Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Theories of Criminal Behavior Essay example -- Sexual Offenders, Child

In this article, two speculations explicitly concentrating on sexual culpable against youngsters are looked at and basic assessed. Finkelhor’s (1984) Precondition model incorporates four basic factors that may clarify the event of youngster sexual maltreatment and classifies them into four preconditions: inspiration to irritate, defeating inside inhibitors, beating outside inhibitors and defeating child’s obstruction that happen in a transient grouping where each is essential for the other to create. The Precondition model gives a structure to appraisal of kid molesters yet is reprimanded for an absence of aetiological clarifications and for giving to little consideration to subjective components. Ward’s (2003) Pathways model propose that clinical marvels obvious among kid sex guilty parties are created by four particular and connecting systems: closeness and social abilities shortfalls, mutilated sexual contents, passionate dysregulation and subjective twists wh ere every component produces a particular offense pathway. The two hypotheses have been powerful in giving treatment objectives and advising clinical evaluation regarding youngster sexual abusers. Finkelhorâ's precondition model (1984) is broadly perceived in the writing as a weighty hypothesis in the way that it speaks to the main endeavor at fusing multi-factorial clarifications to represent sexual culpable against kids (Howell, 1994; Marshal, 1996; Ward and Hudson, 1998). Finkelhor (1984) contends that youngster attack is a perplexing marvels brought about by an assortment of mental, sociological and social components. So as to clarify contrasts inside culprits just as situational parts of the offense, Finkelhor (1984) proposes four preconditions that need to honey bee met in ... ...y of numerous broken instruments, or ‘pure’ pedophiles †those with an essential sexual enthusiasm for kids, comprising of people who representation components of the considerable number of pathways examined above: freak sexual contents; contorted thoughts regarding children’s sexuality; closeness shortages and; useless enthusiastic guideline. Ward and Siegert (2002) contend that their endeavor to expand on existing hypothetical work, for example, Finkelhor’s (1984) Precondition model, the Pathway model comprises a multifactorial hypothesis obvious in truth that it tends to mental, logical and natural instruments in its case that weakness to explicitly affront against a kid begins from different learning, social and mental factors. Both of the models referenced above have some clinical utility and can be utilized in the evaluation and treatment of kid molesters.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Business Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Research - Assignment Example Article by Ferratt, Agarwal, Brown and Moore is additionally centered around the HRM related issues with IT and investigate the topic of whether the distinctive IT HRM designs are related with various IT staff turnover rates. This inquiry along these lines endeavors to interface the vital perspective on HRM and how IT can viably contribute towards its improvement at the association wide level. The general contentions behind the key research question depend on the view that Human Resource of an association fills in as a key resource and ought to be managed deliberately. Article by Ang, Yee, Koh and Joseph additionally investigates the significant inquiry of IT worker turnover and how various factors, for example, accessibility of better occupation elective just as absence of want to move or switch the activity can influence representative turnover. The general setting of the examination is hence founded on connecting the impossible to miss factors related with IT experts and coming ab out representative turnover. Hypotheses and Methods Lapointe and Rivard utilize surviving model of protection from the execution of data innovation be that as it may, they have additionally talked about the association hypothesis so as to depict the hypothetical establishments for portraying opposition and its cooperation with Information innovation. ... Ferratt, Agarwal, Brown and Moore in any case, have utilized the general contentions for the utilization of human asset as the vital resource for the firm. In any case, creators have likewise utilized configurational hypotheses to discover the vital connection between the diverse IT HRM setup and representative turnover. Creators have likewise utilized connection investigation to investigate the relationship between's various parts of design with the turnover. Ang, Yee, Koh and Joseph utilize account survey as an exploration strategy to comprehend and investigate the turnover of data innovation experts. (Joseph, Ng, K, Koh, and Ang, 2007). By utilizing meta-diagnostic strategies creators have really investigated different connections. Account audit offers an understanding into various turnover hypotheses including Met desires hypothesis, Linkage Model just as occupation embeddiness hypothesis to talk about turnover of the IT experts and how the general increment or lessening in turno ver can really influence an association. Strategies, for example, Meta Analytic Structural Equation Modeling procedures have likewise been utilized in the meta-scientific survey of the hidden research questions. Primary commitment and discoveries Lapointe and Rivard’s article recommend that during the procedure of usage of the data innovation the general gathering obstruction change. At various phases of the execution the general reaction could change and as such the general opposition likewise changes as the usage procedure goes through various stages. It has additionally been reasoned that the degree of obstruction change as the apparent dangers from the usage of the equivalent likewise change and as such gathering wide opposition could have noteworthy effect in the general execution procedure of various IT related

