Friday, September 20, 2019
Bartleby the Scrivener Life in the Iron Mills
Bartleby the Scrivener Life in the Iron Mills English Exam – II Bartleby the Scrivener Life in the Iron Mills The two books up for analysis are Herman Melville’s Bartleby the Scrivener and Life in the Iron Mills by Rebecca Harding Davis. Neither work can be called a Novella, as both are short stories. Explicit similarities and differences highlight the superficial aspect of both stories. The more implicit ones underline the actual meat of the stories. Both works were produced at around the same period of the late 19Th century, and both feature plots both engrossing, yet unconventional, but contemporary (in the case of Bartleby, the Scrivener). In order to write a comparative analysis, required are comparisons between Bartleby and Hugh as workers, their working conditions in their respective jobs, and the moral responsibility of other characters in the stories towards the respective two protagonists. To begin with, the setting of both the stories plays an important part in explaining the job and the working conditions each protagonist faces. Herman Melville’s story takes place in the bustling New York City, which is still up-and-coming during the 19th century.[1] The setting in Life in the Iron Mills was influenced by the mills nearby in Wheeling, Virginia on the Ohio River during the factory world. Another major influence is the ongoing Industrial Revolution.[2] Life in the Iron Mills tells us the story about Hugh Wolfe, a young labourer in the Iron Mills of Wheeling.[3] Hugh is a poor Welsh descendent who turns pig iron into wrought iron by a process called puddling.[4] Along with several other labourers, that’s his main job there. But, Hugh is also highly gifted in the art of sculpting, and in his spare time, sculpts a woman out of Korl, the refuse from iron smelting. His cousin, Deborah-who loves him dearly-brings him dinner every day, forsaking her own meal. She is a hunchback, and the other workers make fun of her relationship with Hugh. Hugh’s working conditions weren’t exactly too habitable. As was the ‘custom’ during the Industrial revolution, immigrants working in factories and warehouses would be exploited by the owners. Low paying jobs, horrible living conditions just contributed to their misery. Hugh’s life in the Iron mills was no different. He had to toil day in and day out, with barely any time to even eat. In all the ‘darkness’ surrounding his life, the only source of ‘light’ was his Korl figure, which distinguished itself from his other creation, the crude, dark Iron from the smelter. Bartleby’s world is New York City circa 1860. And in utter contrast, though, during around the same time as Life in the Iron Mills, he works for a lawyer on the booming Wall Street of Manhattan. The difference between Bartleby’s and Hugh’s working conditions is so substantial, that, at first look, it’s almost ludicrous how Bartleby refuses to do a lot of work tasked to him, in spite of his grade-A working conditions. Bartleby is a scrivener, a copier, who, at first completes his task with utmost dedication. His eating habits are peculiar. He just eats snacks-specifically Ginger-nut cakes- and skips dinner and lunch altogether. His polite refusal to do a small task intrigues the lawyer, and he gradually discovers that Bartleby’s work rate diminishes to the point where he literally doesn’t do any work, and just sits around the lawyer’s office. One point which can be made exclusively for the comparison of both stories is the American Dream. Though it’s not the main theme in either of the books, I can’t help but define Hugh’s actions to be solely for the purpose of achieving the American dream, to be wealthy, to make a name for himself. As for Bartleby, he works in the city of endless opportunities – New York. It’s Ironic that the American dream is closer within his grasp than it is in the case of Hugh in the Iron Mills, and yet he does naught about it. But then again, that can be explained too, after the revelations at the end of the book. Both are completely different kinds of workers. Hugh, a hard-working yet unsatisfied one, whereas, Bartleby a mentally affected one, which makes his work sloppy as time passes. Endings of both stories are quite similar. Both end on a morose note, and that’s where a major point of comparison comes into light. Bartleby, due to being a liability on the author is arrested and jailed. The lawyer isn’t exactly too excited to have put him behind bars, but he did it anyway to protect his business. At the end of the story, the lawyer visits Bartleby in jail for the second time, only to find him dead. One can perceive his death to be induced by the lawyer’s actions, and the same can be said about Hugh Wolfe. Deborah steals a wealthy man’s wallet while he is visiting the Iron mills and hands it over to Hugh. Not knowing what to do with it, he eventually succumbs in his greed for money. When the man finds out about the theft, he has Hugh arrested and jailed. This causes Hugh to slash his wrist one day, and commit suicide. In my personal opinion, the deaths of the protagonists in both stories would not be directly, and intently because of the actions of other character. And as such, I would believe that Hugh’s death was caused by his own greed, or selfishness. Although Deborah was the one who stole the money, Hugh had a choice to either take it, or refuse. He took the check, and his dream of having a better life, of being in a better social standing caused his greed to get the better of him. Considering that a large sum of money was stolen, Mitchell obviously wouldn’t allow that to go unnoticed and unpunished. His moral obligation towards Hugh is little, or none. It is only fair that he wished to see Hugh punished for the theft of his money. Though, if only he would have known that Deborah was the