Research on Mental States of Non-Human Animals

Research on Mental States of Non-Human Animals To what extent does research support the claim that non-human animals, particular chimpanzees, have human-like understanding of mental states? In the last three decades, cognitive approaches to the study of animal behaviour have attracted increasing research attention. Much of this interest has concentrated on social cognition and whether animals understand the mental states of others in the same way humans do. In an attempt to address this question research has predominately focused on non-human primates (hereafter primates), especially chimpanzees. This popularity is probably owing to chimpanzees’ evolutionary relatedness to humans, which is the closest of all the primate species and therefore increases the likelihood that they might share human cognitive abilities. Human mental states are a suite of cognitive abilities which allow us to understand others’ psychological states. One example is theory of mind (ToM) which is the ability to understand that other individuals have beliefs and that such beliefs can be different from your own. This is illustrated by the ‘Smarties Test’ in which an individual is shown a tube of smarties and asked what they think is inside the tube, they correctly infer ‘smarties’ however when the tube is opened it is revealed that the tube contains only pencils. The individual is then asked what another naà ¯ve person would answer if given the same test. If the individual has a ToM they should understand that the naà ¯ve individual will have a false belief about the tube’s contents and therefore answer in the same way, i.e., smarties. Research shows that children under the age of 4 years have not fully developed a ToM and invariably fail the smarties test whereas children above t his age pass the test. Experiments conducted on primates have shown little evidence that they have a ToM. For example, Call and Tomasello (1999) tested chimpanzees, orangutans and children with a non-verbal false belief task. The task involved a series of finding games in which a reward was hidden in one of two identical containers by an adult (the hider), and another adult, who had witnessed the hiding process (the communicator), placed a token on the baited container which acted as a marker to indicate to the subject where the food was hidden. The subjects learnt to use the marker to locate the reward and ignore the marker when they knew it to be incorrect (during visible displacement trials). In the crucial false belief trials, the communicator watched the baiting of the container and then left the area and during the communicator’s absence the hider swapped the location of the containers. When the communicator returned she placed the marker on the container in the location she had seen the rewar d being hidden, which was incorrect, and therefore the communicator had a false belief about where the reward was hidden. To show an understanding of this belief the subjects would have to choose the container which the communicator did not place the marker on. The results showed that children chose the correct location of the reward demonstrating their understanding of the communicator’s false belief whereas none of the apes succeeded in choosing the correct location demonstrating their lack of false belief understanding. Other studies have also failed to find evidence of ToM in primates (for review see Povinelli 2004) and many now think that language is needed for the development of ToM which seems to have led researchers away from studying ToM in primates and other species of animals. Another mental state that has received much research attention is intentionally. Intentionally can be defined as understanding the behaviours of other as intentional, goal directed activities. The first study to address this issue was conducted by Premack and Woodruff (1978). They presented Sarah with videotaped sequences of a human actor in several problem-solving situations that were familiar to Sarah. For example, the actor was depicted looking up toward an out-of-reach banana hanging from the ceiling, or attempting to operate a hose that was unattached to a tap. After Sarah had viewed each problem, she was shown a pair of photographs, one of which depicted the solution to the problem. For instance, in the out-of-reach banana situation, the solution consisted of the actor moving a box under the banana. Overall, Sarah performed well on these tasks from the beginning but Savage-Rumbaugh et al (1978) pointed out that Sarah might have been choosing alternatives based on the simple ass ociations among objects formed from her experiences with caretakers and their behaviour with test items, such hoses and taps. Savage-Rumbaugh et al (1978) analysed each item Sarah was presented with and found that, overall, items for which such associative procedures were most straightforward were the ones on which Sarah performed best. In addition, Savage-Rumbaugh et al (1978) presented two language-trained chimpanzees with a matching-to-sample task in which the chimpanzees were shown, for example, a picture of a key and asked to select between pictures of a box and a padlock. Both chimpanzees performed well above chance in this task and selected the correct alternative in the majority of trials. These results therefore provided an alternative explanation to that of understanding of intention in others. Other research on chimpanzees’ understanding of intentions has produced mixed results. Povinelli et al (1998), for example, tested six chimpanzees who could choose to point to one of two caretakers to provide them with a cup of juice. However, prior to the choice the apes had experience of the caretakers’ behaviour in which one caretaker would accidentally drop the drink on the floor and the other would purposely empty the cup of juice on the floor. The authors reasoned that an understanding of the intentionally of the caretakers would result in the apes choosing the caretaker to provide them with juice who had previously acted with good intention but accidentally spilled the drink. The results showed that the apes made no preference for the ‘clumsy’ caretaker indicating that the apes were unable to understand the experimenters’ intentions. However, Call and Tomasello (2004) argue that there was no motivation to choose between the two caretakers beca use whomever they chose they would receive no juice. This possibility can be tested by repeating the experiment and allowing the caretakers to sometimes drop or purposely spill the drink on some trials but not on others. This would allow the apes to receive juice in some of the trials e.g., 50%, and therefore raise the apes’ motivation whilst maintaining the essence of the experiment. In contrast to the Povinelli et al’s (1998) study, Call et al (2004) found evidence that chimpanzees do show understanding of intentional behaviour in humans. The authors conducted an ‘unwilling’ and ‘unable’ test in which an experimenter would feed an ape a grape through a hole in the Plexiglas window. On some trials the ape would not receive the grape from the experimenter who in one condition would accidentally drop the grape and in a second condition would tease the ape by repeatedly pulling the grape back from the hole. When the apes’ behaviour was analysed it was found that they behaved differently in the two conditions. When the grapes were accidentally dropped the ape remained in the room longer than when the experimenter teased the ape. Moreover, during the teasing condition the apes often showed frustrated behaviour, such as spitting and punching the plexi-glass panel. The authors suggest this demonstrates the apes’ understandi ng of the experimenter’s intentions of being unable to give the grape in one condition and unwilling to