How to Make a Colored Campfire

The most effective method to Make a Colored Campfire A pit fire consistently adds warmth and fervor to an outside encounter, yet you can without much of a stretch kick it up an indent by shading the flares. There are a few different ways to accomplish the impact, so you can pick one that works best for you. Sprinkle Chemicals on the Campfire You can purchase little parcels of synthetic compounds to sprinkle over an open air fire to make shaded blazes, however its simple to make these yourself. Basically add synthetic substances to a zipper plastic sack and add them to the fire. Its best to include synthetic compounds after youre done cooking, to evade any opportunity of unintentional sullying. These synthetic concoctions arent poisonous, so they wont deliver risky smoke or damage the ground. white - magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt)yellow - sodium chloride (table salt)green - borax (clothing supporter or cockroach powder), boric corrosive powder (disinfectant), or copper sulfate (green growth treatment)blue - copper chloridepurple - potassium chloride (salt substitute)pink - lithium (from a battery) or lithium chloridered - strontium nitrate or strontium chloride (in crisis street flares)orange - iron oxide (rust) The greater part of these synthetic concoctions you can get at a supermarket. Others you can arrange on the web. There are additionally a lot more synthetic substances that produce hued fire, in view of the fire test, yet make certain to check how safe one of these different synthetic concoctions is before adding it to an open air fire. An expression of counsel: on the off chance that you can, abstain from including yellow (sodium chloride) since it will overwhelm the various hues! Anyway, an open air fire is generally orange and yellow, so you dont truly need those hues. My own inclination is simply to utilize copper sulfate. Why? The salt figures out how to create nearly the whole range of hues completely all alone, in addition to copper is now present in moderately high focus in soils. Its likewise truly simple to discover. Consume Driftwood On the off chance that your open air fire is situated close to the sea shore, you can get a shaded fire essentially by consuming driftwood. Driftwood delivers a shocking blue to purple fire. The common salts that have splashed into the wood to create the shading likewise produce a smoke that isnt great to inhale, in addition to you ought not cook over a driftwood open air fire, however on a still night, the impact is amazing. Add Chemicals to Paper, Sawdust, or Pinecones Another approach to make a hued pit fire is to include pre-treated paper, sawdust, or pinecones to the fire. Make a blend of the ideal material with one of the shading synthetic substances and a limited quantity of water or scouring liquor. A few synthetic substances break up better in scouring liquor, delivering better outcomes. Let the synthetic arrangement absorb ​for a few hours or overnight. Permit your material to dry. You might need to spread it out a piece to accelerate the procedure. You can pack it in a paper or plastic sack, and convey it with you on your outdoors trip. Hurl a treated pinecone, bunch of sawdust, or folded sheet of treated paper into the pit fire to shading the blazes.

Friday, August 21, 2020

Changes In Pauls Character All Quiet On The Western Front Essay Example For Students

Changes In Pauls Character All Quiet On The Western Front Essay All Quiet on the Western Front was written in a first individual style. The story was told by Paul Bamer, a multi year old understudy, persuaded to enroll with the German armed force by his schoolmaster, Kantorek. Alongside huge numbers of his companions from school, he is prepared under Corporal Himmelstoss, a carefully taught leader who hates Paul in view of his defiance.When sent to the front, Paul, alongside his different companions, made new kinships that would last all through time . His recently made companion/officer, was a man named Stanislaus Katczinsky . As a man of forty years old he was an insightful elderly person just as a companion to the youthful eighteen and multi year old volunteers . Subsequent to visiting the front for extended lengths Paul is given fourteen days of leave where he can visit his evil mother at his own home . After this leave he is sent back to preparing and afterward back to the front . His excursion is stretched when he finds that his unit has be en reassigned to another region . Discovering his unit, he reunites with his companions and gets together with them again in the war endeavors. While looking in no keeps an eye ashore, Paul is limited to a shell gap for a difficult night . During this night a French officer falls in the gap and Paul cuts him . The hours to come are extremely