one who stole the check, then probably he would have been wrathful towards her instead of Hugh. The only error Mitchell committed was the misdirection of his finger. Maybe, the story would have ended differently if the theft would have been thoroughly investigated. In the case of Bartleby, I would think that the lawyer was not responsible for his death. As the story tells us, Bartleby had started to become a burden on the lawyer. He spent all of his time, quite literally too, in the lawyer’s office doing nothing. His customers remarked upon that, and the lawyer realised that Bartleby was bad for business. And that is only fair of him. He has no moral obligation towards prioritizing Bartleby’s well-being instead of his business. He shifted his office, but the workers still complained of Bartleby, and finally he had to-albeit reluctantly-turn him in to the police. Bartleby died in the jail. The lawyer hears a rumour about Bartleby having worked in a dead letter office, and maybe Bartleby was mentally affected due to the extremely sad nature of his work there. And maybe that does justify his actions in the lawyer’s office, but at the end of the day, the lawyer’s business was at stake. I would believe that the lawyer was in no way morally responsible for Bartleby’s death. To analyse, are three literary works – The narrative of Henry David Thoreau, Frederick Douglass and the Scarlet Letter. All three works highlight their protagonists in various ways, using different themes and settings. They were written in around the same time period as well, the late 1840s and 50s. The main protagonists have an unconventional livelihood for some part of their life, and this is most often reflected in their stories. In the case of Frederick Douglass and Henry Thoreau, this unconventional life of theirs forms the basis for their narratives. After reading all three books, the readers can make out the fact that all three protagonists disagree with some aspects of their society, and it’s this disagreement that forms the basis for this analysis. Henry Thoreau is repulsed by the materialism in the society then, and Douglass strongly disagrees with slavery and its social, economic and moral effects, whereas, Hester Prynne is shunned, or deemed as an outcast by the society. This is the major similarity between all three protagonists Isolation from conventional society. Frederick Douglass’s narrative is set in the America of the early 19th century. Before and during the American civil war, when slavery was rampant the country. Douglass was probably the son of Captain Anthony, a white slave owner, who was also his first owner. Throughout his life as a slave Douglass is looked down upon as inhumanely as possible by his white slave masters. He is inhumanely treated, beaten, and deprived of the basic necessities in life. From his very birth, he is labelled as a ‘slave’, throughout a long period of his life, he remains one. He is a unique character in his story, as he doesn’t fit in the regular description of both the social standings at that time – The slaved blacks, and the free citizens. He is not free only in his mind, and not physically. And he takes an interest in reading and writing, after he learns from Sophia Auld. He takes it upon himself to continue reading and writing after Sophia cruelly stops teaching him. Most slaves weren’t literate then, and that’s what set him apart from them. The constant mistreatment he suffers sets off a spark in him, a spark of deep hatred against slavery, it leads him to devise plans to escape, to find his way to more liberal parts of the country. He creates his own opportunities. Opportunities to create, and increase awareness about anti-slavery. He becomes an eloquent writer and orator, recording his life in his narrative, his beliefs and his thoughts about the evils prevalent in the society. Douglass, exercising his new-found skill becomes actively involved in the abolitionist movement, doing what his deepest wish was to. When comparing Douglass to Hester Prynne and Thoreau, the readers can notices that there is no physical restriction applied to the latter two protagonists. It’s rather social and psychological. But like Douglass, Hester Prynne too does not fit in the society. She married an elderly man in England who sent her to America, where she lived in a puritan settlement in Boston. The reason why she is held like an outcast in the society is because she had an affair with a young minister – Arthur Dimmesdale, and had a child out of wedlock. The society frowned upon this incidence and Hester Prynne was an outcast, who was punished for her sin and secrecy. She had to wear a Scarlet coloured letter ‘A’ on her breast. It was a symbol of adultery, one which she bore throughout her time in the society. She was never a regular citizen, and lived her life in isolation in small cottage with her daughter Pearl. When her husband surfaced in the puritan society, he was malevolent towards her former lover Dimmesdale, which eventually caused them to plan to flee to Europe and settle there as family. But before they could do so, Dimmesdale kills himself due to the anguish caused by Chillingworth (who wanted revenge against him).