give the grape in the other condition. However, it would be interesting to know exactly how the teasing behaviour was executed by the experimenter. For example, if the experimenter used loud vocalisations in the teasing condition but not in the clumsy condition it is possible the apes were just reacting to this rather than the experimenter’s intention. Knowing what others can see is another mental state humans possess and one that chimpanzees have shown evidence in possessing. For example, Hare et al (2001) used a competitive paradigm to test whether a subordinate chimpanzee would take into account how a dominant rival would behave depending if the rival had seen food being baited behind a barrier. The two chimpanzees faced each other across an ape enclosure which had one barrier in the middle of the enclosure. An experimenter hid one piece behind the barrier (on the subordinate’s side) and one piece in the open. In some conditions the dominant saw the reward being placed behind the barrier and in other conditions did not see the food being placed there. After the baiting procedure the subordinate and dominant were then allowed access to rewards. When the subordinate had observed that the dominant had not seen the food being hidden behind the barrier the subordinate would approach the food behind the barrier leaving the domi nant to retrieve the reward that was out in the open. However, when the dominant had seen the food placed behind the barrier the subordinate showed no preference for the food behind the barrier. In a follow-up study Hare et al (2001) extended these findings by repeating the experiment but in some conditions the dominant was switched (after seeing the food being hidden) with another dominant who had not seen the food being hidden. The results showed that the subordinate approached the reward placed behind the barrier more often when the dominant had been switched with the naà ¯ve dominant and the authors suggest that this demonstrates chimpanzees can predict who had seen what. In addition, a control condition ruled out the possibility that the subordinate was acting on simple rules such as preferring food lying close to the barriers. For example, when the opaque barrier was replaced by a transparent barrier, so that the dominant would see the reward even when he had not seen the foo d being placed there, the subordinate’s preference for the food behind the barrier disappeared. Although the above two studies seem to show that chimpanzees understand what others see, several researchers suggest that chimpanzees are using simpler mechanisms to solve the task. Karin-D’Arcy and Povinelli (2002), for example, argue that subordinate chimpanzees might simple prefer food that is next to barriers as this provides some safety from attack by the dominant. The authors repeated Hare et al’s 2002 study and found that subordinate chimpanzees preferred food next to the barrier even when both chimpanzees could see both pieces of food (the barrier was positioned vertically in relation to both chimpanzees). In addition, Povinelli and Vonk (2003) argue that even if the chimpanzees did not have a preference per se for the barriers in Hare et al’s 2002 studies the chimpanzees can understand which food the dominant will be likely to go for without evoking any mental states. For example, behavioural abstraction taken from previous experiences of similar interac tions can be used to predict the dominant’s behaviour. This can occur if the subordinate understands that when the dominant is facing the food the dominant will go towards that food, so use the rule ‘don not go for the food if the dominant is orientated toward the food’. Povinelli and Vonk (2003) further argue that experiments testing mental states in animals will only be of value if the possibility of behavioural abstraction is removed from the experimental equation. The authors therefore advocate that mental attribution can only be tested in chimpanzees and other animals by showing evidence of an individual extrapolating its own experiences to the mental states of others, a theory first put forward by Heyes (1998). Povinelli and Vonk (2003) suggest the following as a suitable experiment to address Heyes’ (1998) idea. First, allow an ape to interact with two buckets, one red and one black. The red bucket is placed over the ape’s head and the ape ca n clearly see its surroundings through the bucket, however when the black bucket is placed over the ape’s head he can see nothing. Now if the ape is confronted with two experimenters, one wearing the black bucket over her head and the other the red bucket over her head, and the ape begs for food only from the experimenter wearing the red bucket then it is likely that the ape is using mental attribution as the only experience the ape has had of the buckets is through its own experience. Povinelli and Vonk (2003) argue that experiments of this nature can provide evidence of mental states and rule out alternative interpretations such as behavioural abstractions. Conclusion The mental states of humans include a suite of cognitive functions which allow us to understand others’ knowledge and beliefs such as theory of mind and intentionally. Many argue that only humans have these types of mental states and other animals use lower cognitive functions based on learning and experience, such as behavioural abstractions. However, there is increasing evidence that other animals, especially chimpanzees, might also have human-like mental states, such as understanding intentions and understanding the relationship between seeing and knowing. One major caveat, however, is, to date, the most convincing research on chimpanzees’ mental states can not distinguish if the chimpanzees’ actions are based on human-like mental states or based on mechanisms not involving mental attribution such as behavioural abstractions. What is therefore needed is further research which can distinguish between these two possibilities and therefore increase our understand ing of the psychological abilities of chimpanzees and other animals. References Call, J., Tomasello, M.(1999) A nonverbal theory of mind test. The performance of children and apes. Child Development, 70, 381-395 Call, J., Hare, B., Carpenter, M., Tomasello (2004) Unwilling or unable: Chimapnzees’ understanding of human intentional action. Developmental Science, 7, 488-498 Hare,B., Call, J., Agnetta, B., Tomasello, M.(2000) Chimpanzees know what conspecifics do and do not see. Animal Behaviour, 59, 771-785. Hare,B., Call, J., Tomasello, M.(2001). Do chimpanzees know what conspecifics know? Animal Behaviour, 61, 139-151. Heyes,CM (1998). Theory of mind in nonhuman primates. Behavioural and Brain Sciences, 21, 101-148. Povinelli, D.J., Perilloux, H.K., Reaux, J.E. Bierschwale, D.T. (1998) Young and Juvenile chimpanzees reactions to intentional versus accidental and inadvertent actions. Behavioural Processes, 42, 205-218 Povinelli, D.J. (2004) Behind the ape’s appearance: escaping anthropocentrism in the study of other minds. Dadalus 29-41 Povinelli, D. J., Giambrone, S. (2001). Reasoning about beliefs: A human specialization? Child Development, 72, 691-695. Povinelli, D.J. Vonk, J. (2003) Chimpanzees minds: Suspiciously human? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 7, 157-160. Povinelli, D.J. Vonk, J. (2004). We dont need a microscope to explore the chimpanzee mind. Mind and Language, 19, 1-28. Tomasello, M., Call, J., and Hare, B. (2003b). Chimpanzees understand psychological states- the question is which ones and to what extent. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 7, 153-156. Savage-Rumbaugh, E.S., Rumbaugh, D.M., Boysen, S.T. (1978). Sarahs problems in comprehension. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 1, 555-557.

Immoral behaviour: Punishable Under Law?