hard for Paul as he solaces and trusts that the Frenchman will pass on. Pauls bunch has a fortunate turn of events when they were relegated to shield a town . Since no occupants were left they had the option to experience the houses to take and utilize anything they desired . This karma, nonetheless, didn't keep going forever. One day the French came and started shelling the town . While clearing Paul and his companion Albert Kropp were harmed by gunfire wounds . They were bound up and sent on a train back home . This ride home took a turn . When Kropp got a fever he was planned to be dropped off at the following stop . With the goal for Paul to remain with his companion, he needed to persuade the attendant that he likewise was wiped out from disease . In the wake of being dropped off they were taken to a Catholic emergency clinic to be dealt with . Following half a month Kropps leg is overwhelmed with disease and is cut off at the thigh . Following a couple of more weeks Paul and Kropp separated, Paul returning to the war and Kropp returning home. Coming back to the front was hard for Paul . The days were getting cold and individually he watched his companions bite the dust . The hardest misfortune was that of Kat . After Kat had been shot, Paul needed to convey Kat to the closest dressing station a couple of miles away . Halting at regular intervals to rest, Paul every now and again checked to ensure that Kat, even with his physical issue, was alright . When finally Paul arrived at the dressing station the medical caretaker disclosed to him that Kat was dead . At the point when Paul checked again a little shell section had recently entered that back of Kats head . He was still even warm. Kat was the remainder of Pauls companions to pass on in the war . At that point, in October of 1918, Paul at last fell . The book depicts his passing as, his face had a demeanor of quiet, as if practically happy the end had come. The war finished the following month. Words/Pages : 596/24

Sunday, August 9, 2020

Medication-Induced Psychotic Disorder

Substance/Medication-Induced Psychotic Disorder Addiction Drug Use Print Substance/Medication-Induced Psychotic Disorder By Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD is a psychologist, professor, and Director of the Centre for Health Leadership and Research at Royal Roads University, Canada. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on June 06, 2019 Claudia Burlotti / Getty Images More in Addiction Drug Use Cocaine Heroin Marijuana Meth Ecstasy/MDMA Hallucinogens Opioids Prescription Medications Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery Substance/Medication-Induced Psychotic Disorder is the diagnostic name for alcohol or drug-induced psychosis. Psychosis is a serious mental condition that involves the persons losing contact with reality, to a greater or lesser extent, and is most often associated with certain mental illnesses like schizophrenia. While there are similarities between the symptoms of substance-induced psychosis and psychosis associated with mental illness, they are different conditions, with different causes and treatments. Symptoms   Substance or medication-induced psychotic disorder has two major symptoms, delusions and hallucinations. People with substance-induced psychosis might have delusions, hallucinations, or both. People with substance-induced hallucinations and delusions may or may not have insight into whether they are real. Symptoms May Include: HallucinationsDelusionsDissociationDisordered thinking Other symptoms that may be involved in substance-induced psychosis but are not required for the diagnosis are abnormal psychomotor behavior and negative symptoms. Negative symptoms involve the absence of a normal psychological experience, such as experiencing the normal range of emotions. Instead, the person will be emotionally flat and lack in emotional expression. When physicians or psychologists give a diagnosis of substance/medication-induced psychotic disorder, they check to make sure that the psychosis wasnt there before the use of alcohol, drugs or medications thought to be responsible. This is because there are different types of psychotic disorders, and if the symptoms were there before the substance use, it isnt usually the substance/medication-induced type of psychosis. Sometimes a person with a past history of a primary psychotic disorder can still be diagnosed with substance-induced psychosis if the psychotic symptoms are better accounted for by the substance use. However, if the psychotic symptoms persist for a substantial period of time, say, a month or more, after the person stops using the intoxicating drug or medication, or they have a prior history of the recurrent psychotic disorder, the diagnosis will probably not be a substance-induced psychotic disorder. Prevalence The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) estimates that 3 in every 100 people will experience an episode of psychosis at some point in their life. When to Seek Help for Symptoms of Psychosis How Soon After Taking the Drug Can Psychosis be Induced? In some cases, almost immediately. There is even a category with onset during intoxication, which means that the psychotic episode actually begins when the individual is high on the drug. It can also occur during withdrawal. The substance-induced psychotic disorder is different from the disturbances of consciousness that occur during an