Impact of the Media on the Development of a Child Research Paper

Impact of the Media on the Development of a Child - Research Paper Example The teens have invaded the media in droves and according to the recent research, they constitutes almost seventy percentages of the users especially in internet and broadcast media, the big question is whether the media is contributing positively in the development of this cadre of population. Certainly, the answer is no, it is now apparent that the media particularly the internet has made the moral turpitude of the teens to be put to doubts and ascertained that this is the avenue through which they explore and practice illicit behaviors. Media’s Contribution in development of the Teens It is not accurate to state that media does not have any meaningful contribution in the lives of teens. It is true that it does influence many things with positive outcomes, an example of the case in the US where adolescent obesity has been mitigated through the media (Ford 11). Notwithstanding, when critically assessed it will be found that media has also contributed negatively in the lives of the teens by exposing them to issues related to sex, an example is the phonographic videos in the internet. Teens have also fallen into the trap of engaging in the illicit activities following the kind of advertisement they are accorded in the media. The media is thus an area where both positives and negatives conducts are drawn by the teens. Positive Attributes of the Media on teens Development The media has significantly contributed to the positive development of the teens in several ways helping them to achieve their life objectives. These positive impacts of media to the teens include academic improvements, growth of a reading a culture and networking. Academic Improvement According to research, it has been proven that the teens with computer and laptops in their room demonstrate remarkable improvement in their performance in academic work. This is attributed to the fact that by having computers, they not only have the ease to reach information through the internet but also get motivated and spend more hours reading information in the internet. Television show are also rated to have the best educational session on several issues that even the parent might not be having good grasp of knowledge about. In a close supervision then, television can prove to be one of the best informative media on relevant issues to the teens; an example is the show by Dr Oz and Oprah (Ford 17). Inculcation of the Reading Culture and Networking It is certain that our reading culture is threatened with the technological advancement today, as most of the teens demonstrate a very poor reading culture that needs to be reinforced. The print media that details several issues that takes place around the world is rejuvenating this culture. Through the magazines, journals that discuss the topical issues, the teens are fond of extracting the information in them through reading and this is helping in realizing the culture of reading. The internet on the other hand, provides the teens with a faster and safe way of interaction and can have the opportunity to share on some of the issues that interest them with whomsoever they choose around the world (Ford 20). Therefore, parents should then ensure that their children do not fall a prey to the other sides of the media that bears contrary impact. This precautionary measure ensures that the teens do not succumb to the disturbances, obsessions, depressions, and mental deterioration characterized with dwindling academic performance. Negative Attributes of the Media to the Teens Several studies have indicated that teens who demonstrate

