The United States Presidential Election Essay Example for Free

The United States Presidential Election Essay The recent victory of Barack Obama in the United States Presidential Election of 2008 is one of the biggest issues among many other big events that have occurred in America this year. Early on, even during the presidential primaries, the topic of whether or not then Presidential candidate Obama would be influential enough to win the electoral vote was an issue. It was undoubted that the Democratic Party enjoyed the support of the popular vote yet the bigger was issue was whether or not they would be able to gain enough of the Electoral College votes. The events and debates leading up to the election have also brought about a controversial election topic which is that of Electoral College reform. This brief discourse shall tackle the issue of Electoral College Reform and whether or not a different method for the selection of the United States president should be used. To arrive at a better understanding of the issue, it is important to first discuss the pros and cons of the current system. As such, there will be a discussion into the historical antecedents and the impact of such electoral changes. Finally, this discourse will highlight the reasons why the method used by Maine and Nebraska is more effective. Electoral College Reform In 1888, the election of Benjamin Harrison was controversial because for the first time in American History the winner of the Electoral College lost the popular vote. This raised a lot of questions because it was thought to symbolize the lack of support for the President by the American public. It would also mean that the mandate of the public was not for the President and it would make it very difficult to pass reforms and laws. This is because the United States has a democratic government. It must be remembered that a democratic system is often mistakenly characterized as the rule of the majority (Davenport 380). While there is usually a large group of middle class individuals that comprise this democratic system, it does not necessarily mean that the majority rule. This only means that the majority usually elects the representative to office but the hallmark of any democracy is still the protection of the rights of the minority. As such, the system of Electoral College ensures that while the majority may influence the outcome of an election it also makes sure the people are able to freely select their representation at all levels, most especially at the level of the presidency. Most recently, the issue of Electoral College Reform once again made the headlines as President George W. Bush narrowly won the electoral vote but had lost the popular vote. This victory raised a lot of questions and even the former Senator Hillary Clinton called for a constitutional amendment that would allow for the selection of the President to be through popular vote and not the electoral vote. It is clear that this measure did not pass yet it certainly did bring to the consciousness of the public the necessity of reviewing the issue of Electoral College Reform. Pros and Cons It stands to reason why such a system, which has been in place for so long and been the reason for the election of several Presidents, should be replaced with an antiquated election style. In order to arrive at a better understanding of the issue, it is important to first discuss the concerns of the Electoral College system. This is with the goal of proving that there is a need for Electoral College Reform and the adoption of the Congressional District method which is being used in Maine and Nebraska. The first reason is that it is argued that the system of Electoral College Reform does not accurately reflect the sentiment of the public. This is because as the examples in the recent elections have shown an individual can still be declared as the President of the United States even if he or she does not have the support of the majority or the popular vote. Under the Electoral College system, as long as the candidate enjoys the support of the States with the heaviest weight, he is virtually assured of victory. This is because of the fact that the framers of the Constitution sought for equality in representation and wanted to ensure that the voters in the sparsely populated states would have more weight as compared to those in the more densely populated states. This was done to ensure that those in smaller states would be able to be heard and have representation. This was also done to ensure that the majority would not overwhelm the minority. Another peculiar aspect of the Electoral System is that a candidate can win the election if he so happens to accumulate wins in many states that are relatively small in size even if his opponent is able to get larger wins in smaller states. The reason for this is that the Electoral System also features the â€Å"winner take all† system which rules that the proportion of the electoral vote often bears little resemblance to the popular vote. The winner take alls system also creates a few problems because the smaller number of electoral votes creates a discrepancy with the amount of random round offs which has been stated as an error. The presence of this error is also problematic because most studies have shown that it reduces voter turn out in areas and states where there are dominant parties. Seeing that they are not able to swing the vote either way, certain voters do not even attempt to exercise their right to vote for fear that it will all be for naught because of the numbers involved. Being the minority party in the state, they are aware that if their state uses the Electoral College System they will be unable to sway the outcome of the election either way. This is the reason why there is a voter apathy problem in most of these states. Perhaps the main problem with the Electoral College arises from the fact that in case there is no candidate who gets the majority of the electoral votes, it falls upon the House of Representatives to settle the issue. From this point alone, it is clear that there are several ramifications from such a method. The first is that the results