Working Memory and Its Benefits Essay - 2434 Words

What makes our everyday life very simple? What helps us to know what is happening now, what we are thinking now and what we are doing now? We are aware of the present moment or any changes in this moment, and this ability helps us in functioning effectively to face immediate environmental changes in our everyday life. This ability is called the Working Memory. The term working memory was coined by Miller, Galanter, and Pribram in 1960 (Baddeley, 2003). It refers to the temporary storage in the brain for manipulation of necessary information to execute cognitive tasks. According to Baddeley and Hitch’s study (1974), working memory comprises three main components, a control system, the central executive and two storage systems, the†¦show more content†¦During their study, these researchers found that blind participants performed higher than the sighted control group in a number of auditory, tactile and olfactory tasks ranging from basic sensory up to higher levels of co gnitive tasks. According to a study by Muchnik, Efrati, Nemeth, Malin and Hildesheimer (1991) found that blind participants outperformed sighted participants in auditory tasks. Similar results were noted by Alary, Duquette, Goldstein, Elaine, Voss, Buissonniere-Ariza and Lepore (2009) for tactile tasks. Other researchers also found similar results for olfactory perceptual discrimination (Cuevas, Plaza, Rombaux, Volder Renier, 2009), auditory localization (Lessard, Pare, Lepore and Lassonde, 1998), speech perception (Muchnik et. al, 1991), temporal perception (Muchnik et. al, 1991), voice processing (Klinge, RÃ" §der Bà ¼chel, 2010b) and short term (Bliss, Kujala Hamalinen, 2004) -long term memory tasks(Amedi, Raz, Pianka, Malach Zohary, 2003). These researches were done to understand intramodal plasticity and intermodal plasticity. The understanding of these modal will help in explaining how different neural mechanisms contribute to behavioral compensation including changes within the intact modality systems and changes that cross modality boundaries. For example, a study by Matteau, Kupers, Ricciardi, Pietrini and Ptito (2010) observed that visual deprivation can lead to higherShow MoreRelatedThe Effect Of Video Training On Brain Training Essay1521 Words   |  7 Pagesbrain training while normal people are looking towards brain training as a way to improve their performance and get a leg up on the competition in school, work, and life. Up until recently, it was believed that the brain was unchangeable in terms of memory capacity. Researchers were well aware of the fact that the brain is capable of changing and forming new connections when brain damage occurs. However, the idea that humans can train their brains to be mo re efficient and stronger seemed like a far-fetchedRead MoreThe Effects Of Training On Brain Training Essay1478 Words   |  6 Pagesof brain training while normal people are looking to brain training as a way to improve their performance and get a leg up on the competition in school, work, and life. Up until recently, it was believed that the brain was unchangeable in terms of memory capacity. Researchers were well aware of the fact that the brain can change and form new connections when brain damage occurs. However, the idea that humans can train their brains to be more efficient and stronger seemed like a far-fetched cry fromRead MoreThe Effects Of Working Memory On Decision Making Of Heroin Addicts And Healthy Controls Essay1123 Words   |  5 PagesThe current paper examined the effects of working memory on decision making in cocaine addicts and healthy controls. As expected, we found that cocaine addicts exhibited decreased decision making performance compared to the healthy controls. Additionally, working memory was demonstrated to decrease decision making performance among participants. However, the combined effects of working memory and addiction on decision making resulted in an interaction. These findings support results from prior studiesRead MoreThe Mechanics of Consciousness1571 Words   |  6 PagesConsciousness it is a state of awareness on both the external and internal actions and reaction toward different stimulus. Consciousness has greater impacts on our daily life and could influence survival of different organisms that lives on planet earth. The benefits is that it offers protection as it control the self .Consciousness regulate what we think and the reaction that we respond to the different experiences that we undergo on daily basis. Also, it allows us to either allow a thought or respond or terminatingRead MoreChildhood Cognitive Development And Exercise1351 Words   |  6 Pagesphysical development, exercise can also be linked to c hildren’s cognitive skills (Santrock, 2016). It can have benefits for children’s memory, attention, and future cognitive performance. One way in which researchers have shown that exercise can benefit cognitive skills is with children’s memory. A study by Kamijo et al. showed that physical activity can improve working memory. Working memory, as defined by Santrock, is where â€Å"individuals manipulate and assemble information when they make decisionsRead MoreThe Disadvantages Of The Bilingual Advantage929 Words   |  4 Pagesinternational studies on the subject, which indicate that the ability to use more than one language brings an individual a considerable advantage.