The Yellow Wallpaper Reading Response

This is a fictional story, in classic form, has a plot, a setting, a cast of characters, and a point of view in which the story is told. The conflict of this story is the struggle of Jane against her husband and then later her struggle against the wallpaper itself. However, it is the way in which the story is told and the unexpected conclusion at the end of it that make it unique and part of the 19th century. The setting of this story takes place during the summer in a rented home that John has acquired so that the narrator may rest and get well again.The story takes place about the time in which it was written, in the late 19th century. The house is a colonial mansion, which our narrator quickly tells us she thinks is haunted. It is in a rural setting surrounded by gardens and woods with â€Å"a lovely shaded winding road† leading up to the mansion. The main setting, which the narrator describes, is the room in which she stays. She goes into explicit detail as she carefully d escribes the yellow wallpaper which consumes more and more of her attention. The wallpaper becomes a moving prison to our main character, while other characters, like John, barely seem to notice its presence.There are not many characters in this story, but each one plays a vital role in giving the reader insight into the mind of the writer and allowing the reader to come to a deeper understanding of the meaning of the story. Jennie, a flat character and foil of the main character, is the main character’s sister-in-law and is the caretaker of the home. She is the â€Å"perfect and enthusiastic housekeeper and hopes for no better profession† who serves as a substitute wife for John’s traditional family view. She is the imprisoned woman who is perfectly fine with her prison, even blaming the narrator’s sickness on her untraditional thinking and writing.John, who is also a flat character, is the main character’s husband and is the archetype of the 19th century white male. He is a successful â€Å"practical physician† who treats his wife more like a patient than he does an equal partner. John is a representative image of the dominant sunlight, which in the story keeps the woman behind strict bars and prevents her from being free or creative. Though the narrator never explicitly tells us her name, the very end of the story says, â€Å"’I’ve got out at last,’ said I, ‘in spite of you and Jane. And I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so you can’t put me back! † This is a clear indication to me that the narrator’s name is Jane, as revealed by the crazy woman (Jane) who now thinks she was the one in the wallpaper. The narrator of the story, Jane, is the main character and is a round character that is fully developed. She is representative of the woman imprisoned, unsatisfied with being merely the submissive housekeeper. Jane is like the less dominant moon, which in the story allows the bars of the wallpaper to move and free the woman in the wallpaper from her daytime prison. We are given an insight into Jane’s mind and opinions through her writings in her journal.This story is told in first-person narration. However, it is not in traditional story form, but it is constructed as if we are reading the hidden journal of the Jane who is telling, us alone, all her intimate thoughts. This also allows for the time-lapse in which the story skips over weeks at a time allowing the reader to gain an understanding of what is going on without having to read mundane and unimportant details. The chronological order of the journal also lends to it appearing as if it could be an actual journal the audience is reading.Although The Yellow Wallpaper has all the components of the average fictional story such as plot, a setting, characters, and is even told in a fairly common point of view, the brilliant writing of the story combined with the unique way in which it is presented, make for an exciting story that keeps the reader’s attention. The story is also a deep insight into the author’s world and time revealing her own personal point of view. It is this creative writing, coupled with deep meaning and veiled in captivating writing, which assures this literary work will continue to remain a hallmark of fiction.

American who art thou?

