Globalization of Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries Essay

Globalization of both the economy and the society has confronted the world over the past decade. A shift of focus and interest from the local market to the international setting has demanded innovation not just in corporate leadership as new information; forms of communication and technology are being offered to be utilized in encouraging and reinforcing interaction among individuals. Fewer trade barriers and unprecedented technological advances have accelerated the pace of globalization. The advances in communication technology make it easier to enter the international market through the efficient marketing and advertising strategies that a number of international business organizations invest in by utilizing the services provided by the Worldwide Web. Electronic data communication (EDC) facilitates the exchange of data at tremendous speeds; it sorts and integrates data with other information available to the recipients (businesses, banks, capital markets) from other sources. Individual countries and trading and currency blocs alike view the fast-moving e-business sector as having a direct impact on the countries’ and blocs’ competitiveness in the global market. Increased market competition identifies continuous adjustment and improvement in the production lines of countries to recognize the participation of smaller business units. The free flow of goods and services, the establishment of functioning trade blocs like the European Union, more favorable regulations for foreign direct investment, and e-commerce are now major features of the global market. The introduction of the new division of international labor calls for evaluation and reorganization of the business operations as well as a reassessment of the current technological practices. The Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries Industry in FRANCE Royle and Towers (2002) note that the Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries industry has now extended throughout the world, expanding in FRANCE and other European countries, bakeshops are often considered as a characteristic of the new global culture. These bakeshops are illustrated as informal, have uniform service to anyone regardless of social status and focuses on giving quick-service to its customers. The industry grew out of a cultural philosophy that greatly values friendliness more than propriety, basically more than traditions of gracious living and democratic consensus over status-based divisions. Firms within the Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries industry fall into the category of a competitive market structure. According to Lipset (1991), the competitiveness of a market refers to the extent to which individual firms have the control or power to influence market prices or the terms on which their products are sold. It must be noted that â€Å"the less power an individual firm has to influence the market in which it sells its products, the more competitive the market is† (Lipset, 1991). In the recent years, the integration of strategic planning and functional marketing has been perhaps the most relevant development in the field of marketing management as marketing managers have all the more realized that tactical marketing decisions must be made within a wider strategic framework. Marketing Mix (4Ps) Product – Products that Cakes and Cookies are offering can be improved and expanded. For example they can add more cakes that suit the taste and needs of their consumers in FRANCE. Cakes and Cookies should not limit their products according to the old time customers in the U. S. Placement – Decisions involving the place/distribution are also crucial in meeting the needs of the target market. There are many factors to consider such as the choice of location where the product will be sold to the consumers, and the various channel distribution required to bring the product in the target market. Elements of distribution channel include the packaging, storage facilities, transportation, and the members of the channel itself. Cakes and Cookies should make their customized packages and boxes for their Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries and this should be appropriate according to the taste of the FRANCE consumers. It is always relevant to choose a channel pattern that is suitable for the target market needs. Price Among other factors considered in pricing are the needs of the market, the costs involved, the effect on margins and the value offered at a minimum for the consumer without the price cut hitting the company image. It is not surprising therefore, that Cakes and Cookies entry price strategy became a model in starting business in the area. Finally, it is interesting to note that in FRANCE have consistently agreed with Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries pricing strategy for many years. This shows that consumers give their loyalty as long as the price is right and fair. Promotions – Today, personal selling, sales promotions, in the forms of souvenirs, and point-of-purchase displays (POP), publicity through non-paid presentation of the product to the target market (feature articles and special news coverage), and public relations (established link with the stakeholders) were utilized by Cakes and Cookies Similarly, TV and radio advertising are important channels to promote Cakes and Cookies Usually, effective television and radio advertising involves a good opening punch line, presentation of the competitor’s product (brand must not be mentioned) and its weakness, testimony of experts or renowned personalities/authorities, and in some cases, use of famous movie actors and actress also helps. Further, the existence of Internet and the continued revolution in the world of Information Technology are certainly positive signs for the blossoming of many new advertising opportunities. For instance, pop-up ads and email ads have started to inva de the Internet. Most advertising firms have also started to exert efforts to make their advertisements appealing to the public (Chow and Holden, 1997). Segment, Target and Positioning of the Product Of all the components of a marketing plan, perhaps the most overlooked but most critical element is the definition of the target market. According to Lovelock and Young (2000), it is a homogenous group of people or organizations that a company wishes to appeal to. There are two basic targets for a product or service: the user and the non-user segments. Thus, there are also two business and marketing decisions that the company must decide upon in light of the basic targets. The first is to cultivate the present market alone while the second is to go after non-users. The former can inspire consumer loyalty which is an important factor in the survival of any business. In the case of Cakes and Cookies, they should categorize their target market into two market segments: (1) the Cakes and Cookies patrons or those who have already tried the product, and (2) the Cakes and Cookies non-consumers. The Cakes and Cookies consumers further classified into (a) males and (b) females in order to differentiate the market appeal and competitiveness of the offered products in terms of sex as well as the specific consumers for specific types of Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries. in order to determine the competitiveness of each product per se. the Cakes and Cookies non- consumers, on the other hand, are further grouped into (a) those who do not eat Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries in general, and (b) those who eat other Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries. These market segmentation schemes according to product use will provide important information regarding the overall competitiveness of Cakes and Cookies products as well as viability and opportunities for encouraging sweeteners non-users to not just try any other average sweeteners but to choose Cakes and Cookies products among others. Moreover, companies now face the challenge of making its target consumers respond accordingly to their marketing efforts and those who understand its consumers’ responses will have a great competitive advantage (Kotler & Armstrong, 2001). In this light, Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries should keep in mind the differences that are distinct between and among other bakeshops target market based on different cultural backgrounds which significantly affect the effectiveness of the campaign. The fact is, there may be ideas that will not be applicable across the diverse target market population. Studies on the relationship of consumer behavior and their personal values and cultural orientation as well as their beliefs on certain principles, the dispositions they hold and side they take on political, gender and social problems and issues will be likewise duly accounted. Positioning The changing world has then placed much emphasis on the importance of communication for effective marketing. All types of communication are involved in marketing communications, including literature, training, advertising, mail, telephone, product promotions and other contact relevant to marketing communication. Among the channel members, even follow-up on complaints as well as customer billing may be included within the communication loop. In order to effectively serve the marketing channel, correct timing and accuracy in communications is essential. Moreover, it is important for the company to recognize that all members of the channel have an obligation or important role in maintaining the efficacy of marketing communications. Organizations that capitalize on customers’ active participation in organizational activities can gain competitive advantage through greater sales volume, enhanced operating efficiencies, positive word-of-mouth publicity, reduced marketing expenses, and enhanced customer loyalty (Lovelock & Young, 1979). Channel communications works in a two-way system wherein information transfers to the user and bounces all the way back to the producer (Goldberg & McCalley, 1992). In other words, marketing communications works like a feedback system, which allows company producers to relay information to the customers. In response to the provided information, consumers give certain reactions or behaviors. In this light, the electronic transformation of the services offered by Chocolate Lovers, Cakes and Pastries will result to better and more efficient and effective customer service system to the clientele. Moreover, the functionality of the online portal for the marketing and advertising needs of the agency will most possibly result to increase customer reach, satisfaction level and return of investment. Furthermore, if consumers somehow become better customers — that is, more knowledgeable, participative, or productive — the quality of the service experience will likely be enhanced for the customer and the organization (Bowers, Martin & Luker, 1990). Finally, some of the ways that companies acquired cost advantages are by improving process efficiencies, gaining unique access to a large source of lower cost materials, making optimal outsourcing and vertical integration decisions, or avoiding some costs altogether. If competing firms are unable to lower their costs by a similar amount, the firm will be able to sustain a competitive advantage based on cost leadership.

