Tuesday, August 6, 2019

United States Economic Situation Essay Example for Free

United States Economic Situation Essay The US has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $49,800. In this market-oriented economy, private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions, and the federal and state governments buy needed goods and services predominantly in the private marketplace. US business firms enjoy greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay off surplus workers, and to develop new products. At the same time, they face higher barriers to enter their rivals home markets than foreign firms face entering US markets. US firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers and in medical, aerospace, and military equipment; their advantage has narrowed since the end of World War II. The onrush of technology largely explains the gradual development of a two-tier labor market in which those at the bottom lack the education and the professional/technical skills of those at the top and, more and more, fail to get comparable pay raises, health insurance coverage, and other benefits. Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top 20% of households. Since 1996, dividends and capital gains have grown faster than wages or any other category of after-tax income. Imported oil accounts for nearly 55% of US consumption. Crude oil prices doubled between 2001 and 2006, the year home prices peaked; higher gasoline prices ate into consumers budgets and many individuals fell behind in their mortgage payments. Oil prices climbed another 50% between 2006 and 2008, and bank foreclosures more than doubled in the same period. In addition to dampening the housing market, soaring oil prices caused a drop in the value of the dollar and a deterioration in the US merchandise trade deficit, which peaked at $840 billion in 2008. The sub-prime mortgage crisis, falling home prices, investment bank failures, tight credit, and the global economic downturn pushed the United States into a recession by mid-2008. GDP contracted until the third quarter of 2009, making this the deepest and longest downturn since the Great Depression. To help stabilize financial markets, in October 2008 the US Congress established a $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). The government used some of these funds to purchase equity in US banks and  industrial corporations, much of which had been returned to the government by early 2011. In January 2009 the US Congress passed and President Barack OBAMA signed a bill providing an additional $787 billion fiscal stimulus to be used over 10 years two-thirds on additional spending and one-third on tax cuts to create jobs and to help the economy recover. In 2010 and 2011, the federal budget deficit reached nearly 9% of GDP. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan required major shifts in national resources from civilian to military purposes and contributed to the growth of the budget deficit and public debt. Through 2011, direct costs of the wars totaled nearly $900 billion, according to US government figures. US revenues from taxes and other sources are lower, as a percentage of GDP, than those of most other countries. In March 2010, President OBAMA signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a health insurance reform that will extend coverage to an additional 32 million American citizens by 2016, through private health insurance for the general population and Medicaid for the impoverished. Total spending on health care public plus private rose from 9.0% of GDP in 1980 to 17.9% in 2010. In July 2010, the president signed the DODD-FRANK Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, a law designed to promote financial stability by protecting consumers from financial abuses, ending taxpayer bailouts of financial firms, dealing with troubled banks that are too big to fail, and improving accountability and transparency in the financial system in particular, by requiring certain financial derivatives to be traded in markets that are subject to government regulation and oversight. Long-term problems include stagnation of wages for lower-income families, inadequate investment in deteriorating infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging population, energy shortages, and sizable current account and budget deficits including significant budget shortages for state governments.

