The Courage of Soldiers

1.Describe the life of Pauline and her siblings.Pauline and her siblings lived a life filled with fear. She was taught at a very young age about the challenges that her parents had gone through in order for her and her sibling to lead a better life. Pauline and her siblings faced physical abuse from their demanding and controlling father. Only the letter ‘A’ was accepted on their school report caard†¦ anything below that deserved a wack with a stick from their abusive father.2.Make a list of the pressures the children in the Ngyuen family faced growing up with their parents.†¢ Worked at the restaurant before and after school†¢Had to attend maths school, Vietnamese school, cooking school, debating and martial arts. They were expected to do all this and had to get top grades at school. 3.What were the father’s methods of discipline? Which do you consider to be worse and why? The father’s methods of discipline were physical abuse and public humi liation. I personally consider public humiliation to be worse because parents who publicly humiliate a child don’t do it for the child's own good but to demonstrate the act of power play over the child. When we are publically humiliated in front of our peers, family and friends, we feel like a raw wound that everybody feels free to rub salt in. They feel utterly open to the judgment of the world and utterly powerless to change it or to take care of themselves while experiencing it.People will judge and as social beings, the opinions of others matter a lot. When they faced the physical abuse, it happened at home and they were able to hide their wounds, when it was done publicly though they couldn’t hide. They had to bear the shame in front of the world. 4.Children raised in abusive environments like Pauline, find it more difficult to define their individual identity and achieve a sense of belonging. Do you agree.Please explain. Yes I do agree that children raised in abu sive environments like Pauline, find it more difficult to define their individual identity and achieve a sense of belonging. This is because that those who face such difficult situations everyday are constricted and aren’t able to roam around and find out who they really are. Because of this constriction it is also hard for them to find a sense of belonging because they are constantly trying to please their parents. 5.Provide several quotes and page that show clearly how Pauline felit living with her parents. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Fear dominated every day of my childhood. Fear and dog shit covering the yard were the smells of my childhood.† Pg. 292 †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"He had never attempted to get to know or understand his children.† Pg. 294 †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"My father controlled every hour of our day and when any situation fell out of his control, we suffered the full force of his anger.† Pg. 293 †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"It is ironic that we in turn had to escape the tyranny of his rul e to find freedom for ourselves.† Pg. 2946.Describe how Pauline might have felt when she ran away from home. What thoughts would have been going through her mind? Pauline might have felt scared, unsure and frightened when she ran away from home. She would have been worried for her brothers, who is going to look after them? What will happen if her dad finds her? Can she do this? Feelings of doubt would have taken over her but she overcame this and decided to finally do something for herself. 7.What do you think of Pauline’s decision to leave home?I think Pauline’s decision to leave home was the right thing to do. She had to get out of there sooner or later. She had to venture out in the real world and find her individual identity and her sense of belonging.8.How did Pauline’s experiences at home affect her in life? What kind of a person has she become? Pauline’s experiences at home affected her life in such a way that she has become9.Why did Pauline continue to inform her father of her academic achievements after she left home? Pauline continued to inform her father of her academic achievements after she left home because she wanted him to know that his words had still stuck with her. ‘Aim high, hold strong ambitions for your future.’ Pg. 296.10.Why is the story titled ‘The Courage of Soldiers’? Is this a fitting title? What title would you have given the story? Yes the title, The Courage of Soldiers, is a fitting title. The courage that soldiers is the same level  of courage the Pauline and her siblings had. I would title this story as ‘ The Courage of Soldiers’ as well. 11.Why did Pauline’s father behave in the way he did?Pauline’s father behaved in the way that he did because he wanted the best for his children. He wanted his children to lead a traditional life and. The way that he implemented his beliefs on his children was wrong though. He was very dominating and never really bothered to know his children. He was over protective and wanted total control over his children.

Ecosystems and How They Work Essay

Question 1. The industrialization of the United States began after the civil war and started to peak in the late 19th century as capital equipment and tools were developed. This made the rapid production of more goods for more people possible. This resulted in the expansion of the factory system allowing people to make a living by manufacturing, commerce, trade or finance. Industrialization, urbanization and immigration caused people to move from the village to the city and together with the influx of foreign immigrants, this led to a dramatic growth in urban population (Faulkner, 1924). The increasing density of industry, transportation and housing had negative impacts on both the land and the lives of the urban dwellers such that alongside with the revolution came the problem of pollution in all its forms – air, garbage, water and noise. The factories needed less variable energy production to run the factories thus energy production shifted from the waterwheel to the burning of fossil fuels and fuel oils. At first, the urban industrial centers took pride in black smoke as a symbol of progress and triumph of civilization. With the invention of the automobile and its rise in popularity, their exhaust fumes further exacerbated the already noxious emissions from the factories. These led to a multitude of respiratory ailments. The problem of garbage came with the increasing population. These accumulated faster than they can be collected and disposed. Even the horse-drawn carts utilized for the collection contributed to this problem as the equine waste s created both health hazards and foul odors. Then, the industrial effluents and sewage from were polluting the river systems. The public started to become aware that the environment cannot absorb limitless amounts of waste. By the 1960’s, the threat became too great. During the mid-twentieth century, the focus on environmental concerns was on the conservation of resources such as forest, ranges and water which led to the passage of laws such as the Taylor Grazing Act (1934), Soil Conservation Act (1935) and even the building of the Hoover Dam (formerly known as the Boulder Dam) to provide cheap electric power along with flood control, recreation and soil conservation. In the 1960’s, according to the environmental historian Samuel P. Hays, there was a shift â€Å"in emphasis from resource efficiency to that of quality of life based on beauty, health and permanence†¦ arising out of the social changes and transformation in human values in the post-War years† (cited in Faulkner, 2002). Various private organizations were found, public agencies established and acts passed to address environmental issues. In 1969, there was Friends of the Earth (FOE) which aimed to protect the planet from environmental disaster and to preserve biological, cultural and ethnic diversity. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) made it mandatory for federal agencies to prepare environment impact statement. To regulate the air and water quality, hazard and disposal management, the Environmental Protection Agency was established. In 1970, Earth Day was first promoted to fight environment causes and to oppose environmental degradation which led o the Environmental Movement. In the same year, the U. S. passed the Clean Air Act. Almost two decades later, an agreement by industrialized nations called the Kyoto Protocol was reached to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (Merchant, 2002). The cost of substantially reducing industrial pollution is high but the costs of ignoring it is even higher as it would compromise the sustainability of life itself. Question 2. â€Å"The biosphere is a closed ecological system with finite resources and its equilibrium is maintained by grand-scale recycling† (â€Å"Pollution†, 2004). Fungi and bacteria play major roles in maintaining a balanced ecosystem as they are in essence nature’s recyclers. Some of these processes where they are involved include photosynthesis and respiration, nitrogen fixation and denitrification. When an organic material is decomposed, the atmospheric supply of carbon dioxide is replenished. Carbon dioxide is needed by plants for the photosynthetic process where oxygen is a by-product and released into the atmosphere. Oxygen is essential for human respiration. Plants also need nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus in the form of phosphates in order to flourish. These can be found in the soil. Nitrogen is obtained through nitrification through microbes oxidizing ammonium to form nitrate and nitrate salts. It can also be obtained through bacteria living in the root nodules of legumes. They obtain fee nitrogen from the air, and synthesize or fix it or even just incorporate it into their bodies so when they die, the nitrogen compounds are released. The phosphorous cycle does not include a gaseous state. Instead, phosphates are removed from rocks where it usually occurs and distributed to both the soil and water. The plant absorbs all the nutrients it needs from the soil, produce its own food, releases oxygen, then are eaten by herbivores, who themselves are eaten by carnivores. The phosphates absorbed are returned to the soil through urine and feces as well as from plant and amanimal decomposition. Since the industrial revolution, we have increasingly ignored or altered the natural cycles. The resulting explosion in economic output has come at the cost of the long-term and dangerous depletion of natural capital. By relying on nitrogen fertilizer instead of organic farm wastes, we have reduced the fertility of agricultural lands and created dead zones in our oceans and rivers. Our logging operations and regular use of fossil fuels have increased atmospheric carbon concentrations to very high levels. By diverting or damming our rivers, we’ve dried out seas (or created new ones), changes local weather patterns and disrupted entire ecosystems. Nature will not be able to keep up if the natural cycles are disrupted by high quantities of wastes. We know this simply cannot go on.

Providing quality care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Providing quality care - Essay Example While traditionally the concept of quality nursing care was defined by the policies, the facilities and the credentials associated with the nurses, this definition has been expanded in the modern times to incorporate the concepts of exploration, improvement of the processes and patient safety, as well as the evaluation of the whole outcome of all these components (Batalden & Davidoff, 2007: 2). In this regard, the concept of quality nursing care refers to the holistic evaluation of the nursing practice, starting from the time the nurse comes into contact with the patient, to the point where the individual is discharged from the health facility, and all the health practices that are involved therein (Institute of Medicine, 2001: 47). Therefore simply put, quality nursing care is the overarching umbrella under which the patient safety resides, and thus the concept of patient safety is indistinguishable from the concept of quality nursing care, since it is through quality nursing care that the safety of the patient is upheld (Russell et al. 2010: 49). Thus, this discussion seeks to analyse the concept of quality nursing care in pain management nursing practice, with a view to establishing how the quality agenda informs this practice. Pain management is an area of nursing practice that has consistently proved to present multifaceted challenges to the nursing practitioners, considering that at some point in life, everyone experiences pain in its diverse forms. Pain has been classified as either acute or chronic, where the acute pain subsides as the process of healing continues, while the chronic pain is persistent (Jensen et al., 2003: 72). The multifaceted challenges faced by the nursing practitioners under the pain management practice emanate from the fact that pain must not always be physiological, but may also entail some components of psychological, spiritual or emotional dimensions (Jones, 2006: 42). Nevertheless, in all these dimensions,