Lady Macbeth is a fiend or a tragic figure Essay

The definition of a fiend is ‘an evil spirit’ or ‘a very wicked or cruel person’. This word conjures up many images in my mind, very much like the definition of what a fiend is. Notions of a person with no conscience or mercy enter my mind. What enters your mind when this word is implemented could change your views entirely. The first time we meet Lady Macbeth is when she is reading aloud a letter received from Macbeth. As soon as she has finished reading the letter, her thoughts immediately turn to the murder of Duncan. There is no hesitation, she has decided that she will do everything she can to make sure Macbeth becomes king. â€Å"Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be what thou art promis’d†. Lady Macbeth knows her husband has the ambition needed to commit treason, but is concerned he hasn’t got the evil in him to correspond with this aspiration. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s minds immediately consider the possibility of taking the king’s life when they are informed of the witches prophecies. Macbeth says â€Å"my thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical†, which is implying that in his head, are visions of murder, but he does not yet know whether this will be carried out. Lady Macbeth, in contrast, believes whole-heartedly that this unlawful killing will take place. Lady Macbeth is power hungry, and she shows no deliberation over what might go amiss, or the consequences of her actions. Lady Macbeth’s considerations may well be all because she cares about Macbeth, and wants to provide him with what he lacks, ‘the illness’ that should accompany such ambition, so that he can fulfil his true potential. Lady Macbeth, immediately as she hears of Duncan’s arrival, calls on the supernatural force’s to remove all that makes her a woman, so she can perform the slaughter of the king. At this point I perceive Lady Macbeth as calling on the spirits to help her resort to evil, because she does not possess it naturally. However, some people’s views may differ to mine, and they could take the opinion that Lady Macbeth must not be a loving person to invite the spirits in, and question what kind of a woman would want her femininity eradicated, so that she could, in fact, become evil. She believes she can contend with the intrusion of unearthly spirits into her mind and soul, and the suppression of her femininity. The use of her language in this scene is dark and disturbing, ‘unsex me here’ and ‘take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers.’ At this point Shakespeare wants to make connections with hell, ‘dunnest smoke of hell’, this is all very mysterious and threatening. It is very hard to feel sympathy for her here, even though she isn’t involving herself for her own gain, and what happens to her later is all as a consequence of her devotion to Macbeth, and the fact that she did everything she could to make him exercise his full potential. The fact that she wants him to fulfil his potential is revealed throughout the play, for example, when she asks him if he is ‘afeard to be’ what in fact he would like to be. Tragic figures usually have a flaw in their character. I think Lady Macbeth’s flaw is that she didn’t have the evil in her in the first place, therefore she had to call on the spirits. Calling on the spirits was a significant error of judgement, and the outcome of this was the ending of Lady Macbeth’s life. When Lady Macbeth first greets Macbeth, she greets him with the titles the witches prophecies presented him with. This could be Shakespeare’s way of demonstrating that Lady Macbeth is in the same league as the supernatural forces that predicted the campaign for supremacy that follows. There are also other relations that Shakespeare makes between Lady Macbeth and the supernatural, these happen throughout the play, but are more subtle. He is always using the language of Lady Macbeth and distributing dark language throughout it. For example, ‘devil’, ‘hell’, ‘murdering’ and ‘blood’. Once Macbeth has informed his ‘dearest love’ of Duncan’s arrival, she swiftly launches into her plan of action, â€Å"O never shall sun that morrow see!† Lady Macbeth seizes the moment and takes control of the situation. She advises Macbeth to â€Å"bear welcome† in his eye, and â€Å"look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under ‘t.† This is something which Lady Macbeth frequently has to do, and later seems to come easily, for instance, when she speaks to Duncan. It doesn’t seem to come as easily to Macbeth, he finds it hard to stop his emotions displaying themselves through his actions and speech. Even though plotting to murder the king is very much a shared project, Lady Macbeth is the driving force behind the murder. Although, Lady Macbeth does not envisage there being any other murders. Here, I am unsure as to whether she wants to kill the king for Macbeth’s advantage, therefore being a selfless person and wanting to bring the best out of Macbeth. If not, did she do it all for her own benefit, so that she could have more control? Because, of course, she already has control over Macbeth, hence her reasons for being power hungry, once you have control, greediness sets in, and you yearn for more. She instructs Macbeth to â€Å"leave all the rest† to her, which again shows that she is dominant. The reason Lady Macbeth would be power hungry is because she has no power of her own, the only route to gaining authority for her is through her husband, Macbeth. Women in Shakespeare’s time didn’t have any individual power, they weren’t thought of as equals, and most didn’t learn how to read and write. Women had absolutely no rights. Therefore it makes sense for Lady Macbeth to want Macbeth to become king, as then she can gain supremacy too. She can make it seem to her husband, that she’s making an effort to help him develop his aspiration so that he can be better. When in fact, she is also driving him on for her own benefit. The â€Å"innocent flower† image is certainly portrayed in the way Lady Macbeth speaks to Duncan. They are very courteous towards each other, which is ironic, because of the horrendousness of what ensues. Lady Macbeth is at this point, a fiend in every way. She is planning to commit the grisly murder of the monarch of her country; yet, in greeting him she is well-mannered and gracious. If Duncan was addressing me as a â€Å"fair and noble hostess† and I was plotting his demise, this would make me feel a considerable amount of guilt. The fact that we see none of this influences me towards assuming the title â€Å"fiend† is one which is appropriate in this scene. Macbeth makes a decision, that going ahead with â€Å"th’ assassination† of the king would be a regretful deed. There are many reasons for his choice, he is afraid of going to hell and also Duncan is a wonderful king, people would miss him. Macbeth would like to be king, and wouldn’t mind murdering if there were no further consequences. Macbeth is not one to be easily deceived; he knows murder would entail many other things, for example, lies, deceit. He is not prepared to carry out his scheme. He admits he has no ‘spur’, and directly afterwards, enters Lady Macbeth, she is the spur that he is lacking, which is why Macbeth changes his mind, he now possesses the spur that he needed. Lady Macbeth makes him think he actually wants to be a murderer. She accuses him of not being a man, instead a â€Å"coward†, which to an individual which at one time was referred to as â€Å"brave†, â€Å"valiant† and â€Å"hardy†, could be deeply insulting. Macbeth could have dismissed what she said, if he had enough courage and control over himself. The fact he does not do this, shows Lady Macbeth as being in absolute control of him, and also an enormously influential part of Macbeth’s thinking, or it could show that Macbeth did want to go through with the murder after all, as he barely required much persuasion. She points out that Macbeth has already promised to undertake the elimination of Duncan, and that when he did this, neither time or place was appropriate, but he was going to find a way. Now though, time and place is appropriate, but he is afraid, therefore no longer a man. Lady Macbeth uses the brutal image of their lost baby to persuade Macbeth. This is an immensely important part of the play to me, as it may give a method to Lady Macbeth’s madness. Is the reason she has her sights set on murder to get justice for her dead child? Is she so consumed with burning rage, she believes another death will soothe her suffering? This makes me pity her greatly, she’s suffered so severely! However, my sympathy weakens as soon as she uses the image of the baby they were so obviously so passionate about as a tactic to manipulate Macbeth into performing a horrifying murder, of the worst kind. She knows this will weaken Macbeth’s resolve and paints a very graphic, violent picture of what she would have gone through with, if she had promised to do so. † I would, while it was smiling in my face, have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums, and dash’d the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this.† Lady Macbeth interrupts Macbeth a lot and is dismissive towards his opinions. This demonstrates how Lady Macbeth is a fiend, she does not want to listen to his points of view or arguments, she is determined the murder will go ahead. She divulges her very detailed and well thought out plan to Macbeth. A detailed plot is more likely to have impact, as it gives the impression nothing can go wrong. Lady Macbeth disregards the consequences, shows no mercy for her king and is in relentless pursuit of power and authority. When Lady Macbeth talks about what has made her become bold, this also proves the point that she has not got the full evil in herself, as the alcohol she’s consumed has stimulated her further to commit the crime. When Lady Macbeth couldn’t kill Duncan we see a glimpse of humanity, she did it because she genuinely felt she couldn’t bring herself to murder someone who so closely resembled her father. If this was the case, it proves that Lady Macbeth isn’t as cold and hard-hearted as she is primarily portrayed. We know this is her mind, as she speaks alone. Macbeth regrets the murder immediately; he is distraught that he could not say ‘amen’. ‘I am afraid to think what I have done’. He cannot go back and face what he’s done; he’s so racked with guilt. Lady Macbeth on the other hand has to be strong, Macbeth has brought the murder weapons back, Lady Macbeth has to return them, and does it with no mercy for the king, she has not thought of the consequences yet, but this will come later. Lady Macbeth tries to downplay the murder that has so recently been committed, ‘consider it not so deeply. I think inside she is considering it, and this point is proved by her actions later on in the play, where she recounts the murder, replaying the conversations between her and her husband. ‘A little water clears us of this deed’ is crucial, and again shows that Lady Macbeth thinks her mind can be freed from what they’ve just done by washing their hands. She reiterates this so many times in her actions later on in the play, which shows that even though she was acting as though it wasn’t relevant, and didn’t affect her, in actual fact, the truth is that it did have an emotional impact. ‘These deeds must not be thought after these ways; so it will make us mad’, which is extremely ironic in view of the insanity that later follows. Lady Macbeth is the iron fist and icon of authority for Macbeth, but as he ceases to confide in Lady Macbeth, she loses control more and more. The first time we see evidence of this is when she has to be carried out, after Macbeth has murdered the guards; this is the first time we sense they are growing apart. There are many reasons she could have fainted, she could be shocked, as Macbeth has acted without her. Originally, Lady Macbeth had to use all of her influential powers, including brutal analogies of their deceased baby to persuade Macbeth to commit murder. Now however, he commits murder without even discussing it with Lady Macbeth, and it was worryingly easy for him. She thought that the murder of Duncan would be the end of killing, and she was not prepared for another instance of death, and she thought they were in it together. This is where we begin to commiserate with Lady Macbeth. A tragic character does acquire sympathy from the audience, a fiendish villain does not. Therefore Shakespeare’s intending the audience to perceive her as a tragedy. ‘Noughts had, all’s spent, where our desire is got without content: tis safer to be that which we destroy than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy’. Lady Macbeth is feeling remorseful, they have not gained anything, but lost everything, they are living in an insecure pleasure. She is doubting that what they’ve done was the right thing to do, but reveals none of this to her husband. Instead she asks him why he is keeping things from her, ‘why do you keep alone’, and why he is contemplating thoughts which she says should have died with Duncan. This is the beginning of the separation of the two characters, who were previously so united in their marriage. Macbeth doesn’t tell his wife that he plans to kill Banquo, even though she asks ‘what’s to be done?’ ‘Be innocent of the knowledge dearest chuck’, gives an insight into the way that Macbeth thinks of his wife, he believes her to be untarnished, and is stil l considering her feelings. The defining scene in the separation of Macbeth and his ‘fiend-like queen’ is the banquet scene. Lady Macbeth is behaving as the gracious, well mannered hostess, giving a respectable speech to her fellow nobles. This again portrays the ‘innocent flower’ image, but I am not sure that her ‘serpent’ exists now at all. I say this because she has no intentions of killing anyone, therefore she has the right to be polite and play the role of the humble host. However, she is keeping up the pretence that Macbeth is acting normally, and that his ‘fit is momentary’. She encourages her guests to ignore Macbeth, but I imagine that she is finding it hard enough to do for herself. She again insults him, ‘quite unmann’d in folly?’ She is trying to control him in the way she did before the murder, but it’s not having the same effect. This time it is different because she can’t understand what her husband is seeing, as she isn’t going through it with him. She nonetheless covers for him when his ‘fit’ returns. This demonstrates that Lady Macbeth is devoted to her husband incessantly. It doesn’t matter for her whether he returns this devotion or not. Macbeth is the reason she stays strong, therefore when he begins to desert her, she doesn’t have a reason anymore, so this could be a cause for her ‘infected mind’ later on in the play. She is beginning to lose understanding of Macbeth, and tells him he lacks ‘the season of all natures, sleep.’ This is a very significant line, as it is again ironic because the next time we see Lady Macbeth, she’s the one that is having trouble sleeping. This is not the first time Shakespeare has made Lady Macbeth foresee the future, without realising. I think he may be continuing to do this so that it is connecting Lady Macbeth with the supernatural. Lady Macbeth has invited the supernatural in, so this could also be Shakespeare’s way of emp hasizing this fact. When Lady Macbeth begins to sleepwalk, this is a true insight into her mind. We are finally seeing her true colours, and the gradual disintegration of her mind, mentality and soul is brought to a head. Her command is that she has light by her all the time, realistically, is this the demand of a fiend? Lady Macbeth finally realises the consequences of her behaviour, and is racked with guilt. I think this scene is all about revealing the true character of Lady Macbeth, and exposing the vulnerability of this individual, who at one time showed such strength, or did she? In Polanski’s Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is shown naked, which reveals her defencelessness perfectly. She’s looking for a way to free herself of the guilt she’s been carrying for so long. Somehow though, I think she knows this can never be achieved, ‘will these hands ne’er be clean?’ Some people could argue that Lady Macbeth is looking for redemption, which I whole-heartedly believe, however, they would probably also make the point that her misconduct has been too much to expect salvation. I don’t think that she’s asking for too much to be able to try and redeem herself though, a truly evil person surely wouldn’t want to escape guilt, as there would be none. The thought of evil, which Lady Macbeth once sought after and accepted, is now haunting her in her troublesome sleep. It proves she expected murder to end after they had killed Duncan, ‘the Thane of Fife had a wife: where is she now?’ She shows remorse, and tries to cleanse her hands of the corrupted stains of murder, but she knows that ‘all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.’ Some could maintain that Lady Macbeth deserves to be destroyed by evil, as she encouraged the spirits to enter her. Lady Macbeth’s conscience appears in private, whereas Macbeth’s emerges at a public banquet. This expresses the roles of men and women in Shakespeare’s day. Lady Macbeth returns to the times when her and Macbeth were closest, planning the murder together, and recounts conversations had. She is desperately trying to cling on to the person who she is so devoted to, but who has now abandoned her in his relentless pursuit for dominance. This factor points to her being a tragic figure, as we see her becoming increasingly isolated, and feel a heightening sense of pity for her. This scene marks the realisation of Lady Macbeth’s unavoidable descent to madness. I think death is welcomed by Lady Macbeth, as she knows she can never escape this swirl of grief and incessant guilt. In conclusion, Lady Macbeth’s character gradually degenerates through a false portrayal of unyielding strength, a shifting involvement with supernatural powers and gradual separation from her former life. Lady Macbeth invited evil into her life, which resulted in her being overpowered by the ‘spirits.’ There are two arguments as to whether Lady Macbeth is a fiend or a tragic figure. In my opinion, Lady Macbeth can sometimes appear as a fiend, but the overall view I have of her is as of a tragic figure, who in the end is so guilt-ridden that she takes her own life. She dominated the murder of Duncan, regarded her husband as someone she could manipulate, then when he isolated her, lost all sense of being and ended her life. She was selfish in the way that she wanted the murder to go ahead so that she could gain power, and calls on evil to support her, as she doesn’t contain it within herself. Some people might then argue that if she invited them in, she certainly deserves the dissolution of her mentality. I don’t think Lady Macbeth was aware of what the evil spirits would do to her. However, even if she was aware, would she still have called on them? I think not, but some could claim that she is so heartless she would have. Lady Macbeth never worries about the consequences until afterwards. Then it is too late for her to stop what she started. Lady Macbeth maintains human emotion throughout the whole play, for example, where she cannot kill the king because of his resemblance to her father. She is selfless in the way that everything she did, taking the daggers back, hatching the plan etc, was for Macbeth. She was totally devoted to him, even though he deserts her, when she needs him most. It is no coincidence that as soon as we sense the Macbeth’s growing apart, Lady Macbeth’s madness sets in. All in all, I don’t think Lady Macbeth deserves what she gets. Macbeth committed further crimes, yet he only showed initial guilt, but once he is past that, he becomes an unstoppable brute. She is a loyal, devoted character who is so isolated that she sees no way out. There is so much pressure, the murders of Banquo and Lady Macduff’s family return to haunt her conscience, even though she played no part in them. She is even feeling guilt for her husband’s murders, surely not a fiend-like quality? All of the pressure mounts up and she sees no means of regaining her life, and therefore decides to end her existence. She didn’t do it because she was weak, she did it because she was guilty and repentant.

