Insight: the Death of Ivan Ilych Essay

I’m young and filled with dreams. Dreams that sometimes obscure the truths I have to face. Dreams that are like morphine that departs us from reality. But what’s really ironic with most of our dreams is that it’s not from us but from the society, the society dictates our dreams, what the society thinks is best for us is the thing we dream to be even if sometimes it does not correspond our beliefs and values, at least, for me. I am a victim of this notorious dictator worse than any dictator who have altered the course of the world. I realized that most of my dreams are not my dreams but the society’s. I see myself in the character of the young Ivan Ilych who is filled with dreams, complacent, and seems to be sure of the future. Together with my dreams is a deep and blind veneration to people who have made great achievements in the field I’m trying to pursue. Society, dreams, and influential people, these are things that sometimes keep us from realizi ng and seeing the truths in life or maybe we know them, but just deny them to tolerate our blind dreaming and living. Dreaming is part of living but living shouldn’t be boxed by this dreaming. When was the last time we or I paused to think, introspect, and contemplate about the things happening in our life, about the paths we are taking, and the decisions we are making. I like how Socrates puts it â€Å"An unexamined life is life not worth living†, truth is we know where to go and we know what we do but more often than not we don’t know why, especially to us, the youth. Most of us live according to what the society or the public tells us even if it’s not what we know we ought to do, I like how an anonymous guy puts it â€Å"We never grow up, we just learn how to act in public†, I believe it is because most of us lacks purpose in life or maybe we have but it is a very mundane one. Indeed, most of us are entangled with the vines of society with venoms that turns us to heartless machines and eventually kills us leaving us with regrets and extreme unhappiness, this is very evident in the life of Ivan Ilych who lived a life with almost nothing but hypocrisy trying to build a strong position in the society through accumulating more wealth, blindly enjoying his luxuries in life and yet he never experienced true love and happiness. I have heard the saying â€Å"life is short† countless of times but until now I still fail to imbibe this gospel truth. Death is an inevitable thing here on earth, all good things even the bad must come to an end but we fail to realize this because of all the worldly things that keeps us busy and departed from what is real, true, and important. Dreams are good but a dream in consonance with reality, with your belief and values, with what our conscience dictates to be good, and what love tells us to pursue is the best dream that would lead us to a life beyond what we have dreamed of. One truth is that we just don’t have enough time to actualize all of our dreams but I believe it is still important that we dream for it is the thing that keeps us moving and when the time comes where the truth of death is almost sinking in in our consciousness, when we see that soon this life is about to end, we of course do not want to end up like Ivan Ilych who just realized how wasted his life has been, we do not want to see people around us being indifferent about our imminent death especially our family, and we do not want of course that at the time where we’re already withering due to our illness or due to aging and we now don’t have even an iota of energy to say â€Å"sorry† or â€Å"I love you†. Will we wait till we’re lying at our death beds and we can’t do anything now to make this life a little better before we decide to pause and introspect and contemplate how we are living? Let us ask ourselves, if I die now, are the things happening are really the things that would leave me content and happy? Now, if not let’s have the courage to pay off all the sacrifices and the hard work in order to rearrange and make this life we are living better. Let’s be in-charge of our lives and keep the dictations of the society out of our minds. Life is short, let us love and live OUR dream.

Learning English as a Second Language Essay

From the content in the introductory part of the WebQuest, It is true that English is common language for the native people but for the non native people it is challenging and requires one to go through a series of classes compounded by determination and willingness to learn in order to understand it well. The thesis statement of the web quest gives an over view of what the rest of the content is all about. It gives the fundamental steps of learning English which involves understanding the meaning of different vocabularies provided and using them in a well structured and grammatically correct sentence. As a teaching material, this WebQuest highlights the main objectives, which will serve as the yard stick of determining whether the intended purpose of the WebQuest is achieved. In addition to this, I give a positive feed back to the way the learning process is arranged. Understanding a word and pronouncing it correctly is indeed the fundamental step in solving the complexity in English as a language. This is because it creates a dovetail for the construction of grammatically and structurally perfect sentences to fit. Team work is undoubtedly important in building confidence among the students. It also enables them to share their difficulties and hence understand the challenges a head of them. Provision of resources is of importance because it gives the whole learning process the originality and reliability it deserves. The evolution process cannot go unaccredited because it will enable the lecturers to know if the objectives were met. However, the WebQuest fails to show what the students should do if they fail the second step of understanding the meaning of the words in the sentences. This in my opinion is crucial for the process of learning English as a second language.

Regionalism: Faulkner “A Rose for Emily” Essay

Emily Grierson- A mysterious woman who had secrets kept and a puzzlement to the community around her. †¢Colonel Sartoris- The man who reassured her that she would not need to pay taxes or anything. †¢Tobe- A loyal servant that fed and took care of Miss Emily as well as her secrets of which he never told anyone. †¢Judge Stevens- He acquired new solutions to the community complaints of and about Miss Emily I suppose as respect for the elderly woman. †¢Homer Barron- A man that came into Miss Emily’s life who after a while was not seen again until the day Miss Emily died and was found in a bedroom upstairs decaying. Part II: â€Å"A Rose For Emily† Questions 1.What metaphor is used to describe Miss Emily in the first paragraph? In the first paragraph they described Miss Emily as a Fallen Monument. 2.How is the house personified in the second paragraph of the story? The house is personified as a beautiful house at first with scrolled balconies, cupolas, spires and beautiful flowers. Then towards the ending of the paragraph the house is withered with time and left un developed while as the houses around hers develop and acquire a new style. Miss Emily’s house was described as an eyesore. 3.What had Colonel Sartosis done for Miss Emily in 1894? Colonel Sartosis remitted Miss Emily’s taxes with a dispensation dating from the death of her father and on to perpetuity. 4.What did the next generation of town leaders do on the first year? The alderman issued Miss Emily a notice to pay her taxes and when that hadn’t been claimed they issued another and when the same happened they decided to send people to her house to have a discussion on the issue. 5.How does Faulkner describe Miss Emily in the Sixth paragraph? In the sixth paragraph Miss Emily is described as a small, fat woman in black, with some jewelry and an old and weathered face. 6.At the beginning of Part II, how long had Emily’s father been dead? At the beginning of Part II in the story Miss Emily’s father had been dead for 2 years. 7.What are the neighbors complaining about? What does Judge Stevens say probably has caused it? Judge Stevens is being complained to by the community about the odor of Miss Emily’s home. The judge says that it is probably a dead snake or animal that her Negro servant has killed. 8.What did Miss Emily tell her visitors the day after her father’s death? After hearing of Miss Emily’s fathers death the community come to the house to share their condolences and when they do Miss Emily tells them that her father isn’t dead only to find her realization 3 days later. 9.Who began to date Miss Emily in Part III, and why was he in town? Homer Barron a young construction worker dated her the summer after her father’s death. Homer was in town to pave the sidewalks. 10.What did the townspeople think of Miss Emily and her new boyfriend? At first people were glad for Miss Emily but others thought that it wasn’t right because of Homer’s job. 11.What does Miss Emily do to make the townspeople think that she and her boyfriend have wed?Miss Emily went and bought a suit and nice dress shoes.The towns people thought that Miss Emily and Homer would marry but as time passed by a wedding wasn’t held and the ladies of the town thought that it was a bad example for the younger people so finally they sent the Bishop to Miss Emily’s home. When the Bishop returned from the home he did not speak of the interview. The Bishop’s wife wrote to Miss Emily’s family and when the ladies heard this they thought that Miss Emily had wed. 12.When was the last time the townspeople saw her boyfriend/husband? One evening a neighbor saw Homer welcomed in to Miss Emily’s home shortly after Miss Emily’s cousin’s left town. That was the last that the town saw of Homer Barron. 13.Why had the men sprinkled lime around her house in Part II? After some complaints to the judge of the odor of Miss Emily’ s house the men wanted to confront Miss Emily but the judge said it would be rude so he told them to sprinkle lime around the Home so that the odor would be gone. 14.There is a room upstairs no one has seen for over forty years. After Miss Emily’s funeral, the door to this room is broken down. What do the townspeople find there? After breaking down the door the towns people find the clothes that Miss Emily has bought shortly after Homer came in to her life and also Homer himself. 15.What happened to Homer Barron? Comment on the second pillow on the bed in the last paragraph while responding to this one. Homer Barron was found dead. I believed he was murdered with the poison that Miss Emily had bought from the druggist. A strand of Miss Emily’s hair was found on the pillow next to where he lay.

A report on the foreign policy of the United States towards Russia Essay

A report on the foreign policy of the United States towards Russia - Essay Example Likewise, the need to analyze and improve Russo-American relations remains inevitable if global security, economic gains and political stability are to be realised in the West, Europe and the rest of the world. Brief history of the foreign relations of the US with Russia Russo-American relations started taking shape during World War I and II when the US and Russia fought alongside each other as Allied Powers, against Central Powers that had coalesced around the belligerent Germany. Prior to World War I and II, Russo-American relations had not taken a definitive shape, since America opted for the Doctrines of Non-Interference and Neutrality, wishing not to be drawn into the affairs and battles of Europe. The conclusion of World War II left the world with Russia and the US as two centers of power which were diametrically opposed to each other, on account of ideology. While Russia opted for socialism and communism as the way of politics and economics, America was committed to perpetuate democracy and capitalism throughout the world. This development sparked this Cold War which lasted from 1945 to 1990 (Brigham, 2010, 600). According to Butler (2011, 420), during this period, Russo-American relations were both belligerent and diplomatic. ... Zakaria (2012, 27) recounts that two decades after the fall of communism and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia’s relations with America has been neither inimical nor friendlier. Despite the facing out of the Cold War confrontation, America and Russia have not nurtured sustainable bilateral cooperative relations. Russo-American relations only come to the fore when inevitable matters relating to climate change, international relations and nuclear nonproliferation need addressing (Nakajima, 2007, 450). Key Interests that the US has towards Russia Despite the US and Russia having well-known inimical relations especially at the height of the Cold War era, yet, these two countries harbour key interests in each other. Russo-American relations remain important in sustaining and effecting New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) which was signed in 2010 and ratified in 2011. The main essence of START is to assuage the quantity of strategic missile launchers by half, and to ef fect new and more effective inspection regimes. Currently, both President Obama and Putin are committed to global security issues such as nuclear non-proliferation and counterterrorism, in spite of the prevailing differences over Iran’s nuclear program and the BMD program. According to Christopher (2006, 329), America continues to bank on Russia’s military support in Kyrgyzstan, Manas Transit Center, given that Russia is interested in Western and American victory in Afghanistan and the successful withdrawal of American troops therefrom. This form of military support is very sacrosanct since Manas Transit Center is the only American facility in Central Asia and is therefore key

