How does the impossibility of certainty affect Hamlet? Essay

What differentiates Hamlet from other plays from Shakespeare is that the action we expect to see, and particularly Hamlet’s action, is continually postponed while Hamlet tries to understand the truth about his father’s death and about what he should do. This play poses a certain number of questions that other plays would have taken for granted. For example, Hamlet does not know whether the ghost he has seen truly is the ghost of his father, whether he is benevolent or a devil†¦ He therefore has to set up a play within the play to observe Claudius’s reaction to it. If the play helps him elucidate his father’s death, he is however mistaken when he decides not to kill Claudius in his prayer, in fear that he should go straight to heaven. The impossibility of certainty, for Hamlet, is an obstacle to action. Another example for it is his impossibility of knowing what comes in the afterlife: Hamlet cannot resolve to committing suicide because of it. However, this impossibility of certainty does not only affect Hamlet in the play, but also the spectator: Shakespeare uses it on his public to underline Hamlet’s difficulties. The most striking example of it is the question of Hamlet’s madness. He decides that acting mad will serve his purpose, but the limit between his acting and his psyche is completely unknown to us. Part of this lies in the choices of the stage director: for example, if there is no effective ghost on stage when Hamlet sees it when his mother doesn’t, it accentuates the fact that he can be considered mad. However, some things in the play already implant doubt in the spectator’s mind. His lucidity, for instance, is what makes us think he is still sane; however, when Ophelia loses her mind (and, for her, no doubt is possible), she distributes flowers that correspond to each character in their most intimate secrets, showing a certain lucidity in madness. We are therefore incapable of knowi ng the truth about Hamlet’s madness. Some people have made of Hamlet a play about indecisiveness, and thus a play about Hamlet’s failure to act. However, when he finally thinks he has obtained the truth, he takes action in a rapid and rash way: he kills Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, probably some pirates, Leartes and finally, the King. It is therefore more interesting to consider that the  play shows us how many uncertainties our lives are built upon, how many unknown things are taken for granted when people act or when they evaluate one another’s actions.

