Risk Factors Contributing Children Behavior Problem

Risk Factors Contributing Children Behavior Problem Child behaviors become problematic and these affect not only the family, but also in social and academic functioning. As working in a low-banding secondary school in Hong Kong, I have found a lot of students who are burdened with different behavior problems. These externalizing behaviors affect not only their academic achievement, but also their relationships with teachers, peers, and family, but further disrupt their future. Early intervention is essential to prevent progressive decline in childrens behavior. The principal goal for this review is to investigate different risk factors that contribute in child behavior problem. Child Behavior Problem Childrens behavior problems are divided into two major dimensions, they are internalizing and externalizing expressions (Henricson Rydell, 2006). Externalizing problems are behaviors that being harmful, disruptive, and impulsive. These behaviors are mostly stable and usually associated with long term negative outcomes (Henricson Rydell, 2006). Internalized problems are signified by emotions and moods. These symptoms are usually less consistent and cannot predict outcomes (Henricson Rydell, 2006). According to Achenbachs Child Behavior Checklist, childrens behaviors are identified into different syndromes. Syndromes refers to problems that tend to occur together. The eight syndromes that Achenbach had identified are Withdrawn, Somatic Complaints, Anxious/Depressed, Social Problems, Thought Problems, Attention Problems, Delinquent Behavior, and Aggressive Behavior. Five of the eight syndromes are grouped into Internalized and Externalized Behavior Problems (Achenbach, 1991). Internalizing is also called Personality Problems and Inhibition. Three syndromes, Withdrawn, Somatic Complaints, and Anxious/Depressed, are grouped under this heading. This group reflects childrens emotional problems (Achenbach, 1991). Externalizing is variously called Conduct Problems and Aggression. Two syndromes, Delinquent Behavior and Aggressive Behavior, are grouped under this heading. This group shows childrens behavioral problems (Achenbach, 1991). Aggression is defined as acts that impose harm on others (Aylward, 2003). Aggressive Behavior is under the grouping of Externalizing (Achenbach, 1991). Externalized aggressive behaviors are stable and are associated with long term negative outcomes (Henricson Rydell, 2006). Risk Factors There are different risks factors that lead to children behavior problem, including childrens personal factors, risks from school, parents marital relationship, parent-child relationship, and parenting and discipline style. Childs Personal Factors Stacks (2005) conceptualized risk factors for externalizing behavior by using ecological framework. Childrens temperament, developmental problems, and gender determine the severity of initial behavior problems. Personal factors, such as genetic factors, cognitive deficit, and hyperactive, also plays an important role in affecting childrens behavior. Children who have behavior problems tend to have cognitive deficit, they are lower problem solving skills (Pettit, 2004). Research shows that depressive symptoms predict antisocial behavior (Vieno, Kiesner, Pastore, Santinello, 2008). The correlations between depressed symptoms and behavioral problems were significant. This finding was also consistent with past studies by Patterson et al.(1992) and Beyers Loeber (2003). However the study suggested that the impacts of depressive symptoms to antisocial behavior occur within relatively short period of time (Vieno, Kiesner, Pastore, Santinello, 2008). Risks from School The quality school environment also plays important role in affecting predict behavior because many children spend most of the time at schools (Stacks, 2005). Studies also showed that conflictual teacher-child relationships and teachers negative responses are associated with children behavioral problems (Stacks, 2005). Pettit (2004) highlighted different risk factors for children antisocial behavior, including poor peer relationships and school failure. These factors cumulate to higher the risk of violent behavior, which was brought from early childhood to adolescent (Pettit, 2004). Parents Marital Relationship Children react to marital conflicts more negatively than other forms of family difficulties, and as a result, marital conflict is a predictor of childrens difficulties (Cummings, Goeke-Morey, Graham, 2002). It was said that marital conflict impacts childrens adjustment problems. These conflicts between parents consistently associated with externalized behavioral problems of children. These problems further influence childrens intellectual and academic achievements (Cummings, Goeke-Morey, Graham, 2002). Research also showed that children who experienced parents divorce are at higher risks of behavior problems (Stacks, 2005). Moreover, overt marital conflicts of parents were significantly risk predictors to youth maladjustment problems (Garard Buehler, 1999). Parent-Child relationship The parent-child relationship also plays an important