Great Expectations Essays - English-language Films, British Films

Great Expectations Great Expectations The novel, Great Expectations, presents the story of a young boy growing up and becoming a gentleman. He must learn to appreciate people for who they are, not shun them for who they aren't. Nicknamed Pip, Philip Pirrip, the main character, goes through many changes in his personality, as he is influenced by various people. Pip experiences tough times as a boy and a young man, but at the end he has become a fine, morale young man. In the beginning, Pip, an orphan, considers himself to be a common laboring boy, but he has a desire to improve his station in life. He is raised by his sister, and her husband, Joe Gargery. Then Pip meets Estella, the adopted daughter of Miss Havisham, an old lady who is bitter and eccentric. Estella taunts Pip and is very cruel to him, but he still falls in love with her. Miss Havisham is teaching Estella to hurt men, because she herself was deserted by her fianc? on her wedding day. One day, Mr. Jaggers, a lawyer, reveals to Pip, that there are ?Great Expectations? for Pip. He is given the money to become a gentleman and receive a good education; he assumes that his benefactor is Miss Havisham. In London, Pip makes many new, high-society friends. When Joe Gargery comes to visit Pip in his new way of life, Pip is ashamed of Joe, because he is a commoner. At this time, Pip is around twenty years old. Estella is still the center of his attractions. When she comes! to London, he meets her, but she tries to warn Pip to stay away from her because she might hurt his feelings. She is being kind to him in the only way that she knows how. Around the same time, Pip receives a letter telling him that Mrs. Joe Gargery had died. A man from Pip's past steps out, an ex-convict, named Magwitch, who he had fed many years ago; this man is his true benefactor. Pip finally knows the truth about this man. Magwitch is Estella's father, and Mr. Jagger's housekeeper is Estella's mother. A short time later, Estella is wed to Bentley Drummle, but she is very unhappy. Pip falls ill, and Joe comes to take care of him. While he is being nursed back to health, Pip starts to appreciate Joe and begins to look past the fact that he is ?common.? He receives the news that Miss Havisham is dead. Pip visits Joe's home and is told that Joe and Biddy, Pip's friend, are married. Pip then returns to London and continues his life for eleven more years. Pip finally goes back to Joe's house, to find that Joe and Biddy have a son, and they have named him Pip. During that last visit, he returns to Miss Havisham's old run-down home. There he meets Estella, grown into a woman, her husband dead. There, Estella asks Pip to for! give her, he does, and all is well. So the story ends, with grown Pip and a changed Estella both at peace with each other. In conclusion, I thought that this was a very well written book. It took me a while to get into it and understand the plot, but now I see that Dickens wrote Great Expectations with a very complex plot and well described characters. From Joe Gargery to Miss Havisham, I really got to know the characters as if they were people. I would describe this book as a delightful story with a sprinkle of mystery and a handful of romance, with a pinch of fun all mixed in.

Double Comparatives in the English Language

Double Comparatives in the English Language Double comparatives are phrases commonly used in English to express increasing or decreasing returns. Double comparatives are often employed to underline the importance of doing or not doing a certain activity. Here are some examples of double comparatives: The more you study, the more you learn.The more time you take, the better the assignment your turn in.The less money I spend, the less I have to worry about saving.The less you worry about the others, the less they will bother you. Using Double Comparatives As you can see from these examples, the format of double comparatives is as follows: The (more / less) (noun / noun phrase) subject verb , the (more / less) (noun) subject verb Double comparatives with more and less can be used with  adjectives in the same way. In this case, the structure places the comparative adjective first: The comparative adjective (noun) subject verb, the comparative adjective   it is infinitive The easier the test is, the longer students will wait to prepare.The faster the car is, the more dangerous it is to drive.The crazier the idea is, the more fun it is to try.The more difficult the task is, the sweeter it is to succeed. These forms can be mixed up as well. For example, a double comparative might begin with a more / less plus a subject and then end in a comparative adjective plus the subject. The more money and time he spends with her, the happier he becomes.The less Mary thinks about the problem, the more relaxed she feels.The more the students study for the test, the higher their scores will be. You can also  reverse the above by beginning with a comparative adjective and ending with more / less plus a subject and verb or noun, subject and verb. The richer the person is, the more privilege he enjoys.The happier the child is, the more the mom can relax.The more dangerous the amusement park ride is, the less management worries about making a profit. Double comparatives are often shortened in spoken English, especially when used as a cliche. Here are some examples of typical cliches using double comparatives. The more the merriermeans...The more people there are, the merrier everyone will be. Double comparatives can also be turned into commands in the imperative form when recommending certain actions: Study more, learn more.Play less, study more.Work more, save more.Think harder, get smarter. Double Comparatives Incorrect Usage The use of the term double comparative also applies to the incorrect use of two comparative forms together. Here are some examples: This wine is more tastier than that bottle.She is more funnier than Tom is.Alexander is more taller than Franklin. In this case, more is not required as the comparative adjective form has been modified by the addition of -ier. Double Comparatives to Show Change Finally, double comparatives are also used to show a continual increase or decrease. There are more and more people coming to this vacation spot.It seems like there is less and less time to spend with the family these days.Recently, people are finding more and more time to spend with their families. Practice Double Comparatives Use the following sentence segments to create double comparatives (the good kind) of your own. people / come / party , food / we / needdifficult / test , students / studynice / customer service representative / happy / customerhigh-tech / car , expensive / modelfull / church , good / pastorfunny / comic , sales / cd / havesevere / judge , harsh /sentenceexperienced / technician , satisfying / repairlong / play , bored / audiencemoney / spend , money / save Possible Answers Here are some possible answers for the exercise. The more people that come to the party, the more food we will need.The more difficult the test is, the more students should study.The nicer the customer service representative is, the happier the customer will be.  The more high-tech the car is, the more expensive the modal will cost.  The fuller the church is, the better the pastor is.The funnier the comic is, the better sales the CD will have.The more severe the judge, the harsher the sentence will be.The more experienced the technician is, the more satisfying the repair will be.The longer the play lasts, the more bored the audience becomes.The more money you spend, the less money you save.

Classifying Terrain for Ground Vehicles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Classifying Terrain for Ground Vehicles - Essay Example However the technique is always inefficient when visibility is interfered due to climatic conditions. The reaction based classification is dependent on the sensor measurement like wheel sinkage, vehicle vibrations, and wheel slip (Garratt and Chahl, 2011). However, some of the interactions of vehicle terrain like the wheel sinkage and slip is not easy to measure accurately. Therefore, the reaction based terrain in normally performed with the help vehicle vibrations. This is because they are easy to measure with the help of accelerometers and inertial sensors. An unmanned vehicle ought to have a complete understanding of the features and the terrain around it in order to be able to navigate multifarious environmental safety (Brooks and Iagnemma, 2010). In other cases, the terrain can only be understood when speed and optimality is sacrificed. This chapter is a literature review that will utilize the measured acceleration values in the vertical direction of the vehicles to classify the terrain traversed. The literature review will be divided into a number of parts discussing wheel sinkage methods, vision based methods and different vibration methods aimed at classifying the data. Terrain classification for ground vehicles are normally categorized as reaction based methods, vision based method, and combination of a reaction and vision based methods. The reaction and vision based approaches are quite analogous to the recognition of human drivers of a terrain in respect to what can be seen and felt through the reaction of the vehicle during the terrain traversal. Vision-based terrain is performed with the help of laser range finders and cameras. To illustrate the various terrain signatures that arise from the various terrain processes, 100 terrain profiles from asphalt, gravel, grass, and sand were researched with the help of