Book Review: Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment Novel Responses â€Å"He was so immersed in himself and had isolated himself so much from everyone that he was afraid not only of meeting his landlady but of meeting anyone at all. He was crushed by poverty; but even his strained circumstances had lately ceased to burden him. † By portraying the protagonist as an individual who is going through major suffering, Dostoevsky allows the audience to establish that Raskolnikov is beginning to detach and isolate himself from the world, thus allowing the audience to understand his actions later on in the novel.The second sentence creates a sense of apathy because even though he is â€Å"crushed by poverty†, the circumstances that he faces â€Å"ceased to burden him†. â€Å"Raskolnikov had a terrible dream†¦ To shouts of ‘Giddap! ’ the little mare starts pulling with all her might, but she can scarcely manage a slow walk, much less a gallop†¦ ‘Take an axe to her! Finish h er off fast,’ shouts a third†¦ The nag stretches out her muzzle, heaves a deep sigh, and dies†¦ ‘Papa! What did they†¦ kill†¦ the poor horse for! ’ [Raskolnikov] sobs, but his breath fails, and the words burst like cries from his straining chest.Chindasook2 Dostoevsky uses the story of the murder of the horse to foreshadow the oncoming violence that will happen later on in the novel. The author conveys this scene to be very graphic by using imagery, and this accentuates the concept of guilt that Raskolnikov feels about committing a crime, thus suggesting that it is not his nature to be violent, however the suffering that he has encountered has driven him to the point of violence. â€Å"Kill her and take her money, so that afterwards with its help you can devote yourself to the service of all mankind and the common cause’†¦ Of course, she doesn’t deserve to be alive,’†¦ † Raskolnikov overheard this conversa tion between men in a bar, which shows that it isn’t a coincidence as he was also contemplating doing a similar act himself. This conversation allowed Raskolnikov to create more of a reason for him to commit the crime as he now knows that he is not the only one that considered this. Dostoevsky uses this to accentuate the protagonist’s eagerness to carry out actions in which he believes are appropriate, even if it is morally and legally wrong. â€Å"Here a strange thought came into his head: perhaps all his clothes were covered ith blood, perhaps there were stains all over them, and he simply did not see, did not notice them, because his reason was failing, going to pieces†¦ his mind darkening† Doestoevsky uses a limited omniscient narrator to convey Raskolnikov’s deteriorating state of mind and descend into insanity. By displaying Raskolnikov’s thought process, Doestoevsky is able convey the overwhelming guilt that is clouding Raskolnikov†™s mind. The author depicts the frantic nature in which Raskolnikov sees himself thus portraying a sense of paranoia and the burden of the crime in which he committed.Chindasook3 Where was it,’ Raskolnikov thought as he walked on, ‘where was it that I read about a man condemned to death saying or thinking, an hour before his death, that if he had to live somewhere high up on a cliffside, on a ledge so narrow that there was room only for his two feet–and with the abyss, the ocean, eternal darkness, eternal solitude, eternal storm all around him–and had to stay like that, on a square foot of space, an entire lifetime, a thousand years, an eternity–it would be better to live so than to die right now!Only to live, to live, to live! To live, no matter how–only to live! ’ The author portrays the internal conflict that Raskolnikov is experiencing about whether or not to confess through the juxtaposition of life and death. Dostoevsky uses th e metaphor of the man on the ledge to depict an image of how Raskolnikov’s life would turn out to be if he holds on to his secret.However, the epistrophe of the phrase â€Å"to live† enunciates the internal conflict that the protagonist is experiencing as he would rather live a life of depression and guilt over choosing death, but he is constantly trying to free himself from this guilt, thus creating an internal conflict as he can clearly justify confessing, but is terrified of death and therefore tries to convince himself to choose to â€Å"live†. Raskolnikov’s eyes were flashing; he became terribly pale; his upper lip twitched and began to tremble. He leaned as close to Zamyotov as he could and began moving his lips without uttering anything; this went on for half a minute or so; he was aware of what he was doing, but could not stop himself. A terrible word was trembling on his lips, like the hook on that door: another moment and it would jump out; anot her moment and it would let go; another moment and it would be spoken! Chindasook4Anaphora and Parallelism are used to intensify Raskolnikov’s thought process and accentuate the protagonist’s inability to control his feelings about the murder whilst discussing the issue. Raskolnikov makes it clear throughout the conversation that he has a large interest in this issue, making it appear that he is on the verge of confession. The parallelism through the use of semi colons accentuate that Raskolnikov is aware that he may be at risk of confessing as his desire to be free of this guilt overwhelms him.Dostoevsky also uses anaphora through the phrase â€Å"another moment† to further enunciate Raskolnikov’s uncontrollable urge to confess as it keeps coming up in his mind. â€Å"Pride and self-confidence were growing in him every moment; with each succeeding moment he was no longer the man he had been the moment before. What special thing was it however, that had so turned him around? He himself did not know; like a man clutching at a straw, he suddenly fancied that he, too, ‘could live, that there still was life, that his life had not died with the old crone. It was perhaps a rather hasty conclusion, but he was not thinking of that,† Dostoevsky uses words such as â€Å"self confidence† and â€Å"pride† to suggest how Raskolnikov has developed a sense of confidence that will help him overcome his desire to confess. The protagonist is still battling internal conflict, but encounters a moment of clarity after Marmeladov’s death, which makes him realise that his desire to live overpowers his will to confess, thus creating a tone of hope. Chindasook5 Not that he understood it, but he sensed clearly, with all the power of sensation, that it was no longer possible for him to address these people in the police station, not only with heartfelt effusions, as he had just done, but in any way at all, and had they been h is own brothers and sisters, and not police lieutenants, there would still have been no point in this addressing them, in whatever circumstances of life† This quote illustrates Raskolinov’s sudden realisation that that fact that he has murdered Alyona and Lizaveta, he has isolated himself from society as the bounds that formerly kept him tied to the rest of society has been over stepped. Furthermore, this quote suggests that Raskolinov displays no empathy for those around him as he was able to carry out the murders. The fact that it as no longer possible for him to address the people in the police station solidifies his isolation and suggests that guilt has overcome him at this point. â€Å"What came of it was that I tore my caftan in two, shared it with my neighbor, and we were both left half naked, in accordance with the russian proverb which says:   if you chase several hares at once, you won’t overtake any of them. But science says:   Love yourself befor e all because everything in the world is based on self-interest. If you love only yourself, you will set your affairs up properly, and your caftan will also remain in one piece. And economic truths adds that the more properly arranged personal affairs and, so to speak, whole caftans there are in society, the firmer its foundations are and the better arranged its common cause.It follows that by aqcuiring solely and exclusively for myself, I am thereby precisely acquiring for everyone, as it were, and working so that my neighbor will have something more than a torn caftan, not from private, isolated generosities now, but as a result of universal prosperity† Chindasook6 Through the juxtaposition between Luzhin’s egotism and Raskolnikov’s attempt to become selfless, the author implies that the reason the two do not get along is due to their different fundamental morals. Luhzin’s true intentions of marrying Dunya is revealed to be simply out of self-interest, w hilst Raskolnikov’s â€Å"immoral† murder was for the greater good of others, thus opposing Luzhin’s morals.Raskolnikov is hesitant in his own beliefs, therefore Luzhin causes him to further doubt his morals, and thus leading him to doubt whether or not the murder could be justified as a selfless act. â€Å"what can I tell you? I have known Rodion for a year and a half: sullen, gloomy, arrogant, proud; recently (and maybe much earlier) insecure and hypochondriac. Magnamious and kind. Doesn’t like voicing his feelings, and would rather do something cruel than speak his heart out in words. At times, however, he’s not hypochondriac at all, but just inhumanely cold and callous, as if there really were two opposite characters in him, changing places with each other† Dostoevsky further develops Raskolnikov’s inner conflict through this conversation between his mother, sister and Razumikhin.The internal conflict has now become apparent to hi s friend as he explains the juxtaposition within Raskolnikov’s personality, which shocks his family as it becomes evident that he was not always this way, implying that his split personality was brought on by the guilt and conflicts from the murder. Chindasook7 The old woman was nearly a sickness†¦ I was in a hurry to step over†¦ it wasn’t a human being I killed, it was a principal! So I killed the principle, but I didn’t step over, I stayed on this side†¦ All I managed to do was kill. And I didn’t even manage that, as it turns out†¦ A principle? Why was that little fool Razumikhin   abusing the socialists today?They’re hardworking, commercial people, concerned with ‘universal happiness’†¦ No, life is given to me only once, and never will be again– I don’t want to sit waiting for universal happiness,   I want to live myself; otherwise it’s better not to live at all Dostoevsky uses the p oint of view of a first person narrator to portray Raskolnikov’s need for justification of his murder in order to find inner peace. The protagonist has been at constant debate about whether or not he has performed a justified action. He manages to convince himself that by murdering the â€Å"principle† and not the person, he did not â€Å"step over† the morals that he strongly believes in as he was only doing it for the greater good of others.Dostoevsky allows the audience to understand Raskolnikov’s thoughts so that they can feel that Raskolnikov has finally been able to let go of a part of the inner turmoil that has overcome him throughout the novel. â€Å"Let him, let him walk around meanwhile, let him; I know all the same that he’s my dear little victim and that he wont run away from me! Where is he going to run to, heh, heh!†¦ What is it, to run away! A mere formality; that’s not the main thing; no, he won’t run away from m e, not just because he has nowhere to run to: psychologically he won’t run away from me, heh, heh! A nice little phrase! He won’t run away on me by a law of nature, even if he has somewhere to run to.Have you ever seen a moth near a candle? Well, so he’ll keep circling around me, circling around me, as around a candle; freedom will no longer be dear to him, he’ll fall to thinking, get entangled, he’ll tangle himself all up as in a net, he’ll worry Chindasook8 himself to death!†¦ What’s more, he himself will prepare some sort of mathematical trick for me, something like two times two-if I merely allow him a slightly longer intermission†¦ And he’ll keep on, he’ll keep on making circles around me, narrowing the radius more and more, and-whop! He’ll fly right into my mouth, and I’ll swallow him, sir, and that will be most agreeable, heh, heh, heh! † Dostoevsky utilises Porfiry’s monologue to suggest that Porfiry knows that Raskolnikov is the killer and that the way to make him confess is to mess with his mind. The metaphor of the moth symbolises how Porfiry believes that Raskolnikov will eventually â€Å"worry himself to death† which will ultimately lead to a confession. Furthermore, Dostoevsky uses anaphora (â€Å" he’ll keep circling around me†) to symbolise the various times that both have discussed about the murder, and that Raskolnikov has thought about confessing many times but hasn’t gone through with it yet. â€Å"God will forgive,’ Raskolnikov replied, and as soon as he uttered it, the tradesman bowed to him, not to the ground this time but from the waist, turned slowly, and walked out of the room. Everything’s double-ended, now everything’s double ended,’ Raskolnikov kept repeating, and he walked out of the room more cheerful than ever. ‘The struggle’s not over yet,’ he said with a spiteful grin, on his way down the stairs. The spite was directed at himself: with scorn and shame he looked back on his faintheartedness’† Raskolnikov is confused and does not know how to react to Nikolai’s confession to a murder that he didn’t commit. The juxtaposition of the â€Å"spiteful grin† accentuates how Raskolnikov feels that the right thing to do is to confess and therefore this situation where he is no longer suspected makes him feel relieved but ashamed of his â€Å"faintheartedness†.The phrase â€Å"the struggle’s not over yet† enunciates how he still can’t shake the feeling of guilt and realises Chindasook9 that even though he was not convicted now, there is still a great possibility of him being convicted in the future as he is unable to live with the guilt and burden. â€Å" I did not kill so that, having obtained means and power I could become a benefactor of mankind. Nonsense! I simply killed-killed for myself, for myself alone-and whether I would later become anyone’s benefactor, or would spend my life like a spider, catching everyone in my web and sucking the life-sap out of everyone, should at that moment have made no difference to me!