Young Goodman Brown Essay Example for Free

Young Goodman Brown Essay Young Goodman Brown is a story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne with many interpretations. It is a story of Young Goodman Brown’s adventure that many believe was a journey away from home. Some people believe that he was trying to get at the community and everyday social life. One way to interpret it is that Young Goodman Brown was simply taking a journey in his sleep a dream. When reading this story, there are many ways to interpret it as a dream. Hawthorne says, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown came forth, at sunset, into the street of Salem†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1289) which could literally mean the sun is setting and that night is coming upon him. He also says that Brown â€Å"put his head back† (1289) which could reference him lying down before bed. After this, he kisses his wife Faith, and leaves her to go on his â€Å"journey. † I feel that he is really kissing her goodnight before he goes to sleep. When he â€Å"looked back, and saw the head of the Faith still peeping after him,† he is really opening his eyes and see that she is still awake. When Goodman Brown sees that Faith is still awake he says â€Å"God bless you and you may find all well, when you come back† (1289), I interpreted all this as Goodman Brown had been cheating on Faith. In the beginning of the story, Goodman Brown â€Å"came forth† (1289), or came home, meaning he had not been there the whole time. Goodman Brown even asks Faith, â€Å"dost thou doubt me already, and we but three months married! † Stating the fact that she is starting to doubt Goodman Brown and their relationship. I also interpreted the wife’s name Faith as faith in their relationship. Goodman Brown’s dream begins when he â€Å"leave[s] her [Faith] on such an errand† (1289). Leaving her could either be the realization of his cheating, or him falling asleep. When he begins to describe his journey, he says that he â€Å"had taken a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest†¦ It was as lonely as could be; and there was peculiarity in such a solitude, that the traveler knows not who may be concealed by the innumerable trunks and the thick boughs overhead; so that, with lonely footsteps he may yet be passing through an unseen multitude† (1289). The dreary, gloomy, lonely road represents the road in which he has decided to take by cheating. The people being concealed by the tree trunks represent possible friends of Faith’s that could catch Goodman Brown and tell his wife. The unseen multitude signifies the many lovers. Later in the story, Goodman Brown meets up with his companion that is never given a name. I interpreted the companion as not the devil, which he is portrayed as, but the temptation to cheat. The character is described to have a â€Å"staff, which bears the likeness of a great black snake† (1290) which symbolizes deceitfulness when portrayed in stories. When Goodman Brown and the traveler approach the elderly woman, she screams â€Å"The Devil! (1291) The last reference is when the companion â€Å"plucked a branch of maple†¦began to strip the twigs†¦[but] the moment his fingers touched them, they became strangely withered and dried up. † (1292). This represents the traveler taking something good (Goodman Brown’s marriage) and turning it into something bad by ‘his touch’ or the act of cheating. After cheating for a while, Goodman Brown is able to break away from habit and go off into the forest. The dream continues and soon sees people he knows from town and hears Faith’s sorrowful voice surround Goodman Brown. Faith asks him for a favor that she seems to think is unattainable and the ‘unseen multitude’ (earlier described as many lovers) is encouraging her. Goodman Brown starts to shout in desperation and realizes Faith is gone. At that point his dream turns into a nightmare. Goodman Brown laughed, â€Å"when the wind laughed at him† (1294) and â€Å"there could be nothing more frightful than the figure of Goodman Brown. † (1294) In his dream, Goodman Brown attended church the next day and did not see Faith. Goodman than â€Å"glance[d] at his pale wife, and Faith at him. † He then told her to â€Å"resist the wicked one† (1297). This could be interpreted as Faith’s opportunity to cheat and Goodman Brown telling her not too. Goodman Brown soon â€Å"staggered against a rock and felt it chill and damp, while a hanging twig, that had been all on fire, besprinkled his cheek with the coldest dew. † (1297) This part of the story could be interpreted as him waking up from his dream because he goes back to where the dream began. At the end of the story, Goodman Brown asks himself if he had â€Å"fallen asleep in the forest, [or] only dreamed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He â€Å"shrank from the bosom of Faith†¦scowled and muttered to himself, and gazed sternly at his wife, and turned away†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1298). Goodman Brown realizes his life has been a lie and begins to resent every moment he has with Faith after the realization of his dream. When he dies, †they carve no hopeful verse upon his tomb-stone; for his dying hour was in gloom. † Goodman Brown’s dream changed his life. It made him realize that he had been cheating on Faith, but she, in turn, had the chance to make the same mistake. When he awakens, he loathes his actions he has previously committed and makes his life not only miserable for himself, but for Faith and their family. Young Goodman Brown was young when he fell in love with Faith, but not a good man at all.

