Home of Mercy free essay sample

Home of Mercy Home of Mercy is a sonnet written by Gwen Harwood during modern era Australia. It depicts the lifestyle of a select few group of â€Å"ruined girls†, who have been impregnated and exiled to live with the nuns throughout the course of their pregnancy, in hope of exoneration. It deals with the confronting issue of the loss youthful innocence; is a wrong decision made in your teenage years really enough to have the rest of your social life destroyed? Gwen Harwood’s poem raises the problem of teenage pregnancy. Pregnancy in juveniles was something that shamed an entire family. With very few options, the young women were forced to live with the Catholic nuns in hope that god will show mercy upon them. The text was clearly written with a clear understanding of the feelings of the exiled women and the obvious suppression undergone by these girls. To some extent, â€Å"Home of Mercy† loses some of its power in a modern context because of teenage pregnancies becoming more and more accepted. We will write a custom essay sample on Home of Mercy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I think Gwen Harwood wrote her poem to not only outline the problem of unplanned pregnancy, but for the â€Å"onlooker† to have a different perception on this topic. Most people would look at them as â€Å"the ruined girls†, but I think Harwood is trying to make the reader feel compassion and sympathy for these underappreciated girls. She implies that they live very harsh lives, and touches on the notion that they aren’t mature physically (or mentally) when she refers to them as having â€Å"ripening bodies. In my opinion, Gwen is blatantly telling the reader that they should see both sides of this argument and not to jump to conclusions about them. The mood of â€Å"Home of Mercy† is one of its fundamental tools in persuasion. It contains a very strong emotion of suppression and domination, with a strong influence of a lifeless and depressing overtone. A main emotion is the strict and forceful routine enforced by the Catholic Church. The opening sentence â€Å"By two and two † already suggests that they are standing in regimented lines. The next line â€Å"at the neat margin of the convent grass† re-instates the sharp, tense lines symbolically representing their sharp, tense lives. The girls are shown as being ultimately dominated; â€Å"They kneel†, â€Å"their intolerable weekday rigour. †, â€Å"they will launder†. They have no say: â€Å"an old nun who silences their talking†, and are forced to do exactly what the nuns tell them or face life-long solitude. â€Å"Home of Mercy† is structured like a conventional Petrarchan sonnet (abba rhyming scheme), with a few minor flaws in the flow (line 1 and 4 have 11 syllables, and line 6 has 12). A strange aspect of the poem is the use of language. The poem is about a group of girls being treated like the scum of the Earth, yet there aren’t many violent or hateful words at all. Most of the meaning is put through symbolic references and metaphors. The most hateful words are sin and brutish, which are only used toward the end of the poem for effect. Visual imagery is also strong in Harwood’s poem. The opening line â€Å"By two and two† already gives the reader the impression that the girls are under strict control. angels will wrestle them with brutish vigour† is metaphorically saying that even the sacred angels won’t be by their side; that everyone is against them. â€Å"Home of Mercy† has iambic pentameter, with 10 syllables per line in most. A good example of Gwen using sounds to give effect to the poem is â€Å"They smooth with roughened hands†, the soft sounds of â€Å"smooth† in contrast of the harsh sounds of â€Å" roughened† have almost an onomatopoeic effect. Also, the line â€Å"faces of mischievous children in distress† contains sibilance of the â€Å"s† sound. â€Å"Home of Mercy†

Crossing Paths in Wuthering Heights essays

Crossing Paths in Wuthering Heights essays In the novel Wuthering Heights, a story about love turned obsession, Emily Bronte manipulates the desolate setting and dynamic characters to examine the self-destructive pain of compulsion. Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights is a novel about lives that cross paths and are intertwined with one another. Healthcliff, a orphan, is taken in by Mr. Earnshaw, the owner of Wuthering Heights. Mr. Earnshaw has two children named Catherine and Hindley. Jealousy between Hindley and Healthcliff was always a problem. Catherine loves Healthcliff, but Hindley hates the stranger for stealing his fathers affection away. Catherine meets Edgar Linton, a young gentleman who lives at Thrushcross Grange. Despite being in love with Healthcliff she marries Edgar elevating her social standing. The characters in this novel are commingled in their relationships with Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. The series of events in Emily Brontes early life psychologically set the tone for her fictional novel Wuther ing Heights. Early in her life while living in Haworth, near the moors, her mother died. At the time she was only three. At the age of nineteen, Emily moved to Halifax to attend Law Hill School. There is confusion as of how long she stayed here, suggestions ranging from a minimum of three months to a maximum of eighteen months. However long, it was here where she discovered many of the ideas and themes used in Wuthering Heights. Halifax, just like the Yorkshire moors of York, can be described as bleak, baron, and bare. The moors are vast, rough grassland areas covered in small shrubbery. The atmosphere that Emily Bronte encompassed herself in as a young adult, reflects the setting she chose for Wuthering Heights. The setting used throughout the novel Wuthering Heights, helps to set the mood to describe the characters. We find two households separated by the cold, muddy, and barren moors, one by the name of Wuthering Heights, and the other Thrush...

