Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality Essay Example for Free

Historical and Scientific Perspectives on Homosexuality Essay Homosexuality, at least from the point of view of history, has seen many ups and downs. In fact, homosexuality itself could not be easily classified to be similar from other various racial or segregation issues such as skin color, language, culture, or religion because those factors have constantly experience negative treatments in the password in homosexuality, has been pointed out by the literature, has enjoyed relatively different approaches to pending on the culture, the timeline, and even the historical context where it is being applied. For example, from the point of view of historians and document literature on the subject of anthropology, researchers have uncovered that homosexuality is not a fairly recent occurrence but rather can be traced back as far back as documented history can show itself. For example, in ancient Greek, Celtic, and even prehistoric cultures such as the Indus Valley civilizations and prehistoric Egyptian cultures, homosexuality was already an occurrence that has been around and was actually freely accepted by the society where it was operating in. In fact, in anthropological texts and research, the subject of homosexual behavior may be from the point of view of romantic relationships, sexual interaction, and even family institution was freely accepted in those societies where in a significant measurement of civilization can be made (Isay, 2009). However, one commentary and theory on why homosexuality has arrived to the point of judgment and negative perception it has today has been pointed out by research as a result of strict monotheistic religious beliefs and Scripture. The three dominating monotheistic religions today on Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. And, both from popular convention and in the understanding of religious texts as well as the popular opinions of the leaders of the faiths, homosexuality ranges from a taboo concept in the reality of society towards even complete banning and be integrated into the religious thought to be illegal and Heretic. In fact, Islam, being one of the most powerful religions today because of its influence not only in Middle Eastern countries but also in other geographies such as Asia and other Western countries as well, having strict laws against homosexuality and homosexual behavior, continues to influence perception such that many new generations which follow that religion and that faith, although already relatively involved in global issues and global perception because of the Internet and other information communication technology, still look at homosexuality to be illegal and heretic act and concept because their religion states it to be so. In fact, in all three faiths, a popular Scripture is the city of Sodom and Gomorrah where in the monotheistic God of these religions punish this city because of its homosexual acts such as sodomy and the like. However, as researchers have also indicated, religions which are not classified under the leading monotheistic beliefs have basically taken homosexuality to be either a normal occurrence in human beings or have at least ignored the subject completely where its practitioners are able to say from a very point of view and spectrum that their faiths and spiritualities accept homosexual behavior. In fact, off all the eastern end not monotheistic religions that are popular in todays society, it is only Buddhism which freely accepts the reality of homosexuality and has been addressed by many of its search for leaders and discussed in many affair spiritual centers. However, because of the relatively low reach and population count of those belonging to this faith, at least from the point of view of religious commentary on homosexuality, it has not yet been able to pull homosexual perception towards the positive end of the spectrum which is cultural and contextual acceptance. On the other end of the contextual spectrum of religion, is a scientific approach of homosexual behavior. In such a perspective, origins of homosexuality have been discussed by researchers to be coming from biological factors rather than social factors. This approach has seen popularity only in fairly recent times because of such scientific projects and efforts such as the human genome project and the ability of advanced biology to indicate various genes, indicators, and factors that as researchers have pointed out, have a direct correlation and effect to the fact that individual turns out in the future to be Gay or not. In fact, this is not only a scientific attempt to explain such factors but has actually been published by many research and academic journals all over the world indicating that scientists have segregated various genetic functions which could associate or at least highly correlate an individuals homosexual behavior with the existence and activation of such genetic functions (Haslam Levy, 2006). This is the root of the modern argument of where homosexuality originates if it is brought about by the environment or by genetics. Such arguments, however, although fairly popular in the homosexual population, or at least in Western cultures where homosexuality is now freely accepted in society with relatively low levels of taboo perception, is not yet completely proven and documented in scientific picture enough to have any significant conclusions on the subject. Another perspective, perhaps the most popular, is an environmental perspective on homosexuality. According to this point of view, which is popular among behavioral scientists, psychologists, and social theorists, homosexuality comes about directly as a result of the environment and other external factors. Such arguments have developed relative popularity in the 20th century and even in the modern 21st century as behavioral scientists and