Monday, August 5, 2019

Brief and Time-limited Therapy: Types and Effects

Brief and Time-limited Therapy: Types and Effects Brief Therapy – Promising or Abusive? Brief and time-limited therapy experienced much controversy about its usefulness before it has finally established itself as a valid form of therapy for certain patient populations while being accepted by most professionals in the field. Some therapists have even hailed brief therapy as having already filled the place of longer-term psychotherapy and having emerged as the 21st century’s preferred treatment (Carlson Sperry, 2000). This brief paper intends to investigate whether these assertions are acceptable or whether brief therapy should be rejected in favour of traditional longer-lasting intervention models. Definition and Characteristics of Brief Therapy Brief therapy is neither unequivocally defined nor represents a unity as demonstrated by Sperry (1989) who compared eight contemporary brief therapy models. He concluded that none of the investigated models would agree upon the ideal clients to treat, the ideal definition which decides over what is exactly comprised by the term brief and most importantly in the targets and aims for brief therapy (Manaster, 1989). The present paper will focus on these points and also emphasise the practical and ethical bases for brief therapy. Psychotherapy generally embraces a therapeutic negotiation which can last from a few months to a few years (brief vs. long-term therapy) although these therapeutic transactions may even take place after shorter periods of time during a therapeutic dialogue. Notwithstanding, there was for a long time the notion persisted among leading therapists that the longer a therapy endures the better the improvement experienced by the patient (Fiester and Rudestan, 1975). This belief, however, was neither backed up by scientific research nor by clinical experience. In contrast, recent research repeatedly and uniformly demonstrated that therapeutic interventions which are designed for shorter amount of sessions are more effective than longer lasting interventions (Sperry, 1989). As a result of these findings, brief therapy enjoyed greater popularity and it became necessary to finally formulate the brief therapy model more thoroughly. Thus, Koss and Shiang (1994) identified in the fourth edition o f the Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behaviour Change the basic principles of brief therapy. They concluded that it involves around six general considerations that enable therapeutic processes to be brief: 1) time-limitation 2) focus on change over the client’s life span, 3) working alliance between counsellor and client, 4) therapists pro-activeness, directiveness, optimism, 5) flexibility of technique, 6) focus on termination issues (Nicoll, Bitter, Christensen, and Hawes, 2000; Bitter and Nicoll, 2004). Number of Treatment Sessions A fundamental and enduring discordance between idealised hypothesis and realisable practice involves the average number of treatment sessions undertaken by patients. Hansen, and colleagues (2002) discovered that the median number of treatment sessions in time-unlimited therapies is below seven. However, after having reviewed the literature it can be said that most definitions regard brief therapy as including at maximum 20 to 30 sessions while the numbers appear arbitrary. Most investigated interventions, however ranged from seven to 25 sessions (Sperry, 1989). Shulman (1989) notes that prior to the emergence of psychoanalysis the necessary time period for psychotherapy was not an issue. Nonetheless, by the time psychoanalysis indicated to be both popular and lengthy length of time required for successful psychoanalysis interventions became an issue. Ferenczi (1951) and Rank (1945) pioneered in finding new ways to reduce the treatment period. Consequently, Shulman (1989) defined brief therapy by the therapist’s endeavour to significantly improve the client’s condition in a short period of time while Gentry (1981) described brief therapy as emphasising on â€Å"current observable behaviour and social interaction.† Brief therapists, as a conclusion, excludes the exploration of childhood traumas and experiences as it is not intended to make the client aware of impact of past experiences upon current functioning. Thus the fundamental aspect of a brief therapy definition seems to be the focus on keeping therapy short and limited rather than specifying the maximum allowed amount of necessary time (Manaster, 1989). Limiting targets and time are the two ways which have been identified by therapists as making it possible to keep therapies as short as possible. Limiting targets involves reducing the attention to a specific resolution of an identifiable trouble or problem. This approach is characterised by under standing individuals in parts in such a form that it is possible to treat their crisis more briefly. Those who prefer a more holistic approach regard patients as more complex and believe that thus it is only feasible to treat solely superficial dilemmas and crises. Consequently, according to Evans (1989) it is very complicated to vindicate the limiting of targets in a holistically based therapeutic transaction (e.g. Individual Psychology). The matter of setting joint targets is important as clinicians often have different expectations about treatment results than their clients. Whilst most therapists attempt to succeed in achieving more complex and thorough treatment results most clients are normally requiring relief