Classroom Inclusion, but Is It Really Working Essay examples

Inclusion of students with special needs in the classroom has been implemented around the world since the nineties. Although no longer a hotly debated issue, the question still remains; is inclusion really working or should we still be concerned? A successful transition into the classroom provides social and educational benefits and sometimes challenges in regards to time, supports and behaviors. Teachers, classmates and the special needs students themselves can bring significant insight to this very important topic. Teachers generally felt the success of inclusion of the disabled student into the classroom depended largely on the ability of the school to provide specialized services and supports to meet the†¦show more content†¦One high achieving male indicated, â€Å"They interrupt our learning process.†(Litvack, Ritchie, Shore, 2011, p.483) Average achieving students, particularly girls tended to report that those with disabilities had little impact on their l earning, stating that they were like themselves but had a few problems. (Litvack, Ritchie, Shore, 2011, p.484) Interaction with students who had a different skill set was found beneficial; relationships formed ranged from close friend to academic helper. Insight was shown by some students as they conveyed their concerns due to lack of connection due to the inability of the disabled student to communicate; they feared that they might be victimized. The article continued by indicating these same students noted the disabled students were frequently left on the side lines to observe play rather than be an active participant. (Litvack, Ritchie, Shore, 2011, p.482) Classmates held positive views concerning inclusion and felt they had gained awareness and understanding of individual differences and found that giving of themselves through peer tutoring brought personal rewards. Most importantly disabled students should be in environments that respect their social and educational rights. T hey care about their education and academic success and through experience have their ownShow MoreRelatedInclusion: Is it Effective at the Elementary Level? Essays1518 Words   |  7 PagesInclusion is where children classified as Intellectually Disabled (ID) are put into a regular classroom instead of a special education classroom. Previously called mental retardation, ID, as defined by the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY), is a term used to describe a child with certain limitations in mental functioning, and in skills such as communication, personal care, or social skills. (2011) These limitations will cause a child to develop more slowly thanRead MoreInclusion Has Been A Major Topic Between Educators And1576 Words   |  7 PagesInclusion has been a major topic between educators and parents of special needs children for years. Many believe that it would a good idea to educate general education children in the same classroom along with specia l needs children, including those with multiple disabilities. And then there are many that believe special education and general education can actually can be accomplished in one classroom along with one general education teacher and one special education teacher working together , teachingRead MoreThe Special Education System On Those With Disabilities1427 Words   |  6 Pagesmeeting the needs of students with disabilities, but others questioned if it had, at all, started with distinguishing the purpose of inclusion, and if so, is it key in understanding the impact of the special education system on those with disabilities? In order to properly grasp the concept of inclusion, one would have to examine a series of documented research done on inclusion, and how it incorporates to a multitude of opportunities opening up to students with special needs. In this paper, there willRead MoreSpecial Education Students: Inclusion vs Reality Essay1315 Words   |  6 Pagesschools to educate all children with disabilities in the least restrictive environment, to the maximum extent possible. The least restrictive environment is considered to be the general or the â€Å"regular† education classroom. The preferred language of today is the term â€Å"general education classroom†, because using the word â€Å"regular† implies that special education rooms would then be considered ‘irregular†. Schools are also bound by law to provide â€Å"a full continuum of services† which simply means they needRead MoreTeaching Assistant Level 3 - assignment 6 Essay1452 Words   |  6 PagesTeaching Assistant Diploma – Assignment Six 1. What is meant by the term educational inclusion? Inclusion in education is an approach to educating students with special needs. Under the inclusion model, students with special needs spend most or all of their time with non-disabled students. Implementation of these practices varies. Schools most frequently use them for selected students with mild to severe special needs. Inclusive education differs from previously held notions of integrationRead MoreGraduation Speech : Special Education753 Words   |  4 Pagestheir past with secondary special education services within their job title, I really received interesting information. For example, my principal attends all IEP meetings along with making sure those students have the correct hours of special education classes designated by the IEP team. Also he must be constantly thinking about the laws involved with discipline that takes place with special education students. This is really mind blowing because having all these task for one person to follow throughRead MoreEssay Mainstreaming: Does it Help Childrens Special Needs?1406 Words   |  6 PagesMainstreaming: Does it Help Childrens Special Needs? Inclusion describes the practice of placing children with special needs in regular classrooms. Inclusion, also known as mainstreaming, gives all students the opportunity to learn from their individual differences. It allows special needs children to receive their education in a normal society. Children with special needs are encouraged by the challenges that face them in a regular classroom. They also learn to defend themselves from the attitudesRead MoreThe Importance Of The Teacher s Inclusive Education Essay1663 Words   |  7 Pagesstart inclusion immediately and how inclusion boosts a child’s spiritual, mental, social and cultural values and the impacts this holds on their success. The inclusion a teacher can bring is crucial for the continuation and chances of success for each individual child. All children should be included regardless of ethnicity, ability, religion or any other categorisation. When inclusive education takes place children who have a disability, a nd those who do not engage together in the classroom and learnRead MoreWhat Does It Mean to Be a Special Educator?1373 Words   |  6 Pagesstrategies. One promising technique used in classrooms today is inclusion. Inclusion classrooms are when special need children are mainstreamed into the regular education population. This is a way for children with disabilities to feel less isolated from the rest of their peers. Special education teachers need to be able to effectively teach both the regular and special need children in the same manner with some modifications. The concept of inclusion classrooms could have came about by the No Child LeftRead More The Benefits of Full Inclusion of All Students with Learning Disabilities1843 Words   |  8 PagesAdvantages of Inclusion for Disabled Children There are many advantages for children with disabilities, to be placed in a regular classroom setting. First of all, children are spared the effects of being separate and segregated. Sometimes, segregated education can provide negative effects, such as labeling (Wolery, M. and Wilbers, J., 1994). Labeling of a disabled child can be held over their head throughout their education. Also, being separated can make other children have negative attitudes

The Pride of Being a Woman Free Essays

The Pride of Being a Woman Before WW1 in Canada, women were discriminated against, and were not considered being â€Å"persons. † However during the war while men were off fighting, women were given the opportunity to occupy many jobs, at which they found their sense of independence and pride. After WW1, women realized that they were just as strong as men and deserved to have equal right just as they did. We will write a custom essay sample on The Pride of Being a Woman or any similar topic only for you Order Now Women decided to fight for their rights, and improve the roles of woman in Canada forever. For example, women moved away from being known as housewives, and joined the work force. Women struggled to be considered equal to men, however through the efforts of the suffrage movement, women earned the right to vote, decreased spousal abuse through prohibition, as well changed the working roles and professions of women. Women fought for the right to vote in order to have their voices and opinions heard, so that they would be regarded as â€Å"persons† and be able to make improvements in Canada. Disenfranchisement became unacceptable to women. From the year 1791 and for the next hundred years, men were the only ones allowed to vote, and hold political office However, this view changed in the midst of the 19th century, when women’s organizations began wanting improvements for the society’s needs and better working conditions for women working in factories. The suffrage movement began in the 1890’s in western Canada where one of the many organizations concerning suffrage was created, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union , which was one of the many organizations and suffrage groups that initiated meetings, presentations, and demonstrations , and also sent petitions to the government concerning the woman’s right to vote. The WCTU was an organization that empowered woman to voice their concerns to the government. In 1911, a woman named Nellie McClung made a difference in speeding up the process of getting women the right to vote by arriving in Winnipeg and who spoke at over 400 public meetings concerning suffrage. McClung was known as the leading suffragette. In 1912, Nellie McClung helped organized an organization that would increase the number of supporters, called the the Political Equity League. Many men, including ones who were politicians, became in favor of granting women the right to vote. In 1916, Manitoba passed a law that would grant women enfranchisement, and was soon followed by other provinces. However, this ight only applied to provincial elections, not federal elections. Finally in 1918, the Women’s Franchise Law allowed women who were over the age of 21 to vote in federal elections. Women had won, for in 1919 women were also granted the right to hold political office in parliament, where in 1921 Agnes Macphail was the first woman to be elected as a federal member. By b eing granted the right to vote, women were able to express their concerns of poverty, social reforms, alcohol abuse, and much more. Nellie McClung was a strong woman who helped empower the suffrage movement in granting woman the right to vote and be considered persons. Without fighting for the right to vote, woman would never have been able to make changes in Canada, as well as the rest of the world. Women believed that the source of their husband’s abuse was alcohol, and to decrease the amount of abuse inflicted upon wives, women began pressuring governments into passing prohibition laws. Women believed that fathers and husbands would spend their pay cheques on alcohol and beer after work, rather than bringing the money home to support their families. Furthermore, when men came home drunk, they had the tendency to beat their wives and children. In order to campaign prohibition, many women joined the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in the 1920s that fought for the rights of women. Temperance movements blamed the consumption of alcohol for many of society’s downturns, especially crime and murder By the beginning of the 20th century, women had fought for, and succeeded in having prohibition laws passed in nearly every province. Women and politicians believed that prohibition laws should be enforced because the grain from alcohol could be used to feed people, and money spent on alcohol could be used to feed families. Improvements were made in Canada with the illegalization of the consumption and manufacturing of alcohol; crime rates dropped, arrest for drunkenness decreased, workers took pay cheques homes, and industrial efficiency improved. By women campaigning prohibition in order to have their concerns and opinions heard, they made a difference in Canada by decreasing crime rates, and making people realize what alcohol can do to a person’s behaviour, and how it can endanger others. Before WW1, a woman’s main role was as a housewife, however during the war women joined the labour force and occupied many jobs as secretaries, clerks, and typists that were not conceivable to the public before the war. After the war, women decided that it was time to join the work force, and gain independence. Women viewed themselves as spending their lives taking care of the home, having babies, and obeying their husbands. Nevertheless, women began to move away from this attitude by 1911 where they began focusing on their careers and education. By 1917 there were 35 000 women employed in Ontario and Montreal. Women were paid less than men for completing the same amount of work, as well many women were laid off following the war, yet by the 1920’s women re-established their war time involvement. Women found their sense of independence, and began occupying jobs in the fields of library work, teaching, social work, and clerical. Women began realizing how important the right of having an education was, so women began entering universities and by 1930, 23% of undergraduates and 35% of all graduates were students who were female. The Great Depression showed women many struggles, by launching them back into the domestic service, and having them be laid off more than men. With the help of 21 Women’s organizations, a National Selective Service worked to have women recruited back into the industrial labor force. Governments had troubles recruiting women with children, or married women into the labor force. However, by 1942, 33. 2% of all women were employed in Canada. Women worked hard to have the attitude of being known as housewives changed. By the way women persevered in having an education and finding better employment, they gained respect and independence. They occupied jobs that were initially viewed as being a man’s â€Å"duties†. When women were given the opportunity, they found it within themselves to fight for justice and rights among all women, which ended up changing the future of Canada’s next generations of girls and women alike. Though women struggled to be viewed as equal to men, through the suffrage movement and fighting for the right to vote, prohibition, and getting women into the labor force, women achieved the rights and freedoms that they deserved. In present years, women have the right to vote in elections, and are able to have an education, and occupy a multitude of different professions, such as teachers, secretaries, and doctors. Because of prohibition, women have found the courage to stand up to their abusive husbands. Canada has improved as a country because of women like Nellie McClung, who were not afraid to fright for, and make improvements, and changes in Canada. If women in the 1920s did not fight for these rights and stand up for what they believe in, women in the twenty first century would not have the rights and freedoms that they do now. How to cite The Pride of Being a Woman, Papers