American Literature Summer Reading List Essay Example for Free

American Literature Summer Reading List Essay The following list was complied from the recommendations of the Belmont High School English department and contains some of the best-known works of American literature. Each book addresses the American Dream and/or American identities. All entering 11th graders must read at least one book from the list below over the summer. Students entering English 11 Honors must read at least one contemporary AND one classic work from the list. The American Literature Summer Reading page on your Edline account provides summaries of the works listed below; it will be available until July 15th. We encourage all students to preview a book before making a choice in order to determine that the writing style and narrative voice will be a good fit. Please consult your 10th grade teacher if you need help finding a book that is a good match for you. Author Book Joan Didion Joan Didion W. E. B. Du Bois Booker T. Washington The White Album: Essays Slouching Toward Bethlehem: Essays The Souls of Black Folk Up from Slavery Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream The Dharma Bums On the Road Hunter S. Thompson Jack Kerouac Jack Kerouac Malcolm X and Alex Haley Tom Wolfe Alex Haley Ayn Rand  Ayn Rand Bernard Malamud E. L. Doctorow Edith Wharton Edith Wharton F. Scott Fitzgerald F. Scott Fitzgerald Herman Melville James Baldwin James Weldon Johnson The Autobiography of Malcolm X The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test Roots The Fountainhead Atlas Shrugged The Natural Ragtime The Age of Innocence The House of Mirth Tender is the Night This Side of Paradise Moby-Dick Go Tell it on the Mountain Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man Genre Essays Essays Essays Memoir Era Classic Classic Classic Classic Memoir Memoir Memoir Classic Classic Classic. Memoir Memoir Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Classic  Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Joan Didion John Cheever John Dos Passos John Irving John Steinbeck John Steinbeck John Updike Kate Chopin Ken Kesey N. Scott Momaday Nella Larson Norman Mailer Philip Roth Ralph Ellison Raymond Chandler Richard Wright Rita Mae Brown Robert Penn Warren Saul Bellow Sinclair Lewis Theodore Dreiser Theodore Dreiser Upton Sinclair Vladimir Nabokov Willa Cather Willa Cather William Faulkner Studs Terkel Play It As It Lays The Wapshot Chronicle The U. S. A. Trilogy The World According to Garp East of Eden The Grapes of Wrath Rabbit, Run The Awakening One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest House Made of Dawn Passing An American Dream Portnoy’s Complaint Invisible Man The Big Sleep Black Boy Rubyfruit Jungle All the Kings Men The Adventures of Augie March Main Street An American Tragedy Sister Carrie The Jungle Lolita My Antonia O Pioneers! Absalom, Absalom! Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel about What They Do Arthur Miller A View from the Bridge Lorraine Hansberry Sherwood Anderson Sarah Vowell Toure A Raisin in the Sun Winesburg, Ohio The Partly Cloudy Patriot Whos Afraid of Post-Blackness? What It Means to be Black Now Novel Novel Novel. Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Classic Oral History Play Play Short Stories Essays Essays Classic Classic Classic Classic Contemporary Contemporary Annie Dillard Barack Obama Bob Dylan Itabari Njeri James McBride Jay-Z John Edgar Wideman Luis Rodriguez Maxine Hong Kingston Richard Rodriguez Barbara Ehrenreich Dave Eggers. David Bianculli Erik Larsen Greil Marcus John Berendt Jon Krakauer Neil Swidey Tom Wolfe Amy Tan Andre Dubus III Annie Proulx Audrey Niffenegger Barbara Kingsolver Barbara Kingsolver Barbara Kingsolver Chad Harbach Chang-rae Lee Cormac McCarthy Daniel Wallace Danzy Senna Dave Eggers David Foster Wallace An American Childhood Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance Chronicles, Vol. I Every Goodbye Ain’t Gone The Color of Water: A Black Mans Tribute to His White Mother Decoded Brothers and Keepers Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L. A The Woman Warrior Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodriguez. Nickle and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America Zeitoun Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour Devil in the White City The Old, Weird America: The World of Bob Dylans Basement Tapes Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Into the Wild The Assist: Hoops, Hope, and the Game of Their Lives The Right Stuff The Joy Luck Club House of Sand and Fog The Shipping News The Time Travellers Wife The Bean Trees Animal Dreams The Poisonwood Bible The Art of Fielding Native Speaker Blood Meridian Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions Caucasia What is the What Infinite Jest Memoir Memoir Memoir Memoir. Memoir Memoir Memoir Memoir Memoir Memoir Nonfiction Nonfiction Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Nonfiction Nonfiction Nonfiction Nonfiction Nonfiction Nonfiction Nonfiction Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary David Sheff Don DeLillo Donna Tartt Dorothy Allison Edward P. Jones Fannie Flagg Gish Jen Gloria Naylor Jane Smiley Jennifer Egan Jhumpa Lahiri John Irving John Kennedy OToole Jonathan Franzen Jonathan Lethem Jonathan Safran Foer Julia Alvarez Junot Diaz K. M. Soehnlein Leslie Marmon Silko Marilynne Robinson Marilynne Robinson Marisha Pessl Michael Chabon Ntzoke Shange Paul Auster Paul Auster Paula Fox Peter Cameron Philip Roth Philip Roth Richard Ford Richard Russo Sherman Alexie Beautiful Boy Americana The Secret History Bastard out of Carolina The Known World Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe Typical American. The Women of Brewster Place A Thousand Acres A Visit from the Goon Squad The Namesake A Prayer for Owen Meany A Confederacy of Dunces The Corrections The Fortress of Solitude Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao The World of Normal Boys Ceremony Gilead Home Special Topics in Calamity Physics The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay Sassafrass, Cypress, and Indigo The New York Trilogy The Music of Chance Desperate Characters Someday This Pain Will be Useful to You American Pastoral The Human Stain The Sportswriter Empire Falls Reservation Blues Novel Novel Novel. Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Steven Millhauser. Sue Monk Kidd T. C. Boyle Thomas Pynchon Thomas Pynchon Tom Wolfe Toni Morrison Toni Morrison Walter Mosley Walter Mosley August Wilson August Wilson Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer The Secret Life of Bees The Tortilla Curtain Vineland The Crying of Lot 49 Bonfire of the Vanities Beloved Song of Solomon Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned The Man in My Basement Ma Raineys Black Bottom The Piano Lesson David Mamet Glengarry Glen Ross Tony Kushner Annie Proulx Jhumpa Lahiri Raymond Carver Sherman Alexie Angels in America Close Range: Wyoming Stories Interpreter of Maladies What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. The Long Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Novel Play Play Play Play Short Stories Short Stories Short Stories Short Stories Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary Contemporary.

