The Difference Between Bienvenu and Bienvenue

The Difference Between 'Bienvenu' and 'Bienvenue' Mistakes will always be made in French, and now you can learn from them. When wanting to express Welcome! as a stand-alone phrase, beginners to French will often write  Bienvenu! ​instead of  the correct spelling of Bienvenue! Explanation of Bienvenue vs. Bienvenu Bienvenue used as a greeting is short for je vous souhaite la bienvenue, which literally means I wish you welcome. When saying Welcome! with no verb, you always have to use the feminine:  Bienvenue! Bienvenu with no e is an adjective often used as a noun conforming to a subject. To use this spelling of Bienvenu, the employed sentence needs to have a subject. Because of this, only when using a complete sentence can you say either Soyez le bienvenu or Soyez la bienvenue, according to the gender of the person you are talking to. You can say Soyez les bienvenus if its more than one person. The distinction is confusing and often leads to mistakes. A famous example is that of a sign in Utah that reads: Bienvenu internationale voyageurs. This sentence is wrong on many levels. Because it possesses no subject, the correct spelling would be Bienvenue ending with an e. In this instance, it would also need to be followed by the preposition . On a different but related note, the adjective international should be plural instead of feminine (to agree with voyageurs), and it should follow rather than precede the noun. The apostrophe has no business there either. Better French Greetings for the sign would be: Bienvenue aux voyageurs internationauxVoyageurs internationaux : soyez les bienvenus

German Verb Future Tense Conjugations

German Verb Future Tense Conjugations In German, the  future tense  (das Futur) occurs less frequently than in English. Even more frequently than in English, German often substitutes the present tense for the future (Wir sehen uns morgen. - Well see you tomorrow.) However, German verbs do follow an easy-to-learn and predictable pattern in the future tense. Once you learn the pattern for just about any German verb, you know how  all  German verbs  are conjugated in the future. Even irregular verbs are no exception. Das Futur I: The Basics German uses the basic  werden infinitive  formula to form DAS FUTUR. To conjugate any verb in the future, you simply conjugate  werden  and add the infinitive of the verb you want to have in the future. Basically, if you can conjugate  werden, you can form the future tense of all verbs. The chart below shows a sample German verb in the  future tense. Spielen  - To PlayFuture Tense -   Futur I Deutsch English Sample Sentence SINGULAR ich werde spielen I will play Ich werde Basketball spielen. du wirst spielen you (fam.)will play Wirst du Schach spielen? (chess) er wird spielen he will play Er wird mit mir spielen. (with me) sie wird spielen she will play Sie wird Karten spielen. (cards) es wird spielen it will play Es wird keine Rolle spielen. (It wont matter.) PLURAL wir werden spielen we will play Wir werden Basketball spielen. ihr werdet spielen you (guys) will play Werdet ihr Monopoly spielen? sie werden spielen they will play Sie werden Golf spielen. Sie werden spielen you will play Werden Sie heute spielen? (Sie, formal you, is both singular and plural.) Futur II: The Basics  (Future Perfect) The  future perfect  is somewhat rare in German. To form the future perfect (das Futur II) in German, you take the past participle of the verb being conjugated (for example,  gespielt/played) and use it with a conjugated form of  werden. The infinitive of the helping verb (haben  or  sein) is placed at the end of the sentence: â€Å"Wir werden die ganze Nacht gespielt haben.† (We will have played all night.) Spielen - To PlayFuture Perfect -   Futur II / vollendete Zukunft Deutsch English Sample Sentence SINGULAR ich werde gespielt haben I will have played Ich werde Gitarre gespielt haben. du wirst gespielt haben you (fam.) will have played Wirst du Schach gespielt haben? er wird gespielt haben he will have played Er wird mit mir gespielt haben. sie wird gespielt haben she will have played Sie wird Karten gespielt haben. es wird gespielt haben it will have played Es wird keine Rolle gespielt haben. (It will not have mattered.) PLURAL wir werden gespielt haben we will have played Wir werden Basketball gespielt haben. ihr werdet gespielt haben you (guys) will have played Werdet ihr Monopoly gespielt haben? sie werden gespielt haben they will have played Sie werden Golf gespielt haben. Sie werden gespielt haben you will have played Werden Sie gespielt haben?