Immoral behaviour: Punishable Under Law? In this essay I will look at behaviours and acts that are considered immoral by the general population and whether they are liable to be punished by the law. It will focus on moral principles and its affects and views on society. I will focus on key immoral behaviours and actions that are legalised or criminalised differently to the UK and see whether certain legislations have help to shape the view on morality of the public or whether it is the publics attitudes that have changed the laws. For example it is immoral as well as unkind to walk by a person in need, on the continent this is known as the Bystander law whereby if there is a person in danger where you could be of assistance and do not help and that individual dies then you could be liable for prosecution. This law does not exist in the UK; which suggests that although an obvious immoral action or behaviour, is still legal. Before addressing this statement, a primary question must be asked: What is morality? Morality is defined by Strawson (1961) as rules or principles governing human behaviour which apply universally within a community or class; it is a code of behaviour that is innate and classified by a higher being. Morality is how groups of individuals interact with each other to create a society in which everyone can live freely and amicably. Breaking these rules set by this higher figure is doing wrong and thus being immoral so creating and environment with a lack of harmony or unity. There is also a definition of morality based on the norms and values set by a religion or individual that must be adhered to. Catholicism for example believes that God is the Supreme Being that has set down the rules and regulations of life within the Ten Commandments. Followers of this religion believe that breaking any of these Ten Commandments would deem you a sinner and be sent to purgatory at death. In the light of religious morality, should an individual breaking these moral codes be punishable under criminal law? However, it is evident that many moral codes either from an innate or religious background are enshrined within the Law, be it Civil or Criminal. The Harm Principle states that an activity cannot be criminalised simply because it is regarded as immoral Herring (2008: 28) Many however, have argued with this prospect in relation to the interests of society. Fox hunting is a widely acclaimed debate; with activists stating that it is immoral to purposely kill an animal for recreation and the hunters stating it is natures hierarchy. However aside from these two main view points, is another in terms of Social immorality, whereby allowing this crude sport diminishes society, creating a less civilised one which condones barbarianism. Lord Devlin has argued that the state can use the criminal law to protect a society from losing its sense of unity and solidarity; thus an immoral act should be punishable if it is in the best interests of society and the people in it. Throughout the last century, laws have changed and acts have been passed to keep up with the changing moral compass of society and to keep in conjunction with human rights. The Suicide Act of 1961 is an important legislation that has help to shape the Criminal Law we have today. Before this Act was passed, a person who committed suicide would not receive the life policy necessary. After the abolition of suicide as a crime, any life insurance payment would be made as long as the policy had been taken out 1 year prior to the death. This act came about due to the changing attitudes of society on Suicide. Homosexuality is another moral offence that was once criminalised under UK law but now isnt. The Homosexuality Act of 1967 stated that homosexuality was legal as long as the participating individuals were over the age of 21, had provided full consent and was in the privacy of their own homes. This change came about, again due to new societal beliefs, and evidence provided by the Wolfend en Report. The report found that homosexuality was not a disease and did comply with full and able mental health. Both homosexuality and suicide are still considered widely immoral by religious sectors and individuals committing either of these acts should be punished by criminal law as well as on a spiritual basis by religious Super- beings. In accordance to Lord Devlin and Societal morality, neither of these actions is creating chaos in society, so should not be criminalised. Religious morality has very specific regulations that are generally followed by those that practice that religion, an individual who is not of that religion or who is not religious in any shape or form should not be punished under their rules. An act that is harmless to society such as homosexuality should not be given an imprisonment sentence because it does not follow the regulations set by Allah or God. From when these deeds were illegal pre 1960 to now the 21st century, there has been greater knowledge and acceptance by society, and the individuals outlook is no longer confined to religious beliefs. A highly ethical as well as moral topic that is not criminalised under any form of the law is Abortion. A mother may legally choose to abort her unborn child up to week 24 of the pregnancy as long as it has been signed off by two doctors. The Abortion Act of 1967 did not legalise abortion but merely create a defence for those wishing to have one. This act has been updated once through out the years, bringing the maximum limit down from 28 weeks to 24 weeks. Legally, a foetus inside the stomach is not yet deemed a child or a human being until he/she is born and thus can be protected under the Law. Under social morals, abortion is not immoral; it is the decision of a mother up to 6 months of pregnancy as to whether she wants to terminate. The guidelines state that abortion can be carried through regardless of the mothers or childs health whether it is good or bad, and it has to be done in a qualified and suitable establishment. In terms of religious morality, the termination of life is murder. As soon as the egg turns into a foetus life has began and terminating it prematurely and unnaturally should be criminalised. There are statistics to show that at 23 weeks, 44 of 283 children survived and at 24 weeks 198 of 474 of babies survived. Of the 201,173 abortions in England and Wales in 2006, 1,262 were at 22 weeks or more. A study at University College London Hospital found that only 33% of babies born between 22 and 25 weeks survived in 1980 whereas ten years later there is 71% of survival (Kirkup 2008). Two major questions that need to be asked is should abortion be under any form of the law e.g. civil law and if so, should it be criminalised. In my opinion, this immoral act should firstly be punishable under criminal law as well as civil law, whether an individual holds any sort of belief on this topic; it is immoral to murder an unborn child up to 6 months of pregnancy because they dont want it. The law should be changed to firstly lower the maximum abortion l imit to the 1st trimester, secondly to only allow abortion up to 6 months if either the mothers or childs health is in serious danger, and thirdly any individual not complying with these regulations to be punished under a criminal law. Moving on are actions that are considered immoral and wrong by the majority of any population that are punishable under civil law but not under criminal law in the UK. Adultery is an example of this, whereby it can be used for grounds of divorce but in Europe is a not ground for imprisonment or any other form of punishment. From a piece in the British Journal of Sociology, it shows that many British females have strong views on infidelity believing that it is immoral to cheat on her spouse. Even with these strong beliefs, the majority of the females with this view have had at least one adulterous liaison. In the US however, 94% of Americans disapprove of adultery. In the US, adultery is punishable under criminal law, an individual found guilty of infidelity can get up to two years of imprisonment. In many Muslim countries however, the price of infidelity is far greater, where women are stoned to death if caught cheating on their husbands. If adultery were criminalised the percentage of individuals committing the knowingly immoral act may decrease, thus providing a more harmonious and moral society. Adultery is a widely acclaimed immoral act that needs to be punished as not only does it breaks the sacred bonds between husband and wife but also dissipates the meaning of marriage in society. Torture is deemed immoral and in fact is illegal. Anyone proved guilty in any country of the world will be subject to imprisonment of over 18 months. The focus of this immorality is the difference between Sado masochism and the torture performed by individuals or groups of individuals at Guantanamo Bay prison. There seems to be no consistency in how torture seems to be punished under the same law. Kelman (2005:8) states that torture is considered illegal and immoral by the international community; that it is a crime under the U.N. Convention against Torture which has been adopted by the General Assembly in 1984. Even though this law seems to be clear, any official in the Guantanamo Bay prison torturing a terrorist suspect is not punished under the law, whereby a group of individuals are imprisoned for being Sado-Masochists in the privacy of their own home; seen in Reg V Brown. An article in the New York Review, written by Anthony Lewis shows evidence from a draft report to the Secret ary of Defence which states that Americans who torture captives can escape punishment if they can prove they did not have an intent to cause sever physical or mental pain or suffering (Lewis 2004). Looking at this quotation in relation to the Reg V Brown case where the defendants willingly participated in the commission of acts of violence against each other, including genital torture, for sexual pleasure which stimulated the giving and receiving of pain. Here the so called torture received was consensual, and all acts were performed private locations, yet were still convicted of Actual Bodily Harm contrary to Section 47 and Unlawful Wounding contrary to Section 20 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861. Both torture for sexual pleasure and torture as an interrogation technique are immoral yet are not treated similarly in terms of the law. Officers who treat suspects in such a vile way should be imprisoned for Actual Bodily Harm as there is intent to harm and Unlawful Wounding just as the males who were Sado masochists. It is difficult to state whether all widely immoral issues should be punishable under the criminal law; however what we have found is that certain actions such as adultery and abortion are criminalised in other countries around the world apart from the UK and the view of the public regarding its moral status is different to those of the British. It is evident to state that actions that are solely immoral in the eyes of a religious person cannot be and should not be punishable as it does not protect the individuals human rights and individual decisions. From this account we have seen that even immoral as well as illegal acts for example torture are not punishable in the same degree according to who the participating figures are. Before asking the question: should all immoral acts be punishable, the punishment for the already illegal and also immoral actions needs to be consistent and fair.

