Leadership of General George S. Patton Essay Example for Free

Leadership of General George S. Patton Essay Leadership of General George S. Patton by Eugene V. Struzik III May 23, 2011 Abstract The purpose of this research paper is to explore the different leadership styles that General George S. Patton Jr. used throughout his life, (November 11, 1885 until December 21, 1945). General Patton is often thought of as one of the most controversial generals in history. This paper will concentrate on events that happened in his life and how his determination, will and hard work helped him overcome and became a better leader. It is evident that in a review of the research General Patton was able to achieve many his success by determination and hard work to be the best in everything that he set his mind to accomplish. He was never happy, except when he was given the challenge of commanding men into battle. General Patton was a leader, a warrior and the most feared General by the Germans. General George S. Patton was a man who is often referred to as a great general, and leader of men who was equally just as controversial. His career in the Army was often a struggle for him to advance and receive the recognition that he deserved. This paper will cover the leadership styles of General Patton during the early, then during World War I. Next it will cover World War II and finally I will give my opinion on the subject. George S. Patton, who was sometime called Georgie, was an average child with the hopes and dreams of becoming a great military leader like his Grandfather, Great-Grandfather and many of his other relatives (Regan, 1960). He worked hard with his academic career to tried to get into West Point the United States Military Academy, but he was not accepted at first. Not deterred by this set back, he went to Virginia Military Institute (VMI) for a year (Reda, 2004). Even though he was going to VMI, he continued tirelessly to get accepted into West Point. Finally Patton was accepted into West Point, but he found it far more challenging then he imagined it would. The major reason that he had difficulty with the studies was because he was suffering from dyslexia, a disorder that caused everything to look backwards (Reda, 2004). Although faced with these difficulties, George never gave up, even when he was forced to repeat his plebe year, due to poor academic performance. However this failure to progress only strengthened his resolve and determination to better. In an effort of almost memorizing everything from his textbooks, he was able to achieve an appointed Cadet Adjutant. Another area that he had an interest in was sports. He encourage the introduction of sports into the school as a way for men to stay focused on studies as appose to getting in trouble (Regan, 1960). His efforts lead to the creation of the first football team and the fencing team. He felt that sport would help him and his classmate overcome the boredom of every day life at West point. In addition, it would help them overcome physical challenges through determination and it would teach them sportsmanship. In an amazing testament to hard work and preservation, George Patton graduated from West Point. Although he did not graduate at the top of his class, he was ranked number 46 out of 103, which is amazing considering the fact that he failed his first year in the Academy. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and assigned to the US Calvery. It was also during this time in Pattons life that he would marry his beautiful and wealthy wife, Beatrice Ayer. Her father was not fond of her marring a military man, because he felt that this would keep his daughter far away from her family. In fact her father, Frederick Ayer, offered George a job in the family business if he would just resign his commission in the Army. However, that was not something that George Patton, was able to do. He was living his dream of being an officer in the United States Army. Georges determination and hard work would reach a high point when he participated in the 1912 Olympics. Although George was not a natural athlete, he simply did what he always did work twice as hard as everyone else in an effort to be better than everyone else. It was his will and his desire to be the best that propelled him into getting fifth place during the Olympics. This raw determination to achieve a goal and accomplish the task ahead would become his trademark. Once again George Pattons determination and desire to excel paid off. Lieutenant Patton was able to get a position as an aide to General Blackjack Pershing during the Punitive Expedition. The interesting thing about this appointment was General Pershing was not taking people to his staff. In fact, it was a letter that Lieutenant Patton wrote to General Pershing requesting to be considered for an appointment to the Generals staff that gave George the opportunity of a lifetime. Here he would learn what it took to be a good Calvary Officer and he would make important contact that would serve him well in the future. This leads into the second main point of this paper, which is Patton emerging into a leader. It is 1917, and