A Character Study Of Patrick Bateman Essay

This character study centers around is Patrick Bateman, the screw-up hero of â€Å"American Psycho†, a frequently misconstrued parody of the high society American way of life by Bret Easton Ellis. The book is set in New York during the 1980s, and let the peruser see through the eyes of the hero himself by utilizing first account. Along these lines when perusing the novel it feels as though one is perusing a journal, despite the fact that there are no severe time spans between every section. The storyline is extremely basic. The epic portrays the regular day to day existence of Patrick Bateman with consistently detail. We are placed directly into a common scene of Bateman’s life immediately toward the beginning when we see him and his companions at an opulent evening gathering. Quickly we get the possibility that he is rich and carries on with his life in style. The nourishments at the evening gathering are intriguing and Bateman couldn’t help continue flaunting his â€Å"platinum American Express Card†. Like his companions, he wants to ridicule vagrants and those less lucky than him. One of his preferred stunts is to imagine giving a dollar note to a poor person and afterward removing it in the last second while taking delight from the failure of his casualty. He likewise has some great characteristics. For instance, he is amazingly shrewd and shows sicken in separation of any sort, given that those individuals are on the equivalent â€Å"level† as him. He even criticized a partner for his enemy of Semitic remarks. Anyway these great characteristics are really a fai ade, concealing his actual character. As opposed to what shows up, he is unequivocally homophobic, bigot, hostile to Semitic and out of line to ladies. This can be shown by his assessment of rap music, portraying it as â€Å"too niggerish†. His perspectives on ladies were â€Å"they are just there to assist men with carrying on the human race†. Patrick Bateman is likewise very wellbeing cognizant. Aside from an intermittent stogie, he doesn't smoke and despises other people who do. He likewise forces a severe sound nourishments system on himself. His system is fairly like a vegan’s. He eats for the most part products of the soil never meat, with an exceptional accentuation on outlandish nourishments. His top picks incorporate kiwi natural product glue and Japanese apple-pears, costing him an excessive sum for each. To supplement his dietary system, Bateman every now and again uses his restrictive, private wellbeing community named Xclusive. Moreover, he utilizes a wide scope of human services items and prescriptions. These are really Ellis’ distortion of what occurs, all things considered, where the social elites urgently attempt and keep themselves solid, with any methods conceivable. During the day Bateman can be viewed as a typical high society individual, yet during the night things are totally unique. At the point when gotten some information about what he does during the night, he answers â€Å"I need to restore some video tapes†. This has become the doublespeak of his evening time exercises. Around evening time, he entertains himself with killing blameless people and assaulting appalling people. Now and again the stun of doing these things gets to him, and he begins to have alarm assaults. It’s during these fits of anxiety we see actually how frail he is. He regularly admits his wrongdoings to add up to outsiders. Anyway they generally disregard him and think it’s a joke. This, joined with how characters in the book frequently confuses one individual with another, is Ellis’ method of speaking to how in the advanced world we don’t truly care about who we are conversing with. One thing that can't be disregarded about the novel is the means by which express it is. Assaults, murders and peculiar activities are portrayed with nothing forgot about. For instance, in one of the scenes Patrick Bateman drinks his own pee and in another scene, he removes the eyes of a vagrant. To give you a thought of what the language resembles, here’s a concentrate from the book: â€Å"I drive the serrated cutting edge into its [a dog’s] stomach and rapidly cut open its bald paunch in a spurt of earthy colored blood, its legs kicking and mauling at me, at that point blue and red digestion tracts swell out and I drop the pooch onto the sidewalk†¦. He [the owner] simply gaze with sickening apprehension saying ‘oh my god goodness my god’ as the sharpei hauls itself around, its tail swaying, screeching, and it begins licking and sniffing the heap of its own digestive organs, spilled out in a hill on the walkway, some despite everything associated with its stomach. † From this you can perceive how graphical the book is. Lamentably this is just a little bit of the entire story and this concentrate is the most feeble regarding disdain in the book. This essentially implements how deranged and insane Patrick Bateman is. The incongruity of the novel is that Bateman does totally different things while demanding what he does is in every case right. For instance, he frequently taunts his partners for offering biased remarks, yet he is furtively similarly as prejudicial. While he freakishly keeps himself fit and solid, he manhandles cocaine and antidepressants. This is the center of Ellis’ parody, where he ridicules the high society, which demands their flawlessness however really is oblivious on how defective they are. Additionally in the novel Bateman devotes a solitary section in addition to numerous pieces of different parts itemizing his material riches. Likewise he indefatigably thinks about his effects to those of another person. In reality in one scene he found that another person’s business card was of a superior quality and plan than his and accordingly began to have exceptional desire for that individual. This can be deciphered as Ellis’ parody coordinated at the eagerness of people and our frantic battle to have the best of everything. After he submits his last homicide, Bateman doesn't feel better and â€Å"high† as he portrayed it. Rather, he feels nothing. Not in any event, murdering can fulfill him now. It is bewildering how he was never associated with any of the various homicides he submitted. Toward the end we find that he may have envisioned every one of his demonstrations of monstrosity. This intentional equivocalness is the main leniency Ellis has for this genuinely detestable character. In spite of this, I feel sorry for Patrick Bateman, for he attempted to discover joy, similar to we as a whole do however in different manners, and neglecting to do as such. At long last, he is left â€Å"hollow† with no feeling left at all. It’s miserable how one can turn out to be intellectually unhinged on one’s mission for individual addition.

Life Styles Inventory Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ways of life Inventory - Case Study Example On a basic assessment of myself, I discover the idea of intensity overwhelming other reasoning styles. Once in a while, I overpowered with the longing to control activities and be in control. Be that as it may, this has consistently represented various difficulties on my capacity to give bearings as a chief. Force has made a verifiable expert in the association. The connection among me and my workers has been weakened and a feeling of individual power and responsibility at the division level has been lost. It has disheartened decentralization leaving me with the massive obligation of ever settling on every single choice in the association. Be that as it may, in logical inconsistency to the depictions of this deduction style as appeared in the way of life stock, I have never seen the attribute of compulsion and terrorizing in me. Frequently, I approach my workers with deference and tune in to their conclusions with a receptive outlook despite the fact that the majority of them don't c are for taking part in the dynamic procedure. Once more, rather than the outcomes portrayal, I am normally quiet and open minded with my workers as long as the activity is done as it should be. As my outcomes would have it, my back-up speculation style is shirking. This scale quantifies my propensity to utilize protective procedures of withdrawal (Humphrey 229). This seems, by all accounts, to be another verifiable truth however there could be a couple of varieties. By and by, I accept that issues are a piece of life and the superior technique for unraveling issues isn't by fleeing from them. I can do whatever all that's needed is to have the issue unraveled. It doesn't make a difference how much hazard is included. As certain researchers would said, there is nobody most ideal method of accomplishing something. Essentially, I don't depend on a solitary method of handling my concern of pick the most effortless way out, rather, I investigate more on different roads that permits me to have my concern illuminated. This fortifies my capacity to satisfy my job as a pioneer and an executive in the association Avoidance, as a reasoning style has caused me to turn out to be progressively successful in my activity as an administrator. Ordinarily, the act of the executives is typically confronted with bunches of difficulties, yet my capacity to take care of issues has consistently observed me through the intense clusters in the executives practice. Nonetheless, blemishes are a piece of people and I don't accept that I must be directly consistently. In this way, I contrast with the depiction gave in the way of life stock that individuals with this reasoning style indicate to consistently be correct. I like being rectified when I commit an error and tolerating risk because of my botches. Then again, my way of life stock outcomes show low execution on my humanistic-consolation thinking style. This scale gauges my enthusiasm to individuals and capacity to think about others (Humphrey 230). Despite the fact that this was not the most minimal execution recorded, humanistic commitment is a significant style in the act of the board. As an administrator, I should be worried about my workers and cause them to trust in themselves. They ought to likewise welcome themselves for what their identity is and be happy with what they have. The absence of humanistic-consolation in me bargains my capacity as an administrator since a director should tune in and thinking about workers. Nearness of this characteristic in me may improve administrator worker relationship and this has consistently demonstrated to be one method of propelling representatives. Intriguingly, something I ought to improve my humanistic-enc