†¦And it was not money above all that I wanted when I killed, Sonya; not money so much as something else†¦ I know all this now†¦ Understand me: perhaps, continuing on the same path, I would never again repeat the murder. There was something else I wanted to know; something else was nudging my arm. I wanted to find out then, and find out quickly, whether I was a louse like all the rest, or a man? Would I be able to step over or not? Would I dare to reach down and take, or not? Am I a trembling creature or do I have a right†¦ † Dostoevsky uses a simile to compare Raskolnikov’s life with that of a spider’s to allow Raskolnikov to realise that the real motive behind the murders.By having Raskolnikov c onfess to Sonya, the author enunciates the idea of Raskolnikov murdering for himself instead of the greater good of others as he initially told himself that he had murdered the pawn lady for her money, but hasn’t ever thought about the money once. Dostoevsky adds many elipses to show the protagonist’s train of thought in which he hasn’t fully understood why he did those things. Ultimately, Raskolnikov now realises that he does not have the right to murder another individual, contrary to his previous beliefs, and that he finally knows that his actions were more selfish than he wanted them to be. Chindasook10 How it happened he himself did not know, but suddenly it was as if something lifted him and flung him down at her feet.He wept and embraced her knees. For the first moment she was terribly frightened, and her whole face went numb. She jumped up and looked at him, trembling. But all at once, in that same moment, she understood everything. Infinite happiness li t up in her eyes; she understood, and for her there was no longer any doubt that he loved her, loved her infinitely, and that at last the moment had come. . . . The significance of this moment is very personal as Sonya finally realises that Raskolnikov truly loves her. The moment is ironic as the tears that he shed symbolises both the grief over his sins and the joy that he has finally broken free from his social isolation.The mood of the moment is that of melancholic joy as his newly discovered passion and love allows him to finally find a meaning to life, however he still needs to repent for his crimes. â€Å"Go at once, this very minute, stand at the cross-roads, bow down, first kiss the earth which you have defiled, and then bow down to all the world and say to all men aloud, ‘I am a murderer! ‘ Then God will send you life again. Will you go, will you go? After Raskolnikov admits that when he murdered the pawnbroker, he has discovered that his is indeed a â€Å"lou se† like everyone else, and asks Sonya what to do. Sonya’s quote reveals how she truly cares for him and wants him to do the right thing.Dostoevsky uses a hyperbole to allow the audience to see that Sonya is desperately trying to persuade Raskolnikov to repent his sins, as she asks him to â€Å"bow down to all the world†. This evokes pathos for Raskolnikov Chindasook11 as the sin he has committed is far too large to ask for forgiveness, and for Sonya as the man she loves has disappointed her to a great extent. â€Å"Actions are sometimes performed in a masterly and most cunning way, while the direction of the actions is deranged and dependent on various morbid impressions-it's like a dream. † Raskolnikov is surprised at the fact that he had just killed the pawnbroker, but even more so her step daughter.Dostoevsky uses a simile to compare Raskolnikov’s actions to that of a dream to enunciate the disbelief that Raskolnikov is experiencing as he cannot believe that he had just committed the crime. â€Å"Life is real! Haven't I lived just now? My life has not yet died with that old woman! The  Kingdom  of Heaven to her-and now enough, madam, leave me in peace! Now for the reign of reason and  light†¦ and of will, and of strength†¦ and now we will see! We will try our strength! † Raskolnikov realises that even if another person sins, it is unjust for one to end their lives as everyone deserves to live their lives the way they desire. As he speaks with Polenka, he convinces himself that although he has committed a crime, he too still deserves to live, and through will and strength he will make it through this situation.The author uses___ to convey the fact that Raskolnikov still has hope in his life. â€Å"I see that I want nothing. Do you hear? Nothing at all . . . no one's services . . . no one's sympathy. I am by myself . . . alone. Come, that's enough. Leave me alone. After Raskolnikov buries the goods he stole from the pawn broker, he decides to visit his friend Razumihin. Initially, it seems as though he wanted to ask his friend for advice about the murders, however he quickly decides against it. Dostoevsky uses anaphora to accentuate Chindasook12 how isolated the protagonist feels at this moment, thus depicting the beginning of his spiral downwards into guilt.The repetition of the word â€Å"alone† displays the use of and further enunciates his isolation. â€Å"Early one evening during an exceptional heat wave in the beginning of July, a young man walked out into the street from the little room he rented from tenants on S. Place and slowly almost irresolutely, set off in the direction of K. Bridge. Dostoevsky describes the protagonist’s walking as â€Å"slowly† and â€Å"irresolutely†, suggesting that Raskolnikov is still uncertain about murdering the pawnbroker, thus depicting that he still has doubts and uncertainties in his mind about the situation . The setting is also portrayed as that of an intense feeling, thus suggesting the effect of the burden that the situation has on the protagonist. †¦all is in a man's hands and he lets it all slip from cowardice, that's an axiom. It would be interesting to know what it is men are most afraid of. † The author uses aphorism to convey Raskolnikov’s thought that men are actually capable of doing what they desire, however the thing that holds them back are their fears. Dostoevsky uses a first person narrator in this instance to allow the audience to understand the protagonist’s thoughts and understand that the protagonist is wondering what man’s greatest fear is, thus conveying the tone of doubt which suggests irresolute feelings. â€Å"But I can't know the Divine Providence. . . . And why do you ask what can't be answered? What's the use of such foolish questions?How could it happen that it should depend on my decision–who has made me a judge to d ecide who is to live and who is not to live? Chindasook13 This shows that Sonya doesn’t believe in Raskolnikov’s theory about how some men are more â€Å"extraordinary† than others. Dostoevsky uses analogy to compare the actions of Raskolnikov as one who believes he is a â€Å"Divine Providence†. Furthermore, the author uses allusion to enunciate how farfetched the situation is, that Sonya does have a point as one does not deserve the right to play God. The rhetorical questions also further emphasise how she is trying to persuade him to change his mind and believe her, as his theory is clearly arguable. â€Å"Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart.The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth. † Pain and suffering are constant themes that are present throughout the novel. Dostoevsky uses Sonya is a symbol to represent this motif as every time Raskolnikov talks to her, she seems to expres s sympathy for Raskolnikov and experience suffering from watching someone she loves commit a crime. Raskolnikov believed that Extraordinary Men are vulnerable to suffering as well, as they have a greater understanding of their actions, thus he believes that it is himself that suffers the most as no one else understands why he did what he did. â€Å"The darker the night, the brighter the stars, The deeper the grief, the closer is God! †Dostoevsky uses anaphora to foreshadow that there is still hope for the protagonist as he has now began his descend into the downward spiral of guilt and dismay. He struggles with the debate of whether or not a confession would be the right thing to do, of whether he would rather live a life trapped by the secret that he holds, or die by admitting to the crime thus writing his own death sentence. Juxtaposition is also used to convey the idea that there is still hope for everyone, even in their darkest moments. Chindasook14 And the more I drink t he more I feel it. That's why I drink too. I try to find sympathy and feeling in drink†¦. I drink so that I may suffer twice as much! † The repetition of â€Å"drink† suggests that this is a daily routine for Marmeladov.This quote enunciates the character’s inability to feel emotionally connected to the rest of society, and thus turns to drinking to help him feel some sort of emotion. The repetition of the word â€Å"drink† also suggests that Marmeladov feels emotionally isolated everyday of his life, and therefore evokes pathos for the the character, as the audience realises that Marmeladov is unable to feel these emotions, thus may not know the extent of his actions at times. â€Å"What did they amount to, all those torments! Everything–even his crime, even sentence and exile–seemed to him now, in his first outburst of feeling, strange and superficial, as though it had not actually happened to him†¦ Life replaced logic, and in hi s consciousness something quite different now had to elaborate and articulate itself. †This quote suggests that Raskolnikov is trying to overcome his social anxiety, that he has finally shed a new light on the situation that he is in. He ceases his search for the â€Å"new word† and attempts to accept the true word instead. Dostoevsky creates a tone of hope through the phrase â€Å"life replaced logic†, which suggests that Raskolnikov is now able to feel emotions A loose sentence is also used in to enunciate how difficult it was for the protagonist to feel these emotions and how all the suffering had amounted to this sudden clarity. Chindasook15 â€Å"When reason fails, the devil helps! † As Raskolnikov thought he couldn’t obtain the axe, he notices the axe underneath a bench, and therefore causes him to exclaim this claim.This quote also foreshadows the sin that he is about to commit, and also implies that the action is not backed by reason, but is rather influenced by the â€Å"devil†. â€Å"Well, if he’s proud of it, he has reason, I don’t deny it. You seem to be offended, sister, at my making only such a frivolous criticism on the letter, and to think that I speak of such trifling matters on purpose to annoy you. It is quite the contrary, an observation apropos of the style occurred to me that is by no means irrelevant as things stand. There is one expression, ‘blame yourselves’ put in very significantly and plainly, and there is besides a threat that he will go away at once if I am present.That threat to go away is equivalent to a threat to abandon you both if you are disobedient, and to abandon you now after summoning you to Petersburg. Well, what do you think? Can one resent such an expression from Luzhin, as we should if he (he pointed to Razumihin) had written it, or Zossimov, or one of us? † When the protagonist receives his mothers letter, he despises the situation that is ha ppening to his family. Raskolnikov’s mood suggests that detests being unable to help himself, as he refuses to accept his mother’s pension. The news that his sister is getting married to Pyotr upsets him, because he knows that Pyotr is simply using the family’s poverty to gain a â€Å"legal concubine†. Raskolnikov also reveals in this chapter that he has a large amount of pride in himself. Chindasook16For that's Katerina Ivanovna's character, and when children cry, even from hunger, she falls to beating them at once. Even though Katerina is constantly portrayed as a heartless character, this line evokes pathos for her. This is due to the fact that her kids remain loyal to her and despite the way that she treats them, they still love her. Her abuse is portrayed as indications of her illness and her poverty, therefore she is not entirely monstrous, however he conditions have forced her to become this way. â€Å"No, mother, it shall never be, not whilst I l ive. I will not have it. † This quote shows Raskolnikov’s attitude towards Dunya’s engagement. It reveals Raskolnikov’s pride for himself.The devoting actions of his mother and sister who were willing to make sacrifices for him may be interpreted as a contribution towards his haughtiness. This reaction to Dunya’s engagement further accentuates his egotism as he disregards the possibility that Dunya could be marrying Luzhin to provide a better life for her and her mother, and automatically assumes that she is marrying Luzhin for his sake. Good-bye, till we meet then—I embrace you warmly, warmly, with many kisses. Yours till death, PULCHERIA RASKOLNIKOV. This reveals that Pulcheria really loves her son, and that a major part of his identity relies on her success as being a parent, therefore when she learns about the crimes that her son has committed, her identity is shattered.Pulcheria callously foreshadows her death in the letter through the s ign off, and also declares how much she loves her son. ‘ So it is true that men going to execution are passionately interested in any object they chance to see on the way. ‘ Chindasook17 Dostoevsky uses a first person narrator to allow the audience to see the attitude that Raskolnikov has towards coming close to being executed. This quote suggests that men who are about to be executed tend to have a greater appreciation towards common things, and will cling onto anything that will give them hope. But of  that  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ of  that  he [Raskolnikov] had no recollection, and yet every minute he felt that he had forgotten something he ought to remember.He worried and tormented himself trying to remember. As Raskolnikov awakens from his illness, his reality is seemingly confused as he apparently has forgotten the things that he wishes he would forget. Dostoevsky foreshadows how the situation is tormenting the protagonist, and accentuates the guilt that lies within his t houghts because even though he seems to not remember, he still feels as if he’s forgetting something. â€Å"His thoughts strayed aimlessly†¦. He found it hard to fix his mind on anything at that moment. He longed to forget himself altogether, to forget everything, and then to wake up and begin life anew†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Dostoevsky portrays the protagonist as being lost in his thoughts.He conveys the conflict that Raskolnikov is experiencing through the ellipsis, suggesting that Raskolnikov is deep in thought and trying to prolong his time to think about this. Paradox is used between how his thoughts strayed aimlessly yet he longed to forget them, enunciating the fact that he feels conflicted with the situation that is in. â€Å"I did not bow down to you [Sonia], I bowed down to all the suffering of humanity,† he said wildly and walked away to the window. Chindasook18 At first appearance, Raskolnikov seems to be romantically deatched to Sonya. He frequently displays these types of comments right after he throws himself at her feet, which often happens a lot.However, this quote shows that Raskolnikov views Sonya as a symbol of everyoby’s suffering. â€Å"Even as it is, she was quite right: she was suffering and that was her asset, so to speak, her capital which she had a perfect right to dispose of. † Semyonovitch views Sonya;s prostitution differently to the others. He analyses her proceedings as a practical action to help herself alleviate the suffering. Dostoevsky uses a loose sentence to convey this, as Semyonovitch believes that the suffering of prostitution is a better alternative to the suffering of starving. Allow me to ask you another question out of simple curiosity: have you ever spent a night on a hay barge, on the Neva?Marmeladov lets Raskolnikov know that his home life is so unbearable, that he would rather leave and sleep out on the streets. This conveys the theme of the problems in a household, and accentuates the f act that the crisis in is home is caused by none other than himself. Marmeladov knows this fact, yet does not know how to turn this around. And, of course, too, he [Pyotr Petrovitch Luzhin] did love Dunya in his own way; he already possessed her in his dreams – and all at once! No! The next day, the very next day, it must all be set right, smoothed over, settled This reveals that Luzhin needs a reality check due to the fact that his fantasy of Dunya is by far removed from the reality of the situation. Dostoevsky uses dramatic irony to convey this. Chindasook19Furthermore, Dostoevsky gives the character a form of his own reality check by shortly removing Luzhin from the novel without any explanation. â€Å"Surely it isn't beginning already! Surely it isn't my punishment coming upon me? It is! † Just after the murder, Raskolnikov is fixated over the possible evidence