from psychotherapy (Beutler and Crago, 1987). As a matter of fact, the therapist should strive towards being professional, and thus, offer as many sessions as necessary. As a consequence of choice given to clients or economic and policy considerations, the norm in both Britain and America is that to undertake brief therapy in no more than about 25 sessions. The new trend, however, are currently so-called ultra-brief therapies which involve therapies of less than six sessions. Again, these ultra-brief therapies result due to treatment services and resource constraints. A few recent experiments have already tried to establish its usefulness. Copeland and colleagues (2001), for instance, contrasted one- and six-session cognitive-behavioural interventions aiming on clients to cease and maintain abstinent from cannabis usage and revealed that only the six-session group demonstrated observable decreased amounts of cannabis consumption relative to controls while one-session programmes resulted only in marginally significant reductions in cannabis usage. Brief Therapy Conditions (Referral, Contracts) As Randolph (1992) maintained â€Å"brief therapy is viewed as realistic and geared to the demands (and needs) of clients and not to the restraints of the market place† (p.159). In other words, brief therapies are more client-focused and centred in contrast to long-term therapies and therefore it is important to consider for which type of clients brief therapy is more meaningful and promises to be more effective. Hence, both referral out and in should be based upon cautious and thorough assessment of patient’ suitability for brief therapy. Most time-limited work takes place in settings and as a consequence involves more than the therapist alone. In essence, what is made available to the patient is usually determined on the applied exclusion and inclusion criteria. Additionally, the practising counsellor should be preferably the only person who decides over what exactly can be done to improve the patient’s condition, who is the ideal person to assess the present client and future patient and how the therapy has to be set up, contracted, conducted, and ceased. Due to limited resources it is not always possible to consider the client’s choice over what s/he desires to receive. Both prognosis of potential outcome and availability play mostly a more important role than the patient’s ideal therapy plan. There are no strict rules of how contracts have to be negotiated as they are very context specific. They can be arranged as Mander (2003) noted by â€Å"the therapeutic couple or by service managers who hold the purse strings and stipulate the number of sessions allowed.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Starting clients off will depend on whether they are ready to engage in an active working alliance and have sufficient trust to reveal at assessment the extent of the emotional crisis that has made them seek help.† (p.486-487). Although both parties generally agree on the fact that the therapy should remain brief it should be possible to arrange a prior or post-therapy referral-on when a serious problem and crisis has been discovered. This referral-on should be very flexible and could even include relocation and therapist change if necessary. It makes sense to regard brief therapy as a kind of pit-stop which has the power to update, re-energise and adjust the human minds vehicle while allowing the individual to come back to the repair station whenever it is neede d again. Thus clients can be accompanied by brief therapies from childhood to maturity. Self-evidently not everyone will be in need of constant check-ups and pit-stops as the majority of individuals will adapt and acquire skills to deal with the working-through processes independently. The therapist him or herself can view this service as similar to intermittent parenting of an individual (Mander, 2003). Despite the fact that some (e.g. Bitter and Nicoll, 1994) view the integration of time limits into the intervention programme as leading to both meeting and leaving people in the middle of their lives other researchers are of the opinion that it must be possible to extend the contract in a therapeutic alliance and that the counsellor must even feel free to transform a brief therapy into a long-term therapy. In a nutshell, in deciding who to treat, clinicians of different fields should aim to match their techniques, clinical experience and theory with patients who they evaluate as being ideal to be helped by this intervention model. Whitaker (1996) noted furthermore that some groups like students with disabling emotional problems should not be included in brief therapy programmes. Likewise, severe eating or personality illnesses or serious sexual perversion and severe alcohol and drug addiction are hardly curable in intensive but limited and brief therapeutic interactions. Cooper and Archer (1999) added that the clinical service mission and criteria for therapy must underlie a well-defined, unambiguous and clear assessment model like the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV). Suggestions for a Counsellor in Training Starting to practise as a brief therapist is both very challenging and rewarding. However it can also become difficult to constantly motivate oneself to continue if the desired outcomes do not become evident in the short available time. It is rewarding as one has the opportunity to see how patients’ conditions transform and improve in a short period of time whereas achieving set goals is