Look as good you will not

Look as good you will not DID YOU KNOW? The Tick was created as a mascot for the newsletter of a comics shop in Boston. In my daily perusal of Wikipedia I came across STARKILLER: The Jedi Bendu Script site, which purports to. Now, hopefully its not just some well-known internet hoax that Ive been taken in by, like Bonsai Kittens. But I really cant imagine why somebody would want to fabricate really bad, fake narratives loosely based on the characters in Star Wars, so Im assuming that theyre genuine. And since, hey, this is an MIT blog, I figured that my general readership would be nerdy enough to appreciate it. Not that everybody at MIT is a Star Wars fan. I know some people who havent seen any of the films at all. According to my archives, Nicola 07 rented the entire trilogy from our dorm last year (Burton-Conner has a free rental movie collection) to brush up on the plot of the original trilogy before seeing MTGs fall production of Star Wars: Musical Edition. But, yes, Revenge of the Sith did come on during finals week and we did get into a heated debate about the and the relative power levels of various Jedi. My own position was that if Darth Sidious were really that much stronger than Mace Windu, he would not have had expended so much energy in holding him back that he turned his forehead into a butt. Jeremy 09 argued that Sidious was only pretending to be weak to lure Anakin to the dark side, but really, couldnt he have done that without turning his forehead into a butt? Anyway, when you start to look at George Lucass original scripts, you start to understand how the prequel trilogy could have turned out the way it did. The five drafts leading up to A New Hope show a vast improement in quality, suggesting that Episodes I, II, and III just could have benefitted from a little revision to remove. For example, take this original introduction to Darth Vader: Vader raises his arm and as a sudden pain grips Leia, she doubles up unable to continue. Vader raises his arm and a flask on the table mysteriously jumps into his open hand. He casually drinks from the flask. I understand that its just a device to show Vaders command of the Force, but I imagine casually drinking from a flask is one of the less threatening activities Darth Vader can engage in. But even better is this Woody Allenesque dialogue upon the introduction of Ben Kenobi. BEN: Good morning! LUKE: What do you mean, good morning? Do you mean that it is a good morning for you, or do you wish me a good morning, although it is obvious Im not having one, or do you find that mornings in general are good? BEN: All of them altogether. Maybe if that had been left in, they wouldnt have lost Best Picture to Annie Hall. But these are just from the third draft of the script, when they had the plot pretty much in place (except that it involved something about Obi-Wan searching for a Kiber crystal to amplify his Force powers). Just seven months before that, the plot involved Owen, Beru, Biggs, Windy, Luke, and Leia Starkiller all living together on the desert planet of Utapau and Luke receiving this message from his older brother Deak: DEAKS IMAGE: Whippersnapper, I didnt make itIm sorry. The forces of the Bogan have become strong and deadlyI am lost. Father is in grave danger. He needs you and he needs the KIBER CRYSTAL. You must find a way to get to Ogana Major on your own. He is waiting for you there. Be careful, though. Ogana Major is under siege by the Imperial Legions of Alderaan. You must hurry for the force of the Ashla grows weak, and I dont know how much longer father can hold out. The enemy has constructed a powerful weapon to use against him. Warn Uncle forget Obi-Wan, but they do eventually come in contact with Lukes father, The Starkiller, who uses the Force (and the Kiber crystal) to hold off evil influence just long enough for Luke to hit the famous exhaust port with his photon torpedoes. Its hard to believe that things turned out so incredibly well just two years later. But even after making A New Hope and Return of the Jedi, Lucass original conception for Return of the Jedi was not quite the Ewok extravaganza that were all used to. The climax involved Lando fighting two Death stars orbiting the imperial capital planet (actually, that would have been pretty cool), but also featured the sudden resurrection of Obi-Wan Kenobi. And how to explain this unlikely event? LUKE: Ben Slowly, the hooded figure looks up, revealing his face. It is Ben Kenobi in the flesh. BEN: I could no longer stay in the netherworld. LUKE: But Yoda said BEN: that I would become one with the Force and choose not to return to the material world? That your anger prevented me from LUKE: But Im not angry not anymore I understand why you didnt tell me about my father. I do. BEN: I know. And I am here to help you destroy the Emperor, and your father. But Vader turns out to be old and weak in his battle with Obi-Wan, so the Emperor jumps in to take care of it with his force lightning. Luckily, Luke has an ace up his sleeve The Emperor turns his back on Vader and faces the old Jedi, raising his hands in the air, which causes lightning to strike at Ben. LUKE: BEN, NO! Luke leaps in front of his mentor, and raises his hand in defense. The bolts are deflected by an invisible shield. Wherever a bolt hits, the image of Yoda momentarily appears at the point of impact. Now, granted that you cant really get everything out of a movie by reading its scripts, and some lines that might look dumb on paper, like, say, Into the garbage chute, flyboy! were brought to the life by the incomparable acting of Carrie Fisher. But, really, after reading stuff like this, its easier to see how George got ideas like Hey, Ill have R2-D2 spray out an oil slick and then set these guards on fire with his jet propulsion. or Nobody remembers that dumb old line from Return of the Jedi anyway, lets just have Padme die in childbirth. or Yoda fighting would be SO COOL! or I dont like sand is just too great of a piece of dialogue to pass up. or Ive got it! Jar Jar Binks! Pictures from Belgium later this week.

Strength in Diversity Essay - 670 Words

The idea of multiculturalism in our schools is not a new one. School districts all over our country have been teaching some sort of multiculturalism in the classroom for quite some time now. However, as a student, I have always seen any study of multiculturalism as an add-on. We had Black History Month, Spanish Heritage Day, and a Chinese New Year celebration. These activities often required some sort of project work. I had felt that sometimes the celebration of these ethnic holidays did not really provide a true learning experience. We were not really provided with the historical and cultural significance of the events. nbsp; Recently, however, in good part because of International Education I have seen a great deal of†¦show more content†¦nbsp; By the year 2020, one half of all students in the United States will be people of color. It is extremely important that our schools continue to understand and make positive adjustments in their classrooms that will encourage students of my generation, regardless of ethnic or cultural group, to develop our multi-faceted talents to the fullest. We have to become a generation of young people who will not only recognize and understand the new face of our country , but also a generation that will celebrate our diversity and will become empowered by our differences. nbsp; International Education Week has helped the educational community of teachers, students, and parents understand that we are no longer a nation of homogeneous citizens who will all learn and act in the same way. The information and values exposed by International Education has helped us to become a nation that can view diversity as a resource instead of some sort of threat to the American Way of life. International Education has provided assistance in the use of the classroom to examine the perspectives, experiences, and values of all ethnic and cultural groups. Students have been encouraged to read, think, and live in a multicultural world. Informed students have been rescued from the constraints of cultural tunnel vision and need no longer afraid to cross and explore cultural borders. nbsp; International Education has provided an avenue forShow MoreRelatedDiversity Is Considered A Defining Strength For The Workforce1126 Words   |  5 PagesDiversity is considered a defining strength for the workforce and an essential element in accomplishing the various missions that reflects the nations or community that we serve. Ensuring a diverse and inclusive workforce enables the department or agency to be more responsive to the public it serves and offers every individual an equal chance to attain his or her professional goals. A diverse workforce contributes fresh ideas and offers unique perspective which is vital in achieving the desiredRead MoreThe Strengths And Development Of The Center For Biological Diversity835 Words   |  4 Pagesthey face. At the Center for Biological Diversity there are nine board members responsible with this duty. With the recent growth of the Center at large and changes in the organization’s direction, there is a need to evaluate the boa rd and its strengths and weaknesses. Aside from the responsibility to oversee, a board must also be willing to accept liability. The Center takes on a radical approach when it comes to fulfilling its mission of protecting diversity. Whether it be open criticisms or legalRead MoreEssay on Strength Through Diversity and Multiculturalism487 Words   |  2 Pagesstraining under the weight of our population, promulgating laws that prevent birth control, simply so as to maintain the rigidity of a two thousand year old moral code. nbsp; The greatest teacher of them all, mother nature, has shown us that diversity rather than uniformity, is the best insurance against change. nbsp; If a biosphere or even a single species has enough variety amongst its members, then when their environment changes, there will be a much better chance of survivors. ThisRead MoreIs Kroger A Wide Diversity Of Strengths For The External Environment?851 Words   |  4 PagesWith Kroger ranging from a variety of goods, it gives Kroger a wide diversity of strengths for the external environment. Some of the strengths are the fact that Kroger has an online market. Customers can order jewelry, deli and bakery products, floral, and more with the click of a button. This puts them higher up on the competition list for the advanced technology and convenience provided to gain loyal customers. Another strength is that Kroger has stores spanning across thirty five states, whichRead MoreHobby Lobby : Business, History, Culture, Locations, And Demographics1207 Words   |  5 Pagesselection process can be described as the process of choosing the best candidates that exemplifies the best interests for the organization. (Noe, 2017) Strengths and Opportunities at Hobby Lobby Reviewing specifically the recruiting and selection process, Hobby Lobby has many strengths and opportunities as well as weaknesses and threats. Some of their strengths is that they have very little turnover which is mostly correlated with their hours and pay rate. As stated earlier they are not open on Sundays,Read MoreThe Australian Workplace Is A Evolving Environment1483 Words   |  6 Pagesuniformity. This both contextual and individual concept is refereed to as diversity. Contrary to popular belief, diversity does not jus relate to gender, race cultural identity. Diversity is categorized into four main categories: organisational, internal, external and personality. From these categories, various experiences and perspectives arise, portraying the concept of diversity. Unless managed and understood properly, diversity can cause a wide range of obstacles in the Australian workplace, withRead MoreThe Impact Of Diversity On The Hrm Function Of Recruitment1220 Words   |  5 Pa gesindividuals all bring their own diversity. America is filled with diverse individuals. Along with this increase of diversity in the nation, there is an increase of diversity in the workforce. The workforce is becoming more diverse throughout the years, and HRM needs to figure out how to manage the diversity. If diversity is not managed correctly, HRM can face negative media and potential lawsuits. Diversity impacts HRM because if it is managed correctly, it can prove to be the strength of a company and if managedRead MoreKnowing And Serving Diverse Families Essay1504 Words   |  7 Pagessuggestions for fostering cultural appreciation and sensitivity. The strength of the textbook is that it is easy to read and understand, and it offers realistic, common sense strategies to those of us seeking to get a better understanding about diversity. The material in the book encourages the reader to engage in self-reflection in regards to their role and how families might perceive it. I t also racially breaks down ethnic diversity amongst American families. The purpose is so that we can work effectivelyRead MoreDifferences Between The And Religious Groups1195 Words   |  5 Pages Upon leaving a house in the morning, an individual experiences diversity in each aspects of their life, from their work involvements to their neighborhood associates. We live in a diverse nation, with each individual governed by their personal values and beliefs, while endeavoring to spread synchrony and unity. When it comes to understanding families, society should both emphasize the similarities that exist across ethnoracial and religious groups, and emphasize the differences that give these groupsRead MoreWhat Are Genetic Diversity?995 Words   |  4 Pagesmore different genes is not surprising. Genetic diversity can improve the lifespan of a population and individuals and protect the body from foreign substances. What is genetic diversity? Genetic diversity is the different level of genes in an individual. Genetic diversity, in a population, is the population contains most of one or more alternative forms of a gene that mutate at the same place on the chromosome (Paritsis). Furthermore, genetic diversity helps the population to adapt to the environment