Education Is Not the Key to Success free essay sample

People eventually started to believe that education was the single way to succeed, and the  only thing needed for success. Despite the fact, many Americans believe a college degree will lead  them to be successful, in reality, education is not the solitary way to succeed. Not everybody can receive an education, or even an excellent education from a decent academic college/university. There are many students who have no desire to attend college and who  would be much better off if they received training that would qualify them for a better- paid job with  just a high school diploma (Finneran, 22). Many students today that are receiving a secondary  education are either doing it because they think it is the right thing to do, or because their parents told  them that the only way to succeed in todays world was through a college degree. Parents put a lot of  pressure on their children when it comes to college, and receiving an education. Parents put a lot of  pressure on their children when it comes to college, and receiving an education. Some students are so  overly pressured that they believe that in order to be somebody n life, he/she must both attend college,  and receive a college degree; if it is possible go beyond bachelors. What many students and parents fail  to comprehend is that book learning is not the only thing needed to succeed. Success is made up of many skills; sure education is a building block of it, but it is not the key  to it. Success can be different for everybody. There are many careers out there that pay a good amount  of money and do not require a college degree. Some examples of careers that do not require a college  degree are: Police men, Dental Hygienist, Online Advertising Manager, Web Developer, Insurance agent,  Mechanic, hair stylist, construction, electrical technician, etc. If a person wants to be a police all he or she  needs to do is obtain 60 credits in any courses and go on to learn the skills he or she really needs for his or her  career. Education or book learning had nothing to do with the success of those people that chose to take  another path rather than the typical one (education). People can be successful in any field with the right  skills. Book learning has a lot to do with the knowledge a person has, but not with the skills a person  has. There are many A+ graduates out there that cannot get a job, or are stuck working at a place that had  nothing to do with their degree. A numerous amount of students in college care more about grades  than knowledge; some graduate having forgotten everything they ever learned. So there goes a college  graduate with little knowledge and no skills. Can a person like that succeed? No. Thats why education  is not the key to success. People cannot just go to college and expect that passing classes will get them  to succeed. The main thing a person needs in order to succeed is drive, motivation and passion. He/she has  to know what their end goal is and what they need to do to get it. Commit to the achievement of the  elusive goal in your life (Arcement, 101). The person has to go about learning what skills will take her  or him to be successful. One of the main skills a person should have is persistence. A person must  always keep going after his or her goal even if it takes years to reach. Persistence takes discipline. Discipline is doing what you need to do, even though you dont feel like doing it (Lyman, 4). Two other  skills a person needs, is to be friendly, and kind. Being nice and friendly is significant. Like Lyman said,  being kind is important because it will beothers that will help a person be successful. Other people will  help a person get to where he or she wants to be. They will help the person envision what they want  and obtain a job. They will also help a person gain opportunity. People like to help others, but only if  the person is nice and friendly. Others want to have people with those qualities around them. Besides persistence and being nice and friendly a person also needs to have other life skills in order  to succeed. One of the skills a person needs is public speaking. A person needs to be able to express  themselves clearly in front of a group of people. People who are effective speakers come across as  more comfortable with themselves, more confident, and more attractive to be around (Wax, #1). Another skill is self-management, and the skills needed to obtain self-management are: strong sense of  discipline, sturdy organizational skills, and impressive productivity habits. A person needs to keep him  or herself on track. A third skill that a person needs is to know how to network. Knowing how to  network can build relationships nd those relationships can help a person land a job or career and take  them one step forward at being successful. These skills are really important to have. There are more skills that are really important to have in order to be successful in life, in a job,  or in a career. A person needs to know how to make effective decision making. Being able to take  over the scene and respond quickly and effectively is what separates the doers from the  wannabes (Wax, #6). Another skill that a person will need is time management. A person needs to  show that he or she is hungry for success and that he or she wants to be where he or he is at. What  employer would want to hire a person that will always be late? None. People should not be pressured to do something that they dont want to do; parents should not  pressure their children into receiving a college education and obtaining a college degree. As it was  shown and proved, having a college education and obtaining a college degree can help you succeed, but  is not the key to success. In order for a person to succeed, he or she needs to have more than just book  learning. A person needs to have skills to go with his or her career, job or education.

Romeo and Juliet is a love tragedy based on different kinds of loves Essay Example