Major Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words - 2

Major Project - Essay Example Republicans, democrats and independents feeling pressures of holding on to their current bargaining power position started a movement, in which Wisconsin is the epicenter. It began with economic issues. The person who started the revolution is Gov. Scott Walker. Walker proposed that state workers contribute more to their pension and health-care benefits. Teachers started calling in sick. Schools closed. Demonstrators massed at the capitol. Democratic senators fled the state to paralyze the Legislature. Wisconsin public sector developed the main argument as it capitulated and claimed they were only protesting one part of the bill, the part about collective-bargaining rights. The Democratic Party is pouring money and anger into the fight, recognizing the threat of union power. Public Employee Unions Preliminary It is necessary to know the relevant underlying roles of collective bargaining power in a civil society. Freedom of association the right to bargain collectively, places the Uni ted States out of the norm with established international human-rights principles. Historically, collective bargaining served to increase consumer purchasing power, assures a voice in the workplace, and provides checks and balances in society. Collective bargaining in the public sector that endorses models incorporates alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms is a means to protect the public interest. Collective bargaining for unions will consider the core institution in society. The function of collective bargaining does not necessary need updated to match wording for the 21st century. Presently, the public-policy debate about public-sector unionism and collective bargaining in the United States has triggered a debate in the United States. At the center of the debate is the question suggesting that public employee unions have contributed to this crisis through the pay and benefits he/she have negotiated for public employees. Connected to this is the employer through a role of the government as a taxing authority as well as a player in providing public services. These claims will continue to be in conflict with one another. When private sector and public sector try to compare in benefits in the past the government has not shown the diligence which proves, that the public sector pays more attention to such matters. Objectives of this paper is the identify innovations that can improve public sector collective bargaining power and how that may affect parts of the public sector. Many of these problems are equally prevalent in states with and without collective bargaining and for unionized and non-unionized employees. History Collective bargaining, the most recent plan, developed during the 1930s, addressed the imbalance of power between employers and employees. Passed in 1935, this act called the "Wagner Act," which created a system of collective bargaining that leveled the playing field and provided a structure that reduced labor strife and unrest. This law gave most workers in the private sector the right to form unions, bargain, and strike. Collective bargaining is a type of negotiation that uses employees to work with employers. Worker representative's approach the employer and attempt to negotiate a contract that both sides can potential agree. Issues covered are hours of

Clincal nutrition Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Clincal nutrition - Literature review Example rsial topic in that there are multiple different recommendations in existence regarding the use of diets with low Glycemic index (GI) in its treatment. In the light of the ensuing controversy, the need for more research into the study is evident; thus this literature review. In this review, different sources are analyzed with regards to the authors’examinations on the effects of dietary (glycemic factors) in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.Majority of the reviewed studies indicate that indeed, the glycemic index is a major consideration in diabetes mellitus management. Diabetes mellitus refers to a collection of metabolic disorders that are associated with defects in insulin action, insulin secretion, or both. They are characterized by the presence of high blood sugar levels over a long span period. The effect of insulin defect arises when the pancreas cannot produce sufficient insulin, or if cells in the body fail to respond to the produced insulin. When this happens, three types of diabetes are imminent; type 1 diabetes due to insufficient secretion of insulin, type 2 diabetes due to cell resistance to insulin, and gestational diabetes which is experienced when expectant mothers develop high levels of blood glucose. If the disorders go unnoticed, they develop into complications such as nonketotic hyperosmolar coma or diabetic ketoacidiosis in the short term. Long term complications such as kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, eye damage, stroke, or foot ulcers may develop if the disorders are not treated in time. Brand-Miller, Hayne, Petocz, and Colagiuri (2003, p. 2261) conducted studies aimed at answering the query whether low glycemic index diets significantly improved glycemic control in diabetes patients as compared to high glycemic index diets. There were 203 type 1 and 153 type 2 diabetes patients. The evaluation was to be done depending on the levels of fructosamine and HbA1c levels before and after the tests for a period of 12 weeks. The low-GI

Humans, Technology, Nature and Spirituality Movie Review

Humans, Technology, Nature and Spirituality - Movie Review Example Spirituality mainly fortifies the link between nature and individuals; hence, someone can interact with nature through religion. Nonetheless, technology appears to destroy the bond between persons and nature. According to the film, Baraka technology appears to destroy nature instead of connecting individuals to it. I, therefore, concur with the movie Baraka, as it shows the unique relationship that individuals share with nature. For instance, the film shows scenes whereby individuals are connecting with nature through worshipping, and this shows a special relationship between humans, nature, and spirituality (Fricke, 2008). Such spirituality connection is seen through the intimacy between the Australian aboriginals with nature. They have an exceptional spiritual correlation that allows them to bond with nature. The Australian aboriginals also preserve nature due to their religious beliefs. Therefore, I also trust that spirituality enables us to protect nature and ensure that no one devastates it. Through our beliefs we can conserve the population, for instance, personally I believe that nature is a special form of healing. I meditate regularly, and due to this, I ensure that the surroundings are well preserved. However, at times our beliefs appear to disrupt us, and we end up destroying the environment (Fricke, 2008). Hence, unlike technology spirituality appears to be the linking force between persons and nature.

Problem Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Problem Questions - Essay Example This is whereby more than one person have right of ownership of the same property regardless of the share of each person(s) in the property. However, each person has distinct rights of possession in the property from the other co-owners though they all have absolute right to the entire property. Under common tenancy, each of the co-owners has right to do what they wishes with their right of ownership to the property. Therefore, co-owners can pass their right to the possession of the property to their heirs if they so wish or can even sell their property any time they fill like. Under such situation, the third party who has inherited or has purchased the property from another person will acquire absolute right of co-ownership with the other existing co-owners. Under common tenancy, each co-owner has personal liability for payment of the property rates, maintenance fees and refurbishment cost. However, if one of the co-owners bears the entire refurbishment and maintenance charges, they have a right to claim for reimbursement from the other co-owners. ... He also paid for the repair of the house and for installation of a new kitchen as well as for electricity and gas bills from his own earnings. However, there was no agreement to show the form of relationship that existed in the ownership of the estate either at present or in the future. According to their agreement, the estate was written in the name of Amaryllis.3 They have continued to live in the same house since then. In my view, by the virtue of their conduct and mutual agreement to live together the two co-owners had entered in a common tenancy. Under this form of ownership, there was no distinction as to what proportion of the property each of the two owns. Both Amaryllis and Basil have equal access to the property and can do anything they wish with the property. However, the parties should be careful with their deeds in order to avoid infringing the rights of each party.4 Therefore, each of the party may use the property according to their wishes, but should not interfere wit h the right of the other party. Under common tenancy, each of the co-owner of the property has a right to sell or to transfer the right to another person.5 Under such a situation, the third party to whom the property has been transferred to acquire absolute light similar to that which was held by the previous owner. In the light of this information, it can be argued that in the situation where Amaryllis invited her cousin Cecily to live in the estate with her, Amaryllis agreed to share her right in the property with Basil, but Cecily had no so such right as long as Amaryllis was in the estate.6 Therefore, Cecily could only enjoy limited rights as a share of what Amaryllis enjoyed and should in no way appear to enjoy

Case Study Healthcare Funding Policies Term Paper

Case Study Healthcare Funding Policies - Term Paper Example 5 Works Cited 9 Name of the Student Name of the Professor Name of the Course Date Healthcare Funding Policies INTRODUCTION: HEALTH CARE POLICIES Presently, the costs of healthcare policies, intricacies in healthcare systems, cost challenges, and various other factors are responsible for the increase in the demand of the health care policies. Health decision making is vital to the growing economy as it ensures the welfare of the people and also has a profound impact on the socioeconomic, political, and cultural context. The different funding methods have different impact on the public health decision making and its way of choosing the regulatory mechanisms. The health care systems of varied nations are largely influenced by the guidelines prepared by World Health Organization (WHO). Similarly, the health care systems in the USA encompass various regulations that are enacted by the US government like Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 and Patient Protection and Afford able Care Act. The US government plans to impose further regulations for the benefits of the common people. Health care policies of the USA will be introduced in the study and its benefits to the common people. ... HEALTH CARE POLICIES: UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE POLICIES The growing health concerns among the common people, regarding the health care system in varied nations have led to frustration. Situations like overcrowded emergency rooms, extra fees for health care facilities and non government aid for health benefits are also regarded as important health issues (Jackson). Apart from health care policies, which are largely influenced by the government regulations, the health care policy consensus group is a collaboration of organizations, which signify various points on the continuum and the spectrum (â€Å"How US health care reform will affect employee benefits†).The key features of the universal health care policies are price consciousness, consumer empowerment, social solidarity, quality of healthcare, clinical autonomy, responsiveness, conflicts of interest etc. In the United Kingdom the health care facilities provided by the government are largely based on need and not the ability to pay. The National Health Services (NHS) provided by the government are free and provide medical facilities worth ?2400 annually. The UK health care policies are designed to keep in the mind the age, sex, education, race, and class of the common people. The social and health care insurance is designed by the government keeping universality, price regulation, open enrolment, and a regular benefits package system. Universality includes compulsory insurance, which includes subsidization for the sick and healthy patients. Price regulation includes risk compensation for the insurers especially for the highly risk ensured (Singh & Kant 200). In the USA the health mechanism is given due consideration and is not regarded as a gift,

The Implementation of K+12 Essay Example for Free

The Implementation of K+12 Essay The current System of Education in the Philippines is in the brink of extinction, for a new Education System is being proposed. The existing system of 6 years in Elementary, and 4 years in Secondary before entering Tertiary is being challenged. In fact, a major reform in the Education System is on the horizon, and this shall radically change the way Filipinos are educated. Many queries arise because of the new system. Students, parents and even educators doubt the effectiveness of the K+12. Contrarily, the Department of Education does not want to be stopped and is determined to pursue the program. On a reform as massive as this, it is expected that the opinions of the people are divided; after all, it depends in the K+12 on how the Education of the country will progress. It is proper then that the public be educated about the issue. Parents must know about this because in it depends the Education of their child; students must know about this because in it depends the way on how they would be educated; and educators must know about this because in it depends how they’ll educated the students. The purpose of this essay is straightforward: to inform the public about the issue and present my arguments regarding the K+12. I will embark upon the effectiveness of the implementation of K+12, not necessarily the effectiveness of K+12 as a system. In Education lies the future of a society; it is appropriate then that the students be educated properly, because their individual as well as societal growth depends in it. (MJ Flores)

