Premium Essay

Personal Narrative: My Life In Jail

Submitted By
Words 1921
Pages 8
I spent a portion of my life sitting in jail, life is hard— and I didn’t get it. No matter what I did I would lose and I couldn’t see noany way out. During my stay I would always read the Bbible; and it gave me some sort of comfort as it also helped me to work on changing. I always prayed that I change when I get out, like and I always I did the same things over and over again when I was released. When I realized what I was doing, that officially made the last stay something I didn’t like at all, and I really wanted that to be my last time behind bars. I ended up in the warden office because of an incident and she looked at me with this stir and told me I was a bright young man. She gave me a referral to a work program and told me she want …show more content…
I graduated from this program in the top five5 of my class and I was eager to start working onbuilding and getting my life together. Once I went to the job fair I realized something very disturbing. As I walked from table to table presenting and selling myself to those companies I saw one thing. They were judging me and this would be my life consistently begging for jobs and looking for better companies with higher pay ratess and more benefits. I had nothing, with nothing to lose, and I was very determined to start somewhere., so I placed applications with all the companies. I scheduled an appointment with one of the companies on the spot. The biggest slap in my face was when these companies that I am submitting my applications for basically tells me, “You are qualified and knowledgeable but we are only hiring through this temp agency.””. That meant in order for me to make fourteen dollars$14 per hour the agency who hired me would receive a sixteen dollar$16 per hour commission from the company who is willing to pay thirty dollars$30 per hour or more for me to be on the job- site. I felt duked, robbed, stranded, and helpless. When I realized what was going on at that moment my thinking changed. I had a different view of what direction my life is going to go in. I didn’t fully have a plan but I knew I

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Civil Disobedience

...toward another path of righteousness a voice is needed to be heard. Citizens should not be lurking in the shadows and keeping an opinion bottled up to never be heard. If an idea or belief gets shot down, a citizen can try again to make their idea noticed. Martin Luther King Jr. addresses civil disobedience in “ Letter from Birmingham Jail,” as “ Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (173). Although civil disobedience can alter life drastically, it does not mean to continue on the path of insanity, but to stand up for what you believe is just. While standing up for justice is admirable, however, it is not always easy. In Iran, the government can take disciplinary action towards its citizens striking fear and panic into their souls. In the book The Complete Persepolis written by Marjane Satrapi, in which she discusses a hectic life in Iran. In chapter fourteen “The Wine,” Satrapi discusses how the government takes disciplinary action towards the citizens who chose to rebel by having a party. The citizens found at the party are thrown in jail or are physically abused (103-110). Although the government took action against its people, the citizens continued to sneak around partying and revolting against the government. The citizens in Iran did not want to be controlled by the government because the laws enforced were...

Words: 924 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Incarceration In Joe's Beyond Katrina

...story. Weaving her own memories with the experiences of family and friends, Natasha chose to represent, in her book Beyond Katrina the story of Joe's attempt to rebuild his life and the simple tragic act that leads to his incarceration. Before Katrina, Joe's life and business is on track. “He was a hard worker – efficient and likeable” (46). After Katrina, the misery of natural disaster and the injustice in the government reforms forced him to yield to the temptation of a lucrative drug deal, leading to his imprisonment. Without a doubt, it is the hurricane Katrina that made him end up in prison; yet the prison is where he began writing to Natasha, or at least at first....

Words: 479 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Social Work Lervice Learning

...| Service Learning Experience | | | | I chose Teen Night at Fort Boise for my service learning project this semester. With the idea behind Teen Night being that there is an option for kids to get out, socialize and participate in many different experiences on a Friday night, in order to try to keep them from choosing activities that would be poor choices and possibly getting in trouble. Although this activity is open to any junior high and high school student in the area, I realized very quickly that most of the teens that attended could easily be labeled as “high risk” teens. Many of them have very stressful/negative settings at home. For some of the teens this was easily identifiable quickly. Others were very good at hiding their troubles. I enjoyed serving my service learning hours at Fort Boise, but, in a way, I wish I would have chosen an organization where I would have been able to get a little closer to the people, on a personal level. Teen Night was just more of group interaction (playing basketball, dodge ball, video games, etc.). There was one teen (Will) I was able to form a bond with that was, originally, very closed off. I later found out, from one of the other volunteers, there were concerns of suicide with Will. I will discuss this bond further into the paper, but I will say that connecting with Will was the highlight of my service learning. In an article from 1995 about the Adolescent Transition Project which was a study conducted in...