role in influencing child development. The origin and developmental dynamics of antisocial behavior are said to be childrens early insecurity (Kochanska, Barry, Stellern, OBleness, 2009). Parental power assertion and resentful opposition lead to the insecurity of children. Poor parent-child relationship has shown impacts on childrens future antisocial behavior (Kochanska, Barry, Stellern, OBleness, 2009). Parenting Style Discipline Prevatt (2003) claimed that family risk and negative practices are highly predictive to childrens disruptive behavior and emotional adaptation. Negative family factors, such as inadequate parental involvement and poor parenting, primarily accounts for externalizing behavior (Prevatt, 2003). Dishion and Bullock (2002) also suggested that parenting practices plays an important role in childrens problem behavior. Both coercive limit-setting and poor monitoring are having direct influences on child negative behavioral outcome. Externalized behavior, such as outer-directed aggressive behavior, is one of the main indicators of maladjustment (Garard Buehler, 1999). There are three important correlates of youth maladjustment are repeatedly exposure to hostile and poor parenting. The poor parenting environment and the use of hostile are influencing risk factors to youth by showing negative interaction patterns within the family (Garard Buehler, 1999). Research shows that parenting put impacts on the development of disruptive behavior (Stacks, 2005). Parental warmth, responsiveness, and consistent limit setting are important to childrens development. Negative family interactions and functioning bring about aggression and violence to childrens behavior. Children who experienced violence directly are said to be in higher risks for externalizing behavior. These violent experiences include corporal punishment and physical abuse (Stacks, 2005). Childhood and developmental outcomes are associated with mild and harsh parental physical discipline (Lansford et al., 2009). Social context and family system leads to developmental consequences to children. Childrens externalizing behaviors are found to be associated with parents use of physical corporal discipline (Lansford et al., 2009). Lansford et al. (2009) also suggested that the antisocial behavior resulted from negative discipline may continue in later development. Corporal physical discipline in early childhood is related to increase in childrens behavior problems which would more likely to show in later years (Alink et al., 2009). Children learn to be aggressive through social learning theory (Bandura, 1973), they are also reinforced to use negative behavior to get parents attention (Alink et al., 2009) Conclusion Externalizing behaviors have great consequences to childrens eventual developmental pathway in their future. Research over the years has tried to determine how different factors contribute in deviant children behavior. Many factors can be added to the risks for externalizing antisocial behavior. Not only personal factors, risks from school, but also family factors, such as parenting style, parent-child relationship, parents marital relationship are also very influencing factors on child behavior problems. In sum, negative parenting is evitable in enabling poor child behavior, it is worthwhile to go into the family context and study the effect of parenting style to children behavior problem.

Automobile in History Essay

The United States as a country was founded upon simple fundamental guidelines that have allowed for us to become a leading power in the world. These guidelines have been rapidly evolving and expanding to allow them to remain relevant in the world around us. An obvious example of this rapid change and adaptation is the introduction of the car into everyday American life. It is well known that cars were invented prior to the Model T, but the Model T was the first car capable of being mass produced and affordable to Americans with proper fiscal management (Kyvig 47). With this breakthrough by Henry Ford people were becoming more connected than ever and the manufacturing while simultaneously creating an entire new element in the world of business. Once the people were equipped with the ability to drive the nation forward in all regards, they did exactly that. With the mass production and use of the Model T the United States improved greatly within our own economy, leisurely drives and motor sports were derived from the traditional use of the car, and the car soon became a mark of status within American society. Starting in the late 1700’s, European engineers began tinkering with motor powered vehicles. Steam, combustion, and electrical motors had all been attempted by the mid 1800’s. By the 1900’s, it was uncertain which type of engine would power the automobile. At first, the electric car was the most popular, but at the time a battery did not exist that would allow a car to move with much speed or over a long distance. Even though some of the earlier speed records were set by electric cars, they did not stay in production past the first decade of the 20th century. The steam-driven automobile lasted into 