Discuss two or three texts which explore the idea that gender roles Essay

Discuss two or three texts which explore the idea that gender roles are performative rather than innate. Discuss with reference - Essay Example Socially accepted mannerisms and functions are them critiqued through frameworks of understanding that are at once rebellious and radical. These texts open up new ways of understanding the gender relations that exist in patriarchal societies and the influences that such societies have on the people who are a part of such societies. The texts also open up the possibilities for social theorists to understand the ways in which society as a whole is complicit in the victimization of women. The victim’s complicity is also often explored and this results in a better understanding of how the power structures that area associated with patriarchy are able to stifle women’s roles without any voice of dissent making itself known or heard. Film theorists have often been able to locate such discrepancies in the society that is modern and yet patriarchal; they have also been able to locate better the performative aspect of gender because of the very nature of film as a medium. The Gr eat Gatsby is an important example of gender relations in the American society during the 1920s. This was an era when there was a great emphasis on the improvement of the economy and speculative investments were on the rise during this era. As a result of this, there were a large number of people who were extremely wealthy and held a great number of very lavish parties. Jay Gatsby is one such person. His source of income is very mysterious. What the reader knows of Jay Gatsby is what he chooses to tell the narrator Nick. As a result of this, the reader has no option but to accept the version of Gatsby. This passage makes this very clear- The truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself. He was a son of God—a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that—and he must be about His Father’s business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a s eventeen year old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end (Fitzgerald 1995, 16). The idea of inventing for oneself the kind of identity that was in vogue during the twenties is what Gatsby does. What he does is informed by the gender codes of the time and he is able to successfully inhabit such a role. This makes him a successful person for those who are around him. To inhabit a gender role is thus, what makes a person successful in a patriarchal society according to Fitzgerald. This inhabitation of gender roles can also be seen in the women characters of the novel. For instance, the extreme femininity of Daisy is what makes her attractive to the two men who are in love with her. Her rejection of the gender roles that are prescribed then makes room for turmoil and tension within the novel, the kind of tension that finally leads Gatsby to his death. Tom is another character who chooses to inhabit a space that has been socially prescribed. He p lays out an older form of masculinity. According to this role, he is physically strong and is also the provider of the family. Such ideas of gender, according to feminists like Simone de Beauvoir are based on the idea that gender roles are based on the sex of a person. Such roles are then sanctioned by the society and this leads to them being set

Nation-State Boundaries are Becoming Obsolete Essay

Nation-State Boundaries are Becoming Obsolete - Essay Example 1997, p.1). Many professionals ranging from commentators to journalists, from politicians to scholars across all disciplines, have tried to describe and analyze this phenomenon and tend to agree that "globalization," along with the halt of the Cold War, has radically changed the basic "rules of the game" for a variety of key factors, particularly states (Smith et al. 1997, p.1). With the onset of this "globalization" and transnational companies, there have been long debates about the relationship of so-called sovereign states to each other (Wallerstein 1999, p.20). Wallerstein (1999) states that views range from those who emphasize the effective sovereignty of the various states to those who are cynical about the ability of so-called weak states to resist the pressures (and blandishments) of so-called strong states. Krasner (1999, p.34), on the other hand, reports that some analysts argue to the point that the world is entering into a new era, one in which the existing institutional structures, especially the sovereign state (by which they often mean several different things) is being undermined weakened, marginalized, or transmuted, by globalization. According to Krasner (1999, p.34-35), globalization can mean some mix of developments that might include the legitimization of human rights, the digitalization of transactions, the speed of communication, the density of global non-governmental organization (NGO) networks, the transmission of diseases, the growth of international capital markets, the surge of manufacturing in geographically dispersed areas, the universal availability of MTV, the increase in illegal migration, legal migration, and the like. Most analyses that emphasize the growing importance of globalization point to the transformatory nature of modern technology e.g. costs of communication and transportation have plummeted. Kelleher and Klein (1999, p.146) defines sovereignty in that "states accept no political authority as superseding their own." According to the principle, no international institution has the right to determine the laws and policies that apply to people within the borders of any sovereign state. Sovereignty, then, has the effect of designating government as the sole representative of the population of a state (Kelleher and Klein 1999, p.146). Krasner (1999, p.35) also provided that the term sovereignty has been commonly used in at least four different ways: 1. Interdependence sovereignty has referred to the ability of a government to actually control activities within and across its borders (including the movement of goods, capital, ideas, and disease vectors). 2. Domestic sovereignty has referred to the organization of authority within a given polity. 3. Westphalian sovereignty has referred to the exclusion of external authority; the right of a government to be independent of external authority structures. 4. International legal sovereignty has referred to the recognition of one state by another; some entities have been recognized by other states; others have not. Recognition has been associated with diplomatic immunity and the right to sign treaties and join international organizations. Globalization: A Threat to Sovereignty According to Krasner (1999, p.36), many observers have suggested that the increase in

Richard Nixon's Foreign Policy During the Cold War Essay

Richard Nixon's Foreign Policy During the Cold War - Essay Example Elsewhere, communist political influence was spreading further in Latin America. The rise of Marxist leader Salvador Allende in Chile during 1970 was troubling the United States. By this time, President Nixon developed his own foreign policy called the â€Å"Nixon Doctrine.† In his speech, President Nixon (1969) stated these points as his main focus in foreign policy: Before any American troops were committed to Vietnam, a leader of another Asian country expressed this opinion to me when I was traveling in Asia as a private citizen. He said: "When you are trying to assist another nation defend its freedom, U.S. policy should be to help them fight the war but not to fight the war for them." Well, in accordance with this wise counsel, I laid down in Guam three principles as guidelines for future American policy toward Asia: - First, the United States will keep all of its treaty commitments. - Second, we shall provide a shield if a nuclear power threatens the freedom of a nation allied with us or of a nation whose survival we consider vital to our security. - Third, in cases involving other types of aggression, we shall furnish military and economic assistance when requested in accordance with our treaty commitments. ... The goal of Nixon’s foreign policy is to provide military and technical support to nations who are against Communist influence without sending US military personal to participate. Any direct intervention by the US military towards such conflicts would increase tensions to the already heated international political environment. Despite Nixon’s seemingly hawkish approach toward Communist nations, he found that realistic diplomatic approaches were also necessary. Nixon knew that resorting to military action against Soviet Russia and China would be catastrophic, even though it was clear that the Russians and Chinese were helping North Vietnam fight the US forces in South Vietnam. Regardless, there were heated tensions between Soviet Russia and China during that period. Research by Gilliland (2006) pointed that â€Å"as a realist, Nixon saw the potential benefits of a new relationship with China as a way to pressure the Soviets on many issues, and to expand trade between bo th nations† (p.14). Nixon’s foreign policy doctrine had various effects. First, it brought the era of Detente during the Cold War. The detente was the foreign policy of Nixon. Its purpose is to work on and improve a diplomatic atmosphere of  cooperation and normalization between the United States and the communist nations of Soviet Russia and China. A report made by the University of Virginia’s Miller Center (2012) conveyed: The announcement that the President would make an unprecedented trip to Beijing caused a sensation among the American people, who had seen little of the world's most populous nation since the Communists had taken power. Nixon's visit to China in February 1972 was widely televised and heavily viewed. It was only a first step, but a decisive one, in the budding

Listening power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Listening power - Essay Example The technique to manage your boss to agree with you is through finding weak spots in him. If you listen carefully, your boss might give you ways into his weaker side through what he says and you could use them to your advantage. For example, if your boss tells you something like â€Å"I am just 2 years away from a great retirement plan. I don’t want to deal with stupid people like you†, then you must focus more on his retirement and less on you being referred to as a stupid person. Let us now move on and outline the basic steps you must take to get your boss to agree with you. First comes the listening part. You must listen carefully and find out what exactly it is that your boss wants. Every boss is different. Some bosses want to feel the power in their hands, some want security, and some are only concerned with the money. Therefore, you must listen and analyze your boss and find out what his basic requirements are. After that, you must deal with him accordingly based on what he wants. For instance, if he’s looking for power, ask him to give you a chance to do things your own way, and that if you failed, you would be ready to do whatever he wants. Similarly, if your boss appears to be insecure, you could try talking to him like a colleague rather than a subordinate and ask him about his family and interests. This would cause him to be more open to you and would develop a bond of trust and understanding between the two of you. It is important to note that arguing does not lead to any good. Whatever insight to your boss you get from listening and communicating with him, you must ensure that your tone is not that of an argument when you try to convince him. Instead, you should devise a well thought out plan of action for your discussion with him and ask him questions to get to the root of his requirements. Even after all the listening and planning, however, you might not be able to reach a

Organizing Religious Landscapes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Organizing Religious Landscapes - Essay Example Seeking to bring the analysis into a relevant current day application, the essay will seek to understand the means by which religious landscapes continue to define life, politics, and culture within the counties that comprise central Wisconsin. As a function of seeking to understand such a reality, it will be the hope of this author that such a level of research will help to shed a level of understanding on how and why certain regions have developed and exhibit some of the key indicators of both culture, religion, and politics that they do. Returning to the way in which religious barriers can differentiate a region or define a culture in a different way, one need look no further than the way in which many of the cultural and religious boundaries that exist within Europe have differentiated the entire continent in a way that it would not likely have been differentiated had religious differences not existed in the first place. Whereas the study of geography, anthropology, and sociology leads one to the understanding of how natural barriers and language barriers help to define and distinguish one group from another, religion serves no lesser nor more important purpose in achieving the same level of differentiation among individuals. To see a prime example of how geography can be decided upon religious terms alone, one need look no further than the way in which the British or French colonialists divided much of the world both in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia based upon religious lines. Evidence of this can of course be seen with regards to the creation of Lebanon, the creation of Papua New Guinea as compared to Indonesia, or the way in which African nations had their borders drawn specifically as a means of differentiating between animist, Muslim and/or Christian. However, geography and the means by which it is defined is not always chosen by an outside force. Oftentimes, the means by which geographic representations are determined are more often than not the r esult of domestic decisions and choices made at the lowest levels. This low-level decision making about what defines â€Å"the other† is oftentimes a result of the way in which religion and the practice thereof helps to differentiate one culture with regards to its neighbors. Due to the inherent truth that religion by its very nature seeks to instill a certain personal and group dynamic within the individuals that practice it, it is necessarily a formulary of the way in which culture is defined and comes to shape a given geography. However, it should not be understood that religious differences necessarily leads to the splitting of a nation or a state of war and/or conflict with another group of individuals. Rather, there are many religiously diverse regions within the world that live in more or less social cohesion and harmony. An obvious example of this would be with regards to the United States and many regions within Africa, Western Europe, and elsewhere around the globe. However, merely because a level of conflict does not exist should not be seen as an indication that the existence and adherence to different religions within diverse geographies does not have a

Role of the Photography in Advertising Coursework

Role of the Photography in Advertising - Coursework Example In the formal education setting, the human brain is trained to pick apart the words they are reading in order to analyze texts. This process, though, does not hold true for their perception of photos and images. Through societal standards, we have grown used to accepting photos as truth without applying the analytical process used to comprehend texts. The human awareness of truth in photos has played a major part in the modern day trend of photo manipulations. In this progressively digital era, photos can be manipulated to portray an illusion of whatever the manipulator wants the photo to be. This can be especially predominant in print marketing, where the chief objective is to sway the yearnings or needs of a consumer using photos (Barry 1997, p. 23; Walden 2006, p. 18). In the technology savvy environment where most of our communication is done using imagery, it is challenging to comprehend of a medium more powerful than photos. With the establishment of photography within modern culture, the medium sits together with other forms of imagery, from which it has been created and which it has helped to create, standing as a purely denotative form (Stafford & Faber 2005, p. 57). Photography shares a comparable cultural space with advertising imagery, with the later often relying on the former to deliver its message, while at the same time determining the purpose of photo depiction. Photography and advertising share a mutual and co-dependent past and as such can legitimately be regarded as correlated constructs and forms.

