Pygmalion Review

Lauren Conn 06/07/2012 Writer’s Workshop Bill Rubenstein Pygmalion Movie Review Based off of Shaw’s 1913 stage comedy, Pygmalion is the story of two mismatched lovers Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle. The story centers on Henry Higgins’ mission to change Eliza Doolittle from a street vendor to a lady. It would be frivolous to comment on the treatment of women, as we are forced to take into account the period in which this play was written. Pygmalion is just another reflection of the objectification of women during those times, a representation on how women can be â€Å"changed† to the whim of man and the society man governs.Nevertheless, my intent is not to apply modern value judgments to non-contemporary fiction. I have dissected the play and made an attempt to understand the context in which it was written and presented. All I came to find was a story about a young woman who lost her identity. Henry Higgins is a wealthy phonetics professor who makes a b et with his friend Col. Pickering that he can transform Eliza Doolittle, an uncouth Cockney flower girl, into a lady in three months. Henry compares her to a â€Å"squashed cabbage leaf†.During her lessons she’s put through ridiculous tasks to perfect her elocution, such as speaking with marbles in her mouth. Higgins seems relentless, an example being when Eliza swallows a marble and he states, â€Å"That’s alright, we have plenty more. † Eliza’s first test comes when she takes tea with Henry’s mother – during which becomes a blunder when Eliza rambles about her father’s drinking and the whereabouts of her deceased aunt’s straw hat. Throughout these odd experiments one has to question why Doolittle proceeds to let Higgins treat her as he does.One can be Freudian and claim that it is her drunkard father, who holds no more regard to her than an inanimate object, in which provides evidence enough to Eliza’s decrepit state of self-worth. By the end of these trials Doolittle becomes a success, a lady – but not without losing the essence of who she is. By becoming a lady, Eliza has thrown herself into a state of limbo. She is no longer a Cockney flower girl, but calling herself a lady would be a lie. Instead, Eliza has been transformed into a shell – a canvas to which Higgins painted the portrait.Shaw makes a vain attempt into transforming Eliza into a self-empowered woman by the end of this. We are expected to believe that at some point, the hapless street vendor surpasses Higgins – the master professor. In a way, this almost seems like Shaw’s justification to Eliza’s harsh treatment. For me personally, I was not swayed. I did not believe in her strength by the end of Pygmalion. To me, Eliza’s self-empowered identity as a new â€Å"phonetics† master is just a mask to hide the lack of identity within.

Maya Angelou-“Still I rise”, Benjamin Zephaniah- “Miss World” and Grace Nichols-“Sugar Cane” Essay

