibility for different types of events there. It has hosted lots of popular events including free outdoor concerts, celebration firework, delicious foods fair and a bulb and flower festival. The large flat open space is also able to hold sports events, a variety of markets and health campaigns. Those things really bring the whole area to live. The design also tried to incorporate topography of the original medieval square, and accommodates existing falls by gradual level changes for disabled users and drainage. The main material is granite, to reflect the importance of the space and provide longevity. Seating terraces of grey, black, white and granite blocks created level changes and create movement opportunities around the water feature. The 4,400m2 water features comprises a reflecting pool, a 1.8m waterfall, rills, 53 jets and a scrim, arranged as terraces. These can be turned off and used as stages or temporary viewing areas. Indirect lighting is via feature masts which can support temporary lighting trusses and banners, complemented by fibre optics below the jets, and concealed lighting to benches, steps and handrails. Five listed lanterns and two flag poles have also been refurbished and integrated into the new scheme. (Gustafson Porter described on website) Lighting is also a crucial factor in this design. In the past, poor lighting also created an unwelcoming atmosphere at night, which prevented families or the elderly from enjoying the square. The new lighting system encouraged 24 hour use, enable activity to spill out into the space, and attract pedestrians The impact of the new design is distinct. At lunchtimes and early evenings, it has become a well used space. It is also an exciting and popular attraction for all the tourists. This project has delivered a contemporary landscape design. The big contrast in this case challenge surrounded building in the city centre. But the result pleased most of people. But, there are still some people think the previously one works better. Personally I like the new water feature and I can see the benefits of having a large flat space for events. But I really miss the green of the old Market Square It was really pleasant sitting in the square looking at the trees and flowers before. Now it has no feeling of being a green space at all. (comments about the Old Market Square on internet) Changes of Leicester Square In the other hand, Leicester Square which is a famous pedestrianised square in the west end of London has also carried various social activities for years. There is a park in the central area. It is bound by Cranbourn Street, to the north; Leicester Street, to the east; Irving Street, to the south; and a section of road designated simply as Leicester Square, to the west. Today, it is one of the busiest spots and one of the most interesting squares in London. Its busy because there are all kinds of buskers around. They always entertain the crowds with anything from an improvisation to a political rant. It is the centre of Londons cinema land. Therefore, it is also a great place to catch an afternoon film followed by a cappucino and gossip in one of the many pavement cafes. The Square is a popular meeting place for friends looking for a drink and a chat and for tourists who seem to enjoy congregating outside the tube station. But, 375 years ago, it began with Robert Sidney who purchased this area and built himself a large house named Leicester House at the north end. By the 19th century, the square became the heart of the west end entertainment district with the empire theatre of varieties. Today, the square is the prime location in London for major film premieres. There are people all over the place, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, it seems like a party on the pedestrianised area. The fabric of the square is quite formal and enclosure. However, in history, the central area was private green area which should be used by residents there. But, by changing of time, it became a square that people does not expected to. Gordon Cullen wrote that A view of Leicester Square in the eighteenth century would be virtually impossible to reconcile with its present condition, a boisterous jungle of traffic, changing signs, vivid lettering and garish posters. The desperate pre-war attempt to preserve a be-railed garden, although a pleasing evidence of official grit and determination, was always a flop. It simply induced a depressing feeling of prohibition, the feeling that one was being inhibited for the wrong reason There are sufficient cafes round the square to rent space for tables, as is done in France, and gaily coloured velariums suspended between the trees would give protection from birds and rain. What is most important, however, is for the landscapist to understand the vital and popular visual apperal of the Leicester Square type of landscape. The fact that it is the aesthetic expression of the dive and pin-table saloon, is no reason for the urban planner to turn up his nose. These activities, for better or for worse, are a part of urban life, and as such