Mental health - Care Programme Approach Free Essay Example, 1750 words

Risk management refers to a course that aims to diminish the chance of unfavorable occasions within the situation of general management of a person to arraign the best possible result and deliver affective, appropriate care (Langan 2004, p. 4). Risk management works with the process of risk assessment because risk assessment informs the necessity and the urgency of risk management. Risk assessment refers to the process of estimating the chances of an adverse event taking place under certain conditions within a time frame (DOH 2008, p. 31). Care Programme Approach incorporates the processes of risk assessment and management as an integral component of its practice. Care Programme Approach emphasizes that a highly skilled person should conduct the practice of risk assessment since the results obtained from the practice defines the urgency and magnitude of involvement in risk management (Tew 2011, p. 37). This programme supports risk management because mentally ill people pose considerable danger to themselves and to other people. This happens because people with a mental problem do not have a full command of their own mental faculties, and they are more susceptible to engage in self destructive behavior than sane people (Hall & Callaghan 2010, 97). We will write a custom essay sample on Mental health - Care Programme Approach or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The Care Programme Approach recognizes that poor risk management can result to safety concerns for patients and staffs since mentally ill people can cause injuries to others and to self (Langan 2004, p. 6). There is a serious concern to reduce the number of suicides, which result from mental illness, coupled with inaccurate risk management. However, a closer reflection on practice setting for the sick elderly brings ethical problems and emotional controversies due to the pathetic conditions that prevail some of these facilities (Department of Health 2008, 3). Nurses neglect the old people while others abuse them physically or emotionally because they are helpless. The strong smell of human urine hits a person’s nose anytime one comes to the apartments where these people sleep. However, there are few facilities that are well maintained (DOH 2008, p. 26). The Care Programme Approach has several components and principles that guide its practice, and act as reference points for individual staff evaluation and programme evaluation (Natalie 2010, p. 69). The components include inpatient and outpatient services for patient with mental problems, inter-agency linkages for patients who require different services from  several agencies and assessment risks.

Psychology of Sexuality Free Essays

string(131) " scarcity of ones depicting homosexual practices as well as paintings with heterosexual sex suggest they were equally commonplace\." Since the dawn of mankind, sexuality has played an enormous role in the complex social behaviors exhibited by our incredibly unique species. Sex contributes not only to reproduction, but also to relationships between people, cultural norms, and mental health. There are many important factors that contribute to sexuality; one of the most important factors is sex differentiation. We will write a custom essay sample on Psychology of Sexuality or any similar topic only for you Order Now We can take this even further and look at reproductive anatomy and the differences between the male and female reproductive systems. Thus, this paper discusses the history of sex, male and female reproductive anatomy and physiology, and finally human sex differentiation. The history of sex is interesting especially because of the controversy over the length of the time span from whence it was recorded. John Gagnon argues that it was really the turn of the 19th century when sex research emerged. While many (if not all) of Sigmund Freud’s theories have been disproved by this point in time, he did hit on many major ideas about sexuality and was one of the first people to really think and talk publicly about it, as well as Havelock Ellis. Freudian theories were extremely influential in shaping future theories and research, even throughout the late 20th century. Another important player was Alfred Kinsey, who built upon previous researchers and made note of the social changes around the 1950s, in turn affecting policy, general attitudes towards sex, and future research. Winston Ehrmann agreed that the history of sexuality is quite a short field in his work â€Å"Some Knowns and Unknowns in Research into Human Sex Behavior,† arguing that and while there has been documentation about sexual behavior throughout history, a more scientific approach to sex only really begun since the late 19th Century. However, I would contest that it’s a distinction based more on a social construct of what constitutes a scientific study in Western society. For example, ancient Indian literature of the Kama Sutra can be said to have treated sex as a science, giving practical advice about sex as well as showing the various positions in detailed paintings. There is also detailed historical evidence of homosexual behavior among men in Ancient Greece. While Ehrmann may not have considered these sources scientific, I would argue that for their respective time periods, they were as scientific as could be expected. In fact, we can’t really judge whether something was â€Å"scientific† since what we consider scientific in a modern Western sense may be completely different from their nderstanding of scientific back in the days of Ancient India or Greece. For a perspective of the history of sexuality from around the globe, we go back further in time and look at eighteenth century England, as well as ancient African Bushmen. Hera Cook writes an article â€Å"Sexuality and Contraception in Modern England: Doing the History of Reprodu ctive Sexuality† in which she argues that historians have ignored reproduction as a factor relevant to and influencing sexual mores and change. Pregnancy, and the resulting child, is not only a physical demand and economic cost, but a health risk. Effective contraception was not available and alternative sexual practices were not acceptable substitutes for vaginal intercourse. While I agree with most of her arguments, I would contest her claim that many historians dismiss reproduction as a factor of changes in sexuality. In fact, the next article â€Å"The Century of Sex: Gender, Bodies, and Sexuality in the Long Eighteenth Century† by Karen Harvey discusses sexuality in England during the 1700s and does consider the effects of reproduction. Harvey argues that prior to the Eighteenth century, men and women were â€Å"placed on a vertical, hierarchical axis, in which their bodies were seen as two comparable variants of one kind† in a sort of â€Å"one-sex model† based on the four humors of different qualities – cold and moist, which dominated women, and hot and dry, which dominated men (Harvey, 2002, p. 901). Furthermore, they thought of sex organs as simply the reverse of one another; a vagina was like an inside-out penis, the labia corresponded to the foreskin, etc. However, towards the eighteenth century, there was a shift in the understanding of bodies towards a two-sex model. Anatomical differences were stressed and their bodies were regarded as qualitatively distinct. While previously the female orgasm was previously thought to have importance for conception, it was ultimately deemed unnecessary. Women were reimagined from â€Å"lascivious and lustful creatures† to having no sexual needs whatsoever (Harvey, 2002, p. 903). Homosexuality was highly frowned upon and considered perverse and sodomy. On the other hand, a certain ancient African Bushmen tribe had a much more egalitarian view on sexual behavior and gender differences. Marc Epprecht discusses the history of the zvidoma, the orginal inhabitants of Zimbabwe in his book â€Å"Hungochani: The History of a Dissident Sexuality in Southern Africa. † Epprecht notes that these ancient Bushmen were hunters and gatherers using Stone Age weapons and tools comprising a classless communitarian society with no concept of individual ownership or property. Decisions were made by group consensus, and this included females; uncommon for that time. While there was a clear gender division of labour, the zvidoma were closer to egalitarian than any other culture in ancient African history. Not only did they traditionally marry monogamously, but women could divorce relatively easily and retain rights to sexual autonomy. Depictions of women’s genitals in cave paintings suggest â€Å"a source of vital, mystical energy at least on par with men’s† (Epprecht, 2004, p. 25). Because of their limited geographical area as well as their method of hunting and gathering, they had to be careful to avoid overpopulation. During times of hunger, they practiced sexual restraint and possibly infanticide. Furthermore, there is a rock painting at least 2000 years old depicting three males engaged in anal intercourse as well as two male couples, one embracing face to face and the other also engaging in anal sex with an overly large emphasized erect penis. There are not many paintings depicting sexual practice, but the relative scarcity of ones depicting homosexual practices as well as paintings with heterosexual sex suggest they were equally commonplace. You read "Psychology of Sexuality" in category "Papers" While the history of sexuality gives us a good basis on which to study the psychology of sexuality, some would argue this basis is biased toward differentiation. Merry Wiesner-Hanks argues that women’s and gender history over the last few decades has spent too much time on divergence, making more and more complex categories of difference over sexual orientation, marital status, able-bodiedness, gender relations, etc. However, I argue that it is necessary to study these differences in order to properly ascertain similarities and relations between the sexes. First and foremost we will discuss the biological and anatomical differences between the genders, then later human sex differentiation in a broader, more psychological and social construct. Historically, fixing sexual types became popular in the eighteenth century, according to Londa Schiebinger in â€Å"The anatomy of difference: race and sex in eighteenth-century science. † It was a great age of classification. Just as natural historians flooded Europe with new strange flora and fauna from the New World, new cultures were being discovered in America. Thus they sought new and simple principles that would hold universally, and tried to define the genders. This set the stage for genders to be divided in an evolutionary context. Judith Lipton and David Barash posit in â€Å"Gender Gap: The Biology of Male-Female Differences,† that biological differences between men and women have a strong and direct correlation with evolution. They argue that we can look to other species to learn more about ourselves. Just as scientists look at E. Coli to study the replication of