Titan Watches Essay Example for Free

Titan Watches Essay The market surveys show that barely 20% of adult Indians own a watch and about 90% of them own a single watch. So as to sustain and strive in this scenario, a company has to market itself well. Among those marketing strategy applied by the companies, one is STP (segmentation, targeting, positioning) ANALYSIS. Here, STP analysis is done for a company which has got the highest market share in the watch market of India and it is TITAN. As the world’s sixth largest manufacturer brand of watches, the companys products attract the classes and masses both. The 960-crore Titan Industries Ltd (TIL) is a conglomerate between the Tamil Nadu industrial Development Corporation and the Tata Group of Companies and it was established in 1984. Titan Industries Ltd has split its mainline watch business into two:-Sonata and Titan. As their managing director says,†volume growth will come from Sonata and value growth from Titan†. CURRENT AFFAIRS: Growth Rate: Titan is maintaining a growth rate of 30-35%. Future Plans: ? Titan is planning to roll out its own Swiss made premium watches brand `Xylys by August 2007, in order to lure the watch market. Xylys would be competing with premium international brands including Tissot and Rado. ? Titan is aiming to be a $1 billion company by 2010(Rs 4,700) crore hence acquiring a three-fold growth. The STP Process SEGMENTATION Dividing the market by grouping the customer with similar tastes and preferences into one segment is called is called â€Å"segmentation†. Segmentation help marketers understand the needs of different customers better and serve them with better value propositions. A market comprises of different consumers possessing innumerable tastes and preferences. Depending n their marketing approach and the nature of the products marketers can adopt different level s of segmentation. The levels of market segmentation are: †¢ Segment Marketing †¢ Individual Marketing †¢ Niche Marketing †¢ Local Marketing Segmentation is also sometimes identifying, capturing and retaining potential new markets. TITAN PERSPECTIVE Titan has segmented its business into three main categories: ? ? ? Mass Mid-premium luxury