Diabetes Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diabetes - Annotated Bibliography Example The findings attribute a majority of socioeconomic burden in the society to this observation, noting it as a major cause of premature mortality. To the patients, the risk of retinopathy, neurological conditions and renal failure constantly looms. In spite of giving critical findings on the negative impact of diabetes in the society and acknowledging the need to prioritize public health control programs, the researchers fail to give recommendations to curb its effects as contrasted to the subsequent articles by Goyder, Simmons and Gillett (2010) and Malkawi (2012) hereafter. The researchers from the University of Sheffield appreciate the importance of diabetes prevention in reducing morbidity and mortality, and in this study they collect data from national policy documents in the UK to determine the persons charged with preventing diabetes. The evidence found point out at community level intervention as more effective than individual based approach with much synergy observed for diabetes prevention and other major public health priorities, just as indicated in the previous research by Dieren et al. (2010), including obesity prevention, socioeconomic inequality, reducing chronic diseases and climate change. Even though the study was confined within the UK hence unreliable to imply to the whole global population as contrasted to the previous article, it gives an important insight that prevention programs should be aimed at the larger population other than at individuals. Malkawi, A. M. (2012). The effectiveness of physical activity in preventing type 2 diabetes in high risk individuals using well-structured interventions: a systematic review. Journal of Diabetology, 2(1), 1 – 18. This research acknowledges the burden of type 2 diabetes as articulated in the previous two research studies and as such evaluates the effectiveness of physical activity in curbing diabetes spread. It aims at

Second World War Essay Example for Free

Second World War Essay Through this, Priestley has used the Inspector to show that no one can live their life in the sole aim to please themselves and that eventually, sharing (a form of equality) has to be done, even if it is with such an intimate feeling as guilt. This sharing is one of the basic elements of Socialism and through this statement and many more, the Inspector just reinforces his desire for peace and community. The play was written just after the Second World War had ended and the Labour Government were taking steps to bring the standard of lower-class living up. With this in mind, Priestley has used this Socialist standing about the Inspector, to put forward a message to the audience that they must not let Capitalism pull Society back to the unfair state it was before. Through many statements like these and the ever-present contrast to the Birling family, he shows how greed can destroy lives, and thus is ultimately used by Priestley to show that these kind of situations must stop and must do, for good. The characters who are used to oppose Inspector Gooles political standpoint and show the uncaring sides of Capitalism, are that of Gerald, Mr Birling and Mrs Birling. From the beginning of the play they are used to build up walls against the Inspectors claims, as they deem the life of Eva Smith un-important. They are continually used to act as corrupt ambassadors for the Capitalist belief, as they arrogantly refuse to accept any the responsibility for their actions, (as shown by Mrs Birling below): Im sorry she should have come to such a horrible end. But I accept no blame for it all.(Mrs Birling, Act two).  This is only one of the many comments where these three characters have shown no exceptence for their vicious acts. Instead of repenting, they just pass the blame on and experience no remorse for the part they played in causing the innocent girl to die. Their only cares focus on their own statuses and how they themselves will be affected in the end. This harsh exterior and no compassion causes the audience to resent the three characters and in-turn, the beliefs they stand for. Priestley, who has used their disgusting behaviour for effect, wants the audience to ultimately detest these characters and thus, be totally against the seemingly corrupt political opinions that drive their cruelty. Even with these characters that show no response to the Inspectors morals, there are two who become rapidly changed throughout the plot. Sheila and Eric become briskly transformed, as their young ignorance matures into the social awareness that causes them to except the terrible acts as their fault. This prompt transformation is first shown in both characters at the end of the play, when the others try to write off the Inspector as a mere hoax. Sheila and Eric, who show that the Inspector has touched their lives, cant let anyone forget his message, as they stand up for what they believe:  Youre beginning to pretend now that nothings happened at all. And I cant see it like that. (Eric, Act three). Thats just the way I feel, Eric. And its what they dont seem to understand. (Sheila, Act three).  Sheila and Eric feel extremely guilty for what they have done and even when the others try to pretend that nothing has happened, they know something has. They show a compassion for Eva Smith and seek repentance, for they know what they did was wrong. This fact of remorse causes the audience to empathise with their character and thus feel a certain amount of respect, as they have witnessed them prevail through ignorance and ultimately except the truth. Inspector Goole shows that the younger generations cast a sign of hope and thus, can be inspired and used to fulfill great causes. Like Sheila and Erics susceptibility to unified equality in this story, Priestley hopes that younger people all over the world will also take the initiative to improve life, so that we no longer live our existence by greed and capital, but by the basic joy of humanitys diversity alone. Before the Inspector leaves the plot, he delivers Priestleys fundamental opinion to the audience very directly. In this, he conveys a final speech, in which he shows an immense compassion towards the issue being discussed. He explains that whatever social or political background we come form, that it is our duty in life to help those in less-fortunate positions, and with no doubt whatsoever, he shows that we cannot just disregard the facts at hand, but that we are to embrace every situation with our arms open-wide:  But just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hope and fears, their sufferings and chances of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and say and do. We dont live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. (Inspector Goole, Act three). This phrase means many things, and on the surface, is just a moral conclusion to sum up how we should look after each other; but when searched much deeper, Priestley shows how life needs to change on a much larger scale. For instance, this final message could describe how in Society, wealthy upper-classes need to look after those in lower-class poverty. It could also describe how nationally; stronger social groups need to become more aware of their exact effect on the vulnerable targets within the community. But when seen on a much broader height, it could also describe how internationally; stronger super-powers need to take in consideration the authority and equal rights of the smaller countries they tend to exploit. All of these possible scenarios, with whatever circumstance they may have, simply describe Priestleys ultimate intentions for the play to deliver. He uses the Inspector to employ his thoughts on social-awareness for the very last time, thus explaining that in every situation, whether it be global, national or personal, that our fundamental requirement is to look after others, thus ultimately avoiding the inevitable fire, blood and anguish that he talks about in his speech. I totally fall in agreement with what Priestley has used the Inspector to say about the political forefront of things. Although I am not a socialist like he is, I do think that we, as a body of intertwined lives, need to be sensitive to those in less fortunate situations and thus offer help, rather than just ignoring matters in the interest of our own good. In every circumstance, I think that we need to act with full reflection on the consequences of what we say and do, in the aim to avoid conflict of any kind in the future. Priestley was obviously a man who cared about the value of people over that of material objects, and in this issue, so am I. Paragraph 7 The Inspectors function as an Educator 1st Re-draft  The last, but probably the most fundamental role in influencing the audience, is Inspector Gooles dramatic function as an Educator. In this position, Priestley has used the Inspectors character to educate the audience along side the rest of the characters, as he teaches them about the truth behind the Society. He shows that the class denominations are nothing but discriminative tools used to separate people and that the greedy ways of money are nothing but immoral and corrupt. The Inspectors most important act of educating is his continuous focus on the Capitalist opinion. He uses this to reveal the many faults within the political standing and thus ultimately deter the audience away from it. In much detail, he shows the belief to be prejudice, unfair and greedy; so much so, that even the Capitalist Mr Birling wont raise the wages for something as important as Eva Smiths survival. This scenario, only an example of the many prejudices within Capitalism, is an obvious outrage and thus, Priestley has used the Inspector to comment about it: its better to ask for the Earth than to take it (Inspector Goole, Act one)  Through this, the Inspector shows that on the surface it is more justified for Eva Smith to ask for higher wages than it is for Mr Birling to roam through life thinking that he can have everything. This in wider terms shows that Priestley is firmly against the Capitalist supporters who believe that they are the centre of the Worlds existence, and that eventually their arrogance is no better than the impertinent people who ask to share a tiny portion of their wealth. Capitalism is therefore shown to be a selfish, non-compassionate system, and thus Priestley educates the audience against it, advising them that it is certainly not a method to run anyones life by.