What Are the Political and Cultural Developments of the Ancient and Term Paper

What Are the Political and Cultural Developments of the Ancient and Medieval Eras - Term Paper Example The Medieval Era is also referred to as the Dark Ages as there was very little writing, science or culture during this period. This period is finally believed to have ended with the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire in 1453. During all these years, the world has been a witness to innumerable events and discoveries, which have had a tremendous impact on our lives. Mesopotamia, was originally the area around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Today, we know this region as the modern-day Turkey, Syria, and Iraq. Historians believe that the earliest civilizations began in a land which today is the modern Iraq. Geographically Iraq belongs to Mesopotamia of the Old Testament. The land of Mesopotamia was filled with surplus water resources and was a land with plenty of valleys and rivers. It was a land of fertile vegetation, plentiful wildlife, and abundant water. This paved way for producing surplus food and for the development of civilization. Civilization here was initialized by many rulers like Hammurabi (1792-1750 B.C.), Cyrus (550-530 B.C.), Darius (520-485 B.C.), and Alexander (336-323 B.C.). By 6000 B.C., Mesopotamia was occupied chiefly by Turkish and the Iranians. Southern Mesopotamia was the area from where a high sense of religion developed. Many of the important Mesopotamian cities developed in areas that surrounded Sumerian culture cente rs. This helped in the development of a close relationship between the government and religion. The ancient cities like Babylon and Assyria were a part of Iraq. There were also many attempts made for flood control and joint irrigation. This was very helpful in initializing the development of this civilization. Mesopotamia was controlled by different people at different times, starting with the Sumerians in around 3500 B.C. The Sumerians are said to have invented the wheel and the Cuneiform script, which most historians regard as the earliest form of writing. Ancient Mesopotamians had ceremonies for each month based on the waxing and waning of the moon, equinoxes and solstices, etc. Music played a very important part in their lives, and songs were sung to children, which and these were passed on through many generations as an oral tradition. Later these provided a valuable source of information about their past history. They used a small stringed musical instrument called the Oud, wh ich is considered as a forerunner to the European lute. They enjoyed games like boxing, wrestling, and some form of polo. Mesopotamians were known to bury their dead in family graves along with their possessions. The political history of the Sumerians was one of constant warfare, where each city-state would try to conquer and unify the other, but mostly failing in their efforts. Though it was eventually unified by Eannatum, the Sumerian King of Lagash for a short period, it was later conquered by the Akkadians, who survived for a few generations before being taken over by the Babylonians. EGYPT The Egyptian culture has about six thousand years of recorded history. Life here began along the banks of the river Nile. This place has a very rare geographical unity and also cultural unity. The Egyptian people even today feel proud about being a descendant of humankind who belonged to the earliest civilized community. Egypt was one of the earliest civilizations, which maintained such a dis tinctive and stable culture that it was powerful enough to later influence the cultures of Europe, the Middle East and the African countries. Most of the dynasties of the ancient Egyptians developed along the river Nile. A lot of

Breast Cancer and Red Wine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Breast Cancer and Red Wine - Essay Example From this essay it is clear that despite the dreaded nature and repercussions of those who apparently contracted this illness, experts on the subject have revealed that risk factors have been clearly identified and avoiding these would assist in ultimate prevention. The aim of the current discourse is to focus on presenting a discussion on breast cancer, including its description, the current statistics of those affected, the explanations on how various body systems get affected, and the medications or treatments recommended, especially that which was currently discovered, through drinking red wine.As the report declares  from the statistics provided by the Cancer Research UK (2012), it was revealed the breast cancer ranked second in the world’s most commonly diagnosed cancer as of 2008. In the United States, breast cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer among females, and â€Å"the most common cause of death from cancer among Hispanic women; as well as the second mo st common cause of death from cancer among white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women†.  Cancer was identified to originate from the cell. From the explanations provided in the NCI, the normal cells in the body mature, die, and get replaced by new ones. Somewhere in the process of growth and development, some error occurs. When cells are expected to naturally die and be replaced, some just do not die; or some new cells just emerge even when not needed.

