Literature

In the poems  When the Somber Slaughterhouse Opens Its Caverns of Death  by Andre Chenier and  The Village Bell  by Alphonse De Lamartine, the poets use symbolism to illustrate the human condition and the freedom of death. Cheniers piece uses the imagery of a slaughterhouse to show the dehumanization of human life as a mechanism which frees us from the restraints of death, while de Lamartine uses the image of a village bell as symbolic  of a kind of spiritual death toll that is equally universal. Both concentrate around the concept of the fallibility and mortality of human life, and highlight through their use of symbolism the fleeting nature of existence and the very personal and transcendent nature of death. Through their understanding of death they foster a sense of renewal in life itself embracing the individual life as a precious thing that is enhanced in the awareness of death.

Andre Cheniers poem uses the powerful imagery of the slaughterhouse and the combination of denial and awareness that accompany the presence of death. Seeing the slaughterhouse for what it is, a house of death, which provides purpose and profit from one of the most basic of human realities, highlights the impersonal yet universal experience of human death. The use of the slaughterhouse as a central idea in the poem is of particular importance because it is an obvious symbol. There can be no misunderstanding in the purpose of a slaughterhouse, as noted before it is a house of death but more importantly it creates a business of mortality. In the inner workings of a slaughterhouse create a distance from death as a spiritual cataclysm, breaking death down to a basic physical transition. Its presence in Cheniers imagined community, allows the people to live side by side with death while stubbornly refusing to make themselves a part of it and continuing the business of living.

Chenier clearly illustrates how community and the individual intersect and divide over the reality of death in the opening lines of his poem. The entire community is aware of the death happening in the slaughterhouse, man and animal,
Shepherds, dogs, the other sheep, the whole farm
Is no longer concerned with its fate.
The children who followed its sporting in the plain,
The maidens with lovely complexions  (ll. 3-6).

This awareness of death enhances their understanding of life through association, reminding them of their mortality  but giving reassurance in the fact that it is not their own death they are experiencing. While life can be felt from within the context of a larger community, seen in the daily actions and collective mentalities of life in large groups, death is universal and individual. The sheep that are herded into the slaughterhouse, to be killed and quartered, go in the doors as a group and their collective cry falls on deaf ears. There is denial in the actions of the townspeople,
Who crowded about to kiss it, and on its white wool
Tied knots of ribbons and flowers,
Without thinking of it further, eat it if it is tender,
Buried in this abyss (ll. 7-10).

There is no doubt in the details of this poem that the fate of these animals is unknown, however, by denying the fate of these sheep the people can deny their own fate. When their deaths are realized, they become part of another reality, and transition into a byproduct of life and lose their individuality. Chenier senses a universality not only in the realization of death but also its reception. His own fate, he comes to understand, is linked to the deaths of those sheep in the slaughterhouse. In societys reaction to death, part acknowledgment and part denial, the individual becomes lost,
Let us become accustomed to neglect.
Forgotten like me in this frightful lair,
A thousand other sheep, like me  (ll. 12-14).

Death becomes a matter of rote, to be forgotten behind closed doors, and the victims of human life become one in their shared experience.

Despite the dehumanization of the individual and the failure in confronting the connectedness of life to death, Chenier does not condemn this reaction. There should be a separation between life and death, because to be too concerned with death is to avoid the full benefits of living,
They were right to live.
Live, friends, live in contentment.
In spite of (Fonquier), be slow to follow me  (ll. 15-17).

In many ways the life the person will leave behind should be nurtured rather than the memory of their death. Here we can see the twofold manner in which Chenier uses the slaughterhouse, that at once negatively and positively portrays the mortality of human life. Humans are all just part of a larger construct, where at times the individual is lost in the masses. On the other hand, the impersonal nature of the death of the sheep illustrates a detachment that allows for the co-existence of life and death in the memory of an individual. While death retains its reality, through not dwelling on it in life but allowing for its inevitability the individual can more fully realize the potential for life while they are still fully part of it.

Just as the slaughterhouse is an obvious reference of death, the solemn toll of the bell in Alphonse de Lamartines poem acts as a universal symbol of mortality. The bell, reminiscent of John Donnes  Meditation 17,   The bell doth toll for him, that thinks it doth,  is a connection to a common metaphor even now used to symbolize death. Speaking to the child, who symbolizes youth, de Lamartine professes to love the bells  mystic voice that is faithful to death  (ll. 4). For him, it is a pure symbol that, like the slaughterhouse, does not cater to a sentimentality of death but rather a constant reminder of its existence. As a music of death, it is a background noise to life as the two are inextricably woven. Like the transition between individual notes in the song of the bell, the punctuations of life and death stand both alone as cycles of individual humanity and collectively as a song of nature. Life as we understand it cannot exist outside the context of death death however, can and should exist separately from life. Our deaths and the mortality of loved ones, should not act as a deterrent to a full enjoyment of life.

