Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Johns Hopkins University Essay Example

Johns Hopkins University Essay Example Johns Hopkins University Paper Johns Hopkins University Paper Even before the discovery of the patterns and syndromes of autism, there have been people already affected by this disorder and were first thought to be mentally retarded or insane. Then Dr. Leo Kanner of Johns Hopkins University, basing his discovery from the children he observed between 1938 and 1943, studied and recorded the patterns of the syndrome and incorporated the term autism. During the 1940’s children with autism were thought to be schizophrenic. Until further research, studies and discoveries were made in the following years. Now, there have been proven facts giving the people knowledge providing a better understanding of the disorder. Thus helping the parents and families cope with it. Medical studies have created tools to help in the development and improvement in the lives of the children suffering form autism.   (History of autism) Autism is a common disorder of childhood. Yet, it often remains unrecognized and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   undiagnosed until or after late preschool age because appropriate tools for routine   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   developmental screening and screening specifically for autism have not been   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   available. Early identification of children with autism and intensive, early intervention   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   during the toddler and preschool years improves outcome for most young children with autism.† (Abstract of Practice parameter: Screening and diagnosis of autism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Neurology 2000, 55: 468-79.) Autism is a complex disability which is caused by neurological disorder. It affects the normal functioning of the brain which impairs normal development in the areas of social interaction and communication. Usually appears in the first three years of life and is a lifelong disability. Sometimes referred to as ASD or autism spectrum disorder. Those suffering from Autism would show difficulty in verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction. (What is Autism?) The characteristics of autism differ from person to person but generally there would be difficulty with social communication, social interaction and social imagination. People with autism have difficulties with both verbal and non-verbal language.   They have the inability to understand. Some are unable to speak or may have a limited speech. They have difficulty recognizing or understanding other peoples emotions and feelings. There is also a love of routine. When they tend to do things on a fixed routine or repetitive behavior. They may also experience sensor sensitivity, which can affect one or more of the five senses, sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. And they can sometimes have special interest which may sometimes be unusual. Autism can also affect their learning abilities.   (Symptoms and diagnosis) According to the Autism Society of America, Autism is only one of the five Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD); a neurological disorder characterized by severe and pervasive impaired development or delayed development of communication and social skills. The five disorders categorized under Pervasive Developmental Disorder of PDD are, Autistic Disorder, Asperger Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD), Autistic Disorder, the most well known PDD, is a disorder also known as autism   is a neurological and developmental disorder   Ã‚  A child with autism appears to live in his/her own world, shows little interest in others, lacks   social awareness, and has a consistent routine, have problems in communication. Asperger syndrome is the type of PDD characterized by poor social interactions, obsessions, odd speech patterns, and other peculiar mannerisms. It is a high functioning form of autism in children who have high IQ’s. Children suffering from AS have obsessive routines and have unusually sensitive senses. They may also show signs of delays in motor skills, clumsiness, limited interest on things and people, inappropriate or minimal social interactions. Conversations almost always revolving around self rather than others, scripted, robotic, or repetitive speech, lack of common sense, problems with reading, math, or writing skills, obsession with complex topics such as patterns or music, average to above-average verbal cognitive abilities, average to below-average nonverbal cognitive abilities, awkward movements, odd behaviors or mannerisms.(Asperger Syndrome)

Friday, November 22, 2019

Answers to Questions About Plurals #2

Answers to Questions About Plurals #2 Answers to Questions About Plurals #2 Answers to Questions About Plurals #2 By Mark Nichol Here are DailyWritingTips.com readers’ queries about plural usage, and my responses. 1. I am working on a book about the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship, and the author has used MIL and DIL throughout to abbreviate. But the plural forms of those terms are mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, so what are the plural forms of the abbreviations? The author uses MILs and DILs, but that style incorrectly implies that the plural falls at the end of the compound noun (mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws.) Should the abbreviations be MsIL and DsIL? Mother-in-law and similar constructions include what’s called a postpositive adjective, in which an adjective follows the noun it modifies. (The second words in â€Å"attorney general† and â€Å"accounts payable† are also postpositive adjectives.) In abbreviations of such terms, ignore the position of the plural form, and attach the s at the end, or omit it altogether. For example, â€Å"attorneys general† is abbreviated AGs, not AsG, and â€Å"accounts payable† is abbreviated APs, not AsP. If you’re going to abbreviate mothers-in-law, MILs is the way to go. 2. Our team mascot is a wildcat, so I would expect people to use Wildcats when talking about the school teams in general. Is there a rule for singular or plural use when identifying a specific organization, as in â€Å"We are the Wildcats† or â€Å"This is the Wildcat football program†? Team mascot names should be treated as plurals except when, as in the case of Stanford University’s Cardinal (not Cardinals) ugh the name is singular: â€Å"The Wildcats are undefeated this season.† The program should also be referred to in the plural form: â€Å"This is the Wildcats football program†; the only instance in which the singular form is used is when referring to an individual player, as in â€Å"John Smith was a Wildcat when the team won the state championship.† 3. When someone says, â€Å"He only answers with yesses and nos,† is that the correct way to spell the responses? Also, do I need to put each word in quotations? I could revise to â€Å"He only answers with yes or no,† but what if I have to record the statement verbatim? Write, â€Å"He only answers with yeses and nos† no internal quotation marks. (Technically, only should follow answers, but this is a transcription.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings)Taser or Tazer? Tazing or Tasering?How to Style Titles of Print and Online Publications

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Communication and Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Communication and Media - Essay Example Wherever we look the availability of information bombards us with the need to accumulate. In a time where we are no longer bounded by only three forms of media, namely, television, radio and print, it would seem not viable to remain ignorant. It is clichà ©d to say that the world is now at our fingerprints but it is a clichà © because it is a reality that we experience regularly. The availability of information contributes to the power and the idea that knowledge is a commodity that can and should be availed of. When we look at how information is a product, we only need to look at the interaction between the people and the business of communication. Knowledge moves people and the possession of it can mean a difference between success and failure. The history of the marketability of news as a commodity has developed from mass communication’s evolution as a veritable business. The increase in the number of published magazines, journals, newspapers, books and other print materials is a manifestation of this. Radio stations have crossed over the airwaves to the cyber world and television now has a plethora of channels to choose from that can be grouped a number of ways. Society today depends highly on information to keep it on track for people to do daily activities from work to other aspects of everyday living. We base our decisions on facts and assumptions but mostly based on experience in reference to how we execute our work but in daily life it is our reliance on the media that is the basis of conformity in our decisions accordingly. From the current news to the facts, these are the things that we keep aware of for valid reason (Ravuso, par.4). The question of how we value information is one that remains vague but comprehensible. Peter Drucker notes that the cost of an automobile can be broken down between 25% for labor and 40% for material compared to 10% labor cost, 1% material and 70% information for a silicone chip. This ratio is an

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Experimental economics, history of trust game Essay

Experimental economics, history of trust game - Essay Example This is why there is sometimes a collusive tendency in an oligopoly. There are four distinct models of it, namely, the kinked demand curve, cost-plus pricing, the price leadership and collusive pricing (McConnell and Stanley, p.224). The first experiment conducted relative to the Ultimatum Game was by German economists Guth, Schmittberger and Schwarze or collectively known as GSS in 1982. What they dis was to divide 42 students where one is Player 1 or the allocator and the other is Player 2 or the recipient. Each Player 1 is asked to allocate however much of the German marks to Player 2. The core of the experiment is simple, if the allocator does not give the recipient anything then they both receive nothing, after a week they were asked to return. This is the basic principle of a simple Ultimatum Game. They found that it is much easier to interpret the bahavior of the recipients. A low offer is viewed as an offshoot of a sacrifice rather than accepting the low amount. The following week, the offer of the allocators became much less while there are two motives in the offer of allocators. The first motive is simple fairness and the other is anxiety over rejection because they may see that an unfair amount may be rejected. It may be either of these reasons or both that ise moving factor for their offer (Thaler, p.196-197). Berg, Dickhaut and McCabe performed an experiment to determine trust behavior among comsumers in a controlled environment. The basis of their study is anonymity. In the presence of which, consumer behavior is reverted to nonexistent as there is no knowledge or relation between buyer and seller at first meeting. This is presupposed by Arrow’s suggestion that â€Å"transaction costs trust is ubiquitous to almost every economic transaction† (p.123). Moved by questions of factors affecting trust in economic behavior, the experiment sets out to eliminate preconceived notions and subject the participants into a trust game. The experime nt guaranteed complete anonymity and the participants only get to invest once, thereby, they controlled the setting and â€Å"eliminate(d) mechanisms which could sustain investment without trust; these mechanisms include reputations from repeat interactions, contractual precommitments, and potential punishment threats† (idem). The experiment found that there exists reciprocity and that decisions of the subjects depend upon their interpretation of each room’s behavior. If it depends upon mutual benefit, then the there is a higher likelihood to reciprocate in that scenario and it is conjunctured with trust. Social history was found to be a determining factor in this analysis. This factor inclines the person toward trusting the other. To further eliminate this fator, those who are recruited were not a part of any previous sessions and they were provided a summary a no history background affects the results (p. 124). The participants were given $10 to invest at various sta ges throughout the experiment. The experimenters expected that they will realize sending money in the first stage is risky as there is no concrete evidence of reciprocity. In stage two, it was predicted that they will release money and third where money triples, it is the ideal stage that they will send their money. As a result, they concluded that primitives trust and reciprocity are the moving facors in decision-making among the investors. â€Å"By inventing property rights and allowing social history, society stimulates norms of