Grapefruit Interactions with Drugs

Grapefruit Interactions with Drugs What is Grapefruit? Grapefruit, a relative newcomer to citrus clan, has a fascinating history. It is a large orange berry with a thick rind. It is the belief of the most botanists that grapefruit is a naturally occurring accidental hybrid between pomelo and orange. It is believed that, although its appearance is very much different from an ordinary grape, the name ‘grapefruit’ was used because they grow in clusters, and these clusters may seem as large yellow grapes. The original belief was that, the grape fruit is a kind of a pomelo. (1) But in 1837, James Macfayden, separated grapefruit from pomelo, in his Flora of Jamaica, giving it a botanical name, Citrus paradisi. After its hybrid nature was genetically identified, the botanical name was altered to Citrus X paradisi. (1) Nutritional value Grapefruit, like most of the other citrus fruits, is a great source of vitamin C, which helps the immune system. It is advantageous for the fight against, from simple cold to, asthma, rheumatoid fever, osteoarthritis, cancer, heart disease and stroke. (2) Lycopene, which gives grapefruit its red and pink colors, is a carotenoid phytonutrient, with high anti-tumor ability. Also lycopene has the highest capacity among the common dietary carotenoids to fight free radicals. (2) According to the availability of the content of phenolic compounds in the grapefruit juice, it is ranked among the highest in food products of antioxidant activity. (2) Limonoids, another phytonutrient in grapefruit, promotes the formation of glutathione-S-transferase, thus minimizing the tumor formation. Pectins, a form of soluble fiber in grapefruit is useful against the progression of atherosclerosis. (2) Also, the grapefruit juice increases urinary pH value and citric acid excretion, and significantly reduces the formation of calcium oxalate stones, thus minimizing kidney stone formation. (2) Naringenin, a flavonoid concentrated in grapefruit, helps to repair damaged DNA, especially in human prostate cancer cells. 8-oxoguanine-DNA glycosylase and DNA polymerase beta, enzymes are induced by Naringenin, which are useful in DNA base excision repair pathway. (2) Although the nutritional value of grapefruit is highly commended and proved, around a decade ago, scientists found that the availability of oral drugs can be severely reduced by grapefruit food products, especially grapefruit juice. The cytochrome P-450 3A4 system, in the intestine, which is facilitates the first pass metabolism in many drugs, can be inhibited by grapefruit. Also in the brush border of intestinal wall, there are P-glycoprotein pumps. They transport many of the substances used by cytochrome P-450 3A4. This system is also inhibited by grapefruit. Inhibition of both these systems can be dangerous. Because of these, knowledge and awareness of these interactions is massively important. These interactions can lead to severe effects and these interactions can occur very commonly as most of the times, both the drugs and grapefruit food products are used together at breakfast. (3) Mechanism of interaction Cytochrome 3A4 is a member of cytochrome P-450 enzyme system. In the endoplasmic reticulum of cells all over the body, it can be found. It is a heme-containing large multigene family. As oxidative bio-transformation of different exogenous and endogenous substances occurs in liver and intestinal wall, cytochrome P-450 is abundant in those places. In the apical brush border of enterocytes, P-glycoprotein can be found. It is a membrane transporter and a member of adenosine triphosphate binding cassette (ABC). Once lipophilic drug is taken into the enterocytes, it is pumped back into the lumen by P-glycoprotein or metabolized by cytochrome P-450 3A4. These actions limit the oral delivery of many drugs. With the intake of grapefruit juice, cytochrome P-450 system is inhibited, thus pre-systemic metabolism of drug is decreased and bioavailability of the drug increase. (4) Grapefruit juice causes massive reduction in translation of these enzymes from its m-RNA. However the transcription of m-RNA from DNA is not affected. Grapefruit also promotes the deterioration of these enzymes. These actions together, massively decline the cytochrome P-450 activity in a quick and irreversible manner. A decline of 47% of total levels of cytochrome P-450 3A4 levels can be seen within the four hours of grapefruit juice ingestion. With this decrease, increased bioavailability of the drug can be maintained for about a day. Even after that, for some time, 30% of its effect is still there. (5-7) Some studies indicate that effect on grapefruit juice on cytochrome p-450 3A4 system and P-glycoprotein system are controversial. Means grapefruit juice can activate the P-glycoprotein pumps in vitro in a way (9). This could result in massive efflux of drugs back into the lumen. This is believed to be the cause for diminished bioavailability of some particular substrates, or sometimes this can neutralize the effect of reduced cytochrome P-450 3A4 activity due to ingestion of grapefruit juice. However Digoxin, a prototypical P-glycoprotein substrate, is found as one of the substrates in P-glycoprotein pump, which is not affected by grapefruit juice (8, 10). By both inhibition of function and, down-regulation, grapefruit juice inhibits the function of P-glycoprotein pumps. Example: increased bioavailability of cyclosporine with the grapefruit juice. This is believed to be a result of P-glycoprotein inhibition, other than cytochrome P-450 3A4, since the increase of bioavailability, produced by reduced enterocyte cytochrome P-450 3A4 concentrations, are tend to differ than the obtained results (8). MRP2 (multi-drug resistant protein 2) an associated P-glycoprotein efflux protein, has also shown its inhibition of action, with the ingestion of grapefruit juice (11). In spite of all the acquired knowledge, researchers still further investigate the grapefruit and drug interactions. In vivo effect of grapefruit juice on P-glycoprotein is an area believed to be needed to investigate further more. OATPs or organic anion-transporting polypeptides also said to be potently inhibited by grapefruit juice. In the small intestine, they are involved in the process of apical to basal transport of drugs (8, 10, and 12). The knowledge and conclusions obtained with the studies carried out in vitro cytochrome P-450 3A4 inhibition by grapefruit, the likelihood of these interactions happening in a natural way (the ingestion of grapefruit food products) can be predicted. It is also believed that the reported ethnic differences and the activity of the cytochrome P-450 3A4 could be because of the dietary differences, such as consumption of grapefruit. All in all, because of the potential of grapefruit and grapefruit related food items to interact with drugs, intake of grapefruit should be carefully monitored, in order to maintain necessary drug concentrations within the body of a patient, within the therapeutic windows. Phytochemistry Another aspect that the researchers are still thoroughly studying on is knowledge about active constituents in grapefruit juice in the molecular level, which can interfere and act on P-glycoprotein pumps and cytochrome P-450 systems. Although these studies are not extensively studied or completely proven, they indicate various molecules that take part in the drug interaction process. Flavonoid glycosides such as naringin, naringinin, hesperidin, neohespiridin, narirutin, quercetin, and didymin are some of substances responsible. Also, sesquiterpen and furanocoumarins (such as 6,7-dihydroxybergamottin) are also responsible (3, 14-16). Naringin is the most abundant flavonoid contained in the grapefruit juice. Also the flavonoids in the grapefruit exist as glycosides. After ingestion, the actions of intestinal flora convert these to sugars and aglycones. These compounds can inhibit the cytochrome P-450 enzymes. Theoretically, it is believed that electron rich polyphenolic nature of these compounds is responsible for that. Most studies show the in vitro effect of these compounds on cytochrome P-450 enzyme system. But in vivo, researchers have not yet completely proven or identified their effects on cytochrome enzyme system (17). Naringinin, which is a metabolite of naringin, has a higher activity in vitro, although naringin has no visible effect. This leads to a complication and some suspicion among researchers that flavonoids may not be the main active substance in grapefruit, which is responsible for the whole drug interaction dilemma. Even though with all these debates, due to very high concentration of these compounds in grapefruit juice and the fact naringin is present only in grapefruit among the fruits in citrus clan, quest for flavonoids still continues. Recent researchers are mostly focusing on furanocoumarins. Main furanocoumarins are bergomottin and its derivative 6,7-dihydroxybergomottin(DHB)(18). Debates still going on about the extent of effect these compounds on interaction mechanism certain studies have shown that DHB and, to an average amount bergamottin are vital contributors of grapefruit-drug interaction process (18, 19). In one particular study, furanocoumarins, DHB and four others, mixed and tested. The inhibitory potency on cytochrome enzyme systems declinedeven when any one of these compounds taken out from the mixture, not just DHB. That created a complication. There are even studies supporting that perhaps DHB and bergomattin may not be the primary compounds in the inhibition process (20). With all these facts this idea also still in the process of intense research and suspicion. Drug-Grapefruit interactions Amiodarone and anti-hypertensive drugs 1,4-dihydropyridine calcium antagonists are used mostly for patients with angina pectoris and also for patients with essential hypertension. They are lipid soluble drugs, metabolized by cytochrome P-450 3A4 in vivo, and grapefruit juice can affect its bioavailability. Intensive study and research began with the effects of grapefruit juice with felodipine, another calcium channel blocker and an anti-hypertensive drug. It was found that when grapefruit juice is ingested, oral bioavailability of these drugs can increase by 112% (21). Furthermore it demonstrates that intra-venous pharmacokinetics of felodipine remains without a significant change with the grapefruit juice ingestion (21). Also the interaction frequency gradually increases with the increased grapefruit juice ingestion. Because of these reasons, it is recommended that interval of 2-3 days between administration of felodipine and ingestion of grapefruit juice. The elderly specially should be warned about this situation. Amioderone is used for cardiac arrhythmias. It is converted into N-desethylamioderone by cytochrome P-450 3A4. With the ingestion and interaction with grapefruit juice, N-desethyl amioderone production inhibits almost completely, with an overall decline in side effects produced by amiodarone (8). Furthermore benzothiazepine calcium channel antagonist diltiazem, nisoldipine, verapamil, ACE inhibitors like enalapril and aptopril also said to have effect with grapefruit juice interaction. Benzodiazepines and CNS drugs Midazolam is a drug of benzodiazepine class used for acute seizures for inducing sedation and in insomnia. Certain studies have proven that grapefruit juice has a great effect on first-pass metabolism, which reduces the metabolism efficiency badly and increase its bioavailability (22). Clinical importance is that especially for the patients with cirrhosis of the liver, intestine metabolism of cytochrome P-450 3A4 is vital. So the ingestion of grapefruit juice has to be avoided. Another use of midazolam is in pediatric dentistry. Oral midazolam is very commonly used for this. There have been incidents that because of the bitter taste acquired with the administration of oral midazolam, patients tend to take sweetened food items, sometimes grapefruit. If grapefruit was taken in after administration of oral midazolam, blood plasma midazolam levels can increase and patient may tend to have exaggerated seduction time. Triazolamand clozapine are some other drugs that can also affect. Antimicrobials Indinavir is commonly used to treat HIV in highly active antiretroviral therapy. It is a protease inhibitor. There are reports showing that ingestion of grapefruit juice can delay indinavir absorption with the increase of gastric pH, but it does not affect systemic bioavailability (23). It is believed, because primary metabolism may not take place in the intestine. Saquinavir is also another drug used for patients with HIV. It is also a protease inhibitor. It is shown that the ingestion of grapefruit juice can increase the bioavailability of saquinavir (24). Although it increased the bioavailability, the clearance of the drug won’t change. This could be an indication that inhibition of cytochrome P-450 3A4 is affected. Theoretically, because of the dose dependent nature of the saquinavir, it is possible that effectiveness can increase with the inhibition of cytochrome P-450 3A4. Artemether an anti-malarial drug, also shown its increasing oral bioavailability, when grapefruit juice is ingested. But its time dependent reduction of bioavailability does not affect by grapefruit (25). This could indicate the importance of cytochrome P-450 3A4 in the pre-systemic metabolism. Quinine, a natural drug used in broad range of aspects, seemed to be does not affected by grapefruit juice. It is because it is primarily metabolized in the liver. (Where inhibition of cytochrome P-450 3A4 with grapefruit mainly effect on the gut)(8) Its low clearance is also helpful for this. Furthermore in antibiotics, clarithromycin, show increased time for reach for its peak concentration, but pharmacokinetics seemed to be unaffected (26). While abendazole, an anti-parasitic, shows an increased bioavailability with the ingestion of grapefruit juice (27). Chemotherapeutics Cyclosporine is a widely used immunosuppressant drugs, used in organ transplants. Studies have shown that cyclosporine and its metabolites both show rapid increase in their concentrations in plasma, when grapefruit juice was administered (28). Anti-histamines and serotonin analogues Cisapride is a drug that increases the motility of the upper GI tract. It is a serotonin receptor agonist. Studies have shown that cisapride systemic bioavailability gradually increases with the administration of grapefruit juice (29), because of the inhibition of cytochrome P-450 3A4. Therefore it’s advisable, that the patients who are taking cisapride, especially with a risk of cardiac arrhythmias, should avoid drinking grapefruit juice. Terfenadine, anti-histamine, also show increased system bioavailability when grapefruit juice is taken in (30). This also play an important role, because in an electrocardiogram, increased systemic levels of terfenadine can prolong the QT interval. Statins and cholesterol-lowering drugs Simvastatin, a cholesterol lowering drug, also shown increased serum concentrations when grapefruit juice is taken (31). Also its active metabolite simvastatin acid levels and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors also increase. Active metabolites of the grapefruit juice, Bergamottin and Naringenin are said to be responsible for this. It is also carried out from the inhibition of cytochrome P-450 3A4 and thus limiting the first pass metabolism in small intestine. Lovastatin, another cholesterol reducing drug said to have same effects as simvastatin, when the grapefruit juice is administered. Serum concentrations of lovastatin and its active metabolite lovastatin acid seem to be elevated. By the same mechanism, prevention of first pass metabolism in the small intestine by inhibiting cytochrome P-450 3A4. Conclusion Because of the vast difference of effects given by grapefruit-drug interactions, and its effects on pharmacokinetics, physicians should be vigilant about the whole procedure. And also warn their patients about the possible consequences which can happen in a drug-grapefruit interaction. Patient-to-patient variability, mostly the age of the patient, should be thoroughly remembered. And the elderly should be warned especially as they are more prone to the grapefruit-drug interactions (8). Also the knowledge about these interactions can be used for the advantage of the physician. Example: to lower the dosage. Still, because all these are mostly in a research level and safe procedures should always be followed as patients safety is the top priority.