of the election will not matter in any case because it will be the House of Representatives that will determine the winner. This may also be interpreted as a situation wherein the party which is able to get the most number of seats in Congress will decidedly determine the outcome of the election. The resulting partisan battle is no longer representative of the will of the public but rather the will of a representation that does not effectively carry the approval of the majority of the voting public. The second reason is because it often results in horse trading in order to determine the next President of the United States. Since the House of Representatives is composed of several congressmen, it boils down to trading votes for concessions when determining the leadership of the country. This totally disregards the electoral process and in a way can be construed as frustrating the will of the voting public. As such, the entire electoral process boils down to which side is able to gain more support for their candidate and which candidate is able to give more concessions to the parties. This is similar to events that transpired in 1824 and 1876. The leadership of a country boils down to tax measures and funding instead of what it is really supposed to be about, the will of the voting public. This system also creates another problem by limiting the choices of the public. Since it has been determined that the party which has a better network generally wins, the Electoral System leaves out the alternative parties such as the liberals. In the past elections, it has been shown that it is only the Republican or the Democratic Party that is able to field the candidates. While the liberal party has shown more strength, the realistic candidates are generally from the two party systems which in effect limit the choices of the voting public. One of the other problems in an Electoral College comes from the fact that there is a necessity for primary elections. This means that the long drawn out process of Elections is really simply just a process that was already more or less decided when the primaries were cast. As the recent elections have shown, when there are primary elections it already becomes clear where the popular votes are and where the electoral strengths are. This also results in a frustration in the vote and the will of the electorate because having the primaries means that in most cases the votes of the last states does not really matter, except when it is a really close election but in most cases this is not often the case. The reason for this is that the results of the elections have been decided because most of the candidates have conceded even before all the votes have been cast due to the projections of certain candidates having insurmountable lead. The end impact of all of these negative aspects is quite simple. It means that the electoral process is frustrated and the right of the voters to be heard and make a difference with their vote is disregarded. This is based on the fact that when the electoral process is determined before it is over it sends the signal that the vote of those who have not voted is no longer necessary in determining the results. This may, in the long run, lead to voter apathy and lack of support from certain states. From the point of view of the electoral process, it is not a real electoral process because it does not allow for the real sentiments of the public to be reflected. Through the electoral process, the foundations of a democratic system become all the more evident. The right of the people to vote and to choose who they will elect as president is one of the important foundations of a representative democratic system (Lijphart 139). Without these foundations in place, there would be no way to ensure that the rights of the people are protected. The right to select a representative ensures that everyone has a chance to be heard. In the wise words of Abraham Lincoln, Democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Jungs Theory of Psychological Types

Jungs Theory of Psychological Types Explain C.G. Jungs theory of psychological types as a developmental model As Anthony Stevens (1990) details, Jung’s theory of psychological types has many precedents in psychology and the philosophy of mind; it can be seen to be connected to such notions as Hippocrates’ concept of the four temperaments, its medicalisation in Galen’s four humours, the ancient Egyptian systems of astrology and the Chinese binaries of Yin and Yang. Jung, however, in his essay ‘A Psychological Theory of Types’ (1960) despite acknowledging his debt to such systems, stresses the notion that his theory can be distinguished from such intuitive ones through its use of scientific and analytical understanding, as he states: The historical retrospect may set our minds at rest as to the fact that our modern efforts to formulate a theory of types are by no means new and unprecedented, even if our scientific conscience no longer permits us to revert to these old, intuitive ways of handling the question.[1] As this paper shall assert, this image of change and continuity is crucial in understanding how Jung’s theory has and can be used as a developmental model to examine not only childhood development but that of the whole lifecycle. Jung’s theories on this area can be seen as a being constantly adapted by himself and others to widening their theoretical importance and, more importantly perhaps, to broaden their practical application. To this end, this paper is divided into three main sections: the first looks at Jung’s theory of psychological types as laid out in texts such as ‘A Psychological Theory of Types’ (1960), The Development of Personality (1981) and Psychological Types (1983); the second section looks how this was adapted and altered by Isabel Myers and Katherine Briggs (Myers, 2000; Myers, 1962; Bayne, 1997) and lastly, the third and final section details briefly how each of these has been used as a full developmental model in practical psych ology and developmental science. It is hoped then that this paper represents not only a historical explanation of Jung’s theories but how they fit into a developing discipline. Jung describes the basics of his theory of types concisely in the introduction to the work Psychological Types (1983): In my practical work with nervous patients I have long been struck by the fact that besides the many individual differences in human psychology there are also typical differences. Two types especially become clear to me; I have termed them the introvert and the extraverted types.