Romeo and Juliet is a love tragedy based on different kinds of loves Essay Romeo and Juliet is a love tragedy based on different kinds of loves. Romeo and Juliet become married in a forbidden relationship over the high tension brawl between their rival families which Shakespeare clearly shows in the play. Despite the family brawls, the pair decides to let their perfect love defeat all. Peoples ideas have changed in the space of 400 years, for example back then some loves featured in this play would produce different reactions to the audience, than today. Shakespeare opens the play with the chorus who speaks a sonnet, where love imagery is found; Two Star-crossed lovers This hints the couple feeling stuck and desperate to be free to love one another. The stars in this quote means their love is bound to happen, the forbidden bit is in the darkness, as stars are covered by darkness meaning the two lovers are as well, but as stars shine in the dark night this proves their love is everlasting in spite of the hard situation. We will write a custom essay sample on Romeo and Juliet is a love tragedy based on different kinds of loves specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Romeo and Juliet is a love tragedy based on different kinds of loves specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Romeo and Juliet is a love tragedy based on different kinds of loves specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In Act 1, scene 1 straight away we are involved in the fight scenes followed by the violent action which would have entertained the Shakespeares audience 400 years ago. In the first scene fighting is going on and rude comments are being passed out between the two families. Some other quotes showing how much the two families hate one another, which could lead even to risking their own lives just to show how brave they were. We also know that the two families liked winding each other up which would lead up more fights therefore some more entertainment for the Shakespeare audience. The first love we see in Romeo and Juliet is the love not between the two star crossed lovers but Romeo and Rosaline. The type of love for these two is Elizabethan courtly love, this is when some one uses flowery words and actions with out really meaning them, Benvolio describes this supposed love in Act 1, scene 1. Courtly love is unrequited love between two people. In this case Rosaline is apparently too good or unattainable and Romeo is inadequate for her, and he is using what we now call false love language to show her his fake or empty love for her. Alas that love so gentle in his view should be so tyrannous and rough in proof! Benvolio in truth says that this love is fake and very different to the love we see later on in the play with Juliet. When Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time in the Capulet party Romeos language changes from Elizabethan courtly love to real almost perfect love. Shakespeare shows this to us because he uses religious words and thoughts to highlight the quality of their love. The sonnet split between them is a form of love poetry used quite a lot in Shakespeares time. The actors also shows love by language and hand movement as the part played by Juliet was played by a man 400 years ago. if I profane with my unworthyest hand this holy shrine, the gentle sin is this. Already we can see a big difference in language from the language he used with Rosaline you can tell he is speaking form the heart and Shakespeare made sure of that. Shakespeare I think also uses some religious actions and words in his play as hand movements are used in prayer as well. O then dear saint, let lips do what hands do. They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair In Act 2, scene 3 when Romeo stands outside of Juliets balcony he talks about Juliet in true love imagery. Arise fair sun, and kill the envious moon The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars Romeo compares Juliet as if she was the sun, stars and heaven, which again Shakespeare uses imagery to tell the audience how much Romeo is in love with her as the characters were played by men, unfortunately. Juliet then talks to herself in soft, peaceful imagery showing innocence and love for Romeo. When he bestrides the lazy puffing clouds, and sails upon the bosom of the air Juliets parents have arranged a marriage for Juliet and Paris. Arranged marriages in Shakespeares time were common in powerful families. Her parents think that it is because of her cousin, Tybalts death caused by Romeo that she is upset but they are wrong and the audience know the truth, this is an example of dramatic irony. Marry, that marry is the very theme I came to talk of. Tell me, daughter, Juliet Juliet is worried and troubled by the idea of the arranged marriage as she is married to Romeo secretly, this scene only would shock the audience of Shakespeares time as marrying some one and then marrying a second man was thought to be outrageous, more like unthinkable. Ere he that he should be husband comes to woo. I pray to tell my lord and father, madam, I will not marry yet, and when I do I swear It shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate, Rather than Paris. Juliet tells Lady Capulet, her mother how much she doesnt want to marry Paris and uses Romeo as an example to show her how much she hates him as he murdered Tybalt. The audience knows this is not true so this is an example of dramatic irony. Juliet is trying to make her parents understand how much she despises the idea of marrying Paris but her plan does not work, as she wants it to. It is not yet near day; it was the nightingale It is some meteor that the sun exhaled Here Shakespeare shows us how they dont what to leave each other just yet, those extra more seconds with each other mean a lot and even dough its morning they are not that worried about getting caught in bed together. As it is their first morning together being husband and wife. Mercutio, friend of Romeo is a playful character full of sexual innuendos. His lines are full of puns, especially when he can add a sexual meaning. Mercutio takes love as a joke and is the clown who entertains the audience and his friends with his funny lines. The pox of such antic, lisping, affecting phantasimes, these new turners of accent! By Jesus, a very good blade! a very tall man! a very good whore! When Juliet is first aware that Romeo has killed Tybalt her love and anger blend in a series of romantic words which illustrate her emotional state. Dove-feathered raven, wolvish-ravening lamb! Beautiful tyrant, fiend angelical! Then, dreadful trumpet, sound the general doom Juliet talks alone with the nurse and she begins to question Romeo being with her, this shocks Juliet as she believed in the nurse all along but now shes changed her mind and advises her to go for Paris. The nurse is showing her love for Juliet, as she doesnt want her to get caught with Romeo. The nurse is not telling her this so she doesnt get in trouble, but shes telling her to help her. And the nurse feels it is the right decision to go with Paris. At the beginning of Act 3, scene 2 we see Juliet alone waiting for her husband and she is very impatient to see him. She compares her love for the night with her love for Romeo. Cut him up into little stars And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night, And pay no worship to the garish sun. The use of star and sky imagery is used again to show us how her love and missing of her husband Romeo to the night once again. Another love in Shakespeares play is the friendly love between Romeo and Mercutio. Tybalt kills Mercutio, and Romeo because of this love risks his life to get Tybalt, he finds him and kills him to avenge Mercutios death. But before Mercutio died he blamed Romeo for getting him stabbed, so you could say this love is one sided, with only Romeo loving Mercutio. Although Tybalt is dead, Juliet still remains in love to her husband by standing by his side and defending him even though he murdered her cousin. This shows how strong her love is for Romeo even dough he has killed one of her close family members. Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband? But wherefore, villain, didst thou kill my cousin? That villain cousin would have killed my husband. In Act 4, scene 3 we see Juliet and Paris in Friar Lawrences cell talking about the wedding. Paris doesnt know about Juliets affair with Romeo. Juliet goes along with the wedding uneasy for what she should do to get out of it. That may be, sir, when I may be a wife Juliets responses are full of answers, which refer to Romeo; only the audience knows what Juliet is talking about. After Paris leaves, Juliet looks for help from Friar Lawrence who gives her the potion to make it look like shes dead and escape marriage to Paris. This is an example of unrequited love because Paris loves Juliet but she doesnt love him back in the same way. Oercovered quite with dead mens rattling bones, With reeky shanks and yellow chapless skulls Shakespeare adds scary imagery to Juliets speech. Juliet would rather take this potion and escape with Romeo than marry Paris this again shows how much they love each other. The dreadful imagery ends and the result is she takes the potion. Act 4, scene 3 when Juliet is saying her goodbyes before she takes the potion we see Juliet frightened as she thinks about what will happen if this plan was to go wrong and all these strange thoughts going trough her head about being stuck there and Romeo not being there when she wakes up. As in a vault, an ancient receptacle, Where for this many hundred years the bones Of all my buried ancestors are packed, Where bloody Tybalt, yet but green in earth She commits herself and lets go of all these thoughts and just takes the potion in the hope of her awaking to find her husband there to greet her. Act 5, scene 3 the scene where Paris is crying for Juliets death. As Juliet has taken the potion everyone thinks shes dead and was put in the vault with her ancestors as the plan said. When Romeo enters in search of Juliet Paris stops Romeo and they both fight for Juliets love. Romeo murders Paris this shows how much Paris loved Juliet but she didnt love him back this is unrequited love something Romeo felt at the start with Rosaline. Pariss last request was to get Romeo to lay him by her side this shows how much Paris did love her. When Romeo finally sees Juliet in her vault he takes the imagery to a new level by using dreadful and disturbing imagery, which he cries out in pain. He then takes some poison and dies for Juliet thinking she was dead all because Friar Lawrences message didnt get to him in time. When Juliet wakes up from her sleep she finds Romeo dead and the shock of seeing all this go wrong makes her just think of killing herself. Juliets direct speech is shorter than Romeos as Juliet feels guilty and is in pain to see al this tragedy. As Friar Lawrence tells Juliet the watch is coming she stabs herself before they ask her why shes still alive and whats been going on, Juliet does this to save herself and to be with her husband Romeo, after death. Yeah, noise? Then Ill be brief. O happy dagger, This is thy sheath; there rust and let me die. Love triumphs in the end because the two families are united. So although Romeo and Juliet have to die, love wins in the end-in a strange way. The Capulet and Montagues learn to re-unite because of the tragic death that the fight brought. Both County Paris and Romeo die because of Juliet and she kills herself because Romeo is dead, they erect a statue for them and mourn. Go hence to have more talk of these sad things, Some shall be pardoned, and some punished: For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo

Answers to Questions About Apostrophes

Answers to Questions About Apostrophes Answers to Questions About Apostrophes Answers to Questions About Apostrophes By Mark Nichol Here are three questions from readers about use of apostrophes to mark possession or plurality, followed by my responses. 1. When I have a list of people who all possess something, how do I handle the apostrophe(s)? Which of the following sentences is correct?: â€Å"Today is John, Mary, and my second anniversary with the company.† â€Å"Today is John’s, Mary’s, and my second anniversary with the company.† â€Å"Today is John, Mary’s, and my second anniversary with the company.† â€Å"Today is John’s, Mary’s, and my second anniversary with the company† is correct, because the possessive (or, more accurately, genitive) function of my covers only itself, and each of the names needs its own possessive markers they can’t share one. (Even â€Å"Today is John and Mary’s second anniversary with the company† works only if they joined as a single unit; by contrast, â€Å"Today is John and Mary’s second wedding anniversary† is correct because it implies that they united as a couple.) 2. Which of the following options regarding the apostrophe s is correct?: â€Å"This view of Smith regarding the relation between rationality and social contexts is inspired by Marx’s philosophy.† â€Å"This view of Smith’s regarding the relation between rationality and social contexts is inspired by Marx’s philosophy.† The apostrophe plus s is correct: This is an example of the possessive, or genitive, case; the view â€Å"belongs† to Smith, so it should be treated as if you wrote â€Å"Smith’s view . . . .† (One could also write, â€Å"This view from Smith . . .,† but the possessive form reads better.) 3. Recently, there was a headline in the Los Angeles Times that read, â€Å"The what if’s of Iraq.† Is the apostrophe in if’s correct? No. It should read, â€Å"The what ifs of Iraq† (or, better yet, what-ifs), just as one would refer to more than one no as nos (not no’s) and a list of recommendations as â€Å"dos and don’ts† (not don’t’s). The editors probably thought that â€Å"what ifs† looks odd, but they violated the rule â€Å"Minimize exceptions†: They wouldn’t (one hopes) insert a second apostrophe in don’ts, so why put an extraneous one in â€Å"what ifs†? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Confusing "Passed" with "Past"Testimony vs. Testimonial

Side jobs. Bringing in cash

Side jobs. Bringing in cash High-paying side jobs You may witness people who have an insatiable desire to accomplish more every day. They are goal-oriented and ambitious, and they need an additional occupation to develop professionally and become a person they always wanted to be. Perhaps, what we said above may be attributed to you as well. In this case, this is what we have to offer in terms of job proposals. One day, you may find yourself in a tight position of a student or an office employee, who is on a limited budget or an adult, trying to pay the bills. Whenever you feel extra money will make you happier, we suggest applying for a side-job that is going to bring extra cash and professional satisfaction. Some of the most attractive options are listed below: Fitness instructor. In case you want to obtain a side hobby and earn money at the same time, becoming a fitness instructor will certainly blend in your daily routine. There are individual instructors, who are paid to train with a particular person, and there are those who are doing group classes. If you prefer to be surrounded by people, the last option will suit you well. Normally, you will be required to get a certificate for this type of job, and six months of prior trainings are compulsory to see if you fit in a specific company of instructors, depending on your ability to communicate and establish connections with people. Commonly, group classes are fun and need you to stay determined and organized, as you may have people of different ages coming to get their fair share of personal training. Your main task would be to monitor the work out process and check on the client’s progress the whole time. Archivist. Unlike the first job, this one is for people, who can spend hours, gathering information. For those, who love catalogues and works of art, being employed as an archivist is the best chance to show themselves in the professional sphere. Sometimes, your local museum would require specialists to check on the backlogs and organize papers in alphabetical order. Apparently, you will need a degree in archive management or any other discipline, closely related to the said sphere. Marketing manager. Marketing managers create plans for companies and reach out to inform clients of these plans. They can also attend the sponsorship events to see if the product has established itself among the audience, and have the responsibility of analyzing current situations in business. You will need a certain amount of qualification for this job, and you should know it will be a temporary occupation in case you don’t have experience or happen to be currently enrolled in the university. Writer. You can work as a writer with a part-time schedule, if you feel creativity is something you can’t live without. This type of profession is perfect for those, who want to study and gain experience at the same time. Besides, they pay you well if you manage to meet the deadline and provide clients with authentic, 100% original content. Working as a writer pays off in case you want to devote your life to that sphere, too, as it develops your verbal talents as well as written communication practice, which is important if you are employed by an educational institution or an essay service company. City-guide blogger. Companies and corporations love bloggers, who write articles on their local city attractions. You can be focused on anything that draws your attention and sounds entertaining, like recreation, cultural events and architecture. The key to this side-job is being able to provide sufficient information on the sightseeing tours in your area and making sure your readers enjoy the views as they collect ideas from your blog. Some real estate companies are also interested in this kind of advertising, as they work with sales and management department and need promotion for business. The vacancy is ideal for the lovers of travel and tourism – you just have to be unique and find a personal shtick that will later become your trademark. Business consultant. Business consulting represents a broad sphere of professional knowledge, but generally, you will have to talk to the business owners and provide them with valuable advice on how to improve their performance. Business consultants can make a lot of money by facilitating several companies in finding their perfect strategy and are often present at meetings, whenever administrative help is required. You have to be a good organizer with a rhetorical talent and an excellent conversationalist to maintain a level that is required for a specific business field. You also need to possess a degree in business administration and be able to handle conflict situations at work. Stress management is important for the side jobs such as this, as you never know who you are going to cooperate with.H

