The Definition of Literature :: Definition Essays

The Definition of Literature      Literature has numerous implications yet to me when I hear the word writing I consider huge tomes of words and stories that have become works of art after some time anyway this is just a single meaning of writing. Writing originates from that Latin word littera, that straightforwardly interpreted methods letter, in this manner supporting that writing is composed. This view anyway forgets about the possibility that there can be oral writing too from which huge numbers of our accounts and books originate from.      The principle type of writing, the book, has had an incredible effect upon the development of our general public today. Before the 1940’s TV had not appeared at this point and there was very little else to do other than read books. In this manner books framed my grandparents and somewhat my folks and, despite the fact that I experienced childhood in the age of TV, books as writing have by implication shaped me too. There additionally can be types of aesthetic writing, for example, verse or play composing. These likewise have a significant influence in writing, I accept, for example, Robert frost’s sonnets or crafted by Shakespeare the dramatist. These are extraordinary creators, whose writing isn't as an incredible story or a moving novel, yet in sporadic works that have remained with us for quite a while numerous years. I accept that one excellent meaning of writing is that writing must have certain characteristics, for example, plot, characters, tone, images, strife, perspective, and numerous different components cooperating in a unique relationship to create an artistic work. This practically characterizes the way that the vast majority see writing today. This takes into account oral conventional stories just as for the sporadic types of composing, for example, plays and sonnets that can likewise have plot, characters, tone and different components referenced with the goal that they can be esteemed an abstract work.

The films Juno and American Beauty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The movies Juno and American Beauty - Essay Example The young lady Juno here is a multi year old female, who gets pregnant by her schoolmate Paulie and the two intends to prematurely end the infant. Juno is a young lady with cheerful disposition and couldn't care less about what others think about her. Juno in her youthful age is uninformed about pregnancy and issue identified with it and this statement affirms it. Juno MacGuff: I don't have a clue, I drank like, ten gallons of Sunny D... I'm disclosing to you I'm pregnant and you're acting amazingly caviler. Leah: Is this without a doubt? Later by the impact of her companion she adjusts her perspective and plans with Paulie to give the child for selection for this she gets the help from her folks. Juno with her companion Leah finds a couple to embrace the child and the film later shows the Juno’s involvement in the pregnancy and the passionate battle related with it. Well before the introduction of the infant, Juno additionally admits her adoration for Paulie. Additionally Pau lie acknowledges the affection for Juno and not long after she conveys an infant kid. In the in the mean time, the couple who going to embrace the child faces a marriage breakdown. Toward the finish of the film, Vanessa (Single mother) who should embrace the child acknowledges the infant and Juno and Paulie are demonstrated to be energetically enamored. The Movie American Beauty This film American excellence clarifies the life of Lester who is essayist in a magazine who despises his activity. His significant other Carolyn is a discourteous character, and their girl Jane scorns her folks. â€Å"Carolyn Burnham: Are you attempting to look ugly? Jane Burnham: Yes. Carolyn Burnham: Well, congrats. You've succeeded admirably†. These exchanged words shows the threatening relationship held by the mother and the little girl. Lester has a neighbor who is a colonel joined by his less social spouse and a medication dependent child Ricky. The Lester’s little girl Jane is infatuate d with Ricky and needs to broaden her connection with him. Lester then again is where it counts inside discouraged and needs an individual to share his emotions. In the interim he connects with Jane’s companion Angela and gets captivated by her. Lester starts to encounter sexual dreams about Angela wherein red roses are encircled by Him. On the opposite side, Carolyn his having an unsanctioned romance with her business partner Buddy. Later Lester gets some answers concerning his wife’s extra - conjugal issue yet responds detachedly. Jane in the later piece of the film engages with Ricky and Lester too gets well disposed with Angela. In the middle of this Lester gets pot from Ricky and utilizes it and attempts to explicitly experience Angela and finds that she is virgin and pulls out. The dad of Ricky accidently observes Lester nudely practicing and his child watching it, and closes they r gay mates. Colonel races to Lester home and shoot him to death. Examination among Juno and American Beauty The film Juno and American magnificence is both fixated on young people and their sentimental life and sexual exercises. The film is essentially about the way of life of adolescents in American and how they lead a disorderly and indisciplined life as this cited delineates it. â€Å"Angela Hayes: Jane, he's a monstrosity! Jane Burnham: Then so am I! What's more, we'll generally be monstrosities and we'll never resemble others and you'll never be an oddity since you're simply as well... great! â€Å"Both these motion pictures show to the watchers that the sexual existence of American adolescents is dynamic at a beginning period. The motion pictures likewise show the marriage disappointment occurring in American culture and how delicate relationship is. As indicated by (Sarris) â€Å"In American Beauty ,Kevin Spacey plays Lester Burnham, a man in his mid-40s experiencing a serious emotional meltdown; he's become skeptical and is persuaded that he has no mot ivation to go on†Both the motion pictures additionally show the enthusiastic battle experienced by young and grown-ups of America. The film Juno has an enemy of â€

Positive Affirmations for Stress Relief and Panic Disorder

Positive Affirmations for Stress Relief and Panic Disorder Spirituality Print Positive Affirmations to Relieve Anxiety and Stress By Elizabeth Scott, MS twitter Elizabeth Scott, MS, is a wellness coach specializing in stress management and quality of life, and the author of 8 Keys to Stress Management. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Scott, MS Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on January 19, 2020 Tim Robberts/ Getty Images More in Self-Improvement Spirituality Happiness Meditation Stress Management Holistic Health Inspiration Brain Health Technology Relationships View All From giving an important presentation at work to attending a party by yourself, there are countless situations that can be impacted by negative thoughts. Whether or not you have a diagnosed panic disorder, its easy to get distracted by negativity and fears that can lead to a downward spiral of emotions. In order to move forward, its important to swap negativity with rational, positive thoughts. This shift can come to you more easily and automatically with practice, eventually shaping new thinking habits and strides toward recovery.   How to Use Positive Affirmations to Manage Stress Here are some ways to use positive affirmations to manage stress, particularly when dealing with anxiety at the same time. Identify and Stop Negative Thoughts First, learn to identify negative thoughts so you can nix the negativity as soon as it enters your mind. For example, if you found yourself thinking, Im going to look stupid if I go to that party alone, identify the negative thought and correct yourself in the moment. Consciously decide to reframe and move your thoughts into a more positive direction. Remind yourself that others will likely be arriving alone, that people are looking forward to seeing you, and that you will probably have a good time. These thoughts can help put you in a better frame of mind.   Use Positive Affirmations You may find it helpful to learn positive affirmations ahead of time so youre prepared when triggering situations occur. Consider the following options for common scenarios. When faced with a situation that generates fear, such as traveling or meeting new people, try repeating positive affirmations that acknowledge your negative thoughts or emotions and let them go: Anxiety isnt dangerous. Im just uncomfortable. Ill make it through this.  The picture in my head isnt healthy. Thats just me being negative.  I feel anxious, but so what? I know what that feels like and Ill get through it.  Im going to focus on things I love to get me through this.  I will be OK.   Managing your anxiety or panic disorder can be particularly difficult in times of stress, such as when you need to give a presentation in public or will be going to a networking event at work. While you may be tempted to call out sick or avoid the situation altogether, that can be harmful to you and your career. Instead, remind yourself of these affirmations: Ive done presentations before and I can do this one, too.  When this is over, Ill be so proud of myself.  If I keep doing it, it will get easier.  The last time I presented, everyone said I did really well.  If I take deep breaths, that will help soothe me before I go in.   Remain Realistic Sometimes positive thinking can be taken too far, so its important to remain grounded. When positive affirmations become unrealistic, they can actually trigger more anxiety as your subconscious mind notes that the ideas arent realistic. You can find yourself more stressed if you start convincing yourself that you can do things youre not prepared for, and the reality of failure hits hard. Notice that the examples given above focus on realistic and true statements that are also positive: what you will gain, what you have accomplished in the past, and what you will realistically achieve. Affirmations for anxiety are more powerful when rooted in reality.? A Word From Verywell Stress, anxiety, andâ€"in more extreme casesâ€"panic attacks can be harmful and disruptive, whether it makes you more fearful or feel like youre losing control. But through positive affirmations, you can disrupt the negative thought patterns that feed your anxiety so you can better cope with the symptoms.   If you find your anxiety or panic disorder symptoms arent being effectively managed, consult with a healthcare provider specializing in panic and anxiety. Anxiety and panic disorder are highly treatable, and through options like medication, therapy, and mind-body modalities like yoga, you can work towards an improved quality of life.

Java Event Listeners Process User Activity in a GUI

An event listener in Java is designed to process some kind of event  Ã¢â‚¬â€ it listens for an event, such as a users mouse click or a key press, and then it responds accordingly. An event listener must be connected to an event object that defines the event. For example, graphical components like a JButton ​or JTextField are known as  event sources. This means that they can generate events (called event objects),  such as providing a JButton for a user to click, or a JTextField in which a user can enter text. The event listeners job is to catch those events and do something with them. How Event Listeners Work Each event listener interface includes at least one method used by the equivalent event source. For this discussion, lets consider a mouse event, i.e. anytime a user clicks something with a mouse, represented by the Java class MouseEvent. To handle this type of event, you would first create a MouseListener class that implements the Java MouseListener interface. This interface has five methods; implement the one that relates to the type of mouse action you anticipate your user taking. These are: void mouseClicked(MouseEvent e)Invoked when the mouse button has been clicked (pressed and released) on a component.void mouseEntered(MouseEvent e)Invoked when the mouse enters a component.void mouseExited(MouseEvent e)Invoked when the mouse exits a component.void mousePressed(MouseEvent e)Invoked when a mouse button has been pressed on a component.void mouseReleased(MouseEvent e)Invoked when a mouse button has been released on a component As you can see, each method has a single event object parameter: the particular mouse event it is designed to handle. In your MouseListener class, you register to listen to any of these events so that you are informed when they occur. When the event fires (for example, the user clicks the mouse, as per the mouseClicked() method above), a relevant MouseEvent object representing that event is created and passed to the  MouseListener object registered to receive it.   Types of Event Listeners Event listeners are represented by different interfaces, each of which is designed to process an equivalent event. Note that event listeners are flexible in that a single listener can be registered to listen to multiple types of events. This means that, for a similar set of components that perform the same type of action, one event listener can handle all the events. Here are some of the most common types: ActionListener: Listens for an ActionEvent, i.e. when a graphical element is clicked such as a button or item in a list.ContainerListener: Listens for a ContainerEvent, which might occur if the user adds or removes an object from the interface.KeyListener: Listens for a KeyEvent in which the user presses, types or releases a key.WindowListener: Listens for a WindowEvent, for example, when a window is closed, activated or deactivated.MouseListener: Listens for a   MouseEvent, such as when a mouse is clicked or pressed.