A Visit To A Jewish Synagogue

A Visit To A Jewish Synagogue Judaism is the oldest and one of the most practiced religions in the world. It was originated when God called Abraham and ordered him to take his people to Canaan, the Promised Land. There, it was signed like an agreement between God and the Jews because they were the chosen people to extend the law of God. It is considered Abraham the father of the Jews and Christians, because he descended from the Jewish people. Another important descendant in the origin of the religion was Moses, who were handed the tables of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. The source of the Jewish doctrine is divine in revelation contained in the Torah. It is also a guide of living. Judaism also has very complex purity laws of food. It is allow to eat all plant products, terrestrial animals if they are all ruminants with cloven-hoofed with the exception of the pork, the hare, the camel, etc. Birds are also allowed, all are permitted except the birds of prey. Also sea animals are allowed but only those fish that have scales and fins. In addition the animals must be slaughtered by an expert killer. He must followed all the rabbinical laws for killing, which require, among other things, the disgorging, for which the animal loses all his blood, food prohibit for the Jewish, and the detailed inspection of certain viscera to verify that the animal has no default to be prohibited. After that he must eliminate certain nerves and the fat. Finally, before cooking the meat it has to be treated with water and salt to miss the last traces of blood. In addition it i s important to separate at the time of cooking and eating, meat products and dairy products, also maintaining separate cooking tools for each group. The rabbi is an expert of the study of Torah, which also has obtained the certification to exercise it. His mission is to ensure that believer follows correctly the cult, ensure the implementation of the procedures and teaching, interpreting, implementing and always studying the Torah. He can occupy the position of spiritual leader of a synagogue, a community or a set of them. But regardless of the position, his authority will be determined not for reasons of hierarchy, on the contrary by the prestige given by his knowledge and recognition of it in Jewish society. The usual place of worship on the Jewish religion is the synagogue. Together with the Temple is the most important institution of Judaism. After the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem the synagogue became the center and central point of the religious Jewish life. It inherited many of the customs and rituals of the Temple but there were some of them that were prohibited because they were exclusive of the Temple, for example the prayer became the substitute for the sacrifices. Since many years ago to the functions of the synagogue as a center for prayer, study and teaching it also became as the center of community and place of meeting for treating all kinds of issues related to the community life. Also, in the synagogue or in its buildings there was everything necessary for the Jewish life, for example the headquarters of rabbinical court, the ritual bath, hospice for hosting travelers, among others. The religious service, established in the Talmud, has remained without basic changes along their 2,500 years of history, and only with time has suffered some extensions that vary between communities to others. In the synagogue it is held three times a day, at sunset, at sunrise and at noon, the prayers community in the presence of a minimum of ten (10) men older than thirteen (13) years. Besides the followers there is present the rabbi, where he reads aloud the texts of prayer. The worship prayers to God are all in Hebrew with some fragments are in Aramaic. They consist in passages of Psalms and other books of the Bible. In the service of Monday, Thursday, Saturdays and holidays it is read the Torah. In each week they read a section so the cycle of reading will be completed in the course of the year. The reading is follows by a passage of the biblical books of Prophets where they are related with the section of the Torah. During the prayer men must cover their head with any hat or skullcap. Also they cover themselves with a kind mantle of rectangular shape usually made of wool, white and blue stripes or black. Within the festive calendar the most important institution of Judaism is the sabat (Saturday), which reminds each week the divine resting in the seventh day. The celebration homeschooling starts before sunset on friday, lighting the housewife in the second house candelas sabbaticals on which should read the corresponding blessing. The meals, such as the remaining festivities, starting with a prayer of sanctification (quidà ºs) on a cup full of wine and another blessing on two loaves of bread. The evening of Saturday, another sentence parallel mark the separation (habdalà ¡) between the holy day just and profane that begins; it aspires the smell of spices stored in a bowl, lights a candle and drink a glass of wine, all accompanied by the blessings. Another of its festivals most famous in the Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement, which culminates the ten days of penitence of New Year (September). It is a day of reflection and repentance in which it must save fasting. The Yom Kippur (Day of forgiveness or of atonement) is the most solemn of the Jewish calendar and with it culminates the ten days of penitence initiated with the new Year. It is a day of fasting, devoted to repentance and to ask forgiveness of sins committed against God, against himself and against the neighbor; for forgiveness for the latter there to repair the damage caused, but without the repair and repentance are sufficient when the neighbor is a non-Jewish. The religious services in the synagogue last throughout the day; it starts with the sentence Kal nidrà ©, in which it seeks the annulment of the votes are not met, and closes with a touch of sofar. Of the ceremonies mandatory of the life cycle, the first is the circumcision (berit milà ¡) of the man jewish eighth day of his birth and provided that the health of the newborn permits, in a sign of the alliance (berit) of the people with God, as ordered Abraham in Gen 17.11-12. In the circumcision is imposed on the child a Hebrew name and must be performed a professional (mohel) with the necessary religious knowledge and skills. A month and a day of birth a firstborn, according to the law should devote themselves to God, performed the ceremony of pidià ³n haben (rescue of the child) the father it is deposited in the arms of a kohà ©n (priest) and then what recalls delivering a sum of money symbolic. The marriage ceremony consists of two consecutive stages: (a) the betrothal, with the consecration (quidusà ­n), in which the boyfriend placed in the finger of the bride gold ring, and the reading ritual of marriage contract and its provisions (cohen), among which are the obligations that the man takes on himself as a husband and compensation to be paid to women in the event of divorce; and (b) the remarriage (nisuà ­n), with the recitation of the seven blessings. During the ceremony the bride and groom remain under a palio (hupà ¡), which symbolizes the thalamus bridal, and the groom must break a glass placed their feet, act designed to evoke the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem. The 13 years the male jewish reaches the age of majority religious, that is, it becomes bar misvà ¡ (subject to the precepts), being from then responsible for their actions. In the holding the child sits for the first time the tallith and the tefilà ­n, and is traditional to be invited to the synagogue to read in the Torah the fragment that corresponds to it.