psychologists have been able to more and more formulate theories that are backed up by statistical and essential data that was created using the scientific method of pointing out homosexual tendencies and the correlation and connection of society, other individuals, peers, and even family members and asked experiences in shaping its occurrence (Lewes Gilbert, 2009). As an individual, important processes and most cited upon the occurrence of being homosexual individuals the coming-out process. In fact, the coming-out process itself poses as one of the most significant in major hurdles of homosexuality in todays society because of the judgment that intrinsically comes about in the process itself. However, because of the popularity of such perspectives of scientific and behavioral basis of sexuality were in more and more members of society and even countries and classifications have culture as a whole are beginning to accept the validity of such research, evidence, and findings, the coming-out process, although has not been decreased at least from the point of view of difficulty, is today at least not judge as it was judge during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Today, as from personal experience, the coming-out process and admitting not only to friends and family members but even to society as a whole the choice and eventual manifestation of sexual orientation has become easier if not more accepted. However, perhaps an interesting analysis is although such historical and scientific perspectives and frameworks have indeed help in the process of society accepted the existence of homosexuality in todays world, a very difficult approach would be to understand if such perspectives and scientific discoveries have shaped actually being homosexual. This is difficult to answer because causality is often impossible to connect especially if these perspectives and factors did not indeed have any contributions to being a homosexual individual. However, perhaps one factor that has shaped the choice of sexuality and orientation in todays world is the ability to recognize that there is such a concept as homosexuality and it is a fairly popular convention and many individuals in the world today are members of that orientation group. By recognizing such factor in fact, I as an individual have been able to classify myself an essential need according to behavioral psychologists and sociologists to a certain part and classification of todays environment and society and am able to learn much about myself as well as the culture I am living in today.

Theories of Psychological Care in Nursing

Theories of Psychological Care in Nursing The best definition of psychosocial care is found in the National Council for Hospice and Specialist (2000) which describe it as concerned with the psychological and emotional wellbeing of the patients and their families/carers, including issues of self-esteem, insight into an adaption to their illness and its consequences, communication, social functioning and relationships. Psychosocial care theory differs from theory of biomedical care in that the former uses the holistic approach (Sheldon, 1997 and Oliviere et al, 1998) or the diseases, psychology, social and spiritual health of patients whereas the latter care only for patients physical ill-health. Furthermore, the biomedical model predicts poorer health outcome, psychological distress and poorer daily function, more days spent in bed, and more health professionals visit and surgeries (Sheridan Radmacher, 1992). Keywords used will be defined to facilitate understanding. The theory of psychosocial care has the following components; firstly, psychology deals with the way the patients use their conscious and subconscious (Freud) is dealt with their emotions, which is their feeling fine tuned throughout their lifespan development, to be aware of their different moods. Then their self-esteem, the patients perceived their self-worth, value themselves, self-respect and self confidence (Barry, 1992 Niven, 2006), should be respected, hence, make them more confident and themselves. Scherer (2005) referred to emotion and self-esteem as behaviour forming strategies and Emotions are intensified feelings or complex patterns of feelings that one experience when the patients found themselves in a strange environment, giving their intimate information to people they just met moments ago. Nursing professional should respect patients as a person by so doing will make them feel more confident in themselves or raising their self-esteem. Therefore, self-esteem is ones feelings regarding the patients self-worth, values oneself, shows self respect or self confidence Scherer (Barry, 1992 Niven, 2006). (2005) referred to emotion and self-esteem as part of cognition or psyche. The cognitive approach is to let the patient talk about his feelings as most that we do is controlled by our unconscious mind, we have to listen carefully to what the patient is saying (Freud). Moreover, we should ensure that information being given by the nurses is understood by the person (Smith et al, 2003). We should praise the patient if he has done something good. The patients social environment is important for their care as the nursing professionals must understand the supporting mechanism they have and those that needs to be put into place. In doing so one has to understand their need for equality and sensitivity that are required to care for patients from different ethnic and cultural background. The family being a component of the social jigsaw and it is important to involve them as long as the patients have given their consent. One has to be aware of confidentiality when talking about the patients information even to family. Research has shown that the involvement of families/carers greatly improve the psychological aspect of the patients rehabilitation (to put references). Social class again research has shown that patients