Summarize the article provided into one page Essay

Summarize the article provided into one page - Essay Example Feyerabend makes the claim that, unlike religion, science does not leave room for people to think freely. People have become so dependent on science that once something has been scientifically proven, it becomes law. Feyerabend says that it is this that has made science an anti-liberating ideology; people have regarded science as the superior mode of thought, refusing to let themselves think past anything that science has staked a claim. The counterargument in this regard is that science works and is a success. However, this is all the more reason to approach science with skepticism. Feyerabend does not consider results or success as much as he considers the method, which is always scientific; otherwise, the results are questionable. In regard to religion, Christians can question their beliefs against Buddhists and Jews. For each person, there will be a new side to an argument or theory. Science, on the other hand, does not allow this as an option. Once something has been proven scientifically, people let it go. They have no one else to glean an understanding from. Where there is an absence of contrary opinions, science is turned from an ideology into a dogma, providing a cut-off point for people to continue to think. People react to science much as they did when religions began to rise and spread. There was curiosity, skepticism, and a plethora of questions. Even after the rush of religion died down, all of this remained. When science first reared its head, it received a similar reaction. Everyone was curious and scientists set out to answer questions and find solutions. After they answered what they needed to, there was nothing more to do. People found it useless to continue to think on something that had already been answered. All the same, science is looked to as one of the greatest ideologies, and as the final voice on the thinking process, which is why Feyerabend believes that the hype surrounding science should not

'Prison works and community sentences are a soft option.' Critically Essay

'Prison works and community sentences are a soft option.' Critically discuss - Essay Example Nevertheless, the public and the government remain divided on the issue of sentencing and punishments. On the one hand, there are people who believe that punishments are not as tough as they should be (Bowditch 2008). They believe that hardened and repeating criminals do not deserve mere slaps in the wrists through community sentences (Powell 1999, p.209). On the other hand, others insist that community sentences and prison works have worthy merits (Gibb 2006). They are cheaper than imprisonment and can be effective punishment alternatives on their own. Community sentences, if properly managed, can do more rehabilitation than custodial sentences (Edwards 2011). This paper explores the issue that asserts that prison works and community sentences are soft options and it also discusses dissent against soft options, especially in an era that demands stiffer penalties. This statement underscores that these soft options are only for minor crimes and not recommended in resolving penology an d social problems. This paper argues prison works and community sentences are soft options, compared to custodial sentences, but they can also be effective in addressing penal issues and decreasing the social concern of recidivism, as long as they are properly and strictly managed and implemented. Community sentences Notions of probation can be traced to local court practices in the early nineteenth century, where young offenders or those guilty with small offences could be discharged or bound if a suitable person offered to take accountability for supervising future conduct (Raynor 2002: 1172). In 1876, the Church of England Temperance Society started to create an active presence in some city police courts to promote moral reform of offenders and to keep them abstained from alcohol (Raynor 2002: 1172). From the 1950s to the 1980s, probation experienced two reformulations and rethinking, with major effects on the questions tackled by probation research (Raynor 2002: 1174). Wilkins ( 1958) and Radzinowicz (1958) asserted that the effects of probation can be located in the â€Å"treatment model,† where for Radzinowicz (1958), probation was â€Å"a form of social service preventing further crime by a readjustment of the culprit† (Raynor 2002: 1174). Wilkins agreed that the treatment model focused more on subsequent behaviour of offenders and not issues of the criminal justice system (Raynor 2002: 1174). As the 1970s ended, the â€Å"treatment model† faced strong criticisms. Empirically, the studies of the effectiveness of penal sanctions of different forms led to negative results and the general finding that â€Å"nothing works† (Raynor 2002: 1175). There were also moral and philosophical arguments against the treatment, such as the objectification and dehumanisation of subjects and resting on the unverified claims of superior professional knowledge† (Raynor 2002: 1175). Community sentences were first enacted by law in 1907 for th e â€Å"probation† of offenders (Ministry of Justice 2008: 1). They departed from the treatment agenda, because they focused on effects of systems, instead of people (Raynor 2002: 1177). During the 1980s, an emphasis on community sentencing emerged as part of crime policymaking (Charman and Savage 1999: 194). Community service and supervision orders took greater priority over prisons as ways of resolving crimes (Charman