that he left by committing his crime. Dostoevsky uses the phrase â€Å"coming upon me† as a metaph or to suggest that his punishment is being indicated by a force of justice, possibly God, thus also meaning that allusion was also used to convey God. Another interpretation could also be that Raskolnikov is personifying punishment as a force of justice itself. â€Å"Good God! † [Katerina] cried with flashing eyes, â€Å"is there no justice upon earth? Whom should you protect if not us orphans? â€Å"Dostoevsky emphasises the theme of the lack of justice for children, predominantly orphans, throughout the novel. This attitude allows the reader to relate to the story as everyone is familiar with the concept of the life of an orphan. This is a particularly well chosen example due to the fact that it is difficult to find a concept where â€Å"fairness† and â€Å"justice† have meaning. â€Å"You must fulfill the demands of justice. I know that you don't believe it, but indeed, life will bring you through. You will live it down in time. What you need now is fresh air, fresh air, fresh air! † The repetition of fresh air enunciates the urge for Raskolnikov to start a fresh. Fresh air† is used as a symbol to portray the fresh air of hard labour in the Siberian prison camp, which seems to be beneficial for Raskolnikov. This quote shows that Porfiry uses a metaphor to try Chindasook20 to convince Raskolnikov that by serving criminal justice, he can provide himself with a sense of personal justice, which will allow him to begin a new life. It was only in that that he [Raskolnikov] recognised his criminality, only in the fact that he had been unsuccessful and had confessed it. Although Raskolnikov never actually admits to regretting his actions of injustice before prison, there is a copious amount of evidence to argue an implied regret. Nonetheless, at this moment, the protagonist still views Alyona and Lizaveta as creatures instead of humans.This is shown through him stating his inability to bring a positive connotation to the murders, thus leading him to confessing, and establishing the murders as crimes as well as establishing himself as a criminal. â€Å"Am I to get married simply for the sake of the furniture? † Dostoevsky uses an anecdote to create a humourous affect to allow the reader to emphatise with Luzhin at this moment in the novel. This anecdote conveys the fact that Luzhin has gone through quite some trouble to set up a nice home for Dunya, however he wants her there as a slave, thus conveying the irony in the anecdote. â€Å"He was one of the numerous and varied legion of dullards, of half-animated abortions, conceited, half-educated coxcombs, who attach themselves to the idea most in fashion only to vulgarize it and who caricature every cause they serve, however sincerely. †They [Raskolnikov and Sonia] were renewed by love; the heart of each held infinite sources of life for the heart of the other. Chindasook21 This quote shows juxtaposition from the rest of the novel. Dostoevsky gav e the audience the ending that was hoped for, and accentuated the motif that there is hope for everyone in the end. Furthermore, this also enunciates the strength of the bond that Raskolnikov and Sonya have for each other, and that Sonya was faithful and had been willing to suffer and wait for the only man she truly loves. â€Å"There is nothing in the world more difficult than candor, and nothing easier than flattery. If there is a hundredth of a fraction of a false note to candor, it immediately produces dissonance, and as a result, exposure.But in flattery, even if everything is false down to the last note, it is still pleasant, and people will listen not without pleasure; with coarse pleasure, perhaps, but pleasure nevertheless. † Svidrigailov is highly competent in the ways of seduction, and his actions horrify Raskolnikov. Dostoevsky uses juxtaposition in the phrase to accentuate the difference between flattery and candor, and the irony in which people tend to appreciat e flattery more than candor, even if they realise that flattery is just a way of trying to get someone to do something that one desires. â€Å"But at the same time he knew now and knew for certain that, although it filled her with dread and suffering, yet she had a tormenting desire to read and to read to  him  that he might hear it, and to read  now  whatever might come of it! †This quote may seem very perplexing at first glance, however, it further accentuates Sonya’s symbolism to suffering, as even a simple task of reading to Raskolnikov causes her to suffer. She is portrayed to be terrified of reading to him; yet she badly wants to do so. This also Chindasook22 further accentuates Sonya’s love for Raskolnikov as she tries her best to please him. Furthermore, since Raskolnikov was one of Sonya’s father’s only friends at the end of his life, she can also share in mouring her father by reading o Raskolnikov. â€Å"I am all over covered wi th blood† When Raskolnikov talks to the police magistrate, he means both literally and figuratively. He had just helped out with Marmeladov’s accident, which covered him in blood, and was figuratively covered in blood from murdering Alyona.Dostoevsky uses this to convey the internal conflict in which Raskolnikov is experiencing, thus portraying irony, as he essentially comes very close to confessing to a police officer about his crime. â€Å"I've just been kissed by someone who, if I had killed anyone, would just the same†¦ in fact I saw someone else there†¦ with a flame-coloured feather. † Raskolnikov had just kissed Polenka, Sonya’s sister, and this quote suggests Rasklnikov’s attraction to Sonya. Sonya has made such a big impression on Raskolnikov as even when he kissed Polenka, he â€Å"saw someone else there†. Dostoevsky uses the metaphor of the flame coloured feathers to convey vivid imagery and imply that Sonya has remained i n Raskolnikov’s mind as an attractive person. I used to analyse myself down to the last thread, used to compare myself with others, recalled all the smallest glances, smiles and words of those to whom I’d tried to be frank, interpreted everything in a bad light, laughed viciously at my attempts ‘to be like the rest’ –and suddenly, in the midst of my laughing, I’d give way to sadness, fall into ludicrous despondency and once again start the whole process all over again – in short, I went round and round like a squirrel on a wheel. †Ã‚   Chindasook23 Dostoevsky uses a simile at the end of this quote to emphasise the infinite cycle that the protagonist experiences through being trapped by comparison. The phrase â€Å"used to† conveys the fact that he is now looking back on his negative thoughts and reflecting on the type of person he used to be, suggesting that he has now moved on from this point in life.The irony in the phra se â€Å"laughed viciously at my attempts to be like the rest† further emphasises that he felt innately excluded from the rest of society, and the juxtaposition between laughing and sadness further accentuates the idea in which Raskolnikov is at the two extremes of insanity, implying that he was not like everyone else. â€Å"I do not withdraw from my chief point. It is me or Luzhin. If I am a scoundrel, you must not be. One is enough. If you marry Luzhin, I cease at once to look on you as a sister. † Raskolnikov takes on the stereotypical role of the protective big brother in this instance. He believes that his sister deserves better than Luzhin, which also implies that he furtively believes that no one is good enough for his sister. His egocentric behaviour also suggests he believes that his sister is doing this for the sole purpose of alleviating his suffering and thus feels like he is responsible for his sister’s suffering in the future. I am  Rodion  Rom anovitch  Raskolnikov,  formerly  a  student, Ilive  in  Shil's  house, not far  from  here,  flat  Number  14, ask the porter, he  knows  me. †Ã‚  Raskolnikov  said  all  this  in a  lazy,dreamy  voice, not  turning  round, but  looking  intently  into  the darkening  street. This quote foreshadows Raskolnikov’s descend into the guilt that the murder has caused him. Dostoevsky uses the darkening street as a metaphor to convey that the future that lies ahead for Raskolnikov is a dark and unsettling place, and he needs to find a way to get out of it. Moreover, the fact that Raskolnikov answers the answers the question in a very lethargic way Chindasook24 implies that he has not yet realised the extent of his actions, and the word â€Å"dreamy† suggests that he does not believe that this is reality yet.There was lack of precaution on both sides, however, for Porfiry Petrovitch seemed to be laughing in his visito r's face and to be very little disturbed at the annoyance with which the visitor received it. The latter fact was very significant in Raskolnikov's eyes: he saw that Porfiry Petrovitch had not been embarrassed just before either, but that he, Raskolnikov, had perhaps fallen into a trap; that there must be something, some motive here unknown to him; that, perhaps, everything was in readiness and in another moment would break upon him . . As Raskolnikov discloses to Porfiry that he realises the type of â€Å"cat and mouse† game that he is playing, Porfiry attempts to detain Raskolnikov by evealing that he knows things about the protagonist, such as his trip to the crime scene. This suggests that Porfiry presumably knows more that he lets on, and has the authority to arrest Raskolnikov at any time, thus implying that Porfiry is doing this out of a â€Å"sincere liking† for Raskolnikov and to make the protagonist aware of the error in his theory. â€Å"It matters nothing, sir. This wagging of heads does not discountenance me, for all these things are already known to everybody and all secrets are revealed, and I bear myself in this matter with humility, not with scorn. Suffer them, suffer them! ‘Behold the man! ’ Allow me to ask, young man, can you . . . say with conviction that I am not a swine? †Dostoevsky portrays many allusions through the character of Marmeladov, he seems to be the connection of the story to biblical parallels. Many lines in this quote correlate with biblical parallels, as in the paradox of the Christian story, it is when Marmeladov has nothing left which is the moment that he puts his faith in the hands of God. Chindasook25 No, Dunechka, I see it all, and I know . . . what you were thinking of, while you paced the room all night, and what you prayed for, kneeling before the icon of Our Lady of Kazan in mama’s room. The way to Golgotha is hard Dostoevsky’s story contains a sacrificial victim obt aining money earned from public degradation of her body.Sonya’s offering of her own body for a public offering creates an allusion which correlates to the bodily sacrifice of Jesus’ public death on the cross. Moreover, this biblical parallel is further accentuated by Raskolnikov’s sister, Dunya, who intends to marry a terribly unsophisticated character, Luzhin, for the sake of her family. â€Å"[Svidrigailov’s] evil-doings could not be of the same kind. † Here we see that Raskolnikov is confused, after his confession to Sonya, the protagonist is suddenly drawn to Svidrigailov without realising that he represents an aspect of the protagonist’s character. Svidrigailov has recurrently affirmed that they had something in common, thus making Raskolnikov feel as if they have a bond, even though he despises Svidrigailov for his flirtatious ways.However, this thought made Raskolnikov rather repulsed by thinking of Sonya, as he feels for her differen tly than how Svidrigailov treats his women, and eventually attempts to convince himself that even though he murdered someone, they sin differently to each other as Raskolnikov still is able to experience the feelings of love for another being. Chindasook26 â€Å"He is morose, gloomy, proud and haughty, and of late — and perhaps for a long time before — he has been suspicious and fanciful. He has a noble nature and a kind heart; he does not like showing his feelings and would rather do a cruel thing than open his heart freely. . . It's as though he were alternating between two characters. † In a morbid condition, dreams are often distinguished by their remarkably graphic, vivid, and extremely lifelike quality. The resulting picture is sometimes monstrous, but the setting and the whole process of the presentation sometimes happen to be so probable, and with details so subtle, unexpected, yet artistically consistent with the whole fullness of the picture, that even the dreamer himself would be unable to invent them in reality, though he were as much an artist as Pushkin or Turgenev. Such dreams, morbid dreams, are always long remembered and produce a strong impression on the disturbed and already excited organism of the person. Raskolnikov had a terrible dream. †Such dreams, morbid dreams, are always long remembered and produce a strong impression on the disturbed and already excited organism of the person – this indicates his guilt as well as inner turmoil to which â€Å"morbid dreams† disturb his sub conscious state. The resulting picture is sometimes monstrous, but the setting and the whole process of the presentation sometimes happen to be so probable, and with details so subtle, unexpected, yet artistically consistent with the whole fullness of the picture, that even the dreamer himself would be unable to invent them in reality. The horrors committed are so malevolent and wrong that it is hard to fathom as reality.The word subtle is an oxymoron as the deed itself is not subtle but manifests itself in dreams as a subtle sign of guilt. Chindasook27 â€Å"What do you think? † shouted Razumihin, louder than ever, â€Å"you think I am attacking them for talking nonsense? Not a bit! I like them to talk nonsense. That's man's one privilege over all creation. Through error you come to the truth! I am a man because I err! You never reach any truth without making fourteen mistakes and very likely a hundred and fourteen. And a fine thing, too, in its way; but we can't even make mistakes on our own account! Talk nonsense, but talk your own nonsense, and I'll kiss you for it.To go wrong in one's own way is better than to go right in someone else's. In the first case you are a man, in the second you're no better than a bird. Truth won't escape you, but life can be cramped. There have been examples. And what are we doing now? In science, development, thought, invention, ideals, aims, liberalism, judgme nt, experience and everything, everything, everything, we are still in the preparatory class at school. We prefer to live on other people's ideas, it's what we are used to! Am I right, am I right? † cried Razumihin, pressing and shaking the two ladies' hands. †Ã‚   The fact that raskolikov was â€Å"watching her and following her at her heels† indicates a perverse compulsion and obsession.His lingering on her actions and words suggests that not only is he in love with her, but there is also a deeper and darker side to his affections and alluded to in his passion towards her. The fact that the protagonist struggles to not â€Å"betray his interest† also suggests that he is mentally and physically devoted to her; an obsession of sorts as he has to remind himself and consistently restrain himself. Furthermore the fact that he â€Å"walked on more slowly as though waiting for something† undermines his rampant desires, in truth, he walks slower to catch g limpses of Sonia; his erratic behavior is a result of his ‘love' and passion towards her. This is ironically shown through the tone and pace of his movement that is slow, in contrast to his emotions that are very much active.