â€Å"I have lived to see the last warrior of the wise race of the Mohicans† laments Tamenund (Cooper 382) in the book Last of the Mohicans. The death of Uncas and Cora marks the end of the Mohican people. Chingachgook indeed outlived Uncas his son but he is now childless and his people will now pass into legend and song. Ironically, the people described by Cooper in his book are Mohicans (Britanica). But their names rightly belong to another tribe known as the Mohegan (Britanica). The adventures of Uncas shed light on the true meaning of American. An American is a truly difficult to define creature. The US constitution defines as; All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. (Section 1) US citizenship, for those who are not born with it, is surprisingly hard to acquire. Yet thousands of people from the third-world will try every year to gain entry. America is believed to be the land of milk and honey. Millions more would attempt to enter if they only had the means. All seek the freedom and liberty promised by the Statute of Liberty to the Huddled masses. Those who are not Natural Born American Citizens can aspire to receive visa to work in the States. If fortune smiles upon them they can be granted citizenship after proving themselves to be good law abiding people. This also in tales absorbing American Values and ethics although compared to other nations America has a high tolerance for those who thing out of the box and the non-conformists. Media can often be used to reinforce or even create a new identity for a people. For example, Nazi propaganda transformed the innocent Jews into the demons who were behind all the ills of the world. The book last of the Mohicans and the movie last of the Dogmen are examples, of how media can be used to form a country’s sense of identity. In the movie Last of the Dogmen, Lewis Gates pursues escaped convicts into the Montana countryside. All he recovers are a few scraps of cloth, some blood and an old fashioned Indian arrow. Despite the doubts of scientist, Gates believed that the there is a lost Indian tribe somewhere out there. Working on a hunch the Indian arrow leads him down a trail of pursuit of a lost tribe of Dog Soldiers. He eventually encounters the Dog soldiers and they believe him to be their foe. Upon his escape he essays to protect them from being discovered and polluted by civilization. In the movie the American was defined as a Native American, one of the Dog Soldiers whose ancestors once roamed the plains of America free and untamed by today’s mores. The noble savage is worthy of protection from the corrupting influence of mainstream society. By comparison the Last of the Mohicans is about a Mohican caught in the French-English war in Canada. The French are trying to overwhelm Fort William Henry with the aid of the Hurons and the Iroquis. Hawkeye is given the task of escorting the commanders two daughters to safety past the Indians. On the road they encounter Chingachgook and Uncas the last of the Mohicans in the region. The plot of Hawkeye’s guide is soon exposed the guide betrays the company and the two Mohicans agree to be their guides. In the forest, Hawkeye, the Mohicans and their charges face many perils including many Indians who are haunting the woods in search of them. One of the members of the group is wounded by a sniper and they are soon immobilized. The group hides in a cave but a flushed out by a much larger party of Hurons. Now prisoners of the Hurons they are granted a chance at freedom if Cora would but consider to marry Magua. Haughty Cora refuses and soon the enraged Magua decides that the entire party should just die. At that very moment, the Mohicans and Hawkeye attack rescuing the captives and slaughtering the Hurons. Magua escapes but the captives are now safe. Eventually they stop at an old building where a lot of Mohicans died and where Chingachgook and Hawkeye fought together. Soon they are finally within the fort’s walls and are safe. In the fort, Duncan wonders how the fort can hold off so many attackers. Their only hope is for Webb to arrive with reinforcements. Duncan is sent as an emissary to the French commander Montcalm. All this succeeds in doing is letting Duncan know that the Frech are aware of the dire plight of the English Fort. The commanders, Montcalm and Munro eventually meet and Montcalm hands Munro a letter detailing how Webb is unable to send reinforcement. He asks the English to surrender. Munro naturally abhors surrender, but upon hearing the generous terms offered by the Frenchman agrees to sign a treaty. Peace it seems is achieved. But not all are pleased with the accord. Magua is indignant in claiming that his warriors will have no scalps while the white men become friends. While the English are fleeing from Fort William Henry the Hurons attack killing many innocent people. Cora is found by Magua and again he asks for her to be his wife but again she refused. So Magua captures Alice instead. A rescue effort goes horribly wrong when Duncan, Uncas and Hawkeye go to the Huron Village. Uncas is caught and is at the mercy of the Huron. This time the rescue goes well as Duncan is able to rescue Uncas. After a side-trip among the Delaware who are overjoyed at seeing Uncas, a Mohican. Uncas prepares his forces to attack the Hurons. In the battle that follows Magua is killed, Cora is also killed but ere the battle is ended Uncas too dies. Oddly, enough Cooper’s view of Mohican Indian is wildly at variance with the movie version. Cooper’s Mohicans are musket carrying warrior who could fight equally well as the Europeans they traveled with. By comparison   Wyeth portrays Uncas with a dagger, a tomahawk, and a bow and arrow-weapons of precolonial warfare and the customary attributes of an Indian brave. Cooper’s Uncas suggests the complexity of the character's position as a conventionally educated, English-speaking American Indian, Wyeth generalizes and romanticizes the Indian hero's appearance. Wyeth’s version simply conforms to his understanding of American Indians, which was tightly bound to the ideal of an untamed wilderness. Hawkeye is the book’s consummate American, he is the friend of Chingchagook. In chapter three of the Indian’s struggle for identity is first given shape. He was of unmixed blood and his tribe is the grandfather of nations. In the past his people fought the Iroquis, who were now mercenaries at the employ of the French, However, now the tribe is depleted and only Uncas his son remains of the Mohicans. Uncas and Chingchagook are firmly with the English as they are prepared to die fighting the Iroquis. Also in this chapter is the interplay of ideas and beliefs between Chingchagook and Hawkeye. This would later be an important ideal of Americans. The free exchange of ideas and belief or the so called Marketplace of ideas. Another example of the struggle was the discrimination Cora Munro suffered as opposed to the respect that Alice Munro received. Both were the daughters of a prominent military commander but because of Cora’s skin color and heritage she is looked down upon. Although later in the story she would fall in love with Uncas. An American is one who can identify with the values and morals of the American people in General. It is the question of what those values are that is problematic. One of the first defining events of being an American was Declaration of independence. As written by Thomas Jefferson the American people believed that â€Å"All men are created free and equal under God†. Previous to the declaration, Americans were still very much under the heel of the primitive feudal system they inherited from the British. The King, three thousand miles away ruled their lives by fiat. His lords and nobles ran roughshod over his subjects. This same struggle for equality is seen when Chingchagook and Hawkeye are discussing the differences between the English and the Mohicans. Another related event was the Civil war. The ideal of free and equal was put to the test. Till then it was a hypocrisy, the US claimed that its people lived in equality. Yet in the Southern States nearly 1/3 of all people were slaves who had no civil and political rights. The black man was a slave unfitting even of the title man, he toiled in the cotton plantations endlessly providing wealth for the arrogant white masters. Tens of Thousands would die before the African-American could take part and received citizenship in the country. An example, of this discrimination is when Cora rejects Magua’s offer to be his wife. In exchange for the freedom of the thralls. Still Cora refuses because even if she was a Quadroon she still held herself better than the filthy Indian Magua. However, even with the Emancipation declaration, the â€Å"black man† was still relegated to a second class citizen. It was not until Martin Luther King Jr. came forth daring violence and persecution in order end the discrimination and bigotry that plagued African Americans in the south. The struggle for equality can also been seen in the desire of Magua to be wed to Cora where Cora constantly refuses him because of his inferior stock. In the past, there were laws in place, particularly in the south, which prevented a black person from marrying a white person. Manifest Destiny, that doctrine that said that America should expand to the Pacific and beyond was another important even that helped change the American Identity. The Expansion to the west would come at the expense of Mexicans and Indians who would lose their lands. In that point of history a great influx of Irish, Germans and other European immigrants came to America to seek the freedom promised by the Statute of liberty. They were soon welded into the American people and brought their work ethic and industry to the increase the vigor of the rising Hercules that was the Union. The World Wars are another defining event in American History because the US having gained prominence among nations was now ready to take its place among the stars. America sent legions of its finest youths to go forth and fight in Europe and Asia for the defense of the weak and innocent against those who would oppress them. The same way Uncas was willing to endanger himself for the sake of foreigners he barely knew. The American identity remains vague and hard to define. Literature and other media can help express and expound it. But ultimately it must shine forth from the heart of every American Citizen. Simply, put an American is one who lives and breathes the American ideals. In a sense Hawkeye was an American because he respected the views of those who were not in concurrence with his. He also fought hard for the protection of the weak and innocent. Finally, he was a true friend to his allies. Works Cited Cooper, James The Last of the Mohicans. Edwards Brothers Inc 2006 Ed â€Å":Mohican† (history), Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 2007, webpage: EB-Mohicans. (Last accessed 11 Dec 2007) â€Å"Mohegan † (history), Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 2007, webpage: EB-Mahican. (Last accessed 11 Dec 2007) U.S. Constitution. Micheals, Joel B â€Å"The Last of the Dogmen† 8 Sept 1995 WYETH'S NOBLE SAVAGE Sep/Oct 2007. Vol. 28, Iss. 5; pg. 23, 1 pgs