coming from social class 3 access medical help faster than those living in social class 1. Therefore, this will affect their healing process if they are staying in an overcrowded and damp or living alone and have no family support. If they are staying in a rough area of the Borough therefore they are afraid to go out. Their culture is important as it is their core values and beliefs they have within their society. Environment is important to know if they are staying near a busy and noisy road. Their religion is important especially when it comes to food. The psychological and social aspects of the patients are one of the two elements in psychosocial care. Spiritual health refers to the possession of a belief in some unifying force that gives purpose or meaning to life or to a sense of belonging to a scheme of existence greater than merely personal, is another dimension of psychosocial care. The nursing practice is based on warmth, acceptance, genuineness and empathy and by moving our focus away from the illness to that of the patients (Baughan Smith, 2008), not forgetting to maintain privacy and dignity whilst talking to the patients (Faulkner, 2000) by getting the patients consent and their confidential preserved. Talking, caring, listening and supporting patients are qualities that nursing needs in forming good relationships with patients. Nurses should provide care that is focused on patients and tailored to their individual needs. Words like trusts, empathy, listening and compassion spring to mind. Nursing uses therapeutic comforting touching with confidence, not denying patients information, discussing the problem in a clear and understanding manner, being honest and have empathy not sympathy are useful tools to enhance the nursing practice. Subsequently, through therapeutic communication (Peplau, 1952) it built trust and confidence between the nursing professiona ls and the patients. Moreover, without the proper use of therapeutic communication, which is achieved through touch, silence and humour (where appropriate), listening to their narratives, not being judgemental, being considerate, respect their confidentiality and dignity as a person are important skills. The patients are able to reveal intimate details of their psychological and social health which inform the nursing professionals of better ways to support the patients towards the road to long lasting recovery. Therefore, Allen voiced the opinion of Wright (2004) too posh to wash that bad communication limits the extent that psychosocial care can be effectively given to patients. This will be achieved by using therapeutic communication (Peplau, 1952) through explaining clearly what is being done, touching, silence and humour and listening carefully to what the patients are saying without interaction and being judgmental. Furthermore, they expect to be given the right information when needed, not in jargons but in an understandable language. This is the platform from which one can use to get the correct information from the patients. Caring can be defined as involving concern, empathy and expertise making things better for others and is based on compassion (Smith, 1992; Eriksson, 1994 cited by Barry, 1994; Niven, 2006);). In view of the caring nature of the nursing professionals the patients are willing to (offered) information that they will not do so to other people (including their families/carers)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦into their confidence therefore could have intimate knowledge than other medical professionals may not be able to tease out. This is possible by listening attentively to what the patients are saying without interruptions, to emphatise () with the In return the patients expect that they are given the right information at the right time in a way that they understood. Their self esteem is ones feeling regarding their self worth, values oneself, show self respect or self confidence (Barry, 1992 Niven, 2006). It can be improved through group support, forming realistic expectations, maintaining physical health, examining problem and seeking help e.g. limit smoking and alcohol. Empowerment ranged from giving patients information and helping them to understand, cope with and take control of their disease to psychological support them, rapport-building, reassurance, empathy and promoting self-esteem. The points raised so far is giving the reader a theoretical view of the way psychosocial aspect of care is relevant to nursing practice Stress and coping are concepts that will be used as reference to bring theory into practice observed whilst on the ward. Stress is defined as an interaction between an event in a persons life which is perceived as placing considerable demands on him and their response to coping with it. Therefore, the transactional model (Lazarus Folkman, 1984) of stress and coping is appropriate to further expand the stress being felt by the patient. A transactional model of stress is when a patient is confronted with, does that event present any threat to him at the time, and if not then he does not perceive the event as stressful. However, if it does whether he experiences stress will depend on his secondary appraisal and if he has the necessary resources, such as personal, social, financial support and/or hardiness; is sufficient to allow him to cope effectively with the stressor. Moreover, he may not perceive himself to have sufficient resources available to deal with the problem and as result he will experience a response that one would refer to as a stress response. It will also relate the concept to nursing practice Self-efficacy according to Bandura () is when the patients believe that they can successfully connect with and execute a specific behaviour X, a 65years old Caucasian male, married with two children, was admitted to hospital suffering with excruating abdominal pain. He has been diagnosed a week ago with lung cancer