The Effects Of War On Humanity

The Effects Of War On Humanity A dictionary definition of War is a state of open, armed, often prolonged conflict carried on between nations, states, or parties. Whilst this definition is clear enough it does not come close to exploring the true meaning of war in terms of emotions and the effects of war on humanity as detailed throughout history by the poets. Wars prior to 1914 have inspired poets to record for posterity the grime hard facts of conflict and the impact on lives While ravens and kites peck at human entrails (Li Po or Li Bais Nefarious War). Other poets have used war to stimulate their audience, maybe to take up arms When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made (Alfred Lord Tennysons The Charge of the Light Brigade), while others have used poetry to record glorious acts to maintain the memory and perhaps justify a past war So on they fought like a swirl of living fire (Homers The Iliad) which remained only as a verbal record for centuries before it was written down. The poems studied have explored the different aspects of war. From Homers The Iliad and his glorious description of Menelaus Finest Hour through to Alfred Lord Tennysons homage to courage and honour in his celebrated The Charge of the Light Brigade to Li Pos Nefarious War this essay will explore how poets have considered the impact of war on humanity. This essay will touch on the simple rhythm of Whitmans Beat! Beat! Drums! and narrative provided in another Walt Whitmans elegy Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field One Night I kept one night. This essay will contrast the glory of a cavalry charge with Whitmans crushing description of the degeneration of a bereaved mother in Come up from the Fields Father. This essay will consider how these poems compare across the range of emotion all of which humanity has experienced when war is declared, fought or concluded. This essay will also make reference on John Scotts The Drum, comparing to the distaste for the different sounds of war. Homers The Iliad is an epic poem telling the story of the Trojan War. It is set in a time where people considered the Gods to be all powerful and present in life influencing every aspect of human existence. The war referred to in The Iliad was the Trojan War fought between the Greeks and the Trojans in what is now mainland Turkey. The war took place in the 8th or 9th century BC. The epic poem concerned the famous story of the abduction of Helen of Troy by Paris and her husband, the Greek King Menelaus war to gain her back and destroy the city of Troy. The Greeks landed close to Troy and besieged the city for ten years. During these years a number of battles were fought and The Iliad provided a narrative of these engagements. One such episode describes the fight over the body Patroclus, a friend of Achilles, who had been killed by Hector, the Trojan hero. In describing the fight for Patroclus body Homer recalls the gods Ares, Athena and finally Zeus and compares the warriors efforts t o those of the Gods Not even Ares  [1]  , lasher of armies, not even Athena  [2]  Watching the battle here could scorn its fury Homer demonstrates the supreme effort made to recover the body of a dead comrade. The use of anaphora here helps to highlight the colossal effort demonstrated during the conflict that not even the acts of Gods could compare. This comparison by Homer may have been a useful device in the context of the times in which the poem was retold usually by travelling actors bringing stories to distant Greek villages, the comparison of effort to that of the Gods implies superhuman strength designed, no doubt, to inspire awe from the villagers. Therefore the Iliad can also be compared to a type of propaganda, not only to entertain the masses, but also to remind them that the men at arms in the service of the King were to be not only admired but feared; in this way showing an effect on humanity. Homer sets a scene that is full of men grappling, fighting and straining. This titan like struggle contrasts with Whitmans elegy Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field One Night I kept on the field one night where the authors reflections on the after battle scene describe a quiet lonely place Vigil wondrous and vigil sweet there in the fragrant silent night, But not a tear fell, not even a long-drawn sigh, long, long I gazed.. His use of long drawn sigh and repetition of long suggest time and space for reflection as opposed to the crowded feel of the combat in the Iliad. Further, Homers description of the environment Fought on at their ease beneath a clear blue sky, Sharp brilliance of sunlight glittering round them, not a cloud in sight to shadow the earth and mountains. Men who fought at a distance worked with frequent breaks suggest a sun scorched, hot sweating place where grit and dust mix with blood to create a fearsome scene. The imagery created would have been familiar to listeners who will have recognised such a hot eastern Mediterranean climate. Homers efforts to ensure his listeners recognition go some way to allowing empathy with the heroes in the poem. This narrative style contrasts with the short clipped verse in The Drumby John Scott which has an absence of any description of the environment in which the conflicts referred to take place. In The Iliad, Homer sets the scene providing a background for the listener to connect with whereas Whitmans poem has no intention or need for such description as his intention is dramatically different. InThe Drumthe environment has no relevance above the message that the pounding of the drum is the messenger of doom. Similarly, Beat! Beat! Drums! by Walt Whitman is being described by a tentative soldier; the soldier illustrates the hatred he obtains for this drum that is beating for the announcing of war breaking out. John Scott uses a very common poetic device in The Drum; he utilizes poetic meter to create the rhythm thus creating an echo of the drums. He uses iambic tetrameter as shown in the following quotation; I hate that drums discordant sound/ parading round, and round, and round. The pattern of the stressed and unstressed syllables (-/-/-/-/) conveys how the drum in the poem is being played. For Scott, the sound is hateful as it calls young men to fight and fall in foreign lands. In Whitmans poem he writes using free verse, however, the heavy stresses on the syllables on the opening line also demonstrates the sound of the drum. This suggests the destructive nature of war on humanity. The use of onomatopoeia in Beat! Beat! Drums! also helps suggest this. In Homers The Iliad, I feel as though Homers exploration on the effect of war on humanity is very clear. He shows the physically grueling experience of being on the battle field, with the gods as passive spectators. The Iliad includes a lot of references to the young men involved with battle; Grim and grueling, relentless drenching labour, non stop. Homer is making it clear through the use of alliteration, a list and negative words that these men are working very hard. This can be compared to the elegy Come Up From The Fields Father, as Whitman also shows the effect war has on young men. However, the two different poets have different ideas to put across to the reader. Homer wanted to show the benefits of the young fighting because of the enthusiastic approach revealed by them. Whitman wanted to show the negative effect of war on the young soldiers and their families. In the poem the family of the young soldier receives a letter that tells them he has been injured; gunshot wound in t he breast, cavalry skirmish, taken to hospital. The impact the letter has on the family is devastating and when the mother finds out that her only son is dead, she is so grief stricken that she wants to die. The second ancient poem under consideration is Li Pos Nefarious War. Li Po or Li Bai, the variation of Romanization of à ¦Ã‚ Ã… ½Ãƒ §Ã¢â€ž ¢Ã‚ ½, was a poet who lived around 700 BC in imperial China. He was a famous poet who wrote many poems on varied subjects including war, love and wine. He was renowned for his ability to write without correction. His career was spent in the court of the Chin Dynasty  [3]  but he fell foul to court intrigue and eventually committed suicide. Li Po was not a soldier but in his Nefarious War the speaker is clearly a warrior, who talks of his weariness with conflict and his reflection on wars impact. At the time of writing imperial China was engaged in continuous struggle to defend its borders against marauding tribes. The impact on its people was considerable. Given the vast size of China it was not possible to defend all the territory under the emperor and therefore much time was spent on the campaign where the armies would travel for years to combat warring hordes or tribes attempting to steal territory, people or possessions. Po seems to suggest war is unavoidable. His first stanza describes locations of the campaigns the head-stream of the Sang-kan, the Tsung-ho road, the waves of Chiao-chi lake and the pastures on Tien-shans snowy slopes. This can be compared to Homers description of the plains of Troy where a specific battle is fought for a specific reason. Li Po provides no particular political reason for war other than the need for defense against a foe. Nefarious War suggests an unrelenting, grinding attrition where the defenders of the empire need to be ever watchful Where the Chin emperor built the walls against the Tartars, There the defenders of Han are burning beacon fires. The beacon fires burn and never go out, There is no end to war this signifying a constant state of alertness using alliteration to make the point burning beacon fires./The beacon fires burn where the use of B provides a harsh staccato and repetition provide a prelude to the final There is no end to war suggesting an exhausti ng vigil followed by the suggestion of lament that no end to the conflict is in sight. Due to the depressing language Po uses, one thought springs to mind, Po might well be making a plea for peace symptomatic of a need for rest from the ever present danger and the need for a constant watch. This can be contrasted to the battle being described by Homer, it is stated that the fighting is done in one place, not on a widespread scale. Additionally, there are many references to the length of war, the fact that war goes on forever. Li Po describes the conflicts as The long, long war goes on ten thousand miles from home. The repetition used here is very effective, it makes the reader feels the real expression of tedium made by speaker. Also, Po uses the repetition to link to the idea of the life of a warrior being boring; the mere fact that it is the same everyday and nothing changes. John Scott uses repetition in his poem The Drum with his reference to the troops parading round, and round, and round. This is similar to the repetition of Long, long which suggests that war has a negative effect on humanity. Li Po goes on to describe the battlefield in his third stanza. In the battlefield men grapple each other and die provides a brief summary compared to Homers detailed description of the fight for Patroclus body. Li Pos economy with words suggests a different view of war. Far from it being an illustrious fight between men for a reason (the recovery of Patroclus body) the empty, uselessness suggested in this opening line portray a futility. Li Po contrasts the leaders with the followers So, men are scattered and smeared over the desert grass, and the generals have accomplished nothing. Here it is the ordinary soldiers that do the dying whilst the generals who command the army achieve little by the efforts of their men. In The Charge of the Light Brigade Tennyson refers to this element of war with his Not though the soldier knew, some one had blundered where generals order the deaths of men under their command without thought. However Tennyson goes on to emphasis the heroism and dedicati on to duty displayed by the cavalry at Balaclava whereas Li Pos reference to the men and horses dying merely reminds the reader of the impact of battle on them (The horses of the vanquished utter lamentable cries to heaven). This reminds us that the effect of war is not only on humanity, but on the animals. This can be therefore related back to Pos point about the gravity of war and how it affects everyone, that it is inescapable and destructive Li Po suggests a lot about the leaving of the bodies on the battle field. The mere fact of different birds of prey pecking at the human entrails explains to us that the dealing with human fatalities at this time was very poor. This image is repulsive it is clear that they dont even care what happens to the bodies due to the negative wording. However if you contrast this to Homers The Iliad, the fight for a heros body, such care and passion demonstrated in for the body of Patroclus and to ensure a proper burial. This is of course not the case for the bodies being described by Po. In Whitmans Vigil Strange I Kept On The Field One Night, there are many references to a brother or very close friend relationship between the two comrades representing, on a general scale, the bond between soldiers at the time of the American Civil War. An interesting point is that if we compare Nefarious War with the perspective of Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field One Night, it demonstrates the progression in concern for soldiers as human beings, over the centuries, with individual lives and families rather than just complete armies or unnamed bodies on the battlefield. At a point of interest, The Iliad and Nefarious War were written in different parts of the world; therefore this can be linked to the conflict that exists today. This is the clash of Western vs. Eastern culture; it can be interoperated that Homer was presenting the ethos of his people and Li Po doing the same. Both poets representing the way in which warfare is dealt in their culture. Through out the range of poems that are being considered, there are aspects of soldiers joining in unity. Noticeably it is hardly used at all in Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field One Night, as the idea that the poet wants to get across is the concept of the individual love and not of comrades showing unity. One may even sense an impression of ignorance, coming from the poet, of the soldiers feelings or of