1920’s. However, the price on steam powered engines, either to build or maintain was incomparable to the gas powered engines. Not only was the price a problem, but the risk of a boiler explosion also kept the steam engine from becoming popular. The combustion engine continually beat out the competition, and the early American automobile pioneers like Ransom E. Olds and Henry Ford built reliable combustion engines, rejecting the ideas of steam or electrical power from the start. Automotive production on a commercial scale started in France in 1890. Commercial production in the United States began at the beginning of the 1900’s and was equal to that of Europe’s. In those days, the European industry consisted of small independent firms that would turn out a few cars by means of precise engineering and handicraft methods. The American automobile plants were assembly line operations, which meant using parts made by independent suppliers and putting them together at the plant. In the early 1900’s, the United States had about 2,000 firms producing one or more cars. By 1920 the number of firms had decreased to about 100 and by 1929 to 44. In 1976 the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association had only 11 members. The same situation occurred in Europe and Japan. The first automobile produced for the masses in the US was the three-horsepower, curved-dash Oldsmobile; 425 of them were sold in 1901 and 5,000 in 1904–this model is still prized by collectors. The firm prospered, and it was noted by others, and, from 1904 to 1908, 241 automobile-manufacturing firms went into business in the United States. One of these was the Ford Motor Company which was organized in June 1903, and sold its first car on the following July 23. The company produced 1,700 cars during its first full year of business. Henry Ford produced the Model T to be an economical car for the average American. By 1920 Ford sold over a million cars. It is a well known fact that the Model T was the byproduct of a much larger scheme; it was the first manufactured good that utilized the assembly line (Kyvig 78). The assembly line has proven to be one of the most significant factors in American manufacturing throughout time. This revolutionary introduction into the business world allowed for the expansions of industry into parts of the country it had never been able to touch before (American Decades 84). By incorporating these techniques into his company the term Fordinomics was coined (Anonymous 1). The implemention of this Fordinomics was simple focus on your small portion and in the end put it all together for cheaper and better quality (Anonymous 1). This specific assembly line allowed for two key components of the manufacturing market to be vastly improved in a very short amount of time. It can be observed that the more obvious of the two is the simple efficiency of the assembly line and much less strenuous work it brought. The other is the production of the car and its use in shipping efforts. Prior to this time shipping was solely in the hands of the railroad industry, but no longer. This monopoly that was broken by this introduction thrust the United States into a position of potential economic greatness. The greatness was achieved through thoroughly spread pockets of manufacturing in key cities around the country. Within this pockets were always massive urban centers to allow for the full potential of this newly discovered manufacturing style to be maximized (Kyvig 105). By implanting this new style into the heart of industry Americans were now receiving more steady incomes, thus allowing the purchase of more of the goods they themselves were producing. This style of production utilized first with the Model T was utilized by the United States military to amass more and more supplies for the armed forces. Throughout World War 1 the assembly line was utilized to quickly and efficiently resupply our overseas troops in the most cost effective way possible (American Decades 132). Henry Ford has single handedly thrust the United States into a position of opportunity through his ingenious style of production matched with the most basic form of the car. With the car now being used as a more practical tool rather than just a luxury available to the most upper class of people, it slowly became a necessity in the life of many Americans. The introduction of the car was not only beneficial to the American consumer, but to consumerism as a whole. It allowed for every aspect of consumerism to be fully maximized to every last detail from raw product to shipping the completed products across the nation. Today cars are what make coming and going from work, school, and other commitments possible for us in our lives, our ability to succeed as a country has been established through this tradition of motor vehicles that was instilled upon us by Henry Ford. When the car was made readily available to the American public they turned it into a form of entertainment. It began with the casual Sunday drives that most car owners practice once they were in possession of a vehicle (Hanss 2). These causal drives were established as an escape from what