‘Dancing at Lughnasa’, dramatic techniques and devices Essay

* Foreshadowing – through the use of devices (see below) or narrative; Friel often hints at what comes later in the play, sometimes sneaky – in the first dialogue for example, Chris says â€Å"When are we going to get a decent mirror to see ourselves in? † – this could be interpreted as Friel showing that the women are blind to the world around them, to their own inner trouble, and just how close their family is to the blink of collapse. It is a good line for Friel to highlight that at this moment in time, everything is as it should be and nothing has crumbled yet, but it will, and the sisters cannot foretell it. * Use of symbolic devices such as the radio (the music foreshadows events in the play, hints at backstory, usually provides a sense of what the women feel inside but cannot express on the outside, used to reference context and ultimately link the women from their microcosm in Ballybeg to the wider world) or the kites (representing escape as a pair, possibly Jack and Gerry, or, when one considers the tortured faces, a foreshadowing of Rose and Agnes’s doomed leave.) * Stage Directions – Friel’s stage directions are highly detailed and this shows that to Friel, every little character and stage detail is important, (takes the opening tableau for example. ) Each aunt has their own, very particular on stage personality, but these are certainly not 2D characters when Friel still leaves some questions unanswered to the audience – e. g; What is going on between Gerry and Agnes? Why is it that Friel wants Agnes to fly up in a passion, ‘on the point of tears’ when Kate is badmouthing Gerry, but the situation between them is never explored in more detail? It makes the false memory concept all the more interesting, as the audience can forget that this is what Michael is supposed to remember as ‘more real than incident’ and ‘both actual and illusory’. * The Unseen Boy – In ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’, the narrator is the adult Michael, and Friel chooses also to have the adult Michael reading the ‘boy’s lines, and the aunts must never address the boy. This is a surreal concept, but both helps the audience remember that the whole play is Michael’s memory; â€Å"When I cast my mind back†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and also foreshadows Michael’s absence and escape later on in the play, or as a boy, his lack of understanding of the situation. Alternatively, it again highlights the surreal concept that Michael can remember things that may or may not have happened as he is not present in those scenes. * The False Memory – â€Å"But there is one memory of that Lughnasa time that visits me most often; and what fascinates me about that memory is that it owes nothing to fact†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The play is largely focused on Michael’s relationship with the memories of his past, as his interspersed blocks of narration illustrate, but there is the question raised that, in fact, did most of the play, where Michael isn’t present, even happen? It is all supposed to be from his memory, so how can he remember something which isn’t true? The ending sets this question further in the audience’s minds when Michael talks about a memory that truly does have no factual ground at all, and you can see elements of this seeping in throughout the play itself, (such as blasts of thirties music or referencing to historical context) and you can see it played out as if peppered with bits of memory that didn’t necessarily happen at those times or in that order. It does have a dream-like quality for these reasons, and only when we wake up do we realise something was strange – I believe this is the effect Friel intended to create for the audience. With memory, we often remember what stands out to us, not necessarily in the right order, but what Michael makes plain at the end is that his version of events is both real and imagined at the same time, and his memories become more true to feelings as they go further from the actual order of events.