due to his heavy smoking, 15 cigarettes a day, increased to more than 20 after the death of his wife. His children said that he X constantly said that he wants to go and meet his wife wherever she might be. He is not eating properly and recently has been drinking heavily. He has low self-esteem and sometimes cries. Whilst helping him to shower daily the nurse was able get more information, he does not want to go a hospice or a care home like his children are saying. He wants to stay and die in his family home. Moreover, apart from his children he does not have any relatives staying close by. He is afraid of dying Therefore, he is not caring for himself and not eating properly. was admitted to the ward after he was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Psychosocial care states that the patients psychological and social factors are taken into consideration when assessing them. The ward is busy though Wright (2004) stated that nurses are too busy to talk to their patient, it is not the case here each patient is treated as an individual and they are listened to without being judgemental. Moreover, the opinions of the patients families/carers are listened to and information is shared with them after getting the consent of the patients due to confidentiality legislation. Mr. X Lists of References Allen D. (2009) Nurses are only effective as their communication skills. Nursing Standard. 23 (28) 28-29. Baer P.E., Garmezy L.B.; McLaughlin R.J., Pokorny A.D. and Wernick M.J. (1987). Stress, Coping, Family Conflict, and Adolescent Alcohol Use. Journal of Behavioural Medicine 10, 5, Pages 449 -466. Bandura A. (1978). Reflections on Self-Efficacy. Advances in Behavioural Research and Therapy 1, Pages 237-269. Bandura A. Locke E.A. (2003). Negative Self-efficacy and Goal Effects Revisited. Journal of Applied Psychology. 88, 1, Pages 87-99. Barry P.D. (1996). Psychosocial Nursing: Care of Physically Ill Patients their families. (3rd Edition) Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven publishers. Colder C.R. (2001). Life Stress, Physiological and Subjective Indexes of Negative Emotionality, and Coping Reasons for Drinking: Is there Evidence for a Self-Medication Model of Alchol Use? Psychology of Addictive Behaviours. 15, 3, Pages 237-245. Faulkner A. (2000), Effective Interaction with Patients. London: Churchill Livingstone. National Council for Hospice and Specialist (2000). What do we mean by psychosocial? London; March 2000 Briefing No. 4. Niven N. (2006). The Psychology of Nursing Care (2nd Edition) London: Palgrave MacMillan. Oliviere D., Hargreaves R., Monroe B. (1998) Good Practices in Palliative Care: A psychosocial perspective. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Ltd. Scherer K.R. (2005). What are emotions? And how can they be measured. Social Science Information. 44 (4) 695-729. Sheldon F. (1997) Psychosocial Palliative Care: Good Practice in the care of the dying and bereaved. Cheltenham: Stanley Thornes (Publishing) Ltd. Sheridan C.L. Radmacher S.A. (1992) Health Psychology: Challenging the Biomedical Model. Chichester: Wiley Smith A. (2009) Exploring the legitimacy of intuition as a form of nursing knowledge. Nursing Standard. 23 (40) 35-40. Smith P. (1992). The Emotional Labour of Nursing. Basingstoke: The MacMillan Press Ltd. Summers L.C. (2002) Mutual Timing: An essential Component of Provider/Patient Communication. Journal of American Academy of Nurse Practitioner. 14(1) 19-25. Wilson V. (2004). Supporting Family carers in the community setting. Nursing Standard. 18, 29, Pages 47-53. Smith said that intuition is a valuable source of knowledge though it could be difficult to put into words as there is little empirical evidenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Self-esteem refers to ones sense of self-respect or self-confidence. It is how much one likes oneself and values ones own personal worth as an individual. Self-esteem can be improved in several ways: Support groups; Completing required tasks; Forming realistic expectations, Taking/Making time for you ; Maintaining physical health; Examining problems and seeking help External influences are those factors that we do not control, such as who raised us. The family influences include family upbringing. Healthy, nurturing families produce more well-adjusted adults. Dysfunctional families may produce confused adults who have a harder time adapting to life. Influences of the greater environment include safety, access to health services and programs, and socioeconomic status. Internal factors include hereditary traits, hormonal functioning, physical health status, physical fitness, and other selected elements of mental and emotional health (Definition) It can be improved through support group, forming realistic expectations, maintaining physical health, examining problem and seeking help limit smoking and alcohol. He was assessed by the nurse after he gave his consent whereby information about his past and present illness, demographic and his activity of daily living was recorded on the assessment form. The nurse recorded the reading of his vital signs such as pulse, respiratory, temperature, O2 and heart, taking the vital signs at all time Mr. X dignity was not abused. Patients records are confidential information and can only be access by the nursing and medical professionals working with the specific patients. Respondents found it very hard to cope with watching their partners suffering, and not knowing how to deal with it. In this situation the nurses role should include giving information and educating patients and partners, as well as offering support. Information should be accessible throughout the course of the illness, and needs to cover physical and emotional issues (Northouse and Peters-Golden, 1993). Self-efficacy :Learned helplessness is a response to continued failure where people give up and fail to take action to help themselves.