the United States has just declared war on Germany. Patton got another chance to serve under General Blackjack Pershing. Pershing gave Patton a promotion to the rank of Captain and appointed him the Tank commander for the American troops. This was not an easy task for Captain Patton, since he had to develop a training program, and tactics for the new technological advancement of the tank. This was Pattons first leadership challenge that would set the tone for how he dealt with all of the other challenges in his life. He was the first tank commander (Reagan, 1960), with this job he took on the daunting task of creating the first Tank Command in Europe. Patton single-handedly created the, the AEF Tank Training Center. He created the, the ideas, the tactics, the design, the uniforms, the procedures. Virtually, everything that was done came from Patton (Reda, 2004). Patton realized the need for training and the benefit that he would get on the battle field. Drawing from his own experience, Patton viewed the tank as the calvary of the future. It would be during this First World War that he would develop many of his leadership skills. As was pointed out by Captain VonShell, Instill a sense of security in the men, by so doing you will help them overcome their fears (1933, p. 17). Patton exemplified this behavior, by being the first person to ride on a tank for in combat even though there was machine gun fire raining down on him (Reda,

Young Goodman Brown Essay -- essays research papers

The main theme of the Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, â€Å" Young Goodman Brown,† is the struggle between Goodman Brown’s faith, power to resist his own evil impulses and his own doubts within him. It is a story of Young Goodman Brown’s personal conflict over his inner desires and its greater meaning conflict between good and evil in the world. The characteristics of Young Goodman Brown are similar to the life of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Nathaniel Hawthorne had his own doubts about his own Puritan life and beliefs. There are numerous examples in this story whereby Hawthorne clearly demonstrates to the reader Goodman Brown’s personal internal conflict between good and evil. Hawthorne’s knowledge of the historical background of Puritanism combined with the personal experience of his early life and the history of his own family merge into the actions that Young Goodman Brown takes. â€Å"Good men† in Hawthorne’s day were those who came from a â€Å"proper† family. The influence of Puritan religion, culture and education had a major role in how someone perceived themselves and their community around them. Goodman Brown claims that he is from a family of good men that have â€Å"never been into the forest on such an errand† to meet the devil; Hawthorne utilizes this information in order to show the reader how Goodman Brown’s ancestries played a vital role on how Goodman Brown thought of himself (as of good character). This view is quickly challenged by the devil himself when he states that all of his ancestors were with him as they tortured women in Salem or burned Indian villages to the ground, and afterwards the d evil and his ancestors would go for a friendly walk. Goodman response to this allegation was; â€Å"We are a people of prayer, and good works to boot, and abide no such wickedness.† Goodman disbelieves that his ancestors could do such wickedness. Hawthorne calls into question the chaste foundation of Young Goodman Brown's heritage, as well as the societal viewpoint of what is respectable, simply by pointing to a few facts. Given the existence and the importance of religion in the era of the early nineteenth century, Goodman Brown may be expressing a desire to break loose from a rigid puritan lifestyle. The puritan life style required their followers to doubt themselves and their community so much that a reality in which one could achieve Grace did not exist. It taught that one could not... ...lls for his Faith, he gets no answer. Brown only sees the pink ribbon fall, and his awareness of the conflict between good and evil is complete. He gives himself over to a new perspective. The pink button represents the pure innocents that has disappeared. This tears Goodman apart and creates so much doubt within him that it alters his perception about all the good people that are around him. We can never be sure if good or evil won the fight waged within Young Goodman Brown, but Hawthorne makes it abundantly clear that Brown was scared for his life due to his experience. This journey that Young Goodman Brown encounters could of been a dream or even a true event that is manifested by his own internal desires. Unable to accept that society is a mixture of both good and evil, Goodman Brown chooses his own damnation. In the forest Brown saw a mixture of religious and wicked people, and it was strange to see that "the good shrank not from the wicked, nor were the sinners abashed by the saints." Brown ultimately decides to accept that everyone is evil, and he loses his chance at redemption when he makes the decision to completely isolate himself from society and even from his own wife.