Hemingway And nada :: essays research papers

Hemingway and "Nada" In "The light of the world" written by Ernest Hemingway Steve Ketchel, a boxer symbolizes a Jesus figure for a woman called Alice. Alice, a 350 pound, unpleasant prostitute struggles with her current life. Her central being focuses at the belief that she had a sexual relationship with Steve Ketchel. This wishful illusion arises from a complex she has because of her ugly and unpleasant appearance. Nick Adams, the main Hemingway character, believes that Alice, although she has really given up her life, still has the chance to change and live a happy life. Steven K. Hoffman would call this belief Alice has "nada". Nada is a term used in Hemingways story "A clean well lighted place". Steven K. Hoffman interpreted the word in an Essay he wrote. The word nada translated to English, basically means "nothing". But further it means much more than the simple word nothing. Nada from the point of Alice's view means that there is nothing behind of her belief. That means that her life is not based on a concrete belief. She does not believe in any religion; her religion is Ketchel. That arises from her place in society. In society she is ranked very low. A prostitute has nothing to say in our society. And since she is that low she cant set her goals higher. Her goals could be the goals Jesus talks about. Her goal in life was and still is to sleep with more and more guys. Back to nada it means that she has nothing; nothing to believe in and nothing to live for. Alice lives in an illusion. It seems that she suppresses the fact that she is a fat prostitute. How much lower can you get? She suppresses her problems with her dreams and illusions. The most important belief is that she had a sexual relationship with Ketchel. That is her main belief. For a normal American, Jesus would the most important belief. Ketchel gives her the strength to withstand her complexes. Ketchel in other words symbolizes Jesus. That is of course very sad. When comparing Jesus with Ketchel, you will not find any connecting. Ketchel is just a popular boxer among her friends and she knows nothing more of him. For her Ketchel is more than just a man to have sex with. As said, for her Ketchel is Jesus. "There was never a man like that.", said Alice. Alice did not succeed in her life. Not that it is over, but till now she did not make herself happy. She is unhappy, she is a prostitute and the most

My Second Home Essay -- Descriptive Writing Examples, Observation

My Second Home The wind blowing in my hair, the water softly mists my face. There is a persistent humming in my ear from the motor. I turn and gaze over the railing, there are islands scattered in the distance including one, my final destination, the largest island in sight. The mysterious water curls against the edge of the boat, foamy and disturbed by the passing boat. My fingers drum consistently on the railing, repeating a rhythmic beat. I find myself pacing the deck, back and forth, always returning to the same location, facing the island. As the ferry boat approaches the dock, I become overwhelmed with the anticipation of the fun that, I know, is awaiting me on this island. Kelly's Island is a place that brings back fond memories from my childhood. This is a place where I have spent many summer vacations and family reunions. I think back on my simple, quiet, and lonely life. I am always the center of attention but lacking someone of my own age to interact with, to share my deepest secrets with. Although some people might say I'm crazy, I would have liked to have siblings. Kelly's Island gave me a chance to be around my family. Having cousins my own age to play with and even pick on me, gave me a warm fuzzy feeling deep inside. This island presents its own kind of magical aura, located in the middle of Lake Erie just off the shore of Northern Ohio, and perhaps this is why I was so mystified by this special place. This small island has many beaches. On one side of the island, the beaches are made of stone, on the other, they are sandy white beaches resembling an ocean shore, glistening in the sunlight. The hot muggy weather makes your skin moist, and the only relief to be found is the occasional breeze off the lake... ...to reality. The heavy air fills my lungs making them tight with every breath. My eyes are heavy from the exhausting vacation, fulfilled with continuous action. The horn from the approaching ferry rings throughout my eardrums even after the noise is over. The coldness from the metal seat penetrates into the warmth of my blood, as the gentle breeze tousles my hair. I gaze over the railing and have time to reflect on my time spent in my most favorite place. The chaos from my cousins has drained my energy and I realize that my time spent alone is not all that bad. Its is my valued time spent getting to know my self and grow as a person. Kelly's Island is a place to visit, play, and interact with family. Its is also a place to leave and only return to every once and a while. I am on my way home and become overwhelmed with the anticipation of what is awaiting me there. My Second Home Essay -- Descriptive Writing Examples, Observation My Second Home The wind blowing in my hair, the water softly mists my face. There is a persistent humming in my ear from the motor. I turn and gaze over the railing, there are islands scattered in the distance including one, my final destination, the largest island in sight. The mysterious water curls against the edge of the boat, foamy and disturbed by the passing boat. My fingers drum consistently on the railing, repeating a rhythmic beat. I find myself pacing the deck, back and forth, always returning to the same location, facing the island. As the ferry boat approaches the dock, I become overwhelmed with the anticipation of the fun that, I know, is awaiting me on this island. Kelly's Island is a place that brings back fond memories from my childhood. This is a place where I have spent many summer vacations and family reunions. I think back on my simple, quiet, and lonely life. I am always the center of attention but lacking someone of my own age to interact with, to share my deepest secrets with. Although some people might say I'm crazy, I would have liked to have siblings. Kelly's Island gave me a chance to be around my family. Having cousins my own age to play with and even pick on me, gave me a warm fuzzy feeling deep inside. This island presents its own kind of magical aura, located in the middle of Lake Erie just off the shore of Northern Ohio, and perhaps this is why I was so mystified by this special place. This small island has many beaches. On one side of the island, the beaches are made of stone, on the other, they are sandy white beaches resembling an ocean shore, glistening in the sunlight. The hot muggy weather makes your skin moist, and the only relief to be found is the occasional breeze off the lake... ...to reality. The heavy air fills my lungs making them tight with every breath. My eyes are heavy from the exhausting vacation, fulfilled with continuous action. The horn from the approaching ferry rings throughout my eardrums even after the noise is over. The coldness from the metal seat penetrates into the warmth of my blood, as the gentle breeze tousles my hair. I gaze over the railing and have time to reflect on my time spent in my most favorite place. The chaos from my cousins has drained my energy and I realize that my time spent alone is not all that bad. Its is my valued time spent getting to know my self and grow as a person. Kelly's Island is a place to visit, play, and interact with family. Its is also a place to leave and only return to every once and a while. I am on my way home and become overwhelmed with the anticipation of what is awaiting me there.