people were seeing every day, going ten miles from their home was uncommon prior to the introduction of the car. These allowed people to begin to be more ambitious in their opportunities to leave the traditional home and go out into the unknown world to fulfill their dreams. The dreams of people were more often than not farfetched and highly unlikely, yet they seemed to be sought after more than any other thing in America. The car was device beginning to be seen not only for its economic benefits, but for the simple joy that could be found within the fundamental concept of going faster than the human body is intended to. The first automobile race in the United States was held in Chicago in 1895 on Thanksgiving Day (Harding 39). This race was prior to the availability of a car to the common public solely due to too high of prices. Due to this beginning of racing before the access to cars was affordable for the common American family it can be assumed that the urge to own a car was heightened. Now the car has effectively proved to be another source of entertainment to the American people. With the taste of what a car is capable of doing the rapid expansion racing into an entire industry came shortly after. Soon after the end of World War 2 there were about six different types of cars dedicated to racing alone (Harding 135). The American people had found a very simple escape from everyday life in the form of watching races. There was something about the way the cars sounded, or the cheering of drivers that allowed people to make a connection with this new sport and become mesmerized by its blinding speeds and incredible skill set required. The infatuation with racing swept across the nation like something never seen before, and to this very day the affects of this infatuation can be seen in NASCAR and other racing based professional sports leagues in the United States (Benzkofer 1) The car originally intended as a tool, like a wrench of screwdriver, to simply accomplish tasks one cannot complete without the require tool has become a symbol for more than just that. The car was a sign of prestige and accomplishment coincided with a dose of arrogance that could not go unseen when talking in terms of someone else’s money (American Decades 84). With the use of the car as a sign of accomplishment and success came the need create images for celebrities and political figures to ensure they were valued, respected, and cherished. It was necessary to create these images to portray to the public the stability and prosperity in times of doubt (Kyvig 49). Your car was also the stamp given that labeled your mark in society, if you were in possession of a car prior to 1905 then you most likely were a wealthy person, but after the creation of the Model T it was much more common to see people in possession of vehicles thus creating a new way of judging and labeling each other. Throughout the life of vehicles there has always been a message sent to potential owners that the looks and appearance of the car is vastly more important than it actually is. Over exploitation of human nature to want to best has forced the car into a position of losing efficiency for trendy looks. By the 1940s there were hundreds of different makes and models to choose from (Harding 124). The plethora of decisions to be made during the purchase of a vehicle was absurd, from the color of the inner lining of the tires to the type of materials used to create the interiors of the car. The car had been developed into a device of status, income, and prestige in society rather the it’s intended purpose of being a tool that made basic jobs and tasks easier to accomplish. The automobile is arguably one of the most influential inventions to ever hit the United States. It brought with it several different political, economic, and social changes to society. Politically the car was a sign of power and accomplishment, without a beautiful car you were nobody. The development of the Model T and the assembly line thrust the United States into a manufacturing economy allowing growth and prosperity. With the introduction of higher speeds and travel came the leisure side of cars in racing. Racing was an outlet for many Americans when times began getting rough. In all, the automobile is a blessing bestowed upon the world allowing us all to advance and become more efficient in the way we conduct our lives. Word Count= 1957 Works Cited Anonymous, â€Å"Ford to Own Ships, Make Tires, Extend $5 A Day Schedule† in New York Times, 10 August, 1914. Dearborn Michigan, August 1914 Stephan Benzkofer, â€Å"Zoom Town† in Chicago Tribune, 12 September, 2012. Chicago Michigan, September 2012 Daniele Hanns, â€Å"Socioeconomic affects of cars in the 1950’s† Journal of Social/Economic History 2, no. 1 (2003) David Kyvig, â€Å"Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1940: How Americans Live Through the â€Å"Roaring Twenties† and the Great Depression† Library Journal 129, no. 12 (2001) Parker, Dorothy. American Decades: 1900-1909. 1st ed. 7. New York: Random House, 2001. Print. Harding, Elizabeth. â€Å"Henry Ford. † SIRS Decades. ProQuest, 12 Aug. 2006. Web. 28 Nov. 2012.