† Research on the subject seems to indicate that in fact there are plenty of benefits of speaking multiple languages, specifically relating to working memory and thus executive function, spawning the phrase â€Å"the bilingual advantage,† however there are also some drawbacks. Music and math are both thought to incur various advantages to young learners, which is no surpriseRead MoreAn Advanced Placement Calculus Class Of 21 Students With 17 Of Them Ell992 Words   |  4 Pagesdesks out for smaller individual sized desks and situate them in a large circle shape around the room. The students could then work with the people on either side of them and it would also help eliminate excess noise. The teacher would have the added benefit of being able to monitor her students without having to narrowly slide in between the desks. How does this relate to how you see yourself as a teacher? Schools are often short on funding and it is very possible that I will have limited space forRead MoreMemory and Human Survival1544 Words   |  7 PagesAs a result Tom has been experiencing many difficulties, in particular with his memory. Memory refers to the mental capacity to retain information and convert it into a form that can be stored and retrieved at a later time. Storing and retrieving memories involves passing information from one stage to the next and then retrieving that information from long-term memory. (Burton, Westen Kowalski, 2012, p.261) Memory is an integral part of human survival and without it, learning new skills, suchRead MoreEffects Of Marijuana On The Human Body1241 Words   |  5 Pageshas on the human body when used. Marijuana has a major influence on the memory part of a brain. There are many parts to a person’s memory and the use of marijuana impacts all of them. Although there are many beneficial effects of marijuana, the harmful effects of marijuana on the memory outweigh the overall benefits. Current research provides plenty of evidence that proposes that there are real effects of marijuana on memory. In Webster’s dictionary, marijuana is defined as â€Å"the dried leaves andRead MoreDamage And Frontal Lobe Impact On Cognitive Function1533 Words   |  7 PagesDamage to Daves Frontal lobe Damage to Dave s frontal lobe could be having an impact on his cognitive function with deficits in the areas of memory, social skills and attention. Stuss (2011) states that memory is one of the functions of the frontal lobe; it could be the case that Dave’s injury has affected his procedural memory. Furthermore Vecera and Rizzo (2004) argue that social attention involves frontal lobe processes such eye gaze cues to allocate attention, again damage to this area of

Analysis Of George Orwell s 1984 - 1029 Words

Imagine a world where everything you knew had to be forgotten, and you knew nothing more then what was being told to you. In George Orwell’s book 1984 this is exactly the case. Winston Smith, a middle aged man, lives a life already planned for him. Smith works at the Ministry of Truth rewriting the news and other articles to follow the teachings of Big Brother. Big Brother is the leader of Oceania, one of three world powers, and aims to rewrite the past to control the present. Oceania is separated into three separate castes: the Inner party, the Outer party, and the proles. Winston is part of the Outer party, or the middle class. The Inner party is the leading rich class and the proles are the lower, poorer class. While most characters follow the rules and accept the ideas of the society, others are very unorthodox. 1984, by George Orwell, has three noticeably unorthodox characters: Winston Smith, Julia, and O’ Brien. Winston Smith is a tremendously unorthodox person. He always questions the world around him, and wonders what is real and what is not real. Smith’s mind is not under the control of Big Brother, like the other citizens. Winston Smith is able to draw bits and pieces of information from his past, but it is hard for him to keep facts straight because of the facts are constantly changing: â€Å" I remember that until a week before I was arrested, we were not at war with Eastasia at all. We were in alliance with them† (Orwell 311). Smith notices that the past again hasShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of George Orwell s 1984848 Words   |  4 PagesCritical Analysis In the George Orwell’s novel 1984, much of the society is watched and have no privacy of any kind. Every person in the Party is under surveillance. In effect, these people cannot live freely and independently, but