Sunday, November 17, 2019

History based on the life of the original Macbeth Essay Example for Free

History based on the life of the original Macbeth Essay Eleventh century Scotland was a violent and troubled country. Family and supposedly loyal friends rebelled against one another for trading and territory purposes. The threats of an enemy invasion or an attack on fortresses were extremely common. Rampant Vikings and local Scottish men raided constantly to weaken and more importantly drive out the stubborn opposing forces that lay in their way. Macbeth was born into this dangerous environment in 1005, son of the victorious family that stamped its authority on Moray and Ross [significant areas in Scotland]. The family itself betrayed themselves as being loving and caring to one another, however, internally they were scarred mentally, as a consequence of their fathers death who was evidently murdered by his cousins. Macbeth obviously emotionally distracted by his fathers death, concentrated his thoughts on leading a comparatively normal life, supported by Brauch his new partner [granddaughter to a High King of Scotland]. Subsequently they had no children of their own. The present ruler of Scotland was Duncan, an ineffectual and seemingly unpopular person amidst the civil problems. Not surprisingly someone assassinated him at the age of thirty-eight. Historians believe that it may have actually been Macbeth, but there is no conclusive evidence to confirm their theories. Macbeth seized this unique opportunity, and was elected High King of Scotland in 1040; he ruled for seventeen years. As predecessor of the reviled Duncan, his first priority during his initial ten years in power, was to bring peace and relative stability to his problematic kingdom, notably he was fairly successful at doing-so; he became a reforming King accordingly. He managed to balance out and annihilate the majority of the negative feelings amongst the population. Unfortunately for him, his greatest and most fatal hurdle materialized in the form Duncans son Malcolm, who was absolutely determined to take control of Scotland. He ingeniously invaded the region in 1054, aided by the English King Edward the Confessor. Macbeth himself was brutally exterminated on the 15th of August 1057 at Peel Ring Lumphanan in Mar. He was buried at Iona, respectively; the sacred burial place of the Kings of Scotland. Was this epic period of Scottish History the basis for Shakespeare Macbeth? Shakespeare was a talented playwright, not a historian. However, the past provides an excellent source for basing a flourishing play. It is exciting factual material with which [if one is intellectually sound], can modify and adapt to conjure up maximum dramatic effect and a truly brilliant and entertaining stage production. Historical evidence bestows writers with a fruitful background; an imaginative base on which one can construct a sophisticated plot that entices the audiences mind, body and soul. For Shakespeare this would have been incredibly difficult to originate, hence the gathering below the rostrum; that were either damn right rude or absolutely sloshed. Indeed, it is true to say that some of his dramas were not as appreciated or dominant, fortunately Macbeth proved different, and would be a prevailing theatrical production for hundreds of years. Shakespeare was an independent character, one who thrived on his own personal achievement, and one who was not afraid to alter and develop certain features regarding a story to accomplish ultimate dramatic effect. The epicentre of Macbeth pivoted around the eleventh century ancestors; he obviously acknowledged the great potential in these characters. He evidently thought it necessary to convert, invent and abolish particular characteristics surrounding the events of eleventh century Scotland. He established Lady Macbeths sleepwalking and death, the banquet scene and Banquos ghost, and most of the cauldron scene. With a little imagination and adaptation he reversed King Duncans nasty personality into a loved and greatly appreciated role model. He also eliminated Macbeths ten years of good rule to make the scenario and atmosphere more effective; everything he purposely altered was in the interest of the play. Interestingly, King James I was in power, when Shakespeare first presented Macbeth in 1603. I personally find this rather intriguing, because the actual storyline consists of many of King Jamess personal comforts and interests. It is obvious that King James was a superior influence on the outcome of the play; he helps to conjure up some fruitful inspiration for Shakespeare; this, and the colourful Scottish pass times, provides a feast of information and ideas for Shakespeare to weave his magic upon. He gratefully accepted this priceless gift, and transformed it into one of the greatest tragedies this world has literally ever experienced. What message is Shakespeare trying to get across? I feel it important for one and me to understand that the play is meaningfully founded on the corruption of power. Although the supernatural, fascinating individuals and mysterious undertakings create a unique atmosphere to the play, the nucleus consists off events that revolve around the abuse of power. It is true to say that this is present and happening in our modern society, take Hitler for example. He was a dictator who possessed a lethal amount of power, he used it to brainwash people, so that he could do what he wanted. He started by wiping out an entire race, known as the Jews; he and his fixation to be in control was a major factor in triggering the Second World War. A comparison can be made between him and Macbeth, both of which abused their authority. Shakespeare is trying to get this eminent message across to his viewers. Witchcraft and Murderous Schemes. If one is familiar with the tragedy, one will know that Shakespeare wrote and directed it, at a time in which murders and witchcraft were everyday issues. In fact, the majority of the general public seriously believed and feared the paranormal universe, so much so, individuals who were thought to be actual witches were tried, tested and eventually killed. During this time, witch mania reached terrifying proportions; hundreds of innocent people [usually women] were condemned to immediate execution, without an adequate assessment. As anticipated, a small minority were against this mass persecution, but they and their justifiable opinions were suffocated without due consideration by the bulk of the general public. Essay Targets. Macbeth has complicated plots that comprise of numerous acts and scenes. I am attempting to devise an essay focusing on three specific scenes. The essay is to be written in a directors point of view as if I was to direct these three selected scenes: Act I, Scene 3. Act I, Scene 5. Act 5, Scene 5. I feel that these three scenes collectively describe the basic tale and downfall of Macbeth himself. Act I, Scene 3 meets the witches, which influences his decision to kill the king. Act I, Scene 5 Lady Macbeth plots to kill Duncan herself and confides her thoughts in Macbeth. Act 5, Scene 5 As a consequence of his murders, everything has come back to haunt him. He is about to be attacked by the English army, and inevitably faces the decisive punishment for his sins Death!!! I deem each scene to be off substantial importance, all independently help to develop and illustrate the overall narrative too. Unquestionably, each one has to be directed appropriately, to attain the audiences concentration, and to merely get them philosophizing about the story. An enthralling location is also absolutely necessary, the audience needs to be encapsulated by the setting and circumstances. The following essay denotes each scene autonomously, and expresses my feelings and points of view on how I should direct and conduct all three scenes to achieve a stunning atmosphere to mesmerize and amaze the spectators. My main objective is to manipulate selected characters and transform their personality and temperament to improve the play and exaggerate the horror theme. The fact that Shakespeare himself, left no stage directions leaves the doorway open for any willing direct to interpret the actual play, as he/she wants. Over the centuries, several producers have devised their own technique and developed the plot to create their own translation of the enigmatic ventures of the Scottish hierarchy. I have committed my play and essay to a film production. I have chosen to adopt this particular method, because I feel that it would fit perfectly into a modern day movie, which has the funds and technology to support graphic and suitable special effects. I have observed a modern day interpretation of the play; it was staged on a rough Birmingham estate. For some bizarre reason though, the actors referred to the direct text, but conveyed them in a Brummie accent; this was literally diabolical. It simply did not complement Shakespeares erratic language, the pronunciation was awful- quite positively negative. I on the other hand deem it more appropriate to compose the epic tale of Macbeths downfall in its indigenous and traditional generation. Directors point of view for Act I, Scene 3. Summary of scene: Macbeth and Banquo meet the witches, Macbeth is returning from the battle with his gallant companion and hearty Scottish nobleman, Banquo. Their journey back to the Kings camp takes them over a deserted heath. Here, the witches lie in wait for them, talking as they generally do about an evil spell they have cast upon one unfortunate person. The mist clears Macbeth and Banquo unexpectedly see the witches. They demand that these creatures: so witherd and so wild in their attire, explain who they are. When the witches speak, they greet Macbeth as Thane of Cawdor and predict that hell become king. To Banquo they foretell Your heirs will be kings, although you will not, they then disappear, before a bewildered and perplexed Macbeth can inquire about their prophecies. I feel it compulsory to point out that this scene is the penultimate in the opening trio, therefore a lot of planning and thought has gone into directing it, hence the fact its considerably longer than the other two scenes. Uncharacteristically, I have chosen to direct the third scene instead of the first. Respectively both are of great significance to the outcome of the play, but the third introduces the witches, their first apparition, Macbeth and Banquo. Like the opening scene, this one needs to be just as effective to conquer the audiences awareness. In this scene the witches encourage Macbeth to believe that he is invulnerable and indestructible. The intereference of the witches influence Macbeths actions; he immediately considers to commit regicide against King Duncan If good, why do I yield to that suggestion/ Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair/ And make my seated heart knock at my ribs/ Against the use of nature? These four sentences help to describe Macbeths feelings, he is basically thinking about the proposed murder, he does this by making references to certain features on his body. For example, your heart pounds when youre excited or nervous. Macbeth having possession of all the confidence in the world as a consequence of the witches predictions and the recent victory in the exasperating battle fears no one. I find it hard to appreciate the reliance and dependence confined in the witches and their prophecies by Macbeth; after all they are absolute strangers. This is why Ive chosen to portray the witches as attractive housewives, hopefully this will make the scene more believable, because men are easily dominated and controlled by beautiful, seductive mistresses. This needs to apprehend the audiences interest, so that they can acknowledge the circumstances and understand whats actually happening. I will set the play on a desolate, open stretch of countryside. It will be nighttime with a low and eerie fog making visibility poor. This will intensify the atmosphere, because the audience will instinctively be weary of the surroundings and the mysterious environment. The witches, Macbeth and Banquo are all dominant and important characters, thus meaning they need to be familiarized and introduced, so the audience recognizes who they are later on in the film. The scene will get underway with Macbeth and Banquo strolling over the motionless fields, discussing the eventful battle, although you will not be able to hear them, because only a sinister genre of music will be heard. They are going to be dressed in war-like clothes; therefore the audience will directly associate them with a battle of some description. In the near distance a lonely farm building will stand [the audience obviously noticing this, should already be imagining whats in it and are Macbeth and Banquo going to go there]? The interior of the barn will be exceptionally gloomy, but in the far corner three ugly hags are going to be highlighted by specifically positioned lightning. The witches are severely deformed, to leave the audience feeling astonished and expectantly physically sick! The witches will speak in macabre tone of voice, whilst speaking to one another. Their wicked conversations will consist off evil material e.g. Killing swine/ and like a rat without a tail/ Here I have a pilots thumb, wrecked as homeward he did come. The presence of the witches and their repulsive words is a created stimulus that makes the play a great deal more engaging, therefore the overall production benefits and improves considerably. Their physical appearance and cursed lines keep the audience hooked, simultaneously the supernatural element increases the suspense with every scary sound and disgusting illustration produced or described by the witches. Macbeth and Banquo feeling exhausted from their tiresome day will seek deserved refuge beneath the suspicious looking dwelling. The tension and suspense will certainly be enhanced amongst the audience obviously fearing the couplets safety as they cautiously enter. However, they will be treated to a pleasant surprise, this is due to the sexy figures gathered in the corner of the room. Using contemporary technology and realistic special effects, the hideous threesome will magically be converted into gorgeous bitches! The transformed witches disguised as randy and bored housewives will [without doubt], outstand