All or Nothing

My doorbell was the last thing that I wanted to hear on the morning of 20th September. It was the first day that I'd had off work for months so I was hoping to stay in bed for as long as I could. The doorbell rang once more and at that point I realised that my long morning in bed was never going to happen. I jumped out of bed, the same as I did every other morning, and went to the front door to answer it. There was a postman stood at the door with a small parcel that was rectangle shaped. â€Å"Good morning†, I said to the postman. He handed me the parcel and also a clip board with a piece of paper clipped to the front for me to sign, I signed the paper and went back inside. I took the parcel into my living room which was still a mess from the night before; the coffee table in the centre of the room had an empty Vodka bottle, crisp packets, and also an empty twenty pack of cigarettes. My sofas outlined the coffee table with one either side, I sat on the one that was closest to me and opened the parcel, there was a small letter inside that said: To Victoria, A present from your dearest friend, hope you like it. Love you and miss you. Love Tom x x x. At that moment, a smile appeared on my face, I missed Tom a lot when he was away, especially when they'd been for this long, he had been away for nearly two months now, and normally I'd see him twice a week or more so it was weird for me not to have him near. He was on a business trip in London and I was still miles away from him in Bristol. I had known Tom since we'd started the same secondary school at the age of eleven, since then we've gone through college and university together too. At school we'd been close and we'd always wanted to do the same kinds of things, I was quite boyish and we used to play football after school had finished and on weekends. Our relationship just got stronger as we got older and it just never seemed to leave, even when Tom moved away for a short while with an ex-girlfriend who wanted everything her way. I took the velvet container and letter and put them onto the table in front of me, I opened the container to reveal a matching necklace and earring set, they were 18 carat gold and had one small diamond in each, the necklace was a heart at the end of a chain and the earrings were also hearts and also contained a diamond each. I grabbed my mobile phone from the kitchen side and pressed 1 on the speed dial, I placed the phone to my ear and it began to ring. â€Å"Hi!† said the voice at the other end. â€Å"Tom, its Vic†, I said, â€Å"just to say thanks for the jewellery set, it only came this morning†. â€Å"Oh†, he murmured, â€Å"you're worth it, oh and Vic's what time is it?† â€Å"About 1o'clock in the afternoon, why?† I replied. â€Å"I'm late, see ya!† was the answer I got, and then he put the phone down, I knew he was already very late. I put the phone back onto the kitchen side and began to walk towards my bathroom, and seeing as I had all day to do whatever I wanted to, I was intending to have a long relaxing bath. I went into the bathroom, and started to run a bath full of water, I put bubble bath in it, I lit the candles around the edge and my nightdress over my head and threw it into the washing pile. I spent over an hour in the bath, until the water started to go cold and I had to get out because my skin was all wrinkled. I dried myself and went through to my bedroom. Once in there, I grabbed a pair of silk French knickers out of my drawer and a long, light pink satin dress. It was meant to be really hot today according to the weather reports on telly, so I thought that I would dress appropriately as normally I would be in a suit jacket and black trousers. I threw the bed sheet over the bed, and fluffed up the pillows a little, pulled open my curtains and opened the window, ready for the day to begin. I blow-dried and straightened my hair before putting on my make-up and getting dressed. I then fed the cat and opened the rest of the curtains in the apartment. I picked up my keys and my phone from on the kitchen side and went out the front door. I went down the stairs and out to where my car was parked, it was my pride and joy, a black Lotus Elise which had taken me years to save for. I drove it out of the car park and along the street towards the shopping centre. As I approached the car park, I got my card out of my purse; I paid on the card for all of my parking tickets because I spent so much time in car parks, and keeping cash like that on me all of the time wouldn't be easy. I showed the man at the kiosk my card; he took one quick glance and then returned it to me so that I could get through. I put the pass back into my purse and headed into the main bit of the car park where I found a space next to the stairs that led down to the shops. I got out of the car and locked it; I then flung my bag over my shoulder and started to walk down the stairs. The first shop at the bottom of the stairs was Monsoon, I could see in the window, the shoes that I had bought the last time I had a day off. I went into the shop, I wasn't sure what I wanted but I knew I had to buy something special to wear to Tom's welcome home party that was being held that weekend. The dress that I bought eventually, was rose red and touched the floor, it was pure silk and cost me over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½200, the slit that went up the back was huge and went all the way up to my thighs, luckily enough I had good legs so I knew I could carry it off easily. I needed a new pair of shoes to go with the dress so I carried on walking on the path through the middle of the centre until I came to River Island, I went in and bought the first pair of black, stiletto heeled shoes that I could find. I already had a purse at home that would match perfectly with my outfit and I was planning to wear the necklace and earrings that Tom had bought me. The party was being held at Tom's mum's house, as Tom's was too small to accommodate so many people. Jane was too wealthy for her own good, she had married an older man when she'd only just left Tom's dad, the man died five years ago and left everything he owned to Jane. He was lying on millions the day he died and before Jane realised it, she was too. He left his business, his home and everything in it to her, the house alone was worth over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1 million. The house was on 12 acres of land and had 10 bedrooms which would be well over enough space for the party. I had known Jane for as long as I had known Tom so she was like a second mother to me, being at her house was nothing new so I wasn't nervous about that, just about seeing Tom again after so long. I had spoken to him over the phone and had written letters but this was different and I was looking forward to it so much. I had to be well prepared for this so I had written myself a list of what I needed to do beforehand. Among the other things on that list was buy new dress and shoes so I ticked them off. The last thing I did before I left the shopping centre was grab a cup of coffee from O'Brien's, they made the best coffee that money could buy so I always bought one when I was on the move. I got into my car still with the polystyrene cup that was so hot that it was difficult to carry, and put my bag down on the passenger seat. I downed the last bit of coffee and threw the cup into the bin next to the car; I then put my