Childhood Obesity Solutions Essay Example for Free

Childhood Obesity Solutions Essay Prevalence of childhood obesity has increased greatly in the recent years, so much so that the number of children considered overweight by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has nearly quadrupled among children aged 6-11 years old (Cawley, Meyerhoefer, and Newhouse, 2007, p.506). Many members of the public, media, and congress have declared childhood obesity as a major public health concern, considering it to be an â€Å"important cause and consequence of wider disparities in health† (Freudenberg, Libman, and O’Keefe, 2010). Director of the division of nutrition, physical activity and obesity at the CDC, Dr. William H. Dietz, went as far as to say â€Å"This may be the first generation of children that has a lower life span than their parents† (Roberts Wilson, 2012). Though it is evident steps are needed to be taken to help protect the health and futures of our youth, those with the most power to actually make a visible, long lasting environmental change are the most reluctant to do so. Policymakers have alternate interests in finances that water down their attempts to take charge. Sadly, often times playing the social problems game takes precedence over the more genuine social problems work. As a Washington Post article so boldly states â€Å"In the political arena, one side is winning the war on child obesity. The side with the fattest wallets.† (Roberts Wilson, 2012) Proposals that frame childhood obesity as being an inevitable result of increasing environmental surroundings by unhealthful foods are too often neglected by government officials more willing to frame childhood obesity as an individual problem. Indeed it is more convenient to claim providing freedom of choice to individuals who are capable of making their own decisions, emphasizing self regulation, and freeing themselves of responsibility to their nation to lead in financially beefy actions. This essay seeks to demonstrate that childhood obesity should no longer be considered an individual cause stemming from lifestyle choices which can be changed through minor solutions such as education in physical activity and nutrition. Unfortunately, this social problems ownership has become the taken-for-granted frame for this problem (Loseke, 2003, p.69). Childhood obesity really is a social problem which is a direct result from our environment, social structures emphasizing fast, unhealthy, frankly JUNK food which is readily available in any given neighbourhood and continuously marketed through all mediums to increase profits to some select wealthy individuals. I will stress that the only solutions met by this pressing issue have been solely symbolic solutions which have been prematurely praised as they are false attempts to appear loyal to the public, communities, and school systems, while truly remaining loyal to the corporations, who some may very well be held entirely accountable. Within this paper the exploration of three chosen symbolic solutions to date will include: American Government’s distribution of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report: Strategies for Increasing Physical Activity Among Youth, the national law passing of requiring restaurants with 20 or more chains to provide calorie information on menus and menu boards, and lastly, the enhancement of PE requirements for school aged children. The distribution of said guidelines is reported to be important by reviewing â€Å"the evidence on strategies to increase youth physical activity and make recommendations and to communicate findings to the public.† (Rodgers, 2012, p.10) This report focuses on five settings, but in reality only offers strategies for 3 of them. Two settings (Home and Family, and Primary Care settings) received no proposed strategies to increase physical activity among youth, and focused only on areas requiring further research (p.7). Those settings which did receive proposed strategies were quite obvious suggestions which doubtfully would have any significant impact on physical activity among youth. One such suggestion is to â€Å"provide teachers with appropriate training† (p.5). Although it must be noted that this is not a report distributed solely to decrease obesity among youth, it is distributed to increase physical activity among youth, which is not the same, though admittedly similar. On the webpage this guide is provided, a number of other arbitrary tools can also be found. Webinars on online nutrition information, fact sheets, blogs, access to printable posters, and more. Educating the public, educating the parents of youth, and the youth themselves of course is important. At what point however will it be supplemented by restrictions on marketing of food and beverages to youth, which this guideline reports is estimated at a whopping $10 billion per year, but shows no indication of wanting to reduce or restrict this, and can only suggest counterbalancing with media campaigns directed to offset these unhealthy images (Rodgers, 2012, p. 3). One article is more forward in summarizing â€Å"Despite this widespread recognition of negative impact of marketing unhealthy foods, the practice continues unabated.