Geof is the only genuine caring character in the play Essay Example for Free

Geof is the only genuine caring character in the play Essay Geof is the only genuine caring character in the play; the others are totally selfish and self centred. Discuss this statement. From the beginning of the play we can see Jo is the main character, she is highly independent and self reliant this is obvious from one of the opening pages were Jos mum Helen states children owe their parents these little attentions to which Jo replies with I dont owe you a thing. This shows Jo sees her relationship with her mother as strained, she feels she has brought herself up and not really had her mother their to support her. She has learnt to rely on herself and not trust her mother. When Jo becomes pregnant with a black boy form the navy, who leaves her pregnant Jo reacts badly because she is so independent and used to looking after herself. Geof (Jos gay friend) offers her a shoulder to turn to and she turns on him Im not planning big plans for this baby or dreaming big dreams. You Know what happens when you do things like that. The baby will be born dead or daft! She feels she has let herself down and been promiscuous, however the sailor boy was offering her marriage and love before he left, she felt in a safe relationship and that was why she slept with him. But Jo just sees that shes made the same mistakes her mother made when she had her at a young age. Most expectant mothers dont have this negative attitude towards their unborn child however I feel its because she thinks she may let the child down like her mother let her down. Jimmy the black boy from the navy who got Jo pregnant gave the impression of a kind and genuine character who did honestly love Jo until he left. In my opinion he loved her and did intend to return for her but got scared of the prejudice he would face if he did return. He said to Jo about her mother finding out about their engagement Shell see a coloured boy. He obviously felt his race was going to be an issue in their relationship and how it was perceived and was worried about it. Jo however did know Jimmy was in the navy and even said to him on one occasion I might as well be naughty while Ive got the chance. Ill probably never see you again I know it. So I believe deep down Jo knew there was a chance she wouldnt be seeing him again. In my opinion Helen did love her daughter she just didnt know how to treat her, maybe it was because she had her at a young age? She seems to think she should treat her daughter like a friend, she even encourages her underage daughter to drink You dont smell it, you drink it! I think the only way Helen knew to make her daughter love her was the way she made men love her, by getting her drunk. Helen did want her daughter to make something of her life I feel. She encouraged her to draw, saying her drawings were very good Have you ever thought of going to a proper art school and getting proper training? But I think the main reason she wanted Jo to make something of herself was so she could sponge of her. Helen says to Jo When you start earning you can start moaning. In my opinion shes saying to Jo you make some money and get us somewhere nicer. Shes not taken the task upon herself to find her and her daughter somewhere nice to live shes going to wait for her daughter to did it for them. Not a typical loving mother and daughter relationship, Helen is reliant on her daughter Jo. Helen is in my opinion lazy with regard to her relationship with her daughter. She is constantly asking her daughter to do stuff around the house Pass me that bottle Have we got any aspirins left Jo? Here is another example of Helen being reliant on her daughter. She also becomes strangely jealous of Jos gay friend Geof. She is constantly rude to him Oh shut up Geof Sling your hook I believe she is jealous of his strong bond with Jo. She feels jealous of their close relationship and doesnt like him around as she feels inadequate compared to him. Jo maintains through out the play that she wants to be rid of her mother as soon as I get a full-time job, Im leaving Helen and starting up with a room somewhere so for Helen to know theres someone in her life she wants there, that person being Geof it must make her feel less important. Even for Helen who shows no real care for her Jo to know that her own daughter feels like that must be difficult. I think part of her feels she should have a close loving relationship with Jo I just dont think she knows how to or more importantly can be bothered. Peter, Helens latest fling who becomes her husband comes across as a decent sort of guy at first, however he is sleazy Helen you look utterly fantastic Got your blue garters on? He does turn nasty towards the end when their marriage isnt going so well Look at Helen, isnt she a game old bird? Worn out on the beat but shes still got a few good strokes left. and I dragged you out of the gutter once , If you want to go back there its all the same to me. The way he speaks down to Helen are reminiscent of his character, he believes himself to be above everyone else, better looking, better dressed, better educated, a real snob. Geof takes a mothering role in Jos life, which I dont think she always appreciates. Ill buy you one for Christmas. If you ask nice Ill buy you two. Ill stay here and clear this place up a bit and make you a