Stylistic Features in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay examples --

Stylistic Features in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚         Henry Seidel Canby in â€Å"A Skeptic Incompatible with His Time and His Past† states: â€Å"And indeed there is a lack of consistence between the scorn that our younger critics shower upon Hawthorne’s moral creations and their respect for his style. They admit a dignity in the expression that they will not allow to the thing expressed† (62). The style found in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† has not only a â€Å"dignity in the expression† as stated above, but also many other interesting aspects, discussed in the following essay.    Canby continues:    Hawthorne’style has a mellow beauty; it is sometimes dull, sometimes prim, but it is never for an instant cheap, never, like our later American styles, deficient in tone and unity. It is a style with a patina that may or may not accord with current tastes, yet, as with Browne, Addison, Lamb, Thoreau, is undoubtedly a style. Such styles spring only from rich ground, long cultivated, and such a soil was Hawthorne’s. . . . Holding back from the new life of America into which Whitman was to plunge with such exuberance, he kept his style, like himself, unsullied by the prosaic world of industrial revolution, and chose, for his reality, the workings of the moral will. You can scarcely praise his style and condemn his subjects. Even romantic themes that would have been absurd in lesser hands get dignity from his purpose. . . . As Shakespeare, the Renaissance man, gave feudalism its final lift into the imagination, so Hawthorne, the skeptic with a moral obsession, raised New En gland Puritanism – not the theory, but the practice and still more the results in mind and spirit – into art. This lies behind his style (63). .. ...: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Fuller, Edmund and B. Jo Kinnick in â€Å"Stories Derived from New England Living.† In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.    Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† 1835. http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~daniel/amlit/goodman/goodmantext.html    James, Henry. Hawthorne. http://eldred.ne.mediaone.net/nh/nhhj1.html    Kaul, A.N. â€Å"Introduction.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Swisher, Clarice. â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne: a Biography.† In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.    Wagenknecht, Edward. Nathaniel Hawthorne – The Man, His Tales and Romances. New York: Continuum Publishing Co., 1989.   