it seems to be an impossible task because of of the Party surveillance, and how they limit thinking and manipulate reality. We can similarly see these concerns and their effects in today s society and the ways the novel also acts as a warning for the future. In 1984 a manRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s 19841423 Words   |  6 PagesIn the novel 1984 by George Orwell, the Party has many strategies and tactics that help them have complete control of the people of Oceania. The control the Party has maintained gives them the ability to manipulate people as a result. The Party takes away the people’s freedom to have a say in their government and become their own person. They use their power to an extreme against the people rather than to help the people. The Party takes advantage of every opportunity to instill fear in the citizensRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s 1984 949 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"1984† is a story which takes place in what was then the future of England. The book illustrates a dystopian society in which a government figure named â€Å"Big Brother† rules above all. The country is surrounded by eyes so to speak, devices called â€Å"telescreens† are in houses and buildings to monitor wha t all of the citizens are doing via camera. Coupled with that is the existence of the â€Å"Thought Police† whose sole job is to monitor citizens from committing â€Å"thoughtcrime† which is essentially thinkingRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s 1984 923 Words   |  4 Pages1984, is a book written by George Orwell giving the reader a view of what a dystopian government would be like. The government of Oceania controls the lives of it’s citizens; posters of a figure known as â€Å"Big Brother† are seen all over and emphasize that he is always watching it’s citizens. The government enforces rules and regulations amongst it’s citizens, restricting them from giving their own opinion or even opposing the government. Thoughtcrime, face crime, and double think are all strictlyRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s 19841450 Words   |  6 PagesThose familiar with George Orwell’s â€Å"1984† will recall that â€Å"Newspeak was de signed not to extend but to diminish the range of thought.† I recently felt the weight of this Orwellian ethos when many of my students sent emails to inform me, and perhaps warn me, that my name appears on the Professor Watchlist, a new website created by a conservative youth group known as Turning Point USA. I could sense the gravity in those email messages, a sense of relaying what is to come. The Professor Watchlist’sRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s 19841377 Words   |  6 Pagesvarious types of governments, such include democracy, oligarchy, and more specifically, totalitarian. A totalitarian government gains extensive amounts of control and power over all of their people, and dominate over every aspect of their lives. George Orwell’s â€Å"1984,† conveys to its readers how the government presented totalitarianism and obtained control over their citizens. This action by the government compares to the massacre of the Holocaust, which portrayed the act of totalitarianism by aiming discriminationRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s 1984 Essay1127 Words   |  5 Pagesfirst civilizations of mankind, yet it is difficult find one that is perfect even till today. George Orwell shows an example of this within 1984. 1984 was written based on what Orwell thought the g overnment would be like in 1984. He used his personal knowledge and experience with the government to create his story. The setting of 1984 is set in a superstate where there is a totalitarian government. Within 1984 and the 21st century one major key stands out: corruption rules both governments. Trust isRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s 19841026 Words   |  5 PagesIn 1984, by George Orwell violence contributed to the plot by having three stages of reintegration. The stages are to learn, understand, and to accept, Winston was forced to learn that 2+2=5 under torture, understanding that the party is good, and seeks power for its own. Winston accepts and understands the Party and Big Brother as soon as Winston wishes the burden of torture on someone else who he loves, and to learn that Big Brother is eternal and that 2+2=5, Winston then is committed and loyalRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s 1984 1122 Words   |  5 Pagesfreedom. A growing debate concerning Orwell’s 1984 relevancy is quickly on the rise. Orwell’s fear of a totalitarian society led him to write this book as he lived during the totalitarian movement in Russia. The fear of a totalitarian society spreading sparked his fear and wrote this book to make people understand that it is not benef icial to society. I feel that with the the National Security Agency in the United States, the issue and relevancy of 1984 has never been higher. The public is discoveringRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s 1984 1608 Words   |  7 Pagespossibility of intrusion that makes one ask themselves, how close is our society to becoming one where every action is monitored? How close is the idea of western civilization to becoming a police state, such as in North Korea, or the one in George Orwell’s novel, ‘1984’? North American society is drifting towards becoming a police state at an ever increasing rate. This is shown in how North Americans are slowly losing their rights, the police force acting above the law, and the monitoring of citizens