Physical security designing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Physical security designing - Assignment Example The bank is situated at intersection of the W 19th street and the Madison Avenue. The bank is located on a  ¼ acre piece of land. The banking building has two floors. Within the banking compound is another small room that is used as the generator storage room. A parking space is also available in front of the bank. The main building in which the bank is located forms the perimeter fence of the banking compound separating the bank from the neighboring streets. Bordering the bank’s parking space is a vintage building that is used for various services including computing and photocopying shops. Across the street lie other businesses, mainly hotels and fast food outlets. On the rear side of this building; where the generator is located, there is a bordering access street. There is no direct entry into the banking compound from this access street. Within the vicinity of this bank is a police station, strategically located near to respond to any security issues. A hospital is also a few blocks away. There are two filling stations along the neighboring streets. The Madison Avenue hosts many businesses including grocery stores, drug stores and general retail shops. There are also schools and collages within the town. The banking building was constructed of bricks and concrete. There were metal grill reinforcement to strengthen the building. The lighting to the building is provided by the national electricity grid with a back-up generator to ensure the bank is always on power supply. The following diagram represents the bank’s schematic arrangement. In the past 2 year, there has been only one security incident involving this bank. The other two security incidents were considered minor by the bank’s chief security officer. In the major incident, there was an attempted robbery with violence. Four armed robbers had been spotted by a customer along the E 19th street, which is

Answering a question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answering a question - Assignment Example The sentences have been very badly constructed. While reading at the first glance it seems the writer will send the most important work to whom he is interacting with by the 25th of March but after close reading I penetrated that your most important work is just a title of a book. The correct order to write the date is not Mar.25 but either 25 March 2013 or March 25, 2013. The date should be written in full with the year. It is better to always use full form of words in English. We’re, don’t, didn’t etc are not acceptable in writing formal English so short forms must be avoided. The two commas in the second last sentence have been wrongly used. Such commas are used when the word just before the first comma needs to be defined or explained. Then again the vocabulary is not right. The word patronage does simply not makes any sense in the last sentence. Though indenting is optional but one should use it to indicate a new paragraph (Jones). I would like to thank you for the order you placed for the six DVD’s. Due to a lot of work lately I will not be able to hold a meeting with you but feel free to email me if you have questions in mind. I will send you the DVD’s for Performance Appraisal that really improves Performance, Hiring Employees and Your most Important Work by the 25th of March. You will also receive a booklet with your purchase that will contain instructions on how to go about using the DVD. We want you to be 100% satisfied with the products you receive from us. These booklets might also come handy when your organization plans to conduct a workshop or house seminar. Inside the package you will also find our new catalogue that includes information about fifty new DVDs on training. Like with all our training materials, these DVDs carry a 30 day no question asked return policy. Thank you for your order. We very much appreciate your interest in working with

Neurological Biological Development of the Brain Essay

Neurological Biological Development of the Brain - Essay Example The brain is an incredibly intricate and complex part of the human body. It is made up of neurons, or brain cells and these brain cells connect to one another through synapses, which are physical gaps between the neurons. Then there are neurotransmitters which are used to carry signals between brain cells, and these also work by diffusing across the synapse and triggering the electrical activity that transmits information throughout the brain itself. The grown adult human brain contains about 200 billion neurons, and it needs to be known that the number of neurons that are in the brain actually does not change from birth, bur rather the growth occurs in the dendrites. The developmental process of the brain really takes on two separate sides, especially in regards to something such as communication, as the left part of the brain controls the right side of the body and vice versa, and so in order to come to a proper conclusion in regards to the developmental processes of the brain we t hus have to thoroughly examine and discuss the two parts of the brain separately and in their own regards. Both sides of the brain develop incredibly complexly, and there are many different intricate and codependent processes that are going on during the course and the development of a human being, and all of these need to be considered in a matter such as this. The first eight weeks of brain development is known as being the embryonic period, and this is before the baby is actually born, once they have been conceived and the very beginning of the neurological biological development of the brain begins, and during this time is when multiple different and significant changes take place, as the organs, systems, and tissues of the future are being induced and differentiated and put properly into place in regards to the brain's development, and then the growth and development and refinement of these organs, systems, and tissues begins at this point. The brain actually begins to develop very soon after the point of conception, sooner than many people seem to believe, and this is when the brain cells first begin forming at the very tip of the embryo; as well, by as early as three and a half weeks past the conception date, the neural tube will begin to expand and mature and will result in forming the spinal cord and the brain. At the beginning, during this point, the brain cells themselves multiply incredibly quickly, at a rate of 250,000 per minute, however after about the 20th week, there is a slowdown which will occur, and this happens because the brain is organizing itself into more than 40 separate systems, which thus causes a significant decrease in the multiplication of the brain cells. Then there is the foetal stage of development, which takes place from the third to the ninth month, and during this time is when "the communication lines between the brain and the periphery of the body