ARGUMENTATIVE, COMPARE AND CONTRAST Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ARGUMENTATIVE, COMPARE AND CONTRAST - Essay Example The article is well written and presents its argument in a logical manner. First, Cloud (2008) presents the idea brought forward by John McCardell Jnr. that the drinking age should be lowered after several conditions have been met. He also presents McCardell argument that restricting alcohol to those below 18 years old raises its appeal thereby encouraging binge drinking. After presenting these views, Cloud (2008) begins his arguments using statistics. He notes that data provided shows that there has been no major shift in binge drinking since the age restrictions were put in place. He argues that binge drinking has in fact dropped from 40.7% in 1984 to 38.1% in 2006. In response to McCardell’s argument of unsupervised drinking, Cloud (2008) notes that even if the drinking age was to be lowered, there would be no one to supervise the 18-21 year olds. His final argument is that while lowering the drinking age may end infantilizing of college students, it may increase deaths on highways. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic fatalities and accidents connected with drinking have improved considerably since the restrictions were put in place. Sunders (2008) holds a different view and believes that college students between the ages of 18 and 21 are mature enough to drink. She also looks at McCardell’s argument that the drinking age should be lowered and that Washington should open the debate to look at amending the minimum drinking age. Her main argument is that the law is null and void since most people do not believe that the minimum drinking age works. Her arguments are also based on statistics and she argues that half of those between 18 and 21 year old have consumed alcohol despite the prohibitions placed by the law. She presents an argument forwarded by MADD that the minimum drinking age saves lives through the reduction of traffic accidents. She also notes that this fact has been supported by