the terrible effects of the war-torn environment that surround them by focusing on one relationship and not the big picture. However, this is definitely not the case shown in Nefarious War; Po wants the widespread effects on humanity to be apparent while being read. Last year we fought by the head-stream of the Sang-kan, this year we are fighting on the Tsung-ho road. We have washed our armor in the waves of Chiao-chi Lake; we have pastured our horses on Tien-shans snowy slopes. The repetition of we in this context is an effective means of pulling in the reader and allowing Po to cr eate unity between himself and his comrades. We is often used as a motivational device to form a community within a group; it is used to show equality from even the lowest ranked soldier fighting alongside to a King. In this case, Po is trying to present to the reader the universal suffering that is taking place. This can be contrasted, with great clarity, to Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field One Night, by the author showing individual anguish instead of a collective misery. Whilst the misery illustrated by Po throughout his poem does seem to distract from the actual descriptive nature of the war, his message should not be ignored that war is a destructive force and nothing good comes out of it. However, it is worthy of note that Pos exploration/description of war differs from Homers or Whitmans. Whitman shows an energized approach towards war, as though, he is remembering action to happen, for example, Beat! Beat! Drums!Blow! Bugles! Blow! Through the windowsthrough doorsburst like a ruthless force. This quotation demonstrates a real eruption of Whitmans message here that war is destructive, the explosive B alliteration articulated by Whitman shows us the genuine energy that war does in fact bring. In the first stanza of Nefarious War, the idea of fatigue is portrayed by Po with a thought of no hope, armies [have] worn and grown old. An automatic image that comes to mind when including such words as old and worn gives off the negative vibe intended by Po, it makes us imagine a withering army consisting of a few men. Consequently, Po intentionally illustrating the effects on humanity but especially the armed forces of the country. In spite of this; Po uses a lot of active verbs in the third stanza, comparable to the energy in The Iliad. Po uses words such as grapple and vanquish. This can be compared to the violent words used by Homer. The image in our heads of men hacking the lines to pieces and the illustration of both sides dragging the corpse. These expressions are full of energy; they are the many of the violent cinematic imagery used by Homer to formulate the actual being there effect the poet wants the reader to experience. In addition to that point, Homer wanted to report the horror of the battle of Troy; as a consequence he uses much hyperbole to shock his audience. One of the very moving similes Homer uses to describe the fighting is the link to fire, relating the fighting as a swirl of living fire. The main descriptive word here is fire, which gives an impression of carnage and mayhem. This is exactly what Homer wants to create; he wants to explain to the reader what a hectic battle this truthfully is. Nefarious War has a lot in common with another Whitman poem, Come Up From the Fields Father. This poem deals with the torment of war on humanity. It is about a letter arriving at a household in America reading that the son has a gunshot wound to his breast. This of course is devastating to the family. Whitman then focuses on the mothers reaction, which is fainting going Sickly white in the face and consequently wishing to die when she discovers her son is dead. Come Up From The Fields Father can be compared to Nefarious War in that they both deal on the effect of war on humanity and the disturbance of the normal life. While they stand at home at the door he is dead already, The only son is dead. This quotation is adequate for what the author is trying to explain to the reader, the idea is linked back to what Po wants to get across, the suggestion of no hope. This image plays in our mind, the word only automatically creates an image of aloneness or only one, and this demonstrating the devastating effects that war has on family life therefore Whitman showing no amnesty towards war. If you look at the different poetic devices used by Homer and Po, you will see that Homer uses a lot of enjambements to retain the flow of the action in the battle; In Nefarious War there is only one example of enjambment. An example from the illiad is; Achaeans to drag him back to the hollow ships/ And round him always the brutal struggle raging. It is worth noting how Homer wants the flow to stay fluent when being read; this is done by not using a comma at the end of the first line, hollow ships. Po wants to get the message through about the evils of war; he shows this by using negative poetic devices, such as sibilance. Sibilance comes from the Latin word meaning hissing the link to the ancient belief of a snake hissing; this being the link to evil. As in the bible, Satan disguised himself as a snake in the garden of evil. The representation of this is made by authors use of s, soft c, sh and z sounds. So, men are scattered and smeared. The annotation smeared is a very ugly word, it creates an automatic blood shed image, the hint of smearing blood on a sword. The concept of men [being] scattered is very potent to the reader, it creates a picture of a bomb shell hitting the battle field. This quotation is very clear in what Po wants you to get from his poem; he wants you to pick up on the evils of war, as shown by the use of sibilance. Po also wants you pick up on the effects of war on humanity, humanity being the men that have been scattered and smeared. Po comes across as one of the normal men affected by the war participating in his country; he uses a first hand account, fabricating the struggle of the humanity in ancient China. After all, war affected the run of the mill man, not specially trained soldiers, the average farmer as hinted by Po; The barbarian does man-slaughter, not plowing. This completes Pos message to the reader, the thought of war having an effect on not just humanity but the livelihood and the wellbeing of families. Thus Po intentionally showing the reader the detestable effects of war on the humanity in China at the time. Tennysons Charge of the Light Brigade is an example of a war poem written for a purpose that to provide some useful propaganda and to understand this more fully the context surrounding the setting needs to be considered.The Crimean War (1853 to 1856) fought between the allied coalition (Britain, France, Turkey and Sardinia) and Russia was the first large scale conflict to be covered by journalists as we understand it today. For the first time reports of battle could be cabled or returned by fast sloop back to London in time for newspaper runs. Accounts of the battle field by independent reporters shocked the home audience as the public became aware for the first time of the poor conditions of the fighting soldiers and the incompetent nature of the leadership. The conflict surrounded Russias continual threat to the Ottoman Empire. Russia required a warm water port in the Mediterranean and provoked a war with Turkey over religious matters in Ottoman held Jerusalem. Britain and France came to Turkeys aid and sent men and ships to the black sea to counter the Russian threat to the Bosphorus. At this period, Britain was at its most powerful with an empire stretching around the globe. British superiority in trade, manufacturing and sea power provided a sense of invincibility to the nation who supported the war. Technology had developed to enable telegraphic communications and photography and so it was possible for the conflict to be followed both in the written form and visually in much shorter timescales than ever before. Russell of The Times was the most noted correspondent. The coalition forces had landed in the Crimea on the black sea and laid siege to Sevastopol, the main Russian port in the area. The coalition forces were thinly stretched through battle casualties but mainly through disease and poor sanitary conditions. In an attempt to raise the siege the Russian forces attacked the coalition flank at Balaklava. During this action there were three major events, the Highland soldiers resistance to a Russian cavalry charge the Thin Red Line the Charge of the Heavy Brigade to repulse a further cavalry attack and the most famous of all, the Charge of the Light Brigade. The first two actions were fine examples of British soldiers led by their commanders beating the enemy when defeat looked certain, however it is the Charge of the Light Brigade that has become world famous for its pointlessness. Against all the accepted rules of warfare of the day, the British Light cavalry charged the main body of the Russian army due to a poorly worded order. Many men and horses were killed for no gain. The Charge was reported by Russell and along with other reports of the poor handling of the war, public opinion turned against the conflict. Florence Nightingale famously intervened with the wounded and set up a hospital in Scutari. Questions were raised in parliament and long after the war ended there were concerns on all aspects of the handling of the war. It is against this backdrop that Tennysons Charge of the Light Brigade must be considered. Like Homer, Tennyson had specific reasons for the construction of his poetry. The war had proved unpopular and as Poet Laureate, Tennyson may have been responding to the public attacks against the establishment by presenting the charge in its more favourable light. Tennyson emphasises this in his last three lines Honour the charge they made! Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred! He keeps this exaltation to the last to leave the reader in no doubt that whatever the reasons for the blunder the charge was an honorable thing. Tennyson opens the account by recreating the rhythm of the horses cantering, Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward. This is an example of dactylic meter with the last foot onward as trochaic. This use of meter helps to establish the prologue to the action the cavalry steadily advancing on the enemy. Tennyson takes the reader to the centre of the action, Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them, and Stormed at with shot and shell. This use of anaphora and alliteration simulates the effect of gun fire as the cavalry move down the valley. Tennyson provides this imagery to set the scene of the carnage the men faced. Boldly they rode and well, Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of Hell. Here Tennyson tells us that despite the storm of lead these well trained disciplined soldiers kept going where perhaps others would have stopped. He raises this point earlier in the poem Forward, the Light Brigade! Was there a man dismayed? This seems at first a rhetorical question, however Tennyson quickly confirms the irrelevance of the question with Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die in doing so he reminds the reader that the soldiers were there to do their duty and not question the intentions of their leaders. The repetition of Theirs is emphatic. It is not for the soldier to reply to an order neith er is it to try to fathom the intricacies of military tactics, their job was to follow orders and perhaps die in the process. Tennyson is reminding the audience of the nature of soldiering and warfare. The first three stanzas deal with the approach, the fourth addresses the action at the guns while the fifth describes the return of the Light Brigade. Tennyson repeats his use of alliteration here again Stormed at with shot and shell to remind the reader that the cavalry was under fire both in to action and homeward bound. Against a backdrop of criticism of the war Tennyson is reminding the reader throughout that the action was to be admired When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made! All the world wondered. Here reminding the reader that through the action Britain remains admired. This contrasts with Li Pos Nefarious War that has none of the elements of message contained within Charge of the Light Brigade. Li Pos poem is at its heart anti war; So, men are scattered and smeared over the desert grass, And the generals have accomplished nothing suggests the absolute pointless waste of human life by the soldiers, leaders. In contrast Tennysons only reference to the poor leadership of the war was Not though the soldier knew, Someone had blundered Tennysons assertion that some good came out of the action exampled by the splendid military precision displayed by the cavalry Boldly they rode and well and Flashed all their sabres bare, Flashed as they turned in air suggesting military discipline and prowess, this contrasts with Scotts The Drum- I hate that drums discordant sound, Parading round, and round, and round the repetition of round provides an imagery of pointless drilling of soldiers undergoing repetitive tasks for no apparent reason. In conclusion, the range of poems and poets that I have included in my study have expressed the full range of emotions and views from the heroic to the wastefulness of war but, ultimately, all have provided a graphic portrayal of the effect of war on humanity. Of the main poets that I have concentrated on, Homer and Tennyson focus on the energy of war and portray human sacrifice as the ultimate in. In contrast, Po wants to inform people of the terrors of war in order that humanity will learn from the terrible deaths of the war-torn and not have wars in the future. While Po has more of a wide-reaching message, probably aimed at a more at a high political level, Whitman similarly portrays war as wasteful, he concentrates on the more personal, everyman loss that soldiers deaths have on families back home. Finally, John Scotts poem, The Drum portrays the initial bravado and excitement that war can incite in both soldiers and the people at home, but ends with the brutal realities of the m angled limbs, and dying groans, And widows tears, and orphans moans, And all that Miserys hand bestows, that demonstrate the truly awful effects of war on humanity, which are perfectly summed up by Benjamin Franklin (1706 -1790), There never was a good war or a bad peace.