and arouse the audience together with Macbeth and Banquo. This is known as dramatic irony, when the watchers know something that the characters dont. The witches dressed in a low, red cut top [showing an outrageous amount of cleavage] will immediately greet the dazed Macbeth and Banquo with verses of factual information and weird prophecies. The amorous ladies will speak in a confident, persuasive, but somewhat devious tone of voice, thus causing the men in the room to absorb these queer predictions. The audience would accept the witches original nature and accept the fact that beautiful seductive women are able to force gullible/intelligent men to believe in them and their words. Obviously, Macbeth and Banquo will be confused and amazed, but in some sense enthusiastic about the apparition. As they attempt to verbally challenge the witches, the room will suddenly become silenced, with them both pondering their recent experience, the atmosphere again changes though, as Ross and Angus storm into the equation. Ross and Angus stunned to find their chums under these certain circumstances try to regurgitate the report sent by the king. Gradually, as Ross explains the situation to Macbeth and Banquo [regarding the former Thane of Cawdor and him being sentenced to death for treason against the king], the witches prophecy is beginning to unfold. Therefore Macbeth needs to act in an astounded manner, altering his body language and facial expressions accordingly best shows this. Macbeth has chosen to renovate his character, and so he keeps his feelings and thoughts to himself. This is aptly shown as he speaks to the audience alone [aside]. His soliloquy refers to and describes his ambition. The prophecy that was revealed by the witches brings a broad temptation to Macbeth that had been his secret all along for being a king, for example: My thought, whose murder yet is but fanastical. This purely indicates Macbeths great ambition, he is already thinking about killing Duncan. If the audience is reasonably clever, they will detect this too. Another distinctive line is Nothing is, but what is not. He is referring to the recent events, commenting on the sensational proceedings. During this scene the plot is potentially discovered, it helps to entangle and trigger off the storyline. Although the words are enormously imperative, the characters and their actions are equally significant, in conjunction with one another, the audience understand whats going on. The scene will end with Macbeth and Banquo standing side by side, contemplating their prosperous future. The camera will zoom in on Macbeth and his cunning visions of murdering Duncan. Unlike Banquo, who is triumphantly imaging his sons being crowned, with him in the background looking on proudly, crying sweet tears of joy? Directors point of view for Act I, Scene 5. Brief summary of scene: In this scene Lady Macbeth plans a murder. She lives at home in there castle at Inverness. Lady Macbeth has received a letter from her husband; in it he tells her about the witches prophecies. She is interrupted as a messenger arrives telling her of the kings visit. She realises that this is the golden opportunity to kill Duncan, the king. Her treacherous thoughts are kept to herself, unlike Macbeth who suppresses them. She makes her mind up that the murder must be committed that night. When Macbeth arrives at the castle ahead of the king, she exclaims convincingly that she has arranged everything. Lady Macbeth is the second most dominant influence on Macbeth. As soon as Lady Macbeth learns of the words spoken by the weird sisters, she instantaneously analyses Macbeths future i.e. if Duncan were killed, Macbeth and her could acquire Scotland. She vigorously studies the letter and assesses the situation, considering the best and most suitable option to chose, in order to bring her eagerly awaited success. If I were to direct this scene, I would set it in Lady Macbeths chamber; this is because bedrooms tend to be a solemn place of privacy and security. The bedroom is to be very grand and ornate, with elaborate walls, preferably in a blood-red colour, this is to emphasis the theme of blood that runs throughout the play. Lady Macbeth dressed in her sexy, soft; silky nighttime gown will try to interpret the epistle relaxing on her mahogany four poster bed. Under a quiet, pleasant piece of music, Lady Macbeths voice is to be sounded above the music, reading out the letter to herself, she will also over exaggerate particular words and phrases, which depict Macbeths thoughts. Whilst peacefully examining the letter, succeeding in comprehending it, she will act in a attentive fashion. As the production is a film, I have decided to include visual images of Lady Macbeths perceptions of the letter. When reading it, there will be metaphors of Lady Macbeth conjuring up pictures of her and Macbeth sitting gloriously on the throne, with hundreds of spectators gathered below, robustly singing their praises. To accompany this ceremony, a victorious composition will engulf it, however, these false celebrations will be disrupted as she resumes normality awoken by an attendant. Things could just not get any better for Lady Macbeth; the attendant brings delightful news concerning Macbeths and Duncans arrival. The supernatural is again underlined and called upon, this time by Lady Macbeth. She forms an imaginary conversation with the evil spirits, asking them to assist her murderous plans: Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here. When the conversation commences, Lady Macbeth is going to gaze up at the ceiling and perform actions with her hands where appropriate e.g. Come to my womans breasts she will be clenching her bosoms as she speaks. Again, faded scenes of wicked witches will corrupt her mind, these will then turn into vivid images of her viciously stabbing Duncan to death with a decorative candlestick, as he sleeps. You will then he totally horrified by her face speckled with distinctive spots of blood. Another will then immediately follow this bloodcurdling incident; her menacing eyes will stare at you, threatening you, frightening you!!! With an ounce of luck, the audience will be completely petrified, thus achieving maximum dramatic effect. Over pictures of gruesome violence, a terrorizing sample of music will be heard. During Lady Macbeths deceitful outburst, many references to blood, light and dark and hell are made e.g. Come thick night, and pull these in the durnest smoke of HELL. All of these factors exaggerate the horror theme and atmosphere. Macbeth then enters the bedroom, instantly Lady Macbeth [being the scheming bovine she is], craftily asks her partner [when he claims that Duncan is coming] and when goes hence? In other words when is he going, so I know when to conduct his brutal surcease? Being a woman in all, she is able to change nature and personality whenever she feels it obligatory to fool or persuade Macbeth. Subsequently, she goes on, to subtly describe about disguise: To beguile the time, look like the time/ look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent undert. She is relating these lines to the killing of Duncan, in such away that the audience and Macbeth cannot really appreciate or indeed realize. I would instruct Lady Macbeth to deliver these disloyal words in a convincing way, almost as if shes reassuring Macbeth about the murder. Macbeth does actually distinguish Lady Macbeths words, but he fails to comment on them, instead he ignores her, and demands to talk at a later date. By this time, the murder is already almost complete. Directors point of view for Act 5, Scene 5. Brief summary of scene: Macbeth prepares for battle, is busy setting up defenses all around Dunsinane Castle. Most of his noblemen and soldiers have rebelled and joined the other side, but he is certain he cannot be beaten or not until Birnam Forest comes to Dunsinane [as a consequence of the witches new appairitions]. What he does not know is that his enemies have agreed to meet at Birnam Wood. When the soldiers gather there, each one is given the branch of a tree to camouflage them as they move forward to launch an attack. As he is organizing for the battle, he thinks how meaningless life is. Just then, a messenger announces that Birnam wood appears to move. After the initial murder of Duncan, Macbeth persists in his violent actions and continues to kill more, in an attempt to become ruler of everyone and everything north of the border. Once the first the killing took place, the ball started rolling and unfortunately did not stop, that is up till now. Macbeth is facing unavoidable death, the ultimate punishment for his many sins; his castle at Dunsinane is surrounded with him at the epicentre amongst the entire calamity, but yet he still have faith in the witches predictions, and why not? The witches prophecies and apparitions have so far proved correct, significantly, the prediction concerning Macbeths mortality: No man on earth shall harm him, is about to prove incorrect. However, the arrogant Macbeth seriously supposes himself imperishable, consequently fearing no one. He is undisputedly emotionless this is shown in line 9: I have almost forgot the taste of fears, clearly his mental state is severely befuddled, his aspiration has got him where he is and under these particular state of affairs, he cannot turn back the clock, he simply has to face the penalty of his slaughterous actions. Remarkably, he does not sense any guilt either; instead he concentrates his efforts on the seemingly impossible encounter ahead. Even when is once loved wife dies, he fails to physically react, he simply gathers his thoughts and feelings and distributes them into a touching paragraph; yes, even the audience cannot help to feel for the desolate Macbeth. He once walked upon lifeless stretches of open countryside accompanied by his dearest friend Banquo, now he is the dirt on which his predecessors and countless enemies tread. This scene resembles Macbeths uncomfortable position, and his feelings; it needs to be incredibly effective to achieve the right atmosphere and tension. A more suitable location could not have been selected; the castle at Dunsinane is the perfect setting under such awkward circumstances. With the castle encircled and the defeated, lonesome, loathed figure stranded at the centre, the scene is an awesome opportunity for a willing director like myself to challenge. The scene will commence with an aerial view of the castle and the environment engulfing it, the audience will now understand Macbeths situation. Thousands of infantry will be advancing towards the castle under the natural camouflage off tree branches, a strong drum beat intentionally heard by the audience, will encourage the soldiers to move forwards. Meanwhile, Macbeth seeking what he considers to be relative safety in the castle will burst onto the scene in an aggressive manner. A room sited at the top of the castle [overlooking their boundaries], will suddenly be animated as the door flies open with a terrific thud, followed by a apprehensive Macbeth, Seyton and three rather nervously looking soldiers. A window foreseeing the countryside ahead and the moving woodland will be an important feature in the room, this is because Macbeth will stand in front of it [with his back against the opening], facing the anxious congregation organized below. Macbeth dressed in his gleaming armour tries to rally his troops by expressing valiant words of defiance: Our castles strength will laugh a siege to scorn; here let them lie till famine and the ague eat them up. This successfully illustrates his current state of mind, he is positive and thinks that he and their stronghold will hold out against the enemy, the audience should sense this by li stening to the tone in which he conveys his words; he will do so in a self-assured and powerful manner. During his defiant speech, a high-pitched squeal will be heard, immediately the audience and Macbeth will demand to know what it actually was. Seyton acknowledges that it was a cry of women. Macbeth reflects in a sorry tone, his emotions; the way in which he delivers these might effect the audiences opinion of him. The audience realizes that he was once a good fellow, who fought bravely and cared for ones close, they should almost feel a bit of sympathy towards him, but then they compare him to the coward he has become, one who deserves everything coming his way [that is in the form of an entire army, seeking revenge for the futile murders he has committed]. Seyton informs Macbeth that it was his wife Lady Macbeth. Once more Macbeth expresses his thoughts on the matter, almost as if he is looking back and regretting his actions. The audience will be able to identify the real Macbeth again, as he comments upon ones life, comparing it to Lady Macbeths and his. The atmosphere at this point will be depressive, due to Macbeths sorrowful words. However, the mood will revolutionize on the arrival of a messenger bringing shocking, but inevitable news. I will instruct the messenger to act in a stunned manner; he will also find it increasingly more difficult to tell Macbeth of the moving forest, approaching them at a rapid pace. Macbeth purposely rejects this news: Liar and slave! even though he knows full well that there true, because the witches told him so. At this meticulous moment, a flashback will occur, this will consist of haunted reminiscences of the raunchy women retelling the third apparition stating: Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come against him. In other words, you will never be hurt or even destroyed until Birnam Wood moves towards Dunsinane [this will help to remind the audience about the apparition]. When Macbeth resumes regularity, he will again, persist in not believing the messengers words of truth, perhaps he does not want to believe them, because he knows that the end is near. Regardless of this, he has come too far, and so he will fight to the very last second. At the conclusion of his final dialogue in the scene, he will turn to observe the view outside, noticing an entire wood gradually moving closer, this signifying that his death is exceptionally near, a vacant expression on his countenance will demonstrate this completely.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Ballad of Pearl May Lee in Gwendolyn Brooks Street in Bronzeville Essa