Theories on Children’s Cognitive Development & Case Studies Illustrating Them

Gleaning insights proposed by the earliest psychologists like Jean Piaget, socio-cultural theorists like Lev Vygotsky, radical behaviorists like B. F. Skinner and other well-known psychologists like Howard Gardner, who challenged the earlier views on children’s cognitive development, can be very important. By drawing insights and gaining a better understanding of how children’s thought processes are formed, as well as the factors that influence them, and the overall impact on children, parents, caretakers, educators, and therapists find themselves in a better position to guide and help growing kids achieve their optimum potential. In most of the theories set forth , factors like genetics and the environment or outside influences come into play. Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, who formed his theories after conducting actual observations of kids, opined, â€Å"The mind of the child is not that of a miniature adult†¦ the mind develops by forming schemas that help us assimilate our experiences and that must occasionally be altered to accomplish new information. In this way, children progress from the sensorimotor simplicity of the infant to more complex stages of thinking† (Myers 1989: 85). This theory, which presupposes that children’s cognitive skills develop spontaneously, is highlighted by the different developmental stages to which children’s learning must adjust. Most teachers rely on Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory which, in essence, maintains that â€Å"the reasoning processes of children at various ages†¦ cognitive development proceeds in four genetically determined stages that always follow the same sequential order† (Child Development Theories, n. d. ). The Piagetian theory boils down to the fact that children must not be forced to absorb concepts. Instead, knowledge and learning must take place at the designated time or age of the child. Even if they undergo the same stages – infancy, early childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, and so on, individuals, of course, exhibit varying capabilities or rate of cognitive development. Piaget presupposed that children gradually find out what there is to learn about the objects and people around them through a gradual learning process. Nothing must be foisted on young minds. Instead, the young mind should be allowed to form relationships and learn through a stage-by-stage assimilation of concepts and facts. The focus is on the knowledge learned, then. Most pre-schools find the Piagetian theory quite applicable and useful. In fact, the Piagetian theory has been widely used as underlying structure or foundation for child education & care in America and other parts of the world. There are some educators or schools, though, which combine the Piagetian concept on children’s cognitive development with other theories like the socio-cultural theory set forth by Russian developmental psychologist Lev Vygotsky, to let children realize their full potential. Vygotsky held that â€Å"cognitive processes are formed in the course of socio-cultural activities†¦ the individual comes into possession of a variety of cognitive processes engendered by different activities† (Kozulin, n. d. ) and with the guidance of a learned individual. â€Å"A knowledgeable person can help to add meaning to what is familiar to the child when he or she enters the child's zone of proximal development (ZPD), that place for learning located somewhere between the child's present understanding and potential understanding† (Steele 2001). Simply put, children’s cognitive skills are hastened when they come into contact with more knowledgeable elders, or more experienced, older mentors. There may be cases when even other kids of the same age but with greater intellectual capacity may help shape or form a slow-learning child’s understanding of basic concepts like music or the alphabet. The difference between the child’s own cognitive development and his potential to assimilate greater knowledge is the zone of proximal development. When schoolage kids interact and talk to and help each other learn, while also listening attentively to what their teacher says to them, they enter the zone of proximal development. In contrast to Piaget, Vygotsky laid greater emphasis in the way a child can utilize the joint approach or co-mingling with a well-informed adult in order to achieve full learning potential. Cases of teachers teaching young children to play a musical instrument like the piano may illustrate both the Piagetian concept of learning and Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory. A child falling under the pre-operational stage, correlating to children in the age bracket of two to seven years, who is tinkering with the piano is still in the process of mastering symbols and will not really learn how to play the instrument well on his own. An adult’s expert guidance will jumpstart the child’s learning process. On the other hand, the piano teacher must prepare lessons that will suit the age of the child, or his developmental stage. Indeed, it can be noted that Piaget’s cognitive development theory has been used as jump-off point by his contemporaries and succeeding psychologists. One of those who challenged the Piagetian concept and maintained that a child’s cognitive ability is but one aspect of development is Howard Gardner. The latter proposed that individuals have â€Å"a number of domains of potential intellectual competence which they are in the position to develop, if they are normal and if the appropriate stimulating factors are available† (Gardner 2004: 287). Musical intelligence is one of the kinds of intelligence that Gardner said kids may cultivate. The example of a piano teacher giving a child his/her first set of piano lessons may encompass both the Piagetian concept, Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory, and Howard Gardner’s theory on multiple intelligence. As far as Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory is concerned, it runs counter to the Piagetian theory. Gardner believed in the vast potential each child has. He surmised that at any one instance, the well-nurtured child can be at different stages, honing his/her latent abilities – whether in spatial reasoning or body-kinesthetic or interpersonal skills, intrapersonal sensitivity, linguistic or musical inclinations. Even at a young age, children may nurture any of these multiple intelligences. A two-year-old child, for example, may be exposed to the piano playing of parents, and a couple of years later made to attend group lessons to observe, such that by the time the same child reaches the pre-teen years, he/she would have already developed a keen musical appreciation. Unlike the Piagetian method focus which tends to focus on test scores or the knowledge acquired per se, Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory focuses on forming â€Å"a strong, positive and attractive character† (Gardner 2004: 374). In the case of the child who grows up with musically inclined parents and eventually nurtures the talent , the resulting remarkable piano performance, is actually just a means to creating the child’s well-rounded character. Nonetheless, Piaget’s cognitive development concept has long been considered a universal learning theory which has found its way in numerous preschools all over the world. If most preschool classroom settings vividly illustrate Piaget’s cognitive developmental concept, particularly in the pre-operational stage, a clear-cut example of Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory is the traditional education or cultural transmission taking place in most rural communities across the world. Let us take, for instance, the case of oral narratives about ancestral heroes and events transmitted by older males to their young in Ethiopian rural communities. â€Å"Children who sit patiently and silently on the periphery of the story-telling circle gradually absorb the cultural content and verbal technique (which) lasts for hours and constitutes an integral element of everyday life. † (Kozulin, n. d. ). By relying on their elders for their socio-cultural assimilation of ideas, the children very well mirror Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory. An adult comes into the picture to impart greater learning at a quicker pace than if the children were to come across the same body of knowledge on their own. The traditional oral transmission of culture such as that