† (Harvard School of Public Health, 2012) Mandated menu labelling of calories in some American jurisdictions was passed in 2008, requiring restaurant chains with 20 or more facilities to post calorie information next to each item on their menus and menu board (Kuo, Jarosz, Simon and Fielding, 2009, p.1680). This new law was backed by evidence that â€Å"eating fast food has been shown to increase caloric intake and the risk of becoming obese† (Harvard School of Public Health, 2012). As an alternative to restricting what is sold in these fast food chains, restricting advertising of these products, or perhaps even zoning restrictions on how many fast food restaurants were permitted to be within a certain range of schools, this new law appears to be the most liberal of solutions, and the most beneficial for the companies selling these high calorie foods. Findings from a health impact assessment are as follows: â€Å"mandated menu labelling at fast food and other large chain restaurants could reduce population weight gain, even with only modest changes in consumer behaviour.† (Kuo, Jarosz, Simon and Fielding, 2009, p.1683) As promising as this is, it is followed by a stronger and more realistic assessment stating â€Å" if nonobese restaurant patrons were more likely to order reduced calorie meals than were obese patrons, the impact on the obesity rate could be less than what we reported†. Because there was no study conducted on the weight of those opting for calorie reduced items, it is difficult to say if this solution is beneficial to the target audience, obese people in these jurisdictions. If changes are being made that is great, but there is no evidence to date to support this influencing the rising issue of obesity. It is just another means of essentially saying that the government is willing to educate on the food being provided and it is the choice of the individual, to consume or not consume. One solution offered by government recognizes that with the majority of youth enrolled in schools, school is an ideal place to provide much needed physical activity to students (Rodgers, 2012). In implementation, many state policies require schools to â€Å"have a PE unit requirement that constrains students to spend a minimum amount of time in PE class† (Cawley, Meyerhoefer, and Newhouse, 2007, p. 508). A study evaluating the effectiveness of such policies revealed that, naturally, a required PE unit is correlated with a higher probability that the student participates in PE (Cawley, Meyerhoefer, and Newhouse, 2007, p. 511). Although this is clearly a positive outcome of enforcing requirements among youth to enroll in PE classes, this same study goes on to say that â€Å"a requirement is correlated with students reporting fewer minutes spent active in PE†(p.511). Yes, you read that correctly, specifically 15.1 fewer minutes active in PE for boys, and 3.1 fewer in PE for girls (p.511-512). In conclusion, this report sums up the opposing information by stating that â€Å"curriculum development is not significantly associated with the amount of time spent active in PE†. As such, the implementation of these programs sounds a lot more effective in theory then it is in practice. All three of these solutions offered by government are certainly steps in recognizing that childhood obesity is in fact prevalent in our society. These solutions also claim that something can be done to reduce the level of harm to children’s health, and that actions should be implemented in correcting this epidemic. Essentially childhood obesity is a recognized social problem in our society. Unfortunately because the victims, (obese children), are politically powerless individuals, proposals to decrease the harm attributed to them have been, and will continue to be symbolic. Sadly, effort from interest groups with good intentions can be overshadowed by the social problems game of politics. This concept is not lost in an article posted in The New York Academy of Medicine which reads as follows: â€Å"private interests generally have more resources and skills than public health reformers to achieve their policy goals, and are more successful in resisting changes than advocates are in implementing them. These structural barriers are a powerful deterrent to reducing childhood obesity. Creating cities where health rather than business concerns take precedence will require new approaches to governance and democracy.† (Freudenberg, Libman, and O’Keefe, 2010, p.761) It appears as though, for now, the social problems game of proposing symbolic solutions for childhood obesity is being accepted by audiences. Since Loseke claims that â€Å"the goal of social problems game is persuading audience members† (p.51), government officials, the players, are succeeding. References Cawley, J., Meyerhoefer, C. and Newhouse, D. (2007), The correlation of youth physical activity with state policies. Contemporary Economic Policy, 25: 506–517. doi: 10.1111/j.1465-7287.2007.00070.x Fredenberg, N., Libman, K., O’Keefe, E. (2010), A tale of two obescities: The role of municipal governance in reducing childhood obesity in New York city and London. Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, 87:5 doi:10.1007/s11524-101-943-x Harvard School of Public Health, (2012), The obesity prevention source toxic food environment. Retrieved from: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ Kuo, T., Jarosz, C., Simon,P., Fielding, J. (2009), Menu labelling as a potential strategy for combating obesity epidemic: A health impact assessment. American Journal of Public Health, 99:9 doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.153023 Loseke, D. (2003), Thinking about social problems. New York: Walter de Gruyter, Inc. Robert, J., Wilson, D., (2012, April 27), Special report: How Washington went soft on childhood obesity. Reuters. Retrieved from: http://www.reuters.com/ Rodgers, A., (2012), Physical activity guidelines for Americans mid-course report: strategies to increase physical activities among youth. US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from: http://health.gov/paguidelines/default.aspx

Carbonic Anhydrase: Structure, Mechanisms and Functions

Carbonic Anhydrase: Structure, Mechanisms and Functions INTRODUCTION Carbonic anhydrase, abbreviated as CA, is the first identified zinc containing enzyme, (CA; carbonate hydro-lyase, EC 4.2.1.1) It is an enzyme that catalyzes the reversible hydration and dehydration of carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid, bicarbonate ions and protons. Being one of the fastest enzyme known, it is believed that one molecule of CA can process one million molecules of carbon dioxide  per second. The basic molecular structure of CA includes specific amino acid threonine 199, glutamate 106, histidine 64 and histidine residues namely His 93, His 95, and His 118. The mode of regulation of CA is being inhibited by various medically prescribed substances that act as non competitive inhibitors, an example is Acetazolamide. CA plays a major key role in the fluid balance and regulatory of pH in different parts of the body thus, Mutation of this enzyme may lead to several diseases.(1) CARBONIC ANYHYDRASE THE START: Breathing, a fundamental function in life The air that we breathe in has some valuable oxygen, an important molecule wherein it helps the breakdown of fats and sugars in our cells. From the blood, oxygen diffuses then binds with the hemoglobin to be transported in the cells of our body. A by product of sugar and fat breakdown in cells is called Carbon dioxide CO2). It is a key metabolite in all living organism and it needs to be removed from our body. Carbon dioxide is diffuse out of the cells and transported in the blood in different ways to get to the lungs. CA is transported in numerous forms, mainly as bicarbonate, HCO3-. Bicarbonate is a CO2- with an attached OH group. When the HCO3- reaches the lungs, it is transformed back to a CO2, so it can be exhaled from the body. The conversion of bicarbonate to carbon dioxide facilitates its transport into the cell; while the conversion of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate assists trap the carbon dioxide in the cell. This interconversion of carbon dioxide and bicarbonate develop at a slow physiological pH hence organism tend to produces an enzyme to hasten the process. This enzyme responsible for the speed up interconversion, which can be found in the red blood cells, is called carbonic anhydrase. Although the interconversion of bicarbonate to carbon dioxide can happen without the enzyme, CA can great increase the rate of the conversions up to a millions of fold. (2) STRUCTURE The CA molecule in general has ellipsoidal shape with the estimated dimension 4.1 x 4.1 x 4.7 nm. The active site is situated in a cavity having an approximately conical shape. The cavity is assessed 1.5 m wide at the way in and about 1.6 nm deep attaining almost the center of the molecule. The zinc ion is next to the peak of the cone and liganded into 3 imidazole groups. Taken as a whole, the CA is composed of 10-stranded anti-parallel beta-sheet enclosed with various elements of other secondary structure. The 6 alpha-helices and 10-beta sheets make up the secondary structure of carbonic anhydrase. The basic function of CA is basically to regulate the oxygen and carbon dioxide content of the blood that is needed in a human body. As the function suggests, the chemical structure of CA extremely lies with the presence of zinc that lies deep within its active site. Its common amino acid composition includes threonine, glutamate and histidine. The specificity of these 3 amino acids (threonine 199, glutamate 106, and histidine 64) plays a critical role in relation to the presence of zinc by charging it with a hydroxyl ion. The zinc cation is associated with three histidine residue protein backbone namely: His93, His95, and His118. As stated, zinc plays a major role in the reaction of CA. The zinc present in the active side of CA is being bound to water to be able to dissociate it into a proton and hydroxyl ion. The hydroxyl ion is being stabilized by the positively charged zinc, in this way; the