Introduction of comparative politic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Introduction of comparative politic - Essay Example The central achievement of the Bolsheviks headed by Lenin in the first three years following the Revolution, was the establishment of the NEP. The New Economic Policy was a established for the purposes of providing a certain amount of freedom of trade in agrarian products, and which had the further proviso of allowing personal ownership of land, and also, the private entrepreneurship in both industry and in commerce 1[1]. And, in keeping with the notion that socialism or communism must be a gradual transformation, Lenin kept in the foreground of his policies the idea that the proletariat had not yet fully undergone the effects of industrialization2[2], as had their German and English counterparts in Western Europe. But, this notion that Russia or the Soviet Union was in a state of flux, or a state of 'between' Marx's central phases of economic development, came a number of troubling problems, faced not solely by Lenin, but also by his Bolshevik allies, comrades, or peers. For example , there was a struggle as to what extent it was possible in the Soviet Union, where a large number of distinct nationalities existed, to create and in turn maintain a strong central government? The questions of national unity were both raised at the theoretical level among the Bolsheviks, but prompted and coincidental with the actual affairs and events in the Soviet Union in these early years, and as well, to what extent would the trade unions who were already socialist in scope, be given autonomy from the central government, and from the Communist Party itself?3[3] In the very midst of the chaos of the First World War during the time of the Revolution, the Bolsheviks created an administrative structure facilitating the 'Red Army' under Leon Trotsky4[4], which in turn, was a force of troops more successful than the forces which had existed under the Tsar5[5]. Thus, what ensued was a form of terror which was enhanced by the conscription of men, property, as well as a re-direction of labour, food levies, and the imposition of wages paid in kind when there was a currency crisis -- that is, a complete loss of value of their currency 6[6]. In many respects, the measures of 'war communism' had a tyrannical effect, but this was coincidental with the fact that it was also successful in pulling the country together to some extent. The reforming or progressive side of communism, can be said to have ended with the early leadership of Lenin, such as it is lasted until March of 1921[7]7. Part of this restructuring, was the establishment of the NEP, and as mentioned in the above with regard to these policies, the effects were such that within a year or two, three quarters of the country's retail trade lay within private hands. This prompted a phase where the tolerance of dissension was generally and gradually eliminated. And, in turn, the restructuring program of this phase created two new hierarchies, namely the All Russian Congress and the council of People's Commissars 8 [8]. The effect of greater organization, both in terms of the structure as well as the sheer numbers of members which were increasing, was the net silencing of opposition. As the nature and essence of market style capitalism dictates, the survival of this system rests on expansion. In other words, expansion must (historically and in contemporary terms) must find new markets

Consumer behavior Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Consumer behavior - Research Paper Example ect, the study of consumer behaviour is very essential for developing proper marketing strategies and appropriate product lines for automotive products. In general, there are many factors that influence consumer behaviours. Gilligan and Wilson have identified four primary factors that influence consumer behaviour and these are cultural, social, personal and psychological (Gilligan and Wilson, 2003, p.226). However, in automobile industry, the perceptions and preferences of consumers vary according to nature, unity, durability, safety, price and technology of automotive products. This paper will attempt to discuss consumer behaviour for non commercial automobile products like cars, bikes etc. The automobile products are consumer durable goods with high prices and a large variety of automobile products are available for different consumer groups. The primary objective of this paper is to analyse various consumer behaviour issues related to automobile products and to apply relevant consumer behaviour models in order to resolve them. This paper will deal with two main sections. The first section will present my own thoughts and opinions towards automobile products. The next section will attempt to identify the existing consumer behaviour issues for non-commercial automobile products. Various theories and models will then be applied to resolve these issues. Finally, the conclusion will reflect the major findings of this paper. Automobile industry has experienced the most frequent changes in the last decade. Development of technology and increase in consumer demand are two vital factors responsible for the growth of this industry. This has also led to the increase in competition among the automobile manufacturers. The companies are trying to introduce latest technologies for developing new motor cars that can match the expectations of existing customers. In this industry, the expectations of consumers vary significantly and the automobile companies are aiming to meet

In these papers there are alot of difficult words and complicated Essay

In these papers there are alot of difficult words and complicated sentences , So please replace them by use simple words and simple sentences - Essay Example of leading green campus initiatives†; and emphasizing that â€Å"successful application of these approaches requires a high competency in listening, communication, relationship building, vision development, responsiveness and continuous strategic adaptation† ; among others. The author likewise explained the basic nature of universities that provided the reasons for current inability to invite widespread campus involvement on the subject. The theories and concepts learned from the reading could be applied in one’s role as administrator and educational leader through suggesting policies for environmental protection and conservation programs within the university level. As stressed, wide-scale involvement or campus participation on environmental programs should be taught at the whole organizational level and across different cultures. Also, it was stated that organizational change would be most effective if all academic personal share the same commitment to environmental preservation and conservation. One believes that through encouraging the participation and involvement of various persons in a campus setting could be difficult. However, the task is not impossible. It just requires commitment, dedication, and perseverance from administrators and educational leaders to encourage student involvement and to deeply establish the need to focus on environmental protection and social responsibility by starting with one’s personal action, guidance, and direction. This article is one of the greatest works that discusses the cultural, social, economic and political nature of colleges. In this respect it explores the possible issues that the administrators should consider for them to effectively run these institutions. The conflict resolution is well discussed in this article and mediation is quoted as the most favorable remedial approach. various arguments that point out how the administrators can formulate appropriate conflict resolution and manage the student

Children with Special Educational Needs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Children with Special Educational Needs - Essay Example It was then things started to improve for the mentally and physically disabled children. Instead of calling the mentally and physically challenged children as handicapped, these children were then referred as special educational needs children; a more respectable name. The government of the United Kingdom started to design policies and take initiatives in order to provide equal status to these special needs children. It was undertaken by the department of education to look after the matter of special needs children and build schools accordingly (Gabbitas Educational Consultants, 2012). After the late nineteen fifties, the government of many countries started to make effort to give the physically and mentally challenged people their deserved rights and status in the society. The children with mental and physical disabilities also have the right to study, play, and work and do whatever normal children are allowed to do in the society and at school. These physically and mentally challen ged people also have feelings and are in fact more sensitive and delicate than normal children. These children must be taken under extra care and a very friendly environment so that their self-confidence is not sabotaged and harmed, so that they can grow up to become strong and responsible citizens of the society. It is a general thought that these physically and mentally challenged people are of no use for the society but in fact this is not the case, if these children are brought under proper care and guidance and are given the liberty to do whatever they can do best like any other normal children, there is no doubt that they can also do wonders for the society. Now many countries have government as well as private... This paper approves the government also initiated a campaign to hire new, young, energetic and enthusiastic teachers who are willing to spend time with these special children and make efforts to improve the life and make their life better. A proper hiring process is followed to hire the right person and the government itself carries the process under the supervision of qualified personnel so that the right person is hired and a capable person is hired who can give proper training and education to the special children. This paper makes a conclusion an act was passed by the government that is the duty of the government bodies to identify the children who require special education and then carry out a complete investigation regarding their health, family and psychological background and make conclusions and appoint the right school accordingly. It is also the duty of the government bodies to make sure that the special children are being taught and educate din the proper way and are being helped out with whatever disability they have. The government has made supervising teams whose job is to travel different schools without prior notice and observe the teaching method and curriculum being followed and the way the children are being treated and taken care of. There are numerous other small and large scale initiatives that have been taken by the government in order to make education available for all and give every child equal status and privilege without any discrimination on any grounds.

Salvation by Langston Huges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Salvation by Langston Huges - Essay Example Unfortunately none of these things happened to him. The author’s vivid description of the preacher’s sermon, where he relates stories of the fires of hell, and then of the sheep who came to the fold, and only one lamb left out in the cold; frightened most of the young children into being â€Å"saved†. The little girls were in tears and hurried to be saved, and finally, all but the author and his friend Westley remained, still waiting for Jesus to come to them. The pressure of the people, the deacon and the sisters is graphically described as the two young boys wait in the heat and noise of moaning and praying and singing in the church for some sign from Jesus. Finally the author describes how his friend Westley, gets tired of waiting and decides to be â€Å"saved.† The author, however in his innocence still waits. As his wait for Jesus moves from anticipation to confusion and finally, shame at making so many people wait for him, he decides to give in to the pressure.The fact that God had not harmed Westley , despite the fact that he had lied, added to his own conviction that it was better to lie than make so many people wait, and make more trouble for them. The guilt of his deceit and the lie that he had told, however, kept eating away at his conscience, and finally in a flood of tears, he wonders if there was Jesus, then why did he not come to help him? The piece is an illustration of how the innocence of a child is preyed upon by older people who try to force their views and opinions on the young, instead of allowing them to experience things for themselves and take their own decisions. The irony is that all the elders who brought pressure to bear on the author may not have been very honest about their having seen Jesus. When adults tell children to be honest, it is their first duty to set a good example, otherwise the young