[5] Hester and Pearl do escape the society, but only after Chillingworth’s death a year later. As a result of her experiences in the puritan society, she becomes a kind and compassionate figure, caring the poor and wounded. Her charity work eventually makes her a mother-figure in the society, and when she returns back to Boston from Europe, the scarlet letter which she still wears is no longer a sign of shame. Like Douglass, Hester contemplated about the evils present in the society, the treatment of women in general, and the society’s outlook towards her. She made a better person out of herself as a result, and forged a better future for herself and her daughter just like Douglass did. Henry David Thoreau lives an isolated life for two years. Similar to Hester Prynne, he is fairly cut off from civilization in Walden Pond, except for the occasional visitors (and the fact that concord is of walking distance). The reason why Thoreau went to live in this recluse of his is because he wanted to experience more of his life. Unlike, Douglass and Hester Prynne, his isolation wasn’t inflicted on him due to societal norms and conventions. He chose to live in isolation to find a new side of the society. Henry’s beliefs were mostly critical towards the then modern society. The materialism present in the society thoroughly irked him, and he considered tangible assets and money to be the evils in the society. He believed that every material muse was a burden for the society and that a life in recluse was the purest form of contact with the nature. His almost biased criticism was not only limited to money and wealth, but also to technology. The main similarity between the three protagonists is their shared beliefs towards the societal ills. Although, their issues are different, they point towards a better version of a society in their mind.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Free Essay on Nathaniel Hawthornes Scarlet Letter - Spiritual Growth of Hester Prynne :: Scarlet Letter essays
The Scarlet Letter: The Spiritual Growth of Hester Prynne The character of Hester Prynne changed significantly throughout the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hester Prynne, through the eyes of the Puritans, is an extreme sinner; she has gone against the Puritan ways, committing adultery. For this harsh sin, she must wear a symbol of shame for the rest of her life. However, the Romantic philosophies of Hawthorne put down the Puritanic beliefs. She is a beautiful, young woman who has sinned, but is forgiven. Hawthorne portrays Hester as "divine maternity" and she can do no wrong. Not only Hester, but the physical scarlet letter, a Puritanical sign of disownment, is shown through the author's tone and diction as a beautiful, gold and colorful piece. From the beginning, we see that Hester Prynne is a young and beautiful woman who has brought a child into the world with an unknown father. She is punished by Puritan society by wearing the scarlet letter A on the bosom of her dress and standing on the scaffold for three hours. Her hair is a glossy brown and her eyes deep-set, and black, her attire is rich, carefully caressing her slender figure. The scaffold is a painful task to bear; the townspeople gathered around to gossip and stare at Hester and her newborn child, whom she suitably named Pearl, named because of her extreme value to her mother. In the disorder of faces in the crowd, young Hester Prynne sees the face of a man she once was fiercely familiar with, whom we later learn is her true husband, Roger Chillingworth. Her subjection to the crowd of Puritan onlookers is excruciating to bear, and Hester holds the child to her heart, a symbolic comparison between the child and the scarlet letter, implying that they are trul y both intertwined. Prynne is imprisoned with her child, both of whom are emotionally and physically exhausted from the punishment at the scaffold. The husband, Roger Chillingworth, passes by and is commissioned to be the physician to the two, and remedy them of their sicknesses. She is surprised he had come at such a time where she was at a point of such horrendous turmoil. He demands that she cannot reveal his identity, yet he also wishes to know the identity of her lover, the father of the child. She refuses to tell him.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Circus-circus Summary :: essays research papers
Circus-Circus was an unprofitable business and a small time casino when William Bennett and William Pennington purchased it in 1974 for $50,000. With a new marketing program in place and a stock offering in October of 1983, the company was rejuvenated. What it has become is a hotel/casino that is targeted mainly towards middle income gamblers as well as family oriented vacationers, but has not strayed away from the high rollers that are found in most casinos. With the focus being on many market segments, along with it's amusement park type atmosphere, this company can be categorized as a broad differentiator. Most recently, to go along with their amusement park atmosphere, Circus-Circus has broke ground into developing an aquatic environment that has beaches, snorkeling reef, and a swim-up shark exhibit. 2. ww 1. Financial Ratio Analysis 1997Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1996Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1995 A. Current Ratio 151,849/129,768 124,380/95,532Â Â Â Â Â 110,923/82,000 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1.17 times 1.3 times 1.35 times B. Total Debt to 1,694,739/ 968,161/ 826,424/ Total Assets 2,729,111Â Â Â Â Â 2,213,503 1,512,548 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 62%Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 43%Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 55% C. Asset Turnover 1,170,182/Â Â Â Â Â 1,299,596/Â Â Â Â Â 1,334,250/ 2,729,111Â Â Â Â Â 2,213,503Â Â Â Â Â 1,512,548 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 43%Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 59%Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 88% Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The results for current ratio are favorable. It states that Circus-Circus can pay off their short run debt with money to spare. Total debt to total asset is also favorable showing that they do not borrow much money that is listed as an asset. Asset turnover, however, is unfavorable. It was not as bad in 1995, but they are only making back about half of what they are spending. This is most likely due to the new aquatic addition they are putting adding. 4. Â Â Â Â Â Circus-Circus' stock has been in somewhat of a slump since mid-March when the stock was at 26, but in June of 1998, had plummeted to 16. One of the main reasons for the drop is the rumor that Hilton Hotels has planned a takeover of the business.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Character Traits In A Seperate Peace Essay -- essays research papers