episode of delirium, which can also be substance or medication-induced. Finally, for the diagnosis of Substance/Medication-Induced Psychotic Disorder to be given, there has to be some sort of significant impact that the psychotic symptoms are having on the persons life, either by causing a great deal of distress, or by impairing some aspect of their life, such as their social life, their employment situation, or another part of their life that is important to them. The Symptoms Used to Diagnose Substance Use Disorders Drugs That Cause Substance/Medication-Induced Psychotic Disorder A wide variety of psychoactive substances can cause substance-induced psychotic disorder, including: Alcohol-induced psychotic disorderCannabis-induced psychotic disorderPhencyclidine-induced psychotic disorderOther hallucinogen-induced psychotic disorderInhalant-induced psychotic disorderSedative-induced psychotic disorderHypnotic-induced psychotic disorderAnxiolytic-induced psychotic disorderAmphetamine-induced psychotic disorderOther stimulant-induced psychotic disorderCocaine-induced psychotic disorderOther substance-induced psychotic disorderUnknown substance-induced psychotic disorder Medications that are known to cause substance-induced psychotic disorder include: Anesthetic-induced psychotic disorderAnalgesic-induced psychotic disorderAnticholinergic-induced psychotic disorderAnticonvulsant-induced psychotic disorderAntihistamine-induced psychotic disorderAntihypertensive-induced psychotic disorderCardiovascular medication-induced psychotic disorderAntimicrobial medication-induced psychotic disorderAntiparkinsonian medication-induced psychotic disorderChemotherapeutic agent-induced psychotic disorderCorticosteroid-induced psychotic disorderGastrointestinal medication-induced psychotic disorderMuscle relaxant-induced psychotic disorderNonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication-induced psychotic disorderOver-the-counter medication-induced psychotic disorder, including OTC medications such as phenylephrine and pseudoephedrineAntidepressant medication-induced psychotic disorderDisulfiram-induced psychotic disorder Toxins that have been reported to induce psychotic disorders include anticholinesterase, organophosphate insecticides, sarin, and other nerve gases, carbon monoxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and volatile substances such as fuel or paint. Drugs or Psychosis Can Cause Delusions

Sunday, June 28, 2020

American Beauty as Melodrama - Literature Essay Samples

Sam Mendes’ American Beauty (1999) is a good example of melodrama’s presence within the modern American film industry. Its moments of comedy and tragedy are a result of its essential melodramatic intentions. However, it differs from classical melodrama in the sense that the idea of maintaining a nuclear family is not an important theme. The film starts off in a style that can be considered â€Å"film noir-esque†, similar to that of Billy Wilder’s 1950 classic Sunset Boulevard in which we hear the voice of our protagonist Lester Burnham in a voice over. â€Å"I’ll be dead in a year,† he says. â€Å"In a way, I’m dead already.† This solemn introduction by Lester Burnham parallels the introduction of Sunset Boulevard when we hear the voice over of William Holden narrating the story from the dead protagonist’s perspective. Similarly, both American Beauty and Sunset Boulevard are told in a flashback sequence of events all t aking place in the recent past. Kevin Spacey plays Lester Burnham, the protagonist who is fed up with the lack of respect from his wife Carolyn and daughter Jane. As the film progresses, we learn more and more about Lester, while following him on a journey to achieve happiness. In one of the first sequences of the film, Lester narrates the story of his day-to-day life. There is a shot where Lester is clearly masturbating in the shower. In a voice over Lester says, â€Å"Look at me, jerking off in the shower. This will be the high point of my day. It’s all downhill from here.† Lester’s sexual repression is evident by this bold statement. Since Lester is a family man with a wife and daughter, and knowing that masturbation is the high point in his day, one would automatically assume that Lester’s wife is not fulfilling his sexual needs and that his daughter does not respect him. Melodramatically, the sexual longing for a desired mate is a cornersto ne to the genre. There is always sexual tension that needs to be resolved, or in some cases, unresolved. The film Written on the Wind (1956), for example, ends with the sexually repressed protagonist – who has also just lost her father and brother – crying at her father’s desk and stroking a phallic oilrig statue that represents the family business. Such symbolism is quintessential to the melodramatic genre. The same kind of phallic symbolism, once used as a masked strategy to punctuate sexual connotations within the film’s subtext, is still notably present in modern films. In one scene in American Beauty, the phallic beer bottle plays a pivotal role Lester tries to seduce his wife. He leans over her on the couch, speaking sweet nothings into her ear. â€Å"Whatever happened to that girl†¦ who used to run up to the roof of our first apartment to flash the traffic helicopters? I haven’t forgotten about her.† His wife seems to be re sponding to his overtures when she says, â€Å"Lester, you’re going to spill beer on the couch!