By a close analysis of language, show how the poets convey their cultural heritage and experiences through their poems. This essay will compare the cultural backgrounds and the style of language these three black poets use to describe their experiences. They are: Maya Angelou-â€Å"Still I rise†, Benjamin Zephaniah- â€Å"Miss World† and Grace Nichols-â€Å"Sugar Cane† through their poems. These three poems were written by black poets. They all have a theme of standing up for yourself, fighting for your rights and being strong and overcoming pain and suffering. â€Å"Sugar Cane† is a poem about the life of a sugar cane that is grown and harvested. The poet personifies the sugar cane so the reader can associate more with the sugar cane, and there is a compelling desire for the reader to want to read the poem. â€Å"Miss World† is about a girl who is beautiful inside and does not want to be judged like an object in a show. The poem is written like a rap and so is inviting to younger people. This poem teaches that appearances are not important. â€Å"Still I Rise† is about a woman talking about all the hardships her ancestors had to endure and how she will prevail whatever is thrown at her. This poem is about standing tall and strong and not letting anyone put you down. In â€Å"Sugar Cane†, the poet uses very descriptive language that helps the reader visualise the sugar cane. For example, â€Å"indifferent hard and sheathed in blades†. These blades are the sharp leaves of the sugar cane. This image is of a strong object, capable of defending itself. The blades are a symbol of the black slaves, able to fight back against people, wanting to destroy them. The poet also uses language in a West Indian dialect, â€Å"he isn’t what he seem† and â€Å"he shiver like ague when it rain†. The poet uses personification to help the reader visualise the sugar cane as a thin g that matters, like a person. Later on in the poem, the poet uses, â€Å"he comes to learn the truth about himself, the crimes committed in his name†. This refers to the fact that the slaves were used to farm the sugar cane for â€Å"the white man† and died from over work, exhaustion and starvation. In â€Å"Miss World† the poet also uses words that rhyme if the reader is reading in a West Indian accent, â€Å"best for self-defence† â€Å"cause no grievance†. Ordinarily these would not rhyme, so the reader would know at once by reading this or â€Å"de† (the) or â€Å"day†(they) that this poem is written in a dialect. In â€Å"Still I Rise† the poet always speaks in correct English and shows that she is well educated and is articulate. She uses phrases like â€Å"Leaving behind nights of terror and fear, into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear†. Sugar Cane is grown in many countries where black people live, and so most of them work to harvest t he sugar cane. Sugar Cane grows through life and becomes old, â€Å"His colour is the aura of jaundice when he ripe†. This could mean that the black slaves are unhealthy as a product of mistreatment. After sugar cane is possibly ageing, he then dies when â€Å"the hurricane strike smashing him to pieces† whether it is the hurricane killing him, or the farmers harvesting with machetes, â€Å"either way he can’t survive†. In some countries, sugar cane is the only source of income. The Poet uses the sugar cane as a metaphor for black people trying to be strong and fight back against racism and to show that they are tough on the outside but sweet on the inside like the sugar cane. This is similar to â€Å"Miss World† where the theme of the poem is not to judge people by their looks, † You cannot judge my sister’s heart by looking†¦just by looking†¦just by looking at her breast†. The sister is described as being â€Å"beautiful† because she has a personality and is not superficial like the people who judge others, â€Å"just by looking†. Even though she is beautiful, she would rather fight for her rights then be treated like a slave or an object. In â€Å"Sugar Cane† when black people were slaves, they’re lives were full of suffering and misery; the poet shows this as a metaphor for the sugar cane growing through the earth, â€Å"Slowly painfully sugar cane pushes his knotted joints upwards from the earth slowly painfully he comes to learn the truth about himself, the crimes committed in his name â€Å". Similarly, in â€Å"Miss World† the poet conveys the sister’s hard life by saying that she is beautiful but â€Å"Her legs are firm and sharp best for self-defence†, showing that she has to defend herself. In â€Å"Still I Rise†, the poet describes a painful life, â€Å"out of the huts of history’s shame, I rise, up from a past that’s rooted in pain, I rise† this refers to the extreme pain and suffering this race went through. The poet talks about how she will overcome everything that is thrown at her and she will prevail. â€Å"You may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes, you may kill me with your hatefulness, but still like air, I’ll rise† The poet mentions power over the sugar cane, suggesting the slavery of the black race, â€Å"it is us who weed him in the earth in the first place† â€Å"we feel the need to strangle the life out of him†. These lines show that the farmers have power over whether sugar cane lives or dies. Similarly, the farmers have power over whether their slaves live or die. In â€Å"Miss World† the poet mentions slavery and that his sister does not want to be viewed like a slave at a slave market and give the judges power over her life, â€Å"day judge your lifetime by a quick interview†. In â€Å"Still I Rise†, the poet suggests that she is powerful, â€Å"welling and swelling I bear in the tide† There are also sexual references such as, in â€Å"Sugar Cane†, â€Å"smoothing stroking caressing al l his length shamelessly†. In â€Å"Miss World†, the poet writes that â€Å"her legs are firm and sharp† â€Å"she won’t walk the platform to upsex people’s lust†. In â€Å"Still I Rise†, the poet adds â€Å"I dance like I’ve got diamonds at the meeting of my thighs†. These sexually descriptive comments imply the stereotype of the black race as being very sexually active. These stereotypes include black men being virile and black people having a natural sense of rhythm. â€Å"Sugar Cane† is written in blank verse but has a very strong rhythm, â€Å"Slowly painfully sugar cane pushes his knotted joints upwards from the earth slowly painfully he comes to learn the truth about himself, the crimes committed in his name â€Å". The stanzas are in columns to look like a field of sugar cane. There is some repetition near the end with â€Å"slowly painfully†. This is probably used to emphasize the suffering of the black people. In â€Å"Miss World† the poem has a regular rhyme scheme. In other places the poem does not rhyme at all so this poem has an inconsistent rhyme scheme. There is an inconsistent stanza length throughout and there is one line that is long and sharp like a knife, which could be two short lines. â€Å"She could be out of sight but she would rather stay and fight†. This is a powerful line that stands out from the rest of the poem. There is some repetition on the last line, â€Å"by looking†¦just by looking†¦just by looking at her breast†. This is here to make the reader remember that it is what is inside that counts overall, not the outside. In â€Å"Still I Rise† each stanza is four lines long with a rhyme scheme where the second and fourth lines rhyme. This is consistent until the last two stanzas, where there is a line then â€Å"I Rise† then another line that rhymes with it, then two lines that rhyme. In the last stanza, it repeats â€Å"I Rise† at the end. This is here so it is a beacon of hope. Conclusion All these poems show the fact that black people suffered at the hands of other human beings and still do, just because the colour of their skin. These poems also show the fact that you do not have to let them take control of you or have power over you. You just have to remember†¦