Astronomy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Astronomy - Essay Example 4). Explain how type I and Type II. Supernovae occur. 1). The four main grouping of stars as depicted by the Hertzprung- Russel diagram are dwarf (white and red) stars, main sequence grouping stars, giant stars and supergiant stars (p. 142). The white dwarf stars are Sirius B, Wolf 486, Van Maanen's star, Procyon B, Wolf 1346 and 40 Eridani B. The size characteristic of these stars is ranging from 0.008 R to 0.03 R. The stars in the white dwarf category have temperatures ranging from 5,000 K to 25, 000 K. In between the white dwarf stars and the main sequence grouping we have Bernard's star. Bernard's star is a red dwarf. It has a radius of about 0.1 R and 150 L/L. Bernard's star is also the coolest star with temperatures of 2900 K. The white and red dwarf stars have Mv > 15. The main sequence stars are Aldebaran B, Alpha Centauri B, the Sun, Altair, Sirius, Procyon A, Vega, Rigel B, Pollux, Spica B, Spica A, Adara and Capella B. The luminosity class of these stars is V. The size of these stars vary from 1R to 10R. The stars in the main sequence grouping vary from 7,000 L/L to 85,000 L/L. The main sequence grouping stars have temperatures ranging from 3700 K for Aldebaran B to 30,000 K for Adara. The main sequence stars have between 5- 10 Mv. The next sequence of stars are the giants. Included in the giant classification of stars are Capella A, Aldebaran A, Arcturus, Mira and Canopus. The giant classification of stars have radii which vary from 10 R to 100 R. The luminosity class of the giant stars are III. The giant stars have a Mv between 0- 5. The next sequence is the supergiant sequence of stars. This includes Polaris, Deneb, Rigel A and Alnilam. The supergiants temperatures range from 10,000 K to 30,000K. The luminosity class is Ib. The largest stars are Betegeuse and Antares,.Betelgeuse has a size of 1000 R. Antares has a size of about 2000 R. The Mv for these stars is – 5 (p. 143). 2). A star is born from the thin gases of space. When a star is bo rn, there is normally a large cloud of gas and dust. The thin gases of space are known as the interstellar medium ( p. 162). When enough hydrogen is compressed through the gravity of these stars, hydrogen fusion is achieved. In the center core of these stars there is a helium core. A teaspoon of mass of helium from the center of a star would weigh more than a ton. When enough helium is compressed in the center of the star, there is an abrupt explosion of intense magnitude called a helium flash. For this particular moment in time, the center of the newly born star produces more energy per second than an entire grouping of stars. This helium flash causes the center of the star to increase in temperature, whereas a great number of electrons become excited by the reaction. This causes the hydrogen to fuse into helium. At that point, the star is born with a self sustaining hydrogen fusion reaction at its shell. Often there is a helium fusion reaction at the center of the star. The size o f the star is of the utmost importance, stars less than 0.40 solar masses never get enough energy to continue the helium fusion reaction process. Stars which are greater than 3 solar masses experience degeneration at their core before this phenomenon occurs (p. 187). In the star there are two types of fusion reactions, helium fusion at the center and hydrogen fusion at the shell. 3). A star begins to die when the helium fusion which occurs at its center begins to produce carbon, oxygen and neon. As the fusion

International Strategic Marketing Report based on case study Research Proposal

International Strategic Marketing Report based on case study - Research Proposal Example Other parks include the Disney Cruise line running business in Florida out of Port Canaveral as well as two hotels in addition to the Disneyland Park in California. The constituent generates management fees and royalties on revenues from Tokyo in Tokyo Disneyland as well as in France from Disneyland Paris. The former receives more than sixteen and a half million people every year. The Walt Disney Company also runs media networks with two subcategories namely; Cable Networks and Broadcasting. Among the broadcasting units the company owns and runs the ABC Television Network that ranks that behind CBS and NBC networks. Listed under the cable networks are Disney Channel., ESPN-branded cable networks, and Disney Channel International in addition to shaving major shares in Lifetime and E-Entertainment as well as start-up cable operations among them SoapNet and Too Disney. The mother company also has various consumer products on the market. In this case, Walt Disney Company provides licences for it characters to consumer manufacturers, publishers, and retailers across the globe. Through Disney Stores, the company takes in direct retail business where it produces magazines and books in Europe and in the entire United States. The company also produces other products associated with entertainment including film, computer software, audio software, and video besides those applied in the educational market. Owning the studio entertainment category enables the company to generate a broad range of television animation programs, movies, live stage plays some used in schools, as well as musical recordings. All these products come on the foothill of television distribution, home video, and theoretical Disney film. It creates a television library. The library entails much more apart from Touchstone, Walt Disney pictures, Miramax, and Buena. Scholars posit that strategic management is a function of management

The Chancery Procedure in the Juvenile Court, in The Child, The Clinic, and the Court Essay Example for Free