[2] There are two things of interest in this simple statement: firstly, as we have already stated Jung asserts the scientific method of his research (his theory arises out of observations in a clinical setting) and secondly, as Stevens (1990) details, Jung’s theory of types aims to accommodate both individual difference and universal similarity. The two basic psychological types in Jung’s framework, the introvert and extrovert, describe the basic relationship the individual has with the world and the objects around them: the extravert is defined by an outward flowing of libido, and as Fordham (1964) states â€Å"an interest in events, in people and things, (and has) a relationship with them and a dependence on them.†[3] The extravert draws energy from the world in which they inhabit and as Jung (1983) states, is more likely to have a ready acceptance of external events and happenings. They also show a need to be influenced by events happening to them and will have mo ral and ethical leanings that gravitate towards the collective[4]. The extravert is likely to be more willing to share views, to engage with others and to see their ideas as existing within a network of influencing factors (Shamdasani, 2003: 68). Conversely, the introvert presents us with the opposite view, as Fordham (1964) details: The introverted attitude, in contrast, is one of withdrawal; the libido flows inward and is concentrated upon subjective factors, and the predominating influence is ‘inner necessity’. When this attitude is habitual Jung speaks of an ‘introverted type’.[5] The introverted type, then, is happiest alone, ‘in their own company’ (to use Jung’s own phrase), draws energy from solitude, is more likely to formulate their own ethical judgements and frameworks, has a tendency towards pessimism and anxiety and finds safety and warmth with other people only when security has been established and the relationship boundaries have been fixed (Jung, 1983: 142-5). As we can see here, Jung’s basic taxonomy recognised only two general types and each of these corresponded to the individual’s interaction with themselves and the world about them. In his work ‘Psychological Types’, however, Jung also characterises ‘four basic psychological functions’ that he lists as: thinking, feeling, sensation and intuition. Each of these functions, taken as individual tropes and as two pairs of binaries (thinking/feeling and sensing/intuiting) enables us to frame not only the two basic types per se but how they are manifested in situation and behaviour. The two basic types and the four functions can be combined to form a series of eight major psychological types that serve to define and characterise an individual’s psychic propensity (Extraverted thinking, Introverted thinking, Extraverted feeling, Introverted feeling and so on). As Jung explains, this grouping was seen more as a flexible framework than a rigid meth od of pseudo-scientifically condensing the richness and breadth of humans as a species. As Stevens (1991) details, although these initial eight types have been expanded upon and used as the basis for psychometric testing, Jung’s interest in them was largely clinical, his writings outline how they can be used to understand the ways in which individual’s react to their environment and how clinical and pedagogical strategies can be formulated to best work with an individual’s own behaviour. As Knox (2003) suggests, the eight basic types of Jungian theory can be seen more as a method of classification than a developmental model. Whereas Jung’s concept of the archetypal lifecycle employed similar processes of taxonomy (the notion of life stages for instance) it was Isabel Myers and her mother Katherine Briggs who were to take Jung’s work and fully utilise it as a developmental model. As Myers (2000) details, the Myers-Briggs model expanded on Jung’s original thesis by adopting and adapting the concepts of the ‘dominant’ and the ‘auxiliary’ functions, this allows for the types to be seen, not so much as a series of binaries, but as a set of dichotomies that can be used to measure the relative make up of personality types within each individual. This resulted in an expansion of the eight types to sixteen, each of which was assigned a series of letters that allowed psychologists to formulate questionnaires and to calibrate results, as Myers herself details: Jung’s theory and the 16 MBTI types do not define static boxes; instead, they describe dynamic energy systems with interacting processes.[6] The Myers-Briggs adaptation of Jung’s original types made it possible for them to be used in more general, non-clinical situations (Waktins and Campbell, 2000). The sixteen types in the Myers-Briggs system have specific characteristic traits that can be used as a developmental model, not only in terms of how the individual may react to the changing life stages outlined by Jung (childhood, adolescence, early maturity, mid-life transition, middle age, late life transition, late maturity, death – [Stevens, 1990: 62]) but also in terms of the challenges that face individuals everyday. Myers (2000) for instance outlines the ISTJ individual (Introverted Sensing with Extraverted Thinking) as having: †¦a strong sense of responsibility and great loyalty to organisations, families and relationships in their lives. They work with steady energy to fulfil commitments as stated and on time. They go to almost any trouble to complete something they see as necessary but baulk at doing anything that doesn’t make sense to them.