political and pastoral in marvells poetry :: essays research papers

â€Å"A tension between the worlds of political engagement and private retreat† How distinct are the political and the pastoral in Marvell’s poetry The political and the pastoral certainly figures highly in Marvell’s poetry and often the two worlds become intertwined. Indeed, Marvell frequently utilises metaphors of nature to help convey and rationalise his political thoughts and feelings. With particular reference to the ‘mower’ and ‘Cromwell’ poems, I shall explore the relationship between the political and the pastoral in his work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To begin, in the overtly political poem An Horation Ode upon Cromwell’s return from Ireland, Marvell begins by describing Cromwell emerging from a muses â€Å"shadow†, and â€Å"private gardens, Where he lived reserved and austere†. This, as the critic Friedman asserts, is a typical retreat of â€Å"poetic creativity†, and one often employed by Marvell. Indeed, in A poem upon the death of his late Highnesse the Lord Protector, Marvell presents a young Cromwell spending â€Å"pleasing hours† with his mother. The addition of a private presentation of Cromwell lends him a more human edge and helps us to understand his human weaknesses. In his Horation Ode, Marvell portrays Cromwell as a â€Å"flame of angry heavens† who â€Å"tis madness to resist or blame†. This lends Cromwell a godlike eminence or as Thomas. M. Greene asserts, puts him â€Å"beyond ethical categories†. However, Marvell continues that the â€Å"same arts that did gain a power, must it maintain†, i.e. the â€Å"inglorious arts† of war. The irony of comparing war, something primarily destructive, as an art, highlights the unease and possibly transient nature of Cromwell’s rule. Certainly, the fact that Marvell likens Cromwell to a Falcon, who once â€Å"having kill’d† seeks a â€Å"green bough† to perch on and then â€Å"the falconer has her sure†, shows that although he is strong, he cannot continue forever and will eventually be in some way controlled. Therefore, by utilising the idea of natural retreat, Marvell subtly asserts beneath the grandiloquent verse, the frailty and humanity of Cromwell existence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Indeed the idea of the â€Å"green bough†, is a recurring notion in marvels poetry, and is often Connected with thought and retreat. In the epic poem Upon Appleton House Marvell seeks â€Å"sanctuary† in the woodland to â€Å"among the trees and birds confer†. This is something that the critic Friedman asserts as the â€Å"primeval unity of mind and nature†. This is amply supported by the line in Damon The mower, â€Å"My mind was once a true survey†¦ of all these meadows fresh and gay†, and further more

Taking a Chance in Hurston’s Novels, Their Eyes Were Watching God and Seraph on the Suwanee :: Their Eyes Watching God Seraph Suwanee

Taking a Chance in Hurston’s Novels, Their Eyes Were Watching God and Seraph on the Suwanee â€Å"‘All right then, you name somethin’ and we’ll do it. We kin give it uh poor man’s trial anyhow.’† â€Å"‘Anyhow Ah done got rested up and de bed bugs is done got too bold round heah. Ah didn’t notice when mah rest wuz broke. Ah’m goin’ out and look around and see whut we kin do. Ah’ll give anything uh common trial.’† pp. 168-69; Their Eyes Were Watching God â€Å"Arvay woke up next morning with hope and determination. Nothing beats trial but a failure, Arvay decided. She might not win Jim back, but she meant to give it a poor man’s trial. That is the best that she could do. If she failed, it was not going to be because she never tried.† p. 316; Seraph on the Suwanee The first passage shows no sign of weakness or unsureness; there are only bold declarations of fact. Janie tells Tea Cake to â€Å"name somethin’† and they would be capable of doing it (168). Tea Cake shares the same attitude with Janie, telling her that he is rested and that he is â€Å"goin’ out† too â€Å"look around† for something for them to do (168-9). The indecision lies not with the two of them but instead with the outside world. The use of active, present-tense verbs makes the passage vibrant and lifelike. It is clear to the reader from this passage that the couple is happy and confident in themselves; they will give most anything â€Å"a poor man’s trial† (168). They are not worried about their future, and the impression is that they â€Å"kin do† practically anything and still be happy (169). In the second passage, there is sureness tainted with uncertainty. Arvay has â€Å"hope and determination† to accomplish her goal, but she is unsure about its outcome (316). She thinks that â€Å"she might not† regain her status with her husband (316). She is not positive that Jim will take her back. Because she is willing â€Å"to give it a poor man’s trial,† the extent of her resolve is shown (316). However, her lack of confidence shows in the next sentence, where she admits that there is a possibility for failure. Arvay has resolved not to lose Jim â€Å"because she never tried† (316). While the sentences are active in this passage, the past tense lends them an air of resignedness and doubt.