Getting the Best Term Paper Samples Pdf

Getting the Best Term Paper Samples Pdf The Importance of Term Paper Samples Pdf If you get a present term paper assigned to you that has to be carried out by the conclusion of the semester, elect for something which is up-to-date and entertaining enough for your teacher to keep on reading. Ask the professor questions regarding the assignment if you're unclear. Reading through a few such samples permit you to comprehend the principal guidelines for term paper writing. Essay writing examples in doc format like the ones given may help direct you in writing a very good composition. Sample term papers ought to be strictly weighed side by side with the matter of plagiarism. It's quite beneficial to read a good example term paper, or two, before you commence writing your own, especially, if they're related or have similar topics. A term paper formatted in the APA style attempts to demonstrate something which has been demonstrated to be true and it must be cited previously or present perfect tense. Up in Arms About Term Paper Samples Pdf? A good way to learn is to find a checked sample from a dependable source to use as a reference when writing. Your paper includes lots of things, but the info you provide about your study is going to be addressed in every one of the sections in diverse ways. There are dozens and dozens of expert writers that are readily available to supply you with good samples fitting your topic. When you haven't any yet, then i t is going to be better for you to hunt for any examples and samples of works to fully grasp the method by which the work needs to be completed and formatted. Some men and women claim they can write a term paper with no planning. Are you trying hard to find quality writers. The increasing number of essay writing services is totally overwhelming. My selection of a pharmaceutical career was on no account arbitrary. Term paper writing is among the absolute most responsible tasks that students have to fulfill during the analysis in the greater educational institutions. The custom made research papers assignments are supplied to the student and they normally account to the last grade. Getting in a position to compose an essay is a crucial part of any students education. Term paper formats can change between colleges and possibly even instructors. A different way to produce fantastic topic suggestions for your psychology term paper is to explore some renowned psychological exp eriments. Sample of the way to compose an essay outline to show you just how to compose an essay outline here is a good example of the format. Term paper topics for psychology don't need to be a drag to produce. Figuring out what you would like your paper to research is the initial step in writing a strong introduction. What the In-Crowd Won't Tell You About Term Paper Samples Pdf From a good example term paper, you're able to learn many essential things. If you get a strong outline and you've got a specific goal in mind, it will be simple to refer to it when you might get stuck somewhere in the center of the paper. A great example may be chocolate. As you are going to learn from looking through any great research paper example, writing a good paper involves so far more than simply throwing a whole lot of text and citations into a word processor and hoping for the very best. Place an order for any sort of research paper you demand. It's absolutely not possible to say that one part of the expression paper is more essential that the other one. The biggest aspect of the expression paper format is the major body. It is also a universal standard for all academic papers and the rules and regulations have to be taken into consideration. Writing a term paper may not be called a simple job that it why many students attempt to locate expert aid in the web to realize how a prosperous paper resembles. Don't be afraid to request a sample MLA literary research paper if you discover that you can't work out the assignment by yourself. The subject of your paper and the selected literature needs to be adjacent. Thus every student must understand how to cite a paper and apply the mandatory citation style format. Choosing Term Paper Samples Pdf Becoming able to compose an essay is a crucial part of any educational system, but simply listing ideas in a linear fashion might not always be sufficient. Make sure you locate relevant information only, and search for the legitimate argument to strengthen your position. The reference list ought to be alphabetized. Before you may begin trying to find a topic for your paper, it is necessary to first consider the requirements or guidelines your instructor has established.

The Godfather by Mario Puzo Review - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 3147 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/09/19 Category Literature Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? 1. Puzo, Mario. The Godfather. New York, New York, USA: Signet, 1969. 2. The title of the book, The Godfather, is a reference to one of the main characters, Don Vito Corleone. The position of Godfather in the Italian Community is one of great respect, admiration, and affection. Don Vito Corleone is given this title by many as a sign of respect for the favors that he does as well for his cunning, power, and influence. 