† and ruins the mood for them both. Lester recoils in disappointment. In one of the final sequences of American Beauty, the phallic beer bottle metaphor appears once again. Throughout the film, Lester tries to seduce his daughter’s friend Angela Hayes. When he encounters her in the kitchen of his home, Lester is again holding a bottle of beer. â€Å"Do you want a sip?† he asks. She accepts his offer, taking a swig from the bottle. This metaphoric fellatio empowers Lester to continue pursuing her. The sexual blonde is a common figure in melodrama, most notably in actresses like Lana Turner, Kim Novak and Marilyn Monroe, and the Angela character supports the melodramatic nature of American Beauty. We see Lester’s longing for Angela grow through dramatic and highly sexual dream sequences. When Lester first notices Angela, it is at a cheerleading rally for the high school basketball team. Halftime begins and the cheerleaders disperse on the court. The choreographed cheer commences normally, and then Lester catches a glimpse of Angela. The sequence shifts to Lester’s point of view. The music changes with the point of view shift. It is clear that Lester is the looker while Angela is the object of his gaze. The foreground lights dim, shadowing the other cheerleaders, and Angela is the only one left visible. It appears that she is looking directly at Lester. The camera reverses angles and shows Lester sitting alone in the gymnasium bleachers while the rest of the crowd hides in the shadows. Angela performs a provocative dance, clearly portraying the sexualised, youthful female that Lester longs for. She dances while caressing herself. Multiple close-ups show details in Angela’s body to heighten the sexual tension felt between these two characters. Angela is finally about to reveal her breasts – she pu lls her cotton cheerleader’s top open – but no breasts yet. A sequential triple-take shows Angela opening her sweater. On the third take, red rose pedals pour from inside her top, obstructing what Lester really wants to see. Back to reality. The rhythmic tempo from the cheerleading music continues while the cheerleaders finish their dance routine. Although the male gaze is a crucial part of Lester’s sexually repressed character, it is equally crucial from Ricky Fitts’ point of view. During the course of the film, the visual aesthetics change from the common 35 millimetre â€Å"Hollywood look† to that of a digital video camera. These instances emphasise the fact that the person or people being â€Å"seen† through the video camera are objects of a voyeur, in this case Ricky Fitts, the next door neighbour. Jane Burnham is Ricky’s primary focal object. Although not sexualised by any means (she’s not blonde and therefore, fr om a melodramatic perspective, not sexual) there is something about Jane that interests Ricky. â€Å"I remember this really creepy incident where you were filming me last night.† says Jane. â€Å"I didn’t mean to scare you, I just think you’re interesting.† However, not only does American Beauty display a traditional notion of the male gaze in the case of Ricky Fitts, it also represents a non-sexual object of desire, that of Jane’s father Lester. â€Å"Welcome to America’s weirdest videos.† He says as he peers through the lens of his video camera at Lester ruffling through old items in the garage. Later in the film, Carolyn and Lester attend a ballroom party for Carolyn’s real estate agency. Coincidently the catering company who is servicing the party employs Ricky. He introduces himself to Lester, and they hit it off instantly as they smoke a joint in the back parking lot. Although Lester and Ricky’s gaz es have similar intentions, they are entirely different. We notice the pace of the sequence changes when the audience realizes that Lester’s focus of concentration is on Angela. The male gaze represents the desire for a female counterpart. In Ricky’s case, the gaze is not of a sexual nature. His gaze represents an interest for both Jane and Lester. This dichotomy of the gaze is also evident in Joshua Logan’s 1955 film Picnic. The more prominent of the two is the female gaze towards Hal. Hal is looked at from many female perspectives, and not just as a sexual object. When Hal first reaches the small town, he is looked at by Helen Potts, the widowed women who lives next door to the Owens family. Her gaze is that of a sexual nature. When the Owens girls see Hal later in the scene, it is apparent that all three of them view Hal a little bit differently. Mrs. Owens’ gaze for instance is that of an observatory nature. She does not see Hal as a sexua l object. Instead, she wants to find a potential male companion for her daughter Madge, who is getting old according to her mother’s traditional ideology. Millie, the tomboy daughter, sees Hal not as a sexual object, but as a male friend and perhaps even a role model. By contrast, when Hal first sees Madge, it is apparent that he sees her as an object of desire. His gaze (almost pornographic in nature) suggests that Madge’s good looks and youth symbolize the traditional notion of â€Å"desire† in the melodramatic genre. Many melodramatic films of the 1950s emphasize the concepts of beauty and youth as quintessential factors for one’s object of desire. This theme runs parallel in American Beauty. The notion of beauty and youth is apparent in Lester’s quest to obtain his object of desire, Angela Hayes. Lester overhears a conversation between Angela and Jane. â€Å"You’re dad’s actually kinda cute†¦Ã¢â‚¬  says Angela, â₠¬Å"†¦if he just worked out a little, he’d be hot.