Ballad of Pearl May Lee in Gwendolyn Brook's Street in Bronzeville Gwendolyn Brook’s â€Å"Ballad of Pearl May Lee† came from her book called Street in Bronzeville. This book exemplifies Brook’s â€Å"dual place in American literature† (Smith, 2). It is associated with Modernist poetry, as well as the Harlem Renaissance. This book is known for its theme of victimizing the poor, black woman. â€Å"Ballad of Pearl May Lee† is a poem that uses tone to represent the complex mood of the ballad. While tone and mood are often used interchangeably, there are differences even though they often work together in a poem. A poem’s mood refers to the atmosphere or state of mind that the poem takes on. This is often conveyed through the tone, which is the style or manner of expression through writing. In this poem, Brooks uses tone to enhance the mood. This paper will shed light on the idea that the mood of the poem is affected by the tone in several ways in order to make the mood inconsistent. Some of the ways t hat tone does this is by several episodic shifts in the scene of the poem, the repetition of stanzas at the end of the poem, the use of diction, and the change in the speaker’s stance throughout the poem. These poetic techniques enhance the speaker’s current feeling of self-pity and revengeful satisfaction by her mixed emotions associated with this reflection. To begin, the episodic shifts in scenes in this ballad enhance the speaker’s emotional confusion. Almost every stanza has its own time and place in the speaker’s memory, which sparks different emotions with each. For example, the first stanza is her memory of herself at her house and it has a mocking, carefree mood. She says, â€Å"I cut my lungs with laughter,† meaning that... ... was meant to serve as insight as to how Brooks used the tone to create a mood that was inconsistent with an overlying theme of self-pity. She has a way with words, and I feel that this ballad is very representative of her skill as a writer. Works Cited Mootry, Maria K. â€Å" ‘Chocolate Mabbie’ and ‘Pearl May Lee’: Gwendolyn Brooks and the Ballad Tradition. Vale – Rutgers Univerisity Libraries. http://galegroup.com/servlet/LitRC?vrsn=3&OP=contains&locID=rutgers&srchtp.html Smith, Gary. â€Å"Gwendolyn Brook’s ‘A Street in Bronzeville’, the Harlem Renaissance and the Mythologies of Black Women. Vale – Rutgers University Libraries. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/LitRC?locID=rutgers&frmhyp=1&srchtp=athr&c=2&.html Sollors, Werner. An Anthology of Interracial Literature. â€Å"Ballad of Pearl May Lee.† New York University Press. 2004. p. 577-580.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Whale Riders Film Analysis