Concern Associated With Mental Health Diagnosis Social Work Essay

Concern Associated With Mental Health Diagnosis Social Work Essay Psychiatrists are increasingly churning out new syndromes at the behest of their funders in the pharmaceutical industry. The above quotation, drawn from a news feature from the Independent news paper, highlights an issue of concern associated with mental health diagnosis. According to the (Social Exclusion Unit, 2004), approximately one in six people in England experiences some form of mental health problem at some point in their lives and the estimated annual costs of providing services is  £77 billion. Wrong diagnosis affects not only the patient being diagnosed, but also the patients support network. In communities where mental health is not well understood by the vast majority and where people tend to get embarrassed by it, wrong diagnosis can make it difficult for those diagnosed to seek help. Additionally, people with mental health illnesses have to contend with a number of social issues such as: stigma, acceptance from friends and family, employment challenges and adjusting to losing their independence as a result of the effects of illness and / or the side effects of medication, (Sheppard, 2002; Elder et al, 2009). While these issues affect all mentally ill people, research shows that for black and ethnic minority groups, being diagnosed with a mental illness compounds social challenges and perpetuates poverty, deprivation and social exclusion, (Hocking, 2005; Ndegwa and Olajide, 2003). The challenge for social work is to advocate for clients in a field where social work expertise might be challenged by the medicinal nature of mental health diagnoses. As a background to the research proposal, this paper will briefly evaluate the effect that wrong mental health diagnosis has on black and ethnic minority families. In selecting the objectives, my starting point is that wrong diagnosis affects peoples lives regardless of their race or ethnicity. Therefore, the proposed research will aim to identify whether and, if so, how black and ethnic minority families are affected by being wrongly diagnosed with mental illness. Introduction: According to Hocking (2005), culture and race have an important role to play in the likelihood of someone being diagnosed with mental health problems. Her findings are mirrored in the results of recent psychosis studies which indicate that there are disproportionately high numbers of people from black and ethnic minority groups diagnosed with severe mental illness, (Count Me in, 2010). Citing Bhui (1997)s review of (Lloyd and Moodley, 1992)s research, (Bhui and Bhugra, 2002) also state that there is a substantial body of evidence that highlights disparity between the experiences of people from black and ethnic minority groups in comparison to white groups, when it comes to accessing mental health services. They argue that white people, who are mentally ill, stand a better chance of being given a diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Data from a mental health and ethnicity census conducted by partnership between the Healthcare Commission, the Mental Health Act Commission and the National Institute for Mental Health in England, found that almost 10% of mental health inpatients were black or mixed race. Analysis of the findings also concluded that compared to the rest of the population, black people were three times more likely to be admitted to psychiatric hospitals in England and Wales and stood a 44% chance of being detained under the Mental Health Act, (Care Quality Commission, 2005). The findings also indicated that black men experienced high rates of control and restraint from staff within psychiatric services and were more likely to be put into seclusion or in medium or high secure wards, (Bhugra and Gupta, 2010; Kaye and Lingiah, 2000). It is with this background that this paper evaluates the impact of wrong mental health diagnosis on black and ethnic minority families. In terms of methodology, the proposed research will take a similar form to this paper i.e. I will use the same key terms, research objectives, search terms and data collection methods. A paragraph on the proposed methodology follows the literature review. Defining Key Terms: In addition to cultural differences and subjective assessments of mental capacity, definitions of mental health are influenced by perspectives from various disciplines. In order to conduct a robust research, definitions of the key terms are explored below: Although the Mental Health Act (2007) does not give a definition of mental health, it describes mental health in terms of mental disorders and refers to mental health as any condition that disorders or disables the mind, (Bartlett and Sandland, 2007). Psychological perspectives define mental health as a level of cognitive or emotional wellbeing which includes a persons ability to enjoy life by balancing the demands of everyday routines to achieve psychological resilience, (Shaw et al, 2007). According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), mental health is a state of wellbeing in which an individual realises that they can cope with lifes normal stresses, can work productively and fruitfully and contribute to their community, (WHO, 2005). Definitions of mental health that are based in evaluating the positive signs of health, such as how an individual copes with environmental stressors, are still under debate as scholars, practitioners and policy makers consider the importance of factors such as religion, individual aspirations, social class, race, gender and lifestyle choices impact on mental health, (Clarke, 2008; Kay and Lingiah, 2000, Heller and Gitterman, 2011). The English dictionary describes diagnosis as the identification of an illness or a discovery about what is wrong with someone who is ill or something which is not working properly, after examination. It implies identification of the nature and cause of a thing. However, diagnosing mental illness seldom involves a set of specific or straight forward tests. Rather, psychiatrists diagnose based on their observation of symptoms and comparison with a diagnostic schedule, (Elder et al, 2009; Arrigo and Shipley, 2005). As a result it is often difficult for mental health problems to be diagnosed and sometimes patients can feel that they have been misdiagnosed. Detailed discussion follows later in this proposal. The Research Question: This paper briefly reviews mental health literature in order to set the background for a proposed research into the extent to which wrong mental health diagnosis affects Black and Ethnic Minority families in Britain. Research Objectives: The objectives set prior to writing this paper and indeed proposed for in-depth research are: Reviewing the literature that is available on mental health diagnosis and how mental health impacts families in general. Exploring the role of social workers in working with people that have been diagnosed with mental illness. Identifying any discernable differences in how diagnosis affects Black and Ethnic Minority families in comparison to their white counterparts. Highlighting the impact of wrong mental health diagnosis on families in general and on Black and Ethnic Minority families in particular. Identifying any gaps in practice and in the literature in order propose areas for future study. Rationale: I first became interested in studying this area because four of my relatives had been diagnosed with severe mental illnesses and three were later found to have been wrongly diagnosed. In the three months prior to being told that the diagnoses were wrong, our family relationships had been tested to the extreme as we tried to adjust to the challenges of caring for loved ones whom we thought were mentally ill and in denial. The relief that came from hearing the news that three of them had been wrongly diagnosed was quickly replaced with feelings of injustice towards professionals, because of the strain that had been put on the family relationships. Search Terms, Databases Used and Linguistic Clarifications: When researching literature to review, I used several on-line catalogue systems which included: EBSCOHost, InfoTrack, ProQuest, Ingenta, eLSC, CareData, academic journals, mental health action group websites and read various newspaper articles reporting on multiple mental health related issues. My initial searches produced a lot of literature, which I narrowed down by browsing subject indexes and reading abstracts. The search terms included: Diagnosing Mental Health in England, the impact of Mental Health diagnosis on families, Mental health diagnosis and minority ethnic families, The role of social workers in mental health cases, the impact of wrong mental health diagnosis on black and ethnic minority families, community mental health and coping with mental health at home. My decision to use online catalogue systems has more to do with my lack of knowledge in how to use manual cataloguing systems. Additionally, I was aware of my own limitations as a researcher and did not want to ad d any more complications to my task. Literature Review: Prior to commencing discussions about how diagnosis, right or wrong, impacts on families, it is important to note that diagnosis infers illness. Therefore, the extent of the impact on families is not determined by the diagnosis, but by how the inferred illness affects day-to-day activities directly or indirectly. The impact will vary depending on factors such as the severity and duration of the diagnosed illness, the family composition and the extent to which the illness affects aspects of family life, (Clark, 2008: Heller and Gitterman, 2011). For example, where short term illnesses can be treated by the familys general-practitioner and where the members are older or resilient, families will cope better with a mental health diagnosis. For many black and ethnic minority families, being diagnosed with a mental illness adds to stigma, as these communities tend to have many myths and misconceptions about mental illness, (Ray et al, 2008; Bhugra and Cochrane, 2001; Bhugra and Gupta, 2010). This can affect families social interaction as they worry about the unpredictability of the diagnosed members public actions and reactions. The result is that individuals within the family or the entire family can easily become isolated, thus perpetuating a cycle of social exclusion, (Beresford, 2004). However, this view is widely contested as some scholars argue that mental health problems are not derived from social injustices or oppression nor are patients any more likely to experience social exclusion and discrimination as a direct result of their difficulties, (Sheppard, 2002). Scholars acknowledge that people with mental health problems can experience vicious circles of social isolation, poverty, unemployment, poor housing and scarce social and support networks but that these are neither causal nor circular factors. In 2010, the Care Quality Commission published a psychosis study which tested the theory that psychiatrists, wittingly or unwittingly, allowed their professional judgement to be influenced by the colour of their patients skin, (Count Me In, 2010). The study, which tracked year-on-year results from 2005 to 2009, was aimed at highlighting inequalities in access and outcomes that affect patients from Black and Minority ethnic communities, how hospital stays are managed, national debates about mental health and guide positive action, revealed that at 53.8%, black people represented more than half of the people detained under the Mental Health Act. These finding are consistent with other studies, which highlights that black men were more likely to be diagnosed with psychotic illness than whites and to be detained under the Mental Health Act, (Ray et al, 2008). Additionally, knowledge about mental illness, like many other aspects of human life, has undergone paradigm shifts over time. For instance, conditions such as sadness, anger, or disappointment, which were once considered to be in the normal spectrum of human behaviour, are now seen as psychiatric or psychological disorders, (Beam, 2001). This, coupled with the fact that there are no specific or straight forward ways of diagnosing mental illness, makes mental health diagnosis challenging. In order to diagnose a mental illness, psychiatrists observe a clients symptoms and match them to a diagnostic schedule. Prentice (2010) reports that in recent history, research has shown that even seemingly simple changes in the description of conditions such as attention deficit disorder, autism and childhood bipolar disorder, captured many patients who would have been better off not entering the mental health system. One of the initial challenges that families have to overcome when a loved one is first diagnosed with a mental illness is the feelings of denial as they come to terms with what the illness will mean for their loved one and for themselves. This combined with having little or no knowledge about the diagnosed illness, causes panic, (Beresford, 2004). When, as in our case, families later find out that the diagnosis was wrong the relief can easily be replaced with anger as they recount the toll of strained inter family relationships that were a result of their caring responsibilities. In such circumstances, guided by professional values and ethics, a social worker would be duty bond to empower the family by ensuring that the family have all the information they need in order to understand the implications of the illness. This includes advocating for those for whom English may not be a first language and being creative with working partnerships, (Beresford, 2000). Wrong mental health diagnosis often means that the patient will be prescribed medication to stabilize the illness. Consequently, the family may have to not only deal with the challenges of caring for a loved one whose behaviour may be unpredictable but also come to terms with the medications side effects such as apathy and a lack of motivation, (Ray et al, 2008). In her review of a number of qualitative research publications on how families cope with mental health, (Bhui, 2002) found that family members were fearful that the constant stress and concern for their loved ones created family problems that may never be over come. When the diagnosed family member is a parent, the inferred illness will have a profound impact on family life. Research shows that when a parent is diagnosed with mental illness, children are especially vulnerable, as their coping strategies tend to be dependent on the adults in their lives, (Heller and Gitterman, 2011). Parental mental illness compromises the parents ability to care for their child and in some cases, especially where there is no other adult to take responsibility, children can become their parents carers, (Ritter and Lampkin, 2010: Arrigo and Shipley, 2005). A wrongly diagnosed parent who keeps insisting that there is nothing wrong with them, can easily be seen as being in denial thus escalating welfare concerns. The dilemma for social work lies in their dual role of control and care. Depending on the nature of the diagnosed illness, the risks to a childs welfare can be severe even when the childs physical safety is not at risk. Social workers would need to give consideration to issues such as how the illness affects the childs emotional, behavioural and mental development. There is a vast body of research which indicates that children of psychotic parents are themselves particularly vulnerable to psychiatric problems, (Heller and Gitterman, 2011; Bhugra and Gupta, 2010; Ndegwa and Olajide, 2003;). In order to explore this topic in detail, I propose to conduct research that addresses the objectives set in this paper, using methodology that focuses on reviewing secondary data. The intended research process is as detailed in the question, objectives, rationale and search terms of this paper. The proposed research will have relevance for policy and practice in that it will enable better service provision for black and ethnic minority families as a result of understanding not only the causes of wrong diagnosis, but also why minority groups are disproportionately over represented within mental health services. It will also evaluate how national and international legislation, current studies on mental health and user involvement initiatives, impact on service delivery for minorities. In conclusion, I have shown that by inferring illness, mental health diagnosis does impact on families regardless of their racial or ethnic backgrounds. However, while the issues discussed here are not necessarily unique to black and ethnic minority families, research indicates that people from black and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately over represented in mental health services in England. Complex and multifaceted factors such as a lifestyles, social stressors, genetic predisposition and lifecycle transitions, make diagnosing mental illness difficult. This can present challenges for social workers as they perform their dual roles of control and care. Professional ethics and legal responsibilities mean that they must advocate for the marginalised groups while continuing to work in partnership with medical professionals without having the expertise to make a judgement call on the accuracy of diagnosis. These issues require deeper exploration in order to understand how wro ng mental health diagnosis affects people from black and ethnic minority families.