new dress and shoes onto the back seat and drove out of the car park. By the time I had got back to my apartment, I was knackered; I parked my car in the same place that it had been in before I had gone out this morning. I then walked into the main entrance hall and up the stairs to the door of my apartment; I opened the door and pressed the button on my phone to check for messages. â€Å"No messages†, it said slowly, beeped three times as usual, then back to normal. I picked up the receiver and dialled Jane's home number, I always tried this first as it cost me less. It rang twice and then her answer machine kicked in. â€Å"The Williams residence, sorry but we can't come to the phone right now, please try our mobiles or leave a message after the tone†, the tone sounded so I began. â€Å"Jane, it's Victoria, just to say I'll be at the party, will be there as usual early to help set up, see you then if not before†, and I put down the phone. I went into the kitchen to see it gleaming, the living room had also now been cleaned and there was no rubbish on the table anymore, the cleaner had been in. I put the kettle on, picked up my post from the kitchen side, and sat down on a breakfast bar stool to open it. The remainder of the day passed as some what of a blur, I couldn't have done anything particularly exciting because I would have remembered. I only finally looked up at the clock on my living room wall at 10 p.m. and I knew that I had work in the morning so I went to bed. The two days after were the same, work which never changed from day to day, and doing the same thing every day made me more bored than anything else. I did longer hours than I should every day because I knew I had nothing to do when I got home and this made the two days go quicker. The weekend came and I knew that Tom was supposed to be coming home. I had the whole weekend off, I wasn't intending to get drunk but just to be sure I had booked the two days which meant I didn't have to go to work with a hangover. I had all day to make myself look stunning for the night ahead; it was only ten thirty in the morning so I got out of bed and put the television on in the living room. I had to be at Jane's at five o'clock to help her with any last minute things, she was having caterers in to cook all of the food and to set most of it up but she knew that I would be sure of what Tom liked. That morning I went out and had my hair cut and my nails done, I got home and showered to get rid of the access hair that was in all of my clothes. It was now gone 1 o'clock in the afternoon so I pulled a microwave meal out of the freezer and put it in for five minutes. I didn't have the time to do something proper, today was going to be quite busy for me, I still had to get ready although I was clean. After I had finished the meal, I put the dish in the dishwasher and tidied the kitchen again so it looked presentable; I only just had enough time now. I got dressed up to my waist; I didn't want to get make-up on the top of my dress so I put that part on last. I blow dried my hair and straightened it, did my make-up, put on all of my jewellery, including the necklace and earring set that Tom had sent me and then put the rest of my dress on properly. I put my shoes on and left and left at a quarter past four. When I got to Jane's, the place was deserted, there was nobody to be seen anywhere. It was quite early, and Tom wasn't due until around six. Jane came to the front door to greet me, so I parked the car and got out. I followed her through the entrance hall and into the living room which looked amazing as usual, but today the walls were covered in welcome home banners. I then joined her in the dining area situated next to the living room; the table was laid with the most beautifully presented food which I knew she hadn't cooked. A man, who turned out to be the bar manager for the night, was putting the finishing touches to the bar at the other end of the room, more bar staff would come later to help him with catering, waiters and waitresses to carry around the drinks on trays. I couldn't wait to see Tom; he was always away when I came around to see Jane, he only ever came home for a while and then he was off again to some business meeting or other. Jane noticed the earrings and the necklace and I told her that Tom had sent them to me. She complained because she said that he never sent her presents and said that he spoilt me, which was mostly true; he did always send me presents from wherever he was staying, even if it was only a t-shirt or a key ring with the name of the hotel on it. The last guest arrived at five thirty; Jane and I greeted them at the door and took their coats. Finally at ten past six a taxi pulled up at the door and out leaped Tom, as happy as ever with that same smile on his face as I had first seen so long ago. I was so glad to see him, even if at that moment it was only through the window. The door knocked and I stood behind Jane as she opened it. Tom threw his arms around his mother like a child, a finger just tapping me as his hand passed. Tom screamed my name as soon as he noticed that I was there, he then pulled me into his chest so that I could put my arms around him for the first time in ages. â€Å"Welcome home†, I squeaked, I couldn't breathe very well because he was holding me so tightly. He spent the next half an hour greeting people and thanking them for coming, and then he came back over to see me. We talked for a while about his trip and about how we both were; he looked great, although a little tired from the journey. He noticed that I had the earrings and necklace on that he had bought me and I thanked him again, he told me that I looked beautiful and I could feel myself getting embarrassed and going red. He just smiled. Out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of Jane coming from the dining room, she winked and smiled when she saw us together, she had always thought that Tom and I should have been a couple but we had let her down after we had split up years ago. â€Å"Wanna dance?† He asked me. We stepped into the centre of the living room where Jane had made a space for everyone to dance in. He span me around, and I laughed, we danced for a while to a song which I recognised from my childhood. He kissed me as the song ended and I knew that Jane was watching us. In that moment I felt something which I hadn't felt with Tom since we were together, and then I heard a voice. I knew even before I looked that it was Jane, stood there hands on hips and giggling. â€Å"What?† Asked Tom, â€Å"it was just a friendly kiss†. I agreed with him and Jane walked away. It was now quite late, and most of the guest had left, the few that hadn't were getting coats and saying goodbye to each other. â€Å"Fancy coming back to mine for a bit?† he asked, â€Å"for coffee or something?