certainly an uplifting and worthwhile experience. The real secret and difficulty for the beginning counsellor is, however, to know themselves perfectly and to not only be aware but also to tightly monitor one’s strengths and weaknesses. For example, â€Å"being able to bear the repeated hellos and goodbyes of brief therapy may depend on how the therapist has managed the meetings and partings in their own life, and their ability to focus on significant psychodynamic details will be a function of how they analyse their own life experience in terms of linking past and present†. (Mander, 2003; p.498). Without both it is rarely possibly to allow patients to move on when their contract has terminated. Discussing and being aware of transference helps additionally not to hanker about past clients while receiving and accepting new patients in need of brief therapy. It is debatable whether a young counsellor has already achieved a certain level of maturity which is necessary in order to accept imperfect rather than ideal treatment outcomes. Consequently, one must permanently be empowered to control for the balance in both the practitioner’s and patient’s expectations while being utterly optimistic that both expectations will be met. One has to constantly bear in mind that the client needs to leave the treatment sessions with a positive impression and feeling as a client will have to force and push him or herself real hard to ask for help the next time s/he needs therapeutic help again. Conclusion By setting targets and a time limit clients may feel that they are not imprisoned by the therapy but that an improvement of their condition is both in sight and tangible. This optimism unleashes positive energies which benefit the overall therapy. Additionally, patients may perceive for the first time that the therapy is more tailored to their own needs and that the therapist is not so much interested in the potential commercial benefits but is more concerned that the set goals are achieved in a brief period of time. The fact that clients may feel better understood enables a beneficial therapeutic relationship to develop which facilitates clients to come back after the brief therapy and attempt to tackle another experienced personal problem or crisis. References Bitter, J. R. and Nicoll, W. G. (2000). Adlerian Brief Therapy with individuals: process and practice. Journal of Individual Psychology, 56(1), p31-46. Bitter, J. R. and Nicoll, W. G. (2004). Relational strategies: two approaches to Adlerian Brief Therapy. Journal of Individual Psychology, 60(1), 42-66. Beutler, L., and Crago, M. (1987). Strategies and techniques of prescriptive psychotherapeutic intervention. In R. Hales and A. Frances (Eds.), Psychiatric updates: American psychiatric association annual review. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press. Cooper, S. and Archer, Jr, J., (1999). Brief Therapy in college counselling and mental health. Journal of American College Health, 48(1). Copeland, J., S., Roffman, R., and Stephens, R. (2001). A randomized controlled trial of brief cognitive-behavioural interventions for cannabis use disorder. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 21, 55-64. Evans, T. D. (1989). Brief Therapy: the tradition of individual psychology compared to MRI. Individual Psychology: The Journal of Adlerian Theory, Research Practice, 45(1/2), p48-57. Ferenczi, S. (1951). Further contributions to the theory and techniques of psychoanalysis. New York: Basic Books. Fiester, A. and Rudestan, K. (1975). A multivariate analysis of the early treatment dropout process. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42, 528-535. Garfield, S. (1986). Research on client variables in psychotherapy. In S. Garfield and A. Bergin (Eds.), Handbook of psychotherapy and behaviour change. New York: John Wiley Sons. Gentry, D. L. (1981). Brief therapy. In R. J. Corsini (Ed.), Handbook of innovative psychotherapies. New York: Wiley. Hansen, N. B., Lambert, M. J., and Forman, E. M. (2002). The psychotherapy dose-response effect and its implications for treatment delivery services. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 9, 329-343. Koss, M. P., and Shiang, J. (1984). Research on brief therapy. In A. E. Bergin and S. L. Garfield (Eds.), Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behaviour Change (4th ed.). (pp. 664-700). New York: Wiley. Manaster, G. J. (1989). Clinical issues in Brief Psychotherapy: a summary and conclusion. Individual Psychology: The Journal of Adlerian Theory, Research Practice, 45(1/2), 243-248. Mander, G. (2003). Dilemmas in Brief Therapy. Psychodynamic Practice, 9(4), 485-500. Nicoll, W. G., Bitter, J. R., Christensen, O. C., and Hawes, C. (2000). Adlerian brief therapy: Strategues and tactics. In J. Carlson and L. Sperry (Eds.), Brief therapy strategies with individuals and couples (pp. 220-247). Phoenix: Zeig/Tucker. Randolph, J. L. (1992). Brief Therapy: myths, methods, and metaphors. Health Social Work, 17(2), 159-160. Rank, O. (1945). Will therapy: truth and reality. New York: Knopf. Shulman, B. H. (1989). Some remarks on Brief Psychotherapy. Individual Psychology: The Journal of Adlerian Theory, Research Practice, 45(1/2), 34-38. Sperry, L. (1989). Contemporary approaches to Brief Psychotherapy: a comparative analysis. Individual Psychology: Individual Psychology: The Journal of Adlerian Theory, Research Practice, 45(1/2), 3-26. Whitaker L. C. (1996). Treating students with personality disorders: a costly dilemma. J Coll Student Psychotherapy, 10(3), 29-44.