Management, Work and Society People, Management and Business Essay

Management, Work and Society People, Management and Business - Essay Example As the trade transactions have immensely increased, traders are compelled to find new sources of human power. In the words of Phillips (2009), for every business, an experienced and skilled worker is an invaluable asset and hence employers are willing to retain such employees at any cost. As a result, modern marketers offer improved worksite environment as long as possible. Similarly, the demographics factor also plays a crucial role in determining the future of work force. The UK government has also realized the increased need of human power in future so that it gives great emphasis employees’ healthcare. In addition, day to day developments in technology also greatly contributes to employees’ interests. For instance, improved technological developments minimize the workload to a large extent. The increasing participation of female workers in UK workforce also indicates a prosperous future work. With intent to improve the work future, employers have made considerable c hanges in work schedules and they pay higher attention to ensure that the implemented changes best suit the interests of the employees. In the opinion of Williams, â€Å"Foramalisation and commodification of work is seen to be increasingly taking place with an open world economy† (Williams, 2009). ... International Labour Organisation, unemployment occurs when people have no jobs although they actively searched for opportunities within the past four weeks. Evidently, employment rate plays a vital role in determining a country’s level of economic growth. A lower unemployment rate clearly indicates the faster development of the economy (Sesric reports). When the unemployment rate is higher in a country, the government is forced to declare additional incentives and subsidies in the employment sector and this situation impedes the rapid economic growth of the country. Hence, it is necessary to create adequate job opportunities in a country so as to effectively employ the maximum potentials of available human resources. However, it is observed that 2.49 million people in the United Kingdom were unemployed in 2009 and it was the highest figure recorded since March 1995. According to Office for National Statistics, in the 12 months ending June 2010, the unemployment has varied bet ween 2.9% and 14.1%. The people over 60 are most likely to be unemployed in UK since the employers believe that employees of this group cannot adequately contribute to the sustainability of their firms. The termination of experienced and skilled employees on the ground of age limit intensifies unemployment rate in UK. The higher unemployment rate causes far reaching consequences in a country. When a country possesses large number of unemployed citizens, it adversely affects the nation’s stature in the global market; and thereby foreign investors hesitate to invest with the nation. Similarly, if the nation is unable to produce adequate employment opportunities, people tend to look for jobs abroad; this condition will seriously impinge on the increased need of human resources that would arise

Is Google Making Us Stupid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Is Google Making Us Stupid - Essay Example I tend to differ with the notion of stupidity arising from Google. Although Google and the internet as a whole are changing us, we are headed for good things. Carr claimed the emergence of the search engine Google carries blame for his acquired inability to pay attention to whatever material he reads. Google provides information within a span of 0.003 seconds and internet users find no use in reading large volumes of books to get information that is already summarized elsewhere (Carr 56). The summaries and appealing presentation of information over the internet are Carrs argument on his reduced attention and inability to read long texts and passages. It is, therefore, apparent that for people who use the internet and its search engines such as Google, they cannot read articles and books with competency. They also cannot take much of their time trying to comprehend what they read (Carr 56-63). Contrary to that, optimistic people will always quote how Google has shaped and reshaped their minds and brains. Google has provided people with means, new tools and ways of accessing information and sharing it with the rest of the world. It, therefo re, sounds absurd to think of Google as having a stupid nature rather than enlightening tool. It is unacceptable to take Google as a tool for stupidity. People’s failure to pay attention for long texts has been depleting over time because of the corrupt cultures present in the world (Gitlin 5-7). James Bowman in his article "is stupid making us Google" expounds on the concept that Google takes no fault on the new state of poor attention people are paying to read hard copy materials. Instead, he shifts the blame to the junk culture blending all over the world. Education instructors and mentors, for example, have reduced their attention and value for their respective studies (Bowman 75-78). Bowman goes ahead to elaborate his claims by

Counterculture Analysis: Neo National Socialists

Counterculture Analysis: Neo National Socialists James Blackburn The group chosen for this assignment would be the Neo-National Socialists (Neo-Nazis), modern culture that fits well within the definition of a counterculture. A counterculture is a subculture that rejects the major values of the larger society and replaces them with a new set of cultural patterns (Thomas 39). An obvious trait of these modernized National Socialists, is that they indulge themselves with the idea of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism is viewed as a negative value in most of society, yet Neo-Nazis embrace this horrific hatred against the Jewish population and their culture (Southern Poverty Law Center). Evidence also leads to the conclusion that Neo-Nazis were not only anti-Semites but are very homophobic as well. Members of the Hogar Social Madrid had spit out homophobic slangs at a gay couple. This couple made out in front of the neo Nazis as a protest against them. The neo Nazi group was apparently protesting against taking in refugees near Plaza del Dos de Mayo in Malasa à ±a (Wong). The term Nazi comes from the rising Soviet propaganda during WWII when Hitler decided to invade Russia. Nà ¡tional Sozà ­alistische Deutsche Arbeiter partei, Hitlers party name just in Deutch. The Russians wanted to name Hitler as not a true socialist so they would mock him with the term of Nazi. If a person named the National Socialist party as the Nazi party, they would have been killed. The Russians pulled out the stressed syllables of their party and create the propaganda term of Nazi (Passyn). Going towards the ideology of the party, Hitler viewed his party as being Left-Wing instead of Right-Wing but media has showcased his ideology as Right-wing. In the pre-revolutionary France during the National Assemblies, the reactionaries sat on the right and the revolutionaries sat on the left. The Nazis viewed themselves as revolutionaries according to Mr. Hanson. The Nazis wanted the downfall of the Old Order and reestablish a new system of government; this seems appropriate because the Nazis had already deemed the government as unfit to govern and tried to overthrow the government during the Beer Hall Putsch which failed on a large scale. On top of this, Germany was basically on its hands and knees in terms of economics, nationalism and power after the horrific defeat in WWI (Hanson). As a view from the Right-Wing, Mr. Klein states that there was actually no true socialism within the National Socialist party. He claims that Hitler outlawed Socialism and executed communists and socialists which are considered Left-Wing. Evidence shows that in 1933, a concentration camp called Dachau held leftist and socialists exclusively. Furthermore, Nazis had arrested more than 11,000 Germans for illegal socialist activity in 1936 (Klein). So if it was illegal to have true socialist or communist ideas, would that make the Nazi party lean more towards the Right-Wing in our understanding of contemporary politics? An American leader of the neo-Nazis would be Richard Spencer, th ough he hides behind the name of the alt-right or old-right in German. Spencer and his party are considered to be white nationalists and supporters of anti-Semitism (Kestenbaum). Sociological perspective can be defined as looking through the commonly held beliefs to the hidden meanings of human actions (Thomas 4). A clear example this would affect American politics would be the relationship between the neo-Nazis and Donald Trump. For most societies, they will demonize neo Nazis their new ideology of the old national socialism. However, if the majority of the public hates Nazism but a big political figure has hints of supporting it, would that make neo-Nazis feel more comfortable sharing their ideology with the public? Now not all trump supporters are neo-Nazis however, he has earned some supports of them. There was a name at a trump rally who was yelling out Jew-S-A at the press pen in Phoenix. Joyce states that trump has attracted a sometimes strongly anti-Semitic following which has not been a big issue within the 21st century (Joyce). The term sociological imagination is the ability to connect an individuals life with the larger world (Thomas 5). A neo-Naz i site called the Daily Stormer stated to vote for a man who actually represents our interests. Andrew Angiln, the head of the Daily Stormer endorsed Trump and had enthusiastically supported his campaign. The site also regularly defends Hitlers actions and ideology of National Socialism (Hananoki). With this information, there is an understanding of how the individual feels of a neo-Nazi. Because of a rise in a political leader that has a better fit of their ideology has finally risen, they feel comfortable facing the norms of society and fight against them. Ethnocentrism is the tendency to view ones own culture and group to be superior than other cultures or groups (Thomas 35). Just as the original National Socialists found that the Jews were inferior, the neo-Nazis would find their hearts and minds to be in the same place. Mr. Passyn would explain that the old stereo type of the Jews would be that they are manipulative. This old stereo type can be seen within the Alt-Right or neo-Nazis. The neo-Nazi site Daily Stormer publishes an image of Auschwitz with a yellow Star of David and the word Jude as invite to march in Whitefish, Montana. This is the home of a white supremacist named Richard Spencer. This site announced that there will be an armed march by white supremacists in Montana where there is a large Jewish community. The primary goal of this march was just to harass the Jewish population and displace a cultural dominance upon the Jews. Anglin, the head of the neo-Nazi site sated that they could easily march around the Jewish comm unity with powerful guns due to the towns low gun regulations (Haaretz and JTA). The belief of judging cultures based on their culture rather than the individuals cultural is called cultural relativism (Thomas 36). Since there is very little difference between both ideologies of the National Socialists and neo-Nazi party, evidence of the ideology of the National Socialists party to help justify the Neo-Nazi actions. Going towards the notion or the ideal race, Nazis wanted full power for only the Arian race, which was being white with blond hair and blue eyes. In Mein Kampf, Hitler explains how the life was the struggle between races for living space and how he would move to the West of Europe and conquer the Slavs for German interests. Then lastly, he believed that the Jews were nothing but the devils of hell and the Arian race, the pure-race would grow due to the deaths of the impure-races (Hitler). Though the Neo-Nazis supported Hitlers ideology, they would focus on just the white race rather than get into the nitty gritty of having blond hair and blue eyes (Di ffrence Between). I heavily disagree with my counterculture and how they act towards other societies. They are nothing but barbarians who cry because most subcultures believe in racial inequality. Even though neo-Nazis are part of the story of racial discrimination, they most likely agree with other white supremacists outside of their counterculture. To put sociological imagination to the test for myself, I would say the best reason why neo-Nazis are so hostile towards the Jews, homosexuals, gays, and other races or anything that is out of their norm, they once saw white power in their history and or just by their family. To explain more, what I mean is that the white man could do whatever he wanted with the black or other races if they had total power and laws were in their favor. Like in Uncle Toms Cabin, it pointed out the horrors of a white racist man beating and brutalizing a black man just because he had power. And depending on the type of social environment the individual grew up with in, their parents might have had racist or homophobic ideals and they just happened to grow up like their parents. References Diffrence Between. Difference Between Nazi and Neo-Nazi. n.d. 11 March 2017. Haaretz and JTA. Neo-Nazi Calls for Armed White Supremacists to March Against Montana Jews. 26 December 2016. 11 March 2017. Hananoki, Eric. UPDATED: The Complete History Of Donald Trumps Relationship With The White Nationalist Movement. 16 November 2016. 11 March 2017. Hanson, Bradord. National Socialism A Left-Wing Movement. 6 October 2016. 11 March 2017. Hitler, Adolf. Mein Kampf. Boston: Ralph Manheim, 1971. Joyce, Andrew. The man who shouted Jew-S-A at a Trump rally is now blaming Mexicans for his anti-Semitism. 31 October 2016. 9 March 2017. Kestenbaum, Sam. Alt-Right Leader Slams Rabbis and Mocks Righteous Gentiles as Neo-Nazis Plan Montana March. December 27 2016. 10 March 2017 . Klein, David. Hitler, Nazis, Socialism, and Rightwing Propaganda. January 2011. 11 March 2017. Passyn, Andrew. National Socialism James Blackburn. 10 March 2017 . Southern Poverty Law Center. Neo-Nazi. n.d. 5 March 2017. Thomas, W. LaVerne. Sociology the Study of Human Relationships. Auston: Holt,Rienheart and Winstion, 2003. Textbook. Wong, Curtis M. Gay Couple Stands Up To Neo-Nazi, Homophobic Mob With A Kiss. 24 May 2016. 9 March 2017. Does Culture Influence the Marketing Strategies of MNCs? Does Culture Influence the Marketing Strategies of MNCs?