Effects of Music and the Media on Culture and Society Essay

Effects of Music and the Media on Culture and Society - Essay Example In fact, with the growing acceptance of music within the American society, many musicians, composers, and singers have emerged and created their style of music according to their preferred genres. The role of music has given the American society a tool for inspiration, amusement, and encouragement to utilize the musical abilities of the people. However, the effects of music in the society have negated because of how it influences aggressive thoughts, feelings, and actions especially the portrayals of the artists in music videos. According to researches, majority of members of the society who listen to music are the young people, in which music plays a significant role in their teenage lives. Specifically, American adolescents mostly listen to kinds of music such as hip-hop, gangster music, rap, and heavy metal that have a significant impact to the minds and behaviors among youth. For example, teenagers who are fond in listening rap music or gangster music tend to dress themselves as a rapper or gangster based on how music videos display its genre. Hence, despite the fact that music has brought racial unity in the American society, it had also brought negative impacts especially to the minds of the young people in America (â€Å"The Negative Effects†). The Role of Media The media have been used by people all over the world, from a different race, culture, socioeconomic status, and also across ages because of how it served as a tool for knowledge, teaching, amusement, and advertising. The media are responsible for delivering credible and reliable stories, news, and facts to the people around the world. Accordingly, the principal role of media... This report approves that the American society had used media as a tool for entertainment and information through books, films, televisual entertainment, periodicals, advertisements, and online networking. Accordingly, the American society is principally molded by the functional role of media within the lives of the people. Nowadays, the most utilized and influential technology for media is the internet because of how it provides all the portrayal of information and amusements. Furthermore, television is widely used in the society because of its accessibility by the people and attracting more preference rather than listening to a radio or reading periodicals. The media portray different kinds of information that could alter or create different perspective in the minds of the people. For example, people in the society would perceive that the figure of a model is what the society wants, and in turn, tend to have similar figure of the model. This essay amkes a conclusion that music and media have both gained popularity within the American society and became part of the American culture. However, the role of music and media had become stronger and had influenced most of the culture and society in America. Particularly, the existence of music has created an American culture and society that respects different races or ethnicities as people get along through the desire of creating wonderful music. Moreover, the media have created an American culture and society of independence and also the freedom in expressing information that are important for the American people. Hence, the music and media have the important role in shaping the culture and society to the best interest of the people.