In fact, de Lamartine presents death itself as a kind of prison, a loss of freedom that can never be regained, with mourning an even worse fortress of unhappiness. As he illustrates in the third stanza of the poem, he wishes his death not to be an occasion for individual martyrdom in mourning,
Do not go begging tears from the horizon
But put on your festival voice, and ring over my tomb
with the joyous noise of a chain falling
On the free threshold of a prison  (21-24)

Life itself is to be lived and the sounds of death should be a reminder to live life to its fullest. While the sound of the bell is music to his ears in many respects, a companion to which he can count on in his daily errands, it is also a betrayer of unhappiness. It acts as a call to life and to death, a simultaneous symbol that serves both purposes in this poem, to show the drawing darkness of dwelling in death and the joy of release.

In the song of the bell, de Lamartine hears a celebration and lamentation for life that underlines the constant presence of death as a background to the functions of life. While the mechanics of human death can sometimes be brutal and are often, in the end, practical and devoid of humanity in its most obvious sense, they are rituals through which the commonality of mans end become part of living. Such rituals can be seen as indulgent of death, forcing a connectedness between the living and the dead that ultimately undermines the beauty of life. In describing his own impending death and the handling of his remains, De Lamartine does not mince words or evoke complex symbolism or language to describe deaths impersonal and dehumanizing mechanics,
when plowmen carry within my bier
The little of my dust that is to remain here below ...
when hired mourners, a cold and banal escort,
Deposit my sleeping body beneath the gate (ll.13-14  16-17).

To view the rituals of death as more important than the continuance of life, to dwell in the sadness of mortality is to deny one of its most important ideals to truly understand life we must accept death as part of it. By showing making the scene of his own burial a cold and impersonal affair, de Lamartine illustrates physical death as a mere trifle. Buried in the ground is not life but the shell by which it navigated its brief existence. In this way, there is no need for sadness in the confrontation of physical death nor should it be viewed as an ending. Instead, in experiencing and confronting death, humanity transcends to a new concept of life that is enriching in its acknowledgment of its temporary nature.

Much as Chenier encourages his friends to look beyond his death, to the joys and moments of living, de Lamartine stresses an acceptance of death. More so than Chenier, de Lamartine looks at the individual freedom inherent to death, whereby the chains fall away  on the free threshold of a prison  (ll. 24). Death is a turn in the spiritual cycle begun at birth and continued after, as we move from the confines of our physical bodies and transcend to a higher place of being. The sadness of the bell is a reminder but equally misleading symbol of death, that drapes this move from the temporal to the corporeal with its own black cloths. In mourning death, the process of human life as more than a simple physical existence becomes undermined and the continuance of life devalued.

Central to both poems is the idea that death must be realistically embraced death is neither shameful nor inhumane but instead a fulfillment of the cycle that is life. In the commonality of the symbols used to represent death, the slaughterhouse and the tolling church bell, both Chenier and de Lamartine are seeking to redefine the way in which we approach the notion of dying. Namely, they wish to transcend thinking of the notion altogether, to dwell in death is to commit a kind of suicide against your own happiness. For those who are buried in the ground, mourned from above, death is both a freedom and a prison. No longer can they enjoy both the debauched and pure reasoning of being alive, so in a way they are imprisoned in their own mortality. However, I think Chenier and de Lamartine strive to illustrate that death itself is nothing but nature carrying our spirit to another level, it is not to be feared or dwelled upon. It is an inevitability from the day we are born. Both show in the poems that to die is to transcend the dehumanization of society and to embrace the full spiritual and physical possibilities of life. Seeing physical death as impersonal ritual, enriches rather than denotes the concept of spiritual life. Physical death is the culmination of physical life by which man must transition before he can move to another spiritual plain. In this way, death is beautiful and simplistic, a compliment of life rather than a tragedy. For those left behind, death should act as an re-enforcer of life. Through death, man can recognize and embrace the full physical and spiritual possibilities of individual life.

Muslims believe in submission to Gods will as dictated by the Koran, which contains the Islamic laws. Unlike the Christians who emphasis on the right doctrine, the Muslims emphasis on the right action. As a sign of faith, the Muslims base their belief in one God, his prophet-Mohammed, and the Koran, which acts as the source of Gods revelation. The Quran spells out directives against certain practices such as fornication, female infanticide, murder, exploiting the poor, theft and false contracts  (Arberry, 2001).
             