Effective Leadership Traits Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effective Leadership Traits - Assignment Example The leaders should avoid panicking even though the situation does not work according to their expectations. Effective leaders should always work hard to assure their teams that everything is in control and that challenges always expected, but the most imperative thing is to focus on the main goal of the organization (Wart, 2012). The workers imitate their leaders; therefore, calm leaders will make workers calm and keep them working for better performance. Â  According to Wart (2012), effective leaders should be committed to performing their duties such as motivating their team and leading by example. A responsible leader sets the organizational goals and communicates them to their team. They build the capacity of the workers to pursue those goals by providing them with appropriate resources and motivating the workers to pursue organizational goals. Responsible leaders mobilize the organizational resources for the achievement of organizational goals and helping the workers to develop their careers and achieve self-fulfillment (Morse et. al., 2007). Therefore, effective leaders should have concern for both the organization and the workers by ensuring they grow together. Â  A leader is someone who has a vision of what the organization intends to achieve within a specified period both in the long-run and in short-term (Wart, 2012). There is a vacuum of knowledge between the leader and his or her team until that leader shares the vision with the team members. Effective leaders should be able to disseminate the knowledge they have to their team in a clear and concisely in order to enable them to move in the same direction.

Producing sustainable self compacting concrete Literature review

Producing sustainable self compacting concrete - Literature review Example Research Methodology The research methodology that I intend to implement entails collecting relevant data on the topic of self-compacting and concrete from different documents and compiling the databases to critically analyze the topic and arrive at an understanding that is more complete. The methodology also entails shading some light on questions that relate to the topic and on the results of the 9 mixes of cement, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate, water, and fly ash. The work to be undertaken in this research involves doing a mixture of substances and finding out the results. Some of the risk assessment to consider in this research is such as; taking careful measures when mixing different substances, following given instructions carefully to avoid mistakes that can lead to inappropriate results and so on. Components in the Mixture Cement 584 2 584 2 Fine Aggregate (0/4mg) 987 3 987 3 987 3 Coarse aggregate (4/8mg) 526 526 5 526 5 Water 260 260 260 Fly ash 0% 5% 10% 20% NJ 50 1% 3% 5% W/C 0,445053064 0,445053064 0,445053064 Cement 584 2 584 2 Fine Aggregate (0/4mg) 987 3 987 3 987 3 Coarse aggregate (4/8mg) 526,5 526 5 526,5 526,5 Water 292,1 292,1 292,1 292,1 292,1 Fly ash 0% 5% 10% 20% NJ 50 1% 3% 5% W/C 0,5 0,5 0,5 Producing Sustainable Self Compacting Concrete Sustainability is the newest standard in the engineering sector. This new standard is proving according to research and many experiments to be one of a better future. In the Following paper, we shall discuss the production of self-compacting concrete cement, acrylic polymer, and fine aggregate sand. These are all part in the engineering sector of structures that are all around us. However, they are different in that they are the new technologies that most first world countries want to start using if they have not started already. The above new technologies are set to take the world by storm by their nature to create structures with a significant less affinity to deformity. The aforementioned precast concrete is a type of Self-compacting concrete. Production of a Sustainable Self-Consolidating/ Compacting Concrete According to numerous dictionaries, sustainability is the ability of maintaining a subject or an object. Dictionaries go further and state that the maintenance of an object has the ability to use the natural resource repeatedly without having to destroy the balance created naturally in the ecological system. In the construction world now, this definition states that manufactured concrete has the ability to utilize the natural resources without interfering with the ecological system. This brings forth an issue that the construction sector is experiencing. Is it possible to produce concrete that is friendly to the eco-system? The answer to this is yes it is possible (Park, 2010). Over a century ago, production of over ten metric tonnes of cement was produced in the construction sector. The whole world produces this amount. However, the amount of concrete produced was ro ughly around 40 million cubic meters. In the 1900 the total human population was roughly 1.64 billion people, the number now has more than quadrupled with the population staggering over 7billion people. In those times the amount of cement a person could use