† This statement sends Lester on a quest to â€Å"buff up†, reliving his youth in the meantime. During this realisation, Lester reacquaints himself with Ricky Fitts. Ricky sells Lester the same marijuana that they had smoked a few nights prior. Lester also regains his youth by listening to old rock bands such as The Guess Who and Bob Dylan. There is one scene in particular that encompasses all three of these transitions that Lester undergoes. Carolyn crosses the driveway after finishing some gardening work. She notices a strange smell coming from the garage. Lester is pumping weights in the garage, while listening to Bob Dylan’s â€Å"All Along the Watchtower† and smoking dope. â€Å"I see you’re smoking pot now. I’m so glad. I think using illegal psychotropic substances is a very positive example to set for our daughter.† He retorts by saying, â€Å"You’ re one to talk, you bloodless, money-grubbing freak.† In the next scene, Lester quits his job. He writes a letter to management stating why they should release him from his current position. A management representative reads Lester’s resignation letter. â€Å"My job consists of basically masking the contempt for the assholes in charge, and, at least once a day, retiring to the men’s room so I can jerk off, while I fantasize about a life that doesn’t so closely resemble hell.† It is obvious that Lester does not want the responsibility of being an adult. He quits his job in pursuit of a life with fewer responsibilities. This is determined in the sequence when Lester applies for a part time position at local fast food restaurant. â€Å"I’d like to fill out an application,† he says. â€Å"There’s not jobs for manager, just for counter.† the clerk says. â€Å"Good. I’m looking for the least possible amount of responsibility.† This notion of lack of responsibility connotes the privilege of being young. Not only does Lester want to look and act young, (by pumping iron and listening to ‘70s classic rock), but he wants to feel young again in order to obtain the confidence to pursue Angela Hayes. Youth and beauty represent the symbol of power in the melodramatic genre, if not always explicitly. For example, in Elia Kazan’s Baby Doll (1956), it is youth and beauty that gives Carroll Baker’s character (also blonde) the upper hand to decide which man she sleeps with. There is a competitive struggle between both Archie Lee and Silva to gain Baby Doll’s love and appreciation. Archie Lee must regain their furniture to make Baby Doll happy. This will in turn allow them to â€Å"consummate the marriage†, or so he thinks. But Archie is in strong competition with Silva, the rival cotton gin owner who discovers Baby Doll when he heads over to the Meighan h ome to confront Archie about burning down his business. Both men perceive baby Doll as an object of desire. As the film progresses, she is the ultimate deciding factor as to which man she decides to be with. In the end, Baby Doll leaves Archie Lee to be with the sexualised, tall, dark and handsome Sicilian stud. Similarly, in American Beauty, it is Lester who with his sense of youth and his heightened self-confidence eventually comes to the point of confronting Angela about how he feels. After a fight with Jane, Angela is left abandoned in the Burnham kitchen crying while Jane and Ricky leave the house. Lester approaches her, noticing that she had been crying. This is the scene where he offers Angela a sip of his beer. The sexualised blonde has lost her sexy edge. She is vulnerable and incomplete. This is when Lester makes his move. The lights are dim. Angela lies on the Burnham couch and Lester hovers over her thin body. â€Å"[Jane]’s mad because I said I think you’re sexy,† she says. â€Å"So†¦ are you going to tell me? What you want?† he responds. â€Å"What do you want?† she asks. â€Å"Are you kidding? I want you. I wanted you since the first moment I saw you. You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.† Lester proceeds to become the sexual aggressor that he has dreamed of. â€Å"It’s my first time,† she says. At this instant, Lester’s newly found sexualised, youthful, confident character spins a full one hundred and eighty degrees. He never crosses the sexual barrier with Angela, arguably making him a moral man. However, this is also the point in our protagonist’s life that incidentally results in his death. In many film genres, guns represent power. Since the late 1930s and into the 1940s, it was the gangster film genre that portrayed tough mafia men as negative symbols of power. Even in current Hollywood cinema, guns are seen as something to be a fraid of and it is usually the â€Å"bad guy† who abuses this power. In the final scene of Scarface (1983) a crazed Al Pacino fires off many rounds (and kills) the gangsters that invade his home. But throughout American Beauty, the gun represents sexual release and the embodied power that goes along with that. By the end of the film, we realize that this is the point in our protagonist’s life that he mentions in the first few lines of the film. When Lester gets murdered, we do not see the person who murders him. There are some definite possibilities though. We know that at the beginning of the film, Ricky and Jane talk about killing Lester, and before the killing occurs, Carolyn comes in from the rain holding a gun. But neither of these people is the murderer. Colonel Fitts is the character that murders Lester Burnham. Earlier on in the film, we realise that Colonel Fitts’ character is a homophobic army veteran. He lectures Ricky about homosexuality . â€Å"How come these faggots always have to rub it in your face? How can they be so shameless?