Snow & Cold Weather :: essays research papers

Snow and Cold Weather   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My essay will focus on the topic of snow and the cold weather that happen during our Minnesota winters and how that affects us in our everyday life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I will begin with the water freezing which happens often in this area when the water freezes you can’t take showers, do the dishes, flush the toilet, or even cook and it can also be very costly to have repaired. Also many car accidents occur during the winter months due to the sloppy and icy road conditions caused by freezing rain and snow which can give you very little control while you are driving a few of these accidents result in death or serious injury.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another factor in cold weather is depression it can very easily happen to anyone when it gets so cold outside that you don’t want to leave your house. And it is often very dark or gloomy outside and that can also make you feel down and out and depressed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When you get a big snow eventually you have to shovel. Last winter sixty people in New York alone had heart attacks and died from shoveling. People need to know when to stop and take a break to prevent this from happing. Sickness is yet another factor you find with the cold weather the flue and pneumonia are some of the most common illnesses we see during these months they both can be fatal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The last factor I will discuss although there are many more is hypothermia which is caused by being exposed to the cold for a long period of time and your bodies core temperature drops at a rapid rate. It can happen if you happen to get lost in the woods, get stuck in the ditch for a period of time, and camping in the winter months although there are many other instances for with this could happen.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 6. DISTRACTIONS