Gambling and alcohol is also prohibited since they make men to sin, and Satan gets the opportunity to incite hatred and enmity when a person is under the influence of intoxicants. The moral guideline of the Koran is to lessen or redefine existing practices rather than abolishing or replacing them. According to Islam, faith is essential in portraying commitment and faithfulness in spreading and reaffirming Sharia, which acts as Gods law for general Islamic community.
         
The Muslim faith further emphasize that breaking the law in an offence against God and the entire society, and the crime is punishable in this  and the next life. Muslims legal rights and tasks are classified under two broad categories. First, Muslims are required fulfill the five pillars of Islam which include profession of faith, prayers, almsgiving, fasting and pilgrimage. Second, they are required to serve others through commercial, penal and family laws. The five pillars act as the core or the basic denominator of the Islamic faith. In conclusion, the Islamic law acts as law as well as a system of ethics (Arberry, 2001).  

St. Augustines Confessions provides an account of his spiritual and philosophical development. Divided into different sections, the text provides an in-depth account of Augustines internal struggles not only in defining the terms of his faith and his religion but also in determining the relationship of both the soul and the body in determining an individuals relationship with the divine. His importance in medieval literature can be traced to his inclusion of both classical and medieval topics in his text (Hyman  Walsh, 1983 Cooksey, 2006). In the case of Augustines Confessions, the text is notable for the following reasons (1) its discussion of both the will and passions effect in human action and (2) its discussion of both the will and passions relationship to the problem of evil (Augustine, 2009).

The text provides a more expanded and versatile understanding of the problem of evil as opposed to classical texts such as Platos Republic as it assumes that evil is not merely caused by ignorance as Plato argued or darkness residing within ones soul as the Manicheans argued but  is due to an individuals inability to commune with God (Augustine, 2009). He argues that the cause of evil is the wills separation from God (Augustine, 2009). Such is the case since even if one wills to do good, if one refuses to commune with God then it is impossible for an individual to follow his good desires and intentions (Augustine, 2009).

Augustines Confessions thereby manifest the conditions in his time as the inner spiritual conflict that he narrates in his text also mirrors the social and cultural conflict that occurred during the period. It is important to note that Augustine existed during the initial growth of power of the Christian religion. It was thereby a period wherein individuals were forced to shift from a Roman to a Christian worldview (ODonnell, 2001). His internal struggle in his Confessions provides an example of both the internal and external struggles experienced by individuals whose social and cultural conditions shifted from one which glorified the human being to one, which glorified the divine.

Allegory was an established feature of Elizabethan life, and was mentioned by a range of contemporary literary commentators. As Sir John Harington emphasized in the introduction to his translation of Orlando Furioso (1591), the honeyed sweetness of the verse is not where the underlying meaning of an Elizabethan text is to be found, and those of stronger stomachs should look beneath the surface to digest the allegory.

Traces of allegories being employed on the English Renaissance stage include the plays of John Lyly, personified figures such as Rumour in the plays of Shakespeare, the stage directions in Wilsons plays, the administrative papers that describe the symbolism of Gorbudoc, and occasional accounts of audience reactions to plays like The Cradle of Security or the political allegory in The Game at Chess (qtd. In Hudson 3)

A Midsummer Nights Dream is a comic play penned by Shakespeare in the Elizabethan era when allegorical plays were used to amuse the spectators as well as provide a commentary on any situation in indirect and subtle meanings. A Midsummer Nights Dream is a play that is an allegorical discussion of the Roman and Jewish war of 66-73 C.E.

In1998, Patricia Parker, an expert on the play presented to the world that the play contained religious allegory. She debated that every character in the play is inter linked and a part of the complete bigger picture. Titania(Titus Caesar) is fighting Oberon (Yahweh) , god of Jews who  has come from India. Titania has stolen the Indian changeling boy (the Messiah) from the Jews and his mother Virgin Mary (votaress). The flower of love-in-idleness is an allegorical implication to the Gospel which has made people love BottomPyramus, an indication towards Jesus. Oberon decides to take revenge and with the assistance of Puck or Robin Goodfellow, both words which are understood in English literature to mean a mischievous spirit or in this case the devil (Parker n.p), Oberon (Yahweh) gives the flower (Gospel) to Titania so that she falls in love with Jesus (BottomPyramus), an implication that the Jews did not want to be considered as a sect that followed Jesus but also wanted its spread in the entire Roman Empire. The Romans persecuted European Christians after the Great Fire of Rome since Nero had blamed the fire on Christians to avoid blame and responsibility (Tacitus 44)

As in the war, Titania (Titus) orders cutting of the limbs of the bees (Macabees, a Jewish family whicg rebelled against the Romans). The later part of the play where the Mechanicals decide to present a play between BottomPyramus and Thiesbe(Church) which is again an indication in medieval allegory as Jesus and his wish to unite with the Church. The play also mentions that Pyramus and Thiesbe met through a hole in the wall which is an allegorical implication to the partition between the Earth and the Heavens which will finally come down on the Last day or the Apocalypse.