† I answered almost immediately, â€Å"yeh, sure†. We phoned a taxi from Jane's house and got to Tom's just after midnight. He paid for the taxi and we got out. Once inside I sat on the sofa in my usual place next to the window, he got up to make coffee and I suggested wine instead. He put the two glasses down on the table and opened the bottle of wine, he poured wine into both the glasses and handed me one. We toasted â€Å"to love and all of life's other pleasures†. We talked some more about his trip and after the third glass of wine he moved closer to me, I wasn't really sure what to do. He touched my face and pulled me closer to him, we kissed, and not just a little one this time but one that lasted minutes, passion and lust filled me and I kissed back. He was caressing my hips and all up my back, he stopped the kiss just for a second and in that time I was trying to remember who I was with and what was happening. It was Tom, just Tom but for some reason it felt so right. I pulled his face back to mine so that I could kiss him again. He grabbed my hand and led me to what I knew was his bedroom. We fell to the bed still kissing passionately; he removed his jacket and his tie, and then started to undo his shirt buttons. I wanted him so badly and was so excited that I couldn't stop myself from pulling my dress over my head, shocking myself that I could be so forward. I threw it onto the floor beside the bed where the clothes he was wearing only moments before now laid. We were both now in only our underwear, I felt so calm with Tom, and I wasn't scared at all. Still kissing me, he undid the back of my bra so quickly that I didn't even notice, I had forgotten what Tom's touch felt like but now longed for him. He had taken off his boxer shorts and was now taking off my thongs, kissing and gently nibbling my breasts as he did. He started to stroke my thigh and I moved his hand up higher so that his fingers were on my clitoris, I was scratching his back and pulling him closer, begging for him to touch me more. I screamed with excitement as he slid inside me. When I woke that morning, I felt different, and then I remembered what had happened the night before. I got out of the bed still totally naked, and grabbed my clothes from the floor on the way out the door, Tom was still asleep and I didn't think that I could wake him; I just wanted to get out. When I got home I went straight into my bedroom where I cried for hours, I didn't regret the night before but I didn't want to ruin what we already had either. The phone rang beside the bed and I picked up to hear a voice which I knew was Tom's. I was crying as I answered, and Tom could tell this. He asked me what was wrong and I explained. â€Å"I want it all or nothing at all. There's nowhere left to fall when you reach the bottom, it's now or never. Is it all or are we just friends, is this how it ends, with a simple telephone call, you leave me here with nothing at all?† I sobbed. â€Å"That's what I phoned to say to you Victoria, I want you to have it all, I want us to be together properly, I'm sick of pretending that I don't love you because I do!† he answered. I told him that I loved him too, I was overpowered by shock. The next few weeks passed quickly, Jane loved the idea of us being back together again, so did all of our friends. We're planning to wed in the summer and then we want to start a family of our own. Who would have guessed that you can look love in the face for so long and not even realise that it's there. This book is a lesson for all of you, you only live once, live it to the full, don't let anything come between you and your dreams†¦

Leadership Style Paper Essay

Leaders create structure in the company and provide information to managers properly to guide them. Leaders have the responsibility of completing research to guide the company’s path properly into profits and better run the company. Leaders have a vision, and they develop plans for that vision. According to Sullivan and Decker, a leader influences others to accomplish the vision. A leader develops the ability to do backward planning. Leaders are managers, but managers are not necessarily leaders. Effective leaders know and understand their organization and continue to ask how we can do things better (Sullivan & Decker, 2009). Leadership styles set direction for their team. It is known how to identify one natural style of leading, knowing the needs and maturity of the team and knowing the ministry situation. The topics addressed in this paper, will be: who the writer see as having a successful leadership style? Why is this person, considered a successful leader? What management and leadership theories does this person use? How does leadership style compare with the writer and a successful leader identified? What traits does the successful leader have that the writer may need to develop? What strengths does the writer have that the example leader can benefit? In addition, the writer will address the self-management assessment. Successful leadership style Angelina Jolie is a 39-year-old actress, director/producer, wife, mother and humanitarian. She may be one of the biggest paychecks in Hollywood, California. She still finds time to be the voice of the people. She joined forces with the United Nations refugee agency in 2001 as a goodwill ambassador. Jolie has missions in countries such as Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan. Jolie vision is to end the plague of rape in war-torn regions. Ms. Jolie is able to influence governments and move public opinion at the same  time; she chooses to use her global influence to highlight neglected human right (â€Å"Fortune Ranks the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders,† 2014) Management and leadership theories When comparing the leadership style of Angelina Jolie, both the writer and Ms. Jolie have organized leadership qualities. The writer can be autocratic, charismatic, bureaucratic, and democratic. Autocratic comes involved when depended on thoughts and reactions without someone else’s supervision, whereas, using personality and charm as a charismatic leader to get people to do the task without using force, and bureaucratic shows when needed to rely on the guidelines and rules in certain times such as safety prevention. However, democratic should be a part of everyone’s style, especially if he or she is working with other team members. Traits to develop from a successful leadership The traits learn from Angelina Jolie to become a successful leader is: †¢ Do not take things for granted †¢ Be a visionary leader and act on one’s dreams and move toward them †¢ Be courageous and bring ideas into public awareness †¢ Be fond of talking to a larger group of people †¢ Being fluid of speech and thought †¢ Be more of an optimistic †¢ Have high energy Strengths the writer has from which Angelina Jolie could benefit from will be supportive leadership focus on the needs of the person displaying concern for the well-being and creates a friendly environment (Sullivan & Decker, 2009). The ability that the writer has is to listen, willingness to learn, thoroughness when performing tasks and commitment. Being loyal and thorough shows the leader is committed and can complete tasks without constant supervision. Conclusion Leadership style is the way and method of giving direction, motivating people and executing a plan. Individuals use a mixture style of his or her values, beliefs, and likings in addition to the structural culture and norms, which will inspire certain styles and disappoint others. This paper has addressed  Angelina Jolie’s leadership style and why she is a leader. It compared her leadership styles to the writer along with identifying any traits that the writer has learned from her success. Strength and influence, in which may be beneficial to her success as a leader. Nevertheless, Angelina Jolie has visions, and her visions make things happen. She is one of the most influential women in the world. Based on the leadership and the team self-management assessment the reader got a score of 77. References Fortune Ranks the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders. (2014, March). Fortune Magazine. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2014/03/20/frotune-ranks-the-worlds-50-greatest-leaders/ Sullivan, E.J., & Decker, P.J. (2005). Effective leadership and management in nursing (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Dreams in of mice and men Essay

