Gilberts short story The yellow wallpaper Essay Example for Free

Gilberts short story The yellow wallpaper Essay Gilberts chronical of her own descent into madness is set in a remote, isolated older home, with very beautiful surroundings, and more in particular and old nursery in which Gilbert is imprisoned for her own sanity. The ironic point is that it is the cure for her insanity that creates the insanity she ultimately adopts. The narrator is a repressed woman with nowhere to go except madness. As a parallel to Kate Chopins Story of an Hour in which death was the escape to freedom, Gilbert emphasizes that the narrators only escape to freedom was madness. The story is divided into time frames with each period detailling her descent into madness. In the first section it is wise to note that both John and her brother are prominent physicians and believe that she needs to be unstimulated in order to overcome post-partum depression, as was practiced by such prominent theorist as Sels Weir Mitchell, who was in fact Gilberts own physician at the time the story was written. ( as a side note: It is of interest to note that after reading Gilberts account of her own feelings in this short story, Wier Mitchell discontinued the use of rest therapy.) We discover in later time frames that John is in denial of his wifes deteriorating medical condition, mainly as a result of the societal stigmas of mental illness and the affluence of his status. The room that is the primary setting is very institutionalized and unstimulating. There is this dilapitated, detoriorating, smelly, yellow wall paper with a design representative of Gilberts madness, that eventually becomes her savior. As she succumbs to dymentia, the narrator has hallucinations of a women behind the wallpaper. The narrator becomes convinced this woman is trapped by the wallpaper but yet, manages to successfully escape even if only to slink around the shrubbery. The narrator identifies with the delusions, eventually forging with the delusion, making the separation of one from the other impossible. She describes in detail the horror of those around her as they become to realise the extent of the mental illness hidden in the narrator. The speaker  makes reference to feelings of paranoia that John and Jenny are going to somehow intrude on the relationship she has with the wallpaper, and admits that she liked the room inspite of the wallpaper, no because of the wallpaper. The wallpaper represent to the narrator., a chance for freedom and the cost was insanity, just as the intricate design that was a crime against all the rules of design that had been implied upon first consideration.

Snapshots of Miss Emily in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily Essay

Snapshots of Miss Emily in A Rose for Emily â€Å"A Rose for Miss Emily† by William Faulkner is a story of quiet lonliness and tragedy. The story ends on a surprising note, but one for which the reader is not totally unprepared. Faulkner very cleverly uses changing pictures of Miss Emily’s physical state to give the reader a clue as to what is transpiring inside her. The picture or â€Å"tableau† of Emily in her childhood gives us our first clue into her strange personality. She is â€Å"a slender figure in white in the background, her father a spraddled silhouette in the foreground, his back to her and clutching a horsewhip, the two of them framed by the back-flung front door.† The scene almost blatantly reveals Emily in her youth, constrained by a wildly over-protective father. Her natural attempts to leave home and have relationship with the outside world are thwarted by a dark, mean, even evil-spirited father who refuses to let her leave. Our next view of Miss Emily is some time after her father dies. â€Å"Her hair is cut short,† Faulkner tells us. The strength...