Analyzing the Reasons for Investing Abroad Essay

Analyzing the Reasons for Investing Abroad - Essay Example This essay critically analyzes and discusses the reasons why a firm chooses to invest abroad. Investing Abroad Firms decide to invest abroad for various reasons. Even so, companies that choose to invest overseas largely strive to strengthen their global competitiveness. Numerous global companies choose to invest abroad to penetrate bigger overseas markets. In order to sustain growth, a company should boost its sales or profits, which could be unattainable in the local market. In general, according to Cohen (2007), local markets are restricted to a specific growth rate and size and are highly exposed to competition from other local markets with comparable production, marketing, and product capacities. In this setting, investing abroad is a rational decision for a firm planning to penetrate a bigger market. Aside from the profitability of an additional, bigger market, foreign markets usually provide further competitive gains to the company (Ajami & Goddard 2006, 221). Such markets, for instance, may not have organizational capabilities that are comparable with or of similar level as those of a company investing abroad and the level foreign market competition may not be as heavy as competition in local markets (p. 221). At times companies should do business abroad to penetrate global markets because government regulations of host countries mandate that the products of the company be produced locally. These regulations are commonly enforced to heighten the growth of the national economy, employment, and overall domestic production (Carbaugh 2010, 12). Hence, the firm that plans to penetrate a foreign market has to spend for foreign facilities that are supervised by local managers, in domestic subsidiaries, or by means of several other mechanisms. A company penetrating a foreign market may prefer to do business there if it realizes that it is more cost-effective to produce products locally, instead of producing them at home and selling them abroad. Production econom ies may take place via other dynamics if the local market is huge and the demand is sustainable to give good reason for investment in the facility and tools required to establish a production system. For instance, the marketing and delivery costs could be cheaper than those of processes at home, the sources of needed raw materials could be nearer to the facility abroad, and the labor costs could be cheaper abroad (Frishberg 2010, 139). Another major aspect is the company’s location. A facility located overseas could also be a lot more productive for a developing market. Generally, companies do business in direct competition with other global and local companies. This form of competition is especially strong in markets where only a small number of major companies dominate. In this setting, the strategies of a particular company are swiftly imitated and rivaled by the others. As a result, if a company invests overseas, its rivals carry out the same tactic (Ajami & Goddard 2006, 222). One apparent reason for investing overseas is to be on a par with the established company in new markets and total sales/profit. Another reason is the necessity of rivaling competitors’ overseas tactic; otherwise, the competition may gain

Wenxuecity. Chinese immigrants on-line community. Ethnical issues Dissertation

Wenxuecity. Chinese immigrants on-line community. Ethnical issues - Dissertation Example They were sent an invitation to participate in the study further through an interactive interview conducted through emails or instant messaging platforms of their choice. They were also asked the following questions in order to qualify them for the second criterion – that traditional media does not play a significant role in his daily life (Appendix B). Based on the responses to these questions, I selected twenty users who display the second criterion the most. That is, they exhibit interest in getting the latest updates about China, and the Chinese people and culture at large, and that they do not get this information from traditional media. Furthermore, they exhibit knowledge about the fifth question’s subject matter, not only through their actual subscriptions and affiliations, but through their expression of interest to get connected and develop deeper understanding. After twenty users were selected based on the criteria mentioned above, I proceeded to schedule the interactive interviews. These happened within a period of one month since the questions were sent one after another, the succeeding question mainly based on the previous answer. I also allowed the respondent during the time to deliver a meaningful personal account of experiences, and the flexibility to do it at his or her own pace. Data Analysis The method of analyzing data is to analyze the transcripts to discern patterns of responses. The patterns are ascertained by examining a series of coded utterances, with an eye towards data which fit the overall themes of the research at hand. What I found was that the respondents used the website for a variety of reasons, therefore the challenge was to ascertain under what theme the reasons fit. For instance, a common response from Respondents was that... Each of the members of the group stated that they felt the need to connect with other Chinese people, because they felt out of place in the current society, in one way or another. Under this theme were several sub-themes. One sub-theme was that the Chinese in this survey felt that they needed to bond with one another because they felt somehow at odds with American culture. Therefore, the question regarding this sub-theme is why do the Chinese feel at odds with American culture, and how does Wenxuecity help in combating these feelings? Another sub-theme was that Wenxuecity helps the Respondents is how does Wenxuecity help with this feeling of connectedness with their Chinese family and friends? These sub-themes are explored below. Feelings of disconnection with the larger culture, and how the Wenxuecity helps the Respondents feel connected to one another. One of the major themes which emerged is that the Respondents felt that they were not a part of the dominant culture, and they needed to feel a sense of connectedness with others, so this site is their way of feeling that they are a part of a community. Some of the Resondents, as, for instance, A, C, G, S, and T, state that they currently have friends who are American, along with those who are Chinese, yet they do not entirely relate to their American friends. G states that his American friends simply do not â€Å"get it† - in other words, they do not get what it means to be Chinese. There are different values, beliefs and backgrounds that the Respondents have from their American cohorts and friends, and that is simply something that cannot be bridged. The respondents state that they feel out of place in the dominant culture, despite the fact that some of the respondents have been here in American for many years.