perpetuated in the Ethiopian village, however, is no longer practiced in most other societies. Written records have supplanted the oral tradition. In his book, â€Å"Frames of Mind – The Theory of Multiple Intelligences,† Gardner cited numerous examples of people and situations affecting children’s cognitive learning skills. One of these is the structured method inspired by Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki to teach kids to learn music. Hinged on the basic principle that kids have an innate ability which â€Å"can be developed and enhanced through a nurturing environment† (The Suzuki Method 2005), the Suzuki Method lays emphasis on other intervening factors that may affect how young students learn music or instrument playing. These factors include starting lessons at an early age; recognizing just how important listening to music is; getting a first-hand grasp in learning how to play an instrument even before learning how to read; parental participation; well-trained teachers who instill quality teaching standard; realizing the importance of communicating and socially interacting with other children (The Suzuki Method 2005). Gardner also cited the method of imparting learning in traditional African bush society, wherein â€Å"the youngsters are divided into groups according to ages and aptitudes and receive instruction in the assorted lore of native life†¦particular stress on the historical background of the population as a means of stimulating group consciousness† (Gardner 2004: 343) is made. Gardner made the distinction of such ritualistic methods from more scientific ways of obtaining knowledge. â€Å"With formal schools, we behold a transition from tacit knowledge to explicit forms of knowledge† (Gardner 2004: 345). Such sensitivity to spoken knowledge displayed by native communities, when melded with modern methods of learning and technical requirements, may comprise what Gardner refers to as linguistic intelligence. When kids hailing from their native communities are absorbed in mainstream society, they are accorded the chance to fully develop this linguistic intelligence. Such language development also reflects or applies Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory, which highlights the important role of language and social context in children’s cognitive processes. Language, in the case of African communities with an oral tradition of teaching kids, is used primarily to retain key concepts in the minds/memory of the youngsters. In such scenarios, children obtain greater understanding of their roots, including their ancestors, traditions, and culture as a whole, and piece together a logical picture in their minds by internalizing the various words and concepts articulated by knowledgeable elders. Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory likewise finds itself applied in contemporary society. As an alternative to the Piagetian concept as well as to the behaviorist schools of thought which had theorists like B. F. Skinner postulating that mental processes or learning occurred as a consequence of the individual’s response to, or interaction with, the environment†¦ and with reinforcement and punishment playing a crucial part in molding behavior (Child development theories, n. d. ), Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory articulated that learning is more of â€Å"a shared/joint process in a responsive social context† (Psychology applied, n. . ). Vygotsky debunked the view that learning depends or follows a child’s stage of development or maturation. Vygotsky veered away from the â€Å"biologically-based understanding of human behavior† or from the rewards and punishment concept set forth by behaviorists as main determinants of children’s thinking & behavior. Instead, he placed emphasis on the impact of social/cultural forces on human c ognitive processes and activity. He discovered the connecting links between socio-cultural processes taking place in society, and mental processes taking place in the individual† (Psychology applied, n. d. ). A modern example that applies in part Vgotsky’s learning theory of having a knowledgeable adult supervise the learning process and B. F. Skinner’s behaviorist approach is a structured skills-based tutoring service that offers individualized instruction to slow or advanced learners wishing to strengthen their foundation in key subjects like math, reading, and writing. Tutoring Club, one such company, has in its employ well-schooled and well-trained tutors who guide enrolled students who need to obtain better understanding of concepts in certain academic areas. The students work on modules of exercises designed to sharpen their cognitive skills, and every time they meet the desired output, an incentive (reward) comes in the form of a merchandise that they may get from a mini store inside the learning center, traded for chips which students accumulate for each module they complete. Another case in point is a modern-day Mathematics teacher who is instilling basic concepts to her students. An investigative research that zeroed in on a teacher who adopted the Vygotskian socio-cultural perspective in teaching Mathematics to her students showed how helpful it can be to encourage students to share their thoughts, ideas and assumptions with their peers under the teacher’s knowledgeable guidance and prodding. As the teacher opined, â€Å"Sharing clarifies their thinking. It lets them verbalize. nstead of just having it in their minds†¦ students become aware of how they think so that when they verbalized their thinking processes, she (the teacher) could help them with any difficulties they had† (Steele 2001). Based on the Vygotskian theory, language and communication – whether in remote rural communities or the contemporary setting, utilizes language and communication as essential tools to stimulate children’s cognitive development. The approach, of course, will vary depending on the physical state of each child. A different approach is taken for children with defects or physical impairment. Vygotsky may also be credited with tailorfitting the teaching method to the particular needs — as well as dysfunctions – of children. â€Å"Within his general theory of child development, (Vygotsky) created a comprehensive and practice-oriented paradigm of educating children with special needs (and) introduced the notion of `primary’ defects, `secondary’ defects, and their interactions in the field of psychopathology and different disabilities† (Psychology Applied, n. . ). Vygotsky believed that because cognitive development is hinged largely on stimulation of the senses, the physically and mentally impaired child is inhibited from obtaining knowledge at a generally accepted rate. More than the physical handicap of the special child, though, it is the â€Å"social consequences† (Psychology Applied, n. d) arising from that child’s impairment which must be gi ven focus. Cognitive developmental theories may be applied beyond the classroom, or in many other areas of children’s learning and lives. Various other factors that come into play which influence cognitive processes, like interactive media, also cannot be discounted. The condition of the child is likewise important in determining the right approach to inculcate learning. In any case, early cognitive developmental interventions, finetuned by succeeding theorists, serve not just to enhance academic outcomes but help shape the well-rounded personalities of today’s kids. Nowadays, the sound body of knowledge aimed at the workings of children’s mind continues to evolve and grow. In the end, it is up to parents, schools and other learning institutes, to determine which ones are truly suitable and will contribute in a healthy manner to the development of children’s cognitive skills. It can be seen that the pioneering works of such psychologists as Jean Piaget – who emphasized biologically-based or natural development of children’s cognitive skills — certainly provided good foundation or strong footing for succeeding child development theories to come out with improved concepts. Given the numerous cognitive development theories set forth and utilized for classroom teaching and/or child care, and the distinct differences and similarities in the main points of contention of the theorists laid out for people to grasp, which have undergone further study and enhancements and complemented by other theories throughout the years, parents and educators have been able to devise new and improved methods of enhancing children’s cognitive skills and potential.