hydroxyl ion is being prepared to attack the carbon dioxide inside the RBC. A closer look with CA can be seen in the figure below where the amino acid chains in the active site together with the zinc are evident. The role of the zinc basically includes the command of directional transfer of the bound hydroxyl to the carbon dioxide to be able to form bicarbonate ion. From the figure, it shows that the intermediate structure where the bicarbonate ion is still attached to the enzyme. The alanine replicated the side chain for amino acid 199 in this arrangement. Histidine 64 swings in the direction of and away from the zinc ion in every cycle of enzyme action although it is helping the zinc to recharge with a novel hydroxyl ion. The two locations of this residue, revealed in the bottom right figure, symbolize its movement throughout the action of enzyme. Almost immediately as the zinc is reloaded with an original water molecule together with the release of bicarbonate ion, the enzyme is set for another action on some new carbon dioxide molecule. (3) MECHANISM OF CATALYSIS The rate of catalysis of the CA is exceedingly pH dependent. It means that, the higher the pH, the catalysis is faster and as the pH reduces, the speed of the reaction falls down. The mean pH of this transition is near pH 7. (5) Figure 2.0 shows the mechanism of CA catalysis. A zinc atom which is generally bound to four or more ligands differs in CA. In CA, three locations are engaged by the imidazole rings of three histidine residues and an additional site is occupied by a water molecule. Thus the geometry form of the active site is tetrahedral. The zinc atom plays an important role in the mechanism of CA catalysis because it is responsible for the release of a proton H+ from a water molecule, which then generates a nucleophilic hydroxide ion. Then carbon dioxide substrate attaches to the enzymes active site and is situated to react with the hydroxide ion. The zinc-bound OH-  attacks the carbon of CO2  therefore converting it into a bicarbonate ion. This occurs since the zinc ion has the +2 charge, which attracts the oxygen of water. It then deprotonates the water, thus, converting it into a better nucleophile so that the newly converted hydroxyl ion can attack the carbon dioxide. After the nucleophilic attack of zinc bound OH-, addition of water molecule displaces the bicarbonate ion from the metal ion. The CA is then ready for another cycle of catalysis. (7) KINETICS OF REACTIONS CA inhibitors are class of pharmaceuticals that control the activity of carbonic anhydrase. It is inhibited by two classes of compounds, a metal complex forming anions and others are isosteres and sulfonamides. Inhibitors ionize upon binding with the enzyme to give way an NH- group that relocates the zinc hydroxide ions and shares a hydrogen bond. There are roughly 25 clinically used CA inhibitors as a drugs. It is mainly established as antiglaucoma drugs, diuretics, hypotensive agents, anticonvulsants, anticancer agents, antiepileptics, with additional use in the management of duodenal and gastric ulcers, osteoporosis and neurological disorder. (8) Acetazolamide Methazolamide Dorzolamide Topiramate Figure 3. Illustrations of some CA inhibitors (9) Figure 3.0 shows some CA inhibitors like Acetozolamide which acts as a mild diuretic. It cures glaucoma, altitude sickness, and some benign intracranial hypertension. Methazolamide treats glaucoma present in dogs which is called Open-angle glaucoma. While Topiramate which is a weak inhibitor, alleviate epilepsy, lennox gastuat syndrome and migraine headaches. And another CA inhibitor is the, Dorzolamide or sulphonamide which treat ocular hypertension or open-angele glaucoma. (10) CA activator regulates the proton transfer processes between the active site and the solvent system. It also binds at the entrance of the enzyme of the active site. One of the strong activator of CA is Histidine. Some amines and amino acids like l-Trp (tryptophan), l-Phe (Phenylalanine),  d-DOPA (D- 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine),  l-Tyr (Tyrosine), 4-amino-l-Phe also works as activators of CA. These CA activators are potentially target for drug development that can be useful as a derivative for the enhancement of synaptic efficacy which can be able to treat various conditions like, depression, alzheimers disease, ageing, spatial learning and memory therapy enhancer. (11) MODE OF REGULATION: Acetazolamide Inhibitor In case of excessive contents of CA in blood and peripheral areas of the lungs, proper regulation and inhibition is needed. Acetazolamide is a non competitive inhibitor that is effective in giving control with the catalytic reaction of the enzyme. This chemical complex substance is medically used o treat different conditions of moderate up to severe metabolic or respiratory alkalosis. Alkalosis may happen if excess CA is being reacted with the bicarbonate and carbon dioxide ions in the RBC, causing extreme absorption of bicarbonate thus giving the erythrocyte more basicity rather than having enough and sufficient pH level. Acetazolamide action is explained by