As for the lovers in the play namely Helena, Hermia, Lysander and Demetrius the difficulty in forming correct unions can be an allegory of the lovers as the four elements of the planet, Water, Air, Fire and Earth. Hermia is Fire since her eyes are fiery stars. Helena is allegorically Water since her eyes are always filled with tears, Lysander is Air and Demetrius is Earth, adamant like a stone (qtd in Hudson 8)
Oberon is allegorically portrayed as a jealous God . Oberon is the Indian king from whom Titania has stolen the boy which is another point in the direction of the Roman-Jewish war which Titania (Titus) fought against Oberon (Yahweh) upon Jewish insistence on monotheism and their insistence upon refusing Caesar as divine.

In order to release the fairy queen, Oberon recites the charm Dians bud over Cupids flower (IV,i,72). Dians bud is also known as Wormwood and in the Gospel of Matthew (2734) the figure on the cross is offered gall or Wormwood to drink which is a convulsive poison. Having been tricked into falling in love with BottomJesus, the identity of this herb suggests that Titania is now killed and resurrected as a compliant soul. In the death scene of Pyramus he is stabbed in his side and there is reference to dice playing die,die,die. This scene is between two mentions of the word Passion, pointing to the Passion Story which is the term used by the Church to notify the death of Jesus. Just as Jesus dies for the love of Church, Pyramus dies for the love of Theisbe (qtd in Hudson 26)

Another allegorical mention is that when Titania (Titus) stole the boy (Messiah) from Oberon(Yahweh), she dotes over him and makes a wreath of flowers for him symbolizing the crown of thorn worn by Jesus which was placed over Jesus head before crucifixion.

Thus the above paragraphs mention the several allegories which are used in Shakespeares comedy play titled A Midsummer Nights Dream and their interpretation in modern times as a religious allegory.

Thesis Statement
The identification process of the true cause of the Lyme disease and the accurate diagnostic tools of the causal organism has significantly increased the knowledge of the disease since 1975. Several treatments are being developed and novel drugs are still in the pipeline. Thanks to the women of Connecticut and the doctors who led to the discovery of the bacterial cause of Lyme infection.

Causes of Lyme disease
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by bacterium in the genus Borrelia generally known as spirochete although the bacterial species in Europe and United States tend to differ. The bacterium causing Lyme infection in the United States is Borrelia burgdorferi while that in Europe is Borrelia afzeli .the host organisms of the bacteria causing the infection are ticks which harbor spirochetes in their stomachs. These ticks are usually found on deer which serves rather as an intermediate host. Two types of ticks have been identified to cause Lyme disease in the United States the deer ticks and the western black-legged ticks (Nick, Stephen, 2004). The former type of ticks is typical in the Northeast and the Midwest of the United States while the latter is predominant along the Pacific coast particularly in the Oregon and northern California. The identification process of the true cause of the Lyme disease and the accurate diagnostic tools of the causal organism has significantly increased the knowledge of the disease since 1975. Several treatments are being developed and novel drugs are still in the pipeline. Thanks to the women of Connecticut and the doctors who led to the discovery of the bacterial cause of Lyme infection.

Lyme infection occurs only when the ticks bite the skin to permit bacterial entry otherwise without any skin bites on the body, infection is not feasible.  The infection cannot be spread from one person to another by contact it is not a contagious disease and healthy individuals are never exposed to any risk when they touch the skins or fluids of infected individuals. The infected individuals may complain of skin problems which might present some abnormalities. The paining of the joints is also not unusual and there could be some cardiac function interferences commonly represented as inflammation of the heart tissues and arrhythmias (Boltri, Vogel, 2002). Cardiac arrest may also occur due to a simple bite from a carrier tick. The nervous system of the infected individual has some aberration meaning that some sensory and motor functions in the diseased cases are not fully normal.

The cause of the disease was only identified in 1975 in Lyme, Connecticut. The discovery followed several complaints from the women of Lyme living close to each other that all their children had tested positive with the rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis. The researchers of Connecticut were challenged in their unusual identification of the disease which appeared to represent rheumatoid signs. Doctors finally identified the exact cause of the infection in the children of Connecticut as bacterial. The condition was later in 1982 renamed Lyme disease and was treated appropriately not as rheumatoid arthritis.