My entertainment became the number-one priority on isle Esme. We snorkeled (well, I snorkeled while he flaunted his ability to go without oxygen indefinitely). We explored the small jungle that ringed the rocky little peak. We visited the parrots that lived in the canopy on the south end of the island. We watched the sunset from the rocky western cove. We swam with the porpoises that played in the warm, shallow waters there. Or at least I did; when Edward was in the water, the porpoises disappeared as if a shark was near. I knew what was going on. He was trying to keep me busy, distracted, so I that wouldn't continue badgering him about the sex thing. Whenever I tried to talk him into taking it easy with one of the million DVDs under the big-screen plasma TV, he would lure me out of the house with magic words like coral reefs and submerged caves and sea turtles. We were going, going, going all day, so that I found myself completely famished and exhausted when the sun eventually set. I drooped over my plate after I finished dinner every night; once I'd actually fallen asleep right at the table and he'd had to carry me to bed. Part of it was that Edward always made too much food for one, but I was so hungry after swimming and climbing all day that I ate most of it. Then, full and worn out, I could barely keep my eyes open. All part of the plan, no doubt. Exhaustion didn't help much with my attempts at persuasion. But I didn't give up. I tried reasoning, pleading, and grouching, all to no avail. I was usually unconscious before I could really press my case far. And then my dreams felt so real – nightmares mostly, made more vivid, I guessed, by the too-bright colors of the island – that I woke up tired no matter how long I slept. About a week or so after we'd gotten to the island, I decided to try compromise. It had worked for us in the past. I was sleeping in the blue room now. The cleaning crew wasn't due until the next day, and so the white room still had a snowy blanket of down. The blue room was smaller, the bed more reasonably proportioned. The walls were dark, paneled in teak, and the fittings were all luxurious blue silk. I'd taken to wearing some of Alice's lingerie collection to sleep in at night – which weren't so revealing compared to the scanty bikinis she'd packed for me when it came right down to it. I wondered if she'd seen a vision of why I would want such things, and then shuddered, embarrassed by that thought. I'd started out slow with innocent ivory satins, worried that revealing more of my skin would be the opposite of helpful, but ready to try anything. Edward seemed to notice nothing, as if I were wearing the same ratty old sweats I wore at home. The bruises were much better now – yellowing in some places and disappearing altogether in others – so tonight I pulled out one of the scarier pieces as I got ready in the paneled bathroom. It was black, lacy, and embarrassing to look at even when it wasn't on. I was careful not to look in the mirror before I went back to the bedroom. I didn't want to lose my nerve. I had the satisfaction of watching his eyes pop open wide for just a second before he controlled his expression. â€Å"What do you think?† I asked, pirouetting so that he could see every angle. He cleared his throat. â€Å"You look beautiful. You always do.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said a bit sourly. I was too tired to resist climbing quickly into the soft bed. He put his arms around me and pulled me against his chest, but this was routine – it was too hot to sleep without his cool body close. â€Å"I'll make you a deal,† I said sleepily. â€Å"I will not make any deals with you,† he answered. â€Å"You haven't even heard what I'm offering.† â€Å"It doesn't matter.† I sighed. â€Å"Dang it. And I really wanted†¦ Oh well.† He rolled his eyes. I closed mine and let the bait sit there. I yawned. It took only a minute – not long enough for me to zonk out. â€Å"All right. What is it you want?† I gritted my teeth for a second, fighting a smile. If there was one thing he couldn't resist, it was an opportunity to give me something. â€Å"Well, I was thinking†¦ I know that the whole Dartmouth thing was just supposed to be a cover story, but honestly, one semester of college probably wouldn't kill me,† I said, echoing his words from long ago, when he'd tried to persuade me to put off becoming a vampire. â€Å"Charlie would get a thrill out of Dartmouth stories, I bet. Sure, it might be embarrassing if I can't keep up with all the brainiacs. Still†¦ eighteen, nineteen. It's really not such a big difference. It's not like I'm going to get crow's feet in the next year.† He was silent for a long moment. Then, in a low voice, he said, â€Å"You would wait. You would stay human.† I held my tongue, letting the offer sink in. â€Å"Why are you doing this to me?† he said through his teeth, his tone suddenly angry. â€Å"Isn't it hard enough without all of this?† He grabbed a handful of lace that was ruffled on my thigh. For a moment, I thought he was going to rip it from the seam. Then his hand relaxed. â€Å"It doesn't matter. I won't make any deals with you.† â€Å"I want to goto college.† â€Å"No, you don't. And there is nothing that is worth risking your life again. That's worth hurting you.† â€Å"But I do want to go. Well, it's not college as much as it's that I want – I want to be human a little while longer.† He closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose. â€Å"You are making me insane, Bella. Haven't we had this argument a million times, you always begging to be a vampire without delay?† â€Å"Yes, but†¦ well, I have a reason to be human that I didn't have before.† â€Å"What's that?† â€Å"Guess,† I said, and I dragged myself off the pillows to kiss him. He kissed me back, but not in a way that made me think I was winning. It was more like he was being careful not to hurt my feelings; he was completely, maddeningly in control of himself. Gently, he pulled me away after a moment and cradled me against his chest. â€Å"You are so human, Bella. Ruled by your hormones.† He chuckled. â€Å"That's the whole point, Edward. I like this part of being human. I don't want to give it up yet. I don't want to wait through years of being a blood-crazed newborn for some part of this to come back to me.† I yawned, and he smiled. â€Å"You're tired. Sleep, love.† He started humming the lullaby he'd composed for me when we first met. â€Å"I wonder why I'm so tired,† I muttered sarcastically. â€Å"That couldn't be part of your scheme or anything.† He just chuckled once and went back to humming. â€Å"For as tired as I've been, you'd think I'd sleep better.† The song broke off. â€Å"You've been sleeping like the dead, Bella. You haven't said a word in your sleep since we got here. If it weren't for the snoring, I'd worry you were slipping into a coma.† I ignored the snoring jibe; I didn't snore. â€Å"I haven't been tossing? That's weird. Usually I'm all over the bed when I'm having nightmares. And shouting.† â€Å"You've been having nightmares?† â€Å"Vivid ones. They make me so tired.† I yawned. â€Å"I can't believe I haven't been babbling about them all night.† â€Å"What are they about?† â€Å"Different things – but the same, you know, because of the colors.† â€Å"Colors?† â€Å"It's all so bright and real. Usually, when I'm dreaming, I know that I am. With these, I don't know I'm asleep. It makes them scarier.† He sounded disturbed when he spoke again. â€Å"What is frightening you?† I shuddered slightly. â€Å"Mostly †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. â€Å"Mostly?† he prompted. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't want to tell him about the child in my recurring nightmare; there was something private about that particular horror. So, instead of giving him the full description, I gave him just one element. Certainly enough to frighten me or anyone else. â€Å"The Volturi,† I whispered. He hugged me tighter. â€Å"They aren't going to bother us anymore. You'll be immortal soon, and they'll have no reason.† I let him comfort me, feeling a little guilty that he'd misunderstood. The nightmares weren't like that, exactly. It wasn't that I was afraid for myself – I was afraid for the boy. He wasn't the same boy as that first dream – the vampire child with the bloodred eyes who sat on a pile of dead people I loved. This boy I'd dreamed of four times in the last week was definitely human; his cheeks were flushed and his wide eyes were a soft green. But just like the other child, he shook with fear and desperation as the Volturi closed in on us. In this dream that was both new and old, I simply had to protect the unknown child. There was no other option. At the same time, I knew that I would fail. He saw the desolation on my face. â€Å"What can I do to help?