Preventing a brave New World WK5 assignment Essay

Preventing a brave New World WK5 assignment - Essay Example He argues that whatever scientists call ‘therapeutic cloning’, is the use of embryos as a font of tissues (Kass, 2001, p. 327). He also offers some reasons against cloning which covers both reproductive and therapeutic cloning. In his arguments against cloning, Kass advocates for ethical practice in biomedical projects. His views however, may face some challenges. In this essay, the discussion will cover Kass’ reasons for advocating for a ban on human cloning, and the strengths and weaknesses of his argument. Kass’ Reasons against Human Cloning Kass has four reasons against human cloning. That the process of cloning humans is unethical, because the child to-be is used in an experiment that subjects him or her to risks of developmental and bodily abnormalities. That cloning threatens individuality and confuses identity. The clone is made from a genotype that has already lived. This denies the cloned individual his or her individuality. The process of cloning results in an individual that could be a twin to the person he/she should refer to as a mother or a father. It means the clone’s relation to the parent is confused. That cloning is a way of turning procreation into manufacture, and that it is a major form of child abuse and parental tyranny (Kass, 2001, p. 324-328). Strengths of the Argument Evidence shows that cloning is very risky and expensive. According to Sharma (2007), cloning is inefficient and 90% of attempts fail. Cloned animals have been found to have high rate infection, carcinoma, low immunity levels and some disorders. Even Dolly sheep suffered some abnormalities when it was five years old (Gupta, 2004, p. 256). Evidence also shows that cloned animals’ genomes are compromised and some of them behave abnormally. They also suffer from congenital abnormalities due to programming errors. Some cloned animals die young (Sharma, 2007, p. 167). The concept of cloning supports the argument on identity and individu ality. The process involves removal or deactivation of a nucleus from an unfertilized egg and introduction of a somatic cell nucleus from a selected adult (Levine, 2009, p. 9). This means that the cloned individual will not have the natural genetic distinctiveness and independence. Procreation has indeed been turned into a manufacturing process. Levine indicates that cloning technology already has commercial uses with many private companies and academic scientists owning various patents. These patents cover various elements of derivation of human embryonic stem cells, and nuclear transfer technique (Levine, 2009, p. 144). Weaknesses of the Argument Different people have different views on what is wrong or right. Arguments against cloning, therefore, that procreation has been turned into a manufacturing process, that cloning leads to the production of abnormal babies, and that the cloned individual may lack identity and individuality; may all not be considered unethical by some peopl e. Some may argue that malformed, unhealthy and abnormal children are born every year due to various factors. Some may argue that Kass’ arguments do not consider the goodness of well-being. Some may argue that considering the advantages of well-being over disadvantages could be more appropriate (The President's Council on Bioethics, 2002). Conclusion Cloning should be banned based on the reasons given by Kass. Apart from

Allegory of Nature by Marten Van Heemskerck, 1567 Case Study

Allegory of Nature by Marten Van Heemskerck, 1567 - Case Study Example The painting is predominantly oil on panel, and it is subsequently characterized by social diversity in terms of social representation that the painting makes. The first focus goes to the front left part of the artwork, followed by the entire painting in relation to noticing the scenes that Heemskerck presented in the painting. The painting presents a calm scene, characterized by human activity as the painting depicts. There is a number of people in the painting, posing in an action-packed manner. In other words, their appearance depicts that they are a number of activities going on with the environment in which the painting is set. Use of color in the painting is critical to account for. The color used to point out to two racial or ethnic differences that can actually be identified from the painting. Use of light and dark color shows that there are two types of people presented in the painting. Light color differentiates the lighter skinned people from the darker skinned people, who se color appearance is darkened in the painting. As earlier mentioned, the environment within which the painting is set is calm, though characterized by some human activity.  Ã‚   Comparing the two types of people that Heemskerck presents in the painting, the dark-colored people appear more like they are serving the light colored people. In other words, there is an aspect of servant-hood from the dark colored people towards the light-skinned people in the painting. The front middle of the painting presents a captivating scenario. The darker colored people are enjoying a ride by a woman who is glued to a mirror admiring herself. On the same position of the painting, a dark-skinned man maneuvers the boat carrying light-skinned people who seem to be having a good time based on the way they are holding their food and drinks (Stokstad, 2005). The scenario on the painting also accounts for a certain kind of social relations between the darker skinned people and their fellow counterparts, and also between them and the lighter skinned people. The painting has an invariant scenery color. Plants in the painting are generally green, depicting health and a favorable envir onment to thrive in.  Ã‚  