Sunday, August 4, 2019

edgar allan poe :: essays research papers

American poet, a master of the horror tale, credited with practically inventing the detective story. Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts, to parents who were itinerant actors. His father David Poe Jr. died probably in 1810 and his mother Elizabeth Hopkins Poe in 1811. Edgar was taken into the home of a Richmond merchant John Allan and brought up partly in England (1815-20), where he attended Manor School at Stoke Newington. Never legally adopted, Poe took Allan's name for his middle name. Poe attended the University of Virginia (1826), but was expelled for not paying his gambling debts. This led to a quarrel with Allan, who later disowned him. In 1827 Poe joined the U.S. Army as a common soldier under assumed name and age. In 1830 Poe entered West Point and was dishonorably discharged next year, for intentional neglect of his duties. Little is known about his life in this time, but in 1833 he lived in Baltimore with his father's sister. After winning a prize of $50 for the short story "MS Found in a Bottle," he started a career as a staff member of various magazines, among others the Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond (1835-37), Burton's Gentleman's Magazine in Philadelphia (1839-40), and Graham's Magazine (1842-43). During these years he wrote some of his best-known stories. In 1836 Poe married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemm. She burst a blood vessel in 1842, and remained a virtual invalid until her death from tuberculosis five years later. After the death of his wife, Poe began to lose his struggle with drinking and drugs. He addressed the famous poem "Annabel Lee" (1849) to her. Poe's first collection, Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque, appeared in 1840. It contained one of his most famous works, "The Fall of the House of Usher." During the early 1840s Poe's best-selling work was The Conchologist's First Book (1839). The dark poem of lost love, "The Raven," brought Poe national fame, when it appeared in 1845. The Murders in the Rue Morgue(1841) and The Purloined Letter are among Poe's most famous detective stories.

Saturday, August 3, 2019

Mahatma Gandhi Quotes Essay -- Mohandas Gandhi Essays

Gandhi Quotes Woman is the companion of man, gifted with equal mental capacities. She has the right to participate in the minutest details in the activities of man, and she has an equal right of freedom and liberty with him. Hatred ever kills, love never dies such is the vast difference between the two. What is obtained by love is retained for all time. What is obtained by hatred proves a burden in reality for it increases hatred. Fear of death makes us devoid both of valour and religion. For want of valour is want of religious faith. There are times when you have to obey a call which is the highest of all, i.e. the voice of conscience even though such obedience may cost many a bitter tear, and even more, separation from friends, from family, from the state to which you may belong, from all that you have held as dear as life itself. For this obedience is the law of our being. Insistence on truth can come into play when one party practises untruth or injustice. Only then can love be tested. True friendship is put to the test only when one party disregards the obligation of friendship. The test of friendship is assistance in adversity, and that too, unconditional assistance. Co-operation which needs consideration is a commercial contract and not friendship. Conditional co-operation is like adulterated cement which does not bind. It may be long before the law of love will be recognised in international affairs. The machineries of government stand between and hide the hearts of one people from those of another. A vow is a purely religious act which cannot be taken in a fit of passion. It can be taken only wi... ...ll. My work will be finished if I succeed in carrying conviction to the human family, that every man or woman, however weak in body, is the guardian of his or her self-respect and liberty, and that this defence prevails, though the world be against the individual resister. Confession of errors is like a broom which sweeps away the dirt and leaves the surface brighter and clearer. I feel stronger for confession. I worship God as Truth only. I have not yet found Him, but I am seeking after Him. I am prepared to sacrifice the things dearest to me in pursuit of this quest. Even if the sacrifice demanded my very life, I hope I may be prepared to give it. We do not need to proselytise either by our speech or by our writing. We can only do so really with our lives. Let our lives be open books for all to study.