Authentication Mechanism for Fast Handover PMIPv6 Networks

Authentication Mechanism for Fast Handover PMIPv6 Networks N.S.Nandhinee S.Kayalvizhi    Abstract —The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) proposed a host-based mobility management protocol, called Mobile IPv6 (MIPv6) protocol for mobile nodes (MNs) to maintain continuous service when they move among different foreign networks. However, Mobile IPv6 does not provide good service for real-time applications because it causes longer disruptions when the handoff takes place. Recently, the IETF NETLMM working group developed a network-based localized mobility management protocol called Proxy Mobile IPv6 (PMIPv6) to reduce the handoff latency of MIPv6. PMIPv6 still suffers from packet loss problem and signaling overhead. This paper performs a Bicasting scheme to reduce packet loss, use the piggyback technique to reduce the signaling overhead, also provides Authentication mechanism for protecting valid user from attacks in PMIPv6 networks. Keywords—Authentication, bicasting, handover, piggyback, Proxy Mobile IPv6 (PMIPv6) 1 . Introduction As wireless technologies have grown, all the people want to use wireless networks while moving from one place to another. At the same time Mobile MIPv6 was developed by the internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to support the Mobile Node. Even after introducing the Mobile IPv6 Mobile Nodes (MNs) did not receive any data packets when it performs the handover that involves , IP address configuration, movement detection and location update latencies. To reduce the handover latency, Fast Handover has been developed. Fast handover performs the movement detection and IP address whenever the Mobile Nodes move from one location to another. Therefore Fast handover protocol reduces the handover latency. However , MIPv6 cannot satisfy all the requirements of real time applications such as video streaming service and voice over internet protocol (VoIP) service due to its high handover latency. To address this problem, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) NETLMM working gro up developed a network based localized mobility management protocol called Proxy Mobile IPv6 (PMIPv6) to reduce the handoff latency of MIPv6.Moreover, PMIPv6 provides the IP with the mobility to support MNs without requiring its participation in any mobility-related signaling. Although PMIPv6 reduces lots of handoff latency compared with MIPv6, it still suffers from packet loss, signaling overhead and inefficient authentication procedure problems during handoff. This is because PMIPv6 does not use any buffer mechanism during the handoff procedure and performs the authentication and registration phases separately. Therefore this paper used a bicasting scheme for packet loss and piggybacking technique for signaling overhead. 2. Related works 2.1. survey on fast handover Chaung and Lee [2] proposed handoff schemes for PMIPv6 networks perform the authentication and registration phases separately, resulting in longer handoff latency. A. Pre-Handoff procedure The movements of an MN is det ected using the MAG and it performs mobility-related signaling with the LMA in place of the MN. The pre-handoff phase starts only when the MN is going to leave the range of the serving MAG (i.e., MAG1). First, MAG1 sends a handoff initial (HI) message to the target MAG(i.e., MN-ID) and the address of the target MAG. Then , MAG2 sends back a handoff acknowledgement (HACK) message to MAG1, and then a bi-directional tunnel is built between MAG1 and MAG2. After the bi-directional tunnel is built , the buffer of MAG2 prepares to buffer.

Essay Topic 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Topic 1 - Essay Example Taxation has been an issue. Many states have their sources of income tax. However, the national government, in its quest to raise more revenue for the country’s agenda, has instituted numerous mechanisms that enable it to get a large share of the tax that states collect. It has enabled the national government to suppress the federal government as its needs increase day in day out. Controversial issues such as abortion and same-sex marriages have allowed the national government to influence states. It is not clear what laws, especially pertaining to such controversial issues should be followed. However, national laws have prevailed in the country concerning such controversial issues as individual states continue to deliberate on the way forward. The process of nationalization is justified, because in the current world, globalization has led to a seemingly smaller world. Hence, the country’s agenda should be one as opposed to that of each state, which will ensure that the nation prevails on its soil and in the global

Critical thinking is not just thinking but thinking which entails self Essay

Critical thinking is not just thinking but thinking which entails self improvement and this improvement comes from skill in using standards by which one approp - Essay Example ording to Alpert (2004) seems alien, a bug that keeps on nagging there is â€Å"something drastically wrong---even if they themselves do not sense it[†¦] they sense something is radically out of joint in the narrative they tell, enact, and are.† Depression affects the social being in individuals that it is a sate of sadness that affects the individual being to the point of disrupting daily activities and clinical depression may be seen even without meeting any criteria for specific diagnosis. Clinical depression is not a temporary state of sadness but something that is recurring or worsens as days go by and may last up to weeks or longer. There are a lot of evidences that depression is not a simple chemical imbalance in the transmitters in the brain, but it is the most common belief so that anti-depressant pills have become common treatment for millions of depressed women around the world although there are persistent researches that prove otherwise. Incidentally, reports (wikipedia, 2006) cite clinical depression as the second leading cause of disability in the US next only to heart disease and may soon be a global symptom by 2020 according to the World Health Organization (qtd., wikipedia, 2006). Ketterlinus (et al, 1994) presented that â€Å"depressive problems may be substantial and associated with significant social impairment [†¦] but the social malfunction extends well beyond antisocial behaviour.† As early as 1550 BC, depression has appeared in Ebers papyrus and had been described and observed. In consideration to Pepper’s (1942) view that â€Å"People construct their own environment and lifespan,† the various conceptual perspective all apply to social depression with the likely views as follows: Mechanistic – there is a narrow focus on loss of an important person, or an object of affection for any depressed individual. Likewise, therapists adapt various methods that may be narrowed down on the certain cause of the depression of a patient as may

King David Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

King David - Essay Example David was a youthful military leader prior to his kingship. His leadership would liberate Israel from the cold hearted culture developed by the first king that Israelites had chosen to lead them in rebellion, because they could not hold and wait for God’s purpose and timing. According to the bible, David was a King that at times experienced failure in his humanity, yet as told he still sought God with his whole heart. However, today there are those that would say that David’s Kingdom and David were indeed Israel’s imagination and a legendary military hero that never existed in the actual sense. Liberal critical consensus about David has long been that he was a legendary figure in the history of Israel. There are scholars that often stress that the stories on King David are mere embellishments of a national hero whose existence is not in history is not certain (Huyck, 1). For example, Kyle McCarter states that: â€Å"The Bible is our only source of information ab out David.   No ancient inscription mentions him.   No archaeological discovery can be securely linked to him. . . .We cannot assume, therefore, that a statement about David in a given part of the Bible derives from an early source.   The David of Chronicles, for example, is the idealized David of the second Commonwealth, not the David of history (Huyck, 1).† Contrary to this statement and many others like it, archeological evidence has tallied with most historical mentioning within the bible and other historical literature and findings to prove that indeed the Kingdom of David and David as king existed at some point in history. This has strengthened the biblical view and story that indeed David was not a mere myth, but true King that existed and left a legendary mark in the history if Israel (Huyck, 1). The first recently highlighted and iconic archeological finding that attested to this occurred seven years after the discovery of the Solomonic gate by the Mazars. In th at instance in 1993, an archaeological team digging in the northern part of Israel discovered a large stone tabled with inscriptions that read: â€Å"House of David â€Å"and â€Å"King of Israel.† This stunning uncovered piece of evidence was dated back to the 9th Century B.C. This is indeed one of the many uncovered evidence that proofs that David’s kingdom not only existed, but his reign started a royal dynasty. The twelve acre triangle city developed by David’s reign lay some 350 feet, south of the today’s walled Jerusalem, beyond and on the eastern ridge known as Ophel. Benjamin Mazar is quoted by the Associated Press, as having said that: â€Å"Now we have more or less the feeling that this is really a gate of Jerusalem from the period of the kings of Judah† (April 21, 1986). This leaves most people wondering as to whether archaeology is indeed coming up to fill the bits and prove the biblical history that recounts the life and leadership o f David. Eilat Mazar indeed attests to this statement by saying that she had learned to pore and relate to biblical text to an extent that she had discovered that indeed it makes descriptions of true historical reality. Eilat states that: â€Å"It is not a simple matter to differentiate the layers of textual sources that have been piled†¦over generations; but it is clear that concealed within the Biblical text are grains of detailed historical truth (Coogan 71).†