DNA, we can look at other living creatures and see our sex differences mirrored there within. However, Katarina Hamberg challenges that argument. She thinks that using sex differences seen in biological experiments on animals to explain gender differences in humans is ridiculous. I agree with her that this is completely unscientific. Gender differences as well as gender itself varies greatly between species. In fact, in many species the female is bigger than the male. Furthermore, she is often stronger and will sometimes consume the male after sex in order to give strength to her developing babies, as with many arachnids and some insects. Therefore we can hardly compare studies on animals to human sex differences, though we can certainly look at the differences and ponder the implications. Hamberg also argues that throughout history, biological arguments have been used in order to legitimize a social gender order characterized by male supremacy. This is more problematic, for while men are physically stronger and bigger than women, they are certainly not more intelligent nor are they naturally more disposed to leadership. In fact, some studies have shown that women possess more of the skills necessary to lead well and do better academically. The male and female orgasms are an important biological distinction in a reproductive, evolutionary, and social context. In â€Å"Why Women Have Orgasms: An Evolutionary Analysis† by David Puts, Khytam Dawood and Lisa Welling, the evolutionary adaptation of the female orgasm and its purpose is discussed. There are two possible likely hypotheses; firstly the mate-choice hypothesis which holds that female orgasm has â€Å"evolved to function in mate selection† and secondly the byproduct hypothesis which asserts that the female orgasm in fact has no evolutionary purpose and rather exists because women and men share early ontogeny with men. They found the first hypothesis to be more likely, which seems the case to me as well. Another article â€Å"Women Who Prefer Longer Penises Are More Likely to Have Vaginal Orgasms (but Not Clitoral Orgasms)† discussed vaginal versus clitoral orgasms and the evolutionary implications. Their method was to have over three hundred women report in an online survey; however, people may not always be truthful in surveys, especially those discussing sensitive matters like sex, therein lies a possible problem with their study. They were able to find a positive association between likelihood of orgasm with a longer penis and vaginal orgasm frequency. Finally â€Å"Human Sperm Competition† discussed the concept of sperm competition, the competitive process between spermatozoa of two or more different males to fertilize an egg of a lone female. They were looking into the claim that sperm competition has an effect on mate selection in humans. This study also involved the use of a survey with approximately 400 men and women. The results of the survey showed that sperm competition was most likely not a huge factor in mate selection. On the other hand, perhaps this is something that evolved recently since nowadays there are many options for couples who have trouble conceiving such as adoption, artificial insemination, use of surrogates, etc. thus the ability to conceive a child naturally is not as important in mate selection now as it may have been earlier in human evolution. Contributing to sex differences such as these is different concentrations of steroids and hormones delivered to the fetus, which can have lasting effects throughout a person’s life. After looking at sex differentiation in a biological context, we must consider how and why females and males differ in behavior, psychology, genetics, and pathology? Certainly, it has long been posited that there is a divide in spatial abilities. Patricia Gilmartin and Jeffrey Patton assess this in â€Å"Comparing the Sexes on Spatial Abilities: Map-Use Skills. † They suggest that males are more proficient than females in many types of spatial tasks. Furthermore, they found these differences were greater in childhood, especially in relation to maps, geography, and navigation based tasks. Among college students, these differences in map-use and navigation were negligible. I would have liked to see them look into the concept of men preferring not to ask for directions or use a GPS to navigate – a long standing gender joke, but possibly true. Certainly this has proved true in my experience driving with my male family members and friends. However, I would posit that it varies culturally, for example in respect to Japanese people who don’t have this social construct of men not asking for directions. Another dimension on which genders vary is leadership. Cheryl de la Rey argues in â€Å"Gender, Women and Leadership† that the question is not only whether genders vary in leadership ability and skills, but whether they vary in leadership styles as well. These differences in leadership style, she posits, are not reducible to biological differences, nor can they be adequately explained by socialization and sex roles. Rather, it’s about how gendered behaviors become more dominant within organizational contexts that are masculinized. This leads to the hindrance of women’s access to leadership positions via discrimination and stereotyping. Part of the problem is that people need mentors to move up in the business world, but since most of the people in high ranking positions are men, and close relationships between men and women in the workplace may be frowned up, it can be hard for a woman to find a mentor. Sebastian Schuh notes that women are still underrepresented in leadership roles, but he has different ideas about why. He thinks it’s because women consistently report lower power motivation than men. While this may be a piece of the puzzle, I don’t think he addresses the full picture very well. In addition to differences in leadership, men and women vary on the axis of sexuality and attitudes towards sex. Jennifer Petersen and Janet Hyde’s meta-analysis on research of gender differences revealed that although men indicated somewhat more sexual experience and permissive attitudes, there were exceedingly minimal gender differences in sexual attitudes and behaviors. Furthermore, these differences decreased with age. However, I think he glosses over many of differences. There are subtleties to it that must be considered. In â€Å"The Orthodox View of Brain Sexual Differentiation† Marc Breedlove, Bradley Cooke, and Cynthia Jordan discuss how the standard view of sexual differentiation of the brain, which is chiefly resulting from work with mammals, oversimplifies a vastly complex process of mechanisms derived through natural selection. The spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB) plays an important role in all this with a complex system. It was interesting to see how social factors could take an effect and how plastic and ever-evolving this system could be. One thing is clear from this reading; this SNB system is more multifaceted than previously thought and may be changing well into adulthood. As far as gender differences in aggression, I was not surprised to learn that men are more likely to be engaged in violence than women. Both from personal experience and cultural norms, that seems to fit the model. However, it was interesting to learn that the primary reason for male aggression is mate competition. From a personal standpoint, I don’t find a violent man liable to get into fights more attractive. I’ve certainly seen the type more than once at a bar, or on the streets, and my first instinct is to remove myself from his company and immediate area. On the contrary, that would be a shortcoming. However, from an evolutionary perspective it makes more sense as to protection and fighting for territory. Though there has been much study on the history of sex, biological and anatomical sex differences and social, sexual, and psychological implications of gender differences, psychology of sexuality is a field that is ever-growing and expanding as studies become more daring and social constructs allow for more experimentation and study. Hopefully in the next century, we will see new research leading to greater understanding of gender and sex. References Ainsworth, S. E. , Maner, J. K. (2012). Sex begets violence: Mating motives, social dominance, and physical aggression in men. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 103(5), 819-829. Barash, D. P. , Lipton, J. E. (2002). Gender gap: the biology of male-female differences. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. Breedlove, M. , Cooke, B. M. , Jordan, C. L. (1999). The orthodox view of brain sexual differentiation. Brain, Behavior, and Evolution, 54, 8-14. Cook, H. 2007). Sexuality and Contraception in Modern England: Doing the History of Reproductive Sexuality. Journal of Social History, 40(4), 915-932. Costa, R. M. , Miller, G. F. , Brody, S. (2012). Women who prefer longer penises are more likely to have vaginal orgasms (but not clitoral orgasms): Implications for an evolutionary theory of vaginal orgasm. International Society for Sexual Medicine, 9, 3 079-3088. La Rey, C. D. (2005). Gender, women, and leadership. Agenda, 65, 4-11. Ehrmann, W. (1957). Some knowns and unknowns in research into human sex behavior. Marriage and Family Living, 1, 16-24. Epprecht, M. (2004). 1. Hungochani: The History of a Dissident Sexuality in Southern Africa (pp. 25-49). Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press. Gagnon, J. H. (1975). Sex research and social change. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 4(2), 111-141. Gilmartin, P. P. , ; Patton, J. C. (1984). Comparing the sexes on spatial abilities: map-use skills. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 74(4), 605-619. Hamberg, K. (2005). Biology, Gender and Behaviour. A Critical Discussion of the Biological Models used for Explaining Cognitive and Behavioural Gender Differences . Psychology of Gender Identity (pp. 127-144). Social Science: Nova Publishers. Harvey, K. (2002). The century of sex? Gender, bodies, and sexuality in the long eighteenth century. The Historical Journal, 45(4), 899-916. Petersen, J. L. , ; Hyde, J. S. (2010). A meta-analytic review of research on gender differences in sexuality. Psychological Bulletin, 136(1), 21-38. Puts, D. A. , Dawood, K. , ; Welling, L. L. (2012). Why women have orgasms: an evolutionary analysis. Arch Sex Behavior, 41, 1127-1143. Schiebinger, L. (1990). The anatomy of difference: race and sex in eighteenth-century science. Eighteenth-Century Studies, 23(4), 387-405. Schuh, S. (2013). Gender differences in leadership role occupancy : The mediating role of power motivation. Journal of Business Ethics, 112(517), 34-78. Simmons, L. W. , Firman, R. C. , Rhones, G. , ; Peters, M. (2004). Human sperm competition: testis size, sperm production and rates of extrapair copulations. Animal Behavior, 68, 297-302. Wiesner-Hanks, M. (2007). World history and the history of women, gender, and sexuality. Journal of World History, 18(1), 53-67. How to cite Psychology of Sexuality, Papers