interfering with bicarbonate (HCO3-) reabsorption in the kidneys, thereby giving enough acidity in the RBC, and further results to alkalinizing the urine. The action of inhibition results further to decreased synthesis of aqueous humor of the eye and causes the lowering of intraocular pressure. The interaction of Acetazolamide with CA does not occur with the active site, only close or remote to the active site. The net effect of this inhibitor basically changes the shape of CA that obviously leads to the inability of the substrate to bind properly, results to no catalytic reaction. (12) CARBONIC ANHYDRASE IN HEALTH AND DISEASE: Carbonic Anhydrase is found in numerous places in the body, including in the cerebro-spinal fluid, cytosol of some cells and mainly in the red blood cells. Since CA generates and utilizes protons and bicarbonate ions, it plays a major key role in the fluid balance and regulatory of pH in different parts of the body. Absence or mutation of the CA enzyme may lead to several diseases.  Also, CA inhibitor contributes to several treatments of diseases. One of the linked diseases of CA is the Osteopetrosis with cerebral calcification and renal acidosis. It is a syndrome deficient with CA in the body commonly called as Marble brain disease. This happens because sulfonamide inhibitor of CA can produce metabolic acidosis and have shown that CA inhibitors blocks the parathyroid hormone-induced the release of calcium bone which causes bone resorption. And since CA is present in the brain and CA inhibitors inhibits the production of cerebral spinal fluid, mutation of CA lead to cerebral calcification. Other disease associated with the deficiency of specific type of CAIII is the Myastenia gravis. It is an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder that results to a weak muscle of a person. Defects in CA IV can cause retinitis pigmentosa, a degeneration of retinal photoreceptor, which a patient experiences night vision blindness and loss of midperipheral visual. (13) Glaucoma, a condition wherein a build up of fluid in the eyes occurs and this presses the optic nerve that caused damage, is treated with the use of CA inhibitors like acetazolamide, brinzolamide, dorzolamide, and methazolamide. These inhibitors lessen the amount of fluid in the eye rapidly by 40% to 60% thus lowering the pressure inside the eye of a person with glaucoma. It now lessens the risk of optic nerve damage which promote vision loss. But prolong use of this drug affects the same enzyme in the tissue and may lead to kidney and liver damage The CA also plays an important role in the secretion of acid through the catalyzed hydration of excreted CO2 in the stomach lining which is mainly responsible in digestion of food. It helps to make pancreatic juice alkaline and our saliva neutral. In summary, CA performs different role and functions at their specific locations. (14)

pascal :: essays research papers fc

Blaise Pascal Blaise Pascal was a French mathematician, physicist, and religious philosopher. He had many important contributions to the mathematics and physics such as: the construction of mechanical calculators, considerations on probability theory, the study of fluids, concepts of the pressure and vacuum, and the Pascal Triangle. After a divine experience in 1654, he devoted himself to meditating and writing philosophy. His many discoveries in the field of mathematics have made him one of the most important mathematicians in history (Broome). Blaise Pascal was born in Clermont, France in 1623. He was one of five children and lost his mother at the age of three. Starting in 1631, his father, Étienne Pascal, devoted himself to the education of Blaise, who showed extraordinary intelligence. At age 16, Pascal produced a paper on conic sections, which is now called Pascal's theorem. At age 18, Pascal created a mechanical calculator able to do addition and subtraction (Pascal). In 1653, Pascal wrote the Traità © du Triangle Arithmà ©tique, which was a theory described as a convenient tabular presentation for binomial coefficients. Today his theory is called the arithmetical triangle or Pascal triangle (Broome). Pascal did much research in science that included contributions to the study of fluids, pressures, and vacuums. He also invented the hydraulic press and syringe. In 1654, he worked with another mathematician, Fermat, on the mathematical theory of probabilities (Broome). In 1654, he was in a carriage accident and fifteen days later had an intense religious vision (Pascal). After the vision, Pascal began to attack the ideas of casuistry or complex reasoning to justify moral laxity. His wrote many essays and letters against this idea and was hated for this. Louis XIV of France ordered that his papers be shredded and burnt. Pascal largest theological writing was the Pensà ©es, which was a sustained and coherent examination of and defense of the Christian faith. However, the novel was left unfinished because of his death in Paris on August 19, 1662 (Broome). Blaise Pascal’s finding have provided much information to the mathmatic, scientific, and religious communitys.