[7] Myers (2000) places such descriptions within a developmental context that highlights problems and potential areas for growth, asserting for instance that ISTJ personalities can â€Å"become rigid about time, schedules and procedures† and â€Å"find it difficult to delegate† (Myers, 2000: 14). Alternatively, those classified as ENFP (Extraverted Intuition with Introverted Feeling) can be described as innovative, stimulated by new people, see connections where others don’t and are likely to be curious, creative, imaginative and spontaneous. In terms of personal development, however, they can become frustrated â€Å"become scattered, have trouble focusing (and) be easily distracted† (Myers, 2000: 21). We can see how the Myers-Briggs model not only adapts the taxonomy of Jung’s original classification but also expands its uses – employing it far more as a general developmental model than a clinical tool, as Allen and Brock (2003) state: (The MBTI is) a tool for assessing those individual differences and has given millions of people a positive understanding of their own patterns of communication as well as an understanding of the mutual usefulness of differences.[8] As McCaulley (2000) suggests, Myers-Briggs Type Indicators can be used a developmental and psychometric model in many areas of counselling and education to determine such things as teaching styles, lifestyle strategies and methods of dealing with challenges and life situations. The development of type is a process that continues throughout one’s life: youth is seen as the stage in which we develop the dominant and auxiliary functions that form a major part of one’s personality, midlife allows us to develop and set the third and fourth functions and the latter stages of life allow us to adopt a lifestyle that is in conjunction with our own type preferences. As McCaully (2000) states, here Jung’s theory of psychological types and his theory of the developing lifestyle can be seen to coincide, with the latter being able to be used as a way that individuals can negotiate the former. Psychological types, especially as they were framed and described by Isabel Myers and Katherine Briggs, can be used as a basis with which to formulate strategies that aid in the transition from one life stage to another. As a developmental model then it seeks to be both descriptive and curative. Isabel Myers saw the a whole range of uses for Jungian psychological types as a developmental model, most notably in the area of education and child development, for instance she states that It is particularly important to apply the ethics and values of type to relationships with children. Often in trying to meet a child’s needs, adults assume that what has worked best for them will also work best for the child. Lack of validation or acceptance of one’s preferences as a child can lead to low self esteem, defiance or adaptation of that creates strain.[9] The Jungian based MBTI developmental model has been used by all manner of different disciplines from management practice (Davidson Frame, 2003, Bess, 1995) to education (Morgan, 1997) from organisational theory (Schneider and Smith, 2004) to religion (Watts, Nye and Savage, 2002). Its use by such a wide variety of fields is surly a reflection of its place as a model that seeks to understand both individuated personality and universal archetypes. Also, as we have seen, it is a theory is constant evolution and one that is being utilised by an ever growing range of academic and practical disciplines. References Allen, J and Brock, S (2003), Health Care Communication Using Personality Types: Patients Are Different, London: Routledge. Bayne, R (1997), The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: A Critical Review and Practical Guide, London: Nelson Thornes. Bess, J (1995), Creative R and D Leadership, London: Quorum Books. Davidson, Frame, J (2003), Managing Projects in Organisations, London: Jossey Bass. Fordham, F (1964), An Introduction to Jung’s Psychology, London: Pelican. Jung, C.G (1960), Modern Man in Search of a Soul, London: Harvester. Jung, C.G (1991), The Development of Personality, London: Routledge. Jung. C.G (1983), Jung: Selected Writings, London: Fontana. Knox, J (2003), Archetype, Attachment, Analysis: Jungian Psychology and the Emergent Mind, London: Brunner-Routledge. McCaulley, M (2000), ‘The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in Counselling’ published in Watkins, E and Campbell, V (2000), Testing and Assessment in Counselling, London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 111-174. Morgan, H (1997), Cognitive Styles and Classroom Learning, London: Praeger. Myers, I (1964), The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, London: Consultant Psychologists Press. Myers. I (2000), Introduction to Type, London: OPP. Schneider, B and Smith, D.B (2004), Personality and Organisations, London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Shamdasani, S (2003), Jung and the Making of Modern Psychology, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Stevens, A (1990), On Jung, London: Penguin. Watkins, E and Campbell, V (eds) (2000), Testing and Assessment in Counselling, London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Watts, F, Nye, R and Savage, S (2002), Psychology for Christian Ministry, London: Routledge. 1 Footnotes [1] C.G. Jung (1960), ‘A Psychological Theory of Types’, published in Modern man in Search of a Soul, London: Harvester, p. 83 [2] C.G. Jung (1983), Psychological Types, published in Jung: Selected Writings, London: Fontana, p.129 [3] Frieda Fordham (1964), An Introduction to Jung’s Psychology, London: Pelican, p.29. [4] See for instance Jung’s assertion that â€Å"the extravert’s philosophy of life and his ethics are as a rule of a highly collective nature with a strong streak of altruism, and his conscience is in large measure dependant on public opinion.† (Jung, 1983: 141) [5] Fordham (1964), p. 30. [6] Isabel Myers (2000), Introduction to Type, London: OPP, p.7 [7] Myers (2000), p.14 [8] Judy Allen and Susan Brock (2003), Health Care Communication Using Personality Types: Patients Are Different, London: Routledge, p.7 [9] Myers (2000), p.36

Why the Cold War developed by 1949 Essays -- essays research papers