Ancient Burials Essay examples -- Cultural Culture Death Essays

Ancient Burials When someone dies in our society we immediately think of ritualistic burial ceremonies, for example a religious service or open casket. Regardless of where you are from or what your cultural background is every culture has its own method and traditions associated with death. Burials dating back to 15,000-27,660 years ago are culturally and symbolically advanced burials. Therefore providing evidence to represent how socially and culturally advanced modern Homo sapiens really were. However there are those individuals including Anthropologists themselves who refute this statement. They do not believe that modern Homo sapiens that date back this far can possibly be as socially and culturally advanced as I believe them to be. These individuals believe that the evidence and examples including the articles of, The Triple Burial of Dolni Vestonice and The Cap Blanc Lady are in fact accidents and coincidences. A radiocarbon date has been labeled to â€Å"The Triple Burial of Dolni Vestonice† to 27,660 years ago, during the Upper Paleolithic era. This specific burial site was excavated in Moscow, Russia in 1986. The gracile skeletons found here were of three ancient people. All three lay side by side. In the middle was the oldest of the three and this skeleton appears to be a woman, due to the analysis of her pelvic region. The entire right side of the woman’s body was not fully developed and her skull shape was asymmetrical. Therefore giving Anthropologists insinuation that she must have had scoliosis due to her deformations. To the left of the woman lies a robust (17 year old boy) with his hand atop of hers. And to the right of the woman lies another robust skeleton (18 or 19 year old boy) with both of his arms touchi... ...n 1911, many anthropologists thought the adult skeleton was a 25 year old male. This proves that anthropologists can be wrong within their predictions. Experiments must be tested several times in order for dates to be accurate. Likewise, in reference to the theories of symbolic burials and the advanced culture of these ancient peoples. Theories may be attested, although we do obtain clear evidence that these burials are not accidents. As I have shown you through two pieces of well studied excavated sites. The Triple Burial of Dolni Vestonice and The Cap Blanc Lady are not accidents and coincidences. Burials that date back to 15,000-27,600 years ago are in fact culturally and symbolically advanced for there time. It’s up to you to formulate your own opinion on this subject matter. Just remember to remind yourself of the questions and the evidence I have provided.