Essay --

When Adolf Hitler was put in as Chancellor in 1933, he started to begin the program of the NSDAP, the National Socialist German Labor Party. The highest priorities were to put all men back to work and to increase the birthrate. Both were accomplished by re-instituting the traditional roles of men and women. Within the next 10 years, most women were won over to National Socialism, content to do their part in the great national resurgence. How does this apply to the women of America as we stand at the beginning of the 21st Century? Can we believe that National Socialism offers us something positive too? The answer is yes, there are many advantages National Socialism gives women over other ways of organization. The first concern that women have is their status. Do they become second-class citizens in a male dominated National Socialist state? They do not. National Socialism is based on traditional values, just as volkish paganism and Traditional Christianity. A National Socialist nation is built on the foundation of the family. At the center of the family are children. Children raised in a family learn what it is to be part of a family. From that, they understand they’re part of an even larger unit, a racially homogeneous national family. The woman not only carries the children, but takes on the primary task of raising and teaching them to be healthy and productive members of the nation. In a National Socialist society, there is no higher calling than that of mother. National Socialism provides an array of resources to prepare young women for a healthy pregnancy and childbirth, and to instruct them in the most enlightened child-care practices for the optimum health and well-being of both themselves and their childr... ...lty, honesty, cleanliness, trustworthiness, and respect for life and innocence. Assuredly, men who do not have or strive for all these qualities are not true National Socialist men, no matter if they wear a uniform or wave a swastika. It isn’t only women who are asked to put the group as a whole before the individual self, for even greater sacrifice is asked of our men. What woman prefers a coward who buckles to an alien system for temporary safety or benefits, to a partner who is willing to stand and fight for the values and continuing existence of his race? In the end, the greatest appeal of National Socialism to a woman may be that it gives her an heroic National Socialist man as a partner. It is the honor with which they regard each other that can raise their relationship to a true marriage made in Heaven, or Valhalla. And what more can a woman ask?

Beauty in “The Bluest Eye” Essay

The Bluest Eye is a brilliantly written novel revealing the fictional trauma of an eleven-year-old black girl named Pecola Breedlove. This story takes place in the town of Lorain, Ohio during the 1940’s. It is told from the perspective of a young girl named Claudia MacTeer. She and her sister, Frieda, become witness to the terrible plights Pecola is unintentionally put through. Pecola chooses to hide from her disabling life behind her clouded dream of possessing the ever so cherished â€Å"bluest of eyes†. The Breedlove’s constant bickering and ever growing poverty contributes to the emotional downfall of this little girl. Pecola’s misery is obtained through the touch of her father’s hand and the voice of her community’s struggle with racial separation, anger, and ignorance. Her innocence is harshly ripped from her grasp as her father rapes her limp existence. The community’s anger with it’s own insecurities is taken out on this poor, ugly, black, non-ideal, young girl. She shields herself from this sorrow behind her obsessive plea for blue eyes. But her eyes do not replace the pain of carrying her fleeing father’s baby. Nor do they protect her from the shady eyes of her neighbours. Though this book discuses negative and disturbing situations, it teaches a very positive lesson. The theme of The Bluest Eye is that of depending on outside influences to become aware of one’s own beauty and to fabricate one’s own self image can be extremely damaging. Topic Tracking: Beauty Beauty 1: Claudia is constantly faced with white ideals of beauty. For Christmas one year, she receives a blue-eyed, blonde-haired, pink-skinned doll. Rather than adore the doll, she destroys and dismembers it as a result of her anger. Claudia feels she can never measure up to the beauty of white children, the beauty that all the world reveres. Beauty 2: The Breedloves are poor and ugly. At least that is how they think the world views them. Their beliefs that they are ugly come from white American media always portraying whites as representations of what is beautiful. Because of this, they do not strive for more, for they think that they do not deserve to have more. Beauty 3: Pecola wishes that she had blue eyes. She thinks that if her eyes were blue, and therefore beautiful according to white American standards, then her problems would go away and her life would be beautiful. Then maybe, her classmates and teachers would not despise her and think she was so ugly. She so hates hersel f that she stares at herself in the mirror trying to figure out where her ugliness comes from. Beauty 4: For one year Pecola prays that her eyes will turn blue. She has many problems in her life, starting with family issues, and she thinks that if she had blue eyes, her problems might go away. And even more than that, if she had blue eyes, people