Deaf Culture and Alcoholism Essay Example For Students

Deaf Culture and Alcoholism Essay Why is it so hard for the deaf to deal with admitting they are alcoholics or drug addicts which is an impediment for recovery? Why is it so hard for them to stay sober once they have achieved it for a few weeks or months?What do you think the main reasons are? Having worked with the deaf for over 30 years I will try to answer these questions and research other aspects of the deaf culture, their mode of communication and alcoholism.Although it may seem that communication is an aspect of every culture, two of the unique features are that there is not always a common language between parents and child, and there is no written form of the language. Thus, the deaf culture becomes unique, and through this uniqueness, they become isolated both from their peers and the hearing population. According to Marie Egert Rendon in her article, Deaf and Alcohol and Substance Abuse Substance abuse is a sensitive issue about which the deaf community does not yet feel comfortable talking. For many with in the community, it remains a moral issue; the denial of pathological drinking is very strong. (Rendon, 1992)Isolation is a well-known stressor and the denial of alcohol use in the family unit has long existed in the deaf community. The family structures and the cohesiveness of the family in their form of communications is a factor that must be considered. The deaf have had limited or strained access to their own cultural rights. They have been denied the right to their own language, their own community groups, and even have limited access to the majority culture because of communication barriers. Because of the sense of oppression, isolation has perpetuated the denial process. In addition, language, family, friendships, and services available to the deaf culture and native langua ge have many innuendoes. Since the deaf culture is built around the language that the deaf people use- American Sign Language (ASL)- the culture is rarely accessible to the hearing world, due to the difficulty of mastering ASL. (Rendon, 1992)Family communication includes several dimensions, among them the mode, content and structure of communication. Mode of communication is frequently raised in discussions about communication within families having a deaf member. Communication mode use refers to the use of speech, sign, or some other method of face- to-face communication. (Kluwin, 1990)Because of these barriers and other misunderstandings, alcohol and drug recovery treatment programs remain inaccessible. In addition to the recognition of communication difficulties, alcohol and drug service providers need to be acknowledgeable about deaf cultures, sensitive to the deaf issues, and aware of preferred methods of communication, including the use of interpreters, both in treatment programs and in recovery groups . (Luetke-Stahlman, 1994)One of the biggest problems is that the deaf do not have sobriety long enough to be of help to other deaf people. Although that is beginning to change most are still dependent on the hearing to a degree. As the years go on the length of sobriety continues to grow. The problem of alcohol and substance abuse in the deaf community is a reality. The culture of the deaf often provides a shelter and a barrier to recovery by encouraging isolation and denial. Little by little, information and education are bringing members of the deaf community into treatment programs and, thus, the cycle of repeated alcoholism can be broken. There are treatment programs that are specifically designed to serve the deaf, and there are programs that have some services for the deaf. However, this breaking down of the isolation and denial barriers requires continued efforts on behalf of a community already stretched to its limits. The deaf alcoholic or drug-addicted individual can achieve recovery only when advocacy promoting and achieving accessibility is the reality and not the rarity. When the deaf community openly admits that regardless of culture, race, or creed, alcoholism and drug abuse affects all cultures and that recovery is a right for everyone. It is not a sti gma, and it is definitely not a moral issue. This is a lesson we need to be aware of and be of service to the deaf population. There are many more AA groups in the greater Los Angeles area today than ever before. The deaf community is still somewhat untrusting of the hearing community even in the closeness of the Alcoholic Anonymous home groups. It has been my experience that the deaf meeting that have been held for the deaf only have not faired as well as the meeting with more sobriety and with a regular ASL interpreter. There are still not enough meetings as the hearing, but great improvements are being made. .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50 , .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50 .postImageUrl , .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50 , .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50:hover , .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50:visited , .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50:active { border:0!important; } .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50:active , .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50 .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud35c99c9239ea67b683f8b5a1aaf7f50:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: ENG 100 Pre-Lab #4 Operational Amplifiers as Buffe EssayBibliography:References:Rendon, M., (1992) Deaf Culture and Alcohol and Substance Abuse. Journal of Substance Abuse. Vol. 9, pp. 103-110 Kluwin, T., (1990) Communication in Fostering Cohesion in Families with the Deaf. Journal of American Annals of the Deaf. Vol. 139, No. 3 Luetke-Stahlman, B. (1994) Social Interactions with Regard to Students who are Deaf. Journal of the American Annals of the Deaf. Vol. 140, No. 3Duff, J., (1981) The Truth About Drugs. Los Angeles, California: Bridge Publications, Inc.

Where Is The Meaning Of Human Existence Located According To Sartre E

Where Is The Meaning Of Human Existence Located? According To Sartre Where is the meaning of human existence located? According to Sartre The word philosophy comes from Greek and literally means love of wisdom. Webster dictionary defines philosophy as a critical study of fundamental beliefs and the grounds for them. Both explanations of philosophy are correct and concrete, while where the meaning of human existence is located has no such concrete answer, but in this paper we will examine where Sartre believes it to be. Sartre's existentialism is a philosophy, which deals with man. It states that man is that which he makes of himself and that he has to make his own choices in a state of anguish. Man chooses in anguish, because he has no external guidelines to help him and must rely on his own morals and beliefs. Man chooses completely want he wants to do. His existence depends on this. And this is where I believe Sartre locates the meaning to mans' existence. According to Sartre mans' existence only takes on meaning through his actions. The Sartrian existentialist finds it extremely troubling that God does not exist because with Him vanishes all hope of finding values in an intelligible heaven. As Dostoevsky once said, If God did not exist, then everything would be permitted.(pg 22) Sartre claims this to be the existentialist starting point. This is the reason that Sartre talks about anguish, because one cannot find anything to depend upon either within or outside himself. It must necessarily follow that man is to be forlorn; he can't find anything to depend upon either internally or externally. He therefore lacks excuses. We cannot explain our actions in terms of or in reference to...given and specific human nature. (pg 23) This rules out of the possibility of predetermination. Man is free, man is freedom.(pg 23) For non-existentialists, passion and fate may be an excuse for their actions; but for existentialists, taking responsibility for one's choices is a central belief. Fate is overruled and passions hold no power. An existentialist will never view a great passion as a destructive agent, or blame fate for making a man commit certain actions. Again pointing to mans' existence being defined by his choices and actions. Since Sartre claims that existence precedes essence, an existentialist will also deny the support of an organized religion. As a result there is an absence of values. The existentialists' world is one of being forsaken and abandoned. In this sense, abandonment can mean that we ourselves decide our being. As an example we can consider the case of the man who was faced with a difficult decision the. The young man had two choices: To take care of his mother, or to go to England to join the freedom forces. The first option is a concrete and certain course of action. It is immediate, but directed to only one individual. The second choice of action is addressed to an infinitely greater cause, yet the outcome is rather uncertain. The Kantian ethic warns not to regard another person as a means, but rather as an end.(pg 25-26) In this case, for the young man to remain with his mother, he would be treating her as the end and the freedom fighters as the means. On the other hand, if he were to aid the freedom fighters, he would be treating them as the end at the risk of treating his mother as the means. This example shows how man cannot rely on values. Sartre in this case recommended to the young man to trust his instincts. Sartre's philosophy also deals with despair and the meaning of one's life. Marxists say, Your action is limited by your death; but you can rely upon the help of others. (pg 30) However, Sartre claims that he must confine himself to what he can see. Existentialists doubt that others will carry on their work after their death. An existentialist does not necessarily believe that the revolution will lead to the triumph of the working class. To carry this further, from the individual cases to the great collective movements, it is necessary for the masses to free themselves by once again going back to the idea that one must do

Was the Bill of Rights Necessary essays

Was the Bill of Rights Necessary essays In 1787, a group of men got together in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation under which the United States had been operating. When the Constitutional Convention decided to propose a federal government instead, they faced the enormous challenge of persuading the American people to accept the central government they had learned to distrust and fear. Many were hesitant to give up the Confederation that helped bring them through the American Revolution that brought them freedom from a great tyrant. Because of this, a great debate arouse between the federalists and the anti-federalists. The great question became, Is a bill of rights necessary? Without it, the United States constitution would have never lasted. Contrary to popular opinion, the United States Constitution does not give any rights to the people. As stated in the Declaration of Independence, a man's rights are given to him by his creator. The constitution merely exists to limit and restrain government powers. Publius states in Federalist 84, Here, in strictness, the people surrender nothing; and as they retain every thing they have no need of particular reservations. (Publius, 1787, 8). Federalists believed that the bill of rights was not needed to protect the peoples rights and that the constitution was a bill of rights in itself (Publius, 1787, 12). Why forbid someone to do something, if they have no power to do it in the first place? The federalists argument did not satisfy the American people. It was their experience and belief, that government was by nature corrupt, and could never be trusted to stay within the constraints of the constitution. If man were perfect, we would not need a government to protect our rights. In history, government has been found to abuse their power, and abridge the public liberty (Brutus, 1787, 5). For this reason, men have always worked to create ways to keep their fundamental rights from being en...

Principles of Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Principles of Management - Research Paper Example The employees stand to obtain a better insight into the functioning of the company, due to this initiative. Furthermore, employees obtain a better understanding of the lacunae in the performance of the company, which in turn could motivate them to seek methods for bettering the situation (Dossenbach 16). Subsequent to the evaluation of corporate performance, the employee’s achievement in realizing individual goals can be scrutinized. This task should be so conducted that the employees are made to review their individual objectives and achievements. At this juncture, the employees should be encouraged to provide suggestions for improving their deficient areas. As such, suggestions for change that emanate from the employee, will be adopted voluntarily, in addition to engendering a sense of well – being and accomplishment (Dossenbach 16). It is essential to realize that human resources management is critically dependent on the motivation of employees. The individual and collective motivation levels of employees have an overbearing and direct influence on the persistence, level and direction of their efforts. This circumstance finds substantial evidence in the fact that the best performers in the corporate sector enjoy a workforce that is highly motivated (Gilley, Gilley and Quatro 129). In fact, the functions of human resources management are based on a thorough comprehension of the theory of employee motivation. As such, any motivational theory is founded on a fundamental understanding of the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards on the motivation levels of employees (Gilley, Gilley and Quatro 129). Extrinsic rewards are basically motivational stimuli that are provided to employees as inducements for indulging in certain activities. Such rewards constitute valued consequences for completing a task in an exemplary manner. On the other hand, intrinsic

1. What is the purpose of the poem2. What does the poem mean and how Essay

1. What is the purpose of the poem2. What does the poem mean and how does it reveal that meaning3. Which is more important for the poem, form or content Why is this question a concern at all for the reader - Essay Example was simply based on making a description of a wreath being given to someone, who the author indicated as most familiar of his ways, as a token of appreciation and praise. Upon closer evaluation, one could establish that the one being referred to by the author, who is acknowledged as â€Å"Of praise deservà ¨d, unto Thee I give† (Herbert 2nd line) could possibly be God, the all omniscient and all knowing. Accordingly, one concludes that the purpose of the poem was to give honor and praise, possibly to God, who is all knowing and worthy of being glorified through the garland of flowers. The author seems to be expressing a problem in living his life. Through the verses: â€Å"My crooked winding ways, wherein I live,— Wherein I die, not live† (Herbert 4th and 5th lines) indicate a predicament faced by the author in disclosing that he exhibited living in crooked and winding ways; contrary to the general expectations of people to live in straight or supposedly righteous ways. This fact was again evaluated using the following lines: â€Å"for life is straight, Straight as a line, and ever tends to Thee† (Herbert 5th and 6th lines). Finally, one arrived at the conclusion that the author could be sending the message to God through the following verses: â€Å"Give me simplicity, that I may live, So live and like, that I may know Thy ways† (Herbert 9th and 10th lines) – for who else could have the power to enable one to provide a simpler life than the omnipotent God and who else is most mysterious that God that people who sometimes express the need to know more of His ways to understand Him better. The poem was effectively structured by using words that are repetitive to give emphasis to the message being relayed. As one would observe, the last words in the most of the lines in the poem are used as starting words for the next lines: In rhetorical analysis, this is called anadiplosis, which means â€Å"a rhetorical term for the repetition of the last word of one line or