Palliative Care of Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Palliative Care of Nursing - Essay Example In its advanced stages, most patients need extensive care which includes palliative care in permanent or out-patient hospice nursing ("Cancer: Prognosis", n.d.). The Coordinating Committee (Hospice) of Hospital Authority (HA) Hong Kong SAR Government defines hospice or palliative care as "the care of the patients and their families with active progressive advanced disease and a limited prognosis for whom the focus of care is the quality of life" (Liu, 2005, p.183). Palliative care started in Hong Kong in 1982. At the beginning, it was a "consultative team" in a general hospital. In 1986, a second palliative care team was established who worked primarily with those who had incurable lung malignancy. Diagnosis of the disease was not necessary in order to get a referral. The team gave pain and symptom management as well as practical, emotional and spiritual support to the patient and their family. Due to lack of public knowledge, patients had unrealistic expectations thinking that palliative care can cure the disease and prolong ones life. It was not until 1985 when a demarcation between cure and palliative care was made with the help of the So ciety for the Promotion of Hospice Care. Their goals were aimed at public education, fund raising, and the establishment of an independent hospice in Hong Kong which will serve as a discernible symbol for the public (Sham, 2003, p.65). It was through their efforts that the Hong Kong community came to know and understand the scope of palliative care. In an article by Hon Joseph Lee in his interview with Dr. York Chow on hospice care services, it was written: At present, there are 10 palliative care centers and six oncology centers [in Hong Kong] under HA [Hospital Authority] to provide palliative/hospice care, which includes in-patient service, out-patient service, hospice/palliative day care service, home care service and bereavement counseling (December, 2008). Patients who admit themselves in hospice are almost always dying. Different cultures have different perceptions of death. In Hong Kong, "death is seen as a curse" (Chow and C. Chan, 2005, p.2). It is believed that the very thought of death will bring bad luck and the very mention of death will invite evil spirits in or speed up the process. The Chinese concept of death is deep-rooted and is influenced by the Folk and Taoist beliefs that "the dead have to be judged in hell and punished according to the sins that they have committed in life" (C. Chan, 1999, p.213). Chan (1999) cited examples that illustrate the Folk and Taoist teachings on children: Children are told if they steal when alive, when they die their hands will be cut off as a punishment. If people do not treat their family well, they will be eaten by hungry dogs. If someone kills, he or she will be burnt in eternal fire (p.213). Because of this grotesque and mind boggling picture, they do not talk about death nor do they prepare for it. This leaves them ill-equipped and often times carrying heavy emotional baggage to their grave. Chinese people in Hong Kong have a traditional attitude that contributes to the disinclination to intervene when a person is dying. It is believed t

Critical thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Critical thinking - Essay Example There is also the job which can pay a little of the tuition fees even if not all. This will therefore leave only a little of the fee balance left to clear. The next step is to identify alternative sources of fee and this is also the second step in the PDCA system. Some of the potential sources of fee include bursaries offered by government and organizations (governmental or non-governmental). There are also individual persons’ bursaries, charities and grants specializing in higher education funding as well as corporates programs. These usually offer part funding which is all that is needed to top up the money for school. Having established and identified that, the next step is on how to obtain the money from all these sources. This is the next step that involves testing of the plan mentioned. This will require a lot of form filling and searching for the best of the organizations which must be planned for in advance. Preparation and getting the facts and stating the truth is one of the preparation techniques. The reason for the situation happening cannot be dwelt on because economic times are hard and since there are more students that are needy, they all have to divide the money. If he is to pursue other alternatives of finding part time scholarships or a sponsor who can pay for the other half of the fee, then the solution will have been reached. Seeking another job is not an option as he will not be able to study at all and the main aim is to clear the degree and seek better paying job. The last in the problem solving technique is to act. The action will involve fully implementing the solution. After conducting research on the organizations, charities and even government, application or follow up interview are next. Honesty in these interviews on financial situation must be said if he is expected to woo these financiers even if it is one of

Women getting the Death pentaly Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Women getting the Death pentaly - Essay Example What is death penalty? According the American Heritage Dictionary of English Language (2000), death penalty refers to, â€Å"a sentence of punishment by execution.† In legal terms, death penalty is synonymous to capital punishment. Capital punishment means it is the most serious punishment that one can be accorded. Death penalty is often imposed on offenders of murder and mutiny whose cases have been proven beyond reasonable doubts. The execution of offenders on death row may be done through, lethal injection, electorocution, shooting and hanging among other methods. The execution methods vary from one country to the other. In America, lethal injection and electrocution methods are commonly used. Having explicated death penalty, it is safe to delve into discussing whether women should be accorded the same or not. Statistics indicate that there has been gender biasness in imposing death penalties on capital offenders with women being the beneficiaries of the partiality. Accord ing to Death Penalty Information Centre (2012), â€Å"death sentencing rate and death row population has remained small for women as compared to men; from 1973 to 2011, 174 death penalties have been imposed upon female offenders, constituting 2% of all death sentences in America.† Out of the 174 only 12 of them have been actually executed between, 1973-2011; the remaining 162 are still on a death row. Statistics unveils gender disparity in imposing death penalties. Barron (2006) admits that there is favoritism in death sentencing between men and women; he observes that demographics on men versus women death row prisoners reveal that men suffer more death penalties than women. Is this really fair? Why the favoritism? The society has witnessed a long struggle to liberate women from derogatory and oppressive chains of male chauvinism. Today, there are high degrees of women and girl child empowerment, and the equality is steadily being realized, safe for a few rigid societies. Me n and women

Performance of ITV1 Through the Firms Strategic Analysis Research Paper

Performance of ITV1 Through the Firms Strategic Analysis - Research Paper Example A SWOT analysis is commonly used for the evaluation of a firm’s strategic decisions, both in regard to its internal and external environment. In the context of the SWOT analysis, four different aspects of the organization’s environment are explored: ‘a) strengths, b) weaknesses, c) opportunities and d) threats’. The first two categories refer to the internal organizational environment, while the last two are related to the firm’s external environment (Griffin 2011, p.68). Similar approaches have been used in order to explain the necessity of SWOT analysis as a tool for the strategic analysis of modern firms. According to Griffin (2011), the SWOT analysis is a valuable theoretical framework at the level that it emphasizes on both the firm’s internal and external environment, offering a clear view of the firm’s capabilities and challenges. Moreover, Hill and Jones (2009) note that the SWOT analysis proposes specific actions that a firm sh ould take in order to improve its performance: ‘to identify opportunities, to evaluate the threats, to emphasize on its strengths and to eliminate, as possible, its weaknesses’. In regard to the value of SWOT analysis, Henry (2008) notes that the particular framework can be more effective ‘in the context of a competitive environment than in a general environment’ (Henry 2008, p.61). It is implied that in non-competitive business environments the SWOT analysis could not be easily developed since no market pressures would exist, a fact that would minimize the value of certain of the elements of SWOT analysis.