When choosing a film for this assignment, my original choice was Bend It Like Beckham because I had heard of it and I had a general idea what it was about. I then decided that I wanted to take on a more challenging film, one that I had never heard of, and one that I would really have to study to understand its full meaning. After looking into a few of the listed movies, I ended up choosing Whale Rider, a drama filmed in New Zealand in 2002. After watching the movie two times, I feel that I now understand some of the more drastic cultural and gender based problems that are occurring today. The film's plot follows the story of Paikea Apirana, yet she goes by the name Pai in the film. Pai is a 12-year-old girl who is the only remaining child in the line of the tribe's chiefly succession after the death of her twin brother and mother when she was born. By tradition, the leader of the tribe should be the first-born son, or a direct descendant of Pai’s family. Yet because there is no direct male descendant, Pai’s grandfather Koro Apirana has to find the next male leader amongst their tribe. Koro is the current leader of the tribe and has to set up a series of tasks that are required to become the next leader of the tribe. Unfortunately, Pai is female and technically cannot inherit the leadership. Throughout the movie, Pai’s grandmother Nanny Flowers encourages her to train just as the boys of the tribe do to hopefully convince her grandfather to name her the new leader. One of the final tasks to be named the tribe leader is to retrieve a whale’s tooth from the sea by riding the back of a whale out to sea, hence the name of the film being Whale Rider. After watching this film, I feel that the director Niki Caro is trying to explore the ways that gender and power are exemplified in certain cultures around the world. I feel that the main example from this film involves the main character Pai being female and how that limits what she can and cannot do in her tribe. The tribe’s past history has always told them that a male should be leader and that females are to never be in power in any way, shape, or form. When the young boys are training with Koro to hopefully become the next descendent to be leader of the tribe, Pai is still not allowed to take part in the events. I feel that gender issues are also present in the everyday life of people all around the world, not just in this particular small tribe. It is a proven fact that in America, the average wage of men is higher than the average wage of women. Men also tend to hold higher positions in various labor industries across the country. Gender discrimination has always been a major issue in many societies around the world, yet many feminists groups around the world are slowly making the issue diminish. Another aspect of the film that Niki Caro explores is the way the power and control affects the lives of anyone in a given society. In the film, Pai’s grandfather Koro exerts his power over Pai by informing her that she will never be leader of the tribe due to her gender. Throughout the film he continuously tells her that she is the reason that the tribe may be at its final downfall. Even though she did nothing wrong, her being female makes her grandfather feel let down. Koro is in charge of everything that the people of the tribe do on a regular basis. He is the person who makes all of the decisions and controls all events. The presence of his power makes him seem like more of an intimidating figure who can control the lives of others. This leads to my first concept from our reading that was illustrated in Whale Rider which is Ideology of Patriarchy, or the structural dominance of men that is built into the institutions of society. Whale Rider exemplified the Ideology of Patriarchy perfectly because of how Koro ran his tribe. For generations, this tribe was always told that a man is to be the leader. When Pai is the only remaining family descendent, Koro becomes aggravated because she is female and will not be able to carry on the tradition of men as leaders. As the movie progresses, you begin to notice that Koro is slowly starting to accept the fact that maybe his granddaughter is fit to be a leader of their tribe. This leads to the second concept that I feel was expressed which is the idea of identification and the extent to which an individual is likely to make a decision that aligns with organizational objectives. When Koro originally has the feeling that Pai is not suitable to be leader, he is under the impression that he has to find someone outside of the family to take over his role once he passes. He soon realizes that the real thing that he should be focusing on is keeping the leader role in the family. Identification is accomplished by accepting the importance of family and what it means to be true and respecting of those who are closest to you in your life. The theory of identification also carries over to idea of the control that Koro has over his tribe. When Koro initially begins scouting young boys around the tribe in order to find his next leader, he set up training and a series of tasks each person needed to succeed with. Koro exerts what is my third concept of concertive control, or when explicit written rules are replaced by common understanding of values, objectives, and means of achievement, along with a deep appreciation for the organization’s mission. During Koro’s training of the young boys, Pai was secretly training with her uncle who knows all of the ways of fighting and training needed to succeed. When Pai defeats a young student of Koro’s in a fight, Koro becomes very upset but begins to realize that she may be the most suitable for the leader role. Koro eventually understands that the value of keeping the leadership role in the family is the most important objective, even if the descendant is female. This leads to the final concept that the film expresses which is the role of gender in society and the different aspects of how gender is treated in this particular tribe. From our readings, we learned that gender is socially constructed depending on the society’s specific views and morals. In this tribe, females are not able to hold any type of leadership role. We also learned that gender is learned and performed. Typical themes of femininity could be classified as sensitive, caring, beautiful, and in some cases accept negative treatment. Even though Pai had always grown up learning what it meant to be a girl and a woman, she had to learn certain aspect of masculinity in order to become leader of the tribe. She had to learn how to fight, how to train, and how hold a position of power of a group of people. Pai was able to show her family and the people of her tribe that a female can do anything a male can do and do it just as successfully. Whale Rider taught me a lot of different aspects the ways that people treat others in society. I have never agreed with the idea that men can always do things better than women, but this film really pressed that into my mind. I now have a whole new appreciation for feminists and everything that they stand for. Women have the same rights that men do and should be given the same amount of opportunities in life. I feel that Whale Rider was a great film that was able to show the viewers how power and control really affects people. This film was the perfect way to show the world what it really means to stick up for yourself and fight for what you believe in.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Human Adjustment