Freud’s theory of Psychosexual Development Essay Example for Free

Freud’s theory of Psychosexual Development Essay I will begin my essay by outlining Freud’s theory of Psychosexual Development and I will then go on to evaluate how far this help us to understand a client’s presenting issue. Freud’s theory of psychosexual development begins with the belief that human beings are purely driven by biology, in the form of the libido or sexual energy. The driving force of the libido is divided into five stages, he argues, and our early experiences during childhood are responsible for the development of a healthy personality, or if any individual were to experience trauma during these stages then it would result in disruption in the child’s personal development and the child may become stuck in this stage, resulting in neurosis. This five stages of sexual libido are: The Oral Stage – from birth to about 18 months – is where the child directs all its attention to the mouth in the form of sucking, eating and drinking. If stuck in this stage the client may still like to use their mouth a lot, resulting in the client presenting with overeating, drinking, smoking or talking The Anal Stage – from about 18 months to three years – is where the child directs their attention to the elimination of waste, and of the feelings experienced by the expelling of waste. This is also the stage where the child first experiences an element of control over themselves, as to where they excrete or and indeed whether or not they excrete their waste product. The child learns that he can use his bodily functions to elicit attention from his carer by excreting on the floor rather than in the potty. Clients stuck in the anal stage may be either anally retentive or expulsive in personality. Those that are anally retentive individuals are controlling and like to have everything in order – they may suffer from OCD and have quick outbursts of anger. Anally expulsive individuals tend to be untidy and disorganised. The Phallic Stage – from about three to five years – is where children become aware of their genital regions. This is the stage where the child starts to become aware of the differences between male and female genitalia, and their energy is spent undressing themselves, and perhaps others, in order to explore these differences. It is also the stage  of manipulating the genitals and the discovery of pleasure in doing so. It is during this stage that the Oedipus conflict arises; the belief that a boy has incestuous cravings for his mother and views his father as a rival for this affection. The boy also fears his father, as his father is bigger than him in all ways including his penis. Freud argued that the boy feels castration anxiety at this stage as a result of repressed sexual desire for his mother. If the boy has the correct parenting at this stage, then the boy identifies with the father and comes to have harmless affection for the mother. The Electra complex is the female counterpart. It is based on the view that each girl wants to possess her father and replace her mother. A phallic fixation can lead to an individual with a narcissistic, homosexual, egotistical or overly sexualised personality that may lead to serial marriage, polygamy or polyandry. The phallic fixation tends to use sex to discharge emotional tension and will often have sexual relationships that are superficial and lacking in love and affection The Latency Stage – from five years to adolescence. In this stage, sexual motivated needs subside as the child focuses their attention on developing other skills needed for their survival. A child stuck in this stage may have issues forming sexual relationships and have trouble expressing themselves sexually, leaving themselves and or their partners sexually unfulfilled. The Genital Stage – from adolescence to adulthood. During the onset of adolescence, the child moves from self-love or narcissistic love to diverting this love to others. It is argued by psychotherapists that are advocates of this theory that individuals disrupted during the ‘Genital stage’ may result in sexual disorders such as fetishes and paedophilia. According to Freud, only symptoms can be modified, and not the behaviour of the client – this can be done in two ways: 1. Lessening of the intensity of the unconscious urges, by bringing them to the consciousness or by strengthening the defences against them. An example of lessening the client’s behaviour is by encouraging a client to leave a job where aggressive urges were continually being aroused by an oppressive boss. 2. Alternatively the client can act out their urges in a more acceptable and symbolic way. An example being that anal urges can be expressed through pottery, as an alternative to faecal play. Feminists would argue that Freud’s theory concentrates on male sexual development, and provides little in understanding female sexuality. Freud’s work has also  been criticised for over emphasising sex drive and little else in order to assess a client’s presenting issue. Carl Jung and Fromm, two students of Freud, agreed with this statement, but used Freud’s work to develop their own theories, which I outline below. Carl Jung (1875 -1961) believed that that the libido was not just sexual energy, but instead generalised psychic energy. The purpose of this psychic energy was to motivate the individ ual in a number of ways, including spiritually, intellectually, and creatively. It was an individual’s source for seeking pleasure as well as reducing conflict. Jung placed greater emphasis on the unconscious than Freud; he argued that the psyche was composed of three components. Firstly, he believed that the ego is conscious, because people are aware of their own thoughts, memories and emotions. The unconscious mind, Jung believed, was split into two parts (the remaining two components): The personal unconscious, which is the same as Freud’s belief, in that it consists of repressed memories. Jung explained an important feature of the personal unconscious called ‘complexes’. A complex is a collection of thoughts, feelings, attitudes and memories, which focus on a single concept. The more elements attached to the ‘complex’ the greater its influence on the individual. The second deeper level is the Collective consciousness. This level of unconscious is shared with other members of the human species, comprising of latent memories from our ancestral and evolutionary past (‘The form of the world into which a person is born is already inborn in him, as a virtual image’ Jung, 1953). Jung called the ancestral memories and images ‘archetypes’. For Jung, our primitive past becomes the basis of the human psyche, directing and influencing present behaviour. Important archetypes include: the persona, or our social mask, just like an actor in a play; Anima/Animus, or our male and female sides – this comes from living side by side with the opposite sex for centuries; the shadow, similar to Freud’s ID, comprised of our animal urges or survival and reproduction. Jung argued that the psychological development of both sexes was undermined as the development of western society has led to the devaluation of feminine qualities over the predominance of the persona, leading to insecurity. Jung agreed with Freud that a person’s past and childhood experiences determined future behaviour, but he also believed that we are shaped by our future aspirations too. Erich Fromm (1900 – 1980) differed with the Freudian  emphasis on unconscious drives. Fromm argues that a person’s drives were not purely biological – he believed that man had free choice to decide on whatever action he felt appropriate and therefore gui ded their own destiny. Fromm saw conflict arising within the individual, when they had to weigh up the freedom of choice with the fear of uncertainty, when making these decisions. As a sociologist and psychologist, his theories integrated both psychology and Marxist Historical Materialism. Fromm argued that each socioeconomic class fosters a particular character, governed by ideas and concepts that justify and maintain the socioeconomic system. Fromm believed that the unique character of human existence gives rises to eight basic needs. Firstly Unity, as human beings have lost their original oneness with nature, they need to relate in order to overcome their isolation. Secondly their relatedness with others, care, respect and knowledge. Thirdly humans need to transcend their own nature, as well as their passivity and randomness of existence, which can be accomplished either positively, by