It was then established that ticks are carriers of the Lyme disease pathogen and they harbor several bacteria in their stomachs. The ticks therefore act as vectors which transmit the pathogen to healthy humans through bites. The epidemiology of the disease in an area will therefore depend on the population of ticks that is present and the frequency of bacterial infection of the ticks by the pathogen. For instance, in particular areas of New York which experience several cases of Lyme disease infection, more than half of the total tick population are infected with the Lyme disease causing spirochete. The disease is more predominant in the northeastern parts of the United States although it has also been reported in all the 50 states in the United States, (Ekins, et al, 1999, p.4). The disease is also common in Europe, china, Australia, Japan and other parts of the former Soviet Union. The disease is mainly contracted in the United States primarily in the Northeast from the Maine state to Maryland. It is also contracted in the Northern California and the West in Oregon and in the Midwest in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Treatment of Lyme disease
Lyme disease being a bacterial infection is effectively managed using antibiotics. Although it has been argued that the response of Lyme disease to antibiotics is poor, the lack of the disease in the patient in the first place should be blamed. It might be caused of misdiagnosis of the disease and if there is no Lyme disease in the patient, how can it be expected that the patient responds to antibiotics meant for Lyme disease

Interventions into treatment of the disease have been thorough and doctors have come up with specific treatments for specific stages of the disease such as late or early and the part of the body of the affected patient. Oral medications are recommended for early stages of the disease and patients can have doxycycline antibiotics, amoxicillin or even cerufuroxime axetil can have good result in illnesses which have not advanced. Early stages of the disease can present as a bulls-eye skin rash which often develops around the area of a tick bite (Karen, 2003). In this case, medical attention should be sought as soon as possible and the patient should be put on the antibiotics, amoxicillin or doxycycline and the condition always vanishes within a week or two without long-term complications. Howver, later stages of infections presented by the nervous system infection may require administration of intravenous medications such as ceftriaxone and penicillin G.

Lyme disease can be a very painful experience among the patients. Pain management is therefore an important aspect in treating the infection. Pain medications are not meant to kill the causal pathogen but to relieve the patient of the pain. Oral medications such as ibuprofen have shown great efficacy in reducing inflammation and also improving function. From a simple tick bite, a patient can develop swollen joints due to Lyme disease, (Reed, 2001, p.545). The swollen joints may require a doctor to remove them through a procedure called arthrocentesis. In this procedure, fluid is removed from joints where a swelling is seen and this process requires utmost sterile conditions when using needles and syringes for aspiration. This procedure is usually done in the offices of doctors or technicians with exceptional experience.

The arthritic condition may however proceed even with appropriate administration of antibiotics. In fact, other researchers have pointed out that the inflammation of the joints can persist even after fully eradicating the Lyme bacteria. Some of the explanations which have been put forward to explain the persistence of the Lyme condition despite the eradication of the causal pathogen include the immunological arguments. Researchers have blamed the autoimmune response to be responsible of the continued arthritic condition such as the inflammation of the joints which is initially evoked by the original infection by Lyme bacteria.

Another possible way to manage Lyme disease is the prevention part of it. since it is already established that the ticks are responsible in causing the disease, it is of importance to embrace the techniques which ensure that tick-bites are kept at bay. These techniques should be applied especially when visiting tick infested areas. The spraying of insect repellant chemicals containing N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) onto the parts of the body that are exposed. Individuals in risky areas can wear long pants which can also be tucked into the boots. Long sleeved shirts can also be worn to protect the hands from tick-bites (Nick, Stephen, 2004). The clothing, pets and the children should be regularly be checked for ticks and the bathing and thorough washing of clothing after visiting tick infested area can help prevent the tick-bites and the transmission of the Lyme disease.

Efforts to develop appropriate vaccines for Lyme disease have not yielded potential results. Prior to 25th February, 2002, there were vaccines in the market until LYMErix TM was withdrawn from the commercial medical shelves by its manufacturer. There have not been major developments of a vaccine for Lyme disease despite the advanced technological advancement in the area of immunology and bacteriology. It should be a challenge to medical researchers to come up with a vaccine to protect humans from the dangers of Lyme disease (Boltri, Vogel, 2002). More than three decades down the line, there has not been an effective vaccine for the management of the disease. The similar effort that was shown by the doctors of Connecticut in the identification of the Lyme pathogen should be applied in the development of the vaccine that will protect human cells from the Lyme bacteria.

Causes and effect of smoking has been the subjects of various researches as it is a public knowledge that smoking causes a variety of diseases in addition to lung cancer. Coldez and Hunter (2000) affirmed that it is not surprising should smoking be a cause of so many different types of cancer (p. 7). Coldez and Hunter asserts that inhalation is a very effective way of distributing chemicals throughout the body (p. 7) while tobacco smoke is believe to contain some fifty chemicals that are known to be carcinogenic in animal experiments. But what is really the cause and effects of smoking remains the subject that demands verdict in order to finally address the health issues confronting this subject.