Charlotte Haze

Charlotte Haze Literature is not solely a method of entertainment. It is also used to expand a readers mind by allowing them to enter a different world. To do so, a reader will often have to suspend their disbelief. It is very rare that one must question what he/she is reading. Vladimir Nabokovs Lolita is the confession of an erudite European intellectual with an obsessive desire for nymphets-girls between the ages of nine and fourteen who are, as he judges them, sexually aware. In Humbert Humberts confession, he admits to the years of molestation of a young girl referred to as Lolita (Dolores Haze). This confession is written by him while awaiting trial for a seemingly unrelated murder. At the end of the novel, Humbert states that the murder he committed was an act of love and he rationalizes not only his violence but his pedophilia. Although the confession seems free-flowing and a spur of the moment decision on the part of the narrator, how does Nabokov indicate that Humbert Humbert is an unrelia ble narrator through the use of literary devices and linguistic patterns in Lolita? Despite Humbert Humberts horrid crimes, his language and wordplay make for a more pleasant reading experience than one would expect. Through the use of characterization, diction, and comparison and contrast, Nabokov suggests that Humbert is unreliable and knowingly writes a tale that paints himself as a victim of circumstances. Characterization: As Humbert Humbert is the narrator of the novel, he characterizes the individuals in the story. No second opinions are presented; therefore the reader is given a one-dimensional interpretation of each character. There are clues in the novel that suggest Humberts descriptions are biased in his favour, including the rapid changes in the characters personalities and the tone in which they are described. Humberts descriptions of Charlotte Haze, in particular, change significantly as the story progresses. Charlotte, Lolitas mother and Humberts eventual wife in the novel, is a middle-class American housewife who aspires to be sophisticated and cultured. Her relationship with her daughter is strained as she focuses all her attention on accommodating her lodger Humbert Humbert, who finds her intolerable and simply wants access to Lolita (Dolores Haze). During the beginning of the novel and the beginning of their relationship, Humbert refers to Charlotte simply as the Haze woman. His disgust and aggravation is apparent even at the mention of her presence. When first describing Charlotte to the reader, Humbert states: I think I had better describe her right away, to get it over with. She was, obviously, one of those woman whose polished words may reflect a book clubbut never her soul; women who are completely devoid of humour (Nabokov 37). His dislike for Charlotte is made clear from the m oment she is introduced to the reader; however Humbert continues to point out her vulgarity and lack of sophistication. One night, while secretly fondling Lolita on the front porch, Humbert writes: [Lo] fidgeted a good deal so that finally her mother told her sharply to quit it and sent [her] doll flying into the dark (Nabokov 46). Charlottes behaviour seems over-the-top and disdainful. However, it is interesting that whenever Humbert has any inappropriate contact with Lolita, he follows quickly by writing of Charlottes contempt towards her daughter. After his contact with Lolita on the front porch, he quite sarcastically writes the following excerpt: [Lolita] had been spiteful, if you please, at the age of one, when she used to throw her toys out of her crib, so that her poor mother should keep picking them up, the villainous infant. Now, at twelve, she was a regular pest, said Haze. Her grades were poor. Of course, moodiness is a common concomitant of growing up, but Lolita exagerrate[d]. Sullen and evasive. Rude and defiant (Nabokov 46). Although expressing Charlottes frustration with her daughter, the speech is not a direct quote from Charlotte indicating that Humbert is paraphrasing what she has told him. This harsh-toned speech seems to be a convenient ploy on the part of the narrator to distract from the fact that he took advantage of a young girls trust for his own physical gratification. In fact, throughout the novel, Humberts abuse of Lolita is followed by negative dialogues from the other characters. Nabokov seems to suggest that Humberts confession is well thought-out and biased in his favour. It seems the narrator wants to justify his actions. After Lolita tags along to a shopping trip with him and Charlotte, Humbert quotes her mother as saying: It is intolerable that a child should be so ill-manneredwhen she knows she is unwanted (Nabokov 51). While they are driving, Humbert takes advantage of Lolitas proximity to hold, stroke, and squeeze [her] little paw all the way to the store (Nabokov 51). Humbert use s Charlottes contempt towards Lolita to justify his affection towards her. Although this physical contact is outwardly innocent, Humberts intentions are clearly pedophilic. It is by characterizing Charlotte as unmotherly and unkind that Humbert tries to gain the readers sympathy. He portrays himself as a father figure providing a mistreated girl with love. Before her death in the novel, Charlotte is portrayed as a brutal, unloving mother. However, after she is accidently killed, Humbert is free to parent Lolita. After he collects Lolita from the summer camp she was forced to attend, one notices the change in the tone he uses to address Charlotte. Lolita, since returning from camp, has remained troublesome and moody. After Humbert has consummated his relationship with the young girl, they engage on a long road trip including many pit stops and shopping trips. The teenage girl is not particularly enjoying their voyage and is understandably vulgar and upset. Humbert is quoted many times as saying: Charlotte, I begin to understand you! (Nabokov 149). Humbert narrates and characterizes other individuals in a way that will arouse sympathy for himself. Previously, when Humbert would engage in inappropriate contact with Lolita, he would deliberately point out her mothers unaffectionate nature to justify his touching her child. Now that Charlot te, the obstacle, has been overcome and Humbert regularly molests and abuses her daughter, he points out Lolitas insufferable qualities. He now understands Charlotte and points out that she was not as negative a person as she seemed. Humbert does this in order to paint himself as a tired father putting up with his difficult daughters every whim. Humberts descriptions of Lolita also change, removing the characters likeability as the story progresses. At the beginning of the novel, Lolita is described as closely resembling Annabel, Humberts childhood love. Humbert explains that he is instantly captivated by her beauty: When I passed her in my adult disguise, the vacuum of my soul managed to suck in every detail of her bright beauty (Nabokov 39). Although Lolita is a mediocre American child, vulgar and even less polished than her mother, Humbert seems to view the girl through rose-coloured glasses. To him, she is not vulgar, but charming, not aggressive, but misunderstood by her wretched mother. Although Humbert does not appreciate Lolitas idolization of American pop culture, nothing much else is said with regards to her intellect. Interesting to note is Lolitas minimal dialogue in this part of the novel. She does not say much, except for her frequent arguments with Charlotte. In these arguments, Lolita is not portrayed as a de licate child, but rather a strong-willed, aggressive girl. I think you stink and this is a free country are some of the arguments made to her mother during their verbal fights (Nabokov 46). During one particular fight, Humbert writes: Later, I heard a great banging of doors and other sounds coming from quaking caverns where the two rivals were having a ripping row (Nabokov 48). Writing this, Humbert indicates that Lolita is able to hold her own against her mother. She is not the type to be trampled over or forced to do anything. By including dialogues and descriptions such as these, Humbert suggests that Lolita is a strong child who gets what she wants. In addition to describing her bad-temper, the physical contact between Humbert and Lolita is always said to be instigated by the girl. Humbert narrates: Presently an old gray tennis ball bounced over [Charlotte], and Los voice came from the house haughtily: Pardonnez, Mother. I was not aiming at you. Of course not, my hot downy darling (Nabokov 55). What to an average person would seem like a playful act derived from boredom, Humbert tries to illustrate as an act of seduction. Humbert portrays Lolita as a willing participant in his games, as shown in the following excerpt: Humbert Humbert intercepted [her] apple. In a sham effort to retrieve it, [Lo] was all over me. Every movement she made, every shuffle and ripple, helped me to conceal and to improve the secret system of tactile correspondence between beast and beauty-between my gagged, bursting beast and the beauty of her dimpled body in its innocent cotton frock (Nabokov 58-59). Although Humbert sits there almost inert during thi s encounter, and although Lolita comes to him, he instigates the situation by innocently taking her fruit from her. After her stay at a summer camp, Lolitas sexuality has changed drastically as the reader learns she has had her first sexual encounter. In this part of the novel, through direct quotes, Lolita is characterized differently. She is very teasing of Humbert: I did not [miss you]. Fact Ive been revoltingly unfaithful to you, but it does not matter one bit, because youve stopped caring for me anywayyou havent kissed me yet, have you? (Nabokov 112). Humbert then narrates: Lolita positively flowed into my arms (Nabokov 113). This is the first serious encounter the two characters have: a kiss Humbert narrates as having been Lolitas idea. Although Humbert describes the confidence with which Lolita engages in this behaviour, he also reveals that it was but an innocent game on her part, an imitation of fake romance. Having already lost her virginity to a young man at camp, Lolita initiates sexual intercourse with Humbert during their stay at a hotel. However, more than a romantic partner, Nabokov illustrates Lolita as a young girl in search of affection of any kind. Charlotte, not fitting the maternal archetype whatsoever, was jealous of the relationship between Humbert and Lolita. Having not yet learned that her mother is dead, and believing Humbert and Charlotte are still married, Lolitas contact and conversation with Humbert resembles a bitter act of rebellion against her mother who forced her to attend camp (an experience she describes as dirty and naughty despite her cool demeanor). Having sex with Humbert seems like more of a game to Lolita as she does not understand the severity of her actions. However, it is a way of betraying her mother, just as Charlotte betrayed her by sending her to camp. When Humbert reveals in a most insensitive way that Charlotte is dead, Lolita is truly heartbrok en. Humbert writes: At the hotel, we had separate rooms, but in the middle of the night she came sobbing into mine, and we made it up very gently (Nabokov 142). The quotation suggests that the two engaged in sexual relations once again, and although Humbert does not specify why Lolita was crying, it was most certainly due to the death of her mother and not the mild argument she had with him. The statement illustrates a young girl with no one to turn to except for the adult who victimizes her. Having lost her mother, her only remaining parent, Lolita turns to Humbert-her technical father. He uses her need for affection to gain control of the situation for his own physical gratification. Despite frequent dialogues and descriptions in which Lolita is shown to be unhappy and vulnerable, Humbert adds his own biased interpretations of Lolitas behaviour. She is characterized as a manipulative, able girl. If she is not bought certain things, if she is not allowed to go to certain places, Lolita withholds sex from Humbert. This is an unfavourable depiction of the young girl as her body is the only power she possesses. She has no money, and without Humbert, she cannot survive. In order to put herself in a position of power and achieve some sort of reward for her suffering, Lolita uses her sexuality-something Humbert describes as cruel, manipulative promiscuity. Killing Clare Quilty, the man with whom Lolita runs away, Humbert describes as an act of love for having forced Lolita into poverty. His possessiveness in this part of the novel indicates