† I shook it off. â€Å"They're just dreams, Edward.† â€Å"Do you want me to sing to you? Ill sing all night if it will keep the bad dreams away.† â€Å"They're not all bad. Some are nice. So†¦ colorful. Underwater, with the fish and the coral. It all seems like it's really happening – I don't know that I'm dreaming. Maybe this island is the problem. It's really bright here.† â€Å"Do you want to go home?† â€Å"No. No, not yet. Can't we stay awhile longer?† â€Å"We can stay as long as you want, Bella,† he promised me. â€Å"When does the semester start? I wasn't paying attention before.† He sighed. He may have started humming again, too, but I was under before I could be sure. Later, when I awoke in the dark, it was with shock. The dream had been so very real†¦ so vivid, so sensory†¦. I gasped aloud, now, disoriented by the dark room. Only a second ago, it seemed, I had been under the brilliant sun. â€Å"Bella?† Edward whispered, his arms tight around me, shaking me gently. â€Å"Are you all right, sweetheart?† â€Å"Oh,† I gasped again. Just a dream. Not real. To my utter astonishment, tears overflowed from my eyes without warning, gushing down my face. â€Å"Bella!† he said – louder, alarmed now. â€Å"What's wrong?† He wiped the tears from my hot cheeks with cold, frantic fingers, but others followed. â€Å"It was only a dream.† I couldn't contain the low sob that broke in my voice. The senseless tears were disturbing, but I couldn't get control of the staggering grief that gripped me. I wanted so badly for the dream to be real. â€Å"It's okay, love, you're fine. I'm here.† He rocked me back and forth, a little too fast to soothe. â€Å"Did you have another nightmare? It wasn't real, it wasn't real.† â€Å"Not a nightmare.† I shook my head, scrubbing the back of my hand against my eyes. â€Å"It was a good dream.† My voice broke again. â€Å"Then why are you crying?† he asked, bewildered. â€Å"Because I woke up,† I wailed, wrapping my arms around his neck in a chokehold and sobbing into his throat. He laughed once at my logic, but the sound was tense with concern. â€Å"Everything's all right, Bella. Take deep breaths.† â€Å"It was so real,† I cried. â€Å"I wanted it to be real.† â€Å"Tell me about it,† he urged. â€Å"Maybe that will help.† â€Å"We were on the beach. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off, pulling back to look with tear-filled eyes at his anxious angel's face, dim in the darkness. I stared at him broodingly as the unreasonable grief began to ebb. â€Å"And?† he finally prompted. I blinked the tears out of my eyes, torn. â€Å"Oh, Edward †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Tell me, Bella,† he pleaded, eyes wild with worry at the pain in my voice. But I couldn't. Instead I clutched my arms around his neck again and locked my mouth with his feverishly. It wasn't desire at all – it was need, acute to the point of pain. His response was instant but quickly followed by his rebuff. He struggled with me as gently as he could in his surprise, holding me away, grasping my shoulders. â€Å"No, Bella,† he insisted, looking at me as if he was worried that I'd lost my mind. My arms dropped, defeated, the bizarre tears spilling in a fresh torrent down my face, a new sob rising in my throat. He was right – I must be crazy. He stared at me with confused, anguished eyes. â€Å"I'm s-s-s-orry,† I mumbled. But he pulled me to him then, hugging me tightly to his marble chest. â€Å"I can't, Bella, I can't!† His moan was agonized. â€Å"Please,† I said, my plea muffled against his skin. â€Å"Please, Edward?† I couldn't tell if he was moved by the tears trembling in my voice, or if he was unprepared to deal with the suddenness of my attack, or if his need was simply as unbearable in that moment as my own. But whatever the reason, he pulled my lips back to his, surrendering with a groan. And we began where my dream had left off. I stayed very still when I woke up in the morning and tried to keep my breathing even. I was afraid to open my eyes. I was lying across Edward's chest, but he was very still and his arms were not wrapped around me. That was a bad sign. I was afraid to admit I was awake and face his anger – no matter whom it was directed at today. Carefully, I peeked through my eyelashes. He was staring up at the dark ceiling, his arms behind his head. I pulled myself up on my elbow so that I could see his face better. It was smooth, expressionless. â€Å"How much trouble am I in?† I asked in a small voice. â€Å"Heaps,† he said, but turned his head and smirked at me. I breathed a sigh of relief. â€Å"I am sorry,† I said. â€Å"I didn't mean†¦ Well, I don't know exactly what that was last night.† I shook my head at the memory of the irrational tears, the crushing grief. â€Å"You never did tell me what your dream was about.† â€Å"I guess I didn't – but I sort of showed you what it was about.† I laughed nervously. â€Å"Oh,† he said. His eyes widened, and then he blinked. â€Å"Interesting.† â€Å"It was a very good dream,† I murmured. He didn't comment, so a few seconds later I asked, â€Å"Am I forgiven?† â€Å"I'm thinking about it.† I sat up, planning to examine myself – there didn't seem to be any feathers, at least. But as I moved, an odd wave of vertigo hit. I swayed and fell back against the pillows. â€Å"Whoa†¦ head rush.† His arms were around me then. â€Å"You slept for a long time. Twelve hours.† â€Å"Twelve?†How strange. I gave myself a quick once-over while I spoke, trying to be inconspicuous about it. I looked fine. The bruises on my arms were still a week old, yellowing. I stretched experimentally. I felt fine, too. Well, better than fine, actually. â€Å"Is the inventory complete?† I nodded sheepishly. â€Å"The pillows all appear to have survived.† â€Å"Unfortunately, I can't say the same for your, er, nightgown.† He nodded toward the foot of the bed, where several scraps of black lace were strewn across the silk sheets. â€Å"That's too bad,† I said. â€Å"I liked that one.† â€Å"I did, too.† â€Å"Were there any other casualties?† I asked timidly. â€Å"I'll have to buy Esme a new bed frame,† he confessed, glancing over his shoulder. I followed his gaze and was shocked to see that large chunks of wood had apparently been gouged from the left side of the headboard. â€Å"Hmm.† I frowned. â€Å"You'd think I would have heard that.† â€Å"You seem to be extraordinarily unobservant when your attention is otherwise involved.† â€Å"I was a bit absorbed,† I admitted, blushing a deep red. He touched my burning cheek and sighed. â€Å"I'm really going to miss that.† I stared at his face, searching for any signs of the anger or remorse I feared. He gazed back at me evenly, his expression calm but otherwise unreadable. â€Å"How are you feeling?'7 He laughed. â€Å"What?† I demanded. â€Å"You look so guilty – like you've committed a crime.† â€Å"I feel guilty,† I muttered. â€Å"So you seduced your all-too-willing husband. That's not a capital offense.† He seemed to be teasing. My cheeks got hotter. â€Å"The word seduced implies a certain amount of premeditation.† â€Å"Maybe that was the wrong word,† he allowed. â€Å"You're not angry?† He smiled ruefully. Tm not angry.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Well. . .† He paused. â€Å"I didn't hurt you, for one thing. It was easier this time, to control myself, to channel the excesses.† His eyes flickered to the damaged frame again. â€Å"Maybe because I had a better idea of what to expect.† A hopeful smile started to spread across my face. â€Å"I told you that it was all about practice.† He rolled his eyes. My stomach growled, and he laughed. â€Å"Breakfast time for the human?† he asked. â€Å"Please,† I said, hopping out of bed. I moved too quickly, though, and had to stagger drunkenly to regain my balance. He caught me before I could stumble into the dresser. â€Å"Are you all right?† â€Å"If I don't have a better sense of equilibrium in my next life, I'm demanding a refund.† I cooked this morning, frying up some eggs – too hungry to do anything more elaborate. Impatient, I flipped them onto a plate after just a few minutes. â€Å"Since when do you eat eggs sunny-side up?† he asked. â€Å"Since now.† â€Å"Do you know how many eggs you've gone through in the last week?† He pulled the trash bin out from under the sink – it was full of empty blue cartons. â€Å"Weird,† I said after swallowing a scorching bite. â€Å"This place is messing with my appetite.† And my dreams, and my already dubious balance. â€Å"But I like it here. Well probably have to leave soon, though, won't we, to make it to Dartmouth in time? Wow, I guess we need to find a place to live and stuff, too.