Gender Bias and Domestic Violence Essay -- Violence Against Women Essay

Women have always taken a back seat to men in American society. There has always seemed to be one set of standards that apply to men, and another set of standards that apply to women. This is evident in the home, workplace, and all throughout society. I would like to briefly discuss some of the differences that we learn about our gender, which will enable us to better understand men, women, and domestic violence in society today. Once we understand causation, we can then begin to understand effects and prevention. Our roles as men and women start at the hospital when we are born. Boys get blue blankets while girls get pink blankets. The toys we play with growing up are targeted at either males or females. Toys that are made for little boys include trucks, blocks, guns, soldiers, and action figures. While toys made for little girls include dolls, kitchen utensils, dress-up, and doll houses. Boys are raised to be aggressive, tough, dominant, and daring, while girls are raised to be passive, emotional, sweet, and subordinate. These patterns and thought processes continue on into our adulthood and begin to play out in our relationships with others, which include dating and marriage. With these gender biases and stereotypes in mind, it is easy to see how domestic violence can exist in today's society. More importantly, we begin to understand how these negative messages can effect us personally. Although domestic violence includes sibling abuse, elder abuse, and child abuse, the focus of my essay will be on spousal abuse. Domestic violence has many names such as family violence, battering, wife beating, and domestic abuse. However, as discussed in class, domestic violence is not limited to physical beatings alone. D... ...that society will not tolerate. In my opinion, it is not only the individual abusers, rather, society as a whole which needs great help. Domestic violence is still extensive and this needs to end. Our media and entertainment industries still glamorize and demean the seriousness of domestic violence, and they greatly influence our behavior by showing false examples of how we should act and react to one another. In closing, I do believe that we are on the right track to ending domestic violence but our effort is just not strong enough because our message that domestic violence is a crime is not strong enough. This class has opened my eyes and made me aware of what is going on and what needs to be done. In the future, I will do what is needed to stop this violence around me, and I will accomplish this by simply using my voice and speaking out about what is wrong.

Essay on the Transformation of Hester in Scarlet Letter -- Scarlet Let

The Transformation of Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne committed a crime so severe that it changed her life into coils of torment and defeat. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester is publicly recognized as an adulteress and expelled from society. Alongside the theme of isolation, the scarlet letter, or symbol of sin, is meant to shame Hester but instead transforms her from a woman of ordinary living into a stronger person. The purpose of the scarlet letter is not fulfilled according to the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne. It was put upon Hester’s bosom to claim her unholiness but instead the "punishment" served as a way for Hester to grow stronger. The townspeople were the first to see first introduction of Hester. She was looked down on since the branding of the letter â€Å"A† upon her bosom. She was a "figure of perfect elegance" compared to the Puritan women of "brief beauty" (Hawthorne pg.: 55, 57). Right from the start, Hester appears to be different from those around her, suggesting a rebellious attitude to the traditions and customs of the time where church and state were still considered to be the central government at the time. She was different from others due to her nature of her being. Hester wasn’t like all other women. If another woman were to be branded an adulteress, that woman would have probably try to keep her sin away from the townspeople and forever keep their peace. Hester on the other hand, had the bravery and boldness in her that did not frighten her to show off what she did wrong. She may have had the intention that... ...tunate. The "human tenderness" Hester exerts shows how she did not care what the Puritans thought and acted. Her sin is also an example of her independence; Hester acted on her feelings and didn’t allow the Puritan’s views to interfere with her emotions. Hester has changed throughout The Scarlet Letter. She was pushed into a world of isolation because she did not fear acting on her passion. Hester transforms from a free-thinking woman to a strong, "ABLE" woman. The suffering Hester endured strengthened her and turned her into a person who helped another in need. The meaning of the scarlet letter shifts as Hester’s ability to endure the worst as plight increases. Essay on the Transformation of Hester in Scarlet Letter -- Scarlet Let The Transformation of Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne committed a crime so severe that it changed her life into coils of torment and defeat. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester is publicly recognized as an adulteress and expelled from society. Alongside the theme of isolation, the scarlet letter, or symbol of sin, is meant to shame Hester but instead transforms her from a woman of ordinary living into a stronger person. The purpose of the scarlet letter is not fulfilled according to the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne. It was put upon Hester’s bosom to claim her unholiness but instead the "punishment" served as a way for Hester to grow stronger. The townspeople were the first to see first introduction of Hester. She was looked down on since the branding of the letter â€Å"A† upon her bosom. She was a "figure of perfect elegance" compared to the Puritan women of "brief beauty" (Hawthorne pg.: 55, 57). Right from the start, Hester appears to be different from those around her, suggesting a rebellious attitude to the traditions and customs of the time where church and state were still considered to be the central government at the time. She was different from others due to her nature of her being. Hester wasn’t like all other women. If another woman were to be branded an adulteress, that woman would have probably try to keep her sin away from the townspeople and forever keep their peace. Hester on the other hand, had the bravery and boldness in her that did not frighten her to show off what she did wrong. She may have had the intention that... ...tunate. The "human tenderness" Hester exerts shows how she did not care what the Puritans thought and acted. Her sin is also an example of her independence; Hester acted on her feelings and didn’t allow the Puritan’s views to interfere with her emotions. Hester has changed throughout The Scarlet Letter. She was pushed into a world of isolation because she did not fear acting on her passion. Hester transforms from a free-thinking woman to a strong, "ABLE" woman. The suffering Hester endured strengthened her and turned her into a person who helped another in need. The meaning of the scarlet letter shifts as Hester’s ability to endure the worst as plight increases.