How Charles Dickens Depicts Women

How Charles Dickens Depicts Women Dickens and his view towards women- Is it really progress? The Victorian Age is a period of great progress in multiple fields such as industry, trade, literature and so on. The role of women in society also improved considerably and many laws were passed safeguarding their rights during this age. By the fin de sià ¨cle, the concept of a New Woman is born. Charles Dickens is one of the most famous novelists during this era as his novels were read widespread by the general populace. His works always favoured progression of the working class, and the effects of industrial revolution like in Hard Times. But his portrayal of women in his works easily fall under the Victorian stereotypes of women and this aspect does not really portray him as a progressive writer for women. David Holbrook, in Charles Dickens and the Image of Women, says when it came to the problems of man-woman relationship, he (Dickens) was seriously hampered, not only by the attitudes of his age but also by his own emotional makeup and psychic pattern (Holbrook, 1993. Chapter 7, Pg. 172) To establish this, I will analyse Dickens Great Expectations and attempt character sketches of the women portrayed in that novel. The reason for choosing this specific novel is due to the fact that it was fairly popular during the time of publishing and it has different types of women characters presented in the novel. This novel is also highly controversial as it has two endings because the general populace was not satisfied with the original ending and Dickens had to rewrite it to please his audience. Great Expectations follows the protagonist Pip and it chronicles his life. The novel could be even considered as a bildungsroman. Pip encounters various types of women in society and his interactions and perspective of these women gives a clear idea of Dickens mindset towards these women. The character Pip and Dickens share a lot of similarities- for example, Dickens father was arrested and the theme of prison runs strong in Great Expectations, Pip and Dickens did not have good relationships with women and so on. The women of Great Expectations can be put into categories but these categories are not definite as some characters can be a mix of two or more categories. These categories are as follows: The angels of the house, the eccentric women, and the independent women. The Angel of the house is the idealised stereotype of a Victorian Woman and how she should behave. This idea was popularized by Coventry Patmores poem, The angel of the house where he describes his wife as an angel who takes care of the household. She is someone who is meek and doesnt challenge the authority of the household leader, the man. She is subservient to him and fulfils his wishes with the utmost devotion. She is also someone who upholds moral values such as truth , charity and purity. This is the kind of woman that the Victorian society and many authors preferred. Some would say Dickens himself preferred these kinds of characters and usually, they have a good ending, like the titular character in Little Dorrit. In Great Expectations, the role of the Angel of the house is taken up by Biddy. Biddy is the childhood friend of Pip, the protagonist of Great Expectations who appears to take on the mantle of a kind and nurturing mother. The first description of this character is seen in Chapter 7, when Pip goes to Mr. Wopsles great aunt to study in her evening school. It is here he meets Biddy, who manages the shop which Mr. Wopsles great aunt runs. She was an orphan like myself; like me, too, had been brought up by hand. She was most noticeable, I thought, in respect of her extremities; for, her hair always wanted brushing, her hands always wanted washing, and her shoes always wanted mending and pulling up at heel.(Chapter 7, Pg. 76) From the above description, it is clear that Pip did not have that high of a regard towards Biddy, though they were similar in being brought up by hand. She was just a regular commoner, according to Pip. In Chapter 10, Biddy readily agrees to teach Pip everything she knows. She is also described as the most obliging of girls which is one of the traits of the Angel of the house. When Mrs. Joe gets injured by Orlick, Biddy is brought in to take care of her which instantly helps relieve some stress around the household. Biddy seems to be experienced in taking care of other people, as she has been taking care of Mr. Wopsles great aunt throughout her life. This is also another characteristic of the Angel of the house. By Chapter 17, Pips view of Biddy changes and he sees Biddy as more feminine and pretty, though not on par with the gorgeous Estella. Her shoes came up at the heel, her hair grew bright and neat, her hands were always clean. She was not beautiful she was common, and could not be like Estella but she was pleasant and wholesome and sweet-tempered. (Chapter 17, Pg. 222) Biddy is also intellectually equal or better than Pip as she manages to keep up with him in intellectual pursuits and manage the domestic household chores. In short, whatever I knew, Biddy knew. (Chapter 17, Pg. 222) But she always remains humble and never proud, which is how an ideal Victorian woman would behave. She also serves the role of a confidante and consoler to Pip as he confesses the feelings he had harboured for Estella to her and his wish of becoming a gentleman. Biddy was the wisest of girls, and she tried to reason no more with me. She put her hand, which was a comfortable hand though roughened by work, upon my hands, one after another, and gently took them out of my hair. Then she softly patted my shoulder in a soothing wayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Chapter 17, Pg. 229-230) When Biddy and Pip get into an argument, she gets accused of being jealous and it is her who apologises. Also in Chapter 35, when Mrs. Joe dies, they get into another argument and in the end she says, let only me be hurt, if I have been ungenerous. This is similar to Amy Dorrits behaviour in Little Dorrit when she gets scolded by her father for not getting along with the gatekeepers son to provide him a more comfortable life. This is also another characteristic which was expected of the Angel of the house, where the woman is subservient to the man and has no right to confront him for his misdeeds or wrongdoings, but rather apologise even if they werent at fault. In chapter 58, Biddy finally gets her happy ending by marrying Joe Gargery, the good Samaritan. She is also the only female character to get a proper happy ending unlike Estella (in the original ending), Ms. Havisham or Mrs. Joe. It is obvious that Dickens favours Biddy and the type of woman she portrays more than the others. She might be unconsciously modelled after Mary Hogarth, his first wife, who according to David Holbrook in Charles Dickens and the Image of Women, is worshipped by him (Dickens) as the epitome of ideal womanhood. Throughout his life he seemed to need to idolize this kind of devoted sister figure like Agnes in David Copperfield and Rose Maylie in Oliver Twist angelically beautiful, devoted, inspiring, and the object of pure admiration( Holbrook, 1993. Chapter 7, Pg. 168) Though Biddy is not angelically beautiful, she is angelic in quality and she earns the admiration of the audience and later Pip himself. The other character who also fall under this category is Clara Barley who marries Herbert Pocket after her abusive fathers death and also has a happy ending. The Eccentric women categorises women who do not fall under the stereotypical categories Victorians imposed on women. They are usually portrayed as mysterious, dark, cruel, cold and cunning. They are also beautiful women who take on the role of seductress and tempt the virtuous men into committing adultery or just serve as objects of temptation. They are also associated with criminality- usually portrayed as murderers or in any role which is not morally right. In Great Expectations, there are many eccentric women- the most noteworthy ones are Ms. Havisham and Estella (who will be dealt with later as she falls under two categories). Ms. Havisham is one of the stranger characters Dickens has created and she could be compared to the Wicked Witch of the West. She is first revealed in Chapter 8, when she awaits Pips arrival to be Estellas playmate. Pip is thoroughly spooked by her, as seen in his description of her in her wedding dress and comparing her to a ghastly waxwork and a skeleton . Once, I had been taken to see some ghastly waxwork at the Fair, representing I know not what impossible personage lying in state. Once, I had been taken to one of our old marsh churches to see a skeleton in the ashes of a rich dress, that had been dug out of a vault under the church pavement. Now, waxwork and skeleton seemed to have dark eyes that moved and looked at me. I should have cried out, if I could. (Chapter 8, Pg. 100) Her interactions with Pip portray her to be broken and melancholic but scary at the same time. The lingering scent of death and decay surrounded her every move and action and this impacts Pip to such an extent that he hallucinates Ms. Havisham hanging from a beam. I saw a figure hanging there by the neck. A figure all in yellow white, with but one shoe to the feet; and it hung so, that I could see that the faded trimmings of the dress were like earthy paper, and that the face was Miss Havishams, with a movement going over the whole countenance as if she were trying to call to me. (Chapter 8, Pg. 112) Holbrook, in Charles Dickens and the Image of Women, compares the hallucination of Pip as representing the death of the female element, in Dickens himself. It shows just how much Dickens has his views on women changed due to his personal experiences with women throughout his life. This is just the kind of nightmare fantasy one might expect a sensitive and imaginative childlike Pip to have. But it also belongs to the overall symbolism of the dramatic poem- and in this it is the image of female element being gone dead: emotions gone dead, sexuality gone dead, and creativity gone dead. So, it is an image characteristic of the Victorian predicament. The hanging figure Pip sees is the death of potentia in Miss Havisham, in himself, and in Dickens himself. (Holbrook, 1993. Chapter 5, Pg. 137) Pips description of Ms. Havisham during Chapter 11 reiterates the idea that she is the Wicked Witch of the West. In her other hand she had a crutch-headed stick on which she leaned, and she looked like the Witch of the place. (Chapter 11, Pg. 148) Ms. Havishams interactions with her guests seem cold and concise as she walks around the room with Pip and exchanges small talk with them. It is obvious that Ms. Havisham exudes a cold and melancholic aura as she compares herself with the rotten cake, the so-called heap of decay. Ms. Havisham is also shown to be manipulative as she poses as a fake benefactor for Pip to get Sarah Pocket jealous in Chapter 19. When Herbert narrates the story of Ms. Havisham to Pip in Chapter 22, she is shown to be a spoiled child and when she was grown up, a proud and haughty woman who didnt trust or depend on anyone. When she fell in love with Compeyson, she had loved him passionately but when she got jilted, her passion turned to fury and laid wrath upon the house and her life. What the novel doesnt portray or highlight is that her being spoiled and haughty is due to her upbringing and her sadness and hurt at losing her lover whom she had loved so passionately is just glossed upon as just a recovery from a bad illness. Ms. Havishams desire for revenge is highlighted in chapter 29 as she greedily urges Pip to love Estella. Her view on love has been skewered by her jilted lover and now she wishes the same fate upon others just to see them suffer like she did. Ill tell you, said she, in the same hurried passionate whisper, what real love is. It is blind devotion, unquestioning self-humiliation, utter submission, trust and belief against yourself and against the whole world, giving up your whole heart and soul to the smiter as I did!' (Chapter 29, Pg. 425-426) But Ms. Havishams greatest possession and achievement aka Estella turns into a cold-hearted woman who is incapable of loving anyone, including Ms. Havisham herself. Their argument during Chapter 38 shows just how much Estella has become estranged and indifferent to Ms. Havisham and her own pride and joy has turned against her. So proud, so proud! moaned Miss Havisham, pushing away her grey hair with both her hands. Who taught me to be proud? returned Estella. Who praised me when I learnt my lesson? So hard, so hard! moaned Miss Havisham, with her former action. Who taught me to be hard? returned Estella. Who praised me when I learnt my lesson? But to be proud and hard to me! Miss Havisham quite shrieked, as she stretched out her arms. Estella, Estella, Estella, to be proud and hard to me!' (Chapter 38, Pg. 543-544) This shows Ms. Havishams anguish over losing Estella, the only relationship which she actively participated after being jilted by her lover. It is Estella whom she let into her deep and crooked heart and it is through Estella and Pip that she regains some human emotions like regret. In Chapter 44, when Pip confesses to Estella and gets his heart broken, Ms. Havishams reactions are short and abrupt but it showcases her remorse and the sense of guilt at what she has done. She identifies with Pip and realises that Pip is the same as her now- with a broken heart, and it is all because of her. Though her plans succeeded, she does not derive any pleasure or comfort from it. Ms. Havisham is quite a complex character, with many flaws pointed out more than positive points in the novel. Holbrook says, Ms. Havisham has been blighted emotionally just at the moment of sexual flowering, and her bodily life in an ancient bridal gown symbolizes psychic paralysis. (Holbrook, Chapter 5, Pg. 133) and identifies this characteristic of Ms. Havisham to Dickens own fears of loving and related schizoid problems of identity. She is a woman fixated with one goal in mind but realizes that she is harming others just like others had harmed her later in the novel and seeks forgiveness. She does have a moment of realization and though she spent years of her life rotting away in the Satis house, she leads an independent life with the money provided by her father. Ideally, she would not suit the characteristic of an independent woman or the New Woman but she does have the underlying qualities of an