Words: 1906 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Malcolm X Figurative Language

...keeps us locked into Malcolm’s story by making us feel as if we’re right there, living Malcolm’s life with him. Malcolm’s story is so engaging because of the author’s use of figurative language and imagery. Malcolm provides detailed descriptions of the things he saw, the places he went, the people he met, even the clothes he wore. The literary choices of imagery and figurative language contribute to the the power and beauty of the text and further develop Malcolm X’s purpose for writing. In the first eleven chapters of the autobiography, Malcolm goes through many challenges and changes as a person. Malcolm hopes to show how events in his life had an influence on...

Words: 784 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

English and Read

...yourself, "is this persuasive? And if so, to whom?"  There are several ways to appeal to an audience.  Among them are appealing to logos, ethos and pathos.  These appeals are prevalent in almost all arguments. To Appeal to Logic (logos) | To Develop Ethos | To Appeal to Emotion (pathos) | Theoretical, abstract  language Literal and historical analogies Definitions Factual data and statistics Quotations Citations from experts and authorities Informed opinions | Language appropriate to audience and subject Restrained, sincere, fair minded presentation Appropriate level of vocabulary Correct grammar         | Vivid, concrete language Emotionally loaded language Connotative meanings Emotional examples Vivid descriptions Narratives of emotional events Emotional tone Figurative language | | Effect | | Evokes a cognitive, rationale response   | Demonstrates author's reliability, competence, and respect for the audience's ideas and values through reliable and appropriate use of support and general accuracy | Evokes an emotional response   | Definitions Logos: The Greek word logos is the basis for the English word logic.  Logos is a broader idea than formal logic--the highly symbolic and mathematical logic that you might study in a philosophy course.  Logos refers to any attempt to appeal to the intellect, the general meaning of "logical argument."  Everyday arguments rely heavily on ethos and pathos, but academic arguments rely more on logos.  Yes...

Words: 1980 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Warehouse Worker

...Roen−Glau−Maid: The McGraw−Hill Guide: Writing for College, Writing for Life, 2/e II. Using What You’ve Learned to Share Information The McGraw-Hill Guide: Writing for College, Writing for Life, Second Edition 4. Writing to Share Experience © The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2011 13 Reading, Inquiry, and Research ■ PART 2 | Using What You Have Learned to Share Information 57 TANYA BARRIENTOS Se Habla Español MEMOIR he man on the other end of the phone line is 1 Tanya Maria telling me the classes I’ve called about are firstBarrientos has rate: native speakers in charge, no more than six stuwritten for the dents per group. Philadelphia “Conbersaychunal,” he says, allowing the fat vow- 2 Inquirer for more than els of his accented English to collide with the sawedtwenty years. off consonants. I tell him that will be fi ne, that I’m familiar with 3 Barrientos was born in Guatethe conversational setup, and yes, I’ve studied a bit mala and raised of Spanish in the past. He asks for my name and I in El Paso, Texas. Her first novel, Frontera Street, was supply it, rolling the double r in Barrientos like a pro. published in 2002, and her second, That’s when I hear the silent snag, the momentary Family Resemblance, was pubhesitation I’ve come to expect at this part of the exlished in 2003. Her column “Unchange. Should I go into it again? Should I explain, conventional Wisdom” runs every the way I have to half a dozen others, that I am Guaweek in the Inquirer...

Words: 9852 - Pages: 40

Free Essay

Human Rights Violations in Russia

...Marina Kumskova Professor Austin LaGrone ENG 101 April 15, 2013 Human Rights violation’s in the Russian Federation. There is no single, universally accepted definition of democracy. In fact, there is no universal model of what democracy should be. The emphasis varies in accordance with the history of a country, its culture and the strength of its civil society, and conditions under which democratic institutions were introduced. One consequence is that countries that use the term “democratic” to describe their governing systems can range from Western European nations to China and the former Soviet Union to autocracies in the Middle East and Latin America. Democratic systems can be minimalist democracies in which the citizens mainly do not have the right to vote but enjoy few other freedoms. Other are the democracies that would expand the conception of democracy to full participation in all civic institutions. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “recognition of the dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”. Speaking of the Eastern Europe, one can trace the development from minimalist democracy to dictatorships. The most popular example of dictatorship in the Eastern Europe is Belarus. The US Department of State repeatedly criticized the regime enacted by Aleksandr Lukashenko, who has been steadily consolidating his power through authoritarian...