Universal Moral Wrongs and Relativism

Universal Moral Wrongs and Relativism Lori-Ann Racki SOC120- Intro to Ethics and Social Responsibility Dr. Megan Reid November 12, 2012 Universal Moral Wrongs and Relativism In the article â€Å"Some Moral Minima†, Lenn Goodman argues that there are certain moral wrongs that are universal. He describes four areas he believes are areas of universal moral wrongs in detail. Morality has been an issue that many societies all over the world have been trying to understand and contend with for a very long time.In this paper I will explain how I agree with Goodman on the belief that certain things are and should be considered simply wrong universally. I will also explore the challenges Goodman presents to relativism by using specific examples of these challenges. I will discuss how I think there should be such universal moral requirements and defend these answers. I will then be concluding that although I agree with Goodman’s argument, the theory of relativism makes one reconsi der the logical reasoning of moral minima and if it is possible to have universal moral wrongs accepted by all societies and cultures.In Goodman’s argument he confirms four universal and fundamental things that are considered not acceptable and wrong in society- moral minima. The first is genocide which also includes politically induced famine and germ warfare. The second is terrorism which also includes kidnapping and child labor force including using them as child warriors. The third category is polygamy which can encompass slavery and incest. The final category he covers is rape and female genital mutilation (Goodman, 2010, p. 8). I would without a doubt agree and share these same sentiments as Goodman describes. I would say that most of what Goodman has outlined in his arguments would be considered by most civilized societies as acts that deny human beings their rights to live a comfortable life and these acts would be considered wrong and immoral to these societies. Ther efore, I would say that Goodman was right and accurate to create this list of moral wrongs that can and do affect many societies.Of course, Goodman’s statements have and will be questioned with critical thought by those who attempt to challenge the facts he has presented. We do live in a world where everything is subject to different types of interpretation, or relativism which as described by Mosser is â€Å"relativism is the idea that one’s beliefs and values are understood in terms of one’s society, culture, or even one’s own individual values† (2010, chap. 1. 8).Therefore, some of Goodman’s beliefs contradict some of the current cultural customs and traditions that have been considered acceptable in some societies. For instance, terrorism, to the ones that are involved with this act it is not wrong because they are doing it in some cases to win a kind of moral pass by risking self-immolation; they are willing to ask of themselves what th ey take from others. These terrorists think that they are getting offered glory and God’s garden for their act in order to erase their past and simplify their future (Goodman, 2010, p. 9). Another example would be to say that polygamy is universally wrong, would be very controversial because in many countries it is not only accepted but promoted within their culture. In the United States, polygamy is considered wrong and is illegal, but in a village such as Northern Ghana, the village chief has 11 wives and this is acceptable in his culture (Mosser, 2010, chap. 1. 8). In this example the perception of right and wrong is dependent on the person contending with it and the cultural beliefs they belief in.Another similar example would be Goodman’s statement that female genital mutilation is simply wrong is subject to different interpretations dependent upon cultures and customs in different societies. In some African societies this act is done to a young child to prepare h er for womanhood and is considered an act of virtue. This act is considered a rite of passage that has been deeply entrenched into some of these African customs and societies.Therefore, regarding this act as immoral is very controversial and is subject to a wide range of interpretation depending upon the culture and society trying to interpret it. When considering the examples within this paper, it is clear that there is not a simple answer to whether there should be universal moral requirements. For me, I do believe we should have some universal moral requirements as human beings, but when you study other cultures and societies it can be shocking to find out that what we consider to be wrong in general is practiced in some cultures as normal behavior.As described terrorism would be considered wrong and immoral to many people in the world because the human life is considered sacred, but for those who do this to fulfill what they consider their religious obligation, it is not wrong b ut expected. Polygamy would also be considered by many as a wrong thing to do because it demoralizes and dehumanizes woman, it makes woman objects of ownership and not an individual human being. Yet for those that live in societies such as the Muslim society and the Northern Ghana village, it is not just accepted as the right thing to do but it can also be encouraged by the society members.Female genital mutilation is another area that many civilized societies would consider wrong and immoral to do because it hampers all sexual satisfaction for the female, and could cause sickness or even death if not done properly. Yet for those born into these African and other societies, they consider this act a rite of passage as well as a way to prevent woman from being promiscuous and/or having extra marital affairs and therefore it is the right thing to do.In conclusion, although I do agree with Goodman that there are certain things that are simply wrong, it is almost impossible to believe th at there can be such universal moral requirements or moral minima. Logically I believe that there should be universal moral requirements throughout the world because of the cultural and society beliefs that I have gained throughout my life. Thinking objectively though, I think we need to accept the fact that no one man or woman can stipulate the rules of right and wrong for all cultures and societies throughout the world because of the accepted theory of relativism.If we were to give one human being the right to determine what is universally wrong, and what universal morals should be then we would be giving up all the rights of individual’s to live by their own cultural beliefs. It is human nature to question what is morally right or what is morally wrong, but no one person can really ever be one hundred percent perfect. Therefore, does it make sense for us to accept the ideas and beliefs of what is right or wrong given to us by one person? I don’t believe that we can agree to this either logically or morally.I believe that relativism is ultimately one of the main reasons why universal moral minima will not be able to be accepted by the world as a whole. References: Goodman, L. E. (2010). Some Moral Minima. Good Society Journal, 19(1), 87-94. Retrieved from: http://web. ebscohost. com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? sid=e88efb93-bef5-4563-96c8-5c37daa7eb0e%40sessionmgr115&vid=4&hid=105 Mosser, K. (2010). Introduction to ethics and social responsibility. San Diego, Bridgepoint Education,  Inc. retrieved from https://content. ashford. edu/books/AUSOC120. 10. 2/sections/ch00