make a very valuable contribution to the visual scene. (Cullen G, 1971, p. 101) Leicester used to be an area that local avoided or walk around. Because the small patch of grass at the centre of the square is a shield place for junkies. After the local councils clean up in 1993, that area closed at night and it is safe to walk through. Today, the square is an excellent place to move around, with the green and seats, cafà © and beautiful landscape. It is also holding events regularly and seasonally, such as winter fair and outdoor performances. It became good option of festival gathering spot. However, the attraction is not from the original distribution of the square at all but the intervention urban designer adapted into. By well understanding the type and character of the square, appropriate activities really delight the whole space. Conclusion Through times, some squares became contradictory. SOHO square was the reign as a most fashionable address in London. But, today, this square is surrounded by office building and it is rapidly deteriorating. Usually, park in the middle of the square was for the exclusive usage of the residents in the nearby houses, so you can hardly call it a public square. However, public like to use the area as resting or chatting place, SOHO square should be made advance with the need and have corresponding improvement. An exciting square does not mean a successful square, but a successful square have to be somehow exciting. Today, city squares in UK are either full of commercial purpose or barely active green area. Some criticisms of urban regeneration undertakings in Britain have taken this view and have therefore associated urban design with the interests of private companies. As visual management is then seen as a luxury when more basic needs of health, education, and housing are at stake, urban design has been seen as reactionary or at best irrelevant. (Madanipour A, 1997) The discovery of exciting square is to discovery of fundamentally designed square also with various pleasant activities. Enclosure is important, but its shallow to judge a success of square by physical fabric. Without doubt, it should carry the basic need: accessibility, safety, imageability and so on. But only the deeply consideration of how people use the square can help the square become really live. The comfort doesnt, th e safety doesnt. The activity does. The ability of urban design is much more likely to be used with analysis of the status and future strategy. Our experience of a place is based on a combination of several senses. (Shaftoe H. Therefore, a consideration through different factors should be made and focus on appropriate activities to make a square really well used by people. In addition, if urban designer could think about aesthetics, it will make our square more exciting. Bibliography Alexander, C. (1977), A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction, Oxford University Press. Cullen, G. (1961), The Concise Townscape, Architectural Press. Carmona, Heath, Oc, Tiesdell (2003), Public Places, Urban Spaces, Architectural Press. Jacobs, J. (1961), The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Random House Inc. Madanipour, A. (1997), Town Planning Review, Liverpool University Press. Sitte, C. (1889), City Planning According to Artistic Principles, Phaidon Press. Shaftoe, H. (2008), Convivial Urban Spaces: Creating Effective Public Places, Earthscan Publications Ltd. Zucker, P. (1970), Town and Square, MIT Press. Internet Sources http://www.pps.org/squares/info/squares_articles/motor_city http://www.gustafson-porter.com/ http://www.landezine.com/?tag=uk http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Market_Square http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_square http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Town_square http://www.londonnet.co.uk/ln/guide/about/placesleicestersq.html http://proteus.brown.edu/things/4017 http://www.blogcatalog.com/blog/nottingham-is-crap/0d0bc5c00d4a06fb82939f98459f1824

Ghost Soldiers Essay

The novel, Ghost Soldiers is a great book written by Hampton Sides. It depicts the true horrors of war, friendship and hope. The story takes place in the Philippines during the Japanese takeover of the island from 1942 until the year 1945, after the outbreak of World War II, when the Japanese assaulted the Philippine islands and captured it. This resulted in many prisoners of war. The American armies ran out of supplies and were tired from fighting and it led to the surrender of the American army, the Bataan death march and the imprisonment at Cabanatuan camp. The American navy was not able to evacuate completely. Most of the soldiers were left behind and taken as prisoners by the Japanese army. Hundreds of the American soldiers were taken to the Cabanatuan Camp where they were taken as captives. The Japanese were brutal to the prisoners. They tortured the prisoners, starved them, and they did not give them necessary supplies to survive, no medicine, and adequate food. In chapter one, the book focused more on April 1942. During