Words: 3639 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Paris Je-Taime Theme

...Paris je-taime is about the plurality of cinema in one mythic location-Paris, city of love. Twenty filmmakers have five minutes each-the audience must weave a narrative out of the twenty moments.An omnibus film concerning love,whether romantic,familial or existential. The twenty moments are fused by transitional interstial sequences and also via the introduction and epilogue. Each transition begins with the last shot of the previous segment, preparing the audience for a surprise, and providing a cohesive atmosphere. There is a reappearing mysterious character who is a witness to the Parisian life. A common theme of Paris and love fuses all. However, the fundamental objective of this paper is to draw similarities from the different aspects...

Words: 2356 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Maruna Response Paper

...career (Maruna, 2001). Farrall and Bowling describe this type of desistance almost the same way that a person quits a job where one stops doing a routine. The factors that had the most impact on the desistance process would be choice or rational choice. When criminals were asked why they stopped committing crimes most became sick of the lifestyle and hit rock bottom so they wanted to start a new chapter in their lives. This is important because the ex offenders are making rational decisions to stop committing crimes. These people tell themselves that they want to do better and change their lives around because they know that breaking the law is going to make them end up in jail or even dead. It is unfortunate that some of these offenders wait until they are at the lowest of the low to finally turn their life around and cease the temptation of crime. The book argues that ex-convicts have exaggerated many...

Words: 2401 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Philosophy

...Literature. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2004. OPTIONAL REFERENCES Locke, Alain, ed. The New Negro. New York: Atheneum, 1968. hooks, bell. Teaching to Trangress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. New York: Routledge, 1994. Harrold, Stanley. American Abolitionists. New York: Pearson Education, 2001. Youngs, J. William T. American Realities: Historical Episodes-From First Settlements to the Civil War. New York: Longman, 2000. Fanon, Frantz. The Wretched of the Earth. New York: Grove Press, 1963. COURSE DESCRIPTION: A survey of African American literature, introducing students to genres, trends, and major periods of African American literature, ranging from the 17th-, 18th- and 19th- century autobiographies and narratives to 20tth –century works. Authors include: Jupiter Hammon, Briton Hammon, Sojourner Truth, Nat Turner, Claude McKay, Zora Neale Hurston, Sterling Brown, Richard Wright, Lorraine Hansberry, Amiri Baraka, Toni Morrison, Haki Madhubuti, Ton Cade Bambara, and August Wilson. COURSE OBJECTIVES By the end of this course, you will: o be able to distinguish amongst genres of literature; o be familiar with various works by and about African American writers in various literary genres; o be familiar with the Black Aesthetic, as well as other literary theories; o gain...

Words: 3509 - Pages: 15

Free Essay

Final Review

...Rhetorical device? * Cites 5 of them * “social capital” (56-58) is a rich illustration * Solidarity involves “learning” and “sensitivity” and “collaboration” (60) * Corresponding interventions/Solutions * E.g. “not charity but capital” (Clarence Jordan, cited 54) * 62-63: justice = level playing field (Sen. M. Fenwick, grandmother) * Housing is one of several interventions, but foundational (59) * Note structural components (infrastructure) of this intervention * E.g. ONE Campaign (http://www.one.org/us/) : 1% of US budget against extreme poverty * Immigration as “spiritual pilgrimage” * Religion/Public Square (ch.4) * “Do I believe in the moral teaching of my faith more than...