Olay in the United Arab Emirates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Olay in the United Arab Emirates - Essay Example They successfully entered the international markets but later sold their company to Richard Merell Inc who expanded the skin care products (Patrick, 2012). With increased marketing and advertising, the company drastically increased their sales volume. Procter & Gamble bought the company in 1985 and diversified a range of skin care products line up (Patrick, 2012). They unified the brand name to Olay worldwide, except in Germany and Italy where it is branded under the name Olaz. The Olay brand markets a wide range of products and is highly successful all over the world. The Marketing Environment This refers to all factors and forces that determine a company’s ability to interact and develop mutually beneficial relationships with their customers (Lancaster, 2012). The factors may be internal whereby the company can be able to control these factors to its advantage and external where the company has no control over these forces (Lancaster, 2012). The United Arab Emirates offers a superb marketing environment to foreign and local businesses because of few legal hurdles (alClick Advertising Network, 2009). The Micro Environment To be a leader in skin care products, Procter & Gamble Olay’s has developed and maintained a good micro marketing environment enabling it to serve women and men from all over the world. ... The company brand offers an extensive product line including facial moisturizers, body lotions, beauty bars, toners, facial cleansers, UV products combined with specialty products and formulations that caters for the needs of a majority of women all over the world (Patrick, 2012). These products have the high quality standards and are reasonably low priced for their quality (Fitness health, 2012). The company has received numerous awards on quality, innovation and advertisements making it a leader in the skin care category (Arabian Gazette, 2012; Olay, 2012). Pricing Policy Olay products are reasonably low priced for quality and are affordable to most people, facilitating noble sales volume all year round. The company offers numerous discounts and benefits when customers purchase products from online stores; making their products easily affordable to most consumers. Place Procter and Gamble has expanded all over the world with numerous distribution channels and outlets. It has partne red with the online drugstore.com. The company offers free shipping for some of its stuff in the US (Fitness health, 2012). By offering their customers convenient point of purchases, they make their products move faster. Promotion of Sales The company promotes the sales of its skin care products through strategic advertisement and astute marketing, which has enabled the brand to become the most popular skin and beauty product brand all over the world. The company invests in television marketing, internet marketing and has various coupons, cash back reward systems, and various rotating promotions that help market its brands (Olay, 2012). Employees and Staff The firm hires highly competent and skilled staff in all its sections dedicated to the provision of the highest product and

Summary and Opinion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Summary and Opinion - Essay Example It is reported that most of these people have failed to get jobs, attempt after attempt, even for reasons such as over-qualification (Fish, 2014). After the recession, economists argue that however much the economy improved and more (re)gained employment status as a result, it has not done so sufficiently to completely tackle the unemployment situation. John Mitchell blames this retarded growth on Congress with their standoffs over the debt ceiling, expiration of the payroll tax cut and the sequestration induced federal spending cuts. Traditionally, an unemployment benefit last 26 weeks but this period was extended by Congress during the recession of 2008 when many unemployed people found it difficult to find new jobs. Many of these unemployed people depended on these benefits for their daily livelihoods until they were informed that the benefits were being halted henceforth, leading to strained lifestyles and severe public outcry. Jennifer Taub, for example, is now accepting help fr om the extended family against her wishes while Caroline Trude-Rede has since resorted into selling off her valued possessions in order to sustain herself. The House and Congress continued to debate on the extension of unemployment payments in January, 2014 but failed to vote as they recessed for the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. This move and dalliance has furthered uproar with the President being accused of not doing enough to renew long-term unemployment benefits (Fish, 2014). In my opinion, the skyrocketing unemployment rates is a major concern in the United States and one that must be dealt with promptly and with the seriousness it deserves by the government if its far-reaching effects are to be checked. The economy must be improved to ensure creation of more employment opportunities and care for the retired and unemployed. In the meantime, the government must not regard the unemployment