Causes of smoking
What are the causes of smoking Most studies done on the subject show that smoking causes cancer and various diseases which may rightly be true as many health care professionals confirm that health hazards brought by tobacco smoking. These hazards include cancers of the mouth, lip, oro-and hypopharynx, esophagus, pancreas, bladder, kidney, and stomach to name a few. Apparently however, these are effects of smoking and most studies are concerned on the effects of smoking than most authors are on the causes why people smoke.

Viscusi (2002) cited that people who smoke are aware of the potential hazards of smoking on health. One of the causes of smoking of however is the enjoyment of smoking or perhaps is the allusion that smoking enhances social position, that is, to look more mature while others smoke because they want to experiment. Generally however, most smokers started smoking when they were yet teenagers. Smoking had been identified with maturity and many young people smoke to appear they are already mature. According to Viscusi, smoking was once the norm among the U.S. adult population (p. 1) in which, one in five American adults smoke.

For adults however, smoking is connected to their attitudes especially when confronted by enormous stress and pressures due to economic difficulty. Indeed there may be countless of reasons why adult smoke despite they know the risk associated to tobacco.

According to Ernest Dichter, smoking is pleasurable, it is fun and it is way of relaxing one self for moment. As stated earlier, there are many reasons why people smoke, and these reasons seemed so important that despite the risk it bring, many teens and adult still smoke.

Effects of smoking
Effects of smoking on health are enormous. According to the information report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) smoking is the leading cause of death in the United States. According to the paper, the unpleasant effect of smoking accounted for about 443,000 deaths annually or nearly one of every five deaths, in the United States. The report cited that smoking raises the risk of coronary disease by two to four times. It also increase the chance to have stroke also by two to three times. Martin (2008) noted that in the year 2000, in the global level, smoking had been the cause of some 1, 690, 000 deaths

For developing cancer for men, smoking increase the chance to develop lung cancer by twenty-three times while for women it can cause to develop lung cancer by 13 times. Smoking can also cause death from chronic obstructive lung diseases by twelve to thirteen times.

On the chances of having cardiovascular disease, smoking is the leading cause of death. Cigarette smoking reduces circulation of blood by narrowing the blood vessels putting the smokers at risk of heart attack. The effect of smoking also causes abdominal pain due to deterioration or the swelling of the main artery of the body.

Other effects of smoking on health aside from cancer and cardio-vascular related diseases includes emphysema, bronchitis, chronic airway obstruction, infertility,  miscarriages, stillbirth, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome. There are more diseases caused by cigarette smoking which are deadly or lives shortening diseases yet smokers are willing to take the risk.

In view of the enormous effect of smoking on health, most government around the world prohibits the sale of cigarettes to minor but allows older folks and ban cigarette advertisements on print and broadcast media. Because of its deadly effect on health, most cigarette companies faces suit but it has become the choice of the individual to take the risks as its consequences are known.

The cause and effect of smoking therefore lies on ones prerogative, ones freedom to chose, on ones freedom to do what one thinks is best for him. Despite its health hazards, it remains afloat on the market because the government are getting huge amount of money in the form of tax and other charitable contributions of these companies to government programs. According to Viscusi, tobacco companies pay billions of dollars in the form of tax to the government.

The causes of smoking are preventable as well as the million premature deaths are preventable too. However, due to the amount contributed by these cigarette makes in the government treasury, cigarette smoking may not at all be root out from the society. Cigarette companies contributed some thirty-five billion dollars annually and employed thousands of employees. Thus despite of its effect, the government will continue to allow these companies operation producing and selling cigarettes world wide. Tobacco will remain the worlds number one source of diseases and death, but it will also remain number provider of funds for the government and jobs for the individuals. The cause and effect therefore of smoking is the government inability to control the production, sale and distribution of cigarettes in the nation.

Reading through William Shakespeares sonnets, one can easily notice how he compared women to nature, and how he looked at love as an eternal thing.