the time nobody thought that the Japanese would attack the Philippines. American forces that were in the Philippines were relaxed thinking that the Japanese would not attack and after months of siege the American defense collapsed. During the defense, Major General Edward King was the commander of the forces at Bataan. The Japanese attack is sustained, vicious and victorious, forcing Filipino and American armies to surrender. After the surrender of the American Army in Bataan, they were grouped to form the Bataan death march. They were forced to walk through the mosquito infested jungle, with the hot temperature reaching nearly one hundred degrees. Most of the soldiers died in the Battle of Bataan, as they reached the camp many of the soldiers were sick and starved by the Japanese. After being held at the war camp for three years, the Japanese war ministry issued a â€Å"Kill All Policy† which meant that they will exterminate all the war camps in the Philippines, killing all the US prisoners in the camp. At the camp named Palawan, over a hundred U. S. soldiers were forced into gasoline filled trenches and burned alive. At camp Cabanatuan the American prisoners were oosing hope, they believe that they are forgotten by their comrades and their country. They called themselves the â€Å"Ghost Soldiers†. In January 1945 at the 6th Army Headquarters, Colonel Henry A. Mucci had been selected to devise a plan and to lead the rescue mission to camp Cabanatuan. Mucci was a tough and ambitious leader. He had been assigned to find a way to free the prisoners behind enemy lines before it was too late. It appeared to be strategically impossible for them to rescue the prisoners. They would face the heavy resistance by the Japanese and greatly outnumbered. But Mucci was ambitious; despite the extreme challenge ahead of him he still took the task. Mucci selected a young Captain Robert Prince to lead the raid who came up with a brilliant yet daring plan. He hand-picked 121 elite rangers and Alamo scouts to go into 30 miles deep into enemy territory and make a surprise attack on the camp. The U. S. joined forces with the Filipino resistance to increase their chances of success. The resistance was led by Captain Juan Pojota who had knowledge of the land area that helped them guide the group to their goal.

Lowry’s The Giver

Character isolationism and the struggles surrounding solitude are recurring themes in many great pieces of literature. Lowry’s The Giver is an excellent work of contemporary fiction whose main character, Jonas, struggles with such a burden. In order to properly identify character relationships of isolation, I will compare and contrast The Giver with two other well-known pieces of adolescent literature: The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton and Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. Jonas, in The Giver, views his hometown as the perfect place, a utopia that is self-contained and free of ruinous element such as conflict, illness, divorce, and inequality. He comes from a loving, demonstrative family unit: father, mother, one brother, one sister. Everyone in his hometown fits this perfectly balanced poster-family mold. It’s a gift-wrapped location to raise a family, or so we are led to believe. His family, as are all families in this utopia-like society, has good communication methods and are supportive of one another. Lowry creates such a background to impact his theme of a protagonist teetering into the realm of isolationism. The author uses the omniscient point of view of Jonas throughout the story. As the reader envisions the story solely through Jonas, we see his family is supposed shares their feelings and emotions when issues arise. It’s almost too perfect. Yet perfection diminishes when we discover, through foreshadowing, that a certain pilot who was in a plane crash was to be â€Å"released from the community. † The speaker’s voice takes the situation lightly, even with a hint of humor—a marker that something is amiss. One of the main themes in The Giver is individuality verses conformity. This parallels Jonas’s struggles with isolationism. Lowry leads us to believe in this utopia. Yet, as Jonas and other children freely choose jobs to increase their own knowledge base, it becomes apparent that the Elders have another purpose for them. The Elder will be choosing what direction their future will go once they are twelve years-old. Later, Jonas shares a provocative dream he had about Fiona. Jonas is pleased with the pleasure his dream brings to him. Lowry wrote, And the nakedness, too. It was against the rules for children or adults to look at another’s nakedness; but the rule did not apply to newchildren or the Old. (p. 30) This statement speaks volumes about the sexual racism and tensions that were prevalent in the society of The Giver which can be compared to the pressures that revolved around the status of wealth in The Outsiders and Catcher in the Rye. The Giver’s protagonist accepts this rule as Lowry responds to the rule against seeing other people naked. Jonas was glad. It was