The Chancery Procedure in the Juvenile Court, in The Child, The Clinic, and the Court Essay From 1899, the juvenile court has always handle three types of juvenile cases. These cases include: child neglect, abuse and other status offences. Juvenile delinquency cases are unlawful action that is performed by the minors which would therein be crimes if they were partaken by adults. Status offences are on the other hand noncriminal offences which are deemed offences if they are committed by the minors. The common examples of these status offences include running away and truancy. Till 1960s, both noncriminal and criminal behaviors were all considered to be forms of delinquents. Hence the law did not differentiate between delinquents and status offenders. In neglect and child abuse cases, the court will always provide protection for children who are abuse or neglected. In the year 1994, delinquency cases made up to 64% of the total juvenile cases in these courts, with status offences making 15% and neglect and abuse cases making 16% of the total national juvenile court cases. I have discussed all these types of these cases below with the description of these court processes that are involved in the handling of these cases along with the current policy issues which are involved. It is worth noting that though these cases seem to be different from each other, there are some common themes and values which are applied in handling these cases. The most obvious of these is the judges which are handling these cases to note that these children need to be taken care of for their development in making legal decisions making much attention to the legal needs of children along with their families. Secondly, even if the court is one of the institutions that work to the betterment of the families and children, it is posed with a unique and awesome power in delinquency, child abuse cases and the status offences cases. Juvenile court has powers to separate the children from their parents, can also order these minors to live in confined places, also they can end the biol ogical right of relationship between a child and the parent and create for them other new parental rights. As these decisions are deemed to be very serious and fundamental to the well being of children, ensuring these courts possesses adequate resources is very vital as it handles every type of cases. Judges require information, workable facilities and adequate training so that it can be able to handle these cases in the most appropriate manner. Adequate representation of all the involved parties should always be in the court proceedings. All the communities need to have safe, effective program and placements which are available for children coming before the court. As it would be very clear from the subsequent discussion, these courts handle very difficult workloads and involves the most emotion laden and very controversial issues in most parts of the society. Because of this, these decisions have in many cases faced disagreements. The extent to which these cases should be equipped and expanded to equip them with the resources that are required for them to adequately perform their roles has formed basis of many discussions and debates. Lastly, as these courts make decisions which are very vital in the societal development, they are most often the subject of the social media and in most cases form the basis for political platform. So judges should always have the urge to play leadership roles, both in the agencies which serve children and the broader community so as to encourage thoughtful and deliberative approaches to all these problems, instead of other approaches which are reached hastily. Delinquency The juvenile handling of the delinquent case is the one which is always handled by these courts in the general public perception. When unlawful deeds are committed by the minors, these cases are usually brought under these courts as delinquent cases. These cases in most cases include petty theft, misdemeanors, vandalism and also some kind of felonies like robbery and other aggravated assaults. The maximum age handled by these courts are typically determined by the state laws. In the District of Columbia and other 37 states, the maximum age for this is 17 years of age, in other 10 states it is 16 and in the rest 3 this is set to a maximum of 15 years. Currently these courts have become the centre stage for public concern due to the increasing number of crimes and the high rate of juvenile related crimes. Recently these courts have been criticized for their perceived leniency towards their decision on these juvenile delinquents. One of the best examples of this is the inability of these courts failure to impose sentences that go beyond 21 years of age. High visibility and serious violent crimes that are committed by minors have always captured the public interests and attention drawing juvenile offenders’ treatment to get tougher on crimes that have been popular politically for the past twenty years. This public fear of the juvenile court jurisdiction has resulted into some changes in the jurisdiction of the juvenile courts. Since 1992, the executive and the legislative branch in 41 states has hence limited the jurisdiction of the cases that involve chronic offenders, violent and shifted these court cases from their rehabilitative tradition which have involved addressing offenders rather than the offences which has been committed toward a more punitive system which is focused on the offence itself. For instance, 14 states in the year 1990 had to amend their codes to clearly list public safety as the sole purpose of the juvenile justice system; the punishment is listed as either primary or one of the several purposes of the court system in 28 states. The most significant thing that has happened since 1992 is that all but 10 states have structured adult courts in a manner that they can be able to handle juvenile cases. In most of the instances when the minors are convicted in the a dult courts, it really posses a possibility that the minor may be sentenced to the prisons instead of being placed in juvenile facilities that offers rehabilitative programs. Even though the violent juvenile cases grab most of the interest and headlines from the media and tend to have the highest influence on the justice system, most of the juvenile courts handle less serious crimes. Mostly, the highest numbers of cases that are handled by most of the juvenile courts involve cases like vandalism, motor vehicle theft in which they mostly belong to their parents and larceny cases. In 1992, police made a lot of juvenile arrests and contrary to the perception of the public; the most serious charge was a property offence charge in the 57% of the total cases. Offences against persons like assault and robberies comprised of 215 of the total cases, disorder conduct which is a form of public order offence showed to be like 17% of the cases with the 155 being taken by the drug law violation. In spite of the young people being not disproportionately responsible for the most violent crimes, they always commit more than their share of property criminal offences. For instance in the year 1992, the youth aged between 10 to 17 years of age comprised 13 % of the US population and they were responsible for like the same percentage of their population of all the violent crimes which were committed in this year and they were responsible for more than 23% of the property crimes which is more than their proportion portion of their population. Purpose of the research Currently it has been more than 100th anniversary of these juvenile court approaches. This paper will provide an insight for the explanation of the cases that are handled by these courts along with the current trends and issues that have cropped up in these juvenile courts. The main goal of this research paper is to present an apparent description of these courts today and hence address the future challenges along with the recommendations to be adopted. This paper majorly addresses the court’s status and their ability to handle these cases along with the improvements that should be adopted for these courts to be able to partake their roles in the most appropriate manner. The research methodology In my data collection, I will employ both primary and secondary data methods of data collection. Primary methods Census- I will carry out census where I will talk to the many stakeholders and other involved associations and institutions although this method is somehow expensive because of the cost involved. Samples- I will sample out some of the involved people and stakeholders Observation- I will visit some of the juvenile courts to get the real state on the ground. The secondary sources of data collection Questionnaires- I will develop many questionnaires which I will use to get the information required to carry out my research. Surveys- through the questionnaires, I will sample out and send some surveys to the stakeholders and these specialized institutions. Books, web, magazines, journals and other online sources- I will use the already available written materials to get complete insights on this topic. In my data analysis, I will include the following methods of data analysis Content analyzes This is the most simple and widely employed method of data analysis. It can be defined as the systematic description of behavior which asks, who? Where and how? And what questions within a formulated set of rules so as to limit the effects of bias in analysis. It could be the most preferred technique which is employed to analyze semi-structured interviews and cognitive interview testing. Narrative analysis- I will employ narrative analysis to analyze data where I will focus on the people’s stories and how they think about the issue in question. Although I will not treat these stories as the true facts I highly employ them to get how people think and feel about these juvenile courts. 3. Grounded Theory This is the most standard and classical technique that is employed in analyzing social data. It uses hierarchical and systematic data set. It develops a set of inductively derived hypothesis that is grounded on the data. Triangulation In this method of data analysis I will combine both the quantitative and qualitative data analysis to come up with a precise data interpretation. Data presentation In my data presentation, I will employ many methods which would be very appropriate for this data. Frequency distribution table In this method I shall be focusing on the occurrence of a certain variable like a certain facility in the juvenile courts according to each state court system. Graphical methods Here I will try to focus on the relationship of variables in the court system. Charts These will be used to show the extent to which a certain variable has been employed in the courts. References Julian Mack, The Chancery Procedure in the Juvenile Court, in The Child, The Clinic, and the Court (1925), p. 310. Julian Mack, The Juvenile Court, 23 Harv.L.Rev. 104, 119-120 (1909).Shears, Legal Problems Peculiar to Childrens Courts, 48 A.B.A.J. 719, 720 (1962) January 2007 publication, California’s Criminal Justice system.Vitaly Friedman (2008) Data Visualization and Infographics in: Graphics, Monday Inspiration, January 14th, 2008. Lengler, Ralph; Lengler, Ralph. Periodic Table of Visualization Methods Source document

A Glimpse Into Robert Frosts for Once, Then Something Essay examples

One drop fell from a fern, and lo, a ripple Shook whatever it was lay there at bottom, Blurred it, blotted it out. What was that whiteness? Truth? A pebble of quartz? For once, then, something. The Poem Written in hendecasyllabic meter (11 syllables per line) and unrhymed verse, the poem seems to be an easy read. It uses words so ordinary any reader could go through it without having to stop for the meaning. The persona tells of his experience of looking down into wells and being ridiculed all the time by people who could arguably be his enemies, or his friends who know better than he. "Always wrong to the light," the persona never sees what he is there, in the first place, for - the truth. Instead, he sees his own reflection, looking like a god - an allusion to Narcissus who looks down into a pool of water and falls in love with himself - with a crown of ferns, much like the crown of olives worn by poets and winners of the Olympian games of ancient Greece, amidst a background of clouds. In one of those visits to the well, though, the persona notices "a something wh...