independent woman, only if the circumstances were better, she might have developed into one of the strong-willed women who would appear in the later Victorian Age. Before focussing on Estella, other minor characters which fall under this category will be Mrs. Joe Gargery and Molly, Estellas mother. Mrs. Joe is well known for bringing up Pip by hand. She is introduced in detail in Chapter 2 where the first physical feature which is highlighted is her beauty. She was not a good-looking woman, my sister; and I had a general impression that she must have made Joe Gargery marry her by hand. (Chapter 2, Pg. 11) My sister, Mrs. Joe, with black hair and eyes, had such a prevailing redness of skin that I sometimes used to wonder whether it was possible she washed herself with a nutmeg-grater instead of soap. She was tall and bony, and almost always wore a coarse apron, fastened over her figure behind with two loops, and having a square impregnable bib in front, that was stuck full of pins and needles. (Chapter 2, Pg. 11-12) Mrs. Joe is just like her apron- coarse, impregnable or rather immovable, and was as prickly as those pins and needles stuck on her bib. She is described as a violent woman and she uses the so-called tickler to dish out corporal punishment for Pip. She seems to be the power of the Gargery house rather than Joe himself, as he doesnt stop her from whatever she wants to do or say. All her interactions with Pip usually have a violent undertone- for example, before sending Pip off to Ms. Havishams house, she gives him a good scrubbing which is painful for Pip to say the least. She also meets a violent end when she is attacked by Orlick in chapter 15 and by chapter 16, she has lost her hearing, could hardly see and has become crippled. These are the things which are highlighted in the novel. What is not highlighted is that Mrs. Joe had to take care of the entire household after her parents died, had to live through the deaths of her five brothers and had to take care of a child who is twenty years younger than her. She also had to shoulder the household responsibilities and social interactions with others. These aspects of Mrs. Joe are not shown in the novel and in the end, she is rendered as a crippled woman who is taken care of Biddy. She finally passes away in Chapter 34, and in Chapter 35, she also turns into a ghostly existence which haunts the protagonist Pip as he makes his way to the funeral back to Joes forge and the rest of the novel with the theme of murder and violence. The other character which falls under this eccentric woman category is Molly, the murderess who tries to kill her own daughter. She is a docile and obedient servant of Mr. Jaggers, but she has an infamous past and is the birth-mother of Estella. She is saved from the gallows by Mr. Jaggers and lives with him as a servant. Not much is known about her criminal past and she is wrapped with an air of dangerous mystery. Holbrook describes Molly as, a woman with strong muscles concealed under petiteness and a woman capable of great cruelty and perhaps murder. She is the female annihilating figure Freud called the castrating mother (Holbrook, 1993. Chapter 5, Pg. 138) Though Molly is not given that much of an importance in the novel, she represents the theme of murder and guilt, which seems to contaminate every character in the novel- including Estella, who is the daughter of a murderess and a convict. Estella is the final entry in the eccentric woman category but she does not confine herself to just this category. Estella is also introduced in chapter 8 and she brings the light into Pips dark life. To stand in the dark in a mysterious passage of an unknown house, bawling Estella to a scornful young lady neither visible nor responsive, and feeling it a dreadful liberty so to roar out her name, was almost as bad as playing to order. But, she answered at last, and her light came along the dark passage like a star. Miss Havisham beckoned her to come close, and took up a jewel from the table, and tried its effect upon her fair young bosom and against her pretty brown hair. (Chapter 8, Pg. 103-104) She is compared with a star or a jewel throughout the novel and these symbolize Estella to be bright, precious and far out of reach. Though she is mean to Pip and shows only contempt and disdain for him, she still manages to entrance Pip with her cold demeanour and her beauty, much like how a seductress traps her victim with her charms. She is perceived to be cold-hearted and cruel, but she does display signs of emotion as seen in the scene where she allows Pip to kiss her cheek. But, she neither asked me where I had been, nor why I had kept her waiting; and there was a bright flush upon her face, as though something had happened to delight her. Instead of going straight to the gate, too, she stepped back into the passage, and beckoned me. Come here! You may kiss me, if you like. I kissed her cheek as she turned it to me. (Chapter 11, Pg. 162) What is interesting to note is that Estella is delighted by an act of violence, even before any thoughts of criminality is being associated with her. This could be foreshadowing or reiterating by Dickens to show Estellas roots- her criminal parents. By chapter 22, Herbert establishes Estellas purpose in life or the reason of her being brought up by Ms. Havisham and that is to break young mens hearts. Also, when Pip returns to the Satis house to see Estella once shes a grown woman in Chapter 29, she pretends she doesnt remember Pip or any of their childhood interactions which deeply hurt Pip. She also points out the spot where Pip had seen the ghost in his childhood. This is a conflicting behaviour of Estella and she probably did it to dig deep into the scars of Pip so that he may remember her more vividly as Pip becomes emotionally hurt when Estella pretends not to remember him. That scene is also important as it brings out more foreshadowing. According to Holbrook, this scene shows the implicit connection to Estella and her roots. The association between Estella and the ghost is ambiguous. In one sense, Pip is sensing her origins: her mother was the unknown murderess who wished to kill her own child. In the background too is her father Magwitch, the criminal, who believes his child to be dead. The shadow is of murder by the woman murderer and of the child by being abandoned (by rejecting the mother and father). (Holbrook, 1993. Chapter 5, Pg. 138) As Estella grows up, she remains in her role of being the object of desire and she makes other men jealous using Pip. As for Pip himself, she warns him multiple times that shes a cold-hearted person. This could be her manipulating him further or she might genuinely care about him- it is not clear. This ambiguity is attached to Estella till the chapter where Pip confesses his love for her. You ridiculous boy, said Estella, will you never take warning? Or do you kiss my hand in the same spirit in which I once let you kiss my cheek? What spirit was that? said I. I must think a moment. A spirit of contempt for the fawners and plotters. If I say yes, may I kiss the cheek again?' (Chapter 33, Pg. 475) When she rejects Pip, she does so with a cold demeanour. She does not express her emotions, which is how a Victorian woman should be, and it further accentuates how Dickens uses this trope for this scene in an ironic way. Even as a child, Estella possessed more emotion than when she grew up as she became unmoved by everything around her, including others feelings. Furthermore, she tells Pip that shes going to marry Drummle by her own decision, just to probably spite everyone, including Ms. Havisham. Only Pips pleas for her to not marry Drummle brings out a softer reaction in her. This eventually leads to Estella being abused by her husband and depending on the two endings, she either gets remarried and still unhappy or she ends up having a future with the possibility of marrying Pip. These two endings lead to drastically different fates for Estella. Dickens original ending shows Estella reformed by her suffering- shes remarried but she still holds herself in high regard and superiority. In the second ending, she is much more humbled and reformed by her suffering. John Forster, who was Dickens friend, felt the original ending was more consistent with the draft, as well as the natural working out of the tale.[1] George Bernard Shaw says that the novel is too serious a book to be a trivially happy one. Its beginning is unhappy; its middle is unhappy; and the conventional happy ending is an outrage on it.[2] Also, the second ending was constructed only to please the audience who wanted a conventional end to that novel with marriage. The second ending pleases the contemporary critics more as they feel that the two characters have suffered enough to finally get their happy ending. Martin Price argues by saying, Each is a fantasist who has grown into maturity; each is a fantasist that has dwindled into humanity.[3] But Estella also has a positive role, according to Holbrook. He says, she is the start of Pips ambitions and it is true, though it leads him to more pain and suffering than his apprenticed life with Joe and Biddy. But he finally learns his place in life and is content with what he has through this harrowing experience. He says, Yet, with his characteristic and marvellous belief in human creativity and vision, Dickens makes Estella an inspiration for Pip. Although she cannot yet understand, and seems untouched by, the reparative impulse (the caring impulse, which, through its suffering, can cure schizoid alienation), she gives Pips world meaning. She comes along the passages like a star: she is the Stella Maris. (Holbrook, 1993. Chapter 5, Pg. 140) Estella can also be looked at as a strong independent woman towards the end. She has suffered and in consequence, humbled herself and realises how to love (at least in the second ending). She is no longer a bright shining star whos out of reach but a strong independent woman who has gotten rid of her demons and living life anew. Dickens himself is not against women or empowering women as he was fairly sympathetic towards the idea of property rights, which was the heart of the issue during the 1850s. But that applied only to the working women and not the powerful women like Ms. Havisham. In Great Expectations, Ms. Havishams house is passed on to Estella, who is the adopted daughter, and it is hers to do with as she pleases. This is not the traditional primogeniture practice which is usually practiced during the Victorian Age and it is met with discomfort by Dickens. Deborah Wynne, in Women and Personal Property in the Victorian Novel, says when women do take control of significant amounts of property and its transmission, as Miss Havisham does, the destructive qualities of their legacies are usually emphasized. When forceful women of property, owners of real estate, create for themselves a space which is inaccessible to male control, such as Betsy Trotwood, Mrs. Clennam or Miss Havisham, it is shown to be vulnerable to loss or destruction, as though Dickens half believed what English law presumed: that women had a tendency to be ineffective managers of their own property (Wynne, 2010. Chapter 2, Pg. 58) He favoured the working women and women who were destitute like prisoners and prostitutes. He opened up a home for the fallen women called Urania cottage along with Miss Angela Burdett-Coutts. Jane Rogers, in Dickens and his involvement in Urania Cottage, says Miss Coutts and Dickens planned a Home that would offer a different and more sympathetic approach to the treatment of fallen women. Other organisations such as the Magdelen Society had homes which offered a typically harsh and punishing routine. (Rogers, 2003. Pg. 1) This Urania house was a reformation centre for these fallen women to regain a proper place in the Victorian society, which still oppressed women into traditional roles. According to Jenny Hartley, in Undertexts and Intertexts: The Women of Urania Cottage, Secrets and Little Dorrit, Dickens concerned himself with everything the women of the cottage did, including how they spend their time in the house. It is quite clear that though Dickens was very progressive in his thinking, when it came to women, he was still confined by society and its rules. Coupled with his bad experiences with women in real life, his fictional women characters came to represent what was hidden away in his mind- his fears and regrets and personal insecurities caused by the society and his relationships. By analysing the character sketches of the women of Great Expectations and Dickens personal life, it is clear that Dickens is very conflicted when it comes to the topic of women. He prefers certain kinds of women like Biddy, who are the working class and little angels of the house, and as for the other women, they are subjected to hardships and punishments for their transgressions. Though he didnt make his female characters as independent like Nora Roberts from A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen, his characters like Estella or Ms. Havisham still retain some part of being an independent woman, though it is obscured by their eccentricity. So, Dickens, in a sense, is a writer who is inhibited by his personal life which narrows his views on women. Otherwise, he is a progressive writer who acknowledges the social constraints caused by the society. Works Cited: Dickens, C. (1851). Great Expectations. 1st ed. [ebook] Planet PDF. Available at: http://www.planetpublish.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Great_Expectations_NT.pdf [Accessed 28 Dec. 2016]. Hartley, J. (2005). Critical Survey. 1st ed. [ebook] Berghahn Books, pp.63-76. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/41556108.pdf [Accessed 4 Jan. 2017]. Holbrook, D. (1993). Charles Dickens and the image of woman. 1st ed. New York: New York University Press. Rogers, J. (2003). Dickens and his involvement in Urania Cottage. [online] Victorianweb.org. Available at: http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/dickens/rogers/8.html [Accessed 1 Jan. 2017]. Wynne, D. (2010). Women and personal property in the Victorian novel. 1st ed. Farnham, Surrey, England: Ashgate Pub. Academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu. (2017). The Ending of Great Expectations. [online] Available at: http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/novel_19c/dickens/ending.html [Accessed 3 Jan. 2017]. [1] All these three quotes are taken from The Ending of Great Expectations [2] [3]