† He sat down next to me. â€Å"You can give up the college pretense now – you've gotten what you wanted. And we didn't agree to a deal, so there are no strings attached.† I snorted. â€Å"It wasn't a pretense, Edward. I don't spend my free time plotting like some people do. What can we do to wear Bella out today?† I said in a poor impression of his voice. He laughed, unashamed. â€Å"I really do want a little more time being human.† I leaned over to run my hand across his bare chest. â€Å"I have not had enough.† He gave me a dubious look. â€Å"For this?† he asked, catching my hand as it moved down his stomach. â€Å"Sex was the key all along?† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Why didn't i think of that?† he muttered sarcastically. â€Å"I could have saved myself a lot of arguments.† I laughed. â€Å"Yeah, probably.† â€Å"You are so human,† he said again. â€Å"I know.† A hint of a smile pulled at his lips. â€Å"We're going to Dartmouth? Really?† â€Å"I'll probably fail out in one semester.† â€Å"I'll tutor you.† The smile was wide now. â€Å"You're going to love college.† â€Å"Do you think we can find an apartment this late?† He grimaced, looking guilty. â€Å"Well, we sort of already have a house there. You know, just in case.† â€Å"You bought a house?† â€Å"Real estate is a good investment.† I raised one eyebrow and then let it go. â€Å"So we're ready, then.† â€Å"I'll have to see if we can keep your ‘before' car for a little longer___† â€Å"Yes, heaven forbid I not be protected from tanks.† He grinned. â€Å"How much longer can we stay?† I asked. â€Å"We're fine on time. A few more weeks, if you want. And then we can visit Charlie before we go to New Hampshire. We could spend Christmas with Renee___† His words painted a very happy immediate future, one free of pain for everyone involved. The Jacob-drawer, all but forgotten, rattled, and i amended the thought – for almost everyone. This wasn't getting any easier. Now that I'd discovered exactly how good being human could be, it was tempting to let my plans drift. Eighteen or nineteen, nineteen or twenty†¦ Did it really matter? I wouldn't change so much in a year. And being human with Edward†¦ The choice got trickier every day. â€Å"A few weeks,† I agreed. And then, because there never seemed to be enough time, I added, â€Å"So I was thinking – you know what I was saying about practice before?† He laughed. â€Å"Can you hold on to that thought? I hear a boat. The cleaning crew must be here.† He wanted me to hold on to that thought. So did that mean he was not going to give me any more trouble about practicing? I smiled. â€Å"Let me explain the mess in the white room to Gustavo, and then we can go out. There's a place in the jungle on the south – â€Å" â€Å"I don't want to go out. i am not hiking all over the island today. I want to stay here and watch a movie.† He pursed his lips, trying not to laugh at my disgruntled tone. â€Å"All right, whatever you'd like. Why don't you pick one out while I get the door?† â€Å"I didn't hear a knock.† He cocked his head to the side, listening. A half second later, a faint, timid rap on the door sounded. He grinned and turned for the hallway. I wandered over to the shelves under the big TV and started scanning through the titles. It was hard to decide where to begin. They had more DVDs than a rental store. I could hear Edward's low, velvet voice as he came back down the hall, conversing fluidly in what I assumed was perfect Portuguese. Another, harsher, human voice answered in the same tongue. Edward led them into the room, pointing toward the kitchen on his way. The two Brazilians looked incredibly short and dark next to him. One was a round man, the other a slight female, both their faces creased with lines. Edward gestured to me with a proud smile, and I heard my name mixed in with a flurry of unfamiliar words. I flushed a little as I thought of the downy mess in the white room, which they would soon encounter. The little man smiled at me politely. But the tiny coffee-skinned woman didn't smile. She stared at me with a mixture of shock, worry, and most of all, wide-eyed fear. Before I could react, Edward motioned for them to follow him toward the chicken coop, and they were gone. When he reappeared, he was alone. He walked swiftly to my side and wrapped his arms around me. â€Å"What's with her?† I whispered urgently, remembering her panicked expression. He shrugged, unperturbed. â€Å"Kaure's part Ticuna Indian. She was raised to be more superstitious – or you could call it more aware – than those who live in the modern world. She suspects what I am, or close enough.† He still didn't sound worried. â€Å"They have their own legends here. The Libishomen – a blood-drinking demon who preys exclusively on beautiful women.† He leered at me. Beautiful women only? Well, that was kind of flattering. â€Å"She looked terrified,† I said. â€Å"She is – but mostly she's worried about you.† â€Å"Me?† â€Å"She's afraid of why I have you here, all alone.† He chuckled darkly and then looked toward the wall of movies. â€Å"Oh well, why don't you choose something for us to watch? That's an acceptably human thing to do.† â€Å"Yes, I'm sure a movie will convince her that you're human.† I laughed and clasped my arms securely around his neck, stretching up on my tiptoes. He leaned down so that I could kiss him, and then his arms tightened around me, lifting me off the floor so he didn't have to bend. â€Å"Movie, schmovie,† I muttered as his lips moved down my throat, twisting my fingers in his bronze hair. Then I heard a gasp, and he put me down abruptly. Kaure stood frozen in the hallway, feathers in her black hair, a large sack of more feathers in her arms, an expression of horror on her face. She stared at me, her eyes bugging out, as I blushed and looked down. Then she recovered herself and murmured something that, even in an unfamiliar language, was clearly an apology. Edward smiled and answered in a friendly tone. She turned her dark eyes away and continued down the hall. â€Å"She was thinking what I think she was thinking, wasn't she?† I muttered. He laughed at my convoluted sentence. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Here,† I said, reaching out at random and grabbing a movie. â€Å"Put this on and we can pretend to watch it.† It was an old musical with smiling faces and fluffy dresses on the front. â€Å"Very honeymoonish,† Edward approved. While actors on the screen danced their way through a perky introduction song, I lolled on the sofa, snuggled into Edward's arms. â€Å"Will we move back into the white room now?† I wondered idly. â€Å"I don't know†¦. I've already mangled the headboard in the other room beyond repair – maybe if we limit the destruction to one area of the house, Esme might invite us back someday.† I smiled widely. â€Å"So there will be more destruction?† He laughed at my expression. â€Å"I think it might be safer if it's premeditated, rather than if I wait for you to assault me again.† â€Å"It would only be a matter of time,† I agreed casually, but my pulse was racing in my veins. â€Å"Is there something the matter with your heart?† â€Å"Nope. Healthy as a horse.† I paused. â€Å"Did you want to go survey the demolition zone now?† â€Å"Maybe it would be more polite to wait until we're alone. You may not notice me tearing the furniture apart, but it would probably scare them.† In truth, I'd already forgotten the people in the other room. â€Å"Right. Drat.† Gustavo and Kaure moved quietly through the house while I waited impatiently for them to finish and tried to pay attention to the happily-ever-after on the screen. I was starting to get sleepy – though, according to Edward, I'd slept half the day – when a rough voice startled me. Edward sat up, keeping me cradled against him, and answered Gustavo in flowing Portuguese. Gustavo nodded and walked quietly toward the front door. â€Å"They're finished,† Edward told me. â€Å"So that would mean that we're alone now?† â€Å"How about lunch first?† he suggested. I bit my lip, torn by the dilemma. I was pretty hungry. With a smile, he took my hand and led me to the kitchen. He knew my face so well, it didn't matter that he couldn't read my mind. â€Å"This is getting out of hand,† I complained when I finally felt full. â€Å"Do you want to swim with the dolphins this afternoon – burn off the calories?† he asked. â€Å"Maybe later. I had another idea for burning calories.† â€Å"And what was that?† â€Å"Well, there's an awful lot of headboard left – â€Å" But I didn't finish. He'd already swept me up into his arms, and his lips silenced mine as he carried me with inhuman speed to the blue room.