In the book A Separate Peace by John Knowles, one of the main themes is the effects of realism, idealism, and isolationism on Brinker, Phineas, and Gene. Though not everyone can be described using one of these approaches to life, the approaches completely conform to these characters to create one realist, one idealist, and one isolationist; thereby providing the foundation of the novel. The realist is Brinker. Brinker's realism takes on a very morbid quality after Gene decides not to enlist with him, do to Phineas's return to Devon. Brinker still sees everything the way it is, but begins to think that the way it is, is bad. On page 122, he is quoted as saying, "Frankly, I just don't see anything to celebrate, winter or spring or anything else." Brin...
Monday, September 16, 2019
Rotc in the Philippines
ROTC: Empowering the youth for peace and progress â€Å"Why take the hard way, if there’s an easy way†, these are the words that will come out from the mouth of an average and malingering human being, but taking the Reserved Officer Training Corps as their National Service Training Program will make them no average human being. These Cadets like me stepped out from the rest, to be above all the rest. Taking up the Civic Welfare Training Service, will be no extra ordinary just like every civilian can do and unlike a militiaman can do.Not all students in the tertiary level have the guts and courage to take the ROTC as their chosen NSTP or to enter a Military Service, but why do you think these students outside the military profession did not take this path of being a future reservist, a defender of the republic and a keeper of harmony among the Filipinos? First, they say that in ROTC they will stand up under the heat of the sun for a long time, yes they will stand under t he heat of the sun, but that is part of their training however, they will not stand up that long that will be too hazardous for their wellbeing.Second, they say that Hazing is rampant and were being conducted to cadets in ROTC, but Hazing is clearly not tolerable in the organization, how will a Cadet, a youth will empower peace and progress if they will be exposed to unlawful violence such as hazing? Third, ROTC is full of burden and hardships. These people consider Physical Training as burden and hardships; these are only part and parcel of their training as Cadets and to be a future defender of the state.Physical training is for the betterment of their wellbeing and life when they came back as a civilian in the society, they entered a Military Service not a playground. These are the three common reasons on why these students who did not take the ROTC and rejected to be part of the corps. These students or even the civilian world perceived only the one side of the coin, the negativ e side of Military Service. In ROTC, it promotes patriotism, moral values, virtues, respect for rights of the civilian and adherence to the constitution, the core values on empowering peace and progress.These youths, the cadets are casted to be future leaders of our country and to be the hope of our nation, here where some of our finest warriors are products of the ROTC. They are equipped mentally, physically, socially, and emotionally. They are trained to be disciplined, to build a better personality, and to overcome weaknesses. Military Professionalism is not the only lesson taught here but as well as the Conduct of a good Civilian. ROTC is one good way of keeping the youth away from harmful vices. As Rizal quoted â€Å"The youth are the hope of the nation†.ROTC Cadets as part of the youth sector are the hope of the nation and one of the primary movers on empowering peace and progress of the nation. As they come back to civilian life they are prepared to be a soldier, a lea der, and a better civilian or member in the society. They are deployed as civilians to contribute in the development and progress of the society and nation. What Parents cannot taught and straighten up to their children for years, can be done and straighten in several Sundays in ROTC. Disciplined and cooperative members of the society are one of the ingredients for the peace and progress of the nation.The reservists, including the ROTC Cadets are the backbone of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and as well as the society. The ROTC Cadets, Reservists and the Regular Force together with their Civilian Counterparts are having a joined force for the betterment and the advancement of the Philippines. The Military especially the reserve force supports all civic welfare activities done by the government and some Non Government Organizations; in regard with this the Armed Forces of the Philippines launched the OPLAN Bayanihan that was criticized by numerous activists, leftists, and detra ctors.Despite of these criticisms, this operation was pursued and successfully continues to help the wellbeing of the civilians, such activities are food programs, medical missions, clean up drives, and other civic and humanitarian efforts, these is to promote peace and to prevent armed struggle among the Filipinos . In times of catastrophe and calamity the ready reserve force and a number of ROTC cadets are called to respond, help and rescue the people in need, after these, these soldiers remained in active duty to conduct relief operations.These duties and service to the nation may be done not only by the Cadets or men in military service, but also by