Representation of Women in History Essay

Throughout American history, women have been the backbone of the country, working at taking care of their families, and the country itself. The recognition of this is shown by the different representations of America in a female context. Whether as a insolent young Native American princess who has wronged her British mother, or as Roman goddess Columbia in her long, flowing white robes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The major change in the way America was represented pictorially was brought about by Phillis Wheatley in 1775, when she sent her poem to George Washington describing America as a goddess called Columbia. The people at the time were quick to identify with this new interpretation as they wanted to distance themselves from the negative British representations of America as a Native American woman who was young and disobeying of her parental figure. Also at that time, colonists were thinking of America as a place of self-knowledge and exploration, creating libraries and other places of study, complete with mock Roman architecture that enforced the feeling of the â€Å"new Rome,† and they liked the fact that Columbia was shown as a Roman goddess of sorts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When looking at the differences in the print by Edward Savage and the print dated 1866, there can be seen a change from Savage’s peaceful looking goddess Columbia, and then the armed fighting women that are in the 1866 picture. The earlier picture dated as 1796 shows Liberty wearing a wreath of flowers around her, offering a cup to an eagle and surrounded by billowing clouds and showing her upfront, away from any violence. The latter drawing from 1866 shows three women, two holding the flag pole, and one with a sword still fighting, surrounded by people. This picture comes at the end of the Revolution era, and depicts America’s fighting spirit which has emerged from the battle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When looking at the example of the Eighteenth century book, Charlotte Temple by Susanna Rowson, the influence of the Columbian ideal can be shown by the book being of the seduction genre, which was very popular in that era. This type of story touched many in the nation, as people related their worrying about how they stood after going against Britain to the seduction of a young female who was brought the new land, and then tricked into getting pregnant, only to be left to die on her own. Many wondered would America suffer that same fate as the seduced young woman, or would the country triumph as the new goddess, Columbia. It is no surprise that during such a perilous time in history that people were drawn to these seduction genre stories to the point of believing in their hearts that Rowson’s work was non-fiction, which is wasn’t.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The recent 2005 portrait of Sacajawea is a new drawing on a golden dollar coin. She is shown as looking back, her hair drawn back, and having her son, Jean Baptiste strapped to her. This representation of her is striking with her large, dark eyes, and her true Native American features which are very pronounced and stunning. In earlier representations of Native American women, the facial features are all very close to what the features of drawings of white women at the time. These earlier images were closer to the facial likeness of early pictures of Columbia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The United States mint clearly made this coin to represent the anniversary of the Lewis and Clark expedition, dated 1804. The recent golden dollar was dated 2005, which means that it was conceived of and based on a 2004 date, exactly 200 years apart. The coin is also meant to commemorate the Native American people themselves in history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The representation of Columbia in American history can be seen as the evolution of the country itself. As society grew, and the perception of what it meant to be an American changed, the figures of women changed with it. The spirit of Columbia is equated with the spirit of our nation, and the artistry used to show that spirit in female form is still being used today, represented by the Sacajawea coin, celebrating the community ideal of what is is to be American.