Great Expectations And Family Relations Essay Example For Students

Great Expectations And Family Relations Essay Charles Dickens remains one of the most prominent and certainly the most commercially successful literary artist of nineteenth century England. In addition, Dickens enjoyed a large readership in America. The author’s success on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean stems from his entertaining literary style and his deep respect for social values and the human condition he encountered and incorporated into his writing. Dickens was a prolific writer who drew upon his personal experiences and integrated a certain comic pathos in his writing to delight his reading audience. Dickens can be aptly termed a chronicler of English life as his novels and stories accurately reflect various societal ills and joys of both urban and suburban England. Indeed, his novels and stories continue to amuse and sadden readers of all ages today. This unit will attempt to introduce Charles Dickens and his work to middle school students. The primary focus of this unit is to examine Great Expectations as a novel rich in familial relationships. The novel will be read and studied as a myriad of interacting families, and hopefully these insights will be suitably translated to my students in such a manner as to heighten their awareness of familial relationships they encounter on a daily basis. Great Expectations will allow my students to experience glimpses of nineteenth century English family life as Dickens most capably perceived it. The questions and concerns evoked by the novel will also cause the students to reflect upon family concerns of twentieth century America. Although Dickens was one of eight children and fathered ten himself making him somewhat of a viable source concerning family relationships, the reader is cautioned not to expect only a discussion of the nuclear family from this unit but also a wide array of family-like relationships which are characteristic in Dickens’ writing. Great Expectations is a novel of hope and heartbreak, identity and intrigue. The story focuses upon a central character, Pip, who relates his adventures to the reader through Dickens’ stylistic use of the first person point of view. Pip is raised by his sister and her husband, Joe Gargery. Pip’s parents had already died and were buried in the graveyard by the marshes when we first meet him at the age of seven. The reader learns much from Dickens in the opening scenes of the story by his treatment of the family relationship which had been of primary importance to his central character. Dickens’ genius also relies on Pip’s heritage to advance the plot of the novel since Pip was visiting the graves of his father and mother when he meets the escaped convict, Abel Magwitch, who is later to become his anonymous benefactor and a character of great importance and concern to Pip and the story. Family life for young Pip was somewhat of a challenge in the Gargery household. Mrs. Joe, Pip’s sister, is considerably older than her brother and treats both him and her husband as the chief chores of her life. Mrs. Joe is dominant and condescending toward her family and very vocal about the effort she has had to expend in order to maintain it. In short, Mrs. Joe rules with an iron hand and is not against using it to discipline her much younger brother. Joe Gargery, however, is a good, honest man who is a blacksmith by trade. Joe has little say in his household and is not a character of any literate accomplishment. Joe represents the average man of nineteenth century England who toiled in a blue collar trade by day and trotted off to the local tavern by night to socialize with his friends and neighbors and to just maybe get away from his wife for a while. Joe and Pip had a lot in common and, needless to say, were best of friends. Dickens’ effective use of Joe Gargery in his story transcends far beyond the importance of his trade which is important because it presents the file Pip gives Magwitch to break his bonds and, later, the inevitable, albeit short-lived, circumstance of apprenticeship for young Pip. Joe Gargery, is Pip’s conscience throughout the novel. Joe represents purity and honesty and innocence and reminders of these qualities to Pip as he begins his ascendancy as a gentleman. Joe is Pip’s