people in the civilian community or any ordinary citizen in the society. Small actions can make a big difference. Men in uniform cannot do these things all by themselves effectively, but rather if the civilians will come in aid to them or cooperate with them big difference will come out, Peace and Progress in the Philippines. In this we can say that Military is no powerful or more useful than the civilians. Men in uniform have been trained to gain more abilities, but they are trained to phold the civilian supremacy at all times. The ROTC Cadets magnifies the epitomical image of an ideal Filipino who contributes to the progress and keeping the harmony among the Filipinos in the Philippines. This shows that the ROTC Cadets as a future reservist are the epitome of an ideal citizen of our country. A citizen that has a heart to sympathize his fellow Filipinos, and a soldier that has patriotism to preserve the peace and order in the country. Be a young hero, join the unit, be an ROTC Cadet! * CDT. DIEGO MARIANO Rotc in the Philippines ROTC: Empowering the youth for peace and progress â€Å"Why take the hard way, if there’s an easy way†, these are the words that will come out from the mouth of an average and malingering human being, but taking the Reserved Officer Training Corps as their National Service Training Program will make them no average human being. These Cadets like me stepped out from the rest, to be above all the rest. Taking up the Civic Welfare Training Service, will be no extra ordinary just like every civilian can do and unlike a militiaman can do.Not all students in the tertiary level have the guts and courage to take the ROTC as their chosen NSTP or to enter a Military Service, but why do you think these students outside the military profession did not take this path of being a future reservist, a defender of the republic and a keeper of harmony among the Filipinos? First, they say that in ROTC they will stand up under the heat of the sun for a long time, yes they will stand under t he heat of the sun, but that is part of their training however, they will not stand up that long that will be too hazardous for their wellbeing.Second, they say that Hazing is rampant and were being conducted to cadets in ROTC, but Hazing is clearly not tolerable in the organization, how will a Cadet, a youth will empower peace and progress if they will be exposed to unlawful violence such as hazing? Third, ROTC is full of burden and hardships. These people consider Physical Training as burden and hardships; these are only part and parcel of their training as Cadets and to be a future defender of the state.Physical training is for the betterment of their wellbeing and life when they came back as a civilian in the society, they entered a Military Service not a playground. These are the three common reasons on why these students who did not take the ROTC and rejected to be part of the corps. These students or even the civilian world perceived only the one side of the coin, the negativ e side of Military Service. In ROTC, it promotes patriotism, moral values, virtues, respect for rights of the civilian and adherence to the constitution, the core values on empowering peace and progress.These youths, the cadets are casted to be future leaders of our country and to be the hope of our nation, here where some of our finest warriors are products of the ROTC. They are equipped mentally, physically, socially, and emotionally. They are trained to be disciplined, to build a better personality, and to overcome weaknesses. Military Professionalism is not the only lesson taught here but as well as the Conduct of a good Civilian. ROTC is one good way of keeping the youth away from harmful vices. As Rizal quoted â€Å"The youth are the hope of the nation†.ROTC Cadets as part of the youth sector are the hope of the nation and one of the primary movers on empowering peace and progress of the nation. As they come back to civilian life they are prepared to be a soldier, a lea der, and a better civilian or member in the society. They are deployed as civilians to contribute in the development and progress of the society and nation. What Parents cannot taught and straighten up to their children for years, can be done and straighten in several Sundays in ROTC. Disciplined and cooperative members of the society are one of the ingredients for the peace and progress of the nation.The reservists, including the ROTC Cadets are the backbone of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and as well as the society. The ROTC Cadets, Reservists and the Regular Force together with their Civilian Counterparts are having a joined force for the betterment and the advancement of the Philippines. The Military especially the reserve force supports all civic welfare activities done by the government and some Non Government Organizations; in regard with this the Armed Forces of the Philippines launched the OPLAN Bayanihan that was criticized by numerous activists, leftists, and detra ctors.Despite of these criticisms, this operation was pursued and successfully continues to help the wellbeing of the civilians, such activities are food programs, medical missions, clean up drives, and other civic and humanitarian efforts, these is to promote peace and to prevent armed struggle among the Filipinos . In times of catastrophe and calamity the ready reserve force and a number of ROTC cadets are called to respond, help and rescue the people in need, after these, these soldiers remained in active duty to conduct relief operations.These duties and service to the nation may be done not only by the Cadets or men in military service, but also by people in the civilian community or any ordinary citizen in the society. Small actions can make a big difference. Men in uniform cannot do these things all by themselves effectively, but rather if the civilians will come in aid to them or cooperate with them big difference will come out, Peace and Progress in the Philippines. In this we can say that Military is no powerful or more useful than the civilians. Men in uniform have been trained to gain more abilities, but they are trained to phold the civilian supremacy at all times. The ROTC Cadets magnifies the epitomical image of an ideal Filipino who contributes to the progress and keeping the harmony among the Filipinos in the Philippines. This shows that the ROTC Cadets as a future reservist are the epitome of an ideal citizen of our country. A citizen that has a heart to sympathize his fellow Filipinos, and a soldier that has patriotism to preserve the peace and order in the country. Be a young hero, join the unit, be an ROTC Cadet! * CDT. DIEGO MARIANO