would see her as beautiful, and then she would be able to see herself as beautiful too. Being a black little girl in a society that idolizes blonde-haired blue-eyed beauty, Pecola thinks she is ugly. Pecola sympathizes for the dandelions because she knows what it is like to be devalued. She finds beauty in the weeds, for she thinks that people see her as a weed. Beauty 5: A new little girl, named Maureen Peal, comes to Claudia and Frieda’s school. Maureen is revered for her looks, which people deem beautiful. She has lighter skin and eyes than most of the other children, and everyone adores her because of this. She is looked upon as beautiful because her characteristics are somewhat more â€Å"white† than other black people’s. This causes many to be jealous of her. However, Claudia and Frieda are not jealous. They see through the standards placed on beauty, and if Maureen is what is beautiful, this means that they are not beautiful (according to society). Beauty 6: When the girls are walking home from getting ice cream after school, they pass a movie theater with a picture of Betty Grable on the building. Maureen and Pecola both say that they love Betty Grable, an icon for white American beauty with her blonde hair and blue eyes. However, showing her disdain for such standards placed on beauty, Claudia says that she prefers the actress, Hedy Lamarr, who has dark hair. Beauty 7: In her younger years, Pauline Breedlove occupied herself by going to the movies. It was here that she got her first glimpse into what idealized beauty was. She saw the Hollywood blonde-haired, blue-eyed bombshells as being true representations of beauty. And anything that strayed from these looks, including her own, was seen as not pretty. American society placed their standards of beauty onto the world, and because of this, many people began to realize how far away they were from those standards. Beauty 8: Pecola goes to visit Soaphead Church with the hope that he will be able to fulfill her wish to have blue eyes. She thinks that with blue eyes, all of her problems will disappear and the world will love her because she will be beautiful. The world, seen through blue eyes, will also appear beautiful to Pecola. Beauty 9: Claudia prays that Pecola’s baby will survive. She needs the baby to live to counteract society’s standards set on beauty, which say that blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girls are all that is pretty. Claudia hopes that with this new black baby people will change and see blackness as something that can be admired and something that is beautiful. Topic Tracking: Culture Culture 1: Mr. Henry moves into Claudia and Frieda’s house. One day, the girls come home and when they walk in Mr. Henry greets them. He flatters them by telling them they look just like Greta Garbo and Ginger Rogers, two white American female actresses. These two actresses represented American society’s ideal beauty, with their blonde hair and blue eyes. They, and other actresses like them, were so idealized by the media that it forced young American girls, both white and black, to question their own beauty if it differed from the standard of blond hair and blue eyes. Culture 2: After seeing the cup with Shirley Temple on it, Claudia explains her ill feelings for her. Shirley Temple was the epitome of what all of America adored in little girls: her bouncy blonde curls and big blue eyes. This sickened Claudia, as she was so different from Shirley Temple and all of the other little girls who looked like Shirley. Culture 3: Claudia tells the story about the doll she recei ved for Christmas one year. This doll was a beautiful doll that had blonde hair, blue eyes, and pink skin. Instead of appreciating the doll like most other children would have done, Claudia dismembered and destroyed the doll. She was sick of having American ideals of beauty placed on her, which said that being white with blonde hair and blue eyes was what was deemed as beautiful. Culture 4: This excerpt from a first grade reading primer describes the perfect white family. Morrison uses these excerpts in many points of the story to illustrate the dichotomy between the ideal white family, and the family of blacks, specifically Pecola’s family. The reading book perpetuates the stigma that what is seen as â€Å"ideal† in American culture means having a neat little house, run by two loving parents, with two children, one of which has blonde hair and blue eyes, and a fun loving dog who plays with the children. This social stigma presses on children who are â€Å"different† that are reading these books, and makes them think they are abnormal and unacceptable. Culture 5: The Breedloves are described. They think they are poor and ugly, and it says that much of the reason they think this is because of the white American media. The media, as part of our culture, sets the standards for what defines beauty, and anything straying from these standards is viewed as ugly. Culture 6: Pecola is constantly faced with the standards set on her society by American culture. She cannot even enjoy a piece of candy without feeling that she is different and lacking in some way in terms of beauty. When she goes to eat her Mary Jane candy, she is mesmerized by the little girl of Mary Jane on the cover, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl. These cultural pressures of what defines beauty make Pecola aware of just how much she strays from that defined beauty. This