Making Vaccines Mandatory Required Vaccinations For...

Making Vaccines Mandatory: Required Vaccinations for Children Polio, mumps, and diphtheria are a few of the diseases that have killed numerous amounts of people in the past. Yet, in today’s time, they are diseases people rarely hear about others dying from unless they are discussing the past. The reason for this is modern day vaccinations. Vaccinations are shots that help prevent against certain diseases. Vaccinations not only prevent diseases, but can also cause them to become nearly extinct in treated areas. One example of this would be the small pox vaccine, people were dying from this disease every day, and now you rarely, if ever, hear people talk about it. Although these vaccines are lifesaving, parents are becoming reluctant to provide these treatments for their children. For this reason, all children should be required to get particular vaccinations, unless they have certain medical conditions. Children should be required to have certain vaccinations in order to help p revent them from contracting life threatening diseases. In the past, thousands of children were paralyzed by polio or killed by diphtheria, but now, thanks to vaccinations, these diseases are no longer a major threat in the United States (â€Å"The Success of Vaccines.†) Although many diseases have become less of a threat, there are still those that are still those that pose a danger to people in today’s world. One of these diseases is measles. Measles is a viral disease that kills hundreds of people aShow MoreRelatedPros And Cons Of Vaccination1665 Words   |  7 PagesVaccinations, Worth A Shot! Mandated Vaccinations are a huge argument right now because of health and disease issues. There are people on both sides of this argument. Some people are against vaccinating their children because they feel they are being forced to have their child get vaccinated. 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No parent wants to hinder the health of their baby nor do they go into parenthood with the idea that they would love to have a child with any disease at all. Parents will do anything and everything in their power to keep their children safe. When following the recommendation of most doctors, children will receive upwards of 38 vaccinations by the time he or she is 18 months old. The idea of making vaccinationsRead MoreVaccinations Should Be Mandatory For All Children1311 Words   |  6 Pageschildhood vaccinations have been making an appearance. Health officials are concerned that diseases will spread and lives will be lost. Officials all agree that vaccinations will benefit the population. Some parents feel it is an infringement on the right to keep the children healthy and safe. Vaccinations should be mandatory for all children because it will prevent diseases from spreading, protect future generations, and save children and parents time and money . Childhood vaccinations have notRead MoreVaccination : Is It Worth A Shot? Essay1395 Words   |  6 PagesEnglish 111 29 October 2016 Vaccination: Is It Worth A Shot? An American scientist at Cornell University once said, â€Å"Advances in medicine and agriculture have saved vastly more lives than have been lost in all the wars in history† (Sagan). Vaccination, a result of the technological prosperity, had been practiced for centuries to counteract, if not stop, all kinds of diseases. It had been a way of preventing major illnesses to spread from one person to another. Vaccines are inactivated or attenuated