The Role of Dreams in the Human Psyche

Plan: 1) The history of dream perception in indigenous cultures. 2) The modern theories of sleep and dream interpretation. 3) Jung's archetypes. The Meaning of Sleep and Dreams identified by Freud, Jung, and other theorists. We all dream. Every night – as we dim the light of consciousness – we enter the realm of the dream. In this dream state our imagination runs free with little or no interference from our conscious mind. In the morning, when we awaken and return to consciousness, we may bring with us a recollection of the wanderings of our imagination – we remember the dream. To dream is natural, it is a universal experience. All people of all cultures enter into this dream state when they sleep. As sleep research has shown even animals dream. How we regard the dream, however, varies from culture to culture and from person to person. Originally the dream was held to be the voice of God. Most indigenous cultures hold that the dream is sent by the Great Spirit and serves to offer advice and instruction. This idea of the divinity of the dream can also to be found in ancient Egyptian and Greek society. In the Old Testament Jacob interprets a dream for the Egyptian pharaoh. Jacob explains that God has spoken to the pharaoh and warned of seven years of prosperity to be followed by seven years of famine. In Egypt and Greece the dream was considered as a message from the gods. â€Å"The Egyptian people believed that the gods revealed themselves in dreams, but the soul was not transported to another place or time. The Egyptians believed that dreams served as warnings, advice, and prophecy† (Agee, 2010) http://people. uncw. edu/deagona/ancientnovel (Diane Agee, 1). Both Egyptian and Greek society there existed temples where one would go to dream and receive healing or instruction from the gods. Homer's Iliad (8th century BC) tells the story of Agamemnon who receives instruction from Zeus through a dream. â€Å"Another element of Homeric dream interpretation, similar to that of the Egyptians is that not all dreams are prophetic, so people had to attempt to distinguish between â€Å"true† dreams and â€Å"false† dreams. For example, in the Iliad Zeus sent a misleading dream to King Agamemnon, which undermined his authorityâ€Å"(Agee). In this practice the sleepers actively attempted contact with divine beings. This practice reflects the Homeric view of dreams; according to this view â€Å"the dream was not conceived as internal experience, a state of mind, or a message from the irrational unconscious to the conscious ego. Rather, it was an objectified messenger, a supernatural agent sent by a deity† (Parman pg. 18)â€Å"(Agee). Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used dreams as a diagnostic aid. In the near East the dream was considered to be a source of divine inspiration. Mohammed, the founding prophet of the Islamic culture, is said to have received much of what is written in the Koran through his dreams. In Christian tradition the dream was thought of as the word of God, or the work of the devil. The biblical legacy pertaining to dreams is very important. There are descriptions of forty-three dreams in the Old Testament, while in the New Testament there are nine (including apparitions and visions) (Sokolovskii, p. 27). St. John Chrysostom preached that God revealed himself through dreams (The life of St. John Chrysostom, para. 5, thenewarchive. om, p. 229 ), whilst other church fathers, such as Martin Luther, viewed the dream as the work, not of God, but the Devil. According to Luther it was the church, and only the church, which was the conduit of God's word. For Luther revelations made to people in dreams could only be diabolic (The Legacy of Martin Luther). http://home. inreach. com/bstanley/luther. htm In the Christian epoch the church and its s criptures supplanted the importance of the dream. The dominance of Christianity obscured the divinity of the dream, which was now considered superstitious. The rise of rationalism and science further undermined the value of the dream. To this day skepticism toward the value dream remains the predominant attitude. In the early part of the 20th century, however, the dream was championed by two great psychologists, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. For Freud the dream revealed that which the dreamer would rather keep hidden. By exploring the dream one was forced to face that which was suppressed and rejected within oneself. Jung had another theory. Jung felt that the dream acted as a mirror for the ego – revealing that which was missing within the consciousness of the dreamer. For Jung the dream acted as a teacher and guide on the road toward wholeness. With the work of both Jung and Freud the dream regained its status as a source of wisdom and healing. A series of dreams would develop, balance and refine the conscious awareness of the dreamer. Jung had rediscovered the age-old wisdom of the dream and its capacity to heal and make whole. Apart from healing, the dreams also seemed to be encouraging and actively participating in the growth and development of the personality. Jung termed this inherent drive of the psyche as the force of individuation, the force by which we become whole and indivisible. Freud, â€Å"The Interpretation of Dreams†: The conscious element of the dream lies in its remembrance, the unconscious element lies in its mystery and perplexity. Half conscious, half unconscious, the dream acts as a bridge between the known and the unknown. Physiological Theories and Stages of Sleep So now that we know why we need sleep, we need to know what is the thing, that actually puts us to sleep. Some may recognize the name melatonin, because it is sometimes prescribed for jet-lag or sleep deprivation. But we also create this chemical inside our bodies, although it is in much smaller portions. ttp://library. thinkquest. org Melatonin is a hormone secreted from the pineal gland in the center of our brain. â€Å"It is released when our eyes begin to register that the sun is beginning to set and darkness begins to fall†. This is the hormone that makes you go to sleep and is also used in our body to regulate our sleep-wake cycles. If you wonder why older people ten d to sleep less than younger people, it is because the amount of melatonin produced in our body seems to lessen as we age. Although sleep research has yielded a great deal of information on how we sleep, why we need to do so remains a mystery. There are two prominent theories of sleep function. One — the restorative model –assumes that sleep exists to service the brain in some way. According to this theory, non-REM sleep restores the relationship between the nervous system and muscles, glands, immune and other body systems. REM sleep maintains learning, reasoning and emotional balance. Another — the adaptive model — holds that sleep exists as an adaption to our biological clocks. Because it normally takes place during times of reduced physiological functions it may be a means of preserving energy for the hours when it is needed (source Are you Getting Enough? Harvard Women's Health Watch, 1070910X. March 94, Vol. 1, Is. 7. Academic Search Complete) Cortical and neurological theories of sleep compete with the neurohumoral theory, developed in the first quarter of the twentieth century. The brainstem theory, formulated in 1962, was associated with the discovery of a small region of cells in the brainstem thought responsible for dream generation and the secretion of acetylcholine. It gave way in the 1970s to the cortical-brainstem theory (the production of dopamine in the lobes of the brain was associated with dreaming). It became clear, moreover, that destruction of this group of cells due to injury leads to the extinction of dreams but not of the phase of paradoxical sleep† (Sokolovskii, p. 17). This poses the issue of the presence or absence of dreams in animals. If animals do dream, their dreaming † is probably limited to what Freud called Tagesreste (residues of daytime impressions) and â€Å"childish dreams,† the significance of which lies in the fulfillment of desires unfulfilled in the waking state†(p. 17). The so called work of dreaming, which encodes the true meaning of a dream (condensation, displacement, symbolization, repression, and the other mechanisms of dreaming that make its content non-obvious and decodable only through interpretation), â€Å"is apparently connected with the presence of developed language and with the play of signifiers and is conditioned by it† (p. 17). It therefore cannot exist in animals that do not have such a developed second signal system. A typical night's sleep consists of a number of cycles lasting about 90 minutes in length. Each of these cycles is made up of four separate stages. During stage one, we are entering into light sleep. This stage is characterized by Non-rapid eye movements (NREM), muscle relaxation, lowered body temperature and slowed heart rate. The body is preparing to enter into deep sleep. Stage two is also characterized by NREM, this stage is characterized by a further drop in body temperature and relaxation of the muscles. The body's immune system goes to work on repairing the day's damage, the endocrine glands secrete grown hormone and blood is sent to the muscles to be reconditioned. In this stage, you are completely asleep. Stage three is just a deeper sleep. Your metabolic levels are extremely slow. And, finally, the famous REM, or rapid eye movement stage, occurs about every ninety minutes of sleep. In this stage of sleep, your eyes move back and forth erratically. It occurs at about 90-100 minutes after the onset of sleep. Your blood pressure rises, heart rate speeds up, respiration becomes erratic and brain activity increases (source). Your involuntary muscles also become paralyzed. It is called in the mnemonic for medical students as an â€Å"awake brain in the paralyzed body†, as opposed to stage one through three characterized as â€Å"idle brain in the awake body†. An EEG would record brain waves resembling those you would see when you are active. This stage is the most restorative part of sleep. Your mind is being revitalized and emotions are being fine tuned. The majority of your dreaming occurs in this stage. These stages repeat themselves throughout a night's sleep. (source) The following diagram shows our sleep cycle: source Sleep Wake Cycle The Meaning of Sleep and Dreams Identified by Freud, Jung and other theorists The function of dreams is that by reproducing difficult or unsolved life situations or experiences, the dream aids towards a solving or resolution of the problems. pic]â‚ ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ Freud called dreaming â€Å"the royal road to the unconscious† Our personality as a whole, like every organism, is working towards its own fulfillment. ’ He connects this even more directly with the overall self-regulatory physical processes in saying ‘There is in the psyche an automatic movement to ward readjustment, towards equilibrium, toward a restoration of the balance of our personality. This automatic adaptation of the organism is one of the main functions of the dream as indeed it is of bodily functions and of the personality as a whole. Dreams are the product of the unconscious mind . In the deeper state of Delta, our minds are resting even more fully and we are further distanced from the physical world. Perhaps it is in this state that we can receive cues from the energy of people and situations that we are connected with in waking life or from Jung's collective unconscious. Since dreams were a way of communicating with the unconscious, Jung felt that the imageries in dreams were a way of revealing something about ourselves, our relationships with others, and situations in our waking life. Dreams guided our personal growth and helped to self achieve our potential. Often discussing what is currently going on in your life, helps to interpret and unlock the cryptic and bizarre images of your dreams. Jung’s sleep theories are closely associated with his f archetypes. Jung's theory divides the psyche into three parts. The first is the ego, which Jung identified with the conscious mind. The second part is the personal unconscious, which includes anything which is not presently conscious, but can be. The personal unconscious includes both memories that re easily brought to mind and those that have been suppressed because of being painful or too difficult to accept as a part of reality for some people. But it does not include the instincts, or id – aggressive drives, that Freud would have it include. But then Jung adds the part of the psyche that makes his theory stand out from all others: the collective unconscious. You could call it your â€Å"psychic inherita nce. † It is the reservoir of our experiences as a species, a kind of knowledge we are all born with. And yet we can never be directly conscious of it. It influences all of our experiences and behaviors, most especially the emotional ones, but we only know about it indirectly, by looking at those influences. There are some experiences that show the effects of the collective unconscious more clearly than others: The experiences of love at first sight, of deja vu (the feeling that you've been here before), and the immediate recognition of certain symbols and the meanings of certain myths, could all be understood as the sudden conjunction of our outer reality and the inner reality of the collective unconscious. Grander examples are the creative experiences shared by artists and musicians all over the world and in all times, or the spiritual experiences of mystics of all religions, or the parallels in dreams, fantasies, mythologies, fairy tales, and literature of different cultures. A nice example that has been greatly discussed recently is the near-death experience. It seems that many people, of many different cultural backgrounds, find that they have very similar recollections when they are brought back from a close encounter with death. They speak of leaving their bodies, seeing their bodies and the events surrounding them clearly, of being pulled through a long tunnel towards a bright light, of seeing deceased relatives or religious figures waiting for them, and of their disappointment at having to leave this happy scene to return to their bodies. Perhaps we are all â€Å"built† to experience death in this fashion. Quite a few people find that Jung has a great deal to say to them. They include writers, artists, musicians, film makers, theologians, and, of course, some psychologists. Examples that come to mind are the mythologist Joseph Campbell, the film maker George Lucas, and the science fiction author Ursula K. Le Guin. Anyone interested in creativity, spirituality, psychic phenomena, the universal, and so on will find in Jung a kindred spirit. But scientists, including psychologists, have a lot of trouble with Jung. Not only does he fully support the teleological view (as do most personality theorists), but he goes a step further and talks about the mystical interconnectedness of synchronicity. Not only does he postulate an unconscious, where things are not easily available to the empirical eye, but he postulates a collective unconscious that never has been and never will be conscious. There is still a lot of work to be done to connect our knowledge in physiology and psychology of dreams. The French neurophysiologist Michel Jouvet, author of the novel Le chateau des songes [The Castle of Dreams ] (Jouvet 2000) and discoverer of the phase of paradoxical sleep, analyzed 6,600 of his own dreams before concluding that two kinds of memory—long-term and short-term—were used in them. Physiologists have yet to reach a consensus concerning the mechanisms of sleep and dreaming.