Léon Theremins Contributions to Music and Society Essay -- Biography

To start, Là ©on Theremin, originally known as, Lev Sergeyevich Termen, was a very influential Russian inventor throughout human history. He is most popular for his invention of the Theremin, one of the very first electronic musical instruments ever made. In addition, Là ©on Theremin is the inventor of a plethora of other inventions, some including the burglar alarm, the Great Seal bug, and the Terpsitone. There are innumerable interesting things that can be said about this innovative person. Without him, society wouldn’t experience, or enjoy the things we have, the same. This research will discuss Là ©on Theremin’s biography, his contributions to music, and his countless inventions that benefited, and improved society on a global scale. First, Là ©on Theremin, originally born with the name, Lev Sergeivitch Termen, was born on the year, 1896, in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was of German and French ancestry and had a sibling by the name of Helena. When he became seven years old, he took an interest in electricity. By the age of thirteen, Theremin began to observe and test high frequency circuits. Later on, within his years in high school, he was able to present to an audience optical effects using electricity, and by the age of seventeen, he had his own laboratory to continue his electrical experiments. It was very clear that the young, Là ©on Theremin, had a brilliant mind. As he grew older, he was â€Å"educated as a physicist and musician,† (Là ©on Theremin) and later began to develop what is known today as the theremin. After the creation of this notable instrument, the theremin, he â€Å"demonstrated his theremin to the Soviet revolutionary leader, Lenin,† in 1922. From there, he was sent on a to ur, which included â€Å"sell-out concerts,† (Là ©on... ...ame. Many of the things he created were considered unthinkable at his point of time in society and because of his ability to dramatically alter how we think of, or use the world, Là ©on Theremin, will be remembered in history, forever. Works Cited Wierzbicki, James. "Weird Vibrations: How The Theremin Gave Musical Voice To Hollywood’S Extraterrestrial â€Å"Others†." Journal Of Popular Film And Television 30.3 (2002): 125-135. OmniFile Full Text Select (H.W. Wilson). Web. 29 May 2012. WILLIAM, GRIMES. "Leon Theremin, Musical Inventor, Is Dead at 97." New York Times, The (NY) 09 Nov. 1993: 10. NewsBank - Archives. Web. 29 May 2012. "Leon Theremin." Hutchinson's Biography Database (2011): 1. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 30 May 2012. "Clara Rockmore (1911-1998)." Computer Music Journal 22.4 (1998): 14. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 May 2012.