loving and creating, or negatively, through hatred and destruction. Fourthly the individual also requires a sense of rootedness or belonging, in order to gain a feeling of security, and sense of identity. Fifthly the sense of identity which is expressed non-productively as conformity to a group and productively as an individual. Sixthly is need is for orientation understanding the wor ld and our place in it. Seventhly is excitation and stimulation or actively striving for a goal rather than simply responding. Eighthly is effectiveness the need to feel accomplished. This Orientation can be achieved either through assimilation (relating to things) or socialisation (relating to people). Fromm identified several character Orientations in Western Society. Authoritarianism when an individual cannot come to terms with this freedom, he could avoid his responsibilities by withdrawing beneath the protection of someone or something else. Examples of this include God, a specific political leader of party, an institution of even one’s carer. Receptive Orientation this is common in a society which encourages exploitation of the individual, who then seeks solace in affection and related comforts, such as eating, where the individual can only take and not give. Exploitative Orientation the defence being the aggressive possession of goods, usually those of others. Examples being the plundering of goods in historical times, or in more modern times, those  nations that seek the territories and chattels of others. Productive Orientation which donates love and tolerance towards others, and an acceptance of their freedom, with the ability to use this orientation to their advantage, without harming others. Hoarding Orientation – the ‘I want – I need’ society, based on material wealth. If one owns objects, then the individual can be seen, at least in his eyes, as clever and powerful. These individuals are threatened by the outside world and cannot share. Marketing Orientation – this is people copying or being influenced by the media and advertising by wearing the latest fashions. Individual personal qualities are redundant over what looks good. The individual sees themselves as a commodity to be bought and sold. Fromm added two further states: Necrophilous character- attracted to death Biophilous character – drawn to life. According to Fromm, gaining independence from one’s parents leads to a profound sense of loneliness and isolation, which the individual attempts to escape by establishing some type of bond with society through social conformity and submission to authority. By relating both Jung and Fromm’s work to our clients, they have made us aware of the client’s wider world or heritage into which he or she is born. Jung would argue that a Muslim woman may have low self-esteem and isolate herself from others, but these presenting issues are more down to the client’s collective consciousness than their childhood. In this case, Jung helps us as therapist to understand that the client’s neurosis may not arise from bad parenting, but from something primal based upon evolution within the individual. Fromm’s Socio- economic theories also provide us with insight of the client’s wider world, and how neurosis can arise due to external economic forces that dr ive the client’s neurosis in an exploitative and materialistic society that values things over the human existence. Both would argue that it is our environment rather than biology that constrains us, in the form of society and culture. For Jung and Fromm, in order to understand the client’s presenting issue, we must also understand their culture and the way in which they relate to the economic society into which they are born. An alternative view to Freud’s psychosexual development is that of the Behaviourist approach. Behaviourists believe that what is learned can be unlearned. Skinner built upon the work  of Pavlov’s classical conditioning experiments (1927) and his use of dogs as subjects, and the Little Albert experiments of Watson and Rayner (1920). To further these experiments, Skinner (1938) designed a Puzzle box and, by using rats, he showed that by using both positive and negative reinforcements, he could change the behaviour of the rats, as their behaviour is affected by consequences. He called this Operant Conditioning to which he identified three responses: Neutral Operants: responses from the environment that neither increase nor decrease the probability of a behaviour repeated. Reinforces: responses from the environment that increase the probability of a behaviour being repeated – this can be ether positive or negative Punishers: Responses from the environment that decrease the probability of a behaviour being repeated. Punishment weakens behaviour. Skinner concluded that there was a Law of Effect, and that by using reinforcement, behaviour tends to be repeated, while behaviour which is not reinforced tends to die out. As human beings, we often respond to verbal Operants by taking advice, listening to the warnings of others and by obeying given rules and laws. This helps us understand the development of children, as the feelings associated with behaviour are controlled by conditioning. If the child has been positively rewarded, then the child is more likely to repeat those behaviours happily and willingly, feeling that they are doing what they want to be doing. If on the other hand the child avoids these behaviours due to negative reinforcement, they will be inclined to feel that their freedoms are being repressed, resulting in feelings of negativity, which could led to depression or anxiety. The work of Skinner, Pavlov, Watson and Rayner has led to the development of different treatments, such as C ognitive behavioural therapy and talking therapy that will help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave, commonly used to treat anxiety, depression and phobias but can be useful for other mental and physical health problems. In conclusion, Freud’s work on psychosexual development does help us in part to understand a client’s presenting issue, by understanding that their behaviour may very well stem from how their parents handled the child’s psychosexual development. By accepting this assertion, it also helps us to understand that what we, as society, view as very disturbing or deviant behaviour can arise from childhood trauma. This allows the therapist, and society, to be more  compassionate to such clients. An example of this is that Freud stated that homosexuality is neither a sinful nor a criminal act, but rather a condition that arose from childhood biological and psychological factors, and was just a ‘variation of the sexual function’, and because of this is could not be treated by punishment or therapy, but should just be accepted. Freud’s work, as already discussed, is limited in understanding the client’s total world, however we must understand th at Freud’s work was the first of its kind in understanding human psychological development, and was written at a time when most adults probably were sexually repressed, as well as viewing homosexuality as sinful. The later work of others, including Jung and Fromm, built upon his work, to help us understand the client’s presenting issue in a wider context. They widened our worldly view of the client by demonstrating how neurosis of the individual may also arise due to internal factors of the collective consciousness, arising from cultural and social heritage, or by external factors, such as how the client relates to the economic environment into which they are born. The work of the behaviourists also helps us to understand that any negative social conditioning also plays its part in understanding the client’s presenting issue. As a final note, we must remember that it is the job of the therapist to use the work of others as a tool to understanding the client’s own world in order to get enough understanding of the client’s perspective in relation to their own presenting issue. This understanding helps facilitate the client in coming to their own conclusions as to how best to tackle their own presenting issue, either by managing their condition from the Freudian perspective, or helping them change their own perspective and/or behaviour, as argued by the behaviourists. Bibliography What Freud Really Said – David Stafford-Clark (1996) 1935 – Freud’s letter response to a mother asking him to treat her homosexual son. (1935) Handbook of Individual Therapy – Edited by Windy Dryden (1990) Counselling for Toads – Robert De Board (1998) McLeod, S.A (2008)