proper meal. I think Jo actually likes having a figure to look after her but I think she finds it difficult sometimes as shes not used to it, shes used to fending for herself. Why dont you leave me alone? I think that all this shows that despite Jos though exterior she does want looking after and companionship, especially from her mother even though she denies it, as that is what Geof is doing for her, being a substitute mother. Geof , a single gay man was evicted from his flat by his landlady because she caught him with another man. In those days being a sexually active gay man was frowned upon so he was probably quite ashamed about the reason for his eviction and that is why he tries to hide it from Jo. When she asks has your landlady thrown you out? Geof replies Dont be silly, but later tells her the truth. Geof also agrees to move in with Jo, taking on the responsibilities of looking after a Jo and her baby. Also when Jo tells him her baby will be black he is extremely accepting and doesnt seem to care. In my opinion this is due to the prejudice he has faced about being gay. Another time his kind and compassionate character is seen is when he tries to get Jo and Helen talking again despite Jo telling him exactly what her mother is like he still persists and tries to build bridges in their relationship with them and get Helen to help out with the baby. Your mother should know, do you have her address? When he meets Helen though he is struck by how rude and uncaring she is and sticks up for Jo telling Helen. If Id known you were going to bully her like this Id have never asked you to come! Here he shows true loyalty for Jo by sticking up for her. In my opinion Geof is a very lonely young man he didnt seem to have any other friends besides Jo in the play, other than young man he was found in his flat with but in his own words he didnt really know the guy . We cant really be sure of his past because the play doesnt mention it but I feel hes faced a lot of prejudice about his sexuality and perhaps that is why he so understands Jo. He doesnt seem to have any family, and I think he was trying to make Jo and the baby into a surrogate family for himself. I feel he was the nicest character in the book but he did become quite irritating as he was too nice all of the time. All the other characters had floors and attributes that made them lovable or unlovable. Geof however, was just quite bland. Helen for instance was an interesting character because she was so unpredictable, she could have a new boyfriend at any moment, or get drunk and do something ridiculous. Goef on the other hand was predictable but provided the rock of the story. He was Mr. Reliable that Jo could turn to he wasnt an interesting character like Helen but was a vital part of the play.

The Standard.com Case Study :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

The Standard.com Case Study The Standard provides critical and timely information about the Internet economy and furthermore gives a sophisticated coverage of the people, the companies, and the business models shaping it. Their content comprises insightful news analysis, business model reviews, personality profiles, and industry metrics, which support are both a print magazine, The Industry Standard and the online publication TheStandard.com. The Standard is a business-to-business Web site designed for senior-level executives who wants to keep up with the e-business. However, The Standard does not look at products, it analyses the business models behind them, the people that create them and their chances to be successful in the electronic marketplace. The audience consists of Internet business strategists and last year they had 450,00 unique visitors a month. The Standard considers itself, and is considered, as the leading online magazine in the e-business field, hence they developed a targeted message: â€Å"TheStandard: Intelligence for the Internet Economy.† Their logo is very simple and also conveys the idea of effectiveness and professionalism because of its apparent simplicity. The Web site has three columns on a black background. The left one is a menu, which is red, matching the logo. This menu constitutes the â€Å"solid† part of the design, meaning it is always there as the user clicks on different sections or articles. The middle part is white with a blue border and constitutes the frame that changes, where articles and links appear. However, leaving TheStandard’s main frame is not â€Å"just a click away,† as most of their links stay within their site. The last column on the left is for advertisings, which change as you click on different sections. Nevertheless, most of them remain business oriented such as Office.com, Visa or Worldcom. In addition, the site has a

Assessing strategies to combat neighbourhood disputes (Anti-social behaviour)