Top Secret Facts About Gre Sample Issue Essay Topics

Top Secret Facts About Gre Sample Issue Essay Topics Reasoning plays a critical role in deciding the general caliber of your essay. After all, the GRE Issue isn't a test of knowledge as much since it is a test of how it is possible to use knowledge however confined to back your position. Providing evidence for the GRE essays would end up being invaluable if you'd like to create the amount of credibility. You will be able to take our 360-degree Diagnostic Test to spot your weaknesses on the GRE and understand precisely what you have to review. Our course contains only the very best and all you need to obtain an outstanding GRE score from beginning to finish. You will receive a personalized score report highlighting your strengths and regions of improvement. An answer to any other issue is going to receive a score of zero. You must take many different factors into account, if you wish to get anywhere near the ideal score. Gre Sample Issue Essay Topics: the Ultimate Convenience! Students should always question what they're taught rather than accepting it passively. On the flip side, in the event the student has practiced and solved the lesson by himself, he'll have a first-hand experience of the issues. No 2 students are alikeat PrepScholar, so prepare to find a best study plan that's statistically predicted to maximize your GRE score in the briefest amount of time. College students should base their selection of an area of study on the access to work in that area. There are various sorts of writing professionals. Cre ating high self esteem is just one of the greatest things you can ever do to totally transform every component of your life. If you have opted to become an expert writer, you own a task in your hand. Or are you a decent enough writer to make your own structure on the fly. Then there are various varieties of articles which must be written. One of the absolute most important features about a compelling essay is its capacity to convince the reader by way of sound logical reasoning. Also a reminder you may work with me if you're searching for issue essay feedback. Apa american psychological association style is among the most widespread academic formats when it has to do with writing research papers. Some people today claim that the purpose of politics ought to be the pursuit of an ideal. They believe that in order to thrive, a society must put its own overall success before the well-being of its individual citizens. They believe that scientific discoveries have given us a much better understanding of the world around us. A public dialogue about belief one essay at one time of misfortune suffered in the rear of the bus trump any other type of reimbursement. You will discover that it is possible to use a lot of them for many essays don't let the very first thing that springs to mind box you in. Take the time to proofread your essay, after you finish writing it. Which type of essays will be there and what's anticipated to be written. Not only do you have to read through GRE sample essays, but you also have to look for topics on which you are able to write GRE sample essays yourself and have them evaluated. No other preparation is required. However you get ready for the essays, make sure you at least write a couple of each type before you take the actual GRE. Yes, there are a few fantastic articles and sample 6. The essay graders know that you simply get 30 minutes to compose each AWA essay and in addition, they know that you won't have the ability to cover every potential argument, reason and rebuttal. The ETS Score It Now, is a fantastic feature available for you to receive your essays graded. More creative suggestions on how to receive your essay graded here. Since you may see, the longer the essay, the greater the grades. Facts, Fiction and Gre Sample Issue Essay Topics The first facet of the essay we'll analyze is the way that it succeeds in identifying and examining the pieces of the argument that relate to the endeavor. You have to develop an argument for your side of the situation. Just one topic is provided in analysis of an argument and you don't have any choice. There are a few commonalities across all the essay prompts on the GRE Argument pool page, even past the simple fact that each and every task asks you to examine some sort of argument and analyze it.

Living and Learning the Right to Salvation (the Scarlet Letter) Free Essays

The Scarlet Letter is a novel about love and jealousy, sin and shame, passion and compassion. It is a tale of a woman named Hester Prynne, who engaged in adultery with the town minister, and as a result, bore permanent consequences from this sin throughout the remainder of their lives. While Minister Dimmesdale denied this sin and expressed his regret through shows of self-abuse and crippling guilt, Hester embraced her sins as past experience and learned from them in order to find her own identity. We will write a custom essay sample on Living and Learning: the Right to Salvation (the Scarlet Letter) or any similar topic only for you Order Now While the entire novel is rich with allegory and imagery, the conclusion to be drawn is this: Free will is God’s indispensable gift to humanity, and we must allow ourselves to be open to salvation in light of the choices we make. This theme is expressed through the necessity of sin to find knowledge, Hester’s embracing of the scarlet letter, the difference in the quality of life between Hester and Dimmesdale based on their coping mechanisms, and the very being of Hester and Dimmesdale’s daughter, Pearl. As stated, a major theme in the novel is that of free will and necessary acceptance of the consequences of one’s decision. Hester and Dimmesdale’s situation is comparable to that of Adam and Eve. Like Adam and Eve, the characters in the novel are made aware of their humanness through sin, that is, the realization that free will separates them from other creatures. Once expelled from society, or in Adam and Eve’s case, the Garden of Eden, they are forced to toil and procreate, the tasks that seem to define the human condition. The story of Hester and Dimmesdale recalls the story of Adam and Eve because, in both cases, sin results in expulsion and suffering. However, most significantly, it also results in knowledge. The knowledge of what it means to be human. The scarlet letter was intended by the Puritan elders to be a mark of sinfulness, and therefore, shame. However, for Hester, the scarlet letter is â€Å"her passport into regions where other women dared not tread†, leading her to â€Å"speculate† about what she had always known and explore her inner self more â€Å"boldly† than anyone else in New England. As for Dimmesdale, the â€Å"burden† of his sin gives him â€Å"sympathies so intimate with the sinful brotherhood of mankind, so that his heart vibrates in unison with theirs. † His most articulate, powerful sermons were derived from the sense of empathy ained from experience. Hester and Dimmesdale contemplate their own sinfulness constantly, and try to repent it with the way they live their lives afterward. The Puritan elders, on the other hand, insist on seeing sinful experiences as a mere obstacle on the path to heaven. Hence, they view life on earth as insignificant, and sin as a threat to the community that should be severely punished and suppressed. While they punish Hester and Dimmesdale, their Puritan society is stagnant, while Hester and Dimmesdale’s experience shows that imperfection and life experience are not evil. They are necessary to personal growth and true, deep understanding of others. Hester realizes and expresses that sin is forgivable, and at times necessary, to achieve a true personal identity in earthly life. After Hester is publicly shamed and forced by her society to wear the scarlet letter as a badge of humiliation, she is unwilling to pick up and leave the town. Although she is free to leave the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and doing so would allow her to remove the scarlet letter and live a life of quiet obscurity, she is unwilling to flee her â€Å"burden†. Hester even reacts with disappointment when Chillingworth tells her that the town fathers are considering allowing her to remove the letter. Hester’s behavior is a result of her desire to find her own identity rather than to allow others to determine it for her. To her, running away or removing the letter would be an acknowledgment of society’s power over her. She does not believe that the letter is a mark of shame and it is not something from which she desires to escape. She does not regret her action simply because she is told she should. Hester stays, refiguring the scarlet letter as a symbol of her own experiences and character. Her past sin is a part of who she is, and in her view, to pretend that it never happened would mean denying a part of her. Thus, Hester openly integrates her past sin into her life. Much unlike Hester, Dimmesdale is scared and ashamed of his past. His attempts to hide what he has done result in his life being a great deal unhappier than that of Hester, who is very candid about her past sins. This is a result of Dimmesdale’s struggles against a socially determined identity. Being that he is the minister of the community, he is often seen as more of a symbol than human being. With the exception of Chillingworth, those around the minister ignore his obvious anguish, instead interpreting it as a sign of holiness. Unfortunately, Dimmesdale never fully recognizes the truth of what Hester has known all along. Individuality and strength are gained by quiet self-assertion and not a rejection of one’s construed identity. Pearl is the lovechild of Hester and Dimmesdale, the mark of their sin. In the novel, Pearl is predominantly a symbol. This symbolic role can be seen in her name. A pearl is the most perfect, innocent jewel. It is polished and defined in its shell by the roughness of the sand around her, and eventually will be released from the shell to become a beautiful, unique piece of jewellery. Throughout most of the novel she is quite young, and speaks relatively little. Her most significant contribution to the plot is the reaction she provokes in the other characters in the novel. She asks them blunt, direct questions and shows how ridiculous the denial, prejudice, and misdirection of the adult world really are. In the novel, Pearl is portrayed to be much more perceptive and honest than adults in the novel, despite (or due to) her youthful tactlessness. Pearl makes the readers and characters constantly aware of her mother’s scarlet letter, and therefore, of the society that produced it. To Pearl, the scarlet letter is such a part of Hester that she does not recognize her without it. Pearl’s innocent comments about the letter are surprisingly insightful, and raise significant questions about its meaning. Similarly, she inquires about the relationships between those around her [most importantly, the relationship between Hester and Dimmesdale] and offers her perceptive opinions of them. Pearl seems to be the only character to openly criticize Dimmesdale’s refusal to simply admit to his adultery and move on. Once her father’s identity is revealed, Pearl is no longer needed in this symbolic role. When Dimmesdale dies, she becomes a full human being, leaving behind her childhood naivety. Throughout the novel, the characters’ levels of contentedness are almost always inversely proportionate to their denial of their sins and themselves. God does not expect humans to be perfect. He is willing to forgive so long as we are ready to be forgiven. Hester and Pearl realize and acknowledge their imperfections, and revel in the knowledge that â€Å"perfection† leads to inertness, much like that of their Puritan society. Consequently, they live much better lives than that of Dimmesdale, who steadfastly denies his imperfections and spends incredible amounts of time punishing himself instead of getting on with his life. In light of the choices we make, we are always open to salvation. The only thing that can stop us is ourselves. How to cite Living and Learning: the Right to Salvation (the Scarlet Letter), Papers