By 1949, the Cold War had developed in many ways since 1945. The most significant factor to the development of the Cold War since the end of World War II, was the building of the Iron Curtain in 1946 which divided the communists countries of Eastern Europe from the non-communist countries of the West and considerably contributed to the hostilities between the West and the USSR. Other reasons why Cold War had developed by was because of the different ideology to begin with, the Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine, the Berlin Blockade, the sphere of influence and the NATO, which united the Western powers. The most important reason why the Cold War had developed by 1949 was because of the building of the Iron Curtain, which divided the Communist east, from the non-communist West. This was significant because it was the first huge action adding to the growing opposition between the USA and the USSR and made it impossible for the West to intervene in Stalin?s Communist plans. Stalin was able to gain such control behind the Iron Curtain because the West had agreed to the ?Sphere of Influence? and most of the countries were war-torn, poor and chaotic and communists were already there. This lead to the making of the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Act. The Truman Doctrine was relatively significant in developing the Cold War, and came about because of the worry about Stalin taking over Eastern Europe. The Truman Doctrine was a rule made in 1947 in response to the recent communist takeover of Eastern Europe, to contain communism. This meant that the USA would support any nation who was in danger of being taken over by communism, with money, equipment and advice. The financial side of the Truman Doctrine was agreed in the Marshall Plan i... ...ngthened the Western side and meant that if an attack was made on the West, the countries would support each other. However, although this weakened the Eastern side, between 1948 and 1949, the Soviet Union successfully tested its first atomic bomb, meaning that the arms race was about to begin. In conclusion, in between 1945 and 1949, the Cold War had significantly developed mainly because of the increasing hostilities between the East and West. By 1949, the arms race had begun and Stalin had created the Iron Curtain to divide Communist Eastern Europe and non-communist Western Europe. The three sectors of Germany had united and had gained a good reputation for helping the Berliners in the Berlin Blockade. The Marshall Plan lead to the forming of Cominform and this retaliation sets the pattern for the rest of the Cold War, because of the idea of ?one-upmanship?.

17th century english writers Essays -- essays research papers

The Pen Is Mightier Than The King The 17th century saw a king’s head roll and an English Caesar sit the throne, in the midst of all of this a new class was rising. England in the 17th century was rife with change, there was much work to be done before the industrial revolution could fully grip the nation. For hundreds of years the monarch had dominated the political landscape, now that was changing radically. Although their remained a Monarch in power for most of this period they had seen their powers limited to the point of reducing them to the status of figurehead. As farming techniques and technology had improved, the population in England had increased steadily and the use of this new technology created a new class in society.(1) This merchant class was on the rise due in large part to the captured markets in North America and the West Indies which had made many a merchant richer than their aristocratic brethren. The British Parliament had seen its power expand over the last hundred years and would continue that trend in the 17th century finding itself with the power to behead even the king.(1) As Parliament flexed their new found muscle the king was forced to find the funding for his political intrigues among the new merchant class. In addition to this new found monetary prowess the middle classes had been exposed to a rich variety of philosophers who espoused the right of the people to rule themselves.(1) Revolution in the New World and in parts of Europe increasingly made the lower classes aware of their right to self-governance. The parliament a representative of the people showed its power in the 17th century by enacting the â€Å"Glorious Revolution† and crippling the English monarchy for the rest of time.(1) Indeed in the next century the French Revolution would show that not only a government body had the power to remove royalty, the common people could also spill royal blood. As a result of this change in the class structure Monarchs and parliament where forced to recognize the power of the common people and they would from then on need to seek the peoples favor. The danger of an uprising was quite real and could not be controled by marshal means, as there was no standing police force or army.(1) In addition leaders of the time where selected by birth and not by political prowess and as such many of them lacked the eloquence to persuade the pe... ... lost their power and the war ended soon after this publication.(1) Each of these men has come to be associated with literary greatness and deservedly so, however at the time of their death they may not have felt the sense of accomplishment that they had earned. With the possible exception of Milton the early 17th century authors were limited both in the ideas that they could legally express and in the career opportunities that they could pursue, these men Dryden, Locke and Milton paved the way for the later authors and the freedoms that they enjoyed. In all of their cases they came from modest middle class backgrounds and were educated with money earned by their merchant class parents. The leaders of their time sought them out for this very reason as it allowed them to more effectively communicate their point of view to the increasingly powerful middle class. Although the rulers who sought to use them for their skill in communication may have gained some temporary benefit from their services, it is all subsequent English speaking authors who have be nefited the most from their labors in that they do not have to chain themselves to the prevailing sentiment in society to be heard.