link with his past, and, as is oftentimes the result, can be a source of embarrassment and guilt for Pip even though he does nothing but live a good life and harms no one. Great Expectations is a myriad of familial situations that not only provide background for the reader but also help develop the plot and circumstances that affect our young hero, Pip. Dickens uses the thread of family to weave his story into an effective entertainment. Pip’s immediate family of Mrs. Joe and Joe Gargery merely sets the stage for the reader as to the importance that familial ties will have throughout the remainder of the novel. A central character in Great Expectations to whom Pip makes frequent visits and through whom Dickens continues his emphasis upon familial relationships is Miss Havisham. Miss Havisham lives with an adopted daughter, Estella, about whom more will be said later. Miss Havisham is a matriarchal person whose bitter attitude toward men stems from her ill-fated wedding plans many years earlier. Disappointment reigns in the Havisham household as all the clocks in the house are stopped at the precise moment that the wedding plans disintegrated. A wedding cake remains untouched but crumbling from the passage of time. Miss Havisham, herself, wears the yellowed wedding gown and moves by wheelchair from room to room never venturing to enjoy the light of day. Miss Havisham is a rich woman. Dickens makes use of this fact on several different levels each of which contributes greatly to his story. First, of course, Pip’s expectations are certainly on the rise when he is invited to play at Miss Havisham’s house. Dickens paints Miss Havisham’s family portrait as a collection of greedy relatives waiting for her demise so they can inherit her fortune. These relatives include Cousin Raymond and Camilla, Georgiana, and Sarah Pocket. Dickens’ use of these characters shows us jealousy and greed in full view as well as providing for some humorous scenes between these fortune hunters and Miss Havisham who is very well aware of their designs. The evening that Mr. Jaggers informs Pip that he is to become a gentleman thanks to the desire of an anonymous benefactor leads the reader through Pip to believe that Miss Havisham’s money is the cause of his good fortune. Pip firmly believes that his sojourn to London is the sole responsibility of the kindly old matriarch. While in London, Pip learns of Miss Havisham’s ill-fated past from Herbert Pocket. We see that her money played an important role in the episode of her impending wedding and learn that the wedding was only a part of an elaborate swindle by her suitor and her half-brother. Finally, it is Miss Havisham’s money solicited by Pip which enables Herbert Pocket to become a full partner in Mr. Clarriker’s shipping business. This totally unselfish act by Pip essentially marks his arrival into maturity and his coming of age as a gentleman. For the reader it is difficult not to admire Pip for the remainder of the story after we read of this culminating act of kindness toward his friend, Herbert. In essence, this deed erases earlier visions of Pip’s snobbery toward Joe and his background in the mind of the reader and remains the first instance of Pip performing a function through fruition in the novel. This scene, in fact, sets the tone for the rest of Dickens’ tale as all unfinished business matters are subsequently completed by the author from this moment to the end of the story. Great Expectations is a novel rich in emotions not the least of which is love. Pip’s major love interest through the story is Estella. When we first meet Estella at Miss Havisham’s she is at once very beautiful and also very cruel to our hero. Pip is smitten by Estella’s loveliness but, until the end of the novel, his love for her is largely unrequited. Pip suffers much anguish throughout the story because of this love interest since his persistence toward Estella never really gets rewarded until the last pages of the novel. Estella is a major character in Great Expectations whose importance in the novel far outweighs her appearances to the reader. Dickens effectively weaves Estella into the story through a series of cameo experiences which, for the most part, play on Pip’s mind and evoke sympathy toward him by the reader. Each time we meet Estella she will say something to Pip or perform some act of discourtesy that will send shivers up our spine and cause us to caution Pip mentally to leave her alone and to try to forget her. When we learn that Estella’s attitude is really the result of her tutelage by Miss Havisham, we may, at best, have mixed feelings about the girl. Dickens does such a superb job at painting Estella’s portrait early on in the novel that it becomes difficult for us to really have strong feelings of affection toward her. Any sympathy or sense of attraction we may feel for Estella is primarily out of respect for Pip. Estella as a love interest in Great Expectations certainly is a