Personality Disorders Essays (546 words) - Psychiatric Diagnosis

Personality Disorders Personality Disorders There are many types of personality disorders and each one has different symptoms and characteristics. Some characteristics are shared by different disorders. People who rebel against their culture or society or who have outbursts and rages or have trouble with social skills, how they see themselves, how they cope with being around other people, and how they control their impulses are characteristics all shared by those who suffer from personality disorders. Many people who suffer from one disorder usually suffer more than one at a time but does not believe that they have a problem. It is said that, ?Symptoms stem from basic personality traits that develop over a period of time.?(Mental Health) There are a few basic treatments for people with personality disorders that work for some, but not for others. Psychodynamic psychotherapy, or psychoanalytical therapy, focuses on past events and long repressed feelings. Psychodynamic models integrate the past with the patient's current life. Behavior therapy is used to teach different kinds of social skills. Cognitive therapy concentrates on changing of negative thinking. Cognitive-behavioral therapy combines cognitive and behavioral therapy techniques. Personality disorders affect ten to fifteen percent of the population. Some affect certain populations more than others. Studies have suggested that biology plays a part in these disorders. Personality disorders can be inherited from generation to generation and are a primary result of the person's experience during childhood and adolescence. Borderline Personality Disorder is the most common personality disorder and affects approximately 2% of the population (Mental Health). Those that suffer from this disorder may experience brief periods in which they separate from reality and often are diagnosed with depression and psychotic disorders. They are unstable in personal relationships and have an unstable self-image and emotions and have little control over impulses. They can be self-destructive, but are rarely violent to other people or animals. Antisocial Personality Disorder is present in 3% men and 1% women and between 70-80% of the prison population (Mental Health). By definition, antisocial personality disorder, or ASP, is a lifelong personality disorder that affects many more men than women and begins before age 15 (Black). It has been studied more than any other personality disorder and can be characterized by a pattern of disregarding and violating others' rights and safety. Sufferers can be defiant, irresponsible, deceitful, irritable and aggressive. They may experiment with drugs, alcohol, and sex at a very young age. As a spouse they may be abusive, unfaithful, dishonest and manipulative. Histrionic Personality Disorder is present in 2-3% of the population and more common in women (Mental Health). Sufferers can be characterized by a pattern of seeking attention in strange and unusual ways. They are excessively emotional, overly trusting and gullible, self-absorbed and are concerned with presentation. People with this disorder can function with relatively few problems in society. To be psychosocial implies that personality disorders are a result of experiences the person has had, particularly during childhood or adolescence. Physical, emotional and especially sexual abuse has all been implicated as a cause of personality disorders. Not all abused children develop a disorder and not all people with a disorder have been abused. It just means that abuse leaves a person vulnerable to developing a personality disorder. Psychology