Should the Meji Restoration be considered a revolution What were its Essay

Should the Meji Restoration be considered a revolution What were its consequences - Essay Example A number of reasons havce been put forward to justify that the Meiji Restorations was a revolution. Some of the justifications include the fact that the Meiji Restoration helped in ending the Tokugawa shogun while returning the Emperor to the Japanese central politics and culture. Law reports that the Meiji ‘revolution’ as some call it, also saw Japan change the way it relates with foreigners2. In this regard, he notes that after the restoration, Japan became more confident and home and ready to encounter the world for whatever cause. The restoration also helped in transforming Japan to a very powerful nation in the Asian continent both economically, politically and socially, all of which justifies that the Meiji Restoration was indeed a revolution. Law notes that, before the restoration of Japan, the Japanese people were under the control of the Tokugawa clan3. As a result, the Tokugawa clan control all the social, economic and political affairs of the country. However, it is reported that the Tokugawa rulers used to oppress the people of Japan, thereby denying Japan the opportunity of making any meaningful development. Therefore, with the emergence of Kurobune, Commodore Perry in the 1850s accompanied by other barbarians, a strong opposition to the Edo began in earnest4. Sonnu joi’s henchmen through the â€Å"Revere the emperor and repel the barbarians,† realized the inability of Shogun to remove the barbarians as a big opportunity to ‘restore’ the prominence of Kyoto once again according to Law5. Reports indicate that the most angered of all by the Shoguns were the ‘men of spirit’ or shishi as they are commonly referred to as in Japanese language. The shishi are said to be a segment of the samurai clan and are very aggressive in pursuing their objectives even it means using force. Law reveals that as the opposition was continuing to mount against the Tokugawa clan, another more opposition started to stir u p6. This time the Chosu, Satsuma and the han clans began mobilizing their troops for the war. This resulted in the emergence of a revolution slogan â€Å"Enrich the country, strengthen the army† of the young Toshimichi Okubo of the Satsuma clan7. It is reported this move is what culminated in the emergence of the Maiji era. Law reports that the opposition armies soon began to modernize towards the end of the Shogunate, a move that continued even after the Meiji. Intense war continued between the opposition forces and the Tokugawa clan that had been under the control of Japan. However, since the opposition forces were more organized and appeared to have superior weapons than Tokugawa, then soon managed to topple Tokugawa in a coup de tat on January 3 1868, marking the end of their rule8. It was immediately after toppling the Tokugawa clan from power that the opposition legitimized the â€Å"Revolution† but instead adopted the term â€Å"Meiji Restoration†9. In th is regard, the Meiji Restoration meant taking away rule from the Shogunate and taking it back to the Emperor, whose name was Meiji. Significance/Consequences of Meiji Restoration Meiji Restoration is highly regarded as a historical event that helped in transforming Japan to what it is today. In this regard, it has a lot of significance as far as the history the revolution of Japan is concerned. Firstly, the restoration leadership transformation from the Shogunate to the Emperor, which was remarkable as far as the history of Japan is concerned. This saw the rule change hand from the feudalist to a more democratic system of government for the people10. We are also told

Gallery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Gallery - Essay Example The installation art changes form depending on the space where it is being exhibited at the time. The idea began when Dupuis-Bourret wanted to start ‘a river of paper in her basement’ (Vocat). The repetitive lines on the printed paper create a rich texture in place of the usual picturesque images one may be used to seeing at an art gallery. This is one of the things that make this piece of work ‘difficult’ to appreciate (Diepeveen & Van Laar). The traditional notions of beauty cannot be adhered to while appreciating this installation artwork. There is no use of color in the usual sense; it is entirely in black and white. The textures and patterns are repetitive and not very artistic in the usual sense. However, it is because of this unusual quality that this piece of art makes for a thought-provoking one. The viewer begins to wonder what it is about this artwork that makes it so compelling despite the lack of traditional beauty in it. To begin with, the lack of color and the tonality of the texture give it a rather haunting quality. The wide expanse of black and white with varying densities of etching on them allows the viewer to project their own opinions and thoughts on the artwork rather than it dictating too strictly what it ‘means.’ The black and white expanse could mean different things to different people and this element of ambiguity and room for interpretation is one of the things that make such a piece appealing. But by itself, the artwork is not entirely silent either. The pointed edges and the material used recall the ‘paper fortune-teller’ that children use to play and tell fortunes for each other. This gives the piece a toy-like quality. This playful element is also reflected in how repetitive the structure is; something that rhymes and songs for children often are. The piece also has mathematical significance. The idea of the

Problem Solving Simulation Essay Example for Free

Problem Solving Simulation Essay Assignment:Â  Problem-Solving Simulation How did you interpret the problem? When I was interpreting the problem I was trying to look at the whole picture. When in all reality I should have been breaking down the problem into sections so I could concentrate on the issue at hand. I will have to admit that shook my head allot over this because it was hard to look outside the box, as one might want to say. The goal was to get all three animals to the other side of the river without any of them being harmed by one of the other animals. The cat would eat the mouse if left alone, or the dog and the cat would fight if left alone. The strange part was the mouse and the dog could not be left on the other side of the bank either. What strategy did you use and how did you evaluate your progress? The strategy I took was that to find most common problem between the three animals. When I was evaluating the possibilities of getting them all three over the river it was overwhelming at first. I was able to attain that the main problem was the cat. The cat did not get along with the dog, nor did it get along with the mouse. The only obvious thing to do was to get the cat across the river first. This way the dog and the mouse were safe on the other bank. My problem was once I got the cat across the river and came back for one of the other animals I soon realized that either one I took next would cause a problem with the cat. Did you encounter any obstacles while solving the problem? I was upset that I could not get my mind to look outside the box. There had to be a reasonable solution to this problem. A few obstacles were encountered along the way while I was trying to solve this mystery. I would take the cat over first which was fine, because the dog and mouse was okay while on the original side of the river. As soon as I would take over one of the other animals with the cat all heck broke loose due to the cat not getting along with either the dog or the mouse. I knew there had to be an easier answer to this problem. After thinking carefully, I took the dog over first then the cat and mouse fought and then when I took the mouse over first then the dog and cat fought. It almost seemed impossible. Were you aware of this thought process as you worked through the problem? Then after careful consideration and the knowledge I had that the cat had to be the instigator in all this fighting I knew for sure that the cat had to go first. After reading the assigned reading to this issue I knew the answer was outside the box. I will admit that I even placed this task to my mom just to see if she would be as stumped as I was. Now as a recap; I knew the cat was the bad guy in this scenario, so the problem was how would I get the other two over there safely? Then it came to my mom and me! Wow what a revelation it was. Yes the cat was the mean one, and could not be left alone. So, you had to send the cat over first and return raft for another animal. Once you had the other animal over to the bank you had to put the cat back onto the raft and leave him alone on the first bank. This gave you the time you needed to get the other animal over to the other side. So in all reality the cat was the first one to cross over to the other side and the last one to be left on the first side. I do have to say this was a mind stretcher of an activity. I do enjoy trying to figure things like this out. It may take me a while but it is awesome when you do figure it out, at that point you knew you looked outside the box and found your answer.

Sexual and Gender Identity, Personality, and Eating Disorders, classifications, components Essay Example for Free