that he is defending his honour rather than hers. Humbert writes his confession in order to convince the reader that though he is g uilty, he was controlled by a force greater than himself. Through his dynamic characterization of the other characters, Humbert inadvertently reveals he is only interested in telling the story from a viewpoint that will allow the reader to sympathize with him. Diction: In addition to character development in Lolita, diction is also suggestive of Humberts unreliable narration. Throughout the novel, the reader is entranced by Humberts fancy prose style. It is the language used that makes the grotesque themes in the novel bearable. However, many recurring words and linguistic patterns used by Humbert betray the persona he wants to create. Although Humbert wants his confession to seem unbiased and unplanned, the first paragraphs of the novel indicate that his confession is directed to a particular audience-[the] ladies and gentlemen of the jury (Nabokov 9). He, himself, titles his work Lolita, as it is essentially the story of the young girl. However, the foreword written by the fictional Dr. John Ray titles it The Confession of a White Widowed Male. It is interesting that it is always during the most grotesque scenes in the novel that Humbert directly acknowledges the presence of the reader. When pondering whether or not to kill Charlotte, Humbert directly engages the reader(s): And, folks, I just couldnt! In silence I turned shorewardand still I could not make myself drown the poor, slippery, big-bodied creature (Nabokov 87). At times during the confession, Humberts writing becomes almost self-reflective-it seems he gets lost in his past experiences. Nonetheless, in the moments where his morals come into question and where his behaviour becomes criminal, he speaks directly to the reader. Humbert almost acts as his own lawyer, and in an eloquent persuasive tone, tries to sway the reader in his favour. Humbert also uses wordplay to foreshadow Clare Quiltys involvement and significance to the story. In the beginning of the novel, Humbert reads a review. Clare Quiltys name appears, alongside others, and plays are listed including The Little Nymph and Fatherly Love. Humbert says that Lolita could have appeared in a play called The Murdered Playwright, alluding to playwright Clare Quiltys murder. Quiltys presence is always felt in Lolita even before his character is introduced. This leads the reader to believe that Humberts narrative is not free-flowing, but rather serves a direct purpose: to gain sympathy from the reader for the murder he committed. In addition to the change in audience, the connotation and tone of the words used change depending on the situation. Besides Humberts descriptions of nymphets, every other character and experience in his confession is described with cynicism and irritation. Nymphets are introduced as fantastical beings: Nine and fourteen [are] the boundaries-the mirrory beaches and rosy rocks-of an enchanted island haunted by those nymphetsand surrounded by a vast, misty sea (Nabokov 16). This description seems out-of-character for Humbert, who otherwise presents himself to be (within reason) rational. Humbert also states that not all girls in this age range are nymphets. It is the slightly feline outline of a cheekbone, the slenderness of a downy limb [which identify] the little deadly demon offantastic power (Nabokov 17). Humbert chooses to coin the term nymphet instead of using the accepted term of underage girl. By stating that he is not attracted to all young girls, Humbert tries to separate him self from regular pedophiles. The magical tone that surrounds these descriptions makes it seem as though Humbert is not in self-control and submits to the powers of these mystical demons who drive him to abnormality. It is interesting to note that Humbert is very scientific and technical in other parts of the book using jargon such as pederosis and pseudolibidoes. The two different methods of speaking represent Humberts ability to change according to circumstance. While trying to explain his helplessness in the presence of Lolita (and other nymphets), Humbert betrays himself through his word choice. Although eloquent, his possessiveness jumps off the page. Whenever speaking of Lolita, seemingly arbitrary descriptions include possessive pronouns. This is demonstrated numerous times in the novel: How smugly would I marvel that she was mine, mine, mine (Nabokov 161). Constantly referring to the girl as my child, my Lo, my pet, Nabokov italicizes the pronouns to place emphasis on Humberts possessiveness. Furthermore, it is interesting to look at the sentence structure. Whenever events take place involving other people, Humbert makes sure to unite Lolita and himself: Last night, we sat on the piazza, the Haze woman, Lolita and I. Even when writing, Humbert must remain close to Lolita, using punctuation to separate Charlotte from the two of them. Humbert tries to label Lolita as the seducer and instigator of their physical relationship: She played with and kept sticking to my lap (Nabokov 45). Descriptions of such scenes are never explicit, but when movements are described, they are always those of Lolita. Humbert leads the reader to believe he is just a pawn in Lolitas game. In another section of the story, he writes that [Lolita] struck Humbert, quite painfully (Nabokov 65). This is yet another example of Humbert purposefully showcasing Lolitas strength and willpower. Surprisingly, he refers to himself in the third person-something he does often when he bribes/seduces Lolita. It is unavoidable for Humbert to implicate himself in the novel, but when he narrates the more disturbing things he does, he never personalizes it, using Humbert instead of I or me. By doing so, Humbert defeats the purpose of a confession, not really acknowledging it was him who did anything wrong. Although Lolita is shown to sometimes be an hasty child, the words used to describe her when shes around Humbert always paint her as bold and aggressive. She is said to make Humbert nervous. When Lolita reproaches him for his lack of kissing skill, Humbert tells her to show [him] wight ray (Nabokov 120). It seems out-of-character for the eloquent Humbert to be so inarticulate. However, through the use of diction and punctuation, Nabokov suggests that Humbert does not directly quote characters in the novel. In one part of the novel, Humbert writes: Look, we need to go, said Lolitaor something along that line (Nabokov 76). Even though Lolita is clearly quoted, Humbert cannot be sure. This allows the reader to create distrust in Humbert, as he clearly changes dialogue. Many of the letters and conversations Humbert includes in the confession, he admits are paraphrased. Therefore, it is quite difficult to completely trust Humberts story as some of his bias has inevitably seeped through. Also interesting are the nicknames given by Humbert to other characters. Charlotte is also known as the Haze woman, cold big Haze and Lady Hum. Humbert reveals his own mercurial nature by changing the connotation of the nicknames depending on his mood. The fact that his opinions of other characters change so rapidly and so often indicate that Humbert is using them to better his image in the eyes of the reader. There are instances where Humbert seems disgusted with himself, describing his attraction to nymphets as a monstrous love(Nabokov 83). Immediately after he reproaches himself, Humbert goes on to support pedophilia: We are not sex fiends! We are unhappy, mild, dog-eyed gentlemen sufficiently well-integrated to control our urge in the presence of adults, but ready to give yearsof life for one chance to touch a nymphet. Emphatically, no killers are we (Nabokov 88). Humbert never apologizes for his behaviour, admitting it is only society that makes him feel deviant. Contrast Comparison: Nabokov uses contrast and comparison in Lolita to indicate Humbert Humberts biased narration. Humbert often defends his pedophilia-reprimanding societys hypocrisy. He compares his relationship with Lolita to many historical couples: American president Abraham Lincoln and his younger wife, Italian scholar Petrarch and 12 year-old Laureen, and poet Dante Alighieri and his 9 year-old companion. Humbert mentions these relationships as if to validate his relationship with Lolita. These men, whose women were often their muse, served great purpose to society. Humbert questions the confines the law puts on his people (pedophiles), as these men of great status improved the world while sharing his love of nymphets. It is important to note Humbert does not dwell on the age of these men or the time period they lived in (hundreds of years ago). In addition to this, Humbert makes a direct comparison between Annabel, his childhood love, and Lolita. Dolores Haze takes on multiple names: Lo, Lola, Dolly, Hot Little Haze, and Lolita. Humbert states that: in [his] arms, she was always Lolita (Nabokov 9). Later on in the novel, one discovers that Lolita is derived from combining Annabels name with the name Dolores. Annabel Lee and Dolores produce Lo-lee-ta. Although Humbert ridicules psychiatrists, he drops many clues (including this wordplay) that suggest that Annabels early death is the reason for his attraction to underage girls. A love taken from him during a fragile age leading to sickness-this image, he hopes, will arouse the readers sympathy. In the novel, Humberts love scenes with Annabel are somewhat explicit; they use many metaphors and symbols: I was ready to offer her everything, my heart, my throat, my entrails, I gave her to hold in her awkward fist the scepter of my passion (Nabokov 15). As he and Annabel are of the same age, Humbert can be more direct with the reader in these scenes. Conversely, Lolitas sexual scenes with Humbert are quick and do not describe any physical interaction. One assumes that Humbert does this to avoid arousing disgust in the reader. This indicates that Humbert formulates his story in a way that keeps the reader on his side. Throughout Lolita, comparisons are made between older women and girls Humbert deems to be nymphets. Older women, no matter their role in Humberts life, are always unattractive, cruel and unintelligent. Valeria, Humberts first wife, is described as fat, dumb and completely inept. Charlotte Haze is also fat, disgusting and irritating. Young girls are always painted as desirable. The most beautiful language is used to convince the reader of the power of these nymphets. They are seductive, physically-tone, and delicate (Nabokov 17). Humbert tries to illustrate older women as revolting, so the reader will be able to empathize with his lifestyle. Younger boys, however, are never described in the same light as young girls. They are dirty, repulsive, and dangerous. Any boy Lolita speaks to, any waiter who comes into contact with her is described negatively. Humbert portrays himself as Lolitas protector, unwilling to let her be tarnished by these lowly creatures. This is how he sees Clare Quilty. He is the man who kidnaps his daughter and then abandons her. Before Humbert discovers that Quilty is the man Lolita runs away with, Humbert sets out on a mission to trace the fugitiveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to destroy [his] brother (Nabokov 247). In the final scenes where Humbert and Quilty are fighting, Humbert narrates: I rolled over him. We rolled over me. They rolled over him. We rolled over us (Nabokov 299). This is the only time in the novel when Humbert (indirectly) acknowledges his mistakes. Referring to Quilty as his brother, Humbert illustrates that they are one in the same. They both helped in destroying a young girl. This is the only moment of remorse shown in the novel, as Humbert quickly reverts back to condemning Quilty. Conclusion: Although readers often expect the narrator of a novel to be completely truthful, it is important to question the reliability of the narrator. In Lolita, Nabokov indicates that narrator Humbert Humbert has his own personal agenda and tells the story in a very biased way through the use of characterization, diction, and comparison and contrast. Why then is this novel so compelling to read? Why does the reader insist on being lectured by the corrupt Humbert and feeding into his lies? Although the narrator is biased in his assertions, Nabokov makes sure to include several clues to help the reader discover Humberts deception. Lolita is not simply escape literature, as it requires the reader to actively think about the story being told. By placing trust in the reader and stimulating their intelligence, Nabokov has created one of the literary masterpieces of all time.