Physician Assisted Suicide Essays

Physician Assisted Suicide Essays Physician Assisted Suicide Essay Physician Assisted Suicide Essay who travels around the Michigan area providing physician-assisted suicide, ought not be surprised at the number of women he has helped die. Out of 43 deaths, 15 of his patients were men, 28 were women (Keenan 15). It was also reported by Keenan that Kevorkians male patients had severe terminal illnesses that left them incapable of living, while the female patients suffered from breast cancer and other illnesses that are curable (16). In many cases involving female patients wanting to use Physician-Assisted suicide, it was found that most people felt their request was emotional, unreflective, and immature (Keenan 16). Many people were angered at what Kevorkian was doing and felt that he wasnt assisting the terminally ill. They believed that people should and could find an alternative method of relief for their illnesses (Gay 47). The Detroit Press reported that on, June 4, 1990, Janet Elaine Adkins, became the first patient Dr. Kevorkian assisted into death, as previously mentioned. The 54-year-old woman, from Portland, Oregon, who was a former college instructor, decided to commit suicide the day she was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease (1997). Adkins contacted Kevorkian after hearing about his suicide machine and asked for his help in assisting her into death, according to Kathlyn Gay. After hearing Adkins describe her illness, Kevorkian refused to help the patient and suggested that she try experimental drug treatments. After six months had gone by Adkins informed Dr. Kevorkian that the drug treatment had been unsuccessful and Kevorkian finally agreed to help with her request (44-45). Adkins and her husband flew to Royal Oak, Mich. , on June 3, 1990, for an interview with Kevorkian. On the basis of that one face-to-face encounter, the doctor concluded that Adkins euthanasia request was rational. The following day, as her husband waited in a nearby motel, Adkins was hooked up intravenously to an inverted bottle of saline solution hanging from a metal frame in the back of Kevorkians parked van. Acting on Kevorkians instructions, Adkins pressed a button that shut off the flow of saline solution and opened the line of sodium pentothal, causing her to lose consciousness. After one minute, an automatic timer closed the pentothal line and released the contents of the third bottle. Adkins heart stopped beating within six minutes. (Worsnop Assisted Suicide 157-158) One source reports that the second and third assisted suicides occurred on, October 21, 1991. One patient, Sherry Miller, was a multiple-sclerosis victim, and the second patient, Marjorie Wantz, complained of a severe pelvic disorder; they died within one hour of each other in a secluded cabin forty miles outside of Detroit (Worsnop Assisted Suicide Controversy 405). Worsnop also reports that the autopsy preformed on Wantz showed no evidence of any pelvic disorder that she could have been suffering from. After hearing this information, the State Board of Medicine suspended Kevorkians medical license on November 20, 1991 (Worsnop Assisted Suicide Controversy 405). Although Kevorkians medical license was suspended, he still continued to assist his patients into death. In November 1992, he helped his sixth patient, a female, into death. After this death, the Michigan House of Representatives passed a bill making assisted suicide a felony, making it punishable by four years in a state prison (Gay 47). After the deaths of Wantz and Miller, many people in Michigan, and all over the world, became angered that nothing was done to stop Kevorkian. The State of Michigan eventually put a ban on assisted suicide. Kevorkian, for his part, announced March 6 that he planned to appeal Michigans ban on assisted suicide to the U. S. Supreme Court. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), representing two cancer patients, had filed a separate appeal of the ban to the Supreme Court a week earlier. On April 24, the Supreme Court rejected both appeals without comment, clearing the way for Kevorkian to stand trial on murder charges in the Wantz-Miller case. (Worsnop Assisted Suicide Controversy 410) According to Richard L. Worsnop, Kevorkian was later put into jail, but released after Judge Richard C. Kaufman ruled that the states assisted-suicide ban was unconstitutional. Worsnop continued by saying, Judge Kaufman dismissed the charges against Kevorkian on the basis of the quality of the patients life, saying that the patients life was significantly impaired by a medical condition that was extremely unlikely to improve. Kaufman also said that people have a constitutional right to commit suicide and Mrs. Adkins assisted suicide would fit into these conditions (Worsnop Assisted Suicide 405). A poll was later conducted across Michigan, from 310 people, and 102 people from Oakland County, where the Kevorkian case was being heard. From the 310 people, five to one believed that Kevorkian had not committed murder, and in the Oakland County area the decision was ten to one in favor of acquitting Kevorkian of murder charges (Gay 48). Due to Kevorkian assisting in the death of those that did not fit into the terminally ill category, patients now have to be more informed about their illness, so that they are aware of what their final options may be. When a physician has diagnosed a patient with a terminal illness, it is vitally important that the physician provides valid information, about the illness the patient is suffering. According to the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, Terminal disease means an incurable and irreversible disease that has been medically confirmed and will, within reasonable medical judgement, produce death within six (6) months (2). The physician is also responsible for letting the patient know of any experimental drugs and any other treatments that may benefit the patient in any way. Another responsibility of the physician is to educate the patient as to what their final options may be. They are required to inform the patient about their diagnosis, the results of taking any medication that could be given, all alternatives that could be used to treat the patient, and also having the patient contact another physician to confirm the diagnosis (The Oregon Death with Dignity Act 3, hereafter known as The Oregon). Some people feel that when a physician provides a patient with a deadly drug and instructions on how to use the medicine, they have as much responsibility as the patient themselves (Callahan 71). It is important that physician inform their patients that death is not the last option they have; many people feel that the terminally ill need to be reassured that they dont need to be in pain and that they wont be alone during their final stages of life, their interest in assisted suicide goes away (Worsnop Assisted Suicide Controversy 411). It is also vitally important that patients know that once they have made their decision to go through with assisted suicide, they can change their mind at any stage along the way (Oregon 3). The ultimate task of physicians is deciding whether or not to help their patient with their final request. In a magazine article by Jon Fuller, he reports that physician-assisted suicide causes much stress and emotional drain to the physician. This feeling, in turn, makes it much easier and faster for the physician to come to the decision to help the patient and move on to the next patient. Fuller also feels that if physicians werent overworked and stressed, they would be a lot less likely to use assisted suicide (10). If people started believing that their physician would act this way, many would start to wonder about the commitment their physician had to his/her patient with a terminal illness (Johnson and Koop 52). For some physicians, the process of participating in physician-assisted suicide had a great emotional impact. In response to general, open-ended inquiries, prescribing physicians offered comments such as, It was an excruciating thing to do it made me rethink lifes priorities. (Department of Human Resources 7, Hereafter known as Department) Evidence shows that many physicians are prepared to sacrifice their careers to help a patient in a great deal of pain, and many people in todays society feel that it is wrong to put such a heavy decision on doctors (Medical Ethics 9). There are still many physicians that are troubled by the thought of ending the life of one of their patients, because they have been trained to preserve life, not end it (Worsnop Assisted Suicide 147). A second type of physician response to euthanasia followed in the footsteps of many nineteenth-century practitioners: the prolongation of life takes absolute priority over the easing of suffering. In 1896, for example, Isaac N. Quimby was asked, Is it right to prolong the agony of a patient if the physician knows positively that death is inevitable in a short time? To the bitter end, Quimby asserted. A physician has no right to terminate the life of a patient, even when to prolong that life is to cause the most agonizing tortures. (Vanderpool 41) Some people feel that our society is unfair towards physicians that do decide to use assisted suicide, because in all American states, a physician must be present when a criminals are executed. People in society feel that this is as unethical as using assisted suicide, but it hasnt become an issue, such as physician-assisted suicide (Medical Ethics 9). If an Oregon physician does decide to provide the patient with a lethal dose of medications, the prescription that is written out must provide specific information so that the Oregon Health Department can make sure that it is in compliance to the law (Department 2). The only state, today, where assisted suicide can take place is Oregon; physicians in other states may not write prescriptions, for lethal doses of medications, without breaking the law. According to the Oregon Health Department, a survey was taken in Oregon, before the Death with Dignity Act was passed, and found that seven percent of physicians had already provided prescriptions for terminally ill patient (Department 9). Harold Y. Vanderpool reports that T. T. Robertson was the first American doctor to publicly admit that he had practiced euthanasia by giving two patients narcotics to shorten their lives by a few hours (41). For those people who believe that physician-assisted suicide should be their choice, they feel it should be legalized because: they dont want to go through the suffering caused by the terminal illness, they fear the loss of autonomy/independence, becoming a burden to their family and/or friends, and they also fear dying alone; as previously mentioned. It was reported, in Richard L. Worsnops Assisted Suicide Controversy, that many people fear living a life in excruciating pain (411). Ed Newman states that one of the arguments in favor of assisted suicide is the mercy argument, which states, The immense pain and indignity of prolonged suffering cannot be ignored. We are being inhumane to force people to continue suffering in this way (1). One source states, And at the risk of finding myself out on a theological limb, I say that if it is playing God to reduce human suffering, then I do not believe that the God of mercy and compassion would mind if we mere mortals play God under such circumstances (Barnard, C. 70). Another source said that, The most literal translation of the word euthanasia would be a good death. So who could be against that, except an extremist who would argue that terminal suffering should be accepted, unchanged by human intervention, as fate or Gods will? I personally believe that helping someone die in peace and without pain, even if that might hasten the biological timetable of death by a few hours or even days, is not only acceptable but is mandatory for modern medical care (Johnson and Koop 39). Another argument that people feel should be considered to make assisted suicide legalized, is the economic argument. This argument notes the cost of keeping someone alive and on life support, although they are in a vegetative state (Newman 2). Newman believes that society is wasting precious resources by keeping these people alive for so long, even though the life will not return to normal (2). According to Margaret Battin, assisted suicide would not mean that society would be giving up on the elderly and those with terminal illnesses (19). It would in fact do them a good deed by letting them choose when they had enough treatment and wanted to stop the insults to their body (Battin 19). One source feels that todays technology is to blame for people wanting to commit assisted suicide. We die more slowly today, Verhey notes. Even worse, we do it in hospitals, surrounded by technology rather than by friends and family. And this is what makes it especially frightening to some people' (As qtd. by Thomas 16). Also for some, the thought of being hooked up with tubes in every orifice of our body is not the way they want to leave their life (Vanderpool 56). Another reason people believe physician-assisted suicide should be available for those who request it, is because people fear the loss of their autonomy. One source stated that more patients fear loss of control than they do actually suffering from a terminal illness (Gardner 68). The Oregon Health Department said that, The fact that 79% of persons who chose physician-assisted suicide did not wait until they were bedridden to take their lethal medication provides further evidence that controlling the manner and time of death were important issues to these patients (Department 9). Some people feel that life is only worth living when they can actually do things for themselves and not have to worry about people doing anything for them. Another reason for people to be in favor of physician-assisted suicide is some fear becoming a burden to their family and/or friends, and this makes people more susceptible to choosing assisted suicide, rather than letting a family member take care of them. Terminally ill patients feel guilty about having to have another person take care of them, instead of being able to take care of themselves and do things for themselves. 75% of those who asked for assistance in suicide cite fear of burdening spouses and families (Arguments Against Physician-Assisted Suicide 2, hereafter Arguments). In the cases of Dr. Kevorkian, as mentioned earlier, most of the female patients were more worried about becoming a burden to friends and family, while the males were more likely to commit suicide due to the suffering (Keenan 16). Another issue is for the family to keep the patient alive, even if they are in a state of vegetation, because they fear living with the guilt of killing a member of their own family (Johnson and Koop 41-42). The family members felt that if they did help in the assistance of the suicide, that they were abandoning the patient rather than helping with their final  wishes, even in the cases of the patient only wanting the family to put them out of their misery (Thomas 17). Most people that believe physician-assisted suicide should become a legal option for anyone who requests it, use the idea that everyone has the freedom of choice. In the book, Lawful Exit: The Limits of Freedom, Derek Humphry quotes Archibald MacLeish by saying, Freedom is the right to choose: the right to create for yourself the alternatives of choice. Without the possibility of choice and the exercise of choice a man is not a man but a member, an instrument, a thing (8). Another source states that, Since there is no absolute legal, medical, or moral answer to the question of what constitutes a good or correct death in the face of a terminal illness, the power to make the decision about how someone dies can rest with only one individualthe person living in that particular body (Shavelson 153). There are many arguments in favor of assisted suicide, and the reality argument simply states that, people are already being helped into death, so why not just continue with it (Newman 2). Some people have even come as far as believing that since the democratic view is free of religion, suicide should be viewed as a pro, because those who see it as a negative issue, are seen as imposing their moral beliefs on everyone else (Thomas 19). The patients Right to Self-determination gives the patient the power to decide not only when they die, but also how, because it is in fact their body, their pain, and their life, so whats the point in keeping someone alive if they dont see any reason themselves (Newman 2). In a newspaper article one source states, Proponents of assisted suicide always insist that the practice will be carefully limited: It will be available, they claim, only for those who request it and only for those who are dying, anyway (Wagner 622K3096). People do have a constitutional right to commit suicide, if they are impaired with a terminal illness that can not be cured and they are unlikely to improve, as mentioned earlier in the paper (Worsnop Assisted Suicide Controversy 405). Another big issue that comes up in the discussion of assisted suicide, is people wanting to die with dignity. Dr. Christiaan Barnard states, With an open-door approach to technical progress, with the emergence of candor in discussions of death-related subjects, with landmark changes in ethical and legal constraints to medical practice, I feel that society is ready to take a giant step toward a better understanding of the dignity of death-and the attainment of that dignity, if necessary, through euthanasia and suicide (x). Some people have even gone as far as believing that euthanasia is the only merciful thing to do when patients are suffering and cannot be helped (Euthanasia 53). People also believe that since sending criminals to prison is viewed as a positive idea, it should be acceptable to help those with terminal illnesses end their lives when they have done nothing wrong, but only want to help themselves (Barnard, C. 68). Another idea to think about when deciding if assisted suicide is a negative idea or a positive idea, is that people are afraid of dying alone. Patients already possess the legal authority to give up eating, or to refuse antibiotics or insulin. The only thing a patient now lacks is control over the exact hour of his or her death, making the patient unable to gather family, say good-bye, and then immediately die (Thomas 21). In a study done in Oregon, loneliness was also a factor in the assisted suicide of several patients. Of the fifteen people who took the lethal drugs, two were married, and nine were either widowed or divorced (Gardner 68). In Richard Worsnops report, he said that more people were afraid of abandonment then they were of death (Worsnop Assisted Suicide Controversy 411). Along with the many arguments for physician-assisted suicide, there are as many, if not more reasons assisted suicide should not be legalized and practiced. In the early years (1800s), it has been reported by Darrel Amundsen, that Christians invented suicide. They believed that by committing suicide, they would be able to reunite with the deceased, be rewarded as a martyr, and even be part of the highest spiritual state. This was stopped when Augustine said it was a sin; his idea quickly took hold and is accepted by Christians today (7-8). Amundsen also reports that Justin Martyr said, If we should kill ourselves we would be the cause, as far as it is up to us, why no one would be born and be instructed in the divine doctrines, or even why the human race might cease to exist; if we ourselves will be opposing the will of God (14-15). When dealing with religious beliefs the question of whose right is it to take a life will always come up. For those who believe in a higher power, they feel that only that power can take them out of life, while those without religious beliefs say it is their right to decide. Pro-lifers generally believe that human beings have no right to determine when a life is over; they feel that only God can decide that (Worsnop Assisted Suicide Controversy 412). In the book, Moral Issues, it states that, Man as trustee of his body acts against God, its rightful possessor, when he takes his own life. He also violates the commandment to hold life sacred and never to take it without just and compelling cause. (Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Moral Issues 291, hereafter known as Taking Sides) In one assisted suicide case, a man in Oregon was given the option to use a lethal dose of medications to take his own life, but he was a committed Christian and did not even consider the option. He became more independent with time, and became more dependent on God; his faith gave him the strength to resist the temptation of an escape (Gardner 68). One source feels that the communities should be the ones to decide whether or not physician-assisted suicide should take place, not the doctors, because people go to doctors to get help not to have them kill people (Fuller 12). Those people with religious beliefs also feel that life is still worth living, even if you cant do anything and have to rely on others. One source reported that, The press now refers to opponents of euthanasia as vitalists; the term stems from the word vital, which has a variety of definitions, one of them being characteristic of life or living being. The vitals earned their name because of their deep belief that life is so precious that it must never be ended other than by natural causes (Dolan 85). Some people would even go as far as feeling that people should not want to withdraw from life, when they still have the ability to interact, in any way, with their fellow human beings (Johnson and Koop 41). In another case of a man in Oregon, with Lou Gehrigs disease, the man had gotten a hold of a package of barbiturates and was ready to kill himself, when he realized that he was still living a valuable life, because he was capable of making the decision to take his own life (Gardner 70). The issue of becoming dependent on others during a terminal illness shouldnt make the patient feel bad because they have, most likely, helped someone out at their time of need (Parry 21). Physician-assisted suicide also goes against Gods plan of a natural death for some. According to one source, Euthanasia does violence to this natural goal of survival. It is literally acting against nature because all the processes of nature are bent towards the end of bodily survival. Euthanasia defeats these subtle mechanisms in a way that, in a particular case, disease and injury might not (Taking Sides 291). The source went on to say that, Furthermore, in doing so, Euthanasia does violence to our dignity. Our dignity comes from seeking our ends. When one of our goals is survival, and actions are taken that eliminate the goal, then our natural dignity suffers (291). Another source believes that if people believed that everything ended after death, then people would choose to prolong life (Johnson and Koop 40-41). The source went on to say that those who did believe there was something after death, they would go when their time arrived and not prolong, they would also believe that God planned their exit and that interfering would be wrong (40-41). The issue of involving another person in the taking of a life has become a valid part of anti-assisted suicide groups. In a video produced by Derek Humphry he informs that when a doctor is asked to assist a suicide, he has the right to refuse the patients request. If he refuses, he must discharge that patient from his care, and if he does not discharge them, it would be considered illegal (The Right to Choose to Die). When family members, friends, and lovers are asked to help people die, it is said to be one of the most agonizing decisions anyone could ever make, because if that person does decide to help with the death they have to live with the knowledge that they killed a loved one and if they dont help out, they live with the torment of watching someone suffer (Shavelson 33). A big argument against legalizing physician-assisted suicide is that it is not part of medical ethics and should not become a part. The appeals court noted that the American Medical Associations Code of Ethics declares physician-assisted suicide to be fundamentally incompatible with the physicians role as healer. The court then added a comment of its own: The physicians commitment to caring is the medical professions commitment to medical progress. Medically assisted suicide as an acceptable alternative is a blind alley. (Worsnop Assisted Suicide Controversy 397) The Slippery Slope argument was made against the legalization of physician-assisted suicide, and it says that there are certain situations when nothing should be done that is acceptable because it will only lead to a course of consequences that are not acceptable (Newman 3). Newman goes on to say that, Our attitudes toward the elderly, people with disabilities and the devaluation of individuals for the higher good of society should be reflected upon (3). The issue of pain being a part of the reason for people choosing assisted suicide is also argued against. One source says that, Pain is controllable. Modern medicine has the ability to control pain. A person who seeks to kill him or herself to avoid pain does not need legalized assisted suicide but a doctor better trained in alleviating pain (Key Points for Debating Assisted Suicide 1, hereafter known as Key Points). Richard Thorne, a physician in Salem, Oregon, tells that, As a physician, I was always taught to be a healer, Thorne says. Im sad and anguished that this chapter of medicine will come to an abrupt end unless challenges in the court overturn it' (Kellner 55). Doctors today are not ready to help patients end their lives and they are not ready to sacrifice their professional career because one patient is suffering with the medication that is available today. As one source points out, The doctor has to decide whether she is prepared to sacrifice her professional creed (and perhaps even her career) out of compassion for her patient (Medical Ethics 9). Many people believe that if physician-assisted suicide becomes legal, the relationship between physicians and patients will become unstable. One source states, In contrast, participation in the active taking of life, even if only by prescribing medications that a patient will self-administer, crosses a threshold and threatens the trust in beneficence that is the root of the physician-patient relationship. Our collective unconscious must already contend with living memories of the abuse of the physicians power, most notoriously in the Nazi medical experiments and in the Tuskegee project. (Fuller 11) Another reason physicians should not be granted this power, is because it would make society look at their physician as a killer instead of a healer, which would eventually ruin the relationship between physician and patient (Fuller 10). The Hippocratic Oath is another idea that is keeping doctors from believing assisted suicide is acceptable. Even before doctors begin seeing and treating patients, they must take an oath with says that they will do anything in their power to heal a patient and in no way will they lessen the amount of life the patient may have (Battin 17). You do solemnly swear, each by whatever he or she holds most sacred that you will be loyal to the Profession of Medicine and just and generous to its members that you will lead your lives and practice your art in uprightness and honor that into whatsoever house you shall enter, it shall be for the good of the sick to the utmost of your power. Your holding yourselves far aloft from wrong, from corruption, from the tempting of others to vice that  will exercise your art solely for the cure of your patients, and will give no drug, perform no operation, for a criminal purpose, even if solicited, far less suggest it that whatsoever you shall see or hear of the lives of men and women which is not fitting to be spoken, your will keep inviolably secret these things do you swear. Let each bow the head in sign of acquiescence. And now, if you will be true to this, your oath, may posterity and good repute be ever yours; the opposite, is you shall prove yourselves forsworn. (Hippocratic Oath 1997) This oath has been used and dated back to the fifth century B.C. and is given at the graduation ceremonies of most doctors entering the work force (Euthanasia 52). A strong argument against the legalization of physician-assisted suicide is that it will eventually get out of control, and possibly target certain groups in todays society, as mentioned earlier. According to one source, Euthanasia could and would be abused. Over doses of readily accessible laudanum, for example, could do the business of death without leaving a trace of evidence. Euthanasia would give rise to a sea-change of lessened care and concern for invalids. It would release social instincts of selfishness and cruelty toward helpless and vulnerable persons. It would undermine the care of the grievously sick and dying (Vanderpool 39). Vitalists fear that the acceptance of passive euthanasia will cause society to regard as less valuable the sanctity of human life. As they see it, ending the lives of the incurably ill could be just a step away from justifying the deliberate elimination of all people judged to be unfit by a society. The old, the unproductive, the mentally deficient, the physically weak-all could then become the victim.