Mental Health Care for Latin Americans Essay

Abstract The Hispanic population in the United States has rapidly increased over the last decade and is underrepresented and cared for in mental health services. By understanding their culture and learning about the environment they live in therapists can better meet the patient’s needs. This paper covers Historical content, Family structure, Education, Rates of Psychiatric Disorders symptoms, and what to do as a therapist for Latino/Hispanic clients. Also discussed will be some research showing patterns of mental health changes between Hispanics that were born in America and those that were born in South America. This paper shouldn’t end your study in this area but serve as a motivator for further education. Mental Health Care for Latin Americans and Hispanic Americans When learning to counsel Latin/Hispanic Americans it is important to know a few facts about their culture and rates of mental illness. There are a few cultural bonds shared be Latin/Hispanic Americans. One of the biggest bonds is the Spanish language. The Spanish language and culture are common bonds for many Hispanic Americans, regardless of whether they trace their ancestry to Africa, Asia, Europe, or the Americas. The immigrant experience is another common bond. Nevertheless, Hispanic Americans are very heterogeneous in the circumstances of their migration and in other characteristics. To understand their mental health needs, it is important to examine both the shared and unique experiences of different groups of Hispanic Americans. One of the most distinguishing characteristics of the Hispanic/ Latin American population is its rapid growth. In the 2000 census the number of Hispanics counted rose to 35. 3 million, roughly equal to the number of African Americans (U. S. Census Bureau, 2001a). In fact, census projections indicate that by 2050, the number of Latinos will increase to 97 million; this number will constitute nearly one-fourth of the U. S. population. Projections for the proportion of Hispanic youth are even higher. It is predicted that nearly one-third of those under 19 years of age will be Hispanic by 2050 (Spencer & Hollmann, 1998). Persons of Mexican origin comprise the largest proportion of Latinos (almost two-thirds), with the remaining third distributed primarily among persons of Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Central American origin, (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001b). It is noteworthy that nearly two-thirds of Hispanics (64 %) were born in the United States (U. S. Census Bureau, 2000c). Another common bond is migration or immigration. Puerto Ricans began arriving in large numbers on the U. S. mainland after World War II as Puerto Rico’s population increased. High unemployment among displaced agricultural workers on the island also led to large-scale emigration to the mainland United States that continued through the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1980s, the migration pattern became more circular as many Puerto Ricans chose to return to the island. One distinctive characteristic of Puerto Rican migration is that the second Organic Act, or Jones Act, of 1917 granted Puerto Ricans U. S. citizenship. Although Cubans came to the United States in the second half of the 19th century and in the early part of the 20th century, the greatest influx of Cuban immigrants began after Fidel Castro overthrew the Fulgencio Batista government in 1959. First, an elite group of Cubans came, but immigration continued with people making the dangerous crossing to the United States by makeshift watercraft (Bernal & Shapiro, 1996). Some of these immigrants, such as the educated professionals who came to the United States during the early phase of Cuban migration, have become well established, where-as others who arrived with few economic resources are less so. Unlike immigrants from several other countries, many Cubans have gained access to citizenship and federal support through their status as political refugees. Central Americans are the newest Latino subgroup in the United States. Many Central Americans fled their countries â€Å"por la situacion†, a phrase that refers to the political terror and atrocities in their homelands. Although the specific social, historical, and political contexts differ in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, conflicts in those countries led to a significant immigration of their citizens. About 21 percent of foreign-born Central Americans arrived in the United States between 1970 and 1979, and the bulk (about 70 %) arrived between 1980 and 1990 (Farias, 1994). The circumstances that caused various Hispanic groups to migrate greatly influence their experience in the United States. Cubans fled a Communist government, and, as a result, the U. S. Government has provided support through refugee or entrant status, work permits (Gil & Vega, 1996), and citizenship. More than half (51 %) of Cuban immigrants have become U. S. citizens, compared to only 15 percent of Mexican immigrants (U. S. Census Bureau, 1998). Puerto Ricans, whether born on the mainland or in Puerto Rico, are by definition U. S. citizens and, as a result, have access to government-sponsored support services. However many Central American immigrants are not recognized as political refugees, despite the fact that the war-related trauma and terror that preceded their immigration may place them at high risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and may make adjustment to their new home more difficult. Many Latinos who arrive without proper documentation have difficulty obtaining jobs or advancing in them and live with the chronic fear of deportation. Finally, many Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Central Americans, and recent Cuban immigrants come as unskilled laborers or displaced agricultural workers who lack the social and economic resources to ease their adjustment. Hispanics are highly concentrated in the U. S. Southwest In 2000, 60 percent lived in five Southwestern States (California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas). Approximately half of all Hispanic Americans live in two States, California and Texas (U. S. Census Bureau, 2001b). While many Southwestern Latinos are recent immigrants, others are descendants of Mexican and Spanish settlers who lived in the territory before it belonged to the United States. Some of these descendants, particularly those in New Mexico and Colorado, refer to themselves as â€Å"Hispanos. † More recent immigrants from Mexico and Central America are drawn to the Southwest because of its proximity to their home countries, its employment opportunities, and its established Latino communities, which can help them, find jobs. Outside the Southwest, New York, Florida, and Illinois are home to the largest concentrations of Hispanics. New York has 8. 1 percent, Florida, 7. 6 percent, and Illinois, 4. 3 percent of all the Latinos estimated to reside in the United States in 2000 (U. S. Census Bureau, 2001b). Two-thirds of Puerto Ricans on the mainland live in New York and New Jersey, and two-thirds of Cuban Americans live in Florida (Population Reference Bureau, 2000). Although specific subgroups of Latinos are associated with specific geographical regions, important demographic shifts have resulted in the increased visibility of Latinos throughout the United States. From 1990 to 2000, Latinos more than doubled in number in the following six states: Arkansas (170 %), Nevada (145 %), North Carolina (129 %), Georgia (120 %), Nebraska (108 %), and Tennessee (105 %) (U. S. Census Bureau, 2000c). Of the six States, Nevada is the only one located in a region with traditionally high concentrations of Latinos. Thus, in addition to growing in numbers, Hispanic Americans are spreading throughout the United States. Latinos are often referred to as family oriented (Sabogal et al. , 1987). It is important to note that familism is as much a reflection of social processes as of cultural practice (Lopez & Guarnaccia, 2000). Specifically, the shared experience of immigrating to a new land or of experiencing difficult social conditions in one’s homeland can promote adherence to family ties. In many cases, family connections facilitate survival and adjustment. The importance of family can be seen in Hispanic living arrangements. Although family characteristics vary by Latino subgroups, as a whole, Latinos, like Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, are most likely to live in family households and least likely to live alone. In addition, children (especially the females) tend to remain in the family until they marry Overall, Hispanics have less formal education than the national average. Of Latinos over 25 years of age, only 56 percent have graduated from high school, and only 11 percent have graduated from college. Nationally, 83 percent and 25 percent of the same age group have graduated from high school and college respectively (U. S. Census Bureau, 2000b). Hispanics’ educational attainment is related to their place of birth. In 1999, only 44 percent of foreign-born Hispanic adults 25 years and older were high school graduates, compared to 70 percent of U. S. -born Hispanic adults (U. S. Census Bureau, 2000b). The dropout rate for foreign-born Hispanics ages 16 to 24 is more than twice the dropout rate for U. S. -born Hispanics in the same age range (Kaufman et al. , 1999). A recent study of middle school Latino students questions why foreign-born adolescents and adults have the worst educational outcomes (C. Suarez-Orozco & M. Suarez-Orozco, 1995). The study concluded that recent immigrants from Mexico and El Salvador had at least the same, or in some cases greater motivation to achieve than white or U. S. -born Mexican American students. The educational achievement of three of the main Hispanic subgroups reveals further variability. Cubans have the highest percentage of formally educated people. Of persons over 25 years of age, 70 percent of Cuban Americans have graduated from high school, whereas 64 percent of Puerto Ricans and 50 percent of Mexican Americans have graduated from high school (U. S.Census Bureau, 2000d). Moreover, one-fourth of Cuban Americans have graduated from college, which is identical to the college graduation rate of Americans overall. In contrast, Puerto Rican and Mexican-origin adults have lower college graduation rates, 11 percent and 7 percent respectively. Although Latinos as a group have poorer educational outcomes than other ethnic groups, there is sufficient variability to offer hope for them to catch up. Another shared area is income. The economic status of three of the main subgroups parallels their educational status. Cuban Americans are more affluent in standing than Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans, as reflected in median family incomes (Cubans, $39,530; Puerto Ricans, $28,953; Mexicans, $27,883), the percentage of persons below the poverty line (Puerto Ricans, 31 %; Mexicans, 27 %; Cubans, 14 %) and the unemployment rates of persons 16 years and older (Puerto Ricans, 7 %; Mexicans, 7 %; Cubans, 5 %) (U. S. Census Bureau, 2000d). The current income levels of the Latino subgroups are also related to the political and historical circumstances of their immigration. Elite Cuban immigrants have contributed in part to the relatively strong economic status of Cuban Americans. Their experience, however, stands in stark contrast to that of Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Central Americans, most of who came to the United States as unskilled laborers. Historical and Sociocultural Factors That Relate to Mental Health Historical and sociocultural factors suggest that, as a group, Latinos are in great need of mental health services. Latinos, on average, have relatively low educational and economic status. In addition, historical and social subgroup differences create differential needs within Latino groups. Central Americans may be in particular need of mental health services given the trauma experienced in their home countries. Puerto Rican and Mexican American children and adults may be at a higher risk than Cuban Americans for mental health problems, given their lower educational and economic resources. Recent immigrants of all backgrounds, who are adapting to the United States, are likely to experience a different set of stressors than long-term Hispanic residents. Key Issues for Understanding the Research Much of our current understanding of the mental health status of Latinos, particularly among adult populations, is derived from epidemiological studies of prevalence rates of mental disorders, diagnostic entities established by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). The advantage of focusing on rates of disorders is that such findings can be compared with and contrasted to findings from studies in other domains (e. g. , clinical studies) using the same diagnostic criteria. Although there are several advantages to examining DSM-based clinical data, there are at least three disadvantages. One limitation is that individuals may experience considerable distress-a level of distress that disrupts their daily functioning-but the symptoms associated with the distress fall short of a given diagnostic threshold. So, if only disorder criteria are used, some individuals’ need for mental health care may not be recognized. A second disadvantage is that the current definitions of the diagnostic entities have little flexibility to take into account culturally patterned forms of distress and disorder. As a result, disorders in need of treatment may not be recognized or may be mislabeled. A third limitation is that most of the epidemiological studies using the disorder-based definitions are conducted in community household surveys. They fail to include nonhousehold members, such as persons without homes or those who reside in institutions. Because of these limitations, it is important to broaden the review of research on mental health needs to include not only studies that report on disorders but include high-need populations not usually included in household-based surveys. Mental Disorders Adults A study found that Mexican Americans and white Americans had very similar rates of psychiatric disorders (Robins & Regier, 1991). However, when the Mexican American group was separated into two sub-groups, those born in Mexico and those born in the United States, it was found that those born in the United States had higher rates of depression and phobias than those born in Mexico (Burnam et al. , 1987). The study found that relative to whites, Mexican Americans had fewer lifetime disorders overall and fewer anxiety and substance use disorders. Like some other findings, Mexican Americans born outside the United States were found to have lower prevalence rates of any lifetime disorders than Mexican Americans born in the United States. Relative to whites, the lifetime prevalence rates did not differ for Puerto Ricans, or for â€Å"Other Hispanics. † However, the sample sizes of the latter two subgroups were quite small, thus limiting the statistical power to detect group differences (Ortega et al. , 2000). A third study examined rates of psychiatric disorders in a large sample of Mexican Americans residing in Fresno County, California (Vega et al. , 1998). This study found that the lifetime rates of mental disorders among Mexican American immigrants born in Mexico were remarkably lower than the rates of mental disorders among Mexican Americans born in the United States. Overall, approximately 25 percent of the Mexican immigrants had some disorder (including both mental disorders and substance abuse), whereas 48 percent of the U. S. -born Mexican Americans had a disorder (Vega et al. , 1998). Furthermore, the length of time that these Latinos had spent in the United States appeared to be an important factor in the development of mental disorders. Immigrants who had lived in the United States for at least 13 years had higher prevalence rates of disorders than those who had lived in the United States fewer than 13 years (Vega et al. , 1998). It is interesting to note that the mental disorder prevalence rates of U. S. -born Mexican Americans closely resembled the rates among the general U.S. population. In contrast, the Mexican-born Fresno residents’ lower prevalence rates were similar to those found in a Mexico