Assessing strategies to combat neighbourhood disputes (Anti-social behaviour) in deprived council estate areas: A case study on the Isle of Dogs, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Project Issue: The Crime and Disorder Act, 1998, defines anti-social behaviour as behaving: â€Å"In a manner that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as (the defendant).† (Home Office (a) 2003) As this definition covers a wide range of crimes from prostitution, to having excessively high hedges1, I have decided to specifically focus on neighbour disputes such as noise pollution, violent occurrences, and inconsiderate rubbish dumping and similar neighbour to neighbour disputes. The central issue of the dissertation will be firstly, the evaluation of how well four researched strategies used to combat anti-social behaviour, all used in four case studies, actually combat and prevent anti-social neighbour disputes. Secondly, how well those strategies would be placed to deal with neighbour disputes in the Isle of Dogs. Each strategy that has been researched has a relevant case study that illustrates precisely how that strategy works when deployed in practice. Each strategy will be assessed in light of the relevant case study. Case studies have been used concerning anti-social neighbour disputes from the Isle of Dogs (East London), Blackburn, Manchester, and Scotland. The questions that this dissertation will be seeking to find out are: * What are the most prominent and researched strategies that have been analysed, evaluated, and used by academics and practitioners? * How useful are each of these strategies, and what are their strength's and what are their weaknesses? * To what extent, can each of these strategies be successfully applied to neighbour disputes within the Isle of Dogs, with its own unique situation e.g. diverse ethnic population, and extreme poverty on the doorstep to a wealthy area (Canary Wharf)? * How high is the level of anti social behaviour within the borough, relative to other London boroughs? * What is so different or peculiar about the Isle of Dogs? I will locate this central issue within the wider context of the causes of anti-social behaviour, and take into consideration the various dimensions of neighbour disputes. For example I will also consider the age and racial dimensions (Lucey & Reay 1999), and the gender dimensions (Nixon & Hunter, 1999), of anti social behaviour and in particular, neighbour disputes. METHOD Summary of the academic research required: The aim of this project is to research, analyse, and evaluate the various arguments and strategies concerning the best method to combat anti-social behaviour with regards to neighbour disputes. There are three main strategies or approaches to combat (anti-social) neighbour disputes that my research has discovered: 1. Improving exclusion from certain areas (as advocated by the government). This would include laws making it easier for social landlords to exclude or kick out tenants from social housing at little notice. It could also include restriction orders whereby the accused is not allowed to come within a certain distance of the property or use certain language in the presence, or audio range, of their neighbours as shown in one of the case studies I have researched (Home Office, 2003)2. It could also come in the form of issuing curfew orders3. 2. The second possible response is the ‘Dundee Families project model (Hunter, 2003). This is similar to the 1970's method of rehabilitation through intensive social work and constant nurturing of offenders, as well as the nurturing of community stakeholders. 3. The third approach is one of the Webster-Stratton programme as advocated by a senior lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry Stephen Scott4. This is a parent teaching programme, similar to the rehabilitation method above, but involves working strictly with young children (below 10 years of age) and is based in a secure environment talking kids through a video presentation, and group discussions on how they should diffuse problematic situations when encountered upon. 4. The fourth possible approach is the one advocated by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: The new deal for Communities (NDC) approach whereby large sums of money, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½800 million, is given to various neighbourhoods throughout the country for the regeneration of their local community. This could involve building a new park, refurbishing the local community hall, or creating a voluntary organisation aimed at cleaning up graffiti. Through my preliminary research in the form my annotated bibliography, I have discovered that there are widely contrasting views as to the causes of anti-social behaviour, and what strategies work in combating neighbour disputes and those that are a lot more contentious. Each of these strategies will be examined in my dissertation and I plan to analyse and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each of these strategies. For each strategy that I have researched I have also researched a corresponding case study that illustrates precisely how that strategy works in practice. With this in mind, I plan to test each strategy by examining the relevant case study against benchmark factors such as: * How well would this strategy work in the Isle of Dogs? * Who are the main beneficiaries, and who are the main losers? * Is it practical? (e.g. cost effective and workable in today's political climate) * Does it pay attention to gender ethnic, or cultural, differences? * Does it build relations within the community as opposed to exclude sections of the community? Anti-social behaviour is commonly thought to occur in regions and areas where there is a high density of council houses, high levels of unemployment, and low levels of education opportunities (Home Office (b), 2003). However this