Sexual and Gender Identity, Personality, and Eating Disorders, classifications, components Essay Abnormal disorders diagnosed in the DSM-IV-TR, a multi-axial diagnostic tool, used by clinicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, and medical professionals for the classification of mental disorders (Hansell Damour, 2008). Axis I and Axis II of the DSM-IV-TR covers classifications of mental disorders that include unwelcome types of distress and impairment, that constitutes mental disease, disorder, and or disability. This paper takes into account the diagnostic categories of sexual and gender identity, personality and eating disorders along with the basic distinction. Axis I and Axis II provides a quick reference for the three disorders. Sexual and gender identity disorders tend to be deviant, unsuspecting, fetishism,and erotic. Personality disorders tend to be enduring, pervasive, and subjectively indistinguishable; whereas eating disorders include feelings of hunger, are self-induced, self-defeating, and emotional. This paper will address the biological, emotional, cognitive and behavioral components of three Axis I and Axis II, sexual and gender identity, personality and eating disorders: anorexia bulimia, a, gender identity, exhibitionism, schizoid, paranoid. Diagnose and evaluate our case analysis of Alfred C. Kinsey, inadequate feeling of himself, which gained him explicit interest in sex. Major DSM Categories Sexual and Gender Identity Sex and gender disorders fall into the Axis I categories of: sexual dysfunctions, sexual desire, sexual arousal, sexual pain disorders, orgasmic, Paraphilia’s, and gender identity disorder. When considering sex and gender disorders it is imperative to keep in mind that normal and abnormal behaviors occur on continuing bases and that the factors of impairment and distress most often signify abnormality (Hansell Damour, 2008). Personality Disorder This classification begins with the general definition of personality disorder that has an unhealthy array of behaving, thinking and functioning that applies to each 10 personality disorders these include: paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal, antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic, avoidant, dependent and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Axis II disorders are more pervasive and less able to be independently distinguished. Personality disorders still include the elements of distress and impairment as guidelines for the diagnosis of dysfunction. Eating Disorder The DSM-IV-TR includes two Axis I categories of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, restricting to binge-eating, purging types, and bulimia nervosa restricting to purging and non-purging types. Anorexia nervosa affects between 0. 5% and 1% of the general population in the United States currently and bulimia nervosa affects up to 3% (Hansell Damour, 2008). When considering eating disorders it is important to take into account that some sub-groups in the American culture have extremely low body, such as gymnast and models, which complicates the diagnosis of eating disorders. Components of Sexual and Gender Identity Biological There are many biological factors that can affect sexual function. Biological components include aging, cigarette smoking, poor diet, medications, medical illness, brain injuries, and some degenerative diseases have been implicated in paraphilia’s. Research has discovered a connection in gender identity disorder to predispositions in the endocrine system which affects sexual and gender behaviors (Hansell Damour, 2008). Emotional Freud believed deviant sexual behavior is a defense mechanism in response to an internal emotional conflict and such behaviors provide a protective function. The inability to cope with and exert control over past humiliation fits right into paraphilia’s (Hansell Damour, 2008). In gender identity disorders, research emphasizes deviant or deficient parental relationships (Hansell Damour, 2008). Cognitive The greatest component that affects sexual functioning is anxiety. It is generally fluid by cognitive aspects such as psychological hang ups and emotional response. The individual is sexually aroused to deviant stimuli, which create maladaptive thought processes to accommodate the perceived deviance. The inappropriate behavior  preserve the maladaptive thoughts required to accommodate the behavior (Hansell Damour, 2008). Behavioral Deviant sexual behavior can be learned by observing abnormal sexual behavior or participating in such behavior. Children rewarded for inappropriate sexual behaviors, (such as viewing or participating in pornography) can develop paraphilia. Therapy can focus on re-establishing healthy sexual behavior by reinforcing more appropriate behaviors (Hansell Damour, 2008). Components of Personality Disorder Biological Many personality disorders have been linked to genetics. Biological components disorders in personality disorders include altered brain structures, reduced gray and white matter, various neurotransmitter abnormalities, prenatal substance exposure, and low serotonin levels. The beliefs that some personality is the result of an overlap of genetics and environmental effects. Emotional Personality disorders generally reflect a disruptive childhood from which the child learns to rely on maladaptive defense mechanisms. Parental criticism and ridicule are central themes underlying these disorders. Additional research supports claims of childhood sexual or physical abuse, although this is not always characteristic in these disorders (Hansell Damour, 2008). Cognitive Cognitive components of personality disorders include the understanding that childhood experiences shape specific thought patterns or outlines, which have a significant effect on patterns of the individual’s behavior and perception which later becomes the personality. Maladaptive belief’s and behaviors are characteristics in personality disorders were therapy works towards replacing these beliefs and behaviors with more effective and useful ones. Behavioral Personality disorder are produced by maladaptive behaviors and thought processes created in childhood which persist because individuals are usually attracted to experiences that fit into their lives whether or not they are maladaptive. Therefore the maladaptive behaviors are maintained. People affected with personality disorders dictate underlining beliefs onto every facet of their lives, yet they have difficulty questioning these beliefs (Hansell Damour, 2008). Components of Eating Disorders Biological Biological components include a genetic factors, hormonal and neural abnormalities. Individuals who have hormonal and neural abnormalities tend to have no control over their eating habits, which causes them unleveled amounts of hormones related to hunger. Bulimia nervosa is linked to low hormone amount that suppress the appetite, this causes the individual to feel excessively hungry. It is the reverse case for anorexia nervosa. Emotional Eating disorder may be a complex reaction to high expectations set by parents and promoted by the individual. The body image becomes the high standard to an individual and not achieving it becomes the emotional instability part of their lives. Many strive toward high expectations and suffer the effects of not reaching those (Hansell Damour, 2008). Cognitive According to Hansell and Damour (2008), cognitive explanations of eating disorders emphasizes on rigid maladaptive beliefs, fixed thought patterns, self-defeating and self-perpetuating behavioral strategies. Cognitive explanations of eating disorders focus on eating or starvation that reinforces eating. Individual have distorted thoughts about food, body weight, body images and persevere in the belief they need to lose weight, or are afraid of gaining weight. Behavioral People with eating disorders participate in behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, binging, and excessive exercise after eating in an effort to maintain their body weight. In anorexia individuals find comfort in starvation. Eating disorders are a result of inappropriate thoughts that reinforce haphazard eating behaviors (Hansell Damour, 2008). Case Analysis of Alfred C. Kinsey Alfred C Kinsey grew up with a controlling father, which caused him feeling of inadequacy. His family consisted of both parents, himself, very little affection and seemingly sexless household. His inadequate feeling gave Kinsey to accelerate greatly in school and on into his adult life. Using his doctoral degree as a sex education professor, Kinsey married having a family with 4 children, whom viewed sex with openness, allowing nudity in the house. Kinsey interest in sex was extreme and his goal was to â€Å"discover every single thing people did sexually† (Gathorne-Hardy, 1998, p. 182). Kinsey opened Institute for sex research and published the Kinsey report. It then generated two books on sexual behavior. Both books and Kinsey sexual practice throughout his life gave a lot of controversial and extreme allegations, that Kinsey was bisexual, played in masochistic sexual practices and engaged in child sexual abuse. Biological Kinsey family life consisted of both parents, displaying very little affection which caused Kinsey to believe it was a sexless marriage, with a controlling father. Kinsey grew an inadequate feeling about himself. He gained a need to excel academic wise causing him to gather all information possible about others sex lives. He became upset with his sex life as well as others. His marriage and family life dealt with his explicit interest in sex. Emotional Kinsey questions his own sexuality in adolescence and adulthood. Kinsey displayed a need for self-assurance through validation of his achievements. Kinsey â€Å"was a very sickly throughout his childhood and felt demeaned by his father† (Meyer, Chapman, Weaver, 2009,). Kinsey felt as the â€Å"authorities† on sexual research and education. Kinsey gathered and engaged in illegal sexual acts. Cognitive Kinsey thinking was prevalent to psychosexual disorder as the result of faulty socialization and learning, affected by genetic and temperament variables. The psychosexual disorder carries significance development of deviant and disrupted sexual behavior. Kinsey, not caring about his sexual apparatus, bisexual or participating in masochistic united his psychosexual disorder with a gender identity. Behavioral Kinsey â€Å"variation in sexual behavior are limited only by an individual’s imagination† (Laws O’Donohue, 2008; Sbrage O’Donohue, 2004). Kinsey behavior was repressed without any sexual acts. Census had Kinsey bisexual and engaging in Masochistic sexual practices. Conclusion In conclusion, even though impairment and distress are the primary diagnostic criteria for the verdict of abnormal disorders in both Axis I and Axis II disorders, the two categories can still are distinguished through the pervasiveness and subjective assessment of the personality disorder. Axis I categories of bulimia nervosa, sexual and gender disorder, exhibitionism are all rooted in biological or genetic predispositions that find their expression through sociocultural, affective, and behavioral triggers. By addressing these components biological, emotional, cognitive and behavioral factors in these disorders, psychological science develops a more clear understanding of these disorders in an effort to engage the individuals in successful therapeutic applications. Alfred C. Kinsey grew up with a controlling father and a sexless household. But in the long run his life was filled with sexual practices and controlling deviance behavior which initialed him with psychosexual disorder and carefree form of gender identity.