a nuisance to keep oneself covered while changing for games, and the required apology if one had by mistake glimpsed another’s body was always awkward. (p. 30) The author gives us subtle hints of Jonas’s isolation that is to come. He liked the safety here in this warm and quiet room (p 30) According to the Elders ‘touching’ other people outside of one’s immediate family was deemed rude and inappropriate behavior. His mother informs him that he’ll be taking a pill to help him. This is one more way for the Elders to control their youth. In event, this leads to Jonas into isolationism. Jonas begins to feel sad. When Gabe is actually allowed to live with Jonas’s family, the community sets boundaries. Gabe can stay but they are not allowed to become emotionally attached to him. The communities’ means of controlling its people sinks Jonas further into isolation. Jonas speaks with the Chief Elder in chapter eight, bringing to light the impact of his isolation. The Chief Elder says, â€Å"But you will be faced now,† she explained gently, â€Å"with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it’s beyond our experience†¦. So, because the Elders, hid their true motive, children are torn emotionally from what was to be a perfect life. When we consider the novel, The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton we find many parallels with The Giver. Both have themes centered on isolationism and what sort of grave effects it can have on an individual, a family, or a town. There are also contrasting differences in these two novels. Both of w hich will be discussed in detail. The Outsiders is a story of two teenage gangs: the socs and the greasers. This novel is a classic East versus West scenario in a small Oklahoma town in the 1960’s. The soc’s—which is an abbreviation for socials—is a gang of affluent teenage hoodlums that drive fast cars, get the pretty girls, and have the social markings of upper class due to their family’s economic status. The greasers are the gang of teenage boys that come from the lower class, most being raised in broken homes where mom or dad—or sometimes neither parent—is around to provide guidance. One contrasting difference here is the fact that The Giver opens with families living in a utopia-like geographic area where every single family fits the perfect family unit of a father, mother, and two siblings. This family unit is structured with communication skills as well where issues are discussed on a daily basis. There are no racial tension or inequality issues to speak of in The Giver, either. S. E. Hinton, on the other hand, creates a real-life scenario that parallel’s lifestyles in Oklahoma in the 1960’s—which is when the book was written by an actual teenager. Thus, The Outsiders displays how dysfunctional families operate. There is constant conflict among siblings and taunting between the greasers and the socs. Being in a gang instantly offers the teenage-societies an extended family. They trust one another and wound die for each other. The families within the gang understand one another because they can relate to one another’s pain and suffering. Even when they are faced with such constant emotional struggles, physical entanglements, and trouble with law enforcement, the gang members are on the same wave-length and follow one another. In The Giver, the families live in an apparent pristine environment that directly opposes this. The parents and children form proper communication channels by discussing issues at dinnertime. Some of the characters in the Outsiders are lucky if they get dinner every night. Yet, the path of isolationism for Jonas is the genesis for the character’s circumstances. He cannot free himself of this downward spiral, even when he’s placed in such a positive environment. S. E. Hinton, on the other hand, displays characters coming together in the worst of times. Another parallel, in The Outsiders, ties into the issue of separation from family. Here, teens are often led to see things as only right or wrong. But, as we know, circumstances in life are rarely black and white. Too many intricacies are involved when teens are struggling to survive and discover their way to be viewed as simply all-right or all-wrong. The protagonists in both Hinton’s and Lowry’s novel have underlying subplots of youths trying to discover their place in life. Another comparison is the fact that both authors play into the common-knowledge ideal that says, life isn’t fair. Whether life is fair to the soc’s or the greasers is seen differently. The soc’s desire the glamour and status that goes along with their affluent upbringing. The greasers, on the other hand, desire a different image. They don’t want to be associated with the upper crust of society. According to a greaser, the money, clothes, and cars, are the last thing they’d ever view as a priority in life. In fact, they despise them, mainly for how society treats the lower class. However, both gangs are products of a lifestyle where parental upbringing doesn’t show respect to their children because parents are unwilling to listen to the