Affirmative Action Essay -- essays research papers

Pros on Affirmative Action Affirmative action refers to a variety of programs and policies that are race, gender, national origin, and ethnicity conscious. Such programs are targeting women and minorities that had suffered discrimination in the past. History tells us that women and minorities suffered severe discriminations until the middle of 20th century. Women and minorities were treated as inferiors and subordinate status. According to Gilroy, "women were not allowed to enter entire areas of employment such as mining, fire fighting, law, and medicine." They were not even allowed to vote until the early 1920s. The racial segregation in one form or another forced American Indians, African Americans and Latinos into low-wage, dead-end jobs. No one can deny this historical truth, not even opponents of affirmative action reluctantly admit this (Gilroy 79). Critics of affirmative action have argued that because of affirmative action, white males are discriminated against as a group. They call this a "reverse discrimination." This argument sounds somewhat believable but it is simply wrong if we look at the facts. Women and minorities today are still significantly underrated in spite of the enforcement of affirmative action programs. 'According to a 1995 government report, white males hold 95 percent of senior management positions although they make up only 29 percent of the workforce. White males are still, by a great margin, over represented in most high st...

heart of darkness :: essays research papers

Heart of Darkness For most of his young life, Joseph Conrad has had a burning desire to be a seaman; and in 1874, when he is just sixteen years of age, his dream becomes a reality. In addition, he worked his way up through the ranks and piloted a merchant ship up the mighty Congo River in central Africa. Later, it is the memory of this voyage that provides him with the first hand details for writing his most famous novel HEART OF DARKNESS, and these memories spring to life as Marlow , the main character, replaces Conrad in the story. A feeling of darkness is everywhere and it causes the reader to feel surrounded by it. This motif causes the reader to see the darkness in his surroundings, to experience the dark deeds of man, and to recognize the darkness of man's mind. HEART OF DARKNESS presents a story within a story, and at the beginning , we find Marlow, along with three friends, on board a small ship which is anchored near the mouth of the Thames River in London. When the unnamed narrator, uses words like gloom, black, and brooding repeatedly, it becomes evident that darkness is unfolding as a motif. The following example first gets the reader's attention: "The air was dark above Gravesend, and farther back seemed condensed into a mournful gloom, brooding motionless over the biggest, and the greatest , town on earth." While they wait for the tide to turn, the men become lost in their own thoughts until Marlow seizes the opportunity to tell his friends about his life as a seaman. He tells them of his fascination with Africa and how he longs to explore it. When he describes the Congo as " an immense snake uncoiled with its head in the sea, its body at rest curving afar over a vast country, and its tail lost in the depths of the land" a sense of dark mystery is felt by the reader, and as he continues , all kinds of negative information await him. He is next met with a tale of a man hanging himself because of the terrible heat. Then he experiences the painful stabbing of flies and the groans and misery of the sick and dying. Fifteen days later , he describes his arrival at Central Station as hobbling in to an area of back water bordered by smelly mud.

International Issues Essay

Abstract No two countries have the same political and legal system. Each country has its own laws and regulations on business and products. When doing business in another country it is important to know the laws and abide by them. Culture plays a huge part in a business’s success when venturing into a foreign market. Being sensitive to the cultural and religious beliefs in that country is important to a business’s long term success. A business needs to be educated in the laws, customs and cultures of that country so that business will be able to comply and coincide with that country. A business needs to know how and where to resolve any legal issues that may arise while doing business in that country. Disputes need to be handled in a way that is respectful to that country and adheres to the contract in which the parties agreed. International Issues Issues in Legal Disputes in International Transactions â€Å"International transactions and dispute resolution requires both an understanding of the law and a sensitivity to foreign culture, politics, formal and informal power structures and decision-making approaches† (White and Williams LLP, 2013). When entering into a contract with a foreign country, one needs to be very specific in the contract about how to resolve any issues that could come up between the two companies. Deciding and agreeing on where issues will be resolved is a key element in the contract. Going to court can be costly for both companies and the decision made by the court could take an extended amount of time. If the companies were to go to court, deciding in where the court hearing would take place is another issue. If the hearing was to be held in the foreign country, the laws might not be the same and that country might not have much experience in international disputes. If the hearing was to be held in the United States, the other company and the country’s government it resides in could become hostile and not uphold the ruling. Arbitration would be the best way to resolve any disputes between the two countries. Arbitration can save a lot of time and money for both companies while also protecting the images of both companies by not having a lengthy trial in the press. â€Å"Arbitration is often less costly, less litigious, and less time-consuming, and offers more privacy to the parties than litigation† (Companies Export, 2008).The ruling from the arbitration could be binding or non-binding depending on what is agreed upon in the contract. Practical Considerations When trying to resolve a dispute with a company in a foreign country, one would need to look over the written contract that was drawn up at the beginning of the relationship. â€Å"The governing law clause will set out which country’s law will apply to any dispute under the contract, and the jurisdiction clause will state in which country the legal action must be taken† (Smith, 2007). The U.S. based company needs to be aware of the laws that affect the company and the business dealings in the other country. The company needs to consider the cultural aspects, the ethical behavior, and the legal structure within that country. â€Å"U.S. laws governing the international business activities of the U.S. companies fall into two categories. The first consists of laws, such as antitrust, employment, and economic-espionage laws, that are also applied frequently in the domestic context. With respect to these laws, the international business activities of the U.S. companies are a rguably at special risk because management educated and trained outside the United States might be less familiar with these laws than management educated and trained in the United States† (Winer, 2013). Bribery is also a consideration when taking legal action against a foreign business partner because this is illegal under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). In some countries, bribery and gift giving is not seen as an illegal or unethical act but a form of showing respect and gratitude. A company needs to be careful on how this is perceived because it could be seen as an illegal act on the company’s part. Factors against CadMex Time and money would work against CadMex in the sublicensing agreements. In the simunlation, Candore is under an epidemic and needs the medicine ViroBlax at a subsidized price. There would not be enough time, due to the epidemic, to work out a contract that both parties will agree upon. Each separate pharmaceutical company in Candore would have to be sought out and a new contract would have to be drawn up for each different company. This is not only costing CadMex time but countless dollars on man hours. CadMex would have to invest a lot of money into properly training the employees and building the proper facilities. CadMex would also have to insure that the generic products were to the proper standards and up to regulation. Even if CadMex was to invest the time and the money into sublicensing the drug, CadMex would lose money because the drug is being sold at a subsidized price. The royalties that would be paid out with sublicensing still would not gap the margin of loss that CadMe x has. When Customs and Laws Conflict When the local customs and the local laws conflict with the customs and laws of an organization operating abroad; the organization should look at the customs and laws in which it is operating under and those should prevail, as long as the company is following the laws in which it is to operate by. When operating abroad, it is important to be aware and sensitive to the customs of that country. Allowing employees to observe religious and cultural holidays will not only keep moral high but also will keep the company within the laws that country has. Knowing the cultural normalities and integrating those into the business model will allow for the employees and members of the community to feel that the business has their interests mind. Being able to comply with the laws of the country in which the business is in while also complying with the laws set by the country, in which the mother company resides, can be a hard line to walk. Complying with the laws of the country in which was agreed upon in the contract at the onset of the partnership would prevail. Making sure to follow the rules of the country that the business is in is important because that is where the business will produce its goods. â€Å"Employees who engage in international business are responsible for knowing and complying with both the laws and regulations of the countries in which the businesses operate and the U.S. law and regulations that apply outside U.S. borders. If U.S. law conflicts with the local customs, or if the local law is more restrictive than U.S. laws or company policies, one must follow the more restrictive law, custom or policy† (Olin, 2012). Resolving Domestic and International Issues Resolving domestic issues can be done through arbitration or through the court system. It can be as simple as suing a party and showing up to court. When trying to resolve an issue domestically, the laws are well known for both parties and the venue in which the issue will be settled is easily accessible to both parties. Resolving an issue internationally is more work involved. The issue has to be resolved through which venue both parties agreed upon when signing the contract. Both companies need to know the laws of that country and travel might be needed. If arbitration was selected, both parties would need to submit all paperwork to a panel of arbitrators and adhere to the judgment in which the panel decides. If one party does not comply with the ruling, then legal action must be taken. Conclusion When doing business internationally, a company needs to be aware of many factors. Conforming to the culture and abiding by the laws that are set in that country are essential to that business and its success. A company needs to know how to resolve issues that will come up in the daily running of the business. Being sensitive to religious and cultural norms will not only help with the moral of employees but the community as well. Adhering to the contract in which the company agreed upon will help avoid any legal action being taken against them. By following the laws and cultures of the country the business resides in will ensure success of the company and future dealings in that country. References Companies Export. (6/4/2008). Retrieved from http://export.gov/regulation/eg_main_018226.asp Olin. (2012). International Business. Retrieved from http://www.b2i.us/profiles/investor/fullpage.asp?BzID=1548&to=cp&Nav=0&LangID