† says the Colonel. â€Å"That’s the whole thing, Dad. They don’t feel it’s anything to be ashamed of,† says Ricky matter-of-factly. â€Å"Well, it is.† Before the shooting sequence, we figure out that Colonel Fitts actually is a homosexual and that he has repressed his feeling for a long time. He approaches Lester in the Burnham garage and tries to kiss him. Lester recoils by denying the Colonel of any homosexual activity. Colonel Fitts breaks into the Burnham house, killing Lester at point blank range. This power to kill Lester is the result of the Colonel’s pent up sexual repression. Similarly, after Carolyn’s first sexual encounter with Buddy Kane, he suggests that if Carolyn feels stressed, she should go fire a gun. â€Å"I’ve never fired a gun before,† says Carolyn. â€Å"Oh, you’ve gotta try i t. Nothing makes you feel more powerful†¦Ã¢â‚¬  We see Carolyn in a later scene at a firing range relieving tension by firing off several rounds to relieve her sexual stress that cannot be fulfilled without a man. American Beauty can indeed be classified as a modern day melodrama. The codes and conventions from the 1950s classical era of melodrama are present in this film, allowing for countless assimilations to be made paralleling this film with films of the classical period. While all the characters functioned as separate units, it is evident that they co-exist with relevance to the melodrama genre. Our protagonist Lester Burnham is the most apparent of characters. His longing for the sexualised blonde, his desire to be young again and his repressed sexuality all comprise a character sketch that fits the classical melodramatic format. Angela’s youth, her sexual nature and her blonde hair complement Lester’s character by adding a silent third party in the Burnham marriage. Nevertheless, since Carolyn cheats on Lester with Buddy Kane, she obviously does not regard her marriage with much importance. And within the story of this struggling family in search of happiness comes the sub-plot with Ricky and Jane. These outcasts do not feel loved within their own families, thus leaving them to seek refuge with each other. So in essence, this modern melodramatic tale veers far from the cut and dry genre of the 1950s. Although it incorporates many of the same themes and conventions, it steers clear from the conventional notion of the nuclear family as central importance. American Beauty exemplifies what a 1990s version of a 1950s Hollywood melodrama would be.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Is Google Making Us Stupid - 1140 Words

Is Google Making Us Stupid In the Atlantic Magazine, Nicholas Carr wrote an article, â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† Carr poses a good question about how the internet has affected our brain, by remapping the neural circuitry and reprogramming our memory. Carr states, â€Å"My mind isn’t going—so far as I can tell-but it’s changing. I’m not thinking the say way I used to think.† Carr went on farther, saying that he cannot read as long as he used to, his concentration starts to wonder after two or three pages. He states, â€Å"he began to get fidgety and lose his focus and start looking for other things to do.† Carr says this change is because he spend so much time on the internet, that as a writer, then he finds the Web to be very valuable to†¦show more content†¦Wolf states that, reading on the internet promotes a style that puts â€Å"efficiency† and â€Å"immediacy† above all else, may be weakening our capacity for the kind of deep reading that emerged when an earlier technology, the printing press, made long and complex works of prose commonplace. In the New Atlantis, Christine Rosen wrote an article, â€Å"People of the Screen.† The article talks about old books that are no longer being printed, that if the books are no longer printed, if we choose to replace the book-what will become of reading and the print culture it fostered? Rosen states, â€Å"We have already taken the first steps on our journey to a new form of literacy— â€Å"digital literacy.† Enthusiasts and self-appointed experts assure us that this new digital literacy represents an advance for mankind; the book is evolving, progressing, improving, they argue, and every improvement demands an uneasy period of adjustment. In the article it states that, â€Å"Not everyone endorses this claim for the reading’s value. Bloom, for instance, is not persuaded by claims that reading encourages civic engagement. â€Å"You cannot directly improve anyone else’s life by reading better or more deeply,† he argues. No one can deny that our new communications technologies have irrevocably altered theShow MoreRelatedIs Google Making Us Stupid?1240 Words   |  5 Pagesone idea to be represented in many different ways. Both Nicholas Carr’s article â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† and M.T Anderson’s novel Feed, the broad idea of the relationship between humans and technology is portrayed. Carr’s article complains of how technology changes the way we think. Carr instigates the idea that we are losing our passion for learning as a result of the internet and search engines such as