In sonnets 18, 20, and 130 for example, Shakespeare likened the beauty of a woman to nature and her character to the elements of it. The beginning line of Sonnet 20 goes like this A womans face, with natures own hand painted. This is just one of the several other lines in the above-mentioned sonnets which describe women. Ultimately, Shakespeare used his natural ability of playing with words to portray the image of a woman in his mind. On the one hand, how he looked at a womans character and personality is reflected in the following lines Shall I compare thee to a summers day Thou art more lovely and more temperate Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and summers lease hath all too short a date. (Sonnet 18) and A womans gentle heart, but not acquainted with shifting change, as is false womens fashion (Sonnet 20). In Sonnet 18, the implied meaning is that a woman, lovely as she is, can also be temperamental at times. But these mood swings, just like summer, are temporary and seasonal. Teachers taught us that womens tantrums and temperaments are caused by changes in their bodies and these are normal. Having known that, we can understand why they behave the way they do on certain periods of time. Amazingly, Shakespeare had already known this before and he was able to poetically put them into words. The particular line from Sonnet 20 simply suggests that women change their minds very often  one minute they like you, the next moment, they hate you. This behavior is somehow related to the changes that occur in their bodies, thus also a normal thing. Sonnets 29 and 116 speak more of love and how Shakespeare understood it. Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove O no It is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempest and is never shaken. These lines from Sonnet 116 speak clearly of how Shakespeare viewed love for him it is everlasting, unshakeable, firm, and could withstand anything. Reading the rest of the sonnet would support this claim. He even mentioned that love is not times fool meaning it doesnt depend on time for it to grow and flourish. Love is eternal. Its also something that inspires you and keeps you going. No matter how bad your situation may be, or no matter how gloomy you may feel, love is there to cheer you on and give you reason to smile once more and change your perspective. This is the content of Sonnet 29 Happy I think on thee, and then my state (Like to the lark at break of day arising from sullen earth) sings hymns at heavens gate).

Probably one of the most remembered and remarkable work of William Shakespeare is Romeo and Juliet, a story of a never-ending love, a love that goes beyond death. Perhaps the reason why it made such an impact was because Shakespeare really knew what love is and how expressed it in his writings made him an authority to the topic. Next to Romeo and Juliet are the sonnets, some of which were mentioned above, whose description on love and women and beauty are very clearly stated. Through his works, it is evidently seen that Shakespeare has a high regard and respect for women and in the same manner, he highly-valued love and sees it as something sacred and perpetual.

SirMadam
I am writing to you with the intention to seek for your support and assistance in our fund raising campaign. As you know, the American Foundation for the Disabled has always sought to find better options for children with physical abilities and helping them live better lives. The current endeavor showcases a program entitled Reaching out Boundaries, Running for a Purpose which would happen next week March 5, 2010. It involves participants running for the benefit of the Good Samaritan Program and generates funds for the provision of supplies among children who have little means to buy basic necessities such as clothing and school supplies.

Alongside our volunteers, we at AFDC and the Office of the Mayor can work hand-in-hand to handle logistical operations and marketing of the event. At the same time, we also seek your aide in handling the venue and coordinating with corresponding sectors that are relevant for this programs success. With your generous help, we can encourage the citizenry to run for a cause and their contributions (entrance fee) and donations would serve as the instruments in reaching out to these children in need.

By allowing this program to push through would prove to be beneficial and significant to the purpose of the Good Samaritan Program to fully expand our capacity to become responsible to the needs of our community and strengthen our responsiveness and accountability over social issues.
Hoping to hear from you soon

Your name

Secretary

Good Samaritan Program, American Foundation for Disabled Children

Impact of Cellular Phones on Shopping
Cellular phones have given individuals more flexibility through  increased connectivity and communication,  which further increases as the services offered through the cellular phones started to go beyond mere SMS and calls to include e-mail and Internet browsing (Deeter,  2009, p. 32). The use of cellphones, initially intended for business purposes, have also changed and proliferated different age groups to include even youth that made use of the cellular phones as social gadgets (Tamaru, Hasuike,  Tozaki, 2005). Increasingly, the presence of cellular phones is felt in the sphere of shopping as cellular phone manufacturers offer Internet browsing that allows users to do shopping in their mobile phones (Ozok, 2003).

From personal experience, the use of cellular phones has enhanced the shopping experience to the extent that it provided access to information and increased convenience. Mobile phones provides me with the needed information when I need to shop, such as store location, mobile discount coupons, and announcements for promos. The availability of GPS in my mobile phone also gives me greater mobility because I learn about the easiest routes to the nearest stores. Likewise, the availability of Internet in my cellular phone also gives me the chance to shop without having to go to a particular store. Several companies that do business online have already created mobile versions of their websites that allows users to navigate easily and offers the same features as the non-mobile version. The use of Internet as a shopping option makes everywhere a shopping place for me and saves me travel time, especially when it is not needed. Lastly, mobile phones allow me to communicate my feedback to the merchants that sold me goods, whether online or in physical stores. There is no need for me to call through a telephone as a simple text message would already do.

Indeed, cellular phones have become a tool that expands the reach of people beyond geographic and time differences. It is a cost-saving device that has taken over socialization, business, and shopping. For me, it has helped in increasing access to information and serves as a more convenient means of shopping for goods.