“What’s Wrong with Cinderella” by Peggy Orenstein - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 1006 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/09/25 Category Advertising Essay Type Narrative essay Level High school Did you like this example? Nothing wrong with Cinderella In â€Å"What’s Wrong with Cinderella†, the writer raised various issues and concerns regarding the physical and mental impact brought upon the younger generations by princess-themed toys. The writer, Peggy Orenstein, is a self-proclaimed feminist who writes for New York Times and many other prominent publications. The writer claims that the princess-themed commercial products have distressing effects in shaping young female generations’ outlooks as well as their personalities. However, in my opinion, the reality is not as worrying as she claims. These princess-themed products are merely the young generations’ domestic playmates at the very young age. As the children grow older and become more involved with their social environment, their interests shift quickly and generally such playmates are left behind and no long have a significant role in their lives, that is, if they ever had an important role at all. Thus, I find the issues raised in this article generally irrelevant in today’s world context and instead, the child’s family and social environment should play a much more significant role in their lives. Social, school and peer environments are the main factors contributing to the development of females’ personalities and outlooks. As compared to these factors, the effects of princess-themed products seem to be insignificant. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "â€Å"What’s Wrong with Cinderella† by Peggy Orenstein" essay for you Create order Even the writer herself ponders: â€Å"Or maybe it is even less complex than that: to mangle Freud, maybe a princess is sometimes just a princess†(para. 1) . By experience, almost everyone had their toys in some form at the very young age. However, few, if at all, still keep their toys as they reach young adulthood. (except for professional and recreational toy collectors and traders) The child becomes preoccupied with school, their peers and family matters. Their school and peer environments are the deciding factors to their outlooks and characters at this stage. As mentioned in the text â€Å"in a survey released last October by Girls Inc. school-age girls overwhelmingly reported a paralyzing pressure to be ‘perfect’: not only to get straight A’s and be the student-body president, editor of the newspaper and captain of the swim team but also to be ‘kind and caring,’†(para, 19) Such trend among the school-aged children is definitely not a result of the princess-themed product they played with when they were younger. There is no clear link between being a princess and a newspaper editor or captain of the swim team. Obviously, the school culture and peer pressure are the more important factors which made young females aspire such positions. One might argue that this is the result of playing with princess toys because they taught the children to be â€Å"kind and caring† just like a princess. In my opinion, the toys themselves do not have any personalities. They are just toys. However, they are associated with characters depicted in Disney fairytales who do have various feminine traits. If we were to question why young females aspire to be â€Å"kind and caring†, credit goes to the characters in the Disney movies and books, but not the toys themselves. In addition, according to studies, individuals are characterized by their personalities which develop over life span under influence of both intrinsic factors such as biological drives and extrinsic factors such as the several components of environment, society and family. As compared to the impact other factors brought upon the child’s character development, princess toys, seem to be insignificant. Young females’ pursuit of their careers and dreams are influenced largely by their families, schools and peers. The princess-themed products do not seem to influence young females’ aspirations and careers ambitions in the long run. Like what Mooney commented in the source: â€Å"I see girls expanding their imagination through visualizing themselves as princesses, and then they pass through that phase and end up becoming lawyers, doctors, mothers or princesses, whatever the case may be. † (para. 18) The reality is, in today’s world where women are independent and educated, there are few, if at all, princesses. Clearly the princess-themed toys have not been much of an obstacle in young females’ road of success. As the children grow up, their interests generally shift quickly from playing with simple toys to more complex activities which requires more interactions with their families, peers and the society in general. During such activities they learn and become fascinated with new things and their aspirations for certain careers are triggered. The princess-themed toys are often left behind in a corner. It’s obvious the toys have little influence on young females’ pursuit of careers. The writer raised an issue regarding the princess-themed stored targeted specifically at the young females. Although, in my opinion, most of the writer’s concerns are irrelevant in today’s world, I find this issue alarmingly worthy of discussion. In the midst of the princess products competitions, Club Libby Lu’s marketing schemes immediately captured the young female customers. The influence, however, are negative on the young females. As mentioned in the article, the product being marketed â€Å"makes them look like little prostitutes. † ( para. 46) However, this issue has more relevance to the marketer’s business ethics and strategies rather than princess-themed product itself, which is not within the scope of the discussion in this article. The article has raise interesting concerns and issues, although, in my opinion, many are of no relevance to the reality in today’s world. I believe, the writer is not unaware of this herself, as she ha s raised rhetorical questions many times throughout the whole article. As a feminist and mother, the writer could be merely expressing her nostalgic feelings and concerns for her child’s growth as a mother through this article. In conclusion, princess-themed products do not have significant influence on young female generations and they are mere toys that have little impact on females’ pursuit of career. Nothing is wrong with Cinderella. Let toys just be toys. It is like what the writer’s daughter said at the end of the article â€Å"but when I grow up, I am still going to be a fireman. † ( para. 55)