Google. These advancements, Carr proposes, lead to a world where our intelligence â€Å"fl attensRead MoreIs Google Making Us Stupid?920 Words   |  4 Pagesa different perspective than that of Manuel Castells. In â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† Carr believes the Internet has taken the foundation out of learning, socializing and reading. Coupled with Manuel Castells, Nicholas Carr agrees that the Internet has been of good use in some cases (Wikipedia for the many hours of research conducted for its database that we access) but he also believes the Internet is slowly making him and us stupid. Carr says â€Å"My mind now expects to take in information the wayRead MoreIs Google Making Us Stupid?1548 Words   |  7 Pagesindependent will and creative imagination. These gives us the ultimate human freedom†¦. The power to choose, to respond, to change (Independence Quotes. Brainy Quote. Xplore. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.).† The Declaration of Independence allows people to do whatever they please as long as it’s within the law, but Google is restraining w hat people can really do. It may not seem that a search engine can limit people, but one needs to think about the many things Google consists of that doesn’t allow people to chooseRead MoreIs Google Making Us Stupid?1048 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Is Google making us stupid? Three authors weigh in One of the most common clichÃÆ' ©s is that the Internet has robbed us of our attention spans and impeded our ability to communicate effectively. Once we could write properly, now we only text. Google has made us lazy in terms of how we research and access data. However, is this true? In three major news publications, three major essayists have grappled with this question and come to completely different conclusions. Although the neurological evidenceRead MoreIs Google Making Us Stupid?879 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican writer, Nicholas G. Carr, in The Atlantic July/ August 2008 Issue titled â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† argues that the amount of time we spend online, especially google, has caused us to lose our minds by â€Å"tinkering† with our brains, â€Å"reprograming our memory,† and changing the way in which we process information. Carr’s purpose is to contribute to the idea that â€Å"Google† along with other online tools, is programi ng us to be less attentive and to the inhibition of our critical thinking skills. GuidedRead More`` Is Google Making Us Stupid?1505 Words   |  7 Pagescritically inspect both the positive and negative effects technology can have on development and cognition and all assert that technology is not as daunting as some make it out to be. However, some opinion based pieces such as Nicholas Carr’s â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† conclude that we should be apprehensive about technology advancing. The differences in outlook towards digital technology s future effect on the mind can best be seen in how authors view technology as a source of distraction, hypertextRead More`` Is Google Making Us Stupid?1384 Words   |  6 Pagestechnology is changing the way we access information; anything is accessible in mere seconds. This implementation has resulted in the most aware society of all time. Most information is just a quick and simple Google search away. An article, written by Nicholas Carr â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid? â€Å" in a 2008 issue for The Atlantic magazine, questioned the negative cognitive effects of the world wide web. Carr recognizes how much we rely on the internet and believes that humanity needs reform. AccordingRead MoreIs Google Making Us Stupid?1040 Words   |  5 Pagesquestion â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† This has set off a debate on the effects the internet is having on our brains. Obviously the internet is here to stay, but is it making us scatterbrained? Are we losing the ability to think deeply? Criticism of the Web most often questions whether we are becoming more superficial and scattered in our thinking. In the July-August 2008 Atlantic magazine, Nicholas Carr published Is Google Making Us Stupid? (http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google). Like otherRead MoreIs Google Making Us Stupid?733 Words   |  3 Pages Nicholas Carrs article, â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† makes points that I agree with, although I find his sources to be questionable. The article discusses the effects that the Internet may be having on our ability to focus, the difference in knowledge that we now have, and our reliance on the Internet. The points that are made throughout Carrs article are very thought provoking but his sources make them seem invaluable. Carr discusses the effects that the Internet has on our minds and the wayRead MoreIS Google Making us Stupid1091 Words   |  5 PagesFebruary 2014 The Truth Behind Google Have you every truly thought about the way you use Google? Some people basically use it as a replacement of an education, while others use it to find information quick and easy. The first article named â€Å"Yes†, written by Nicholas Carr, describes how Google is making people stupid. The second article titled â€Å"No†, written by Peter Norvig explains that Google is not making people dumb. Carr wants to display that most people use Google to find answers, and in that