Health Essays Treatment OCD Disorder

Health Essays Treatment OCD Disorder Treatment OCD Disorder Introduction My research intention is to compose a literature review aimed at finding the best existing method for the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive and distressing thoughts, urges and images as well as repetitive behaviours aimed at decreasing the discomfort caused by these obsessive thoughts. So in order to achieve my research intention I will be comparing and analysing a wide assortment of current and previous literature to distinguish the most favourable treatment method, where advantages outweigh all disadvantages. The key features of OCD as already discussed, include obsessional doubt, the need to feel in control, and risk aversion, and these features have significant impact on the successful application of both pharmacological and behavioural treatments. Treatment History of Obsessive-compulsive disorder Until the 1960’s OCD was considered a refractory psychiatric condition, neither psychotherapy nor a variety of pharmacological treatments had proven successful with the symptoms, however since around 1975, much progress has been made in improving the effectiveness of these treatments. Prior to 1980, OCD was unresponsive to psychotherapy, anxiolytic drugs, and anti-psychotic drugs and had a poor record of success. Today although treatment of this disorder remains challenging, the effectiveness of both behavioural and pharmacological therapies has been significantly improved. Treatments There are many methods available for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) arguably the most popular of these being administration of antidepressants, either taken singularly or a combination of 2. Also Psychotherapy strategies including both behavioural and cognitive treatments where it is common (and often claimed to achieve better results) for the two to be combined, this is known as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). I will then go on to investigate Combination treatments. This being the combination of antidepressants and a CBT treatment to see if a combination of the two is more successful than using either alone. Alternative strategies are available for OCD sufferers and although these are not as successful as some of the already discussed, they are worth mentioning as they can provide relief to patients, also when added to another more established treatment better results may be achieved. I will also be touching on psychosurgery (also known as neurosurgery), and Electro Convulsive therapy, which although are only used in the most extreme cases, are still worth mentioning as, when used, have shown significant efficacy in the treatment of OCD. Pharmacotherapy, the uses of antidepressants for the treatment of Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Currently in the UK only 5 drugs are licensed for the treatment of OCD, They include the Tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) Clomipramine and the Selective Serotonin reuptake inhibiting (SSRI) antidepressants Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Paroxetine, and Fluvoxamine which can be collectively labelled as STI’s, these STI’s represent the cornerstone of Pharmacological treatment in patients with OCD. A good reason for using antidepressants in OCD treatment is that very often there will be underlying depressive disorder. There is a substantial amount of evidence derived from a large number of placebo-controlled clinical trials, to indicate that drugs, which preferentially block the re-uptake of Serotonin, are effective in ameliorating the symptoms of OCD. The evidence in favour of other antidepressants without potent serotonergic properties is poor. Clomipramine was the first agent to receive food and drug administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of OCD, and was also the first medication to demonstrate consistent efficacy in the treatment of patients with OCD (Clomipramine collaborative study group) it has been the most extensively studied medication for the treatment of OCD. Studies in OCD treatment that have compared two antidepressants have been very small and yet an apparent superiority of Clomipramine emerges. In a small three-way study by Thoren et al (94), which compared Clomipramine with Nontriptyline and Placebo, found there was significant effect for Clomipramine but Nontriptyline appeared no different from Placebo. However a significant difference between active treatments is not normally expected unless very large numbers are included in studies. Clomipramine which affects both 5-HT and non adrenalin may be more effective than SSRI’s although does have more side effects which is the biggest disincentive, these include constipation, dry mouth, tremor and weight gain, however these side effects can be used to advantage in patients who cannot deal with the agitation of the SSRI’s During trials, drop out rates due to side effects from Clomipramine are consistently higher than for the SSRI’s. (Pata et al 90) Although there are only rare reports of less efficacy, the issue of how long to maintain treatment before a trial off medication has not been well explored. The only data that exists in this area comes from 3 rather small-blinded discontinuation studies. All were done with Clomipramine. (Pato, Zohar, Kadouch, Zohar Murphy 1988) in each case, the majority of the patients upwards of 90% had their symptoms return within 4-7 weeks of discontinuing medication. The efficacy of SSRI’s versus those of the TCA’s, for these indications is unstudied, further research is required fully to assess the place of the SSRI’s in the treatment and understanding of OCD. Fluvoxamine has been shown to be significantly better than Placebo and equal in efficacy to Tricyclic’s such as Clomipramine however Fluvoxamine compared to Clomipramine is found to have fewer side effects and is a first line agent in the treatment of OCD. More than 50% of patients with OCD are significantly improved after a trial with Fluvoxamine, however not all patients benefit from this treatment- In a single-blind study of Fluvoxamine 6 of 10 in patients with severe OCD were ‘responders’ on the basis of a clinical rating of ‘much’ or very ‘much’ improved. The most commonly reported side effects for Fluvoxamine are daytime drowsiness, nausea, insomnia, and headache. However these seem to be common side effects of all the SSRI’s. The effects of Fluoxetine in OCD have been studied in a number of single blind and open trials, and the results indicate that Fluoxetine is effective in reducing the symptoms of OCD; these results also appear to be dependent of the drugs antidepressant effect. (Liebowitz et al 1990, Riddle et al 1990) While these studies suggest that drugs with Serotonin re-uptake blocking properties are effective in OCD, they do not bear on which of these drugs may be more effective or better tolerated. Although no such comparative trials have been published, Jenike and associates (1990) indirectly compared Fluoxetine with Clomipramine in OCD symptoms in a recent meta-analysis. The data came from two separate open studies of each compound in OCD, and the special statistical techniques used suggested that Clomipramine had a slightly superior therapeutic effect. Fluoxetine however was considerably bettered tolerated. Fewer data is available on Fluoxetine, ideally more research is needed to better understand its place in OCD treatment. Paroxetine efficacy reports back to Wheaden et al (1993) however a more recent study (Zohar et al 1996) reported that in a 12 week acute trail comparing patients on Paroxetine, Clomipramine and Placebo, only 16% of Paroxetine patients had drug related adverse experiences, compared to 28% on Clomipramine, and although generally well tolerated, there have been some reports of severe withdrawal symptoms, even when done gradually. This however may be related to the fact Paroxetine is a newer FDA approved agent for OCD, and there have not been as many published findings of its efficacy compared to other agents available. Sertraline has generally shown significant improvement in OCD symptoms when compared to placebo (Greist et al 95), and although Sertraline does have the smallest effect size, with regard to side effects it is well tolerated. However unlike Fluoxetine, Fluvoxamine and Paroxetine there are no head to head trials comparing it to other antiobsessionals. Some advantages of the SSRI’s are that they have fewer clinically meaningful interactions, for example, they do not potentiate the effects of alcohol, or other sedatives- (Cooper et al 1989), however as not all of the SSRI’s have been tested with all drugs generalisations are difficult. One meaningful global measure of how well medications are tolerated is the number of patients who have dropped out of double-blind trials because of adverse effects. Most double blind studies of SSRI’s have had more dropouts among patients treated with tricyclic antidepressants such as Clomipramine. Within the SSRI’s the highest dropout rate was associated with Fluvoxamine and the lowest with Paroxetine. While the number of dropouts provides useful information, this variable is also important for the examination of specific side effects. When considering a combination of 2 types of drugs there is rarely any rationale for prescribing together more than one drug from the same general class. Fatalities have been reported following the combination of Clomipramine and Tranylcypromine. Other combinations can lead to adverse effects. TCA’s and SSRI’s have been tried together but there is a high risk of adverse interactions. If the two-antidepressant classes were to be co prescribed the safest choice would appear to be Citalopram, or low dose Sertraline that have little or no effect on the metabolism of TCA. (Taylor 95) ‘Triple therapy’ has also been tried, one example being Clomipramine, Tryptophan and Lithium. When considering Pharmacotherapy treatment failure, comparative dropout rates rather than number of intensity of side effects, may be a good indirect measure of the tolerability of the medication, the results in this regard have been mixed but very interesting. In comparative studies between Fluvoxamine and Clomipramine (Freeman et al 1994, Koran et al 1996) dropout rates were virtually identical with both medications around 15%. However in the meta-analysis conducted by Greist et al 1995 they note that analysis of the pooled multicenter studies revealed the lowest rates of dropout in the Clomipramine group at 12%, followed by Fluvoxamine at 24%. There are some data on the characteristics of patients who are more resistant to treatment or poor treatment responders, but more work is needed in this area. For example, many OCD patients have shown poor response to Pharmacotherapy in some studies. (Jenike 93, Riccardi et al 92), and more recently (Black, Manahan, Clancy, Baker, and Gabel 97) Psychotherapy in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive disorders a Cognitive-Behavioural approach. Research has shown that psychological and social treatment can produce definite and measurable benefits (Kingdon et al 1994). Cognitive behavioural therapy leads to marked improvement in the large majority of clients with OCD who complete the treatment, and has been estimated that between 80/90% of patients will respond to CBT (Abramowitz 97) In Meyers (1966) treatment plan hospital staff actually stopped the patients from performing rituals-this treatment procedure was labelled ‘exposure and response prevention’ (EX/RP). However this kind of intervention is no longer typical or recommended. Actual physical prevention is too coercive to be acceptable-and reliance upon this technique may limit generalizability to non-therapy situations in which staff are non-present to prevent rituals. Although exposure reduces obsessional distress it is not so effective in reducing compulsions. Exposure and response prevention (EX/RP) is the psychological treatment of choice for OCD. Although other interventions (Cognitive approaches) have received some attention in the literature EX/RP has received by far the strongest empirical support for treating. Despite documented efficacy of EX/RP treatment 25% of individuals with OCD decline to accept this form of CBT. Efforts to understand the factors influencing acceptability of exposure treatment are indicated so that more clients may profit from this powerful remedy. Separate effects of exposure and response prevention for OCD have been examined, treatment that combined both exposure and response prevention was found to be more effective. (Foa, Steketee, Grayson, Turner, Latimer 1984) With non-ritualisers, exposure did not prove particularly effective. Emmelkamp Kwee (1977) noted only 1 of 3 patients showing improvement after 5 one-hour sessions. Although exposure reduces obsessional distress it is not as effective as reducing compulsions. It is generally held that patients with obsessions alone, rather than obsessions and compulsions are more difficult to treat using conventional behavioural procedures. However recent research is inconsistent with this view as patients in 2 studies evidenced some improvement in compulsive behaviour with this technique. (Marks, Crowe, Young Dewhurst 69) CBT has been found to be more helpful than drugs for individuals who complete it. About 75% of clients who complete CBT do well both immediately after treatment and in the long run, showing lasting improvement of about 65% fewer symptoms on average-also no side effects. Drugs, mainly antidepressants in this condition, are easy to administer and are more rapidly effective than the main forms of behaviour therapy, response prevention and gradual exposure. However unlike drug treatment, once behaviour therapy has been used and shown to be effective, relapse is much less likely to occur even after treatment is withdrawn completely. A number of other exposure-orientated procedures, such as paradoxical intention, imaginal flooding, satiation, and aversion relief have been found relatively unsuccessful with OCD. Procedures aimed at blocking or punishing obsessions and compulsions such as though stopping, aversion therapy, and covert sensitisation have also been relatively unsuccessful with OCD. (Emmelkamp Kwee 1977, Kenny, Mowbray Lalani 1978) Conversely Victor Meyer treated clients with OCD with prolonged exposure to situations of objects that evoked obsessional distress and prevention of rituals-the treatment was very successful in 10 of its 15 cases. (Meyer 1966, Meyer Levy 1973, Meyer, Levy Schnurer 1974) Another downfall that the literature indicates is that OCD patients who have additional psychological problems are less likely to respond favourably to CBT, these include depression, anxiety or poor judgement, and unfortunately these often coexist with OCD symptoms. Combination treatments, Antidepressants CBT in Obsessive-Compulsive disorder. As already discussed, effective treatments for OCD consist mainly of Cognitive behavioural therapy and antidepressants. In order to maximise the effects of treatment, antidepressants and CBT are frequently combined in clinical practice, despite the fact that scientific support for this is surprisingly thin. Preliminary findings of a controlled, double blind, multicenter comparison of Clomipramine, exposure therapy and their combination indicate that exposure therapy have stronger effects than Clomipramine-both procedures combined are equivalent to exposure therapy alone. (Foa et al 93) Also Combination of EX/RP was not enhanced by the addition of cognitive therapy (Emmelkamp Beens 1991). However findings by Van Oppen et al (95) show that cognitive approaches compared to EX/RP indicated that cognitive therapy alone was as effective as exposure therapy. A recent meta-analysis (Van Balkom et al 94) showed that CBT was superior to antidepressants on self-ratings, also compared with CBT; antidepressants have a higher dropout rate and higher relapse rate after stopping treatment. Thus when given alone CBT is more effective than antidepressants. However meta-analysis have shortcomings, firstly since studies are combined, there is always a mixture of the specific study details such as the way in which treatments were implemented, also studies differ in length, therapist involvement, and strictness of ritual control, leaving many reasons to believe that the results of meta-analysis are not conclusive. Conversely one large multicenter study carried out by the national institute of mental health compared 2 forms of psychotherapy with antidepressant drug treatment, all treatments were approximately equally effective over the period of study when mildly ill people were assessed, however, with more severely ill patients, drug treatment was clearly superior to psychotherapy. (Elkin et al 1989) Third line treatments-Electro compulsive therapy and Psychosurgery for Obsessive-compulsive disorder. If psychosocial and pharmacological treatments do not work, third-line treatment includes Psychosurgery and electro convulsive therapy (ECT). Although rarely used electro convulsive therapy (ECT) has been shown to be of benefit in some who failed to respond adequately to Pharmacological or Psychotherapy interventions (Strober et al 98). In many cases there will be temporary amnesia post treatment and mild headache but otherwise ECT is free from side effects. This makes it distinct from the anti-depressants, and it is for this reason that ECT is still used. Studies using ECT however lack any control data that allow a conclusion to be reached about its efficacy. Psychosurgery like ECT has aroused a great deal of controversy. Results suggest that 25-30% of the patients who previously were unresponsive to medication and behavioural treatments are significantly improved after psychosurgery, although should always be considered as a last resort, studies suggest that complications are relatively rare and that neuropsychological and personality functioning is not adversely effected by psychosurgery Some Conclusions. In sum, there are 2 very good treatments for OCD. CBT seems to produce more improvement than medication, and improvements are more lasting after treatment is stopped. Medication however does take less time and effort in the short run than CBT but may have to be continued indefinitely. Medication is not emotionally challenging but you must tolerate side effects, EX/RP requires determination and is emotionally challenging. With regards to treatment failure Foa et al (1983) argue that it is only when investigation is carried out of the differences between those who succeed and those who fail, that light can be thrown on the mechanisms involved in the treatment and more effective treatment strategies be developed, as it is evident that new and more effective pharmacological and psychotherapy strategies are needed for the treatment-refractory OCD patient.