Isolation in Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte, is set in the detached Yorkshire moors during the early nineteenth century and depicts the lives of two contrasting families. Because Wuthering Heights was written during the Romanticism movement, many characteristics of the movement are reflected by the novel. The characters' reasons for becoming isolated are universal and can be connected to situations found in modern music. Bronte reveals universal aspects of the human condition by highlighting the manner in which the characters become isolated- either by their own choice or unintentionally.Catherine has made herself ill by refusing food and drink for days. Believing she is on the verge of death, Catherine becomes hysterical and remembers her childhood with Heathcliff. During this episode, Catherine reveals her true feelings about her marriage to Edgar and her longing to be a child again. â€Å"I had been wrenched from the Heights, and every early association†¦ at that time, had been conve rted at a stroke into Mrs. Linton†¦ : an exile, an outcast† (pg. 118). Catherine has unintentionally isolated herself from where she belongs and is miserable in the high-society culture of Thrushcross Grange.Although Catherine believed raising her social status and obtaining material objects would make her happy, it is not the case. Catherine does not fit in with the mannered and refined society at the Grange and realizes she truly belongs with Heathcliff. Catherine longs to be a child again because she had freedom in nature with Heathcliff, her true love. A similar situation occurs in A Billion Ernies' â€Å"Hermit Crab†. In this song, the anonymous speaker feels tortured and alone although they have all the material objects one could wish for. This is torture at its finest state/ My blankets are warm and there's too much on my plate/ †¦ but I think I'll sleep under the stars tonight/†¦ I feel content†¦ lying on a rock, sleeping in a tent/†¦ I' ve got everything I need right here/ I thought I had it all† (A Billion Ernies). Warm blankets, a plate of food and a glowing fireplace do not satisfy the speaker. The speaker feels isolated in her/his current situation and longs to be free. Having freedom in nature fulfills the speaker more than having materialistic wealth. The speaker in â€Å"Hermit Crab† and Catherine were isolated in their situations although they had material riches.Both realize where they truly fit in, where they could be free from isolation, and no longer believe material objects and riches lead to happiness Catherine Linton has recently given birth to a child and passed away. Shortly thereafter, Isabella unexpectedly arrives at the Grange flustered and upset. Isabella tells Nelly of a violent fight between Hindley and Heathcliff, which has caused her to run away. These evens cause Edgar Linton much grief and he to chooses to isolate himself from society. â€Å"He refrained from going anywhere where he was likely to see or hear of Heathcliff.Grief, and that together, transformed him into a complete hermit† (pg. 173). Edgar Linton experiences intense grief as a result of the death of Catherine Linton and the fleeing of Isabella and isolated himself at the Grange. These events cause Edgar to question where he belongs and his purpose in the world, which he contemplates while isolated. Similarly in â€Å"What Hurts the Most†, by Rascal Flats, the anonymous speaker is lamenting the loss of a loved one. The speaker's loved one passes away before he has a chance to say everything he wants to her, which is what hurts him the most. It's hard to deal with the pain of loosin' you everywhere I go†¦ / It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone/ Still harder gettin' up, gettin' dressed† (Rascal Flats). The speaker finds it difficult to live without his loved one and see the friends of his loved one. Simply getting up in the morning is difficult for the speaker because he is now questioning the world. After the death of a significant person, facing society is difficult and sorrow causes isolation and confusion. Many of the universal, everlasting truths of the Romantic movement are still present in prose today.Even in today's society, people feel isolated when they do not belong in a place, no matter what the reasons. Worldly objects do not bring happiness and only a sense of belonging brings freedom from isolation and peace of mind. Also, even in modern times, the loss of someone close causes mixed emotions about life and a person's sense of belonging. The death of a loved one continues to cause such intense lamentation that a person may choose to isolate himself/herself from society. The human condition is timeless.