Essay On The Relationship Between Nick And Gandby In The...

The Great Gatsby develops a complex, ambivalent relationship between Nick and Gatsby and describes some puzzling similarities between the two men. Eventually, the themes expand to show Gatsby as a symbolic representation of the pursuit of the unreachable American Dream in the early 20th century. Throughout the novel, Nick’s behavior and emotions mirror Gatsby’s. The novel starts of with a description of Nick, who admits that he has moved to New York to join the bond business. Nick is chasing the American Dream in the hopes of becoming rich like Gatsby. Unlike Nick, Gatsby has already achieved the American Dream by pulling himself out of poverty. In addition, Nick’s meager, modest house in a much smaller version of Gatsby’s mansion,†¦show more content†¦Nick’s contracting opinion Gatsby stems from his opinion on Gatsby’s elaborate plot to win Daisy. Though Nick respects Gatsby’s pursuit, he is also disapproving of Gatsby’s overzealous means of achieving his dreams (buying the expensive house, the parties,etc) and is skeptical on whether Gatsby can actually repeat the past. Nick’s ambivalent attitude to Gatsby’s dream may also reflect his view on those trying to achieve the American Dream as well: h e is skeptical of but simultaneously drawn to the Dream. Nick’s understanding of Gatsby’s dream goes beyond just establishing the friendship between the two men. Nick is one of the few ordinary, middle-class characters in the novel, and in many ways, he represents the American people as a whole. Though Nick is the narrator of the story, he does not directly drive the plot besides helping to reunite Daisy and Gatsby in his home. Nick lives a middle class life unlike the extremely wealthy people around him, and admits several times that he does not feel part of this elite group, even imagining himself outside of the party. By developing Nick as an ordinary, middle-class character rather than part of the abnormally wealthy people in the novel, Nick becomes