Contrasting the Gods in Homer’s Odyssey and the Biblical Book of Exodus

Contrasting the Gods in Homer’s Odyssey and the Biblical Book of Exodus Many authors have employed the religious beliefs of their cultures in literature. The deities contained in Homer’s Odyssey and in the Biblical book of Exodus reflect the nature of the gods in their respective societies. Upon examination of these two works, there are three major areas where the gods of the Greek epic seem to directly contrast the nature of the God of the Israelites: the way problems are solved, the prestige and status that separates the divine from the masses, and the extent of power among the immortal beings. Before any logical argument regarding the contrasting of two works can begin, a foundation must be established that in some way links the two narratives, so that there is a basis for that argument. For the purpose of seeking out the differences that lie between the gods of Homer’s The Odyssey and the God of Exodus, there are two major links that provide the groundwork. First, each work includes a system of divine power, which is recognized as having authority above men. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Nestor of Gerenia tells Telemakhos, "I can have no fears for you if, at your age, the gods are your companions" (3.403, 405). This statement echoes the sentiments displayed throughout the book, and it reveals the power ascribed to the pantheon of Greek gods. If Nestor has no fears for Telemakhos simply because the gods are with him, then that implies that the gods have the authority to keep Telemakhos from harm. The God of Exodus, who is known also as Yahweh and Jehovah, is r ecognized as Deity by the Israelites. A small, seemingly insignificant verse in Exodus reflects the authority of Yahweh, when, immediately following the Passover... ...ogical Commentary. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1974. Dinsmore, Charles Allen. "Homer: What He Believed and What He Valued." 1937. Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism. Vol. 1. Ed. Dennis Poupard et al. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1988. pp. 326-329. Durham, John I. World Biblical Commentary. Vol. 3. Waco, TX: Word Books, 1987. Exodus. The Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000. Grant, Robert McQueen. Gods and the One God. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1986. Guthrie, W.K.C. The Greeks and Their Gods. Boston: Beacon Press, 1950. Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible. Vol. 1. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1991. Homer. The Odyssey. Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Vol. 1. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1995.

Gawain :: Essays Papers

Gawain Passage Analysis An anonymous author around the fourteenth century wrote Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The story is set in the time of King Arthur and deals with two major plot devices that are common in such tales: the beheading contest between Gawain and the green knight and the attempted seduction of Gawain by the lady. The passage contained in lines 928-993 occurs shortly after the lord of the castle invites Gawain into his home and offers him a meal. The section focuses on the introduction of the lady who will later try to tempt Sir Gawain to sin. The author describes her in such ravishing splendor that the reader can imagine how hard it would be to resist her advances. The hag by her side is also introduced here as a direct contrast to the lady. In this way, the lady's and the hag's respective physical characteristics are further enhanced by the presence of each other. Similar to other stories written in this period, the hag in this story has magical elements that are not revealed until much later. The lady of the castle comes to Gawain only after dinner and prayers are attended to by herself and her lord for she "Longed to look on the knight"(Norton, 222). Prior to her appearance, the lady has been secluded away in the church closet with her maids. From the very first words written about her, she is described as a very attractive person. The author goes on to describe her hair, face, and manner of dress, all of which only lend more brilliance to this vision. The passage is a testament to her comeliness and will later be important in the story since it sets the foundation for the obvious attraction Gawain feels towards this woman from whom "He claims a comely kiss, and courteously he speaks; / They welcome him warmly, and straightaway he asks / To be received as their servant, if they so desire"(222). The lady later admonishes Gawain the next morning when he fails to kiss her as a chivalrous knight should. The lady's appearance is only enhanced by the presence of the hag at her side. The magical element of the hag has also been introduced in such other literary works as "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell" and in "The Wife of Bath's Tale" in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. In each of these stories, the hag turns out to be something other than what she seems. Gawain :: Essays Papers Gawain Passage Analysis An anonymous author around the fourteenth century wrote Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The story is set in the time of King Arthur and deals with two major plot devices that are common in such tales: the beheading contest between Gawain and the green knight and the attempted seduction of Gawain by the lady. The passage contained in lines 928-993 occurs shortly after the lord of the castle invites Gawain into his home and offers him a meal. The section focuses on the introduction of the lady who will later try to tempt Sir Gawain to sin. The author describes her in such ravishing splendor that the reader can imagine how hard it would be to resist her advances. The hag by her side is also introduced here as a direct contrast to the lady. In this way, the lady's and the hag's respective physical characteristics are further enhanced by the presence of each other. Similar to other stories written in this period, the hag in this story has magical elements that are not revealed until much later. The lady of the castle comes to Gawain only after dinner and prayers are attended to by herself and her lord for she "Longed to look on the knight"(Norton, 222). Prior to her appearance, the lady has been secluded away in the church closet with her maids. From the very first words written about her, she is described as a very attractive person. The author goes on to describe her hair, face, and manner of dress, all of which only lend more brilliance to this vision. The passage is a testament to her comeliness and will later be important in the story since it sets the foundation for the obvious attraction Gawain feels towards this woman from whom "He claims a comely kiss, and courteously he speaks; / They welcome him warmly, and straightaway he asks / To be received as their servant, if they so desire"(222). The lady later admonishes Gawain the next morning when he fails to kiss her as a chivalrous knight should. The lady's appearance is only enhanced by the presence of the hag at her side. The magical element of the hag has also been introduced in such other literary works as "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell" and in "The Wife of Bath's Tale" in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. In each of these stories, the hag turns out to be something other than what she seems.

Essay on Homers Odyssey: Foreshadowing the Homecoming -- Homer Odysse

The Odyssey: Foreshadowing the Homecoming The majority of the Odyssey is an account of Odysseus’ adventures trying to reach his homeland of Ithaka. Several of these adventures are false homecomings, the most prominent of which is his imprisonment on Kalypso’s island. This false homecoming is strikingly different from what one would expect of Odysseus’ real homecoming, but similar enough for parallels to be drawn between the two. Homer uses this false homecoming to foreshadow Odysseus’ true homecoming. Throughout the Odyssey, Homer presents the reader with certain clues about what Odysseus feels his homecoming should (but not neccessarily will) be like. First of all, Odysseus wants to return to Ithaka. Homer goes as far as having Odysseus describe Ithaka: "There is a mountain there that stands tall, leaf-trembling Neritos, and there are islands settled around it, lying one very close to another. There is Doulichion and Same, wooded Zakynthos, but my island lies low and away, last of all on the water†¦" (Bk. 9, ln. 21-25). Kalypso lives on island, which may indeed resemble Ithaka. In this way, Homer begins to alert the reader that this scene may be a false homecoming. But, simply the fact that Kalypso lives on an island is not enough evidence to draw the conclusion that this may foreshadow Odysseus’s true homecoming. Other evidence is needed, and Homer provides it for us. Odysseus expects to return to his family and to the way of life which he is accustomed to. For the m ost part, Kalypso treats him as he is used to being treated—there is a certain sense of familiarity here. Returning from ten years of war with Troy and at least several years at sea, Odysseus wants to return to the comfort of home. Her cave has ... ...eople and customs that Odysseus expects to return home to, and Homer is only using Kalypso’s fake family and home to foreshadow this. When Odysseus finally reaches Ithaka, all that Homer has foreshadowed using Kalypso’s island as a false homecoming is realized, and subsequently all of Odysseus’s expectations are achieved. Odysseus returns to an island, but it is Ithaka. He is greeted with the inhospitality of the suitors (as Homer foreshadowed), but soon restores order and his own sense of civilization. Odysseus and Penelope (rather than Kalypso’s perfect image of a wife) are reunited. Recognized by his son, his wife, and his people, Odysseus’s homecoming is completely. No matter how desirable the world Kalypso created for Odysseus appeared, it was only a false homecoming used by Homer for it’s generalities to foreshadow the specifics of Odysseus’s true homecoming.