Ethan Frome Hidden Meanings :: essays papers

Ethan Frome Hidden Meanings Ethan Frome: Hidden Meanings Ethan Frome is the story of a family caught in a deep-rooted domestic struggle. Ethan Frome is married to his first love Zeena, who becomes chronically ill over their long marriage. Due to his wife’s condition, they took the services of Zeena’s cousin, Mattie Silver. Mattie seems to be everything that Zeena is not, youthful, energetic, and healthy. Over time Ethan believes that he loves Mattie and wants to leave his wife for her. He struggles with his obligations toward Zeena and his growing love for Mattie. After Zeena discovers their feelings toward each other, she tries to send Mattie away. In an effort to stay together, Ethan and Mattie try to kill themselves by crashing into the elm that they talked about so many times. Instead, Mattie becomes severely injured and paralyzed. The woman that was everything that Zeena was not became the exactly the same as her. In Ethan Frome, the author communicates meanings in this story through various symbols. One of the m ost significant symbols used in this story is the very setting itself. A symbol is a person, object, or event that suggests more than its literal meaning. Symbols can be very useful in shedding light on a story, clarifying meaning that can’t be expressed with words. It may be hard to notice symbols at first, but while reflecting on the story or reading it a second time, the symbol is like a key that fits perfectly into a lock. The reason that symbols work so well is that we can associate something with a particular object. For example, a red rose symbolizes love and passion, and if there were red roses in a story we may associate that part of the story with love. Although many symbols can have simple meanings, such as a red rose, many have more complex meanings and require a careful reading to figure out its meaning. The first symbol that I noticed in Ethan Frome is the setting. It plays an important role in this story. The author spends much of the first few chapters describing the scene in a New England town Starkfield. When I think of a town called Starkfield, a gloomy, barren place with nothing that can grow comes to mind. As the author continues to describe this town, it just reinforces what I had originally thought.

Essay --

Uzbekistan is a large Country (about the size of France) and is strategically situated in the middle of the region, not only bordering the other four Central Asian Countries, but also Afghanistan. It is by far the most populated Country in the region, and the less ethnically fragmented, which also means less influence of regional factions than in the neighboring Republics. Its territory, the towns of Bukhara and Samarkand, and was the focal point of the main dynasties flourishing in Central Asia, from the Timurids, to the Shaybanids, and the Emirates of Khiva and Bukhara. The Russians recognized this historical role by elevating Tashkent as their military and administrative center in Central Asia. Also under the Soviet rule, Uzbekistan was recognized as a primus inter pares in the region by Moscow, which assigned to the Republic most of the regional institutions, from the Central Asian Military District to the Muftiyya(Spiritual Directorship). Uzbekistan was also the most represented of the five Republics in the USSR central institutions. All these factors cooperated to provide the Country with vital infrastructures and a political experience which proved essential to its success as an independent State: it is possible to say that, in the problematic context of contemporary Central Asia, Uzbekistan was the only Country with comparative advantages able to allow it to perform a significant role also at the international level. This was in fact the purpose of the ambitious President Karimov who, after a period of necessary restructuring and State-building, began an assertive foreign policy trying to achieve independence from Moscow (both through political freedom and economic self-sufficiency) and to reach close cooperation with the ... ...hts record. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, newly independent states have born. Along with the newly independent countries came new borders that had to be patrolled and new border guards who had to be trained. These new borders remained virtually transparent until new national customs services were created in 1993-1994. This was one of the reasons that international drug traffickers took a strong interest in the region. Drug trafficking is another challenge for Uzb ekistan government because the most important source of terrorist organizations is drug and narcotic. The only group significantly involved in trafficking Afghan opiates was the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), in particular, is believed to finance terrorist activities from drug trafficking, commodity smuggling and contributions from external sources.

Gun Control Control Laws Decrease Crime Rates Essay -- Constituton Bil

The United States of America has encountered many problems due to the increase in amount of gun owners which has contributed to the rise of crimes and problems that we face today. Our nation has about 65 million people who own a frightening 240 million firearms. This ridiculous amount of firearms in our nation creates a need for gun control. Gun control laws such as the Brady Act can help solve gun problems and make America a safer place to live. The Brady Act and other gun control laws are effective solutions to our gun control needs. Since the law was started in February of 1994, crime rates related to firearms have fallen 25%. The Brady Act does several things for gun control. First, it makes a waiting period for every purchase of a firearm. This waiting period is of great significance for a few reasons. The waiting period which precedes the sale of the firearm gives the potential criminal time to cool off; therefore the chances of premeditated crimes are lessened. Also during the waiting period, a background check is required for the person trying to purchase the firearm. If the background check shows that the purchaser has been in prison or if they have even one misdemeanor, no sale will take place. The Assault Rifle Ban prohibits manufacturing, importing, and people from owning semiautomatic assault weapons. If a person would like to own an assault rifle they will have to attain a certain license and they also will be r equired to have a background check similar to th... Gun Control Control Laws Decrease Crime Rates Essay -- Constituton Bil The United States of America has encountered many problems due to the increase in amount of gun owners which has contributed to the rise of crimes and problems that we face today. Our nation has about 65 million people who own a frightening 240 million firearms. This ridiculous amount of firearms in our nation creates a need for gun control. Gun control laws such as the Brady Act can help solve gun problems and make America a safer place to live. The Brady Act and other gun control laws are effective solutions to our gun control needs. Since the law was started in February of 1994, crime rates related to firearms have fallen 25%. The Brady Act does several things for gun control. First, it makes a waiting period for every purchase of a firearm. This waiting period is of great significance for a few reasons. The waiting period which precedes the sale of the firearm gives the potential criminal time to cool off; therefore the chances of premeditated crimes are lessened. Also during the waiting period, a background check is required for the person trying to purchase the firearm. If the background check shows that the purchaser has been in prison or if they have even one misdemeanor, no sale will take place. The Assault Rifle Ban prohibits manufacturing, importing, and people from owning semiautomatic assault weapons. If a person would like to own an assault rifle they will have to attain a certain license and they also will be r equired to have a background check similar to th...