3. The major conflict of the novel concerns Don Vito Corleone and his youngest son Michael. As the Corleones become engaged in a mob war against four of the other five major crime families of New York, Michael against his intent finds himself succeeding Vito as head of the Corleone Family. The story begins at Connie Corleone’s wedding to Carlo Rizzi at which her father (Vito), Tom Hagen (the soon-to-be Consigliere), and Santino Corleone (Vito’s oldest son and the Underboss) are attending to the family business upstairs. Michael arrives with hi s girl friend Kay Adams (a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant), and during the festivities Michael explains to Kay about his family and their involvement in organized crime and how he’s not like them and wants to live a legitimate life. Unlike Tom, who is an adopted son, and Fredo and Santino who are both biological sons of Vito, Michael is treated as a civilian by the mob world as a result of his refusal to be involved in the family business. Soon afterwards, Vito refuses to involve the Corleone Family in the finance and protection of a drug smuggling operation headed by Virgil â€Å"The Turk† Sollozzo who is backed by the Barzini and Tattaglia Families. This launches the family into a mob war as Vito’s best soldier, Luca Brasi, is murdered and an attempt to assassinate Vito are carried out by Sollozzo’s men. Vito survives the attempt but is badly hurt and as a result, Sonny temporarily takes control of the family. While visiting Vito in the hospital, Mi chael discovers that the guards who were hired to protect his father were not there and he was thus vulnerable to another assassination attempt. Following this, we learn that all Michael wants is to be out, to live his own life, but he also realizes his obligation to the family while Vito is incapacitated. For the first time, out of concern for his father and family, he takes what amounts to involvement in the family business as he stands outside the hospital with one of his father’s friends pretending to be a guard holding a gun in order to scare-off the would be assassins until Sonny and Tom send help. He then grills a crooked cop named McCluskey about the reasons why his father is left unguarded, and McCluskey punches him smashing one side of his face. Luckily for both Michael and Vito, it is then that Tom arrives with men to guard Vito and is able to take care of a now unconscious Michael as well as use his legal expertise to thwart McCluskey’s efforts against t he family for the night. It is revealed that McCluskey works for Sollozzo using his position as a Police Captain to aid Sollozzo’s drug rackets as well as serving as Sollozzo’s personal bodyguard. After a discussion with the higher ranking members of the family, it’s decided that for the safety of Vito and for the good of the family (and the family business), Michael would have to kill Sollozzo and McCluskey. He arranges to meet McCluskey and Sollozzo at a small Italian Restaurant to negotiate a peace. At the meeting, the Corleone family plants a gun in the bathroom which Michael uses to kill both men. He then flees to Sicily, wear Vito was born, where he hides with Vito’s associate Don Tommasino. A mob war begins in New York between the Corleones and the other four of the five families, primarily the Barzini and Tattaglia families. While Michael is still in Sicily, Santino is killed. Vito, though for the most part recovered, rises from his sick bed to reassume head of the family. He calls together the heads of the major mob families. There he compromises and makes the peace, swearing of vengeance for Sonny’s murder on the condition that Michael is allowed to return to New York unharmed. As Sonny is dead, Vito is old, Freddie is incompetent, and Tom Hagen is adopted and not Sicilian, Michael assumes the head of the Corleone Family. Though succession isn’t necessarily by family lines, Michael had already gotten involved in the business when he killed Sollozzo. Following his excursion to Italy, he gained a greater understanding of his father and a different opinion of the criminal activities of the family business. He feels an obligation to his father and to the family and easily the most adept to take over the family. He admires his father and takes over the business for what it offers, respect and power. But he disdains it for what it doesn’t offer legitimacy. Michael’s one great goal is to le gitimize the Corleone Family Business. When he proposes to Kay, he says that he intends to legitimize the family business within 5 years. Vito Corleone semi-retires and acts as his son’s Consigliere. During that time they plan to abandon the family’s holdings in New York (handing them over to their Caporegimes, Tessio and Clemenza) and move the family operations to Nevada and start getting into the gambling and hotel business. When Vito dies, it is perceived that the Corleone Family’s power died with it as Michael is perceived weak. However in a brilliant plan he kills Tattaglia and Barzini as well as traitors within the Corleone family such as the Caporegime Tessio and his own brother-in-law, Carol Rizzi. Following this move, he solidifies his power as head of the Corleone Family, and the power of the Corleone Family as the most powerful family in New York and possibly the nation. But with this move, as you see him being greeted by his followers as Don Micha el Corleone, you realize that he has lost his conflict. Throughout the novel, Vito seems at peace with his role as Don, it seems the opposite for Michael. Originally he is burdened by his family’s involvement in crime and in the very end he finds himself burdened by his role as Don. He has betrayed one of his basic natures, for the other. Rather than forging a destiny for himself away from the family business, he forges a destiny for himself that he never wanted, following his father as head of the Corleone Crime Family. 