Friday, August 2, 2019

The Bean Trees – Tone

Don’t Be Too Serious Let’s say that someone handed you something unexpected. It could be anything: a computer, book, even a guitar! However, what if it was something of great value? What if it was a baby that was handed to you? Odds are, you’d probably freak out and hand the baby over to the authorities or something similar to that. But not Taylor Greer in the novel The Bean Trees! The words that Barbara Kingsolver chooses to use show a tone of informality and humor. One way Kingsolver establishes an informal tone is by using long, run on sentences and everyday words.When Taylor gets a job at Tuscon after she stops traveling, she says, â€Å"I lasted six days at the Burger Derby before I got in a fight with the manager and threw my red-so-called jockey cap in the trash compactor and walked out. I would have thrown the whole uniform in there, but I didn’t feel like giving him a free show† (Kingsolver 88). In this quote, Kingsolver shows informality b y making the first sentence extremely long, and the second sentence shows humor when Taylor jokes about not wanting to give him a â€Å"free show. † Kingston also uses words that people use in everyday conversations, thus creating an even more informal tone.Another way Kingsolver shows humor is by what Taylor names the baby that is handed to her. When Taylor first meets Lou Ann, she asks, â€Å"’How do you know her name’s Turtle? ’† Taylor replies, â€Å"’I don’t. I named her that’† (Kingsolver 97). The fact that Taylor chose to name the baby â€Å"Turtle† shows humor. Taylor could have chosen any other name†¦ A name â€Å"suitable† for a baby girl. However, she chose the name â€Å"Turtle. † Turtles are sea animals, and it’s rare for someone to be named â€Å"Turtle. † Why would Taylor have chosen that particular name for the baby? Kingsolver most likely wanted to convey a light, humorous tone for herAn informal tone is created by Kingsolver when Taylor speaks. When she tells Estavan about feeling like a foreigner, she says â€Å"’Sometimes I feel like a foreigner too†¦ People don’t look the same, talk the same, nothing’† (Kingsolver 181). The first sentence is relatively normal. However, in the second sentence, Kingsolver reveals an informal tone by the way Taylor speaks. The way she talks to people is very informal. Because of this, we know that Kingston is purposely avoiding making Taylor a serious, somber character like she could’ve been. Another way that Kingsolver creates an informal tone is by the things Taylor does. I lifted Estevan’s hand from my ribcage and kissed his palm† (Kingsolver 189). This quote reveals an example of how Kingsolver establishes an informal tone through Taylor’s actions. In this particular quote, Taylor falls asleep with Estevan on a couch. When she wakes up, she thin ks about what Esperanza has been through, and makes a conscious decision to leave. Kingsolver could have simply stated, â€Å"I got off the couch and went to my own bed. † However, she chose to create a more informal tone by showing what exactly Taylor did when she was getting off the couch.In this novel, The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver, a humorous – but more informal – tone is created by the sentence structure, characters’ dialogue, and description of events. The tone was effective because it made the novel more interesting, and less dull. Also, it was easy to see that Kingsolver used lots of informality and humor in this novel, so that made the tone more noticeable. Because of the tone that Kingsolver created, the main character Taylor Greer was able to go through the negative events in her life a bit better than a more serious character would have been able to.

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Hamlet 1990 Essay

In the course of time, William Shakespeare had been one of the most famous writers of all time. As an author, he was able to create different types of stories which had been literary treasures for the society until this very day. Therefore, Shakespeare is a staple literary author who is able to provide his perception and wisdom in the world. Furthermore, there are different versions made to interpret the story written by Shakespeare, some of these are plays or movies which had been presented to the whole society in different parts of the world. One of the most popular literature works written by Shakespeare is Hamlet which is still interpreted until the present time. This review will be based on Shakespeare’s tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. This film was directed by the well known director Franco Zeffirelli which starred Oscar nominees Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, Paul Scofield and Alan Bates. The main story of Hamlet was led to a complex relationship with all the characters involved. In the story, it is Hamlet who has the most complicated character in the story. One of these is Hamlet’s relationship with Gertrude which could be seen through different types of perceptions and interpretations. Reflecting on the literature made by Shakespeare, it was narrated that Hamlet intended to kill Claudius for avenge of his father’s death. However in the movie, Hamlet is motivated to kill Claudius due to his love for his mother. Furthermore, the movie utilized these lines, â€Å"You cannot call it love; for at your age the hey day in the blood is tame, it’s humble. † Afterwards, the scene shows that Hamlet and his mother kissed in a very romantic way. Thus, the kiss presented that their relationship is possibly more than just mother and son. In the literary work Shakespeare he is not able to mention such type of relationship between Hamlet and his mother. In other interpretations, the relationship of Gertrude and Hamlet did not surpass a romantic relationship. Therefore, the romantic relationship of Gertrude and Hamlet could be an interpretation of the director. More so, various kinds of movies are not the same as others. There are portions of the literary work which was limited to certain characters and scenes. Hence depending on the director, he is able to contort or develop the story through his own liking. Definitely, this relationship of Hamlet and Gertrude is an important plot of the story which relies on the desire of the director or the producer. Moreover, this version of Hamlet is very controversial it maintains a certain level of immorality due to the romantic relationship of Hamlet and Gertrude. There are many attempts to create a very realistic interpretation of the story. Therefore in this movie the director unveiled the possible sexual and romantic attachment of both characters. Although such relationship is a taboo and immoral for the society, it reveals certain possibilities for the audience to realize that such event could have happened in the mind of Shakespeare.