City study (e. g. , for any affective disorder: Fresno, 8 %, Mexico City, 9 %) (Caraveo-Anduaga et al. , 1999). Together, the results from the ECA, the NCS, and the Fresno studies suggest that Mexican-born Latinos have better mental health than do U. S. -born Mexican Americans and the national sample overall. A similar pattern has been found in other sets of studies. One study examined the mental health of Mexicans and Mexican Americans who were seen in family practice settings in two towns equidistant from the Mexican border (Hoppe et al. , 1991). This investigation found that 8 percent of the Mexican American participants had experienced a lifetime episode of depression, whereas only 4 percent of Mexican participants had experienced depression. The most striking finding from the set of adult epidemiological studies using diagnostic measures is that Mexican immigrants, Mexican immigrants who lived fewer than 13 years in the United States, or Puerto. Ricans who resided on the island of Puerto Rico had lower prevalence rates of depression and other disorders than did Mexican Americans who were born in the United States, Mexican immigrants who lived in the United States 13 years or more, or Puerto Ricans who lived on the mainland. This consistent pattern of findings across independent investigators, different sites, and two Latino subgroups (Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans) suggests that factors associated with living in the United States are related to an increased risk of mental disorders. Some authors have interpreted these findings as suggesting that acculturation may lead to an increased risk of mental disorders e. g. , Vega et al. , 1998. The limitation of this explanation is that none of the noted epidemiological studies directly tested whether acculturation and prevalence rates are indeed related. At best, place of birth and numbers of years living in the United States are proxy measures of acculturation. However, acculturation is a complex process (LaFromboise et al. , 1993); it is not clear what aspect or aspects of acculturation could be related to higher rates of disorders. Is it the changing cultural values and practices, the stressors associated with such changes, or negative encounters with American institutions (e. g. , schools or employers) that cause some of the different prevalence rates (Betancourt & Lopez, 1993)? Before acculturation can be accepted as an explanation for this observed pattern of findings, it is important that direct tests of specific acculturation processes be carried out and that alternative explanations for these findings be ruled out. More research would be especially helpful in identifying the key predictors of Latinos’ mental health and mental illness. Older Adults Few studies have examined the mental health status of older Hispanic American adults. A study of 703 Los Angeles area Hispanics age 60 or above found over 26 percent had major depression or dysphoria. Depression was related to physical health; only 5. 5 percent of those without physical health complications reported depression (Kemp et al. , 1987). Similar findings associated chronic health conditions and disability with depressive symptoms in a sample of 2,823 older community-dwelling Mexican Americans (Black et al. , 1998). The findings from in-home interviews of 2,723 Mexican Americans age 65 or older in Southwestern communities revealed a relationship between low blood pressure and higher levels of depressive symptomatology (Stroup-Benham et al. , 2000). These data are somewhat difficult to interpret. Given the fact that somatic symptoms (e. g. , difficulty sleeping and loss of appetite) are related to poor health, these studies could simply document that these somatic symptoms are elevated among older Hispanics who are ill. On the other hand, presence of physical illness is also related to depression. Taken together, these findings indicate that older Latin/Hispanics who have health problems may be at risk for depression. Furthermore, a recent study suggests that the risk for Alzheimer’s disease may be higher among Latin/Hispanic Americans than among white Americans (Tang et al. , 1998). Symptoms The early epidemiological studies of Latinos/Hispanics examined the number of symptoms, not the number of mental disorders, reported by groups of Latin/ Hispanic Americans, and in some cases compared them to the number of symptoms reported by white Americans. Much of this research found that Latinos/Hispanics had higher rates of depression or distress than whites Frerichs et al. , 1981. In a large-scale study of Latin/ Hispanics Americans, Cuban Americans (Narrow et al. , 1990) and Mexican Americans (Moscicki et al. , 1989) were found to have lower rates of depressive symptoms than Puerto Ricans from the New York City metropolitan area Moscicki et al. , 1987; Potter et al. , 1995. In another line of inquiry, Latin/Hispanic American mothers who have children with mental retardation were found to report high levels of depressive symptomatology. It is important to note that measures of symptoms may reflect actual disorders that may not be measured in a given study, as well as general distress associated with social stressors but not necessarily associated with disorders. Two studies provide evidence that depressive symptom indices used with Latinos tend to measure distress more than disorder. In one study, rates of depressive symptoms were found to be similar among poor Puerto Ricans living in New York City and in Puerto Rico (Vera et al. , 1991), even though earlier analyses indicated different rates of major depression for the two samples Canino et al., 1987; Moscicki et al. , 1987. In the second study, symptoms of depression were less related to diagnosis of depression for those Hispanics who were economically disadvantaged than for those Hispanics more socially advantaged (Cho et al. , 1993). If an index of depressive symptoms were an indicator of both general distress and disorder, then that index would have been related to a diagnosis of depression for both economically advantaged and disadvantaged samples. Culture-Bound Syndromes DSM-IV recognizes the existence of culturally related syndromes, referred to in the appendix of DSM as culture-bound syndromes. Relevant examples of these syndromes for Latin/Hispanic Americans are â€Å"susto† (fright), â€Å"nervios† (nerves), and â€Å"mal de ojo† (evil eye). One expression of distress that is most commonly associated with Caribbean Latinos but has been recognized in other Latinos as well is â€Å"ataques de nervios† (Guarnaccia et al. , 1989). Symptoms of an ataque de nervios include screaming uncontrollably, crying, trembling, and verbal or physical aggression. Dissociative experiences, seizure-like or fainting episodes, and suicidal gestures are also prominent in some ataques. In one study carried out in Puerto Rico, researchers found that 14 percent of the population reported having had ataques (Guarnaccia et al. , 1993). Furthermore, in detailed interviews of 121 individuals living in Puerto Rico (78 of who had had an ataque), experiencing these symptoms was related to major life problems and subsequent psychological suffering (Guarnaccia et al. , 1996). There is value in identifying specific culture-bound syndromes such as ataques de nervios because it is critical to recognize the existence of conceptions of distress and illness outside traditional psychiatric classification systems. These are often referred to as popular, lay, or common sense conceptions of illness or illness behavior (Koss-Chioino & Canive, 1993). Some of these popular conceptions may have what appear to be definable boundaries, while others are more fluid and cut across a wide range of symptom clusters. For example, many people of Mexican origin apply the more general concept of nervios to distress that is not associated with DSM disorders, as well as to distress that is associated with anxiety disorders, depressive disorders (Salgado de Snyder et al., 2000), and schizophrenia (Jenkins, 1988). Though it is valuable for researchers and clinicians alike to learn about specific culture-bound syndromes, it is more important that they assess variable local representations of illness and distress. The latter approach casts a wider net around understanding the role of culture in illness and distress. In the following quote, Koss-Chioino (1992) (page 198) points out that a given presenting problem can have multiple levels of interpretation: the mental health view, the folk healing view (in this case, spiritist), and the patient’s view. The same woman, during one episode of illness, may experience â€Å"depression† in terms of hallucinations, poor or excessive appetite, memory problems, and feelings of sadness or depression, if she presents to a mental health clinic; or, alternatively, in terms of â€Å"backaches,† â€Å"leg aches,† and â€Å"fear,† if she attends a Spiritist session. However, she will probably experience headaches, sleep disturbances, and nervousness regardless of the resource she uses. If we encounter her at the mental health clinic, she may explain her distress as due to disordered or out-of-control mind, behavior, or lifestyle. In the Spiritist session she will probably have her distress explained as an â€Å"obsession. † And if we encounter her before she seeks help from either of these treatment resources, she may describe her problems as due to difficulties with her husband or children. Individuals with Alcohol and Drug Problems Studies have consistently shown that rates of substance abuse are linked with rates of mental disorders (Kessler et al. , 1996). Most studies of alcohol use among Hispanics indicate that rates of use are either similar to or slightly below those of whites (Kessler et al. , 1994). However, two factors influence these rates. First, gender differences in rates of Latinos’ use are often greater than the gender differences observed between whites. Latinas are particularly unlikely to use alcohol or drugs (Gilbert, 1987). In some cases, Latino men are more likely to use substances than white men. For example, in the Los Angeles ECA study, Mexican American men (31 %) had significantly higher rates of alcohol abuse and dependence than non-Hispanic white men (21 %). In addition, more alcohol-related problems have been found among Mexican American men than among white men (Cunradi et al., 1999). A second factor associated with Latinos’ rates of substance abuse is place of birth. In the Fresno study (Vega et al. , 1998), rates of substance abuse were much higher among U. S. -born Mexican Americans compared to Mexican immigrants. Specifically, substance abuse rates were seven times higher among U. S. -born women compared to immigrant women. For men, the ratio was 2 to 1. U. S. -born Mexican American youth also had higher rates of substance abuse than Mexican-born youth (Swanson et al. , 1992). The study of mental disorders and substance abuse among Latinos suggests two specific types of strengths that Latinos may have. First, as noted, Latino adults who are immigrants have lower prevalence rates of mental disorders than those born in the United States. Among the competing explanations of these findings is that Latino immigrants may be particularly resilient in the face of the hardships they encounter in settling in a new country. If this is the case, then the identification of what these immigrants do to reduce the likelihood of mental disorders could be of value for all Americans. One of many possible factors that might contribute to their resilience is what Suarez-Orozco and Suarez-Orozco (1995) refer to as a â€Å"dual frame of reference. † Investigators found that Latino immigrants in middle-school frequently used their families back home as reference points in assessing their lives in the United States. Given that the social and economic conditions are often much worse in their homelands than in the United States, they may experience less distress in handling the stressors of their daily lives than those who lack such a basis of comparison. U. S. -born Latinos are more likely to compare themselves with their peers in the United States. Suarez-Orozco and Suarez-Orozco argue that these Latino children are more aware of what they do not have and thus may experience more distress. A second factor noted by the Suarez-Orozcos that might be related to the resilience of Latino immigrants is their high aspiration to succeed. Particularly noteworthy is that many Latinos want to succeed in order to help their families, rather than for their own personal benefit. Because the Suarez-Orozcos did not include measures of mental health, it is not certain whether their observations about school achievement apply to mental health. Nevertheless, a dual frame of reference and collective achievement goals are part of a complex set of psychological, cultural, and social factors that may explain why some Latino immigrants function better than Latinos of later generations. A second type of strength noted in the literature is how Latino families cope with mental illness. Guarnaccia and colleagues (1992) found that some families draw on their spirituality to cope with a relative’s serious mental illness. Strong beliefs in God give some family members a sense of hope. For example, in reference to her brother’s mental illness, one of the informants commented: We all have an invisible doctor that we do not see, no? This doctor is God. Always when we go in search of a medicine, we go to a doctor, but we must keep in mind that this doctor is inspired by God and that he will give us something that will help us. We must also keep in mind that who really does the curing is God, and that God can cure us of anything that we have, material or spiritual. (p. 206) Jenkins (1988) found that many Mexican Americans attributed their relatives’ schizophrenia to nervios, a combination of both physical and emotional ailments. An important point here is that nervios implies that the patient is not blameworthy, and thus family members are less likely to be critical. Previous studies from largely non-Hispanic samples have found that both family criticism and family blame and criticism together (Lopez et al., 1999) are associated with relapse in patients with schizophrenia. Mexican American families living with a relative who has schizophrenia are not only less likely to be critical, but also those who are Spanish-speaking immigrants have been found to be high in warmth. This is important because those patients who returned from a hospital stay to a family high in warmth were less likely to relapse than those who returned to families low in warmth. Thus, Mexican American families’ warmth may help protect the relative with schizophrenia from relapse. The spirituality of Latino families, their conceptions of mental illness and their warmth all contribute to the support they give in coping with serious mental illness. Although limited, the attention given to Latinos’ possible strengths is an important contribution to the study of Latino mental health. Strengths are protective factors against distress and disorder and can be used to develop interventions to prevent mental disorders and to promote well-being. Such interventions could be used to inform interventions for all Americans, not just Latinos. In addition, redirecting attention to strengths helps point out the overemphasis researchers and practitioners give to pathology, clinical entities, and treatment, rather than to health, well-being, and prevention. Availability of Mental Health Services Finding mental health treatment from Spanish-speaking providers is likely to be a problem for many Spanish-speaking Hispanics. In the 1990 census, about 40 percent of Latinos reported that they either didn’t speak English or didn’t speak English well. Thus, a significant proportion of Latinos need. Spanish-speaking mental health care providers. Presently there are no national data to indicate the language skills of the Nation’s mental health professionals. However, a few studies reveal that there are few Spanish-speaking and Latino providers. One survey of 1,507 school psychologists who carry out psychoeducational assessments of bilingual children in the eight States with the highest percentages of Latinos found that 43 percent of the psychologists identified themselves as English-speaking monolinguals (Ochoa et al. , 1996). In other words, a large number of Engli.