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Of Mice and Men Themes: Depression Essay
A central focus in the novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men†is the idea of inherent human loneliness. This manifests itself in many different ways for each character, but is collectively expressed as an unshakeable sadness or worry. Crooks states early on in the novel â€Å"I seen hunderds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads. Hunderds of them. They come, an’ they quit an’ go on; an’ every damn one of ’em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ’em ever gets it. Just like heaven. Everybody wants a little piece of land’. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It’s just in their head. They’re all the time talkin’ about it, but it’s jus’ in their head†This is an accurate representation of the general feeling of never-ending sadness expressed by the characters in this novel. Steinbeck’s approach to this feeling ventures outside the realm of just a plot device, because he uses it as a way to enable the reader to better understand each character’s self discovery and viewpoints on the world they live in. One of the most intriguing characters in the novel is Curley’s wife, who is never given a name, as to represent the treatment of women during the era. She is introduced as a character you are meant to dislike, promiscuous and seemingly out for trouble. Throughout the novel in the time leading up to her murder, we learn that she is not working to harm the people around her, but rather working to satisfy the sadness that stems from her lowly place in the world. She expresses this feeling when she states â€Å"Seems like they ain’t none of them cares how I gotta live. Explaining how her â€Å"promiscuity†is actually just a cry for attention, showing that she isn’t the happy flirty woman she is made out to be, rather a fairly depressed and unhappy woman who wants to find ways to lift herself up. Moreover, it is hard for some people reading the novel to relate to the sadness felt by Curley’s wife, because it is seemingly warrantless, but Steinbeck does a commendable job of appealing to a broader audience with the character Crooks, an unhappy African American farmhand who feels isolated and melancholy because of his depressed status on the farm due to his race. He finds great joy in Lennie and George’s dream, and we see it become a savior for him, and outlet for all the anger and sadness he feels because of his position in the world. His depression is more obvious to the reader and also more relatable to anyone who has felt marginalized in their life. His sadness is very raw and clear, but he never acts upon his sadness. This shows a level of self control that isn’t seen in the other characters, and it very clearly differentiates his role within the world he lives in. In contrast to the reserved nature of Crooks, Curley’s sadness is expressed in his aggression that is rooted in his deep insecurities about himself. He acts out of rage and to assert his dominance to the characters around him, in an attempt to cure himself about his extreme lack of self confidence. This is proven to be an ineffective method for him, because no matter what he does he is seen with a bigger ego, but never seen liking himself anymore than before. Steinbeck writes him to be a short and stout man , which I believe is a representation of how trapped and unhappy he feels on the inside, almost as if he is being so oppressed by himself that it becomes physically manifested. His sadness affects me the most of all the characters in this novel, because it is the most unresolved. You get the sense that he does not even recognize his own sadness, which is something very tragic. In contrast to most of the characters in this novel, there is one that seems to be at peace with himself, and who also seems to recognize everyone else’s sadness, and has no problem accepting it as his own. I believe that slims character was added by Steinbeck to be a sharp contrasts from every other character, as well as a method of giving the reader hope that not all dreams die, and sadness is not permanent. Slims lack of internal or external conflict gives him an interesting perspective on the other characters, and made him my favorite character in the book. He handles the depression and the loneliness around him so effectively that it almost makes him appear to be superhuman. He is an educator to the others in the book, as well as an educator to the reader. He teaches everyone that our insecurities and our unhappiness doesn’t have to last forever and doesn’t have to define who we are as people. In conclusion, Steinbeck teaches us through â€Å"Of Mice and Men†that sadness is universal, but it doesn’t have to be an end all. It manifests itself in different ways for all of us, but the causes are never very different. We can learn to accept it and grow from it, or we can let it consume us, but either way it will always be there, and we just need to work to find the little things in life to help us persevere.