Walmart Income Statment Comparative Analysis

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Comparative Consolidated Income Statement 2012 Amount Percent 443,854 100. 0% 335,127 75. 5% 108,727 24. 5% 85,265 19. 2% 23,462 5. 3% 3,096 0. 7% 2,160 0. 5% 24,398 5. 5% 7,944 1. 8% 16,454 3. 7% 2011 Amount Percent 418,952 100. 0% 314,946 75. 2% 104,006 24. 8% 81,361 19. 4% 22,645 5. 4% 2,897 0. 7% 2,004 0. 5% 23,538 5. 6% 7,579 1. 8% 15,959 3. 8% 2010 Amount Percent 405,132 100. 0% 304,106 75. 1% 101,026 24. 9% 79,977 19. 7% 21,049 5. % 2,953 0. 7% 1,884 0. 5% 22,118 5. 5% 7,156 1. 8% 14,962 3. 7% Net Sales Cost of Goods Sold Gross Profit Operating Expenses Income from Opertaions Other Revenues and Gains Other Expenses and Losses Income before Income Tax Provision Income Tax Provision Net Income From above comparative income statement for threes years, Walmart has lower percentage gross profit for 2012 compare with previous two year, which caused by increased cost of goods sold.However the dollar amount for net sales is increasing from year to year. Operating expenses are decreased for the percentage comparation, this is a favorable trend. Again the dollar amount increased. Even the other renenues, gains and other expenses, losses percentage remain the same for the past three years, but dollar amount increased. The income tax rate for the past three years are remained consistent .

Digitalis Toxicity Report

The accounts of digitalis toxicity due to overdose in 1985 specify 1,015 cases including 584 patients that are below 6 years old and 56 patients aging 6-17 years old. The greater part of these documented toxicity cases (83%) come about without the purpose of overdosing (Kwon, 2006). The prevalence of digitalis toxicity had a rising trend for some time until it was acknowledged in the early 1990’s that reduction in toxicity cases was observed. Among the studies that concluded the decreased cases of digitalis toxicity was the research conducted by Haynes et al.In there study, it was noted that the cases of digitalis toxicity in United States and United Kingdom manifested a decreasing trend in the past two decades. Hospitalizations in relation to digitalis toxicity were notably reduced in United States whereas in United Kingdom the cases of ambulatory digitalis toxicity also lessened. The decreased incidence of digitalis toxicity in the U. S. is correlated to the diminished admin istration of this drug. The dilemma due to digitalis toxicity has significantly reduced in the two above mentioned countries (Haynes, et al, 2008).Though incidence of digitalis toxicity is turning to the decreasing side it is no reason to disregard the threats of toxicity that consumers of this substance are exposed to. Digitalis is drug extracted from the leaves of the plant called Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea). The utilization of foxglove as a medicinal plant already exists for centuries. But the popularity of this plant was not that intense until an English botanist and physician named William Withering in the 1700’s pioneered the establishing of digitalis as a cardiac drug.This doctor conducted a detailed study of digitalis. Withering was also responsible for the determination of the most effective preparation of the drug as well as the correct dosages for various heart ailments. This English physician was also responsible for the setting up the standards of when to abort the therapy using digitalis because of its toxic effects (NetIndustries, 2008). The mode of action of digitoxin involves the inhibition of the Na-K ATPase in myocytes to increase heart muscles contractility.The drug attach to the binding sites situated in the extra cytoplasm of the sodium- and potassium-activated adenosine triphosphate (Na-K ATPase) pump preventing the active transfer of Na and K across the cell membranes. The resulting high concentrations of sodium and calcium as well as the low amounts of potassium in the intracellular part of the muscle cell promotes the fourth stage myocardial action potential creating a decreased conduction velocity and amplification of ectopic activity.The end result boost in the contractility of heart muscles due to the action of digitalis is beneficial to various heart ailments (Kwon, 2006). This is utilized as a drug therapy for heart problems. This substance is specifically indicated in cases of persistent systolic heart failure symptoms despite the administration of diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), and beta blocker; and, cases of congestive heart failure with atrial fibrillation.The objective of the therapy using digitoxin ranges from 0.5 to 1. 0 ng/mL. The administration of digitoxin is contraindicated in patients that are receiving primary therapy for acute decompensated heart failure stabilization and during cases of sinus or atrioventricular (AV) except for cases of prior pacemaker treatment applied (Kwon, 2006). Medicine administered within the range of its therapeutic dose rarely produce toxicity. The established daily therapeutic dose of digitoxin varies from 0. 0005 mg/kg (for young infants) to 0. 75 mg/kg (for mature individuals).This drug in tablet preparations has the estimated absorption of 70-80% and a bioavailability of 95%. In oral administrations (per os / PO), the action onset of digitoxin transpires after 30-120 minutes whereas in intravenous route action onset to occur requires onl y 5-30 minutes. The threshold of the effect of this drug after oral and intravenous routes is 2-6 hrs and 5-30 minutes respectively. An estimate of 60-80% of the digitoxin intake is excreted by the kidney without structure and properties change(Kwon, 2006). The lethal dose of this drug varies with the age of the patients.Doses above 10 mg per individual even in healthy adults will cause death but doses lower than 5 mg infrequently produces problems such as toxicity. In children, the intake of doses above 0. 3 mg/kg or 4 mg per individual often causes fatality (Kwon, 2006). The population which is highly at risked with the development of digitoxin toxicity are the infants and the old people. The threats of digitalis toxicity include intake of medicines like digitoxin and digoxin; and, digitalis interaction with other drugs like verapamil, amiodarone, and quinidine.Having below normal levels of potassium in the body such as the patients medicated with potassium losing diuretics is als o at risk of the toxic effects of digitalis. People with kidney damage and having little amounts of magnesium are also prone to digitalis toxicity. Caution should be observed in administering digitalis as well as other medicines to patients with kidney damage because the capacity of the body to excrete any drug taken is also diminished along with the kidney problem. Thus, the drug has the tendency to accumulate in the kidney and increasing the possibility of toxicity (â€Å"Digitalis Toxicity†).Occurrence of digitalis toxicity can be due to two mechanisms: the above therapeutic amounts of digitalis in the patient’s body, and the lowering of the patient’s digitalis tolerance. The toxicity can be caused by either or both of the mechanisms. The toxicity of this drug can happen with one exposure to the drug as well as the gradual toxicity. Some patients suffer the effects of digitalis toxicity despite the normal blood levels of this drug because of the existence of other digitalis toxicity risk factors (â€Å"Digitalis Toxicity†).Other disease and metabolic conditions that serve as risk factors of the toxic effects of this drug are: hypoxemia, hypothyroidism, and alkalosis (Kwon, 2006). The mortality rates due to digitalis toxicity vary with the details of the population. The direct consequence of cardiac toxicity in digitalis toxicity result to 3-21% mortality rate. Male individuals are more prone to this drug’s toxicity compared to the females. The young and old people have increased risks to digitalis toxicity than the other age brackets.Ingestion of digitalis medicines of their grandparents is the primary cause of toxicity among children (Kwon, 2006). The symptoms of toxicity due to digitalis include strange changes in vision like color perception problems, blurring of vision, having visual blind spots, and having visual bright light spots; nausea; vomiting; pulse irregularities; appetite loss; palpitations; confusion; genera l swelling; lower urine volume; lowered consciousness; and, breathing difficulty during lying down (â€Å"Digitalis Toxicity†).The treatment regimen for digitalis toxicities comprise of specific, symptomatic, and supportive therapy phases. The supportive therapy phase for this toxicity case consists of electrolyte imbalance correction, dehydration treatment using IV fluids, and oxygen support equipped with ventilation. It is frequently prescribed by medical practitioners to supplement potassium in cases wherein the patient has potassium levels lower than 4 mmol/L.The recommendation of diuresis induction is not approved due to the tendency to aggravate the electrolyte imbalances and the renal excretion of the drug is not enhanced by this process (Kwon, 2006). The specific therapy phase involves the administration of digoxin-specific Fab antibody fragments that are noted to be of significant success in treating severe acute digitalis toxicity. This drug is sort of the antidote for digitalis toxicities as well as other complications in relation to digitalis.Immediate administration of digoxin-specific Fab antibody is recommended upon deducing digitalis toxicity. The prompt treatment digoxin immune fab will decrease the morbidity and mortality rates of digitalis toxicities. To contradict arrhythmias that might occur in digitalis toxicity treatment with phynetoin is advised (Kwon, 2006). The recommended method for gastrointestinal cleansing is the utilization of multiple-dose activated charcoal (1gram/kilogram weight of patient/day). Administration of ipecac syrup to induce emesis is contraindicated due to the activation of the vagal tones.Other possible methodologies of eliminating the toxic amounts of digitalis in a patient’s body are gastric lavage, whole-bowel irrigations, and steroid binding resins like colestipol and cholestyramine. These three aforementioned therapeutic regimens though have constraints like the vagal effects and the lack of sub stantial data to support their efficacy in these toxicity cases (Kwon, 2006). Even if the incidence of digitalis toxicity cases have plunged the vigilance regarding this condition should not stop.The drug prescriptions of digitalis for heart problems should be ensured by the medical practitioners to be under the therapeutic dosages. The availability of this drug to children should also be eliminated to prevent the accidental ingestion of this drug. Since digitalis in an important cardiac drug various researches has been conducted involving this medicinal substance. The medical industry should not stop there though; further studies can still be done to improve the value of digitalis as a therapeutic agent without compromising the patient’s safety.