Oil Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Oil Crisis - Essay Example Oil is the major source of energy worldwide and it is expected to remain so over the next few decades. Ever since, then crude oil has become the main "raw" material in every economy no matter it is a developed one or it is in the developing process. The changes in the prices of the crude oil are making positive and negative implications on every economy (Itzkoff, 2008).When these changes of prices are severe ones, one might easily conclude that an economy is going to face problems such as unfavorable supply shocks. When these kinds of problems arise in the world oil market, it is usually described as a world oil crisis. The world has witnessed 2 major oil crises and it is facing another one at the moment (Campbell, 2005). In order to discuss the recent oil crisis and its economic implications I am going to refer to the appropriated economic theory. As mentioned previously the major problem that an economy is facing during every oil crisis is the adverse supply shock. Adverse supply shocks are unexpected events that reduce aggregate supply and therefore the output decreases and prices increase. In the language of economy it can also be said stagflation (Venn, 2002). Firstly, the basic economic tool of demand and supply would be examined in reference to the oil prices. The overall world demand of oil has risen over the period mainly due to the increase in the number of automobiles, which as a matter of fact is a result of higher living standards. Considering local factors, leasing and the easy loan repayment options have made it easy for the every individual living in this world to afford a certain motor vehicle. This in turn has lead to the consumption of oil to the highest. So accordingly, when demand is high and supply is low the prices obviously will tend to rise. Secondly, if the oil pricing mechanism is considered it can be known that oil is a leading resource used by all the industries in this world in one way or the other. Some industries use it in the transporting sector while some use it to produce goods (Prince, 2008). Oil prices are set around the world by OPEC (The Organization of Oil Exporting Countries). What OPEC basically does is how cartels work around the globe; they limit output to guarantee high oil prices and profit margins. Again when the output is limited, the demand supply function puts itself to work and the result is a surge in the oil prices. Thirdly and most importantly, oil is used as a lubricant and raw material in this era of industrialization and again the rise is population speaks for itself why the world demand for oil has risen (Frieden, 2007). Increasing oil prices have far reaching effects on an economy. Just recently, when the oil prices rose to as high as $140/barrel many important countries were seemed to be undergoing a tough time with their budget management (Klare, 2008). On a wider perspective, the effects are far more on ground level then at the macro economic level. When oil prices rise, the prices of those commodities which are dependent on oil also rise. Now when the prices of the latter product rise then the products which use this latter product as a raw material, even their prices rise. The point conveyed through this paragraph can also be known as the multiplier effect in economics. Multiplier effect leads to inflation on a grand scale and its results are mainly felt by the poor who are thus brought into the limelight (Eccleston, 2008). Linking to the upper paragraph, concerns about inflation depress the stock market and even when that does not happen, speculation itself acts as a rodent and thus this diverts away investment from a country. Studies have proved that an increase in the rate of inflation leads to an increase in the poverty level, crime and suicide rates. This is one of the reasons

Pharmacology in nursing-Psychiatric disorder Assignment

Pharmacology in nursing-Psychiatric disorder - Assignment Example On the other hand, FGAs have less efficiency and adverse side-effects characterized by extrapyramidal side-effects. In spite of their efficiency, SGAs also have their own side-effects such as weight gain and the ability to increase vulnerability to diabetes. As such, treatment of depression and psychosis requires careful consideration of various factors, such as age, pre-existent conditions, and polypharmacy among many other factors before making a choice of the treatment drug. In addition to making a choice on the antipsychotics applicable, medical practitioners also have to consider the possibility of incorporating non-pharmacologic approaches such as psychotherapy for youth with difficult-to-treat depression. Additionally, issues of patients using herbal medications, such as St. John’s Wort, have to be advised appropriately to avert potential harm and side-effects from polypharmacy. This paper critically reviews the use of antipsychotics in the treatment of psychosis and de pression. It also briefly highlights the use of psychotherapy and alternative medicine-St. John’s Wort. ... that vary in severity, and these may include schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, drug-induced psychosis and psychotic depression. Psychosis affects approximately 3% of the United States (U.S) population, with 1% of the cases being schizophrenic (Lehne, 2012). On the other hand, depression is a mood disorder condition characterized by feelings of sadness, anger, loss, frustration and aversion of activity. These are common feelings, but actual clinical depression is a situation in which these feelings occur often and cause interference on day-to-day activities. The condition may also elicit other behaviors such as overeating, which could finally lead to obesity. Epidemiologic statistics show that depression is prevalent in the most developed nations, with U.S. being the leading nation. Lifetime prevalence differs greatly from 3% in Japan to as high as 17% in the U.S. Populations in most nations experience depression at a rate ranging between 8% and 12% (Lehne, 2 012). The treatment of psychosis and depression has for a very long time relied on antipsychotics as the first line of treatment. In addition to the pharmacological approach, family and cognitive behavioral therapies have also been recommended for long-term treatment. The use of antipsychotics has in the past presented mixed reactions among users and still continues to present a dilemma in the treatment of psychosis and depression. Notably, the challenge appeared in 2004 and 2005 when the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a â€Å"black box warning† on antidepressants used to treat depressed and psychotic adolescents (Ho, 2012). A â€Å"black box warning† is any alert that appears on the insert of any prescription and warns against adverse effects of using a certain drug. In the

Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being Essay Example for Free

Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being Essay In Milan Kundera’s novel, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, the author uses plenty of literary elements to tie together his points in an effort to help readers understand the basic premise behind the work. Though there are plenty of literary themes that can be found throughout the work, the most important ones are the themes that Kundera uses, as well as the characters in the novel. By creatively using these things in his work, Kundera helps explain what might have otherwise been a fairly complex ideal. In addition, the author is able to tie these things together to create a measure of clarity for readers as they progress through the work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Theme is used in the novel to get across the basic ideas that the author is set on impressing into the reader. Since the novel relies mostly on ambiguous ideas to get across hard to find points, the utilization of different themes are critically important to the development of the story. As one might expect from the title of the work, Kundera uses lightness and the idea of weight as one of the primary themes throughout the book. Even in the title, one can see the dichotomy that exists. Lightness in itself is not something that should be too heavy to bear. Yet, the author is able to masterfully intertwine these two ideas to convey the point of his story. Through the entire work, the characters of the book are searching hard within themselves to find a solution to the primary question presented in the title. Their search for the important things in life is done in order to both find meaning and relieve themselves of some of the heaviness that their being light creates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another important theme that the author uses is politics. Though the characters carry on with their lives throughout the work, they are constantly linked to both each other and to their collective pasts by their underlying political beliefs. A good example of this can be found on page 123 of the novel, when Sabina receives word that the political situation in Prague has cost Tomas and Tereza their lives. The book reads, â€Å"She could not get over the news. The link to her past had been broken† (123). English expert Jay Braiman describes a literary theme as, â€Å"The main idea or message conveyed by the piece† (Braiman). It is clear in the story that the author uses both politics and the idea of weight as the main idea in the work. The desire to escape from the weight of life was something that drove each of the characters, while politics served as a main idea in trying all of the characters together.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Characters were the second literary element used by the author to create the work. Not only do the characters power the action, but they shed a little bit of light into the what the other characters were thinking. Simply having characters is not enough to establish something as an important literary element. As the author clearly understood, the characters must be used in the most efficient, useless way possible in order to help push the idea of the story forward. The characters in this novel are not just there for an arbitrary reason. Instead, they play an active role in the story in establishing the primary aspects of plot development. A Eugene Knight book review of the work talks to the importance of the characters by saying, â€Å"The very fact that they stay together and seem to find some degree of happiness illustrates that an acceptance of a relationship that falls well short of satisfying and fulfilling hopes, is possible† (Knight). One can easily see that the author used the literary element of characters to tie in the many themes that he utilized and help the reader understand the underlying conflict in Czechoslovakia at the time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overall, the book is a commentary on the reasons why people need people so much. This is a complex idea to establish, especially when one considers the fact that it is set against such a tough background. Kundera established his excellent work on the basis that his characters would do the talking for him. Instead of having to explain things to readers to get them to buy in to the main point of the book, he had characters live out their real life experiences to get across the points. Even more importantly than that, he was able to bring the characters closer to the themes that were so important to the author in this book. No one literary theme overtook the book or overpowered it. They all worked together in a sanctimonious harmony that not only told a story, but helped the reader interpret the story. The idea that a person who is too light could not bear that weight is a ridiculous one at first, but as the reader further understands the things that the characters are going through, they can begin to see how such a dichotomy can become quite a conundrum. Works Cited Braiman, Jay. Literary Devices. 2007. http://mrbraiman.home.att.net/lit.htm Knight, Eugene. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Review. http://bookreviews.nabou.com/reviews/unbearable_lightness_kundera.html Kundera, Milan. The Unbearable Lightness of Being. 4 May 2004. HarperCollins Publishing. Raudino, Guiseppe. Socialism and Arts. August 2007. http://www.arttimesjournal.com/art/Art%20Essays/Ju.Aug%20%2707%20Milan%20Kundera/j.a%2707MilanKundera.htm