The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 6 FRIENDS

THE MOTORCYCLES DIDN'T NEED TO BE HIDDEN ANY further than simply placing them in Jacob's shed. Billy's wheelchair couldn't maneuver the uneven ground separating it from the house. Jacob started pulling the first bikethe red one, which was destined for meto pieces immediately. He opened up the passenger door of the Rabbit so I could sit on the seat instead of the ground. While he worked, Jacob chattered happily, needing only the lightest of nudges from me to keep the conversation rolling. He updated me on the progress of his sophomore year of school, running on about his classes and his two best friends. â€Å"Quil and Embry?† I interrupted. â€Å"Those are unusual names.† Jacob chuckled. â€Å"Quil's is a hand-me-down, and I think Embry got named after a soap opera star. I can't say anything, though. They fight dirty if you start on their namesthey'll tag team you.† â€Å"Good friends.† I raised one eyebrow. â€Å"No, they are. Just don't mess with their names.† Just then a call echoed in the distance. â€Å"Jacob?† someone shouted. â€Å"Is that Billy?† I asked. â€Å"No.† Jacob ducked his head, and it looked like he was blushing under his brown skin. â€Å"Speak of the devil,† he mumbled, â€Å"and the devil shall appear.† â€Å"Jake? Are you out here?† The shouting voice was closer now. â€Å"Yeah!† Jacob shouted back, and sighed. We waited through the short silence until two tall, dark-skinned boys strolled around the corner into the shed. One was slender, and almost as tall as Jacob. His black hair was chin-length and parted down the middle, one side tucked behind his left ear while the right side swung free. The shorter boy was more burly. His white T-shirt strained over his well-developed chest, and he seemed gleefully conscious of that fact. His hair was so short it was almost a buzz. Both boys stopped short when they saw me. The thin boy glanced swiftly back and forth between Jacob and me, while the brawny boy kept his eyes on me, a slow smile spreading across his face. â€Å"Hey, guys,† Jacob greeted them halfheartedly. â€Å"Hey, Jake,† the short one said without looking away from me. I had to smile in response, his grin was so impish. When I did, he winked at me. â€Å"Hi, there.† â€Å"Quil, Embrythis is my friend, Bella.† Quil and Embry, I still didn't know which was which, exchanged a loaded look. â€Å"Charlie's kid, right?† the brawny boy asked me, holding out his hand. â€Å"That's right,† I confirmed, shaking hands with him. His grasp was firm; it looked like he was flexing his bicep. â€Å"I'm Quil Ateara,† he announced grandly before releasing my hand. â€Å"Nice to meet you, Quil.† â€Å"Hey, Bella. I'm Embry, Embry Callyou probably already figured that out, though.† Embry smiled a shy smile and waved with one hand, which he then shoved in the pocket of his jeans. I nodded. â€Å"Nice to meet you, too.† â€Å"So what are you guys doing?† Quil asked, still looking at me. â€Å"Bella and I are going to fix up these bikes,† Jacob explained inaccurately. But bikes seemed to be the magic word. Both boys went to examine Jacob's project, drilling him with educated questions. Many of the words they used were unfamiliar to me, and I figured I'd have to have a Y chromosome to really understand the excitement. They were still immersed in talk of parts and pieces when I decided that I needed to head back home before Charlie showed up here. With a sigh, I slid out of the Rabbit. Jacob looked up, apologetic. â€Å"We're boring you, aren't we?† â€Å"Naw.† And it wasn't a lie. I was enjoying myselfhow strange. â€Å"I just have to go cook dinner for Charlie.† â€Å"Oh well, I'll finish taking these apart tonight and figure out what more we'll need to get started rebuilding them. When do you want to work on them again?† â€Å"Could I come back tomorrow?† Sundays were the bane of my existence. There was never enough homework to keep me busy. Quil nudged Embry's arm and they exchanged grins. Jacob smiled in delight. â€Å"That would be great!† â€Å"If you make a list, we can go shop for parts,† I suggested. Jacob's face fell a little. â€Å"I'm still not sure I should let you pay for everything.† I shook my head. â€Å"No way. I'm bankrolling this party. You just have to supply the labor and expertise.† Embry rolled his eyes at Quil. â€Å"That doesn't seem right,† Jacob shook his head. â€Å"Jake, if I took these to a mechanic, how much would he charge me?† I pointed out. He smiled. â€Å"Okay, you're getting a deal.† â€Å"Not to mention the riding lessons,† I added. Quil grinned widely at Embry and whispered something I didn't catch. Jacob's hand flashed out to smack the back of Quil's head. â€Å"That's it, get out,† he muttered. â€Å"No, really, I have to go,† I protested, heading for the door. â€Å"I'll see you tomorrow, Jacob.† As soon as I was out of sight, I heard Quil and Embry chorus, â€Å"Wooooo!† The sound of a brief scuffle followed, interspersed with an â€Å"ouch† and a â€Å"hey!† â€Å"If either of you set so much as one toe on my land tomorrow† I heard Jacob threaten. His voice was lost as I walked through the trees. I giggled quietly. The sound made my eyes widen in wonder. I was laughing, actually laughing, and there wasn't even anyone watching. I felt so weightless that I laughed again, just make the feeling last longer. I beat Charlie home. When he walked in I was just taking the fried chicken out of the pan and laying it on a pile of paper towels. â€Å"Hey, Dad.† I flashed him a grin. Shock flitted across his face before he pulled his expression together. â€Å"Hey, honey,† he said, his voice uncertain. â€Å"Did you have fun with Jacob?† I started moving the food to the table. â€Å"Yeah, I did.† â€Å"Well, that's good.† He was still cautious. â€Å"What did you two do?† Now it was my turn to be cautious. â€Å"I hung out in his garage and watched him work. Did you know he's rebuilding a Volkswagen?† â€Å"Yeah, I think Billy mentioned that.† The interrogation had to stop when Charlie began chewing, but he continued to study my face as he ate. After dinner, I dithered around, cleaning the kitchen twice, and then did my homework slowly in the front room while Charlie watched a hockey game. I waited as long as I could, but finally Charlie mentioned the late hour. When I didn't respond, he got up, stretched, and then left, turning out the light behind him. Reluctantly, I followed. As I climbed the stairs, I felt the last of the afternoon's abnormal sense of well-being drain from my system, replaced by a dull fear at the thought of what I was going to have to live through now. I wasn't numb anymore. Tonight would, no doubt, be as horrific as last night. I lay down on my bed and curled into a ball in preparation for the onslaught. I squeezed my eyes shut and the next thing I next I knew, it was morning. I stared at the pale silver light coming through my window, stunned. For the first time in more than four months, I'd slept without dreaming. Dreaming or screaming. I couldn't tell which emotion was strongerthe relief or the shock. I lay still in my bed for a few minutes, waiting for it to come back. Because something must be coming. If not the pain, then the numbness. I waited, but nothing happened. I felt more rested than I had in a long time. I didn't trust this to last. It was a slippery, precarious edge that I balanced on, and it wouldn't take much to knock me back down. Just glancing around my room with these suddenly clear eyesnoticing how strange it looked, too tidy, like I didn't live here at allwas dangerous. I pushed that thought from my mind, and concentrated, as I got dressed, on the fact that I was going to see Jacob again today. The thought made me feel almost hopeful. Maybe it would be the same as yesterday. Maybe I wouldn't have to remind myself to look interested and to nod or smile at appropriate intervals, the way I had to with everyone else. Maybe but I wouldn't trust this to last, either. Wouldn't trust it to be the sameso easyas yesterday. I wasn't going to set myself up for disappointment like that. At breakfast, Charlie was being careful, too. He tried to hide his scrutiny, keeping his eyes on his eggs until he thought I wasn't looking. â€Å"What are you up to today?† he asked, eyeing a loose thread on the edge of his cuff like he wasn't paying much attention to my answer. â€Å"I'm going to hang out with Jacob again.† He nodded without looking up. â€Å"Oh,† he said. â€Å"Do you mind?† I pretended to worry. â€Å"I could stay† He glanced up quickly, a hint of panic in his eyes. â€Å"No, no! You go ahead. Harry was going to come up to watch the game with me anyway.† â€Å"Maybe Harry could give Billy a ride up,† I suggested. The fewer witnesses the better. â€Å"That's a great idea.† I wasn't sure if the game was just an excuse for kicking me out, but he looked excited enough now. He headed to the phone while I donned my rain jacket. I felt self-conscious with the checkbook shoved in my jacket pocket. It was something I never used. Outside, the rain came down like water slopped from a bucket. I had to drive more slowly than I wanted to; I could hardly see a car length in front of the truck. But I finally made it through the muddy lanes to Jacob's house. Before I'd killed the engine, the front door opened and Jacob came running out with a huge black umbrella. He held it over my door while I opened it. â€Å"Charlie calledsaid you were on your way,† Jacob explained with a grin. Effortlessly, without a conscious command to the muscles around my lips, my answering smile spread across my face. A strange feeling of warmth bubbled up in my throat, despite the icy rain splattering on my cheeks. â€Å"Hi, Jacob.† â€Å"Good call on inviting Billy up.† He held up his hand for a high five. I had to reach so high to slap his hand that he laughed. Harry showed up to get Billy just a few minutes later. Jacob took me on a brief tour of his tiny room while we waited to be unsupervised. â€Å"So where to, Mr. Goodwrench?† I asked as soon as the door closed behind Billy. Jacob pulled a folded paper out of his pocket and smoothed it out. â€Å"We'll start at the dump first, see if we can get lucky. This could get a little expensive,† he warned me. â€Å"Those bikes are going to need a lot of help before they'll run again.† My face didn't look worried enough, so he continued. â€Å"I'm talking about maybe more than a hundred dollars here.† I pulled my checkbook out, fanned myself with it, and rolled my eyes at his worries. â€Å"We're covered.† It was a very strange kind of day. I enjoyed myself. Even at the dump, in the slopping rain and ankle-deep mud. I wondered at first if it was just the aftershock of losing the numbness, but I didn't think that was enough of an explanation. I was beginning to think it was mostly Jacob. It wasn't just that he was always so happy to see me, or that he didn't watch me out of the corner of his eye, waiting for me to do something that would mark me as crazy or depressed. It was nothing that related to me at all. It was Jacob himself. Jacob was simply a perpetually happy person, and he carried that happiness with him like an aura, sharing it with whoever was near him. Like an earthbound sun, whenever someone was within his gravitational pull, Jacob warmed them. It was natural, a part of who he was. No wonder I was so eager to see him. Even when he commented on the gaping hole in my dashboard, it didn't send me into a panic like it should have. â€Å"Did the stereo break?† he wondered. â€Å"Yeah,† I lied. He poked around in the cavity. â€Å"Who took it out? There's a lot of damage† â€Å"I did,† I admitted. He laughed. â€Å"Maybe you shouldn't touch the motorcycles too much.† â€Å"No problem.† According to Jacob, we did get lucky at the dump. He was very excited about several grease-blackened pieces of twisted metal that he found; I was just impressed that he could tell what they were supposed to be. From there we went to the Checker Auto Parts down in Hoquiam. In my truck, it was more than a two hour drive south on the winding freeway, but the time passed easily with Jacob. He chattered about his friends and his school, and I found myself asking questions, not even pretending, truly curious to hear what he had to say. â€Å"I'm doing all the talking,† he complained after a long story about Quil and the trouble he'd stirred up by asking out a senior's steady girlfriend. â€Å"Why don't you take a turn? What's going on in Forks? It has to be more exciting than La Push.† â€Å"Wrong,† I sighed. â€Å"There's really nothing. Your friends are a lot more interesting than mine. I like your friends. Quil's funny.† He frowned. â€Å"I think Quil likes you, too.† I laughed. â€Å"He's a little young for me.† Jacob's frown deepened. â€Å"He's not that much younger than you. It's just a year and a few months.† I had a feeling we weren't talking about Quil anymore. I kept my voice light, teasing. â€Å"Sure, but, considering the difference in maturity between guys and girls, don't you have to count that in dog years? What does that make me, about twelve years older?† He laughed, rolling his eyes. â€Å"Okay, but if you're going to get picky like that, you have to average in size, too. You're so small, I'll have to knock ten years off your total.† â€Å"Five foot four is perfectly average.† I sniffed. â€Å"It's not my fault you're a freak.† We bantered like that till Hoquiam, still arguing over the correct formula to determine ageI lost two more years because I didn't know how to change a tire, but gained one back for being in charge of the bookkeeping at my houseuntil we were in Checker, and Jacob had to concentrate again. We found everything left on his list, and Jacob felt confident that he could make a lot of progress with our haul. By the time we got back to La Push, I was twenty-three and he was thirtyhe was definitely weighting skills in his favor. I hadn't forgotten the reason for what I was doing. And, even though I was enjoying myself more than I'd thought possible, there was no lessening of my original desire. I still wanted to cheat. It was senseless, and I really didn't care. I was going to be as reckless as I could possibly manage in Forks. I would not be the only keeper of an empty contract. Getting to spend time with Jacob was just a much bigger perk than I'd expected. Billy wasn't back yet, so we didn't have to be sneaky about unloading our day's spoils. As soon as we had everything laid out on the plastic floor next to Jacob's toolbox, he went right to work, still talking and laughing while his fingers combed expertly through the metal pieces in front of him. Jacob's skill with his hands was fascinating. They looked too big for the delicate tasks they performed with ease and precision. While he worked, he seemed almost graceful. Unlike when he was on his feet; there, his height and big feet made him nearly as dangerous as I was. Quil and Embry did not show up, so maybe his threat yesterday had been taken seriously. The day passed too quickly. It got dark outside the mouth of the garage before I was expecting it, and then we heard Billy calling for us. I jumped up to help Jacob put things away, hesitating because I wasn't sure what I should touch. â€Å"Just leave it,† he said. â€Å"I'll work on it later tonight.