The Transmission Of Pathogens Biology Essay

The Transmission Of Pathogens Biology Essay Infectious diseases are caused by the transmission of pathogens, which are microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses. Pathogens can be transmitted by direct contact horizontal and vertical transmission and by indirect contact vehicle-borne transmission and vector-borne transmission. Pathogens are microorganisms that cause infectious disease. Bacteria and viruses are the main pathogens. Bacteria Salmonella bacterium cell Bacteria come in many shapes and sizes, but even the largest are only 10 micrometres long (10 millionths of a metre). Bacteria are living cells and, in favourable conditions, can multiply rapidly. Once inside the body, they release poisons or toxins that make us feel ill. Viruses Hepatitis C virus. DNA are enclosed in a protein coat. Transmission of pathogens Microorganisms can be transmitted in two main ways: direct contact and indirect contact. Direct contact Direct contact means that the disease-causing microbe is passed from one person to another when their bodies touch in some way. Vertical transmission happens when microorganisms pass from a mother to her unborn baby through the placenta. German measles and HIV can pass this way. Horizontal transmission happens when microorganisms pass from one person to another by touching, kissing or sexual intercourse. Examples of horizontal transmission type of contact bacterial disease viral disease touching bacterial gastroenteritis chickenpox kissing bacterial meningitis glandular fever, cold sores sexual intercourse gonorrhoea, syphilis HIV, hepatitis B Indirect contact Indirect contact happens when microorganisms are carried to a person in some way, instead of by actual body to body contact. Vehicle-borne transmission involves an object carrying the disease-causing microorganism. Examples of vehicle-bourne transmission vehicle bacterial disease viral disease droplets in the air tuberculosis (TB) colds, flu water cholera polio sharp objects tetanus HIV food Salmonella food poisoning hepatitis A Vector-borne transmission involves an animal such as an insect. For example, malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes and plague by fleas. The first line of defence Most pathogens have to get inside our body to spread infection. Once they are inside, the body provides ideal living conditions plenty of food, water and warmth. Standing in their way is our bodys immune system the bodys co-ordinated response to the invading pathogens. The first line of defence is the bodys natural barriers. These include: skin nasal hairs, mucus and cilia tears The skin Cross-section of skin The skin covers the whole body. It protects the body from physical damage, microbe infection and dehydration. Its dry, dead outer cells are difficult for microbes to penetrate, and the sebaceous glands produce oils which help kill microbes. Nasal hairs, mucus and cilia The respiratory system (or gaseous exchange tract) is protected in several ways. Nasal hairs keep out dust and larger microorganisms. Sticky mucus traps dust and microbes. These are then carried away by cilia, which are tiny hairs on the cells that line the gaseous exchange tract. Tears Tears, saliva and mucus contain an enzyme called lysozyme. This destroys microorganisms. The second line of defence Scabs If microorganisms get into the body through a cut in the skin, the most important thing is to quickly close the wound so more microorganisms cannot enter. A scab does just this. The blood contains tiny structures called platelets, and a protein called fibrin. A scab is basically platelets stuck in a fibrin mesh. The animation shows how this works. White blood cells As a wound heals, nearby blood vessels widen to allow more blood to reach the area. This causes inflammation where the damaged area becomes swollen, hot and red. White blood cells called phagocytes move into the area, and destroy bacteria by engulfing and digesting them. The third line of defence Pathogens contain certain chemicals that are foreign to the body and are called antigens. White blood cells called lymphocytes carry a specific type of antibody a protein that has a chemical fit to a certain antigen. When a lymphocyte with the appropriate antibody meets a dangerous foreign body (pathogen containing antigen), the lymphocyte reproduces quickly, and makes many copies of the antibody that neutralises the pathogen. Antibodies neutralise pathogens in a number of ways: They bind to pathogens and damage or destroy them. They coat pathogens, clumping them together so that they are easily ingested by phagocytes. They bind to the pathogens and release chemical signals to attract more phagocytes. Lymphocytes may also release antitoxins that stick to the appropriate toxin and stop it damaging the body. Tuberculosis Tuberculosis, or TB for short, is a disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The microorganisms are spread through the air in tiny droplets when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Most people who are infected do not show any symptoms. About 10 per cent of people who are infected will go on to suffer symptoms, which include: shortness of breath coughing weight loss tiredness fever death (in about 50 per cent of cases) Only infected people who show symptoms of TB can spread the microorganisms to other people. Prevention and control of TB (Higher Tier) The BCG (Bacillus Calmette-GuÃÆ'Â ©rin) vaccination protects about 75 per cent of uninfected people from becoming infected. Antiobiotics are drugs that kill bacteria or prevent them from reproducing. Infected people who do not show any symptoms of TB are usually given a course of one antibiotic, but infected people who are showing symptoms of TB need a course of several antibiotics at once. This is to reduce the chance that strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria will emerge. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/edexcel/health/defendingagainstinfectionrev5.shtml