Psychological Testing Article Analysis Essay
Psychological testing is a tool to properly assess behaviors and characteristics of individuals. Results of psychological testing are often presented through statistical tables that allow evaluation and comparison of the different variables tested against set norms. This paper will review an article lifted from the Health Psychology journal and determine the appropriateness of the psychological testing instruments used in the study. For this purpose, the article chosen is â€Å"Evolution of Biopsychosocial Model: Prospects and Challenges for Health Psychology†written by Jerry Suls and Alex Rothman in 2004. Article Summary The Biopsychosocial Model has enabled health psychologists in the search for a multi-level, multi-system approach to human functioning (Suls & Rothman, 2004). This idea is based on the premise that there is an intrinsic relationship between what is physical, psychological and social. However according to the research of Suls and Rothman, there are marked challenges that the model faces that have essentially impeded the progress of its full potential as a research, intervention and practice tool. The article’s ultimate goal was to determine what can be done to ensure the continuous refinement and evolution of the biopsychosocial model (Suls & Rothman, 2004). As a means to determine the viability of the biopsychosocial model as a multi-faceted instrument to help explain an individual’s health psychology, Suls and Rothman resorted to the use of statistical tests in psychology. By conducting frequency tests and factor analysis, the team of Suls and Rothman came up with a list of recommendations in the model’s areas of research, training, policy and funding, and practice. These recommendations are to further utilization of the links between biological, psychological, social, and even macro-cultural variables, with the ultimate aim of enhancing health (2004). Through the tests five issues were also identified to be crucial in the progress of the biopsychosocial model as a legitimate approach to health assessment. The article concluded by highlighting the various advancements in health psychology, particularly with the biopsychosocial model. However, Suls and Rothman stressed that the full potential of the model in terms of the ability to advance the theory and practice remain untapped (2004). Only a strong commitment to the model and it implications would establish long-term success of its involvement in health psychology (Suls & Rothman, 2004). Psychological Testing Instruments Used The article of Suls and Rothman did not explicitly discuss the test they used to assess the biopsychosocial model. In spite of this, it can be deduced from the tables they presented and the discussion of their findings that they relied on statistical tests in psychology in data-gathering. Statistical tests are commonly used to analyze results of a psychological research (Green & D’Oliveria, 1982). In fact many social sciences, particularly psychology, necessitate the use of statistical inference to explain findings (Meehl, 1967). In this particular article where the bulk of the fact-finding are based on peer research, two statistical tests in psychology were used. Suls and Rothman conducted frequency tests two times in their research study. Frequency tests are the most helpful tool when comparing data against each other (Lane, 2004). Through frequency tests, marked differences in independent variables are clearly distinguished. To measure the progression of the biopsychosocial model as a accepted concept in health psychology, Suls and Rothman conducted a frequency test on the use of the term â€Å"biopsychosocial†in journals and articles of Medline from 1974 to 2001, totals of which were group into a 3-year period interval (2004). Suls and Rothman likewise applied a frequency test to measure the integration of behavioral approaches to medical science in the study (2004). They reviewed articles in 4 major medical journals namely New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Journal of the American Medical Association, and the Annals of Internal Medicine between the years of 1974 and 2001 (Suls and Rothman, 2004). Once again, they grouped the results into 3-year period intervals. From the raw frequency scores collected, they were able to produce a frequency polygon. A frequency polygon is the best way to present data gathered from frequency tests because it shows the shape of distribution of measured variables (Lane, 2004). Apart from frequency tests, Suls and Rothman also used factor analysis test. Factor analysis is one of the most commonly used statistical tests in various disciplines. It is used to determine patterns of relationships between variables (Gorsuch, 1983). In the area of psychology, factor analysis is commonly applied in intelligence research but it can also be used in other areas, like personality, behavior, belief, and even theory assessment. In this instance, factor analysis was used to assess the attitude of health psychologists towards the biopsychosocial model. The biopsychosocial model is dependent on the interaction between the biological, psychological, and social factors within an individual (Suls and Rothman, 2004). Suls and Rothman theorized that health psychologists are more likely to focus heavily on the psychological factor alone in the biopsychosocial model (2004). Therefore they used factor analysis to measure the presence of all the factors in articles