Benefits of the Psychology of Personality

Benefits of the Psychology of Personality The psychology of personality enables us to understand ourselves better than it allows us to understand others. Critically evaluate this statement, giving empirical and/or theoretical evidence to support your arguments. According to Kohut (2013), personality is not a clearly defined and measured concept; therefore in order to understand ourselves and other people we have constructed implicit personality theories, through observing others’ behaviour and experiencing social interactions (Maltby, Day Macaskill, 2010). However, it is also clear that individual differences occur, making the study of personality more complex, and one which is highly influenced by and reliant on subjectivity. This produces problems with reliably understanding others, and also raises unexpected questions as to whether studying personality really does allow us to understand ourselves better than other people. Allport (1955), expresses personality as a process of ‘becoming’, unique to each individual and their context, and considers that individual differences are made sense of through comparison with accepted concepts. It would therefore make sense that many theories in personality research base themselves on common sense and rely heavily on intuition, often without explicit knowledge (Heider, 2013). Furthermore, psychological research (within personality psychology and other areas) is often directly influenced by personal experience. Allport also commented that by understanding ourselves and identifying issues which are important to our own experience, we are then able to collect structured knowledge about other people. Empirical research by Chiu, Hong and Dweck (1997) demonstrated that an individual’s understanding of themselves influences their view of the personalities of others, through pattern projection, and that forms implicit personality theories. This suggest s that we have an existing deeper knowledge of ourselves and that as we develop this we also cultivate theories about the behaviour of other people around us which allows us to understand them. If then, understanding ourselves enables a better understanding of others, it is important to consider how personality psychology allows us to understand ourselves better. Firstly, much of the terminology used (such as ‘self-actualisation’ and ‘self-concept’) places emphasis on our knowledge of ourselves and how individual awareness should be strived for, as shown by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The Need Satisfaction Inventory has been produced in order to operationalise and confirm Maslow’s theory using college students (Lester, 1990); this has provided more grounded evidence for ideas about achieving happiness and potential. Furthermore, the Jungian personality types are based on the concepts of ‘thinking’, ‘feeling’, ‘sensing’ and ‘intuition’ (Jung, 1998), placing emphasis on the internal and subjective, and classifying people using these individual processes. There are elements of psycholo gy which take internal processes to be irrelevant, such as operant and classical conditioning, which rely on genetics and situational factors (Pavlov, 1927; Skinner, 1938). Yet, personality psychology is concerned with what makes people different, and therefore focuses on the internal thoughts and processes which make a person who they are. We are clearly interested in the motives and causes of behaviour and this is one of the main reasons for studying personality (Maltby, Day Macaskill, 2010). Subsequently much research is based entirely on subjective processes as this allows us to understand ourselves better. Ullen, de Manzano, Almeida, Magnusson and Pederson (2012), looked at the phenomenon of ‘flow’ within personality psychology. This involved measuring ‘flow proneness’ using self-report, as flow is a subjective experience which involves enjoyment, low self-awareness and effortless actions when engaging in an activity of interest. The theory is based entirely on subjective experience as flow cannot be measured empirically or be identified by people other than the individual experiencing flow. Due to research such as this, logically it would appear that while undertaking personality research it should be easier to understand ourselves. We have direct information about our history, private behaviours, thoughts and feelings which others do not have, and that we do not have about other people (Vazire Carlson, 2010). However, there are limitations to the amount that we can understand our own personality and internal processes. Wilson (2009) commented on the use of introspection in psychology, stating that it may not be as effective as first thought, as many aspects of ourselves are hidden from conscious awareness, limiting its ability to provide us with self-knowledge. This notion of the unconscious is grounded in psychodynamic psychology and Freudian concepts. Freud considered the unconscious and reasoned that there is much of our thoughts, feelings and internal information about ourselves which is unknown to us. Freud considered consciousness to be a dynamic system, whereby unconscious thoughts manifest themselves in various ways such as dreams and ‘Freudian slips’ (Power, 2000). When understanding a person we put emphasis on their motives, rather than just the observed behaviour, however we cannot pass any judgement on the unconscious (ours or others’) or make generalisatio ns about unconscious processes, as it is beyond our cognition (Jung, 1998). In more recent research, Carlson (2013) provides research suggesting that mindfulness can improve self-knowledge, especially into internal aspects of personality such as thoughts and emotions. Mindfulness, as opposed to introspection, is being more aware of our own internal thoughts and processes without needing immediate explanation and justification- we simply observe our own state. Carlson considers that we can measure both trait and state mindfulness and that this may overcome the barriers of information and ego-defence which can distort our understanding of ourselves. Despite this, it is clear that currently we cannot fully understand ourselves; it has also been explored that this process is intrinsically linked to, rather than preceding, our understanding of others. Heider (2013) explains that as soon as we enter into an interaction with someone else we cannot be analysed and viewed separately from that person and the environment we are in. We respond to what others think of us, or what we perceive to be their views. Vazire and Carlson (2010) go further than behaviour and consider that an individual cannot develop a full understanding of themselves without considering the perspective of people who know them well. Others can see things about our personality and provide insights that we cannot, this is due to blind spots, as we sometimes have too much or too little information or self-presentation motivations which can distort our considerations. We do not view ourselves objectively as others do, which inhibits our understanding of ourselves. Vazir e (2010) produced the Self-Other Knowledge Asymmetry (SOKA) model to illustrate that both the individual and the people close to them have insight into different aspects of their personality. When we consider these ideas when understanding others, on an explicit level it is clear that the only way to find out what people are thinking is to ask them (Baumeister, Vohs Funder, 2007), however this produces a large reliance on self report, and raises methodological issues and problems. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, or EPQ (Eysenck, Eysenck Barrett, 1975) is used to measure personality using yes/no judgements by individuals on a series of statements. The self report asks questions such as: ‘Do you often wonder about things you should have done or said?’, ‘Do you often feel lonely?’ and ‘Are your feelings easily hurt?’ Considering Vazire and Carlson’s point, people close to the individual may have an insight and may be able to correct with regards to demand characteristics, however behaviour does not always reflect feelings and beliefs, leaving the self report with a large potential for bias. This is partly due to poor pre dictive validity which leads Baumeister, Vohs and Funder (2007) to argue that Social and Personality psychology disciplines are not really measuring behaviour because of their reliance on self report. They explain that there are often discrepancies between what people say they will do and how they actually behave, meaning that observations and direct experiments would be a more reliable way to study behaviour, and that self-report should be used to accompany these to provide deeper understanding. However, psychology is the study of why people do what they do, so this comment could be considered irrelevant if the emphasis of personality psychology is to explain internal processes and understand why people act as they do (Maltby, Day Macaskill, 2010). Adler (1998) would argue that everything happens with conscious intent and that observing behaviour actually gives no insight into what is occurring within an individual. Furthermore, self-reports do not occur in isolation from the envi ronment, therefore situational factors have an influence on the extent to which personality characteristics are displayed, which in turn may affect an individual’s perception of themselves and subsequently their self-report judgements (Ajzen, 2005). Additionally, self-reports are snap judgements which do not give much information into understanding others, yet can be useful for developing models and theories to explain general internal processes and behaviour (Baumeister, Vohs and Funder, 2007). For example, attachment theory relies on past experiences (Bretherton, 1992) and has proved a highly influential model used in many areas of psychology. As a model, it has been reliably based on observation of behaviour and has helped us to understand others, and even to make inferences about personality; however on an individual basis we often do not have the information available to allow us to make direct attribution retrospectively. We need to understand the full context and the goal of the individual and in this way we understand ourselves but not others. Models provide information about general behaviour, yet perhaps they only aid true understanding of ourselves and not others; when it comes down to environment and experience we kn ow ourselves. Subsequently, the use of self-reports in personality psychology poses questions as to the degree to which we are developing an understanding of others. On the contrary, Lounsbury, Levy, Leong and Gibson (2007) conducted a study into the Big Five personality traits and whether they influence sense of identity in an individual. Although a causal relationship could not be established, their research showed that each of the personality traits were related to, and subsequently may influence, identity. In this way, personality research allows us to develop an understanding of others and often inspire further research. The question is simply the degree to which research like this is able to produce understanding; the preceding points have shown that this may not be as strong as we would think. Reanalysis of such studies has shown reliability in self-report measures. McCrae and Costa (1987) showed strong cross-validation for measures of the five factor personality, showing that self-reports can provide us with insight into behaviour and be relied upon in some cases. So, in conclusion, it has become evident that the study of ourselves and others within personality psychology is perhaps more complex than first thought. This essay has raised many issues. Firstly, it is unclear as to how well personality psychology allows us to understand ourselves. On a conscious level it would appear than whilst trying to understand any aspect of personality we develop a clearer understanding of our own, however, research has shown limitations to this (Wilson, 2009; Power, 2000). Overall, it can be seen that we develop a better understanding of ourselves, yet this may not be to a greater extent than others; it may in fact be a joint process of understanding ourselves and understanding those around us (Heider, 2013; Vazire and Carlson, 2010). Alternatively, when we consider how much we are developing a better understanding of others, there are limitations in the use of self-reports, as it is hard to know the degree of understanding we are gaining and whether this i s providing us with a full picture (Ajzen, 2005). Therefore, there are many considerations which make it hard to know the extent of the understanding gained in personality psychology. Perhaps this is also dependent on interpretation of the word ‘understanding’ and the information needed. If a general knowledge of behaviour is adequate, then the models and theories provided by the discipline can help us to understand both ourselves and others to some degree. However, if we seek understanding on a deeper level, we may have to consider that personality psychology may not currently have all the answers needed for deeper insight in ourselves or others.