Cultural diversity :: essays research papers fc

Many people are affected by cultural differences, but if one tries to break the barriers, the attempt is usually received with open arms and graciously. I remember when preparing for my trip to Germany friends asked why I chose Germany. I responded with â€Å"why not?† Then I was confronted with reasoning like â€Å"look what happened in World War II, you do not know their language,† and my favorite, â€Å"all there are is Nazi people over there.† I looked at them for a second then replied with something to the affect that I have always had a fascination with World War II and especially Adolf Hitler and Germany. It is true that I do not know the language, but English is becoming more and more a universally recognized language, and while it is true there are Nazi types of people there, I’m sure there is an equal amount of â€Å"hate† right here in the United States. While this is interesting, it so far simply doesn’t respond to the assignment , which is to respond to an essay from Language Awareness. You need to make clear from the start what essay you’re responding to. Not deterred by other’s comments, I set off for Germany in November of 2002. This was post 9/11 so I was a bit nervous. The first jaunt was from Cleveland to Toronto where I had my first encounter with traveling outside the United States. Toronto has many Muslim people. As I approached the security gate to get into the area where I was to board the plane, I noticed a Muslim man yelling in Arabic or some other Middle Eastern language to someone across the security gate. By yelling, I mean angrily and forcibly. Being that this was my first international trip and only my 2nd airplane ride in my life, I was already nervous to begin with. Add the fact that it was post 9/11, I was nervous as hell. I thought to myself, â€Å"Did World War III break out in the hour that I was in the air to Toronto?† Then I realized that just maybe the person was upset about having to unbuckle his belt or something trying to get through the gate. I landed safe and sound in Frankfurt which has the largest airport in at least Europe. This is where I had my first cultural shock. I knew I had less than

Book Review of That Eye, The Sky by Tim Winton :: Book Review

I have chosen to read the book â€Å"That Eye, The Sky† by Tim Winton. The front cover isn’t very appealing- it has a picture of a house in the outback, with the night-sky covering it. I have picked this book because one of the school librarians have recommended it to me, and said that it is a very moving book. And that it will expand my vocabulary. The blurb suggests that ‘That Eye, The Sky’ has little bit to do with the supernatural, which I’m a bit wary of. I don’t enjoy reading books that haven’t much to do with things â€Å"out of this world†. Actually, I don’t really enjoy reading books that are written about things outside of what I know as familiar. But we’ll see how I go. The main character in this story is Morton â€Å"Ort† Flack, and he is twelve years old. He lives in outback Western Australia with his mother, father, older sister, Tegwyn (I have had so much trouble with the pronunciation of her name!), and his grandma. His mum is a housewife and works on their farm, I’m not sure what his dad would be classified as but he works for Ort’s best friend’s dad, Bill Cherry, who he is obliged to run personal errands for. Ort looks up very much to his father, and his parents are very much in love. His sister is a typical sixteen-year-old. She constantly fights with her parents, rebels against everything and practises self-mutilation- â€Å"Real careful she takes the smoke out of her mouth and looks at the hot end and put it in one of her tits and shivers†- (ok, maybe that last part isn’t typical but she is a teenager living in the bush with nowhere to go and no chance to have friends or get out of the bush so I, as a teenager, can justify why she would do something like that). It is never mentioned what his grandmother is suffering from but I’ve made the assumption that it’s something along the lines of Alzheimer’s- she doesn’t remember anything and has slowly withered away. Ort as the youngest likes to make sure everyone is living their lives alright so he spies on his sister, grandma and parents just to see what they do when they don’t know anybody’s watching. I thought this part was a bit perverted at first, but it can be translated as his way of feeling safe and making sure everyone else is safe.