Comparison of The Raven and The Erlking Essay

In this essay, I am going to compare and contrast the two famous poems, ‘The Raven’ by Edgar Allen Poe and ‘The Erlking’ by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The Raven is a one hundred and eight line poem about a lonely man who is unstable after losing his wife and comes across a raven who only speaks the word, â€Å"nevermore†. The Erlking is a poem about a man in a small girl’s nightmare as he torments her but nobody else can see him. There are many similarities and differences between the two poems. Both poems have a gothic atmosphere and can be compared strongly in this way. However, both are of different lengths and differ fro9m each other. In this essay, I am going to discuss how the two poets create tension and suspense and make a conclusion after studying these poems. The first element I am going to compare and contrast is the storyline of the poem and the impression it is meant to have on its reader. I am going to start by analysing each poem individually and then make a small conclusion when I will see how they are similar and how they differ. I will be using this structure for each point I will discuss. I will start by analysing ‘The Raven’. The main principle of Edgar Allen Poe’s poem was to have a lasting effect on its reader. Shortly, before he wrote ‘The Raven’, Poe’s wife had been diagnosed with an illness. This illness was later the cause of her death soon after he had finalised is poem. It is said that this poem is his forecast of what was going to happen to his wife. This is, therefore, the reason why he chose a raven to be the main character, because it was thought to be the most evil bird. The Raven is meant to be a representation of Edgar Allen Poe reflecting his responses to the bad news of his wife. The Erlking is a very dark poem and starts by giving a notion that the boy is simply imagining the Erlking and is dying of a strange disease. However, the poem takes a sinister twist when the boy dies at the end of the poem. Goethe had many reasons of writing such a dark poem. Such a reason is that the night before he wrote the poem he saw a local farmer carrying a bundle. This turned out to be a man who was carrying his sick child to hospital. This was where the main inspiration for the storyline for the poem of the Erlking came from. Also in German mythology there is meant to be a spirit/ supernatural power that is meant to cause controversy and ruin the minds of children. These two factors were merged together to make the Erlking. They are both dark poems and want to create a mysterious mood for the reader. Both had an individual reason of why they were written but then their similarity grew because they had the same atmospheric impression. The second point I am going to examine is the linguistic techniques used by the poets. The Raven has a lot of alliteration and is used very frequently. Examples of this alliteration is:- â€Å"While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,† â€Å"And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain† Both are examples of alliteration but in different ways, one very simple and the other has more complexity. The first quote is just three consecutive words starting with the same letter. The second quotation, on the other hand, uses two words consecutively starting with the same letter. However, the third word is part of the alliteration. The ‘un’ is not part of the alliteration but the second part is. Although this part of the word starts with a ‘c’, it is pronounced as the letter ‘s’. This is still part of the alliteration because this poem was obviously written to be read aloud. The Erlking is very different to the Raven, in this way, as it does not contain hardly any alliteration used for boosting the atmosphere. The Erlking does use a linguistic technique that the Raven does not use as much is repetition. An example of this is:- â€Å"Dear father, oh father, and do you not see,† This is a technique very similar to alliteration as it created the same type of tension and both are meant to be read fairly slowly. Later on in The Erlking, this repetition phrase is repeated, showing that there is ‘internal’ repetition (with the word ‘father’) and also ‘phrasal’ repetition. The third I am going to consider is the rhyming scheme of each of the poems. The Erlking has a different rhyming scheme to the Raven. The Erlking’s rhyming scheme is a very common one but the one of the Raven is very peculiar. Many poems have the rhyming scheme the same as the Erlking because it is very basic. This rhyming scheme is:- 1. A 2. A 3. B 4. C An example of this rhyming scheme in the poem is:- 1. Who rides so late where winds blow wild? 2. It is the father grasping his child; 3. He holds the boy embraced in his arm 4. He clasps him snugly, he keeps him warm. The rhyming scheme of the Raven is very different and unusual, not many poems have the same rhyming scheme. This rhyming scheme is:- 1. AA 2. B 3. CC 4. CB 5. B 6. B An example of this rhyming scheme is:- 1. Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, 2. Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore- 3. While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, 4. As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door- 5. â€Å"‘Tis some visitor,† I muttered, â€Å"tapping at my chamber door. 6. Only this and nothing more.† The two poems differ greatly in their rhyming schemes and have similarities. The Erlking has a very simple rhyming scheme with only two lines that rhyme out of the four. However, the Raven has a much more complex rhyming scheme with internal rhymes as well as end-of-line rhyming. The Raven’s rhyme scheme, however, has an effect on how the poem is read. The Raven is a very gothic poem and this rhyme scheme changes the way the poem is read, especially when the enunciation is used. The Erlking is very different and is a lot easier to read, compared with the Raven. This could mean that the poem is meant for a younger audience because of the simplistic reading ability needed. The other issue I am going to study is the excess of patterning. The Raven uses this several times, however, the Erlking does not. Excess of patterning is when a sound is repeated in a line to give an emphasis of those particular words. An example of this in the Raven could be:- â€Å"Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,† This quotation from Poe’s poem gives emphasis on the description to make this highlighted when the poem is read. This could have been a good technique that could have been added to the Erlking poem to make a part of the poem more prominent. The final factor I am going to consider is the length of the poems. The Raven is considerably longer than the Erlking. The Raven being 108 lines long compared to the Erlking which is a mere 32 lines long. The length of the Raven allows Poe to go into a lot of depth in his descriptions. However, this style of writing does not suit the Erlking as well. The reason for this is that the Erlking is meant to leave questions unanswered and a sense of mystery. If it had gone into the depth that the Raven did in its length, this would have been taken away. Over all, I can see that both poems are very individual but still contain some similarities. Both poets had very different inspirations of why they wrote their poem but they still had a very similar atmosphere that was created. They also use different linguistic techniques, although they create a very parallel effect. I can see that Edgar Allen Poe uses many more techniques in his poem than Goethe does, this may be because the Raven is longer and may have more room to use more effect without ‘over-doing’ them.

Animal Farm Essential Questions

This is a historical, political and social allegory, that is, a story whose characters and events represent or symbolize ideas and events. George Orwell, who worked creating propaganda for the British government during World War II, saw the rise of socialism and Marxism, and the eventual dominance of Communism in the sass's. This book is Rowel's response to the world around him. How do some gain power over others? What enables them to succeed? Some gain power over others for many reasons.They may have better leadership skills and will aka charge or they could be the smartest and the most trustworthy. What enables them to succeed is if they lead correctly their followers will do the same causing success What is propaganda and what is the relationship between propaganda and power? Propaganda is communications to the public that are designed to influence the opinions. The relationship between propaganda and power is that propaganda can be used to maintain power or gain power. Why does p ropaganda work?Propaganda works because our minds are easily persuaded and any information even out by the more powerful people will be taken as true. How often In today's world are the weak exploited by the strong? Are utopias possible? I believe utopias are not possible because I think there will always be someone who will want to be different and could be greedy and change the look of the utopia. Is Animal Farm a relevant novel for the 21st century reader? All civilizations begin with a utopian society in mind but some where along the way they falter and stumble and finally fall only because of faults In human character.