Novel Review of the Man in the Iron Mask Essay

Summary The man in the iron mask is the continuing story of those famous musketeers who were introduced to us in The Three Musketeers – Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and d’Artagnan. While it has been more than twenty years since their great deeds were performed, the four appear to be just as strong and brave as then. When Aramis visited the prison, he saw a man whose face is hidden behind an iron mask. The prisoner has been entombed for eight years, but he is not a criminal and he is yet to commit a crime. But Aramis knows the secret of the prisoner’s identity, a secret that is so dangerous that its revelation could fall the King of France from his throne! Aramis is plotting against the King and he didn’t even told his friends. The motto of the Musketeers has been â€Å"All for one, and one for all.† Has Aramis betrayed his friends? Will they each prevail or is this the end of the four musketeers? Social/ Historical Context The story takes place in the early 16th century in France. The Man in the Iron Mask was a name given to a prisoner arrested as Eustache Dauger in 1669 or 1670, and held in a number of jails, including the Bastille and the Fortress of Pignerol (today Pinerolo). He was held in the custody of the same jailer, for a period of 34 years. The possible identity of this man has been thoroughly discussed and has been the subject of many books, because no one ever saw his face, which was hidden by a mask of black velvet cloth. In the late 1840s, the writer Alexandre Dumas elaborated on the theme in the final instalment of his Three Musketeers. Writing Style The story is narrative. Some words are hard to understand. It is a historical fiction novel. The mysterious prisoner was the central of the story. My Thoughts I only give 4 ratings even though I love the story because I have this feeling while I’m reading the novel that I want more. I wasn’t satisfied, and I don’t know why. This novel is one of my favorite books now, even though I wasn’t super satisfied of the story. I love to read Alexandre Dumas novels. I really like his works especially ‘The Count of Monte Cristo† because of its fast-paced and action-packed plot. He wrote his novels well and it’s not boring. Dumas has a skill in creating complicated and interesting plots that will keep you biting your nails. And the most important thing is that you can get a moral lesson from his novel. I really love the characters in this story because their personalities didn’t change. I love the quotes written in the story. Their friendship in this story is so precious. They work together and help each other. I really like their motto â€Å"All for one, and one for all†.

Experiencing Cities Essay

The text â€Å"Experiencing Cities† by Mark Hutter deals with micro sociology and symbolic interaction theory. This means the way people experience the urban world in relationship to their everyday lives. This would include the interaction with others that would create meaning for them from the physical and human environment of the city. The exercise was to pick up certain aspects of micro sociology and use my life experiences as examples to show my understanding of this theory. The text uses perspectives from other social science disciplines in studying the city. Some of these included urban history, art, architectural history, urban geography and environmental psychology. Global urbanization is discussed in the last chapter, which to me helped me to understand where I am in the context of the world. I am a twenty-one year old, female student. I attend college full-time, work full-time and live with my parents in New York City. I am single and have no children and hope to obtain my degree in Social Sciences. First I would like to discuss symbolic interactionism and the self in society. Functionalism, conflict theory and evolutionism tend to be macrotheories that direct the sociologist toward large-scale phenomena, their relationships and changes in them. To use an example from my life would be the terrorist acts that happen on 911. This is a macrosocial phenomenon but at the micro level it affected me and my family, the family members of the victims and New York City. On the Macro level it affected the United States, and on a wider picture it also affected the globe. Symbolic interactionism, like exchange theory, is a micro orientation. It is a theoretical map that directs the sociologist in quests to understand how individuals interact in face to face relationships, relationships that are the foundation of social life. Unlike exchange theory, symbolic interactionism does not stress concepts of rewards and costs. Instead it is an emphasis on the human self, symbolic communications and interaction between persons based upon symbolic communication. The self is the process that is made up of the interaction of two self-aspects. These are â€Å"I† and â€Å"Me†. This is the knowing of self, the self asking and revising questions in the present or the â€Å"I†. Then there is the self-aspect composed of past experiences and conscious identity, the â€Å"Me†. The â€Å"I† is the self-aspect that exists in the present, which notes the world around it, that questions, that is impulsive, and that suggests my behavior. The â€Å"me† is based on past experience and is judgmental of my impulses. The â€Å"I† is my creative self; the â€Å"me† is my social self. For example I am basically a night person; I am working on this exercise at midnight. Being a night person I believe that the best way to be sure to have a good morning is to sleep through most of it. Because of this I have always tried to have my classes scheduled for afternoon or evenings, when possible. But last quarter I found to my horror, that due to a series of circumstances, I was forced to take a course that met on Monday’s at 8 a. m. This is a time of day I have rarely seen and when I have seen it, it was not because I was up very early, but because I was up very late. When the alarm clock rang at 6:15, the immediate impulsive action of my self arising in my â€Å"I† was to pull the plug on the alarm and go back to sleep. I would have done so, had not the â€Å"me† aspect of my self reminded me that would be a bad idea. As the socially aware, judgmental self-aspect, it reinforced me of the need to get up, shower, and eat so I could meet my responsibilities as a student and my goals. But I was still very tired and my â€Å"I† suggested that I sleep another half hour. My judgmental â€Å"me† aspect suggested twenty minutes more was the maximum time I could sleep if I was to meet my responsibilities. I proceeded to go back to sleep for twenty minutes and at 8:00 a. m. I went to my economics’ class ready to absorb the knowledge. Society is created by interactions between persons first with their selves that allow them to plan and coordinate their own behaviors. But social interaction first requires more than selves and it depends on symbolic communication through language. A verbal symbol is a sound which indicates some object. The spoken word say for example chair means something to sit on. People who are born in the same society learn more or less the same symbols. For example, I went to Ohio once to visit a friend I asked for a soda and was told that she didn’t have soda but she had Pepsi. That’s what I wanted, but in Ohio they ask for a pop. People born in the same society that pick up the same symbols helps conversations between persons in which joint plans are made and communicated. So the existence of the self and symbolic communication makes group interaction possible. Because I have self and can communicate symbolically I can form groups such as my family, my college and my religion. These are the foundation of social life. People will think of the world in terms of symbols that represent objects and these objects can be physical like chairs and books, social like teachers or sisters, and abstract such as truth, liberty, or evil. To understand cities and the development of cities I thought of looking at urbanization first. Urbanization refers to masses of people moving to cities and to these cities having a growing influence on society. Urbanization is worldwide. To understand the city’s attraction the first thing to consider is the pull of urban life. New York City offers an incredible variety of social events such as music ranging from rock to classic, architectural history, and cultural diversity. It also offers anonymity, which I find so much better than the scrutiny and restriction my friend had in her small town in Ohio. But probably the most important factor would be the opportunities in jobs. There are three types that life in cities by choice the cosmopolites, which I fall into, are students, intellectuals, professionals, artists, and entertainers. We are pulled to the city because of the conveniences and cultural beliefs. The single, another group I can associate with, are young unmarried people that are staying in the city because of the job and entertainment. Staying in the city reflects a stage in my life course, because after I marry and have children I have thought of moving to the suburbs. Then there are the ethnic villagers that are united by race-ethnicity and social class. These people live in tightly knit neighborhoods that resemble villages and small towns around New York City. Moving within a close circle of family and friends trying to isolate them from what they view as the harmful effects of city life. There are two groups that have little choice about where they live; they are the deprived and the trapped. Symbolic interactionism focuses on society as an outcome of persons with self-identities interacting with one another. An example of how symbolic interactionism can be applied to me by how I view myself as say; a drinker I have been taught about drinking through interaction with my friends. The learning requires interaction in a number of steps. This process is often accompanied by learning to explain away some unpleasant sensations caused by drinking in excess. Once drinking begins individuals will change their self-concept and thoughts of themselves as an occasional or to regular use of alcohol. So major changes made by alcohol were not caused by the alcohol but by learned changes in self identity. So in addition to other theories critical theory, phenomenology and ehtnomehtodology are also important to experiencing cities. Critical theory focuses on alienation and social contradictions and how they are overcome. Phenomenology focuses on how claims to knowledge about society are constructed. Ethnomethodology looks at how social actors make sense of their own actions and all of these are used to understand society.