matter of importance throughout the story, but Dickens uses her character in other ways to effectively spin his tale. First, Estella in the Havisham household and her attitude toward men nurtured by the jilted matriarch who is so central to the novel completes Dickens’ characterization of the elderly would-be bride as a symbol of antifamily. "Cradling Wheat" By Benton EssayOne such question deals with the role of Miss Havisham who is so very central to the plot of Dickens’ tale. Although the novel is rich in familial relationships, Miss Havisham is unmarried as a result of her ill-fated affair mentioned earlier. This fact, in itself, does not make her an anti-family figure. Rather, it is her tutelage of the young and beautiful Estella whom she raises as an extension of her own bitter attitude toward men. Estella is openly encouraged to break men’s hearts as Miss Havisham’s own heart was broken when her wedding plans diminished so abruptly. Why would Dickens use such a character at the core of his novel? One could argue that Miss Havisham is a tool of Dickens’ then developing literary art and merely a vehicle to add a certain mystique and intrigue to the life of the novel’s hero. It also could be said, however, that the matriarchal figure of Miss Havisham as an anti-family figure merely asserts Dickens’ view of the importance of the family in life. Time has stopped for Miss Havisham both literally and figuratively. Without the hope and promise of a familial relationship, Miss Havisham remains a character of tragic consequence who can not achieve the fulfillment of her once cherished dream. Students should be encouraged to discuss the role of Miss Havisham in the novel. Such a discussion should lead students to a realization of the importance of familial love and caring and how these familial qualities can contribute to their own growth and maturation. Closely aligned but probably easier to understand than the spectre of Miss Havisham at the core of Great Expectations is the absence, for the most part, of the nuclear family in the novel. The only glimpses Dickens affords us are the highly comical Matthew Pockets and the Joe and Biddy relationship at the end of the novel. This revelation should be particularly realistic for our students since one parent families are very often the norm in an urban setting such as New Haven. A discussion of the term nuclear family should be introduced during the study of the novel. Students should be encouraged to discuss any advantages or disadvantages a member of a nuclear family might experience. Is a nuclear family really that important to its individual members? A writing assignment where each student remarks about the strengths of his own family will be suggested following this discussion. We can assume if we read the story of Dickens’ life that he had much respect for the family unit. Dickens was one of eight children and fathered ten himself. Dickens realized, however, through personal experience that the family unit may oftentimes become fragmented. Certainly, there are no clearer indications of this than in Great Expectations where Pip’s immediate family is the result of the death of his parents and the Magwitch-Molly union along with Estella is separated by tragic circumstances. These two families should be discussed in light of their importance in the novel. Any study which deals with eighth grade students reading literature that focuses upon the search for identity must necessarily concern itself with the students’ own future and careers. Several diverse professions are highlighted in Great Expectations that range from blue collar trades to white collar professionals. No clearer example of a blue collar occupation exists than in Joe Gargery’s station in life as a blacksmith. Joe labors at his forge daily creating and repairing implements which he has no cause to use himself. The more fortunate citizens who own horses come to Joe so that he may shoe their symbols of success. The landed property owners use Joe to repair farming implements. Even the soldiers from the prison ship need Joe to repair the manacles before they resume their search. Joe’s occupation is certainly important and useful in his society although he enjoys no special significance or lofty stature in the community. Joe labors daily in a tedious manner right at his home thus making his jaunts to the Jolly Bargemen all the more pleasurable. In contrast to Joe Gargery’s trade is the position of John Wemmick who serves as Jaggers’ clerk in the law office. Wemmick commutes to work each day, handles all the clerical duties in the office such as record keeping and screening Jaggers’ clients, and then returns home each evening to a charming abode which he lovingly calls his castle. Wemmick is able to make work and home life two very distinct experiences unlike Joe who toils in the same place he lives. Wemmick also enjoys a certain notoriety since clients and potential clients of Jaggers view him as a direct