A Solution to childhood obesity in Australia Essay Example for Free

A Solution to childhood obesity in Australia Essay It is essential that through government and community participation, we develop, establish and integrate safe strategies to tackle the ever increasing problem of childhood obesity. Australia is rapidly turning into a nation of fat kids. One in every five youngsters is now designated as overweight or obese, living a life prone to cardiovascular and health problems along with risks to there mental state and general well being. Studies conducted by The Australian Diabetes, obesity and lifestyle council indicate that poor self-esteem and confidence has also been associated with obesity and almost doubles the chances of depression. Education Queensland also associates obesity with poor academic performance, un-developed motor skills and coordination. Obesity is a killer, not only causing serious long term medial problems, but costing the taxpayer over a billion dollars each year. Something must be done. If we dont act on this problem NOW, then it is predicted by 2020 that 65% of adolescents will be overweight or obese. There are so many reasons to exercise, so many benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle. In todays media conscious world we hear bout them, read bout them and are told about them almost everyday. So why do we continually ask the question.. why is Australias youth becoming increasingly overweight and unfit? There is a simple reason behind this staggering truth, a recent study found that 80 percent of adolescence did very little or no exercise- daily activities such as walking to school, physical education classes, after school activities, chores and general playing have been replaced with a sedentary lifestyle in front of the TV, computer or video games. Together we need to develop, establish and integrate safe program that offers adolescents of all ages the opportunity to engage in physical activity that enhances work, recreation and sports enjoyment and performance. For you see Im not going to let another child go through the pain, torture and humiliation I suffered in my childhood years. Let me tell you a story For the majority of my primary years I was called fattie. I weighed about a 130 kilos, had a double chin, a bulging gut, fat hanging from every direction and for this physical appearance I truly copped it. Undoubtedly, my years at primary school probably werent like your days, fun-filled or joyful, my days were filled with tears, pain and suffering. Every single day of my life from years four to seven were filled with name calling and pranks. Not a day went by that I didnt get singled out, harassed or bullied. Day after day, second after second I was being called fat boy, fattie, go have another cheese burger. It tore away my confidence and squashed my self esteem. I missed out on what people describe as some of the best years of your life, I gave up rugby, soccer and swimming not because I didnt enjoy it, but instead because every time I went to training or a game I felt alone inadequate. How would you like it if you life was like this day after day, , minute after minute? Do you think youd be sitting where you are today?, This heart break, pain and torture was caused by one thing obesity. I was so sick of been harassed, singled out I searched for a solution. Three months later, after living on a diet that consisted of egg white, protein shakes and salad and an hours exercise. I was a new person, sixty kilos lighter. But the psychological issues were still there, I became ever more unconfident, depressed and unsure of myself. I became addicted to the gym, going twice or three times a day and even took growth hormones and steroids to gain peoples acceptance. The cycle kept on going, until it got to the point where it got to much, the body couldnt handle it, I couldnt handle.. and I found myself in hospital. Childhood obesity isnt simply, an issue of been fat, it plays with the mind and heart. Together, we need to develop, establish and integrate safe program that allows youths of all shapes and sizes the chance to identify the physiological reason as why they are overweight, the opportunity to be involved with whatever physical activity they find fun, and motivate and  support them to lead a healthy and active life in a safe manner. Something needs to be done. It is essential that through political and social streams, an alliance is formed to tackle the ever increasing problems of childhood obesity. With government funding, a program can be developed that that permanently changes basic eating and exercise habits. This will be achieved by identifying the key emotional issues that are instrumental in the adolescent becoming overweight. Allowing children from all socio-economic backgrounds the opportunity to take up physical activity such as soccer or rugby and be in a supportive atmosphere were dietians, physiologist and mentors are available. Such a program can be integrated within the current school time table or take place as an after school care activity. By establishing and integrating such a program that approaches the problems of childhood obesity from every angle, we can hopefully help those one in five suffers. Studies by Fitness Australia, illustrate that Youth receiving additional physical activity tend to show improved attributes such as increased brain function and nourishment, higher energy/concentration levels, changes in body build affecting increased self-esteem and better behaviour which may all support cognitive learning. If this is not enough to convince you, then think bout it from your own perspective, would you like to be teased and tormented everyday, live in a world of depression, where you simply dont think you match up? As Martin Luther King once said I am not sure I would have wanted my children to live a life of torment and abuse, so I dared to stop it. Together, we can turn Australia into a nation of healthy, lean, happy and confident children, that are on top of the world.

African American Theatre 2 Essay Example for Free

African American Theatre 2 Essay African American Theater started out, hundreds of years ago, as a foundation of amusement for the black community. The theater was a place where African Americans, equally men and women, could work, study, and perfect their expertise. The beginning of African American theater set in motion back in the 1830’s, and it eventually became one of America’s most prevalent sources of entertainment Over the course of over one and a half decades, there has been an apparent transformation within the dominion of African American theater. For example, African Americans have prevailed over the intense burden of subjugation in forms such as political affairs, comfortable residency and most significantly, equal human rights. One of the most apparent leisure pursuits that were in remission from African-Americans came in the appearance of the performing arts, more particularly film. During this time, the society in general would not permit, for example, blacks to drink from the same water fountain, so to share the same onstage experiences or television effects was, without a doubt, not even simply prohibited but unheard of. However, as time went by, the potency of the hopeful African American actors and actresses weighed down the greater part of the general society, and society ceased being able to keep African Americans from appearing on stage and on television. For the longest time, the stage became and stayed the only way for African Americans to communicate the deep sorrow and oppression that the society, particularly the white population, had placed in front of them. Through acting, in addition to both singing and dancing, African Americans were able to, mentally and spiritually, go to a place that no tormenter could find them. With this new form of communication, African Americans found a new method of endurance, and acting was the fundamental technique. Even though the African American actors and actresses were forced to take the road of continued existence in the theater to gain self contentment, it was, as an understatement, not unproblematic. For the longest moments in time, African American actors and actresses were not permitted to step foot on stage. However, black actors were instead ridiculed by Caucasian actors in what they called black face. Black face was a performance where white actors and actresses would literally conceal their faces with black paint and makeup, so as to imitate an African American actor. From this falsification of the hopeful actors, derogatory names such as Tom, Mulatto, Mammy, Coon, and Buck resulted. Similar to Black Face, there was what is called Minstrel Shows. Minstrel shows, which consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, ridiculed and made fun of African Americans in the most disapproving ways. According to these shows, black people were looked upon as ignorant, lazy, and unreasonable, but also cheerful and melodious. Broadway, which is the heart of theater for Americans, had been closed to blacks for more than a decade. However, this was only until the African American musical â€Å"Shuffle Along† turned out to be a runaway success, which some historians believe was the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance. The first African American play to be produced on Broadway was The Chip Womans Fortune in 1923, written by Willis Richardson. In the year of 1959, Lorraine Hansberry, a famous playwright, became the first African American woman to have her play produced and performed on Broadway. Hansberry’s play, titled A Raisin in the Sun, became an outlet for a continual assembly of plays by African American playwrights who often brought their own individual occurrences in the great effort in opposition to racial discrimination to the theater plays that they produced. . By the revolving of this period, the minstrel show enjoyed but a shadow of its former popularity, having been replaced for the most part by vaudeville. It survived as professional entertainment until about 1910; amateur performances continued until the 1960s in high schools, fraternities, and local theaters. As blacks began to score legal and social victories against racism and to successfully assert political power, minstrelsy lost popularity. The typical minstrel performance followed a three-act structure. The troupe first danced onto stage then exchanged wisecracks and sang songs. The second part featured a variety of entertainments, including the pun-filled stump speech. The final act consisted of a slapstick musical plantation skit or a send-up of a popular play. Minstrel songs and sketches featured several stock characters, most popularly the slave and the dandy. These were further divided into sub-archetypes such as the mammy, her counterpart the old darky, the provocative mulatto wench, and the black soldier. Minstrels claimed that their songs and dances were authentically black, although the extent of the black influence remains debated. Spirituals (known as jubilees) entered the repertoire in the 1870s, marking the first undeniably black music to be used in minstrelsy. Blackface minstrelsy was the first distinctly American theatrical form. In the 1830s and 1840s, it was at the core of the rise of an American music industry, and for several decades it provided the lens through which white America saw black America. On the one hand, it had strong racist aspects; on the other, it afforded white Americans a singular and broad awareness of significant aspects of African American culture.