Eloise Greenfield and Shel Silverstein Essay Example

Eloise Greenfield and Shel Silverstein Essay Example Eloise Greenfield and Shel Silverstein Paper Eloise Greenfield and Shel Silverstein Paper Essay Topic: The Book Thief The children’s poems of Eloise Greenfield and Shel Silverstein feature distinctly different types of imagination and narrative voices.   In Greenfield, the narrator’s imagination revolves around her experience as a black female child, and her reflections are both escapist and deeply aware of her heritage.   In Silverstein, on the other hand, imagination does not draw from ethnic experience but is instead much more whimsical and addressed to both adults and children.In Honey, I Love, Greenfield (an African-American) writes poems that draw from the black urban experience.   Her speaker in the sixteen poems is a black girl (made clear by the illustrations) who rhapsodizes about her daily experiences – her likes and dislikes, the people around her, and her connections to her roots.   The opening poem, for which the book is named, is a breathless declaration of things the speaker likes: â€Å"My uncle’s car is crowded and there’s lots of food to eat/We’re going down the country where the church folks like to meet/I’m looking out the window at the cows and trees outside/Honey, let me tell you that I LOVE to take a ride. . . . (3)   This poem sets the tome for the rest by showing how children conceive of their own senses.In â€Å"By Myself,† the speaker retreats into her own imagination more directly than elsewhere in the collection: â€Å"When I’m by myself/And I close my eyes/I’m a twin/I’m a dimple in a chin/I’m a room full of toys/I’m a squeaky noise/I’m a gospel song/I’m a gong/I’m a leaf turning red/I’m a loaf of brown bread. . . .†   (34) Imagination here seems to be an escape from the mundane world.   Greenfield does not mention anything traumatic, but because the speaker is an African-American living in the urban North (as other poems imply), one can imagine that her surroundings are not idyllic.   Greenfield does not depict bitterness or hardship, but she does allude to her heritage in â€Å"Harriet Tubman:†Ã‚   â€Å"Harriet Tubman didn’t take no stuff/Wasn’t scared of nothing neither/Didn’t come in this world to be no slaves/And wasn’t going to stay one neither. . . .† (30)Silverstein, who was white and something of a counterculture figure, puts more whimsy into A Light in the Attic, and less of the child’s point of view than one finds in Greenfield.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Stop Thief† is a good example: â€Å"Policeman, policeman,/Help me please./Someone went and stole my knees./I’d chase him down but I suspect/My feet and legs just won’t connect.†Ã‚   (13)   His humor is less sweet than Greenfield, slyer and more openly comical; he writes as an adult using children as his subject and part of his audience.   In the limerick â€Å"Crowded Tub,† he draws on a common childhood experience:   â€Å"There’s too many kids in this tub./There’s too many elbows to scrub./I just washed a behind/That I’m sure wasn’t mine,/There’s too many kids in this tub.†Ã‚   (86)He uses a more objective voice than Greenfield, and while he writes from the child’s point of view, he also adds insights into children’s behavior that only an adult may have.   In â€Å"Friendship,† he comments on children’s bossiness with a jocular tone (indeed, he does not scold or moralize), and even his more bizarre poems lack malice or harm.   â€Å"Quick Trip,† which spreads a four-line poem across a four-page drawing of a lizard-like creature, is more humorous than frightening: â€Å"We’ve been caught by the quick-digesting Gink/And now we’re dodgin’ his teeth . . ./And now we are restin’ in his intestine/And now we’re back out on the street.†Ã‚   (116-119)   Silverstein depicts being swallowed by a monster as funny , with the speaker unharmed.Greenfield roots imagination more in everyday experiences and the kinds of escapist thought that a child like she might have been would have conceived.   Silverstein, meanwhile, draws less from experience and more from whimsy and humor, using a voice both adult and child-like.   Both authors rely on humor and imagination, albeit in different ways.

The Glass Ceiling Today Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Glass Ceiling Today - Research Paper Example The first wave, occurring during the mid-19th century and lasting until the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, consisted of the efforts to attain the rights to vote and run for office. The second wave of feminism occurring during the late 1960s and early 1970s saw feminists fighting for greater equality on a wide range of issues notably education, workplace, politics and, also, home. The recent trend in feminism that is, the Third Wave that began in the early 1990’s relates to an inclusive philosophy that tries to draw attention to disparities due to race, religion, class, ethnicity, nationality, and sexuality of women. Thus, while the central issues are that of race, social class and sexuality, the third wave feminism also challenges the second wave’s emphasis on the resistance to the male domination of upper-middle-class white women. Also, women's oppression, as viewed through the lens of the modern feminist thinking, goes beyond mere deprivation of politica l and legal rights of women. It holds societal structure and culture equally to blame (Bartky, 1990). If the second wave was â€Å"victim feminism†, the third wave is â€Å"power feminism†. The phenomenon of female self-empowerment materialized in the 1990s. Equality for women in the workplace, at home, and in the corridors of power has become achievable. Higher education and generally better awareness created by women’s movements have helped the modern woman to enter several hitherto predominantly male bastions. However, studies have shown that women in numerous male-dominated occupations, for example, the military, law, science, banking and other businesses, and sports (e.g., bodybuilding) face a glass ceiling (Dworkin, 2001). The term was coined by Hymowitz and Schellhardt (1986) to describe the indiscernible barriers women face for advancement to the higher echelons of the workplace.  

Skill versus Talent Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Skill versus Talent - Research Paper Example When one uses the skill, one begins by taking in knowledge about oneself – one's strength and weaknesses as an individual. According to Niven(2008, pg. 25)â€Å"Talents are recurring feelings, behavior, thought that distinguish a person. They are innate and very difficult to teach†. A person who cannot attain talent has to be trained in order to possess qualities equivalent to it. Unless you are born with talent it is difficult to cultivate it through practice. No job is too simple or complex to require talent. Talents are difficult to teach, unlike skill. A person with talent is indeed an asset to an organization but a person who is trained to gain valuable experience also can contribute a lot to organizations. Skill is required in many fields of human activities like talent. People can be motivated to acquire skill but talent is the gift of nature. The Concept of Skill The skill is a concept about change and a change that is based on learning. Skill is like self-coach ing and is necessary for individuals to advance in the personal and professional field. People who are mastered in skill can invariably become more effective and efficient in their careers. Without skill people can suffer in many areas and acquiring skill can promote their professional and personality status. Skill can be acquired in specific areas and this needs to be done by getting training under a special mentor. Skill can be acquired on communication, sports, writing, creativity, management and so on. Skill can only be possessed by having complete knowledge about a particular subject. Skills have less value compared to knowledge. The concept of skill is extremely important in education, profession, and life. Human skills vary from people to people. Every person possesses a skill in a particular subject. People come with different nature and hence the skills possessed by them also differs. A skill is something which we have learned with an effort from our side like learning to c ook, drive a car, or learn to sew. Acquiring a skill is in the hands of an individual and with his knowledge and expert, he can master any skill he will for.