Of Mice and Men Dreams Of Mice and Men is set in Salinas, California in the 1930s Great Depression. Life was hard and men could be cruel. Hope might be the only escape from hard reality. This links to the American Dream – represented in George and Lennie’s dream of working hard and getting their own land and farm, and control over their own lives. But it was harder than ever to achieve due to the tough economic conditions of the Depression. After Lennie’s death, it might be possible for George to realise his dream, but the emptiness at the end of the novel shows that financial success is nothing when you are lonely. So the dream is not just something to own, or possess, but also something to share. ‘Compassion and love’, to Steinbeck – as outlined in his Nobel Prize speech are the most important things, as is ‘hope’ – having a dream. Lennie and George have a fairly simple dream: to own a small farm, and be their own bosses, which contrasts with the large factory type farm they are on, where men are treated like machines, which are frequently broken (Crooks and Candy), and isolated from each other. George repeats his and Lennie’s dream like a mantra: ‘we got a future’, suggesting that they are different to the others. ‘Future’ here is a metaphor for something bright, and greater than what they have now – like the American Dream to ‘live off the fatta the land’. The phrase ‘fat of the land’ almost suggests a biblical promised land after the hard, ‘wilderness’ years. The function of the dream therefore is to help them to endure hardship and not give in to despair. They want control of their own lives: ‘we’ll just say the hell with goin to work’. This can make them seem naive however, as farmers have to work whether they want to or not – especially smallholders. When George sets out the dream, he then says that he and Lennie are ‘not like those other guys’. The dream sets George and Lennie apart from the others; they make themselves special: in the inclusive ‘we’ against the exclusive ‘those other guys’. The juxtaposition of ‘us’ and ‘them’ verbally bonds the protagonists together in contrast to the other men – even though they are all, George, Lennie, Crooks, Candy, in the same situation. Still, George and Lennie separate themselves from the others by using the third person to describe farm hands as, ‘the loneliest guys in the world.’ The superlative ‘loneliest’ and hyperbole ‘in the world’ exaggerates the harshness of the world of the Depression as shown in the novel. Sometimes it seems that George ‘owns’ the dream – as he is the one who tells it to Lennie, like a child’s bedtime story, prayer or mantra, in keeping with his role as ‘parent/protector’ to his child-like companion. This is emphasised by the simple, mantra-like structure, where Lennie keeps filling in the gaps if George hesitates, and repeating short phrases after him as if he knows it by heart, even though – as George says frustratedly, Lennie always ‘forgets’ everything else. It is not always certain if George believes the dream is possible or if he is saying it to keep Lennie quiet. Sometimes, George seems sceptical, saying they will have ‘every colour rabbits’ including ‘red and blue’. He is patronising to Lennie, saying ‘good boy’, keeping him safe from his own stupidity. In these scenes the dream seems more of a spell or placebo to keep the main characters safe than something that is really possible. Other characters are very cynical about the dream. The reader is made to question how realistic these dreams are. Curley’s wife dreams of when she threw away the chance to become famous, but we can see that her dream is a sham. Of George and Lennie’s dream, Crooks says: ‘every damn one of them’s got a little piece of land in his head’. Crooks’ final judgement is that ‘never a God damn one of ‘em ever gets it.’ The repetition of the absolute ‘never’ and ‘ever’, as well as the strong slang ‘God damn’ emphasises how desperate life is. However, it is not certain whether Steinbeck shares Crooks’ negative view. Crooks is an extreme character. His language is hyperbole – very extreme and relentlessly negative. Crooks’ phrase ‘God damn’ suggests that God has abandoned these men, in contrast to the biblical image of hope in George and Lennie’s dream of living ‘off the fatta the land’. The biblical imagery continues negatively when Crooks compares the dream of land to being ‘like Heaven’ – the Christian idea of perfect bliss, not considered a physical reality – and which Crooks says is just as impossible to get as a piece of land. It’s hard for George to keep Lennie out of trouble and keep them on track for their dream. But when they tell Candy, it starts to seem as if it might be possible. [needs evidence/ quotation/ language analysis] In an instant, Candy’s faith (and money) take them close to the ideal/dream becoming real. As the dream is shared, or heard by more people, the more it seems that together they might make it come true. Even the ultra negative Crooks starts to believe.[needs evidence/ quotation/ language analysis] But all the time, Steinbeck has built up a foreboding feeling, that this world is hard and horrible and nothing good can live in it. We feel that the gentleness of Lennie and George’s friendship, and their shared dream, will be crushed by the cruel world – even by Lennie’s desire for gentle, soft things. ‘I like soft things’ Every time he kills an animal – mouse or puppy, Lennie’s biggest, darkest fear is that he won’t be allowed ‘to tend the rabbits’. The dream is so precious to him that he wants it at any cost. Curley’s wife is lonely and wants someone to listen to her dream. [needs evidence/ quotation/ language analysis] When she finds Lennie in the barn, she lets him stroke her hair. When she starts screaming, Lennie screams at her to stop or ‘George won’t let me tend the rabbits’. She’s so frightened that she can’t stop and Lennie accidentally kills her. In a way, Lennie’s desire to keep the dream (by keeping Curley’s wife quiet – and smothering her) is the thing that has destroyed it. The irony of this makes it even more poignant. When Candy discovers what has happened all he wants to know is that he and George can still get the farm. [needs evidence/ quotation/ language analysis] He loses sight of human decency – the woman is dead and Lennie will soon die too. Steinbeck makes us ask whether any dream of financial prosperity should be more important than human life? Should we try to get it at any cost? At the end, George tells Lennie the ‘fairy story’ of the dream again – to make him happy at the moment he has to kill the dream of togetherness by shooting him in the head. He almost can’t speak because he is so upset. [needs evidence/ quotation/ language analysis] Even though George could still have the farm with Candy, he is deeply sad that he couldn’t keep Lennie alive. Because the dream isn’t worth much when he doesn’t have his old friend to share it with. Lennie loved the dream more than anyone and he never gets it.