Study on the effects of occupational therapy

Study on the effects of occupational therapy Occupational therapy (OT) is about helping people of all ages conduct and improve their ability to perform their daily activities that occupy their time in their environment (Hussey, Sabonis-Chafee, OBrien, 2007). The environment to which individuals may wish to perform tasks could be in home, work, school or community settings (Hagedorn, 2000). The roles of occupational therapists (OTs) are to work with individuals to help them achieve a fulfilled and satisfied state in life (Crepeau, Cohn, Schell, 2009). Activities or interventions may be used to achieve functional results that promote health, prevent injury or disability so that individual may become independent as a result. OTs work with a range of people that may have conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally, socially or emotionally disadvantaged (Crepeau, et al., 2009). Therefore they help individuals to develop, recover or maintain their skills to be able to conduct activities that they deem important. The reason why OTs wants to find out about a persons occupation is to determine what is important to the individual and how they may conduct these occupations and how all these occupations contribute to the greater good of health. A persons occupational performance is influenced by their health and the need for personal satisfaction in what they do (Crepeau, et al., 2009). This is why OTs may conduct interviews before implementing interventions. It is a way for OTs to collect informed information regarding to the needs of individuals and what they find important in their lives. The initial interview would be about gathering basic information about the individual and going through name, age, occupation and what important roles they have in their lives. As OTs, it is very important that focus is client-centred and allow clients to evaluate their performance and the importance of roles in their lives. The Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance (PEOP) model is a client-centred model that is used to improve the performance of individuals in their daily lives (Christiansen Baum, 2005). The model was developed in 1985 and was first published in 1991. The PEOP model includes the interactions of occupation, performance and participation that are involved between the person and environment when they carry out their activities in their daily lives. The model talks about the personal factors and environmental factors that support enable or restrict the performance of individual to their activities, tasks and roles that are present in their lives. In the PEOP model, OT intervention is a method of using a wide range of client-centred strategies that connect the individual or group to develop or use sources that enable them to successfully perform necessary and significant occupations. It takes into account that satisfaction of performing occupations is related to the individual or group goals and environmental factors that may or may not inhibit participation. The PEOP model has four major components. These four components are occupations, performance, person and environment (Christiansen Baum, 2005). It describes what people want or need to do in their daily lives (occupation), the act of performing the occupation (performance), and how psychological, physiological, neurobehavioral, cognitive and spiritual factors (person) combine with the location the occupation is conducted (environment) influence success. The individual ability or skills is what determine whether the individual is competent to do what they must to meet personal needs. The individual must make use of resources that are available within the environment to effectively meet these needs. The model also has the belief that the situations where people feel success also help them feel good about themselves. Therefore it acts as a motivator to allow individuals to face challenges with confidence. It is said in Christiansen Baum, that fulfilment comes both from feelings of mas tery as well as the accomplishment of goals that have personal meaning (Christiansen Baum, 2005). This indicates that individual will feel more accomplished doing occupations that they like doing and is important to them, rather than something they dont find important. According to Henry Kramer, interviewing is a shared verbal experience, jointly constructed by the interviewer and the interviewee, organized around the asking and answering of questions (Crepeau, et al., 2009). Asking good questions is not a natural phenomenon and requires practice (Miller, 2009). This is why communication skills are essential in interviewing. Interviewing requires three key elements, questioning, active listening and interpreting body language (OToole, 2008; Williams, 1997). The aim of an interview is to collectively obtain information, offer advice, support and discuss treatment (Williams, 1997). Through the process, OTs is able to establish and maintain a relationship with the client. It is important in any interview to be prepared and consider that the location where the interview will take place will set the mood. If the interview is conducted in an office, it can give feeling of formality and if the interview is conducted in a clinic, it can be associated with illness. Individuals response to these different settings may be associated to previous experiences that they may have encountered in the past. Their reaction can vary and as an interviewer, awareness should be recognized. The location of the interview can also give the purpose of the interview so it is important that suitable location be chosen. There are three phases to an interview; phase 1 is the introductory phase, phase 2 is the working phase and phase 3 is the termination. Effective communication requires mutual understanding from both interviewer and interviewee. Health professionals must ensure that clients understand the meaning and purpose of interview and why it is conducted. The interview requires that information be shared, there is a goal to reach same understanding, understanding of background and culture, a willingness to understand points of view, respect for self and other and show empathy when appropriate (Higgs, Ajjawi, McAllister, Trede, Loftus, 2008). Communication skills required in an interview include verbal communication, non-verbal communication and active listening. An example of verbal communications is the effective use of speech to ask appropriate questions and the structure of language used (Williams, 1997). The structure of the language is the way that words are put together to form sentences to give information or seek information. Verbal communications are ways of individuals expressing their ideas, concepts and emotions, give description, provide information and solve problems (OToole, 2008; Stein-Parbury, 2006; Williams, 1997). Non-verbal communication is communicating without using words to express oneself. These could include eye-contact, facial expression, body postures and behaviours, voice and volume alterations and physical space (Egan, 2007; OToole, 2008; Stein-Parbury, 2006; Williams, 1997). Active listening requires interviewer to actively listen and give verbal and non-verbal responses to show that they ar e listening. Interviewer can use non-verbal responses known as SOLER to engage in the interview. SOLER stands for sit squarely, open posture, lean toward the client, eye contact and relax. Prompts can also be used in non-verbal response to encourage interviewee to talk further or know that you are present. Verbal response includes using the three Rs; restatement, reflection and re-clarification. Phase 1 of the interview is the introductory phase. This is where introductions and purpose of the interview is explained. Permission was asked to use clients first name to be more comfortable and to create a relax environment. In this phase of the interview, the client and interviewer is sitting squarely facing each other in a small quiet room. The client is actively listening to the information told. Her actions included eye-contact, sitting squarely, using prompts such as nodding and yep as indications. There was a bit of closed postured, clasped hands and fidgety shown by client at the start that could be attributed to nervousness and uncertainty of interview. As the interviewer, verbal communication is essential in relaying the information about the purpose of the interview. This is where effective verbal communication comes into play. Effective use of speech was present but the structure of language needs to be improved. After explanation of what an OTs does, interviewer asked Do you kind of get what Im trying to say? in an uncertain voice. Interviewer could have rephrased it in a more confident reassurance voice and asked if the client understood the information and whether shed like to ask any questions. The style of language used here could be differences between social contexts. The use of formal language may not be used frequently in daily lives which make the interviewer structure of language seem a bit informal when asked. Being unsure of your own questions also leads client to perceive that it was okay to agree since it is an uncertain question. The object of an interviewer is to be confident and be able to express clearly and concisely the questions asked. Interviewer showed facial expressions and hand gestures while explaining. This could be an indication of nervousness or a habit that the interviewer may possess. Even though eye-contact was made with client, SOLER was not effectively used. At the start, interviewer is sitting squarely, leaning forward and maintained eye-contact but was not in an open relaxed posture. This was attributed to nervousness as interview progress; interviewer became more open and relaxed. Phase 2 of the interview is involved in asking relevant questions to get a clearer picture of clients occupation and history. It is where most information is collected and requires the use of a range of communication skills. SOLER was maintained throughout the interview by the interviewer and verbal prompts was used at appropriate situations to verify information that client had said. Nodding and hand gestures were used quite often to encourage client to continue talking and sharing information. In an interview, a range of questioning style is used. An example of an open question is How do you feel having to travel one and half hour to get to uni? These types of open questions allow clients to elaborate more on details and give indication to their emotions. Even though closed questions are not desirable, interviewer did make use of them. One of such is How long do you drive to uni? There is only one answer possible and does not make use of client views or feelings in this situation. Probing questions was also lacking in this interview, interviewer did not make use of this questioning style to seek out specific information. One example that is viewed is Is that the only problem you have as being a student? The question is used to question client whether the particular problem given was the only one present to being a student. Reflective questions was used to reflect a topic back for clarifications, So far youve told me that you are a student, girlfriend and you also like to keep active, is there any other activities that you enjoy doing? Some bad examples of questioning styles that should be avoided that was used in the interview was multiple and leading questions. Do you have any other career path you want to take after studying this degree? Or do you want to just find a job afterwards and be happy with that? The questions does not allow client to answer and also leads them to answer in a certain way that you have asked. Non-verbal communication skills is seen in eye-contact, facial expression, gestures, body postures and head movements. Throughout the interviewing process, eye-contact was maintained in client and interviewer. In some culture, eye-contact is not seen as appropriate when talking to elders (Crepeau, et al., 2009). Eye-contact can also become uncomfortable if used with strangers and you are expected to maintain focus for a period of time. As OTs, it is appropriate to keep an open view of clients and know that depending on their culture and values, they may conduct and act in different ways. Facial expressions on the other hand are what characterise a person. It is an important aspect of expressing emotions and expressing how we feel. Client used smile as a positive feedback when talking about her family and boyfriend. It is indications that these are the things that the client values and find enjoyment in. When she was unsure of her answers, her eyebrows would be raised upwards. Facial expression belongs to individuals and each person has their own way of expressing themselves. Gestures are also a form of communication and are seen in the movement of head, hands and body parts. It just acts as ways that individual may use these parts to emphasise and reinforce information. Body postures refers to the position of the body and limbs (Williams, 1997). The postures adopted by the client was slightly leaned forward back with arms placed together in front of her laps. The interviewer on the other hand has her body leaned forward towards the client and arms resting on legs to cater for the book in front of her. The importance of postures can give indications to individual emotions. A slump shoulder and crossed arms could indicate lack of interest or boredom. Phase 3 is the termination where information is summarized and clarified, client is thanked and ending of interview. Interviewer successfully used all mentioned techniques in this last phase but the language and structure of speech used could be improved. This could come with practice and experience. The voice used in the interview also gives indication to the emotions that is conveyed by clients and should be picked up when possible. The rate of speech or tone of voice express emotion and convey information about attitudes to certain things. Each individual have their characterised voice that distinguished us from someone else. It is with our voice that we can allow our emotions and feelings be conveyed. Interviewing requires multiple communication skills and practice to execute a good interview. Communication skills are not always verbal but include the non-verbal communication that is expressed through facial expression, gestures and eye-contact. Each individual have their own way of expressing themselves whether verbally or non-verbally. It is a good interviewer that is able to pick up on cues to allow them to adjust to client when interviewing. Interviewing requires interviewer to actively listen, question and empathize with clients. Through the use of PEOP model, the interview is able to be carried out and informed information is collected on the person, occupation, environment and performance.

Bodily Resurrection And 1 Corinthians 15: 42-54 :: essays research papers

Bodily Resurrection and 1 Corinthians 15: 42-54 One of the most significant issues concerning nearly all religions, Christianity among them, concerns the fate of men following their death. Believing in an inevitable resurrection of the body among the faithful, Paul, a principle founder of Christianity, asserted his beliefs on the nature of bodily resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15: 42-54. As eternity tends to last a long time, believing Christians (even agnostics such as myself) would likely be somewhat eager to arrive at an accurate interpretation of Paul's message found in the above verses, so as to glean insight as to what might await them following their last heartbeat. The approach I will take in analyzing 1 Corinthians: 42-54 will be to: 1) explain how the verses fit in with the overall structure of the book; 2) to explain and paraphrase the meaning behind the passage; 3) relate the verses to similar passages expressed elsewhere by Paul; 4) and lastly to touch upon some of the controversy associated with the verses. 1 Corinthians was written around 54 C.E. and was addressed to the congregation which was made up primarily of gentiles and was located in Corinth. At the time, Corinth was a highly urbanized and religiously diverse city which made it very conducive to the early Christian movement. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians was written as a response to a letter he had received (which did not survive) from the Corinthians in which Paul was asked to settle various disputes that were arising within the struggling congregation. Writing in apostolic fashion to the congregation he had founded, Paul's letter while pastoral, answered numerous questions and demanded numerous changes ranging from: the rich eating with the poor at the church suppers (11:18-22); to curbing the acceptance of sexual immorality (5:1-13); to abstaining from taking fellow Christians to court (6:12-20); to answering the question on the acceptability of eating meat begot from pagan sacrifice (8:1-13); to the role of women in the church (11:2-16); to the importance of prophesying (14:1-40); and much, much more. It was under these auspices that Paul answered the question of whether man would be with or without a body following resurrection. Although all of the 15th chapter deals with issues of resurrection, the place of the body is curtly addressed in verses 42-54 and is prefaced with the 35th verse which asks, "But someone will ask, Å’How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?'"(15:35). Paul believed that at the time of the resurrection the perishable body would be transformed into an imperishable body, that would neither be a ghost-