assumption can be challenged, and the main aim of my research is to do precisely that, provide a balanced yet provoking argument providing both sides of the argument to this debate. It could be argued that only by spending money in the regeneration (e.g. building new community facilities, installing double glazing windows, giving grants for local businesses etc) will people take pride in their communities and their housing and stop the anti-social behaviour (Home Office (d), 2003). However it could be argued that only by including those that commit anti-social behaviour crimes into society, would there be a decrease in the amount of neighbour disputes [as opposed to excluding them from housing, facilities, benefits etc] (Scott, 2001) & (Hunter, 2003). Alternatively it could be argued that only by some form exclusion can there be a settlement to anti-social neighbour disputes (Home Office (a), 2001. Data collection: I plan to research and investigate: (a) Various academics think tanks, and the government's views on how to combat anti-social behaviour. (b) How these strategies are deployed on the ground by evaluating the case studies that I have selected. (c) Research previous government funded anti-social behaviour projects and organisations, and evaluate these claims against the previously mentioned benchmarks such as: * Practicalities such as cost, manpower, etc * How the people within the community viewed the project * Does it pay attention to gender ethnic, or cultural, differences? * Does it build relations within the community as opposed to exclude sections of the community? My data collection process will rely heavily upon case studies that I have obtained from various academic journals and government reports. Case studies will be taken from the Isle of Dogs in Tower Hamlets (Nixon & Hunter, 1999), from Scotland (Scott and Parkey, 1998), from nation-wide studies (Nixon & Hunter. 2001), and the British Medical Journal (Scott, 2001), amongst others. I have refined my research sources to be more dependent on case studies and journal articles as opposed to other forms of data collection. This is because this specific dissertation is looking for detailed analyses of projects that have combated anti-social behaviour disputes, as opposed to general information, or the views of certain people. I have also devised a questionnaire that I will put forward to a representative sample of 50 Isle of Dogs residents. The questionnaire will not form a significant part of my research, as I will be relying heavily on the case studies. However the results of the questionnaires will be used to back up, or refute, the arguments that I will be presenting in my dissertation. The questions that I will put forward to interviewees are as follows: Questionnaire. What type of incidents would you describe as anti-social neighbour disputes? How big an issue would you rate anti-social neighbour disputes within the Isle of Dogs on a scale of 1 – 10? (1 being not significant and 10 being an extremely big issue) Do you feel that the Isle of Dogs has an above national average level of anti-social neighbour disputes? What do you think is the best method to prevent neighbour disputes concerning adults? * Punish the parents after several warnings * Punish the parents immediately * Give the children extensive social worker attention * Put the child and parent through a psychologically designed training programme on how to behave. * Or other, or a combination of these. If so please explain†¦ Have you been involved in an anti-social neighbour dispute within the last five years? If yes, then ask? (b) Where you an offender or a ‘recipient' of the dispute? I will be asking these questions to the interviewee on a one to one basis and will arrange these interviews by visiting the local Bengali cultural community centre, the local high street, the local cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, and visiting the local benefits agency (dole office). In addition to these sources I will also collect data from reliable websites such as: Regeneration and anti-social behaviour organisations * http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk * http://www.socialexclusionunit.gov.uk * http://www.odpm.gov.uk * http://www.london.gov.uk * http://www.lda.gov.uk * http://www.go-london.gov.uk (Government Office for London) * http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk * http://www.bura.org.uk (British Urban Regeneration Association) * http://www.cabe.org.uk (Commission for Architecture and Built Environment) * http://www.civictrust.org.uk * http://www.coalfields-regen.org.uk (The Coalfields Regeneration Trust) * http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk * http://www.cprregeneration.co.uk * http://www.dta.org.uk/index2.html (Development Trusts Association) * http://www.europa.eu.int * http://www.idea.gov.uk (Improvement and Development Agency) * http://www.renewal.net * http://www.urcs-online.co.uk (Urban Regeneration Companies (URC's)) * http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/323/7306/194?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&author1=Stephen+Scott&andorexacttitle=and&andorexacttitleabs=and&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1071092635458_16583&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=1,2,3,4,10

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