Qu es Medicaid y quiénes pueden beneficiarse

Qu es Medicaid y quià ©nes pueden beneficiarse Medicaid es un programa de asistencia mà ©dica para los ms desfavorecidos que, en la actualidad, beneficia , aproximadamente, a ms de 58 millones de personas en Estados Unidos. En quà © consiste Medicaid Es un programa de servicios mà ©dicos en el que el gobierno federal establece las directrices sobre quià ©nes deben beneficiarse del mismo y cada uno de los estados y el Distrito de Columbia ejecuta dentro de su territorio, con sus propias variaciones. En este sentido, funciona muy parecido al programa de cupones de alimentos. El programa, que fue creado por el presidente L.B. Johnson en 1965, recibe fondos para su desarrollo tanto del gobierno federal como de los estados. Quià ©nes pueden beneficiarse de Medicaid Por decisià ³n federal deben estar cubiertos por Medicaid los ciudadanos y residentes permanentes legales que se encuentren en uno de los siguientes grupos y cumplen todos los requisitos legales: Los nià ±os de seis aà ±os y menos cuyas familias no excedan en ingresos el 133% de la là ­nea  de pobreza federal.Los nià ±os de entre siete y 19 aà ±os de familias con ingresos inferiores al 100% de la là ­nea de pobreza.En el caso de menores, es suficiente que ellos por sà ­ mismos sean ciudadanos americanos o residentes permanentes legales, sin que importe el estatus migratorio de los padres.Padres y madres con pocos recursos con nià ±os.Las mujeres embarazadas de familias con ingresos inferiores al 133% del umbral de la pobreza.Personas mayores muy pobres (senior citizens).Personas con incapacidades, como por ejemplo la ceguera. En el caso de los residentes permanentes mayores de edad rige por regla general el requisito de haber cumplido ya cinco aà ±os como residentes. Pero cada uno de los estados puede decidir dentro de su territorio ampliar la cobertura dentro de esos grupos determinados por el gobierno federal y comenzar a dar la ayuda antes, como, por ejemplo, el caso de Texas. Asà ­, es comà ºn que eleven el mà ­nimo de ingresos familiar por lo que ms personas reciben los beneficios de Medicaid. Por ejemplo, en el estado de Nueva York pueden solicitar Medicaid las embarazadas cuyos ingresos familiares no exceden el 200% del umbral de la pobreza. Como consecuencia de esta regla, ms mujeres en estado pueden beneficiarse en NY comparado con aquellos estados que apliquen la regla federal del 133%. Quà © no pueden hacer los estados No est permitido que los estados creen categorà ­as nuevas de personas que puedan beneficiarse de Medicaid. De este modo, ningà ºn estado podr ofrecer estos beneficios a personas de mediana edad que no son padres ni son mujeres embarazadas ni sufren de ningà ºn tipo de incapacidad, por muy pobres que sean. Quà © es la là ­nea de la pobreza Es una cantidad que fija el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos para determinar quà © personas tienen acceso a diversos programas federales. La cifra de la là ­nea de la pobreza es la misma para los 48 estados contiguos y el Distrito de Columbia, pero es superior para Hawaii y Alaska. Beneficios que se ofrecen en todos los estados por imperativo federal Servicios de atencià ³n de mà ©dico, enfermera y comadrona.Revisiones perià ³dicas para menores de 21 aà ±osHospitalizacià ³nAnlisis de laboratorioRayos XAtencià ³n mà ©dica en clà ­nicas comunitarias y ruralesServicios de planificacià ³n familiar y entrega de contraceptivos como la pà ­ldora Beneficios a mayores que ofrecen algunos estados Cada uno de los 50 estados de la Unià ³n Americana y el Distrito de Columbia deben cumplir con los servicios mà ­nimos establecidos por el gobierno federal. Pero adems pueden proveer con prestaciones extra, si asà ­ lo deciden. Entre los servicios que ofrecen algunos estados a travà ©s de Medicaid destacan: MedicinasVisitas al dentista y al oculista, asà ­ como pago total o parcial de lentesFisioterapiaConsultas de salud mentalCuidados mà ©dicos en hospicios y en el hogar En algunos casos tambià ©n se ofrece servicio de transporte para acudir a las citas mà ©dicas, siempre y cuando se solicite. Para saber cules son las condiciones de Medicaid en cada estado y circunstancias tales como nivel de cobertura y requisitos de copago se puede consultar el mapa interactivo de la Fundacià ³n Kaiser y pinchar encima del estado de residencia de la persona interesada en conocer esos datos. Tips Las personas que han firmado un Affidavit of Support en favor de otras pueden verse obligadas a responder por un determinado tiempo por à ©stas. Y aunque en teorà ­a podrà ­an beneficiarse de Medicaid, lo cierto es que en la prctica puede que acabe pagando el firmante de la Declaracià ³n jurada de apoyo. Si recibes Medicaid u otro beneficio considerado como means-tested (cupones de alimentos, etc) o ests pasando por una difà ­cil situacià ³n econà ³mica podrà ­as calificar para una exencià ³n para no pagar por ciertos trmites migratorios (no todos). A tener en cuenta Embarazas, lactantes, nià ±os, infantes y mujeres que han tenido un bebà © hace menos de seis semanas podrà ­an calificar para ayuda alimentaria nutritiva mediante el programa que se conoce como WIC. A la hora de aplicar, el estatus migratorio no se tiene en consideracià ³n.