Analysis Of Three Poems English Literature Essay

Analysis Of Three Poems English Literature Essay The history of English poetry stretches from the middle of the 7th century to the present day. Poets from different countries created numerous outstanding works. Here are three poems Ive read which are of great reputation. They are My Mistress Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun, The Red Wheelbarrow and How Do I Love Thee. The first poem was written by William Shakespeare who is a world famous writer. He is well-known not only for his plays especially tragedies, but also for his 154 sonnets. Not like most sonnet, just as you can find in the title, it depicted a different lady who is not so beautiful. This poem is number 130 out of the 154 sonnets, so we can call it Sonnet 130. It is William Carlos Williams who wrote the second poem. What interesting is his primary occupation was as a family doctor and writing poems was his off-hour hobby, but I believe he is much more succeeded in poetry than as a doctor. The Red Wheelbarrow is a traditional American poetry which is so much different from a sonnet. It is often considered as the masterwork of American 20th-century, although it is the shortest poem I have ever known. The third poet is Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who was one of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era. This is Sonnet XLIII in Sonnets from the Portuguese. Its also a sonnet, but it is in the model of Italy which is popularized by Petrarch. This means the third poem and the first one have great differences. Because of these widely different poems, the world of poetry can be so splendid and vibrant. And I am now going to analyze these three different poems in the aspects of satire, image and theme. When reference satire, we cannot ignore the Shakespeares sonnet number 130, which is a successful poem that effectively use satire to convey a sincere theme while maintaining sonnet structure, and using literary devices as a source of irony. Let me expound it from the beginning. The first quatrain illustrates the appearance of his lover. Her eyes are not beautiful, her lips are not so red, her breast are dun and her hair is bad. No one will think her beautiful, so do I. People who study sonnets are used to praises of beauty and extraordinary spirit yet, instead of introducing a surreal love interest Shakespeare begins his sonnet in such an unconventional method of satire. This ironic method completely overturns the traditional idea of sonnet and successfully hooks the reader. The next two quatrains continue describe how his lover is just a common woman. There is no flushed cheeks and no fragrance breath. Her voice is not like music and when she walks, treads on the ground. We all kno w the fact that conventionally metaphors and similes are used in love poems as a tool to express praise. But in this case, the speaker in sonnet 130 proves his love by depicting his lover that none of these metaphors or similes apply to her since they are exaggerations. In this way, the sonnet 130 enhances its theme by satire. Things change in last two sentences: And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare; As any she belied with false compare. By abandoning literary devices for sincerity, Shakespeare concluded his poem. It makes me believe that sincerity and realism is worth more than false comparisons. And when the theme of the sonnet is concluded with sincere language like this, the readers, including me, then understands Shakespeares use of satire. To conclude, this poem satirizes the over-the-top descriptions that poets had traditionally used to praise womens beauty. Regarding to images in poem, no one can deny the fact The Red Wheelbarrow is one good example. In this poem, three images form a beautiful picture which is unforgettable and meaningful. The poem is so begins: So much depends/ upon/ a red wheel/ barrow. The first two lines look like a child discovered a miracle, and what followed on is the wheelbarrow, the first image. But the picture is so vague now. Then, it goes glazed  with  rain/ water. The second image here is water or rain and it shows that this scene is just after a rain. The last sentence beside  the  white/ chickens reveal the last image, the chickens. Just from the images, we found the poem begins from the abstract things (so much) to stationary object (wheelbarrow), then goes to moving object (rain), and ends with living animals (chickens). These images can simply sum up into from silence to vitality, which is a healthy and progressive development. Furthermore, we can draw a more specific picture if we notice the a djectives. The wheelbarrow is vividly because there is a word red to modify it. We can find the atmosphere so relaxed because the wheelbarrow is glazed with rain other than became dirty. It is said the chicken is white, which is opposite to the wheelbarrows red. In a sense, the imagery in the Williams poetry just like a colorful painting shows the picture of our daily life: an agrarian scene, most likely the yard of a farmhouse, where a wet red wheelbarrow stands among some white chickens. With a strong visual stimulation and the contrast of dynamic and static, this is no longer a simple poem that has only 4 clauses but an ingenious work which has brilliant images.