youth’s ideas, desires, and needs. These are the precise components that led to Jonas’s separation from the family unit. In the novel, Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, we find similar connections in the background of each story. Both novels depict a protagonist coming from an affluent upbringing. Salinger’s novel is set in a post World War II time when the nation was trying to make a financial recovery. Holden goes to a private school and money is of no concern to him, his family, or his immediate peer group. The breadwinner in Catcher in the Rye, Holden’s father, is a corporate attorney that is only interested in money, golf, and fancy toys such as classy cars. Freedom from financial concerns is a comparative attribute for Holden and Jonas. Holden and his father don’t understand one another which can be compared to Jonas and a discussion he has with the Elders in Chapter 20. â€Å"What about you? Do you lie to me, too? † Jonas almost spat the question at The Giver. â€Å"I am empowered to lie. † This grave scene in The Giver brings to light how painful an entire childhood can be. It’s the parents and Elders were not true to their children and thus impacts the life of our protagonist. Holden’s father is also blinded by money and his status as a corporate lawyer. This puts barriers up between him and his son. These barriers are like lying to Holden, causing him harm as he tries to find his place in society. Just as Jonas is the protagonist and narrator, Holden is also the narrator and protagonist of Catcher in the Rye. The impact of the stories theme and character relationships in both stories can be felt on a deeper level when we experience the story solely through the protagonist’s eye. Another contrasting element between the protagonists for S. E. Hinton and J. D. Salinger is how the characters are introduced to the story. It is very clear that Holden is struggling with life. He is 16 years-old with partially gray hair, thin, and out of shape. He smokes cigarettes as well. Jonas, on the other hand, is raised in this Eden-like village where everyone moves through life free of stress and ailments. Furthermore, Holden is an angry teen who is very confused and depressed. He also displays characteristics of bigotry which contrasts Jonas’s lifestyle of equality. Holton, however, is an evil person but he can be kind and even thoughtful which matches the characteristic expectations of the children in The Giver. In fact, almost every person had similar physical features as can be seen in the following citation: Almost every citizen in the community had dark eyes. His parents did, and Lily did, and so did all of his group members and friends (p. 20). Yet a distinction is drawn in Jonas as the author followed the above citation with this: But there are a few exceptions: Jonas, himself, and a female Five who he had noticed the different, lighter eyes. Thus, we are given hints of Jonas’s differences. This contrasts the obvious struggles that are in Holton’s persona. As I looked collectively at the comparisons and contrasting differences between The Giver and the two other novels, I found the likenesses to be more apparent than the differences. Each of the novels under study all had a theme of isolationism. On top of this, the protagonists and most of the minor characters in all the novels were children and young adults who struggled with loss, depression, conflict, and illness. Each story brought the reality of separation and isolationism to light as the youth banded together to overcome obstacles. The stories display how great an impact deceit, control, and lack of compassion can have on individuals growing into adulthood. People can shut down and sink into isolation. The burden of all this can either lead people away from following their dreams—sometimes destroying themselves into a pit of isolation. The strong-willed, however, find a way to learn from these challenging situations and discover ways to help themselves so that they, in turn, can help friends and loved ones.

Why Community Service Is Important - 960 Words

Do you feel community service is important to a community? Why or why not? Explain your answer in two or three paragraphs. Community Service is important for many reasons. Taking part and volunteering teaches compassion and understanding. One of my favorite things about community service is that there are opportunities and choices everywhere! You can volunteer for something you really believe and have an interest in, and can volunteer as much or as little as you d like or have time for. Since I was young I have always volunteered for my Catholic Youth Group. At first I didn t know many people there and wasn t very enthusiastic. Later, as I got to know the other kids and starting pushing myself to join in the activities, I learned to†¦show more content†¦After working all day, when I am hot, sweaty, tired, and sunburnt, if I can see that I did a good job and people are pleased with my work then I know I succeeded and that is what I want in life. 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