Evaluating the Use of E-Commerce in a 'Brick and Click' Organisation Essay

Evaluating the Use of E-Commerce in a 'Brick and Click' Organisation That Balances E-Commerce with a Continued High Street Rrese - Essay Example The business model of the Argos Company is built around three foundations. These include Argos strong information technology and communication systems, the company’s multi channel approach and finally the organization’s efficient supply chain management systems and alliance with UPS. The company has designed an integrated multi channel systems for consistent communication and distribution across traditional street stores, website, television, telephone, mobile devices etc. For this purpose, Argos has created click and collect online service, text and take home SMS service, ring and reserve telesales service, and Argos Direct home delivery service to ease consumer shopping experience. The E-business strategy of Argos is both businesses oriented and consumers focused. Both suppliers and consumers use the same web platform for transaction and trade. This is because Argos’ e-business supports and promotes the secure transaction through 128 bit SSL. This feature of Ar gos entails modifications for supply chain in e-commerce and it has surfaced as a channel of distribution for inbound and outbound logistics. This role has emerged in addition to the communication role of e-commerce between the company and customers; however, this also has further extended to interaction between suppliers. Moreover, the e-commerce is now deemed as a channel which contributions are surpassed from generating online sales to generating traffic to the street stores. Evaluating the Use of E-Commerce in a ‘Brick and Click’ Organization That Balances E-Commerce with a Continued High Street Presence Introduction This paper is an evaluation of e-commerce practice by a click and mortar company. The organization which is chosen for analysis is Argos, which is a UK based company. The paper studies and analyzes the business model and electronic business strategy of Argos, and determines how the company plans and executes its online business strategy to sustain balan ce between its online sales channel and offline counterparts. It also identifies how the organization, Argos, has designed and aligned its strategic business objectives in leveraging the broad commerce activity, i.e. assessing its business activity online and across the offline stores. Background of the company Argos is a UK based retail division of Home Retail Group, established in 1973. The group owns two separate divisions of Home Retail and Argos. Argos is a preeminent catalogue based retail chain which has both online and offline store presence of over 700 stores across UK and Ireland. The Argos catalogue comprises general merchandise products across a diverse assortment of categories such as furniture, sound & vision, photography, baby products, Do It Yourself goods (DIY), PC & games, personal care, garden & pets, household appliances, home wares, sports & leisure, toys & games, office, and jewelry & watches. The contemporary business orientation of the retail organization of Argo had historical foundations in traditional catalogue business which operates through telesales; however, today the customers’ base at Argo has provided a wide multi channel commerce facility for order placement through telephone, physical stores, electronic online stores, mobile phones, and social media. The organization Argo is a team of around thirty thousand people

Marketing in Practice Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing in Practice - Case Study Example Global scenario of Confectionary industry: The confectionary market consists of chocolates, gum, cereal bars and sugar confectionary. The global confectionary market grew by 3% in 2006 to reach a value of 100.9 billion dollars. Chocolate sales dominate, accounting for 54.4% of the global confectionery markets value. Out of total confectionary market worldwide, Europe generates 46.6% of the total global confectionary markets value. It has been projected that in 2011, the global confectionary market will become to the value of 116 billion dollars, an increase of 14.9% since 2006. By the year 2011, the global confectionary market is forecast to have a volume of 15.1 billion kg, an increase of 9.9% since 2006. (All the data has been extracted from the Data Monitor report on global confectionary, Feb 2008). The confectionary market in regions such as Western Europe and North America has become mature and nearing to saturation. Consumption level in these areas reached to nearly static posi tion. Confectionary market is growing mostly in Central and Eastern Europe, India and China. It has been forecasted that global confectionary market between 2006 and 2010, grow @16% in value terms reaching more than 145 billion dollars. Volume sales have been expected to over 17.8 million tones by 2010. So it has been obvious that globally, confectionery market is expected to grow and Cadbury being the largest company after merger with Hershey it has strengthen their respective positions in the higher-growth markets for healthier forms of confectionery. Confectionary market worldwide is very competitive and it could be very well understood by the fact that the global confectionery market remains relatively fragmented, with the top six manufacturers accounting for less than half (45%) of value sales. Significance for Cadbury: The Company, Cadbury Schweppes is one of the largest confectionary companies based in UK and operates in almost 30 countries. UK has a well grown confectionery industry as a sub-sector of the British food industry. Within the European confectionery industry, the UK confectionery industry leads the field and the UK is unlikely to lose its place as the leading consumer of confectionery products. It has been estimated that in the last ten years consumer expenditure on food has increased to double but the expenditure on confectionary has tripled. It has been contributing considerably to British economy. This situation clearly shows that if Cadbury has to expand its business, it has to move in the areas like India, China, and East Europe etc. Market of confectionery is growing but in the developed country where market growth has stagnated, companies are trying various strategies like expanding its business in the areas which ultimately providing them proper oppor tunities to grow. Cadbury have 8 major competitors but one of the major competitors has merged with it and provided strategic mileage to the company. This market research has shown the direction of change as well as the direction of progress for Cadbury. It should know its competitors, which are mainly Mass Inc, Hearshey Food Corporation, Nestle SA, Ferrere etc. Most of the companies have similar types of distribution channel and developing new product range. Looking at the market situation it has been very obvious that confectionary market has the potential to grow and at the same time companies also have motivation and zeal to move ahead. 2.