† â€Å"Don't forget your schoolwork or anything,† I said, feeling a little guilty. I didn't want him to get in trouble. That plan was just for me. â€Å"Bella?† Both our heads snapped up as Charlie's familiar voice wafted through the trees, sounding closer than the house. â€Å"Shoot,† I muttered. â€Å"Coming!† I yelled toward the house. â€Å"Let's go.† Jacob smiled, enjoying the cloak-and-dagger. He snapped the light off, and for a moment I was blind. Jacob grabbed my hand and towed me out of the garage and through the trees, his feet finding the familiar path easily. His hand was rough, and very warm. Despite the path, we were both tripping over our feet in the darkness. So we were also both laughing when the house came into view. The laughter did not go deep; it was light and superficial, but still nice. I was sure he wouldn't notice the faint hint of hysteria. I wasn't used to laughing, and it felt right and also very wrong at the same time. Charlie was standing under the little back porch, and Billy was sitting in the doorway behind them. â€Å"Hey, Dad,† we both said at the same time, and that started us laughing again. Charlie stared at me with wide eyes that flashed down to note Jacob's hand around mine. â€Å"Billy invited us for dinner,† Charlie said to us in an absentminded tone. â€Å"My super secret recipe for spaghetti. Handed down for generations,† Billy said gravely. Jacob snorted. â€Å"I don't think Ragu's actually been around that long.† The house was crowded. Harry Clearwater was there, too, with his familyhis wife, Sue, whom I knew vaguely from my childhood summers in Forks, and his two children. Leah was a senior like me, but a year older. She was beautiful in an exotic wayperfect copper skin, glistening black hair, eyelashes like feather dustersand preoccupied. She was on Billy's phone when we got in, and she never let it go. Seth was fourteen; he hung on Jacob's every word with idolizing eyes. There were too many of us for the kitchen table, so Charlie and Harry brought chairs out to the yard, and we ate spaghetti off plates on our laps in the dim light from Billy's open door. The men talked about the game, and Harry and Charlie made fishing plans. Sue teased her husband about his cholesterol and tried, unsuccessfully, to shame him into eating something green and leafy. Jacob talked mostly to me and Seth, who interrupted eagerly whenever Jacob seemed in danger of forgetting him. Charlie watched me, trying to be inconspicuous about it, with pleased but cautious eyes. It was loud and sometimes confusing as everyone talked over everyone else, and the laughter from one joke interrupted the telling of another. I didn't have to speak often, but I smiled a lot, and only because I felt like it. I didn't want to leave. This was Washington, though, and the inevitable rain eventually broke up the party; Billy's living room was much too small to provide an option for continuing the get-together. Harry had driven Charlie down, so we rode together in my truck on the way back home. He asked about my day, and I told mostly the truththat I'd gone with Jacob to look at parts and then watched him work in his garage. â€Å"You think you'll visit again anytime soon?† he wondered, trying to be casual about it. â€Å"Tomorrow after school,† I admitted. â€Å"I'll take homework, don't worry.† â€Å"You be sure to do that,† he ordered, trying to disguise his satisfaction. I was nervous when we got to the house. I didn't want to go upstairs. The warmth of Jacob's presence was fading and, in its absence, the anxiety grew stronger. I was sure I wouldn't get away with two peaceful nights of sleep in a row. To put bedtime off, I checked my e-mail; there was a new message from Renee. She wrote about her day, a new book club that rilled the time slot of the meditation classes she'd just quit, her week subbing in the second grade, missing her kindergarteners. She wrote that Phil was enjoying his new coaching job, and that they were planning a second honeymoon trip to Disney World. And I noticed that the whole thing read like a journal entry, rather than a letter to someone else. Remorse flooded through me, leaving an uncomfortable sting behind. Some daughter I was. I wrote back to her quickly, commenting on each part of her letter, volunteering information of my owndescribing the spaghetti party at Billy's and how I felt watching Jacob build useful things out of small pieces of metalawed and slightly envious. I made no reference to the change this letter would be from the ones she'd received in the last several months. I could barely remember what I'd written to her even as recently as last week, but I was sure it wasn't very responsive. The more I thought about it, the guiltier I felt; I really must have worried her. I stayed up extra late after that, finishing more homework than strictly necessary. But neither sleep deprivation nor the time spent with Jacobbeing almost happy in a shallow kind of waycould keep the dream away for two nights in a row. I woke shuddering, my scream muffled by the pillow. As the dim morning light filtered through the fog outside my window, I lay still in bed and tried to shake off the dream. There had been a small difference last night, and I concentrated on that. Last night I had not been alone in the woods. Sam Uleythe man who had pulled me from the forest floor that night I couldn't bear to think of consciouslywas there. It was an odd, unexpected alteration. The man's dark eyes had been surprisingly unfriendly, filled with some secret he didn't seem inclined to share. I'd stared at him as often as my frantic searching had allowed; it made me uncomfortable, under all the usual panic, to have him there. Maybe that was because, when I didn't look directly at him, his shape seemed to shiver and change in my peripheral vision. Yet he did nothing but stand and watch. Unlike the time when we had met in reality, he did not offer me his help. Charlie stared at me during breakfast, and I tried to ignore him. I supposed I deserved it. I couldn't expect him not to worry. It would probably be weeks before he stopped watching for the return of the zombie, and I would just have to try to not let it bother me. After all, I would be watching for the return of the zombie, too. Two days was hardly long enough to call me cured. School was the opposite. Now that I was paying attention, it was clear that no one was watching here. I remembered the first day I'd come to Forks High Schoolhow desperately I'd wished that I could turn gray, fade into the wet concrete of the sidewalk like an oversized chameleon. It seemed I was getting that wish answered, a year late. It was like I wasn't there. Even my teachers' eyes slid past my seat as if it were empty. I listened all through the morning, hearing once again the voices of the people around me. I tried to catch up on what was going on, but the conversations were so disjointed that I gave up. Jessica didn't look up when I sat down next to her in Calculus. â€Å"Hey, Jess,† I said with put-on nonchalance. â€Å"How was the rest of your weekend?† She looked at me with suspicious eyes. Could she still be angry? Or was she just too impatient to deal with a crazy person? â€Å"Super,† she said, turning back to her book. â€Å"That's good,† I mumbled. The figure of speech cold shoulder seemed to have some literal truth to it. I could feel the warm air blowing from the floor vents, but I was still too cold. I took the jacket off the back of my chair and put it on again. My fourth hour class got out late, and the lunch table I always sat at was full by the time I arrived. Mike was there, Jessica and Angela, Conner, Tyler, Eric and Lauren. Katie Marshall, the redheaded junior who lived around the corner from me, was sitting with Eric, and Austin Marksolder brother to the boy with the motorcycleswas next to her. I wondered how long they'd been sitting here, unable to remember if this was the first day or something that was a regular habit. I was beginning to get annoyed with myself. I might as well have been packed in Styrofoam peanuts through the last semester. No one looked up when I sat down next to Mike, even though the chair squealed stridently against the linoleum as I dragged it back. I tried to catch up with the conversation. Mike and Conner were talking sports, so I gave up on that one at once. â€Å"Where's Ben today?† Lauren was asking Angela. I perked up, interested. I wondered if that meant Angela and Ben were still together. I barely recognized Lauren. She'd cut off all her blond, corn-silk hairnow she had a pixie cut so short that the back was shaved like a boy. What an odd thing for her to do. I wished I knew the reason behind it. Did she get gum stuck in it? Did she sell it? Had all the people she was habitually nasty to caught her behind the gym and scalped her? I decided it wasn't fair for me to judge her now by my former opinion. For all I knew, she'd turned into a nice person. â€Å"Ben's got the stomach flu,† Angela said in her quiet, calm voice. â€Å"Hopefully it's just some twenty-four hour thing. He was really sick last night.† Angela had changed her hair, too. She'd grown out her layers. â€Å"What did you two do this weekend?† Jessica asked, not sounding as if she cared about the answer. I'd bet that this was just an opener so she could tell her own stories. I wondered if she would talk about Port Angeles with me sitting two seats away? Was I that invisible, that no one would feel uncomfortable discussing me while I was here? â€Å"We were going to have a picnic Saturday, actually, but we changed our minds,† Angela said. There was an edge to her voice that caught my interest. Jess, not so much. â€Å"That's too bad,† she said, about to launch into her story. But I wasn't the only one who was paying attention. â€Å"What happened?† Lauren asked curiously. â€Å"Well,† Angela said, seeming more hesitant than usual, though she was always reserved, â€Å"we drove up north, almost to the hot springsthere's a good spot just about a mile up the trail. But, when we were halfway there we saw something.† â€Å"Saw something? What?† Lauren's pale eyebrows pulled together. Even Jess seemed to be listening now. â€Å"I don't know,† Angela said. â€Å"We think it was a bear. It was black, anyway, but it seemed too big.† Lauren snorted. â€Å"Oh, not you, too!† Her eyes turned mocking, and I decided I didn't need to give her the benefit of the doubt. Obviously her personality had not changed as much as her hair. â€Å"Tyler tried to sell me that one last week.† â€Å"You're not going to see any bears that close to the resort,† Jessica said, siding with Lauren. â€Å"Really,† Angela protested in a low voice, looking down at the table. â€Å"We did see it.† Lauren snickered. Mike was still talking to Conner, not paying attention to the girls. â€Å"No, she's right,† I threw in impatiently. â€Å"We had a hiker in just Saturday who saw the bear, too, Angela. He said it was huge and black and just outside of town, didn't he, Mike?† There was a moment of silence. Every pair of eyes at the table turned to stare at me in shock. The new girl, Katie, had her mouth hanging open like she'd just witnessed an explosion. Nobody moved. â€Å"Mike?† I muttered, mortified. â€Å"Remember the guy with the bear story?† â€Å"S-sure,† Mike stuttered after a second. I didn't know why he was looking at me so strangely. I talked to him at work, didn't I? Did I? I thought so Mike recovered. â€Å"Yeah, there was a guy who said he saw a huge black bear right at the trailheadbigger than a grizzly,† he confirmed. â€Å"Hmph.† Lauren turned to Jessica, her shoulders stiff, and changed the subject. â€Å"Did you hear back from USC?† she asked. Everyone else looked away, too, except for Mike and Angela. Angela smiled at me tentatively, and I hurried to return the smile. â€Å"So, what did you do this weekend, Bella?† Mike asked, curious, but oddly wary. Everyone but Lauren looked back, waiting for my response. â€Å"Friday night, Jessica and I went to a movie in Port Angeles. And then I spent Saturday afternoon and most of Sunday down at La Push.† The eyes flickered to Jessica and back to me. Jess looked irritated. I wondered if she didn't want anyone to know she'd gone out with me, or whether she just wanted to be the one to tell the story. â€Å"What movie did you see?† Mike asked, starting to smile. â€Å"Dead Endthe one with the zombies.† I grinned in encouragement. Maybe some of the damage I'd done in these past zombie months was reparable. â€Å"I heard that was scary. Did you think so?† Mike was eager to continue the conversation. â€Å"Bella had to leave at the end, she was so freaked,† Jessica inserted with a sly smile. I nodded, trying to look embarrassed. â€Å"It was pretty scary.† Mike didn't stop asking me questions till lunch was over. Gradually, the others were able to start up their own conversations again, though they still looked at me a lot. Angela talked mostly to Mike and me, and, when I got up to dump my tray, she followed. â€Å"Thanks,† she said in a low voice when we were away from the table. â€Å"For what?† â€Å"Speaking up, sticking up for me.† â€Å"No problem.† She looked at me with concern, but not the offensive, maybe-she's-lost-it kind. â€Å"Are you okay?† This is why I'd picked Jessica over Angelathough I'd always liked Angela morefor the girls' night movie. Angela was too perceptive. â€Å"Not completely,† I admitted. â€Å"But I'm a little bit better.† â€Å"I'm glad,† she said. â€Å"I've missed you.† Lauren and Jessica strolled by us then, and I heard Lauren whisper loudly, â€Å"Oh, joy Bella's back.† Angela rolled her eyes at them, and smiled at me in encouragement. I sighed It was like I was starting all over again. â€Å"What's today's date?† I wondered suddenly. â€Å"It's January nineteenth.† â€Å"Hmm.† â€Å"What is it?† Angela asked. â€Å"It was a year ago yesterday that I had my first day here,† I mused. â€Å"Nothing's changed much,† Angela muttered, looking after Lauren and Jessica. â€Å"I know, I agreed I was just thinking the same thing.†