If the motives of organisms were all immediately and easily satisfied, there would be no need for adjustment. Various hindrances, however, tend to thwart the direct satisfaction of motives. A dog may not find food available and ready to be eaten every time that the pangs of hunger assail.The human, impelled by such motives as those of mastery or social approval, is frequently unable to reduce his drives immediately. He meets with thwarting in the form of material obstacles, of competition from other similarly motivated individuals, and of hindrances resulting from his own lack of ability. But a strong motive, once aroused, tends to keep the individual in a state of activity. Stimulated by the drive-tension, the individual makes one reaction after another until at length some response is found which will reduce the drive.This exploratory activity which begins when a drive is aroused and ends when the drive is extinguished :s probably the most general pattern of animal and human behavi or. It may be termed the adjustment process. NORMAL AND ABNORMAL MODES OF ADJUSTMENT PROCESS There are three main elements in the process of adjustment. A. Motive. The process of adjustment begins with some inspiration or need present in an individual. B. Thwarting Conditions. If environmental factors do not hinder the fulfillment of needs, adjustment probably comes about and there are no problems.But thwarting circumstances steer forward the process of adjustment. C. Varied responses. In the event of non-fulfillment of needs, an individual reacts in many ways. These responses can be normal as well as abnormal. As a result of these reactions, the individual makes an adjustment with his environment. The process of adjustment begins with inspiration. Inspiration is objective-oriented. As a result, individual performs activities aimed at the objective. Many a time obstructions confront these activities.These obstruction evoke different responses in different individuals, the response m ay vary for trying work harder to giving it up to thinking an alternative plan to meet the objective. Evaluations of an individual's personality adjustment can be done as per the following criteria: a. Balance of Personality. The main criterion of personality adjustment is the formulation of personality. All the mental faculties like intelligence, emotions, desires and determination are fully involved in it and these function in unison.A well-developed personality is flexible, determined and cohesive. The ability to adjust is proportionate to the integration of personality. An individual with well-adjusted personality is balanced and realistic. He is not easily upset by failures an disappointments, and his emotions, needs, thoughts ND other mental activities are also balanced. On the other hand, a maladjusted individual's personality is imbalanced. His life is devoid of peace and he deprives others too of their peace. B. Minimal tension. Another sign of well-adjusted personality is minimal tension.Non-fulfillment of needs gives rise to tension. This tension lasts till needs are fulfilled. In other words,the adjustment of an individual can be gauged from the amount of tension he has. C. Harmony between Needs and Environment. The amount of harmony is directly proportionate to the amount of adjustment. An individual with a well-adjusted personality keep his needs and desires in consonance with the state of his environment and alters his environment according to the demand of his needs. Thus achieving mutual adjustment from both the sides accounts more success.Five groups of adjusting responses may be distinguished on this basis. These groups represent only a convenient arrangement arising from the practical necessity of making some division. They should not be interpreted as fundamentally distinct types of adjustment. 1 . Adjustment by defense. This adjustment mechanisms characterized by excessively aggressive conduct, usually involving group participation often of an undesirable or antisocial character. The defense mechanisms, by reducing the fear tensions and satisfying the original drives, lead to an adjustment of a sort.Since all persons have* deficiencies of varying degrees, defensive behavior is a normal and almost universal human trait. Only when defense mechanisms become exaggerated in character and excessive in scope do they present serious psychological problems. 2. Adjustment by withdrawing. This is considered the defensive adjustments that how a marked failure to participate in social activity, either in the form of passive exclusiveness or of active refusal. These are usually accompanied by substitute satisfactions of an individual and symbolic sort in the form of fantasy.Another way in which many individuals respond to thwarting is by retreating from the situations in which they experience adjusting difficulty. Withdrawing is a normal form of adjustment in a statistical sense, for practically all persons make use of it to some extent. Exclusiveness, like all other forms of defense, is a maladjustment only in reapportion to the degree of its employment, being normal when it does not seriously interfere with an individual's social effectiveness, pathological when he withdraws to such an extent as to affect his perception of reality.The exclusive type of adjustment originates from the same psychological pattern as do the other types. Confronted with the frustration of some strong motive, the individual makes varying responses until some form of behavior is discovered that will reduce his emotional tensions. In many instances the satisfying action is found in exclusiveness and timidity which are voiding responses to the stimuli responsible for the maladjustment. The exclusive behavior is adjusting, for by avoiding the attempt to cope with his environment, the individual eliminates the possibility of failure.The logic of exclusiveness is that, by not trying, failure is avoided. In the early or â€Å"varied r esponse† stage of adjustment to thwarting, it is typical for the reaction of timidity to alternate with the more aggressive types of defense. For an individual to be shy and exclusive at one moment, and to be bold and overbearing in the next, often seems inconsistent, but it has psychological coherence since both forms of response indicate attitudes of inferiority and fears of social criticism.Since shy and withdrawing persons are not as much of a nuisance to those around them as are the more aggressive individuals, their maladjustments often escape notice* This is especially likely to be true of school children, for teachers quickly discover the annoyingly active child who compensates, rationalizes or lies, while the withdrawing youngster is often considered as a model of perfect deportment. For the same reasons, the seriousness and extent of outdrawing forms of adjustment is usually underestimated by teachers and parents. 3. Adjustments involving fear and repression.Although fear is a factor in all maladjustments, it appears with special prominence in phobias, which are irrational specific fears. Repression, another general characteristic of maladjustment, will also be investigated in this section. Strong emotional responses of an undifferentiated character are natively elicited by stimulation to an excessively intense or tissue- injuring nature. Rather early in childhood a number of more specific emotional tatters emerge from the diffused matrix of primitive emotion, this individuation arising from the operation of processes of adjustment and learning.The responses to overwhelming situations such as loud noises and violent loss of support, toward which the child can make no effective adjusting response, become crystallized into the pattern of emotion, disorientation and flight that may be designated as fear. Many situations in the common experiences of older children and adults also call forth a normal fear response. In some instances fear is the resp onse to a danger signal or symbol of impending possible injury.Because he has learned the consequences of various situations, the individual may react to the menace of prospective injury with the same emotional quality as to the injuring situation itself. The greatest number of fear experiences of normal adults probably occur in situations involving a narrow escape from catastrophe, such as occur occasionally when driving an automobile. Fear responses are most readily aroused in adults when an intense stimulation is presented very suddenly, under circumstances that permit the use of no habitual adjustment that would enable the individual to cope with the situation.Repression as adjustment, a viewpoint which supplements the foregoing account in a valuable manner is that which regards repression as a variety of adjustment or species of defense mechanism. The event the memory of which is repressed was a stimulus for a fear of disapproval, hence when the recall occurs it acts as a symbo l or substitute for the original guilt or shame-provoking situation. The fear of social disapproval thwarts one of the strongest of the common motives and therefore calls for adjusting behavior. The individual must adjust to the substitute symbol as he would to the disapproval itself. Adjustment by ailments. The most spectacular forms of adjustment are those which ape physical ailments, including pains, paralyses and cramps. These mechanisms constitute a large part of the field of the psychoneuroses and lie in the borderland between psychology and medicine. 5. Persistent nonadjustable reactions. If all forms of adjustment fail, the individual may show states of exhaustion, anxiety and â€Å"nervousness' which are the result of an unreduced emotional tension In Karen Horned adjustment to basic anxiety, she has categorized three patterns or modes of adjustment: 1 .Moving Towards People In this pattern of adjustment, individual moves towards people in order to satisfy his needs for af fection and approval, for a dominant partner to control one's life and to live one's life within narrow limits. This is a type of person who is complaint type, who says that if I give in, I shall not be hurt. This type of person needs to be liked, wanted, desired, loved, welcomed, approved, appreciated, to be helped, to be protected, to be taken care of and to be guided. This type of person is friendly, most of the time and represses his aggression. 2. Moving Against PeopleIn this adjustment mode, the neurotic need for power for exploitation of others is for prestige and for personal achievements are to be fulfilled, when an individual moves against people. This hostile person thinks that if he has power, no one can hurt him. 3. Moving Away from People In this adjustment mode, the neurotic need for self-sufficiency, perfection, independence and UN-salability are classified. This person is a detached type, who says that if I withdraw, nothing can hurt me. These three adjustment patte rns are basically are incompatible, for example, one cannot move against, towards and way from people at the same time.The normal person has greater flexibility he uses one adjustment mode to another as conditions and situations demand. The neurotic person cannot easily move from one adjustment mode to another, rather he is less flexible and ineffective in moving from one adjustment mode to another. Fraud's ego defense mechanisms and Karen Hornet's adjustment techniques are the same. However, Karen Horned has added few new and usable techniques of adjustment, which are: I-Blind Spots Let us take an example, â€Å"you are extremely intelligent student and you responded to our teacher's question very stupidly, so this experience hurts your ego'.Therefore, you are going to deny it and ignore it because it is not in accordance with your idealized self image of an intelligent person. Now this experience is a disowned one and it will reappear as a blind spot in your personality. You will not accept it and it will reappear as a problem in your personality. This is similar to Sigmund Fraud's repression. 2-Rationalization It is giving good reasons or making good excuses to protect your ego. So rationalization by Freud and Horned are the same. Let us take an example: A student arks very hard for his CSS exam but fails in it.He says, â€Å"l don't want to be a civil servant, all civil servants are corrupt since I am an honest person I do not want to be a civil servant†. The story of the fox and the grapes is another example of rationalization. 3-Excessive Self-Control Excessive self-control is actually rigid self-control at all costs. It is guarding one's self against anxiety by controlling, any expression of emotion. In real life a puritan character has been created who maintains tight emotional control under all circumstances. Example: An individual under extreme grief and depression expresses no emotion.An individual under state of extreme happiness shows no e motion. 4-compartmentalizing It means dividing your life in to various compartments; one set of rules controls one compartment and another set of rules controls another compartment. For example, a teacher does not permit his students to cheat in the class, but the same teacher while playing a game of cards cheats with his colleagues. So there is one set of rules which applies to one compartment and another set of rules which applies to another compartment of his personality. 5 – Sterilization Sterilization is similar to Fraud's projection.In projection, individual blames others for his own shortcoming. For example, a student did not prepare for his exams properly, and after getting a low grade, would say, the teacher was against me or the question paper was out of the course, instead of seeing the fact that the preparation was insufficient. Our team lost the match, because the umpire was against us while the fact is that our penalty corner conversion was poor. 6- Arbitrary Ri ghtness To the person utilizing this adjustment technique, the worst thing a person can be is indecisive or ambiguous.When issues arise that have no clear solution one way or the other, the person arbitrarily chooses one solution, thereby ending debate. An example would be when a mother says â€Å"You're not going out Friday night and that's the end of it† A person using this adjustment will arrive at a position and when doing so all debate ends. The position the person takes becomes the truth and therefore cannot be challenged. The person no longer needs to worry about what is right and wrong or what is certain and uncertain. 7 – Elusiveness This technique is the opposite of arbitrary rightness.The elusive person never makes decision about anything. If one is never committed to anything, one can never be wrong, and if one is never wrong, one can never be criticized. If a person decides to go to college and fails, there is no excuse. If, however, the decision to go to college is delayed, because of lack of money, or any other reason, this technique is called elusiveness, where the person never makes a decision about anything. 8 – Cynicism Cynics are individuals who do not believe in the value of anything rather they try to make every individual realize the meaninglessness of their goals and objectives.Karen Horned believed that Cynics are individuals who derive pleasure by making an individual realize that he is worthless and his goals and aims in life are meaningless. Personality Disorders DEFINITION Personality is one's set of stable, predictable emotional and behavioral traits. Personality disorders involve deeply ingrained, inflexible patterns of relating to others that are maladaptive and cause significant impairment in social or occupational functioning. The disorders include marked limitations in problem solving and low stress tolerance.Patients with personality disorders lack insight bout their problems; their symptoms are either e go-synoptic or viewed as immutable. They have a rigid view of themselves and others and around their fixed patterns have little insight. Patients with personality disorders are vulnerable to developing symptoms of Axis I disorders during stress. Personality disorders are Axis II diagnoses. Many people have odd tendencies and quirks; these are not pathological unless they cause significant distress or impairment in daily functioning.DIAGNOSIS AND ADSM-IV CRITERIA 1 . Pattern of behavior/inner experience that deviates from the person's culture and is manifested in two or more of the following ways: _ Cognition Affect Personal relations Impulse control 2. The pattern: Is pervasive and info expiable in a broad range of situations _ Is stable and has an onset no later than adolescence or early adulthood _ -?+ significant distress in functioning _ Is not accounted for by another mental/medical illness or by use of a substance The international prevalence of personality disorders is 6%.Per sonality disorders vary by gender. Many patients with personality disorders will meet the criteria for more than one disorder. They should be classified as having all of the disorders for which they qualify. CLUSTERS Personality disorders are divided into three clusters: Cluster A-?schizoid, psychotically, and paranoid: Patients seem eccentric, peculiar, or withdrawn. _ Familial association with psychotic disorders. Cluster a-?antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic: emotional, dramatic, or inconsistent. Familial association with mood disorders.Cluster C-?avoiding, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive: or fearful. Patients seem Patients seem anxious _ Familial association with anxiety disorders. Personality disorder not otherwise specific deed (NOSE) includes disorders that do not fit onto cluster A, B, or C (including passive-aggressive personality disorder and depressive personality disorder). Personality disorder criteria-? CAPRI Cognition Personal Relations ETIOLOGY _ Biological, genetic, and psychosocial factors during childhood and adolescence contribute to the development of personality disorders. The prevalence of personality disorders in minimization twins is several times higher than in dogmatic twins. TREATMENT _ Personality disorders are generally very dif cult to treat, especially since few patients are aware that they need help. The disorders tend to be chronic and feeling. _ In general, pharmacological treatment has limited usefulness (see individual exceptions below) except in treating coexisting symptoms of depression, anxiety, and the like. _ Psychotherapy and group therapy are usually the most helpful.Cluster A These patients are perceived as eccentric or hermetic by others and can have symptoms that meet criteria for psychosis PARANOID PERSONALITY DISORDER (PDP) Patients with PDP have a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others and often interpret motives as malevolent. They tend to blame their own problems on others and s eem angry and hostile. They are often characterized as being pathologically jealous, which leads them to think that their sexual partners or spouses are cheating on them. Diagnosis requires a general distrust of others, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts. At least four of the following must also be present: 1 . Suspicion (without evidence) that others are exploiting or deceiving him or her. 2. Preoccupation with doubts of loyalty or trustworthiness of acquaintances. 3. Reluctance to confine De in others. 4. Interpretation of benign remarks as threatening or demeaning. 5. Persistence of grudges. 6. Perception of attacks on his or her character that are not apparent to others; quick to counterattack. 7. Recurrence of suspicions regarding FL delimit of spouse or lover.DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS _ Paranoid schizophrenia: Unlike patients with schizophrenia, patients with paranoid personality disorder do not have any fixed delusions and are not frankly psychotic , although they may have transient psychosis under stressful situations. _ Social disenfranchisement and social isolation: Without a social support system, persons can react with suspicion to others. The differential in favor of the diagnosis can be dad by the assessment of others in close contact with the person, who identify what they consider as excess suspicion, etc.COURSE AND PROGNOSIS _ Some patients with PDP may eventually be diagnosed with schizophrenia. _ The disorder usually has a chronic course, causing lifelong marital and Job-related problems. Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice. Patients may also benefit from antiquity medications or short course of antispasmodics for transient psychosis. SCHIZOID PERSONALITY DISORDER Patients with schizoid personality disorder have a lifelong pattern of social withdrawal. They are often perceived as eccentric and reclusive. They are quiet and unsociable and have a constricted affect. They have no desire for close relationships an d prefer to be alone.Unlike with avoiding personality disorder, patients with schizoid personality disorder prefer to be alone. A pattern of voluntary social withdrawal and restricted range of emotional expression, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety contexts. _ Four or more of the following must also be present: 1 . Neither enjoying nor desiring close relationships (including family) 2. Generally choosing solitary activities 3. Little (if any) interest in sexual activity with another person 4. Taking pleasure in few activities (if any) 5. Few close friends or confidants (if any) 6. Indifference to praise or criticism 7.Emotional coldness, detachment, or flattened affect _ Paranoid schizophrenia: Unlike patients with schizophrenia, patients with schizoid personality disorder do not have any fixed delusions, although these may exist transiently in some patients. _ Psychotically personality disorder: Patients with schizoid personality disorder do not have the same ec centric behavior or magical thinking seen in patients with psychotically personality disorder. Psychotically patients are more similar to schizophrenic patients in terms of odd perception, thought, and behavior. COURSE Usually chronic course, but not always lifelong.Similar to paranoid personality disorder: Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice; group therapy is often beneficial. _ Low- dose antispasmodics (short course) if transiently psychotic, or antidepressants if combine major depression is diagnosed. PSYCHOTICALLY PERSONALITY DISORDER Patients with psychotically personality disorder have a pervasive pattern of eccentric behavior and peculiar thought patterns. They are often perceived as strange and eccentric. The disorder was developed out of the observation that certain family traits predominate in FL rest-degree relatives with schizophrenia.A pattern of social deaf cists marked by eccentric behavior, cognitive or perceptual distortions, and discomfort with close relations hips, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts. _ Five or more of the following must be present: 1 . Ideas of reference (excluding delusions of reference) 2. Odd beliefs or magical thinking, inconsistent with cultural norms 3. Unusual perceptual experiences (such as bodily illusions) 4. Suspiciousness 5. Inappropriate or restricted affect . Odd or eccentric appearance or behavior 7. Few close friends or confine daunts 8. Odd thinking or speech (vague, stereotyped, etc) 9.Excessive social anxiety Magical thinking may include: Belief in clairvoyance or telepathy Bizarre fantasies or preoccupations Belief in superstitions Odd behaviors may include involvement in cults or strange religious practices. _ Paranoid schizophrenia: Unlike patients with schizophrenia, patients with psychotically personality disorder are not frankly psychotic (though they can become transiently so under stress), nor do they have fixed delusions. _ Schizoid personality crosier: Patients with schizoid personality disorder do not have the same eccentric behavior seen in patients with psychotically personality disorder. Course is chronic or patients may eventually develop schizophrenia. Personality type for a patient with schizophrenia. Performed Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice to help develop social skills training. Short course of low-dose antispasmodics if necessary (for transient psychosis). Antispasmodics may help decrease social anxiety and suspicion in interpersonal relationships. Cluster B Includes antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic personality disorders.These patients are often emotional, impulsive, and dramatic Patients diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder show superficial conformity to social norms but are exploitive of others and break rules to meet their own needs. Lack empathy and compassion; lack remorse for their actions. They are impulsive, deceitful, and often violate the law. They are skilled at reading social cu es and appear charming and normal to others who meet them for the FL rest time and do not know their history. Pattern of disregard for others and violation of the rights of others since age 15.Patients must be at least 18 years old for this diagnosis; history of behavior as a child/adolescent must be consistent with conduct disorder _ Three or more of the following should be present: 1. Failure to conform to social norms by committing unlawful acts 2. Deceitfulness/ repeated lying/manipulating others for personal gain 3. Impulsively/failure to plan ahead 4. Irritability and aggressiveness/repeated FL sights or assaults 5. Recklessness and disregard for safety of self or others 6. Irresponsibility/failure to sustain work or honor FL uncial obligations 7. Lack of remorse for actionsDrug abuse: It is necessary to ascertain which came FL rest. Patients who began abusing drugs before their antisocial behavior started may have behavior attributable to the effects of their addiction. Usual ly has a chronic course, but some improvement of symptoms may occur as the patient ages. _ Many patients have multiple somatic complaints, and coexistence of substance abuse and/or major depression is common. _ There is t morbidity from substance abuse, trauma, suicide, or homicide. Symptoms of antisocial personality disorder-?