Identifying Major Depressive Disorder

We, as human beings at some point would feel low, unstable and sometimes would not know how to exactly describe what we feel bout certain things. Most often it is unknown to us that we are maybe suffering from mood disorders, we become unaware of ourselves. Mood disorders are portrayed by having wide swing of emotions; it ranges from deep depression to extreme excitement, exhilaration or euphoria and agitation. There are actually two forms of mood disorder; the first one is depression and the other is bipolar respectively. Mania is characterized by intense and or unrealistic feelings of excitement and euphoria, and depression involves feelings of extraordinary sadness and dejection. In some cases wherein mania and depression comes together it is known to be bipolar, in which a person with this disorder would have to feel extreme excitement and deep sadness simultaneously. When depression exists for the longest time it is called dysthymia. It is known to be similar with major depression but it is a long term disorder, it is mild and not an acute (Dinsmoor., December, 2002). Symptoms of depression The symptoms of depression can be manifested easily in a person. These symptoms are actually various and it can be easily recognized. A person with a depression would have the symptoms of having difficulty in sleeping; they do not get their sleep easily because their minds are restless and due to this they would feel stressed or fatigued. It can also be the other way around; people with depression can also be recognized if they sleep excessively. They would also loose their appetite and would usually loose weight or they would do excessive eating and gain weight. It can also manifest in their activities; people with depression would loose their attraction in their activities that they do find pleasurable. Major depression disorder can also come with the loosing the appetite for sex or having sexual problems; it can also be accompanied by headaches. There is also the feeling of guilt, hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness and one of the hardest manifestations is that they find concentrating on certain things too difficult (Association, 2000). Is Katherine suffering from major depressive disorder? Katherine has been experiencing the symptoms engaged in the mood disorder which is called major depressive disorder, in which she often wishes she were dead, she feels sad all day long and cries several times a day, she experiences disturbed sleep and, as a result, she feels fatigued all day long, she has absolutely no interest in sex or even spending time with friends, she finds it extremely difficult to concentrate at work and just does not want to be around people. If these feelings and wide variety of undeniable changes are not induced by alcohol or any drink that would make her feel down, if they are caused by a difficulty in her functions in her work or at home and if they were not caused by great sorrow I can make a systematic statement that Katherine is really suffering from major depressive disorder. And since Katherine has more than five of the symptoms attached with major depressive disorder I can say that she is really suffering from it. Katherine needs to be treated while she is still in the early stage of her depression or while she still can handle her situation. If she would not be immediately treated she might at some point make an attempt to kill herself or commit suicide. Treatments for major depressive disorder There are several treatments for a patient who has a major depressive disorder. There is psychotherapy or counseling for people who have depression disorder and there are various medications or drugs used in treating people who are afflicted with this disorder. Numbers of medicines are used in the cure of major depressive disorder, these actually falls into the category of anti-depressants and are further categorized into a more particular drug or medicine. Among the anti-depressants are Tricyclic anti-depressants or TCA’s which can actually relief depression by increasing the neurotransmitters’ concentration in the central nervous system. Another one is the Monoamine oxidase inhibitors or MAOI’s acts as an agent in helping break down a particular neurotransmitter which would help regulate the mood of a person to become stable or normal. The third kind of anti-depressant is the Lithium carbonate which helps in reducing the activities of the nerves in the brain; it alters the chemical balance within a particular nerve in the brain. And the last kind is the serotonin which helps in transmitting messages without interrupting the brain chemistry. Treatment for Katherine In the case of Katherine she can be treated by using both psychotherapy and medication. I would use the interpersonal and or behavioral therapy on her for me to know what triggered her depression. I need to have a background of her present relationships; her relationship with her family, her relationship with her current boyfriend, her relationship with her friends, her relationship with her officemates and her other relationships. And after having analyzed her relationship patterns I would focus on her current behaviors. I would be able to know what triggered her present behaviors also by her past behaviors or the things that had actually happened to her that might have contributed to her behavior now. Aside from these two psychotherapy some activities might help in diverting Katherine’s emotions by encouraging her to try to involve her self in activities that would be pleasurable to her, like talking to a friend to release some of her emotions or going out with someone who is sensible and nice so that she can enjoy and forget about her depression. In her medication I would just give her an anti-depressant that would suit her because it might cause further complications if I would give her inappropriate medicine. Psychotherapy and the use of medicine would result to a more improved and satisfying results rather than using therapy or counseling alone and or just by giving medications. It is really hard to know if someone is suffering from a major depression because one might not notice the symptoms right away. The most important thing is to give ones self a chance to know his or her self more. References Association, A. P. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- Fourth Edition American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. Dinsmoor., R. S. (Ed.) (December, 2002) Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Gale Group. [Electronic Version] Retrieved March 05, 2008 from http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?requestURI=/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/mood_disorders.jsp