link to the prominent lawyer. While Joe works with his hands, Wemmick works with his mind. Each has his pleasures in life, and each is a major influence on Pip in the novel. Dickens takes the world of work one step further with his inclusion of Jaggers in Great Expectations. Jaggers is certainly the most successful character in the novel in terms of an occupation. He is a lawyer, a paid confidante and advisor, and a manipulator who can successfully defend seemingly guilty clients through cunning and guile. Dickens makes it quite clear that Jaggers performs no task without just compensation. Jaggers is a professional who can pick and choose his clients unlike Joe and Wemmick who are both subservient either to the public or to an employer. Jaggers’ only allegiance is to his clients or rather the fees his clients pay for the benefit of his judicial brilliance. In stark contrast to Joe and Wemmick, however, Jaggers has no family. His housekeeper, Molly, is a former client whom he saved from the gallows. Everything Jaggers does is job related. He is the consummate professional although he seemingly attains his stature at the expense of not having a private life—a tavern or a castle as a means of escape. Students will be asked to discuss their views on these three levels of work in relation to their somewhat yet unformed ideas of what careers they might explore. The advantages and disadvantages of each job will be weighed. We will examine the responsibilities each of the characters have to the public. Since the major thrust of the unit deals with questions of family, the impact each character’s occupation has upon his family or private life will be explored. Students will be encouraged to compare other occupations to the ones read about in the novel and to develop a working list of different job categories. In essence, this portion of the unit might exist as a launching pad for my students to experience career exploration and better equip them to make a more conscious choice of a high school to attend the following year. Charles Dickens’ great popularity on both sides of the Atlantic can be attributed in part to the form in which his work was generally presented to the reading public. Dickens released his novels and stories through serialization using English periodicals such as Bentley’s Miscellany, Household Words, and All the Year Round as vehicles. Since Dickens was a master storyteller, he knew how to intrigue his readers by ending each serialized segment at such a moment so as to leave them virtually breathless until the following publication of the periodical reached the sellers. Monetary profit was always a concern of Dickens, and he was thus able to gauge the popularity of his work in progress on a weekly basis. Another factor which contributed to Dickens’ popularity and wide readership was his periodic condescension to giving public readings of his published works in his later years. Once again Dickens’ goal of being commercially successful played an important role here as his financial solvency was a factor in every literary enterprise he undertook. Dickens would pack the theaters and halls to the rafters for these public presentations which would last some several hours. During these readings Dickens would read excerpted material from his writing and deliver it in such a way as to highlight his own dramatic personality as an accomplished thespian—a career he certainly could have made illustrious. The serialization of his novels and the subsequent public readings of them by Dickens prompt this unit to attempt an additional task. I intend to draw upon other notable masterpieces by Dickens to further highlight family relationships of nineteenth century England and the brilliance of his writing. These additional works from which I hope to take excerpts and read aloud to my students include the highly autobiographical David Copperfield, the endearing Oliver Twist, the socially conscious Bleak House, and the time-honored classic, A Christmas Carol, which will not only be read in its entirety but will be explored in comparison and contrast to Great Expectations. In addition to this complete reading of A Christmas Carol and various excerpts from the other novels, I plan to show various visual representations of Dickens’ work including the 1946 movie of Great Expectations. I firmly believe that this method of concentrating on one theme, familial relationships, provided by one author, Charles Dickens, through a reading of Great Expectations and excerpts from his other stories will provide a worthwhile experience for my students. The use of this unit will afford teachers the opportunity to introduce one of the world’s great literary artists to their students in a relevant way that should pique students’ interest and cause them to consider not only their family unit complete with benefits and problems but also their future as they prepare to take that very first step toward focusing upon their own identity.