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Pandemics essays

Pandemics essays Throughout history, pandemics/epidemics have had dire effects on societies and sent shockwaves through the world. They have undermined economies and eroded the very foundations and values these societies were based on. Two of these pandemics, perhaps the worst, are the Bubonic Plague of 14th century Europe and the AIDs outbreak in 20th/21st The Bubonic (or 'Black) Plague originated from rodents and fleas in China, in the 1330s. Being a bustling trading city at the time, it was inevitable the disease would spread and cause a major pandemic. It was Italian merchants brought the disease to Europe. (Rice, The Black Death: Bubonic Plague) "The Black Sea, where the Italians had trading colonies...The Black Plague spread through the importing and exporting of goods from country to country (Turner, The Plague)." Europeans, not knowing any better, blamed god. Early attempts to quarantine the infected and cordon off infected/uninfected cities were a failure because the Europeans failed to realize the disease was perpetuated by rodents and fleas, not other humans. During winter time, animals seeking refuge from the cold would often hide in houses, infecting a family which would inevitably lead to a whole town being infected (Turner, The Plague). Also contributing to the rapid spread of the plague was the poor sanitation common in European society. Bathing was rare, due to a lack of running water. Garbage was often left unchecked in the streets, feeding and attracting the creatures that had the virus (West, What is the Bubonic Plague?). All these factors only helped to breed the virus and contribute to rapid spread. In five years (1347-1352), the plague wiped out 25 million people, or one third of Europe's populace. It took several centuries for Europe to regain this appaling number of people. Even centuries after the plague had devastated Europe, minor outbreaks occured. In mid-17th century London, ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Dendrochronology - Tree Ring Records of Climate Change