Sterilizing the World of ‘Dumb’ People . . . Why It Won’t Work :: Argumentative Persuasive Intelligence Essays

Sterilizing the World of ‘Dumb’ People . . . Why It Won’t Work â€Å"If we could just keep dumb people from having children, eventually there would be nothing but smart people and this would be a better place.† After reading this statement once and not really fully considering it, a lot of people may agree. At some point in their lives, many people may look at certain parents and their children and say, ‘those people really should not be allowed to have children.’ Usually these thoughts are just thoughts, for who are we to say who can and cannot have children. However, what if a government official proposed to sterilize everyone with less than an average IQ of 100. Would preventing ‘dumb’ people from reproducing really make this world a better place? Is the status of our society based on the intelligence of its people alone? The answer to solving the world’s problems and making this a better place to live are not that simple. There are many complex issues around defining and measuring intelligence. Even if we knew for sure that only ‘smart’ people make this place better, would sterilizing the ‘dumb’ work? How important is it to take into account other things that may affect a person’s development? Intelligence is influenced by the interaction of genetics, environment, and culture; therefore, sterilizing people would probably not keep the world free of people with an IQ of less than 100. If the world were cleansed of ‘dumb’ people, it would not guarantee a perfect world. Having a high IQ does not mean that a person will necessarily make this world a better place. Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber, had the IQ of a genius. He spent years of his life terrorizing, injuring, and killing people. On the other hand, just because a person has a low IQ does not mean they cannot make this a better place. Take, for example, the ‘Forest Gumps’ of the world or the mentally challenged. They may not be very smart on what our society subjectively calls intelligence, but they may bring joy and purpose to someone else’s life. Making this world a better place is not something left strictly up to the intelligence of the people in it. Anyone supporting the government official’s proposal is assuming that people’s intelligence alone causes the condition of the world, and there is no proof of this.