4. The protagonist of The Godfather is Michael Corleone. He is described as having straight jet black hair, an olive-brown skin tone, and a â€Å"delicate† handsomeness. Puzo describes Michael as having â€Å"all the quiet force and intelligence of his great father, the born instinct to act in such a way that men had no recourse to respect him. † Though the most obvious character trait about Michael is his ruthlessness, as exemplified of h is ability to kill anyone in cold blood if it’s justifiable and his insatiable thirst for vengeance, Michael has various other traits that when combined with his ruthlessness makes him a formidable force. Michael is incredibly intelligent. Nothing exemplifies this more than the beauty of the plan that he executes at the end of the book. In order to gain the respect he needed to be Don and to consolidate the power of the Corleone Crime Family following his father’s death, Michael and Vito devise an ingenious plan to put into action. In order to consolidate his power and make his bones as a Don, Michael ordered a series of calculated killings: Moe Greene the casino owner who stood in the family’s way of establishing its business holdings in Nevada, Barzini and Tattaglia the heads of the two families who were their greatest rivals in New York, Salvatore Tessio, Carlo Rizzi, and Fabrizzio who had all committed treachery against the Corleone Family. In the chao s that followed Michael was able unleash the regimes of his capos, Rocco Lampone and Pete Clemenza upon the infiltrators of the Corleone domains. In one fell swoop, he re-established the Corleone family as the most powerful crime family in New York and possibly the nation, solidified his position as the unquestioned leader of the Corleone family, and paved the way to move the Corleone family’s business interests out west. One of the abilities that best serve Michael as Don is his decisiveness. Michael has a unique ability to think clearly under fire, make sound decisions and stick by them. Nowhere is this more evident than in the crisis following the assassination attempt on Vito by Sollozzo. When visiting at the hospital and realizing that the lack of guards left Vito vulnerable to another attack, Michael immediately calls Sonny who gets Tom to bring men over. In the mean time, he and his father’s well wisher, Enzo the baker, fake being armed protectors of the hosp ital in order to ward of the assassins temporarily until help came. Also, it is Michael who realizes that Sollozzo wouldn’t rest until Vito was killed. As a result, he made the decision to be the one sent to negotiate for they wouldn’t suspect them, and he made the decision to be the one to kill Sollozzo and McCluskey. This was a well thought out and decisive action. He refused to be swayed and in the end he managed to convince Tom, Sonny, and the capos to go along with the plan. In the long run, Michael being out of country would be a liability to the Corleone family, in the short run it turned out to be not only a esirable but necessary tactical move. One of Michael Corleone’s most powerful personality traits is his presence. Michael, like his father, possessed the unique presence that commanded respect from both his enemies and friends. Just like his father managed to control a fearsome monster like Luca Brasi, a man who did not fear even death, Michael wa s able to control his own Luca Brasi in Al Neri. The key here was his presence. His ability to make man who did not even fear death, respect and fear him. It was not by his physical stature, power, or influence that he was able to do this, it was by his presence. His presence was essentially his ability to command a room and demand respect. This is exemplified at the very end of the book when Michael is given the respect he has earned as Don from his capos as Kay is â€Å"reminded of statues in Rome, statues of those Roman emperors of antiquity, who, by divine right, held the power of life and death over their fellow men. † 5. The Setting: a) The Years of 1945-1955. There are also flashbacks of Vito’s early life. b) Duration: 10 Years c) Most of the story is set in New York. However there are parts of the story set in Sicily and Nevada. d) The action occurs for the most part in New York. e) Most of the characters of the story are Sicilian-American Immigrants and have connections with the mafia, in particular the Corleone crime family. 6. The theme of the book is Don Vito’s quote, â€Å"A man only has one destiny. † Both Vito and Michael faced the question of respect versus legitimacy. Vito, above all things prized respect while Michael on the other hand was a proponent of legitimacy. Both Vito and Michael envisioned him with a future in the legitimate world, unburdened by the family business. However, following the assassination attempt on Vito and Michael’s subsequent involvement in the family business in the interests of his father’s welfare, he altered the course of his destiny and permanently tied it to the family business. As a result of his actions he not only becomes part of the family, but the death of Sonny and the incompetence of Fredo leads to him becoming he heir to Don Vito’s vast criminal empire. Although both he and his father had imagined him living a life in the legitimate world, fulfil ling his destiny there, many had already assumed that he would be the one to succeed his father as Don even before his involvement in the family business. Michael’s one destiny was tied to his family, to its business, and to his role as Vito’s heir. Vito’s primary concern as a Don was with respect, he requires respect from everyone around him out of fear or in return for favors. Respect forms the backbone of the social structure of a Mafia family