William Faulkner: The Postmodern Perspective

William Faulkner: The Postmodern Perspective Many critics consider William Faulkner a modernist writer, citing the time period between the 1930s and 40s as the era in which he wrote himself into and out of modernism. Indeed, Faulkners novels during these years reflect many of the typical aspects of modernist literature, and it is incontrovertibly innovative and unique. However, Faulkner appears to be doing more than what the Modernists were employing at the time, especially in the context of his experimentation with language. In fact, the great Southern writer appears to more so on the road to Postmodernism in his later works than anything. During this period between the 30s and the 40s what critics call Faulkners modernist epoch his writing also seems to flow with Lacans poststructural theories of language. Beginning with The Sound and the Fury in late 1929, Faulkner begins his journey through the Lacanian Mirror Stage, aware of the linguistic Imaginary. His effort to craft the imagined world of Yoknapatawpha reflects his ea rly Modernist self in Lacans Imaginary order stage, marking his uncomfortable attitude towards his alienation from the South he once knew. Quentin, whom most critics see as a double to Faulkner, is the incarnation of Faulkners attitude, and his multiple appearances in Faulkners novels marks the stage in Lacans process of linguistic development each time. The age ends with the authors fulfillment of the Lacanian journey, with nowhere to turn but back. Absalom, Absalom! and Afternoon of a Cow prove Faulkners acceptance of the impossibility of Lacans Real, highlighted by a writing style which could be characterized as transitionally postmodernist. Faulkners modernist/postmodernist identity crisis between the 30s and 40s occurs during the authors Lacanian development in language and thought, ending with the recognition of literatures inability to break the symbolic ceiling. While it would be incredibly shortsighted and undoubtedly wrong to refer to The Sound and the Fury as underdeveloped and not modern, the novel is nevertheless Faulkners most immature piece of literature in the context of Lacanian development. Here, Faulkner begins his troubles with language as he is initially trapped in the Imaginary stage. John T. Irwin, in his essay on Doubling and Incest in Faulkners literature, suggests that Faulkner created the character of Quentin as an unconsciously double of himself. Irwin purports that Faulkners own comments about the novel support this parallel between him and Quentin, especially his recognition of his own failures in literature and fate to retell the same stories (Irwin 280). While most critics point to Caddy as the focus of the novel because of her role as the absent center, a Lacanian reading of the text implies that the absent center is actually Faulkner himself since he puts so much of himself into Quentin (and some of the other charac ters as well, though it is most prevalent here). Quentins chapter, which becomes progressively more self-reflexive and anxious, reveals Faulkners own worries and discontent with language. It ends with his ultimate alienation from everyone and everything Quentins suicide which is how Lacan explains the mirror stage as ending. Lacan describes the completion of the mirror stage as the formation of the Ego through subjectification, during which a person undergoes a conflict between his or her own perception of the self and the actual self through experience Lacan refers to this result as alienation (Evans 110). Quentin has undergone this discovery of his own reality that which others have defined him to be and his perception of himself. As Irwin suggests, It is tempting to see in Quentin a surrogate of Faulkner, a double who is fated to retell and reenact the same story throughout his life just as Faulkner seemed fated to retell in different ways the same story again and again (Irw in 281). His death signifies Faulkners assessment of his own fate. He predicts literary failure for himself due to the inability of language fully express everything he attempts to convey. This marks Faulkners first encounter with the futility of language, and his first step in Lacanian development. Through this inner conflict, Faulkner associates with Quentin, and other characters like him. Indeed, he puts a part of himself in every character that he creates, but characters like Quentin best serve as literary representations of him when considering his troubles with language. Lacan holds that in the beginningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦we exist as part of one continuous totality of being. In this early stage of development, we experience noà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦sense of difference, and, precisely for this reason, the [subject] has no sense of a separate identityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦there is no I and no other, and, Lacan insists, the two concepts come into existence together (Duvall and Abadie 98). Faulkners state at this point in his literary development is such as Lacan defines it. He has no sense of difference between himself and his work, and therefore he meshes himself with Quentin and his other characters. However, his own repressions appear in Quentins thoughts and words, and Faulkner is unaware o f the amount of similarities between himself and the character. Faulkner revised the introduction [to The Sound and the Fury] several times. In its final version, in which Faulkner doubles Quentins own words in the novel: So I, who had never had a sister and was fated to lose my daughter in infancy, set out to make myself a beautiful and tragic little girl' (Irwin 283). It is clearly through his own connection with Quentin that he learns how to connect with this novel, but the relationship that he develops with the character ultimately blurs the line between himself and Quentin. Faulkner can see the gap between language and reality, but he cannot seem to assure the differentiation between himself and his creations. A year later, Faulkner published his next novel, As I Lay Dying, in which he continues the linguistic struggles and development with the Bundren family. As Terrell Tebbetts suggests, each of the Bundren children suffers his or her own issue with language: Cash can only express himself through lists and figures, and though he seems perceptive at the end by explaining what happened to Darl, Cash recognizes Darls problems with language but presumes that they the fault of Darl, not language (Tebbetts 128-130). But it is better so for [Darl]. This world is not his world; this life his life (Faulkner 149). Cash speaks with a perception that is Faulknerian, as it reflects William Faulkners prediction of his own fate. In this novel, he connects most with Darl through their shared discontent with the shortcomings of language. Darls linguistic troubles are the most serious, as he isolates himself through his inability to express his feelings. His problems cause him to lose his identity, repeatedly asking things about himself such as who am I. Early in the novel, Vardaman asks what Darls mother is (Vardaman describes his mother as a fish), and Darl remarks that he does not have one. I havent got ere one, Darl said. Because if I had one, it is was. And if it was, it cant be is. Can it?' (Faulkner 58). Darls concept of language is that it describes reality, and only reality. He perceives that he does not have a mother because she is dead (hence, the was), yet what he really means is that he no longer has a mother. However, he gets so lost in his attempts to conceptualize this that he arrives at the decision that he does not have a mother. As alluded to earlier, these troubles affect his own identity. I dont know what I am. I dont know if I am or not. Jewel knows he is, because he does not know that he does no t know whether he is or not. He cannot empty himself for sleep because he is not what he is and he is what he is not (Faulkner 46). Darl has entered the mirror stage along with Faulkner, and he is thus aware of the conflicts between his own perceptions and the perceptions of others. Darl is highlighting the gap between the signifier and the signified in language, as Lacan calls it. Darl is our brother, our brother Darl. Our brother Darl in a cage in Jackson where, his grimed hands lying light in the quiet interstices, looking out he foams (Faulkner 146). He has been incredibly objective internally, seeing himself in an omniscient, third-person perspective, but this is a result of the inability to reconcile the real him and the him that others perceive him to be (the Lacanian signifier is their Darl, the signified is the real Darl). Therefore, he becomes the best example in the novel of a character that, by passing through the mirror stage and entering the Symbolic Realm, alienates himself completely (even within himself). Darl is also, then, the most connected with Faulkner, since he becomes aware of the failure of language to ever say what one means (Duvall and Abadie 39). Darl reflects what his mother discovered much earlier: words are no good; that words dont ever fit even what they are trying to say at (Faulkner 99). Addie also saw the gap between experience and language, which proves Coras statement that Darl has the most in common with Addie, but her troubles are more connected with the patriarchality of language, and therefore not as connected with Faulkner as Darl. Also, Addies death is another example of what Faulkner sees as the futility of efforts to connect reality and language. Likewise, despite Darls evolution from the Mirror Stage into the Symbolic Stage, his fate commitment to an insane asylum provides more evidence to prove that Faulkner saw no way to prevent these linguistic troubles from alienating and ultimately destroying his characters and himself. Therefore, Faulkner is still undoubtedly a Modernist at this point, as well as underdeveloped in the progression of Lacanian development, because he sees no escape from such a fate at this point. He would say that language is a hindrance more than a help. Darl masters lan guage internally, but he cannot apply it in reality, thus showing the gap between language and experience a modernist idea: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the wholeness of the image threatens the subject with fragmentation, and the mirror stage thereby gives rise to an aggressive tension between the subject and the image. In order to resolve this aggressive tension, the child identifies with the imageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The moment of identification, when the subject assumes its image as its own, is described by Lacan as a moment of jubilation, since it leads to an imaginary sense of masteryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦however, this jubilation may also be accompanied by a depressive reactionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Evans 115) While Faulkner would not have known the psychological theories of Lacan, the characters of Quentin and Darl seem to fit the characterization of these issues well. However, these two characters are unable to come to terms with their image. While the end of Quentins chapter does not end with his suicide, we learn later that he takes his own life because he foresees no escape. Likewise, Darls uncontrollable laughter at the end of As I Lay Dying is his moment in which he has the opportunity to identify with one part of his fragmented self but proves unable to do so. Darls problem is also left unsolved, as his internal self argues within, demanding an explanation for his false triumph. They are both aware of their precarious states with language. Additionally, the mirror stage is where the subject becomes alienated from itself, and thus is introduced into the Imaginary order. Clearly both characters have entered this stage and find themselves completely alienated from themselves and the w orld. Terrell Tebbetts claims that Vernon Tull is the only character in the novel that can come to terms with this problem, resorting to the constant use of like in his descriptions and an employment of similes while talking (Tebbetts 130). Tebbetts is misled, however, because Tull is actually a Modernist character. By using similes to draw comparisons between things he is attempting to define, he is still grasping for the ideal that Modernists spent their careers trying to reach. Instead, a Postmodernist would take advantage of language rather than constantly highlight its failures (as I will discuss later). Tebbetts believes that Vernon Tull is Faulkners way of saying that the way out of the problem is acceptance, but the solution is more complicated than simple recognition. Besides, characters like Darl, Addie, and Quentin all understood the gap between language and reality, which drove them to their own forms of alienation. As I Lay Dying also features a level of intended humor that is classified as dark, or black, humor. One of the best examples of dark comedy in the novel is when we find Addie Bundren propped up on a pillow in order to watch as Cash constructs her coffin. Then [Addie] raises herself, who has not moved in ten daysà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦She is looking out the window, at Cash stooping steadily at the board in the failing lightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦He drops the saw and lifts the board for her to see, watching the window in which the face has not moved (Faulkner 28). This moment evokes immediate laughter because Cash, the oldest child of the family, seems like a proud pet retrieving its catch of the day for his master. Likewise, everyone sees the grotesque and gaunt figure of Addie rise as if from the dead in order to view her burial chamber and then return to her former position, seemingly in approval. Even more dark comedy lies in Faulkners intended criticism of the other characters views toward each o ther. Every character that makes a negative comment about another is later shown to be hypocritical, being strange and quirky in his or her own way. Elements of Faulkners early novels, especially As I Lay Dying, show that the author was on the road to self-reflexivity and metafiction. Much of the Addie chapter, through its hypercritical look at the failure of language, is self-reflexive because it is actively commenting on the words and ideas presented in the novel, yet the self-conscious elements seem only present through implication. Faulkner never reaches his potential (or becomes fully aware of what he was doing) with the element of self-reflexivity until Absalom, Absalom! and Afternoon of a Cow. In his novels until then, Faulkner also had a preoccupation with what Modernists referred to as the attempt to make it new, trying to experiment with literature and attempting things unseen before. He is first in the Mirror Stage, looking at the traditional novel with its content, form, mimetic philosophy of language, and decides that he needs to break from tradition. Then he enters the next stage the Symbolic and attempts to creat e new and modern literature. While in this stage, though, he realizes the futility of language, and that everything he attempts fails. Faulkner repeatedly tries to achieve literary transcendence, but all he writes is merely a symbol of what he truly intends. It is not until Absalom, Absalom! that he not only accepts his state and failure, but he knowingly plays with the postmodern techniques and ideas. In the novel, Faulkner uses language to do what Lacan says it does reflect the condition of the alienated subject, the fractured self (Moreland 47). Nothing Faulkner attempts attains the literary transcendence for which he has been searching, and so he realizes this, comes to terms with it, and makes fun of this problem. Faulkners movement through the Lacanian linguistic progression led him prematurely to postmodernism. While he thought he was being modern by experimenting, he was actually employing many elements that surpassed the realm of modernism. As I Lay Dying was his first clear transitional work, in which it marked a road from modern to postmodern literature, as the novel hinges between the two genres itself (although, as mentioned before, it should be classified as a modern text if it must be categorized. Faulkner resists many of the modernist techniques and philosophies, but his break from the movement was