Dendrochronology - Tree Ring Records of Climate Change Dendrochronology is the formal term for tree-ring dating, the science that uses the growth rings of trees as a detailed record of climatic change in a region, as well as a way to approximate the date of construction for wooden objects of many types. Key Takeaways: Dendrochronology Dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating, is the study of growth rings in deciduous trees to identify absolute dates of wooden objects.  Tree rings are created by the tree as it grows in girth, and the width of a given tree ring is dependent on climate, so a stand of trees will all have a near-identical pattern of tree rings.The method was invented in the 1920s by astronomer Andrew Ellicott Douglass and archaeologist Clark Wissler.  Recent applications include tracking climate change, identifying pending slope collapses, finding American trees in World War I trench construction, and using chemical signatures in tropical trees to identify past temperature and precipitation.  Tree ring dating is also used to calibrate radiocarbon dates. As archaeological dating techniques go, dendrochronology is extremely precise: if the growth rings in a wooden object are preserved and can be tied into an existing chronology, researchers can determine the precise calendar year- and often season- the tree was cut down to make it. Because of that precision, dendrochronology is used to calibrate ​radiocarbon dating, by giving science a measure of the atmospheric conditions which are known to cause radiocarbon dates to vary. Radiocarbon dates which have been calibrated by comparison to dendrochronological records are designated by abbreviations such as cal BP, or calibrated years before the present. What are Tree Rings? Cross section of a tree illustrating the cambium layer. Lukaves / iStock / Getty Images Tree-ring dating works because a tree grows larger- not just height but gains girth- in measurable rings each year in its lifetime. The rings are the cambium layer, a ring of cells that lies between the wood and bark and from which new bark and wood cells originate; each year a new cambium is created leaving the previous one in place. How large the cambiums cells grow in each year, measured as the width of each ring, depends on temperature and moisture- how warm or cool, dry or wet each years seasons were. Environmental inputs into the cambium are primarily regional climatic variations, changes in temperature, aridity, and soil chemistry, which together are encoded as variations in the width of a particular ring, in the wood density or structure, and/or in the chemical composition of the cell walls. At its most basic, during dry years the cambiums cells are smaller and thus the layer is thinner than during wet years. Tree Species Matters Not all trees can be measured or used without additional analytical techniques: not all trees have cambiums that are created annually. In tropical regions, for example, annual growth rings are not systematically formed, or growth rings are not tied to years, or there are no rings at all. Evergreen cambiums are commonly irregular and not formed annually. Trees in arctic, sub-arctic and alpine regions respond differently depending on how old the tree is- older trees have reduced water efficiency which results in a reduced response to temperature changes. Invention of Dendrochronology Tree-ring dating was one of the first absolute dating methods developed for archaeology, and it was invented by astronomer Andrew Ellicott Douglass and archaeologist Clark Wissler in the first decades of the 20th century. Douglass was mostly interested in the history of climatic variations exhibited in tree rings; it was Wissler who suggested using the technique to identify when adobe pueblos of the American southwest were built, and their joint work culminated in research at the Ancestral Pueblo town of Showlow, near the modern town of Showlow, Arizona, in 1929. The Beam Expeditions Archaeologist Neil M. Judd is credited with convincing the National Geographic Society to establish the First Beam Expedition, in which log sections from occupied pueblos, mission churches and prehistoric ruins from the American southwest were collected and recorded alongside those from living ponderosa pine trees. The ring widths were matched and cross-dated, and by the 1920s, chronologies were built back nearly 600 years. The first ruin tied to a specific calendar date was Kawaikuh in the Jeddito area, built in the 15th century; charcoal from Kawaikuh was the first charcoal used in (the later) radiocarbon studies. In 1929, Showlow was being excavated by Lyndon L. Hargrave and Emil W. Haury, and dendrochronology conducted on Showlow eventuated the first single chronology for the southwest, extending over a period of over 1,200 years. The Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research was established by Douglass at the University of Arizona in 1937, and it is still conducting research today. Building a Sequence Over the past hundred years or so, tree ring sequences have been built for various species all over the world, with such long date strings as a 12,460-year sequence in central Europe completed on oak trees by the Hohenheim Laboratory, and an 8,700 year-long bristlecone pine sequence in California. Building a chronology of climate change in a region today was first simply a matter of matching overlapping tree ring patterns in older and older trees; but such efforts are no longer based solely on tree-ring widths. Features such as wood density, the elemental composition (called dendrochemistry) of its makeup, the anatomical features of the wood, and stable isotopes captured within its cells have been used in conjunction with traditional tree ring width analysis to study air pollution effects, the uptake of ozone, and changes in soil acidity over time. Medieval Là ¼beck In 2007, German wood scientist Dieter Eckstein described wooden artifacts and building rafters within the Medieval town of Là ¼beck, Germany, an excellent example of the myriad ways the technique can be used. Là ¼becks medieval history includes several events that are pertinent to the study of tree rings and forests, including laws passed in the late 12th and early 13th century establishing some basic sustainability rules, two devastating fires in 1251 and 1276, and a population crash between about 1340 and 1430 resulting from the Black Death. Construction booms at Là ¼beck are marked by the extensive use of younger trees, which signal demand outpacing the ability of the forests to recover; busts, such as after the Black Death decimated the population, are denoted by a long period of no construction at all, followed by the use of very old trees.In some of the wealthier houses, the rafters used during construction were cut down at different times, some spanning more than a year; most other houses have rafters cut down at the same time. Eckstein suggests that is because wood for the wealthier house was obtained at a timber market, where the trees would have been cut and stored until they could be sold; while less well-off house constructions were built just-in-time.Evidence of long-distance timber trade is seen in wood imported for pieces of art such as the Triumphal Cross and Screen at the St. Jacobi Cathedral. That was identified as having been constructed out of wood that had been specifically shipped in from 200-300-yea r-old trees from the Polish-Baltic forests, probably along established trade routes from Gdansk, Riga, or Konigsberg harbors. Tropical and Subtropical Environments Cludia Fontana and colleagues (2018) documented advances in filling a major gap in dendrochronological research in tropical and subtropical regions, because trees in those climates have either complex ring patterns or no visible tree rings at all.  That is an issue because because since global climate change is in progress, we need to understand the physical, chemical and biological processes that effeect terrestrial carbon levels is increasingly important. The tropic and subtropic regions of the world, such as the Brazilian Atlantic Forest of South America, store about 54% of the total biomass of the planet. The best results for standard dendrochronological research are with the evergreen Araucaria angustifolia (Paran pine, Brazilian pine or candelabra tree), with a sequence established in the rainforest between 1790–2009 CE); preliminary studies (Nakai et al. 2018) have shown that there are chemical signals which trace precipitation and temperature changes, which may be le veraged for gaining more information.    The elliptical rings on this tree from Turkey show that the tree grew tilted on a slope for several years, the part facing the upslope identified by the narrowness of the ring in the right hand side of the image. Mehmet Gà ¶khan Bayhan / iStock / Getty Images A 2019 study (Wistuba and colleagues) found that tree rings can also warn of impending slope collapses. It turns out that trees that are tilted by landsliding record eccentric elliptical tree rings. The downslope parts of the rings grow wider than the upslope ones, and in studies carried out in Poland, Malgorzata Wistuba and colleagues found that those tilts are in evidence between three and fifteen years prior to catastrophic collapse. Other Applications It had long been known that three 9th century Viking period boat-grave mounds near Oslo, Norway (Gokstad, Oseberg, and Tune) had been broken into at some point in antiquity. The interlopers defaced the ships, damaged the grave goods and pulled out and dispersed the bones of the deceased. Fortunately for us, the looters left behind the tools they used to break into the mounds, wooden spades and stretchers (small handled platforms used to carry objects out of the tombs), which were analyzed using dendrochronology. Tying tree ring fragments in the tools to established chronologies, Bill and Daly (2012) discovered that all three of the mounds were opened and the grave goods damaged during the 10th century, likely as part of Harald Bluetooths campaign to convert Scandinavians to Christianity. Wang and Zhao used dendrochronology to look at the dates of one of the Silk Road routes used during the Qin-Han period called the Qinghai Route. To resolve conflicting evidence over when the route was abandoned, Wang and Zhao looked at wood remains from tombs along the route. Some historical sources had reported the Qinghai route was abandoned by the 6th century AD: dendrochronological analysis of 14 tombs along the route identified a continuing use through the late 8th century. A study by Kristof Haneca and colleagues (2018) described evidence for the importation of American timber to construct and maintain the 440 mi (700 km) long defensive line of World War I trenches along the western front. Selected Sources Bill, Jan, and Aoife Daly. The Plundering of the Ship Graves from Oseberg and Gokstad: An Example of Power Politics? Antiquity 86.333 (2012): 808–24. Print.Fontana, Cludia, et al. Dendrochronology and Climate in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: Which Species, Where and How. Neotropical Biology and Conservation 13.4 (2018). Print.Haneca, Kristof, Sjoerd van Daalen, and Hans Beeckman. Timber for the Trenches: A New Perspective on Archaeological Wood from First World War Trenches in Flanders Fields. Antiquity 92.366 (2018): 1619–39. Print.Manning, Katie, et al. The Chronology of Culture: A Comparative Assessment of European Neolithic Dating Approaches. Antiquity 88.342 (2014): 1065–80. Print.Nakai, Wataru, et al. Sample Preparation of Ring-Less Tropical Trees for ÃŽ ´18O Measurement in Isotope Dendrochronology. Tropics 27.2 (2018): 49–58. Print.Turkon, Paula, et al. Applications of Dendrochronology in Northwestern Mexico. Latin American Antiquity 29.1 (2018): 1 02–21. Print.Wang, Shuzhi, and Xiuhai Zhao. Re-Evaluating the Silk Roads Qinghai Route Using Dendrochronology. Dendrochronologia 31.1 (2013): 34–40. Print.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

The Elephant Man Demands of Society in the play Essay

The Elephant Man Demands of Society in the play - Essay Example However, the name Elephant Man was mistakenly given as his sobriquet because many thought that he was afflicted with elephantiasis. Born in England in 1862, it became apparent that there was something wrong with him while he was still a toddler. It was during this early stage in his life that disfiguring tumors began to emerge on his face. It was Merrick's belief that his deformity was caused by his mother's having been frightened by an elephant. Even this notion was quite ludicrous for Victorian England, but Merrick stuck to this belief since he was unable to receive ample quality education. His mother died when Merrick was 10 and his stepmother, unable to cope with the child's growing deformity, convinced her husband to throw the boy into the streets. And so at a young age, Merrick had his first taste of human cruelty and became a street urchin. Merrick was peddling shoe polish by the time he was 12 years old. Still living on the streets, he was not only exposed to the elements but was also subject to regular taunting, bullying and even persecution. He afterwards became a ward of the state and was forced to work in a welfare sweatshop. Merrick's face and also his body were covered with lumpy growths and tumors. The tumors were also made up of hard bone. An attempt was made to cut away the excess growths but this ended in failure. Merrick's deformity grew through time. People stared and gaped at Merrick wherever he went. Thus, Merrick decided that if they have to look, they might as well pay for it and so he began his career as a sideshow freak (Kayser 1966). Merrick remained in the London Hospital until he died mysteriously of suffocation. In a way, he became a sport of pet monster for the upper-class Victorians. His presence took away their fear of the strange and unusual. The Nature of Joseph Merrick Merrick wrote a short autobiography wherein he stated that his experiences as a sideshow freak was not hurtful. He said that he was treated with the "greatest kindness." In contrast, he wrote, it was real life that proved to be hurtful (Daily Chronicle 1890). Although brutally exploited as a sideshow freak, Merrick showed his gentleness even among those who persecuted him. He was eventually able to read widely, learned the arts, visited beautiful places and entertained royalty. As Lady Geraldine Somerset described his gentle nature and circumstance, "such a gentle, kindly man, poor thing!" (Howell & Ford, 1980). Although his physical appearance elicited shudders from the public, his genuinely sterling character made him the perfect fairy tale monstrosity. Merrick was a very ill man and his condition worsened through time. The pain became more pronounced and crippling as the disease advanced. He would spend hours sitting and staring into emptiness, seemingly despondent as he tapped the fingers of his disfigured right hand on the arm of his chair or a pillow. Despite his despondent state, Merrick gave hope to his well-wishers reiterating that the world they live in is a good one. He also expressed his gratitude to those who called on him: "Tis true my form is something odd, But blaming me is blaming God; Could I create myself anew I would not fail in pleasing you. "If I could reach from pole to pole Or grasp the ocean with a span, I would be measured by the soul; The mind's the standard of the man." (Howard & Ford, 189) In the first verse, Merrick accepts his oddity. But he also does not cast any blame on