written within a 12-month period, November 2001-September 2002 in Health Psychology. This particular application is called confirmatory factor analysis. It is used when the concern is to determine the number of variables that conform to a pre-determined theory set (Gorsuch, 1983). The value of this test is to assess the validity of preconceived ideas. In the case of Suls and Rothman’s study, it is the leaning of health psychologists towards psychological factors to assess an individual’s health. The article of Suls and Rothman did not make use of any standardized psychological testing instruments. The reason may be due to the fact that it is a study aimed at determining the advancement of a framework of health assessment. However, they still integrated valuable statistical testing in psychology to explain clearly the findings they have gathered. Effectiveness of the Psychological Testing Instruments Used The main premise of Suls and Rothman’s article is that the biopsychosocial model has proven remarkably successful in shaping the way health psychologists view an individual’s overall functioning (Suls and Rothman, 2004). To prove this point, the team proceeded to measure the familiarity of the concept among health psychologists by reviewing published journals in Medline, and four other notable medical journals. The raw data collected was then subjected to different statistical tests commonly applied in the field of psychology. From there Suls and Rothman were able to formulate recommendations vital to the advancement of the biopsychosocial model as a valid instrument in health assessment. The effectiveness of psychological testing is based mainly on two factors, validity and reliability. Validity measures the soundness of a test against its set objectives. On the other hand reliability measures the accuracy of the test in terms of producing consistent results. To determine whether the result of psychological testing is effective, researchers usually turn to statistical tests. In this case where no standardized psychological testing instruments were used, the effectiveness of the study may be directly correlated with the quality of the results produced by the statistical tests used by Suls and Rothman. Suls and Rothman resorted to frequency test to explain their findings on the use of â€Å"biopsychosocial†as a term in medical journals. The test confirmed their initial assumption that the biopsychosocial model has helped in advancing health psychology in the last 25 years. The frequency test showed a consistent rise in the use of â€Å"biopsychosocial†as a term in medical journals. However, Suls and Rothman are quick to stress that this may also be due to the increase of the number of articles published that deal with behavior in recent years (2004). They also used frequency test to assess the integration of behavioral approach to medical science (Suls & Rothman, 2004). The results attested as well to the increased integration of behavioral approaches to medical science in the last 30 years (Suls & Rothman, 2004). Finally a factor analysis test was conducted to determine the reliance of health psychologists on the variables essential to the biopsychosocial model. The factor analysis test clearly showed that health psychologists are still biased in considering psychological issues over biological, and even social. This correctly proved the initial postulation of Suls and Rothman. Considering that the statistical tests in psychology used in the research of Suls and Rothman ably supported their theory, it can be said that they were effective. However, since the study is mostly a review of journals it is not enough to completely determine the actual advancement of the biopsychosocial model as a tool for health assessment. George Schwartz in his book suggested that the biopsychosocial model faces a challenge with the use of empirical testing (1982). Empirical testing is a vital component to any psychological research. Another is that the model remains a concept in research. It has yet to transcend from research to practice, then back to research (Keefe, Buffington, Studts & Rumble, 2002). This is when the recommendations of Suls and Rothman become important. They were able to identify important areas that are tangible and measurable that will help in the transition of the model from a mere conceptual framework to a fully working tool in health assessment. As a stand-alone article, Suls and Rothman presented a thorough exposition of their chosen subject. However, based on the criteria of the article review, it did not meet the standards required. The fundamental component needed in the review is psychological testing in which the article did not have. On the other hand, the statistical tests were very helpful in understanding the basis of Suls’ and Rothman’s conclusion. Considering the statistical tests were properly chosen and used, it can be concluded that in the end the article of Suls and Rothman was a success. References Gorsuch, R. (1983). Factor analysis. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum Green, J. & D’Oliveria, M. (1982). Learning to use statistical tests in psychology 3rd edition. NY: Open University. Keefe, F. , Buffington, A. , Studts, J. , & Rumble, M. (2002). Behavioral medicine: 2002 and beyond. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 70, 852-856. Lane, D. (2004, Augus 10). Frequency polygons. Connections. Retrieved August 25, 2010,
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