Words: 2923 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Organisational Behavior

...http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/16/making-happen-goodwin-martin-review Making It Happen: Fred Goodwin, RBS and the Men Who Blew up the British Economy by Iain Martin – review The truth about the collapse of RBS makes shocking reading John Kampfner The Observer, Sunday 15 September 2013 Fred Goodwin: ‘He was obsessed with the executive car fleet. Each vehicle had to be a particular blue called Pantone 281.’ Photograph: Murdo MacLeod Do not read this book if you have high blood pressure. The collapse of RBS; the multibillionpound bailout (courtesy of you and me), and the smug indifference of the guilty men is one of the parables of the ills of contemporary capitalism. Iain Martin tells it brilliantly, mixing furyinducing narrative with an acute eye for the broader conclusion. Of all the many tales about the global financial crash, I have not read a more compelling one. The star of the show, the pantomime villain, is Fred Goodwin, aka Fred the Shred (a nickname he apparently quite liked), a man who made up for his ignorance about the complexities of banking with hubris and bullying. His story (in a nutshell): modest home in Paisley (although not nearly as "salt of the earth" as he would have people believe), trains as accountant, moves into banking, takes over the Clydesdale, is head-hunted for RBS… and the rest is opprobrium. The bank's story (in a nutshell): formed shortly after the acts of union, expands into England to exploit the wealth from empire in the late 19th...

Words: 1744 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Assignments

...Name Professor Class Date Unit 3: Values and Worldviews- A Raisin in the Sun Essay Structure Template Introduction Lawrence, D.H. The Rocking Horse winner. 1st English Edition. Harper Collins Canada According to the book of “The Rocking-Horse Winner" by D.H. Lawrence” talks about a young boy named Paul. Thus, Paul acknowledges that there is never sufficient money in his folks; he goes out to search for money through luck. Therefore, he notices that if he rides his rocking horse speedy enough, he will some way “discover” the label of the captivating horse in the subsequent race. Among the subtopics derived from this book do include of; lust for money, lack as well as the obsession for material items. BGS: Broad general statement The book mainly describes lack as the general topic because it is seen that Paul is normally lucky in the” Rocking-Horse Winner”. Thus, to be triumphant in the community Paul as well his mother dwells in; Paul wishes to have a definite quantity of luck to survive presently and after. Subtopics 1. Lust for money: the paper tries to augment on how Paul’s mother was soo obsessed with the money issues. 2. Lack: the paper will augment more concerning how lucky Paul was when it came to the “Rocking-Horse Winner”. 3. Obsession for material Items: the paper augments on how Paul’s mother is obsessed with material wealth as well as items. Thesis Regarding the thesis...

Words: 3980 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

Notes

...networking? * What is still unclear after the discussion with your classmates that needs to be clarified? During week ones discussion board assignment, we discussed the different types of health insurance billing and reimbursement methods. This discussion board assignment required taking the time to research the history of health insurance and how it has evolved over the years to the system that we know it as today. By utilizing the discussion board portion of this class, I was able to learn many things from my classmates’ postings. I learned the many different methods of healthcare reimbursement that is still currently used today. I learned the history of health insurance, and why it was developed for the patients in the first place. I also learned many different views and opinions of my classmates that allowed me to reconsider and further educate myself on the views of the future of the healthcare industry. The most compelling points that I absorbed from reading my classmates postings was reading every ones ideas and opinions regarding the future of the healthcare insurance industry. It was interesting to me to learn the different aspects of the universal health care plan that is in motion right now that I never would have considered before this assignment. By participating in this discussion board...

Words: 13668 - Pages: 55

Free Essay

The White Tiger

...The White Tiger Summary The entire novel is narrated through letters by Balram Halwai to the Premier of China, who will soon be visiting India. Balram is an Indian man from an impoverished background, born in the village of Laxmangarh. Early on, he describes his basic story: he transcended his humble beginnings to become a successful entrepreneur in Bangalore, largely through the murder Mr. Ashok, who had been his employer. Balram also makes clear that because of the murder, it is likely that his own family has been massacred in retribution. In Laxmangarh, Balram was raised in a large, poor family from the Halwai caste, a caste that indicates sweet-makers. The village is dominated and oppressed by the “Four Animals,” four landlords known as the Wild Boar, the Stork, the Buffalo, and the Raven. Balram's father is a struggling rickshaw driver, and his mother died when he is young. The alpha figure of his family was his pushy grandmother, Kusum. Balram was initially referred to simply as “Munna,” meaning “boy," since his family had not bothered to name him. He did not have another name until his schoolteacher dubbed him Balram. The boy proved himself intelligent and talented, and was praised one day as a rare “White Tiger” by a visiting school inspector. Unfortunately, Balram was removed from school after only a few years, to work in a tea shop with his brother, Kishan. There, he furthered his education by eavesdropping on the conversations of shop customers. Balram feels that...

Words: 26039 - Pages: 105