not clean, as he continued to inscribe them. Patrick ODonnell agrees with this, aware of the presence of transitory texts: Yet, there are moments in the works of the high-modernist authors I have mentioned that work beyondà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that rupture its bonds (ODonnell 34). His example from Faulkner is the way in which some of his novels attempt to shatter the connectionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦bet ween attempting to transcend the past, and being condemned to repeat it (34). This struggle with the past no longer seems to be an issue once Faulkner writes Absalom, Absalom! although it had been a focus of his earlier novel, The Sound and the Fury. ODonnell agrees that the later works of William Faulkner present more significant breaks from modernism, suggesting that Go Down, Moses is actually a postmodern rewrite of Absalom, Absalom! (36). However, Faulkners work after that became much more conservative, reverting to the modernist tendencies which he displayed at the beginning of his career. Even a quick reading of Absalom, Absalom! in comparison to Faulkners early novels reveals large differences between the styles. Much like his presentations of characters in previous novels, Faulkner puts elements of himself into his characters; however, in this novel, he purposely employs a self-reflexive concentration in order to create metafiction. It is here that Faulkner stops concerning himself with epistemology and instead with ontology. Faulkner operates the text differently in Absalom, Absalom! in the way that he exerts absolute control over every aspect of the story and creates a commentary on language and fiction. ODonnell refers to Faulkner not as the author of the text of Absalom, Absalom! but as the unseen drop that falls into a pool of water and gives rise to a series of ripples, borrowing from Quentins own words in the novel (Weinstein 31). In other words, he becomes the catalyst for the things that naturally occur. Faulkner puts enough of himself into the novel that e verything he has put into place takes over for him. From this, he no longer stresses or frets over the futility of language; instead, he allows it to take over. The metafictional aspect of Absalom, Absalom! lies in the unique structure and writing style. Unlike his previous endeavors, Faulkner dares to tell a story within the story a story about storytelling. The act of telling a story is artistic because the narrator imposes his or her own will upon it, and it is therefore subjective as well. Previously he is unaware of the subjective nature of language, and now he not only accepts it, but he employs it as well (his primary narrator has a subjective viewpoint unlike what he has done previously). His approach in this novel allows him to have fun with it, thus achieving postmodern status and completing his Lacanian development. Examples of the metafictional aspects in the novel appear most often during the sections focusing on or narrated by Quentin and Mr. Compson. In chapter four, Mr. Compson tells his son, people too as we are, but victims of a different circumstance, simpler and therefore, integer for integer, larger, more heroic and the figures therefore more heroic too, not dwarfed and involved but distinct, uncomplexà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦author and victim too of a thousand homicides and a thousand copulationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Perhaps you are right. Perhaps any more light than this would be too much for it (Faulkner 90). This is perhaps the most problematic examples of metafiction in the novel because of its focus. While, indeed, it involves Mr. Compson commenting on literature through criticizing a story, it is also taking a Modernists perspective. Faulkner, through Compson, is calling for a return to myth, arguing that the mythological stories of the past are uncomplex and do not suffer from the ambiguity tha t plagues modern literature. This focus on the importance of myths is a common concentration of modernist writers, as is the call to use these stories and make them new. Likewise, Compson seems to be hinting at the significance of this declaration and its symbolism rather than being direct about his point, and implication is the Modernists way of implementing metafiction. The only redeeming factor of the speech lies in his final words, using perhaps to signify his uncertainty, therefore offering a postmodern, skeptical perspective and rejecting absolute truth. The fact that the characters are actively telling the story of Sutpen and commenting on it at the same time is somewhat postmodern, as it is including and drawing attention to the author within the story. There are also times when the narrative from a character goes on for such a long time that the reader forgets who is telling the story, and at this point, the presence of Faulkner as a narrator begins to become more evident. It is also then that comments such as the speech from Mr. Compson take on new and deeper meaning, as the reader begins to associate Faulkner with these ideas more so than the characters. Another more complicated example of metafiction appears again in chapter four, as Mr. Compson says: We have a few old mouth-to-mouth tales; we exhume from old trunks and boxes and drawers letters without salutation or signature, in which men and women who once lived and breathed are now merely initials or nicknames out of some now incomprehensible affection which sound to us like Sanskrit or Chocktaw; we see dimly people, the people in whose living blood and seed we ourselves lay dormant and waiting, in this shadowy attenuation of time possessing now heroic proportions, performing their actsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦impervious to time and inexplicable. (Faulkner 102-103) Faulkner, once again through the mouth of Mr. Compson, is commenting on the state of literature, but more importantly, the uncertainty that literature creates as it all returns to mythology. As he suggests, we as readers have to realize that every story that is told is merely a representation of another, and each is also a mere representation of reality. This also gets back to Faulkners problem with language it never says what you want it to mean. However, it seems now that he has arrived at a fix for this problem The character of Judith, when discussing the story, remarks that words are mere scratches without meaning but it doesnt matter that it is so (Faulkner 131). This differs from the perspective of earlier novels characters because Judith both comes to terms with the meaninglessness of language and decides that it is no longer problematic for her. When asked if she wants Miss Rosa to read the letter, Judith replies, Yesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Or destroy it. As you like. Read it if you like or dont read it if you like. Because you make so little impression, you see (Faulkner 130). Clearly Judith recognizes the futility of language, but she also overcomes the problem, caring not whether Rosa reads the letter or not, because it will not make much of a difference either way. According to Tebbetts, Postmodernists see human attempts to describe and establish truth not only as futile but even as destructive (Tebbetts 131). In other words, if language is strictly symbolic, then it cannot lead us to truth . This comes from a poststructuralist view that truth is a transcendent signifier and does not exist (Lewis 96). The novel embraces this, and Faulkner no longer struggles with the uncertainty of language. Some critics see the novel as having a pattern of uncertainty, which is visible through its use of words like perhaps and maybe. Faulkner had been rejecting this in his earlier novels, but he is finally embracing it here. Faulkner also chooses to utilize the metafiction to inform the reader about his Lacanian journey with language. Lacan says that when the individual is able to split and repress a part of itself, it enters the symbolic realm. The subject becomes aware of its absent center but is driven by desire to fill the void of absence. For Sutpen in Absalom, Absalom! Faulkners momentary stand-in for the duration of this story his enlightenment moment occurs in Chapter Seven, when he is turned away at the planters house (Duvall and Abadie 47). Faulkner, looking back on the past, looks at Sutpen in his Mirror Stage and shines light on his own. Before this moment, Quentin says that Sutpen was no more conscious of his appearanceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ or of the possibility that anyone else would be that he was of his skin (Faulkner 185). At this point, Sutpen has evolved into the Symbolic Stage, just as Faulkner does in his earlier novels. Faulkners style in the novel is more oral than literary, and the novel flows through thoughts and character dialogue that often seems like Faulkner himself is orally relating the story to his listeners. Critic Conrad Aiken agrees, calling his unique style grossly overelaborate and grammatically annoying (Aiken 135). However, Aiken claims that this proves Faulkners Modernist streak, which is, as proven thus far, shortsighted since Absalom, Absalom! is the authors most postmodern book. What he achieves through this style is the defamiliarization of language, blurring the boundaries of literature. It is these lengthy, seemingly never-ending sentences in the novel that reflect Faulkners aims. Likewise, he also enacts a tactic of delayed disclosure through this approach, starting a section of a story and abruptly stopping to digress onto something else. This way in which he withholds the points and meaning of his sentences, information about characters, and the continuations of half-finis hed stories is essentially Lacanian. A characterization of Faulkners novel as either modern or postmodern requires understanding of what it means to be a postmodern piece of fiction. Postmodern literature is often perceived as a reaction to Modernism, which numerous authors, poets, and scholars worried was becoming increasingly too conventional and traditional. Likewise, they often saw Modernism as an elitist form of writing, since it was usually difficult and obscure. They cited the many complex literary references as a source of this, and suggested that Modernism was catering only to the highly educated because of these references. Postmodernism, in response, frequently involves pop cultural references, including those to other postmodern works, popular art, television shows, politics, well-known historical occurrences, and movies. Postmodernism is also often jumbled with fragmentation, but the use of fragmentation is much more severe than in Modernism, as there is sometimes no clear plot, characters sometimes seem po intless, the story is broken up and confused (often beyond repair). This extreme level of fragmentation is often used to make the point that literature is often more about what is under the surface, and that knowledge of a novels plot does not guarantee that a reader has gotten all meaning from the work. Even Faulkners avant-garde nature and separation from Modernism does not develop into what postmodern literature is known for. In order to answer the question of where Faulkner falls in the spectrum of modern and postmodern literature, one must turn to scholarship that identifies obvious postmodernism and determine if Faulkner lives up to the standards. Barry Lewis, author of Postmodernism and Literature, provides a great description of postmodernism as it applies to literature. He purports that the literature that best falls into this category was written between 1960 and 1990, and that anything before is transitory (Lewis 96). He suggests that the most important elements of postmodernity are temporal disorder, pastiche, comfortableness with fragmentation, looseness of association, paranoia, vicious circles, and language disorder (95-105). Likewise, Lewis also brings Jacques Derridas concept of play as a postmodernism technique. Instead of the modernist quest for meaning in a world of chaos, the postmodern author denies, often playfully, the possibility of meaning (98). As a result, the postmodern novel is often a parody of the modernist quest. Within Faulkners works, there are elements of each of these characteristics, but they all seem to appear faintly and fleetingly. For example, temporal disorder is overtly obvious in The Sound and the Fury because Faulkner blurs the line between all time past and present are hard to distinguish. However, as Lewis would agree, Faulkner does not achieve the degree of disorder associated with postmodernist fiction. Instead of recognizing that history repeats itself and that there are definite concrete moments in time, Postmodernists rather make all time vague and parody other works obsession with time (98). Faulkners Quentin in The Sound and the Fury would have been very Modernist in this category, since his preoccupation with time is ultimately part of what destroys him. However, Absalom, Absalom! removes this worry completely, being completely unconcerned about the passage of time since it does not matter. In fact, the novels structure, constant ly shifting tenses between present and past ever so seamlessly, is postmodern. Therefore, some of these postmodern qualities appear in the novel, but others do not. Another important aspect of postmodern literature that Lewis points out is pastiche, which literally means to combine and paste together multiple elements. Pastiche, then, arises from the frustration that everything has been done beforepostmodernist writers tend to pluck existing styles higgledy-piggledy from the reservoir of literary history, and match them with little tact. This explains why many contemporary novels borrow the clothes of different forms (Lewis 99). Although there are some critics who suggest that this is part of Faulkners repertoire, arguing that he employs this in Absalom, Absalom! there does not seem to be enough evidence to prove that he is actively making the novel parodic. Indeed, there are clearly elements within the story that suggest that Faulkner had the classic Southern gothic novel in his heard while writing it, such as the final conversation between Shreve and Quentin at the end: Now I want you to tell me just one thing more. Why do you hate the South? I dont hate it, Quentin said, quickly, at once, immediately, I dont hate it' (Faulkner 395). Quentin, who often represents Faulkner, may be repressing something, and it very well could be a shared feeling of Faulkner; however, there has not been enough legitimate evidence or scholarship to prove this relationship. Therefore, the novel is not a parody, which hurts its chances at being classified as a postmodern novel. Modernists treat fragmentation and subjectivity as existential crises a problem that must be solved, which their literature attempts to do. Postmodernists, however, believe that this issue is insurmountable, and the only reactionary action that is worthwhile is to play with the chaotic tendencies. In postmodern literature, playfulness becomes the major focus, thus making any order or incontrovertible truth highly unlikely. Faulkner, at least in his early works and Absalom, Absalom! does not seem to venture very deep into this playfulness. Indeed, there is definitely a presence of this in Absalom, Absalom! but it never reaches the extremeness that other major postmodern works achieve. Compared to a work like Kurt Vonneguts Slaughterhouse-Five, Faulkners fiction does not stand up in terms of where it falls on the modern/postmodern scale. The first chapter of Vonneguts book begins by saying, All this happened, more or lessIve changed all the names. I really did go back to DresdenI went back there with an old war buddy, Bernardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Vonnegut 1). The author blurs the line between where his influence ends and where the narrator (who is, in other words, understood to be separate from the author) begins. The first chapter seems more like a preface by the author, or a later comment on his novel that should come after the text; instead, Vonneguts first course of action is to set himself up as both the author and narrator. It is clearly postmodern because he is forthright about it instead of implying the blurred line. I would hate to tell you what this lousy little book cost me in money and anxiety and time. When I got