hierarchy for it establishes power relationships and functions as part of an exchange system. Michael’s concern however is with the legitimacy of the family. He wants to be free of criminality and immorality and in the beginning he tries to do this by distancing himself by the family. However when he becomes part of the family business, he is deluded into thinking that he can legitimize the family, to turn it into an operation that does not require murder, bribery, extortion, gambling, prostitution, and drugs to make money. The author wants the reader to understand that no matter how much power a man possesses, he cannot change his destiny for he only has one. When Michael got involved with the family business, at that moment he was destined to be associated with it and this eventually led to his ascension to head of the family. By doing this chose a destiny based on the respect that his father valued rather than the legitimacy that he valued. This is because a Mafia hierarchy is built on respect and legitimacy does not play an essential role. Despite all his power as head of the family, it becomes clear by the end that he cannot change his destiny. The task of turning the Corleone crime family into a legitimate entity is genuinely impossible and in reality the opposite happens. As much as he tries to convince himself that he can turn the family legitimate, he becomes as illegitimate as the family. He cast his one destiny with the Corleone crime family, and despite all the power he wielded, he could not alter it. 7. Then with a profound and deeply willed desire to believe, to be heard, as she had done every day since the murder of Carlo Rizzi, she said the necessary prayers for the soul of Michael Corleone. † This sentence is more than appropriate as the last sentence of the book, it is brilliant. With this sentence Puzo brings the book to a fitting conclusion. It marks Michael’s transformation from the beginning to the end and the fulfillment of his destiny. The book starts with him telling Kay how he wasn’t like his family and how he wasn’t like his father. As the book progresses and out of necessity and then out of free will he gets involved with his family’s business, he becomes more and more like his father. At the very end Michael fulfills his one destiny by succeeding his father as head of the Corleone family. Not only that, but he has gone through a complete reversal from the beginning of the book when he refuses t o be a man like his father as by book’s close, he is a man exactly like his father. Puzo subtly alludes to all of this with the simple act of Kay converted to Catholicism and praying for Michael’s eternal soul. This is almost an exact correlation to earlier in the book when Kay asks Michael’s mother, Mama Corleone, why she goes to church every morning and Mama Corleone essentially says that she goes to pray for Vito’s soul to keep it from going to hell. This shows that Kay has come to terms with what Michael does for a living, has settled into her role as an Italian wife, and out of love fears for his immortal soul. Michael has become Vito. 8. The novel is based upon the workings of the mind rather than the heart. Throughout the book, the workings of the mind are stressed above the workings of the heart. Vito always preaches that reason is the best approach to any situation. This is a philosophy that Vito uses and that Michael employs as well. To a certain extent, his proposal to Kay sounded more like a business proposal than one that was heartfelt and she needed to prompt him to show some emotion. But most importantly, one of the major themes in the book is that â€Å"It’s business, not personal. † The way that most of the male major characters look at situations is a clear divide between the personal life and what they do as a living. They dictate their actions and words based upon what would be best for â€Å"business† purposes. This essentially beyond being a good form of policy for an effective crime organization was also a rationale in which they would subdue their feelings of guilt with acceptable justification. 9. The character that I most associate myself with is Vito. In the book there are very few characters that I can really relate to based upon life experiences. However in views on life, I feel I most resemble Vito. I agree with a lot of what he says. I agree with his idea that there should be a distinction between business and personal matters. I also agree that above all, reason is the key to dealing with any situation. I also identify with his manner of going about business. Vito’s plans always rather than relying on elements such as ruthlessness, rely on cunning. His intent is always to outsmart his opponents and it seems that he always manages to stay one step ahead of the competition. 10. If Michael Corleone were a girl, the novel would be completely different. In the world of the Mafia, men and women live in vastly different realms as men handle the responsibilities of business and winning the bread for the family while women tend to the home and children. Men don’t discuss business with women and women don’t question the judgment of the men. Men can’t afford to be careless; however women are allowed to be both careless and carefree. So if Michael was a woman, he would probably be regulated to a Connie styled role. His importan ce business wise within the family would be dependent upon his husband but for the most part he would not play a major part in much of anything, let alone head of one of the most powerful crime families in the nation. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Godfather by: Mario Puzo Review" essay for you Create order