eventually leads to her desire for blue eyes, which in turn leads her into madness. Culture 7: When Pecola, Maureen, Claudia and Frieda are walking home from the ice cream shop, they pass a theater with a picture of Betty Grable on it. Young girls are bombarded with American culture’s ideals of beauty, such as pictures of famous actresses. Betty Grable in particular , with her blonde hair and blue eyes, makes Pecola and Maureen want to look like her. However, despite all of their hopes and wishes, they will never be able to look like that, and they are left as the victims of a culture that standardizes and limits young children. Culture 8: During her younger years, Pauline Breedlove spent a lot of time at the movie theater. It was here where she learned American standards of true beauty. Constantly faced with actresses like Jean Harlow, the ultimate Hollywood blonde bombshell, Pauline was forced to examine her own beauty in terms of Harlow’s. She realized that she did not look anything like Harlow, and based on this, came to the conclusion that she must be ugly. However, her feelings of ugliness were purely based on cultural standards set on her through the medium of Hollywood. Culture 9: Claudia feels the need for Pecola’s baby to be alive and healthy. She wants the baby to survive because she wants to counteract the cultural emphasis placed on white girls with blonde hair and blue eyes, exemplified by the types of white baby dolls most children adore (dolls that look like Shirley Temple). If Pecola’s baby lives, maybe people can learn to love a black baby and see black as beautiful too . At least this is what Claudia is hoping for. Culture 10: Pecola beats her arms like a bird, and attempts to fly up to the sky. However, she cannot. The reason she cannot is because she has been held back by the culture in which she lives, a culture that values white beauty, and ignores black beauty. It was an inevitable end result that Pecola would never be able to achieve the standards of beauty she wanted to. She was born a black child, and unfortunately, her culture does not accept black beauty. Thus, her dreams would never be fulfilled. And even though she thinks she has blue eyes, the world around her does not recognize her as she wishes to be seen. And because of this, she is driven to madness, caused by the pressures and social standards of her culture.

Stranger Than Fiction Movie Review

Becoming Insane? Or Simply Hearing a Story? Stranger Than Fiction, directed by Mark Forster, is an unusual movie. I personally liked the movie very much, but it was definitely out of the mainstream of movies today. The main character, Harold Krick (played by Will Ferrell) is a seemingly normal IRS agent that lives life on a very punctual and precise schedule. He is always on time for things and even counting the number of times he brushes his teeth in the morning!The character that Ferrell acts is not the typical character that Ferrell works on, but it is a very good change for him because it somewhat makes the audience think that there will be something comedic in the movie. As a whole, the cast was a very good choice and fit the characters well. The movie is very delightful because it shows various different themes in it. For example, the movie contains a sprinkle of bildungsroman qualities through the character development in Harold Krick.He evolves from a precise person, always o n time but not really enjoying life to a courageous and caring person. In the beginning of the movie, the audience is revealed that Harold is very mathematical, shown by the various lines and measurements appearing on objects, and the fact that Harold can solve complex math problems in his head. This all changes when he hears a woman’s voice with a British accent. Harold believes that he is insane in the beginning, but he soon realizes that the voice is actually narrating his life.Upon that discovery, he searches for someone to help him which results in the audience meeting Professor Jules Hilbert (Dustin Hoffman), a very learned professor in literature and prose. I found some irony in this because his book shelves have various cookbooks and other types of books that do not pertain to prose. Professor Hilbert believes that Harold is schizophrenic at first, but when he hears the whole story, he decides to help Harold by telling him to carry a notebook around to see if the book is a comedy or a tragedy.The actors in the movie were absolutely phenomenal. The actors fit the attitude of the characters and Will Ferrell was one of the best. He takes the viewer off guard by being in a serious movie, and actually plays the part very well. Ferrell’s acting felt as if he was actually Harold and didn’t know what was happening in his life. The story line is a fairly straightforward structure, except for the plot twist at the end. It truly shows how Harold and other characters have developed through this movie.The overall mood of the movie is fairly sad until the plot twist. Although the mood was sad, the cinematography and lighting were simply amazing throughout the movie. The music in Stranger Than Fiction was an original soundtrack, with good songs throughout. This movie can be confusing at the end if you are not paying attention, because all of the facts come at you in quick succession. My opinion on if someone should rent or buy this movie would ha ve to be rent it. The movie was well done, but not enough to make viewers want to watch the film again.