The Heart of Darkness: the Ultimate Choice of Man

The Heart of Darkness: The Ultimate Choice of Man A single word holds the potential to have multiple connotations. Stringing these subjective words into a novel may have a catastrophic effect on the readers. However, a story’s ability to comprise of several different interpretations provides deeper insight and depth. In Joseph Conrad’s novel, The Heart of Darkness, there are various viewpoints one may take throughout the main character Marlow’s journey.But Conrad’s artful use of dualistic symbolism is arguably the most crucial because it highlights the underlying theme, which stresses the dual nature of man and his choice to control his actions. During the entirety of the book, dualism is constantly utilized to contrast separate entities, such as wilderness and civilization. Some may argue the two are merely classifications of environments but in actuality, they represent the effect that order or lack of can have on people. Civilizations consist of laws an d rules to uphold man’s morals to ensure a working and efficient society.But as mentioned in the novel, Marlow says, â€Å"And [London] also†¦has been one of the dark place of the earth†¦I was thinking of very old times, when the Romans first came here†¦Oh yes – [they] did it. Did it very well, too, no doubt and without thinking much about it either, except afterwards to brag of what he had gone through in his time, perhaps. They were men enough to face the darkness†(67-69). London, a symbol of enlightenment, is also once a â€Å"dark place of the earth† until Romans force civilization upon the land. The city is an example stressing how civilization is a learned habit and is not an innate characteristic of humanity.To maintain a stable and harmonious community, it appears necessary to establish a code of ethics to enforce stability on its people. But if defined in this sense, imperialism is clearly a hypocritical attempt to justify exploita tions of the indigenous and primitive states of man and nature alike. The Company in The Heart of Darkness insists it will colonize the people, but this reasoning is extremely ironic because the damage that the jungle has on the white man’s soul exceeds the physical pain of the black men’s toil.Near the beginning of the trip, Marlow distinguishes the feeling of the jungle and says, â€Å"In some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had close round him – all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men†¦ He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable. And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him†(69). Even if the wilderness is constantly described as dark and savage, it holds a fascination upon civilized men.This is partly due to the incomprehensibility of the wilderness that imposes itself as an ominous, omnipotent force testing one ’s ability to hold onto sanity. Once people enter the wild, their primitive impulses are revealed since they are free to do as they desire without fear of consequence. The jungle is referred to as â€Å"the heart of darkness† not because it unleashes the evil of civilized men, but because it mirrors the darkness already apparent in every being. As Marlow progresses deeper into the jungle, he says, â€Å"The earth seemed unearthly.We are accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, but there – there you could look at a thing monstrous and free. It was unearthly, and the men were – No, they were not inhuman†¦but if you were man enough you would admit to yourself that there was in you just the faintest trace of a response to the terrible frankness†¦ Principles won’t do. Acquisitions, clothes, pretty rags – rages that would fly off at the first good shake. No; you want a deliberate belief†(108-109). Society may restrain savage tendencies, yet it cannot eliminate them.Primeval tendencies are always lurking, and the superficial morals of civilization are much more unstable than it seems at first glance. The acquisitions and material possessions mentioned are considered to be valuable requirements to live an accomplished and successful life. Greed fuels the expedition and it is what overcame Kurtz, who represents what man can become if left solely to his inner desires. On the other hand, Marlow is a civilized soul who is left mostly unscathed by the darkness. In the lawlessness of the wilderness, it is up to the individual to either abide to his morals or sacrifice his soul to the darkness.When men are confronted with the boundless opportunities for sin in the wilderness, they can choose to restrain their internal greed or to accede to their temptations. Conrad uses these two intangible contrasts to stress that man does indeed have a choice in his actions. Even the â€Å"savage† me n who are natives of the jungle are primary examples of restraint in the novel. During the expedition, Marlow characterizes the natives and says, â€Å"Yes; I looked at [the natives] as you would on any human being with a curiosity of their impulses, motives, capacities, weaknesses, when brought to the test of an inexorable physical necessity.Restraint! What possible restraint? â€Å"(116). Desires and impulses of humanity can often fuel their ambitions. At the same time, desires can bring ruin to a man because they may compel him to commit treacherous and evil deeds. However, they cannot be an excuse for man to brush aside his wrongdoings for they do not force him to make any actions. A person’s actions must be judged accordingly, regardless of his or her intended motives or societal status. One’s lack of restraint is exemplified when Marlow says, â€Å"[The helmsman] had no restraint, no restraint-just like Kurtz-a tree swayed by the wind†(129).Before, the h elmsman is a native of the Congo, but he becomes accustomed to the white man’s ways after accompanying the sailors on their journey. The native men of the Congo are both physically and mentally stronger because they are not enticed by material temptations. Association with proud civilized men causes the helmsman to be careless, leading to his untimely death. Instead of upholding his original ideals, the man’s absence of self-control indicates his newfound weakness.Kurtz, a man of great power and wealth, is ironically the ultimate representation of a man blinded by temptation, which deteriorates his willpower and produces a weak and unstable mentality. In his final moments, Kurtz cries out, â€Å"The horror! The horror†(154). These final words are Kurtz’s recognition of the â€Å"horrors† he has committed by allowing temptation to overtake him. In Kurtz’s situation, temptation triumphs and concludes in his death, basically suggesting that suc cumbing to one’s temptations results in the ultimate punishment.Restraint and temptation are dualities implying that everyone possesses a good and evil nature, but the choice to uncover the restraint required to preserve humanity is ultimately left to the discretion of each person. Both wilderness and civilization along with temptation and restraint comparisons symbolize the good and bad within human nature, which is exemplified the most generally by portrayal of light and dark. Conrad twists the usual denotation of light and its common interpretations because light often portrays ignorance and narrow-mindedness in the novel.The dark is ever present in the jungle; hence the title The Heart of Darkness, but it is also strongly characterized by Kurtz. One of the descriptions of Kurtz says, â€Å"The point in his being a gifted creature, and that all his gifts the one that stood out pre-eminently, that carried with it a sense of real presence, was his ability to talk, his words –the gift of expression, the bewildering, the illuminating, the most exalted and the most contemptible, the pulsating stream of light, or the deceitful flow from the heart of an impenetrable darkness†(124).During this specific moment, light is symbolized as a force used to enlighten, while darkness represents the â€Å"impenetrable† evil. Again, it is ironic that the two are juxtaposed together because Conrad clearly states the light cannot pierce the dark, yet Kurtz is evidently a man who wields the power to speak truth and wisdom. Although Kurtz is a man who embodies the darkness of the jungle, he affirms the understanding that all humans have good and evil coexisting within them. Conrad’s abandonment of the traditional connotation of light is noted when Marlow says, â€Å"I know that the sunlight can be made to lie too†¦ â€Å"(151).Surprisingly, the light which is previously portrayed as truth has evolved into the complete opposite. Since his co ntradiction blurs the line between good and evil, Marlow loses the confidence in his previous ability to judge between the two. As a result, both Marlow and the readers realize that nothing and no one can be totally good or evil, and there are no restrictions to which the concept applies to. Perhaps the most controversial statement about light and dark is when Marlow notices a work of art and says, â€Å"Then I noticed a small sketch in oils, on a panel, representing a woman, draped and blind-folded, carrying a lighted torch.The background was somber–almost black. The movement of the woman was stately, and the effect of the torchlight on the face was sinister†(94). The painting can have a multitude of meanings, ranging from the hypocrisy of imperialism, to the unwillingness of any individual to admit his or her wrongs. Many are quick to endorse the wrongs and flaws of others but refuse to defer to their own, as portrayed by the blindfold of the woman.This is the reason why a majority of people live in a false reality of a black and a white perspective on the world, in which there are only two outcomes to a situation. If everyone could concede to an understanding that all entities have a balance between one another, light and dark would be totally different concepts than what they are today. The three major dualities all contribute to highlight Conrad’s fundamental theme, which asserts that all men are composed of both good and evil and have the choice to maintain an optimal balance.Marlow and Kurtz are not as different as they once appeared in the beginning of the book. Each character struggles with the temptation of the darkness, but only Kurtz is totally consumed. The two characters embody two common choices that occur in reality; to either find a balance between good and evil or to be pushed into the extremity of one side. However, it is important to acknowledge that one entity cannot exist without the other, and in the end, only the in dividual can control his or her fate.