Change is inevitable in the lives of human beings, the circumstances in which an individual is leading hisher life in present times is bound to change in the future. The ability to accept changes in ones life is significant for an individual to adapt himselfherself to the various circumstances in hisher life. If a person is unable to accept the changes that have occurred in hisher life or the society in which heshe is leading hisher life, it may have a detrimental effect on the thinking and behavior of the individual. The short story A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner depicts the troubled state of mind of the protagonist who refuses to accept the changes in her life. The protagonist, Emily Grierson is so attached to her past that she fails to take notice of the changes in her present life.

The story opens with the narrators words regarding Emilys death and her isolated life. The conversation that takes place among the people gathered for the funeral brings forth the
kind of life led by Emily, and also provides the reasons for the recluse life led by Emily. Emily refuses to accept changes in her life and therefore she is unable to connect with her society which
has undergone numerous changes. The first instance, where Emilys failure to accept changes in her life is perceptible, is during the death of her father. She told them that her father was not dead. She did that for three days, with the ministers calling on her, and the doctors, trying to persuade her to let them dispose of the body.  (Faulkner). Emily refuses to accept that her father has died and therefore forbids the people from carrying her fathers body for burial.

Emilys denial to accept changes is noticeable once again when the city authorities pay a visit to her house to collect taxes from her. When asked by the city authorities to pay her taxes, she replies, I have no taxes in Jefferson. Colonel Sartoris explained it to me. Perhaps one of you can gain access to the city records and satisfy yourselves. (Faulkner). Colonel Sartoris has told Emily that she had no taxes to pay after the death of her father, for her father has lend some money to the town and the town would return that money by remitting her taxes. As Emily believes Colonel Sartoris words, she never pays her taxes. She fails to realize that ten years have passed by since Colonel Sartoris has died. Emilys behavior and attitude is shaped by her past, and so she ignores the changes in her present. Like she refuses to accept the death of her father, she also insists that Colonel Sartoris is alive and the city authorities should meet him instead of asking her to pay her taxes.

Emilys death brings one more aspect of her life before the people, which reinforces the notion that she is unable to accept changes. When people enter Emilys house after her death, they find the corpse of her lover on her bed. Emily not only kills Homer but also sleeps beside his corpse till the end of her life. Emily is not ready to accept the fact that Homer Barron never intended to marry her. Emily had expected that Homer would propose her but when he failed to do so, she kills him and keeps his body near her in an attempt to save her life from being changed. Years of isolation has turned Emily into a depressed and eccentric woman who kills the man she loves so that she can have him forever. Her inability to accept changes results in a situation where she has to resort to killing Homer to have him in her life forever.

Emilys refusal to accept her fathers death and her rejection to pay taxes, points towards her repudiation of changes which have occurred in her life. She is unable to accept the fact that her life and society around her has changed a lot, and she should change her attitudes and behavior to lead her life in accordance to these changes. It is this refusal to accept changes that incites Emily to kill Homer and have his corpse beside her in her bed. As Emily is unable to accept the changes in her life and her society, she leads an isolated life. Emily clings so firmly to her past that she loses her grip on her present life.

Macbeth is an epic tragedy that delves on the remarkable pity and remorse of the main character which implicitly reveals its flaws as a human being. Macbeth, the main character in this epic, was first portrayed as a valiant soldier who has the perfect characterization of a real hero. Nevertheless, because of his great ambition to become a king, he was influenced to kill King Duncan in order to get the crown and glory for himself. This incident, though it makes his dream come true, becomes his worst nightmare as it brings more terrible situations in his life. At the end of his journey, he pays all the consequences of his acts but still ends his life as a valiant soldier.

Macbeth as an Admired Warrior
At the start, Macbeth is portrayed as a great man and warrior to his country. He is the hero of the people as he succeeded many battles in different places. He even considered as the subject of reward and recognition of King Duncan for his extraordinary knowledge and skills (Shakespeare 385).

For most people, Macbeth is a man who is a perfect model for inspiration and admiration. He was admired by the people because of his great courage and bravery. Because of his much good in him, Macbeth was expected to be far away from devoid of humanity and pity (Bradley 10). Even Duncan admired him so much for his bravery and courage. The king, in fact, gave him another kingdom and appointed him as the Thane of Cawdor (Shakespeare 387).

The Cause of Fallen
Though Macbeth was characterized as a valiant and brave soldier who is worthy to become a hero and model, he still became a conscious villain because of the various influences from his environment.

The main reason why Macbeth became a remorseful murderer and devilish tyrant from a perfect and valiant soldier is the evil that corrupts his mind.  Macbeths greedy and dark ambition was awakened because of his encounter with the witches. Through the intervention of these witches, he murdered King Duncan in order for him to realize his dream of becoming a real king (Shakespeare 384). In this characterization in the epic, there are a lot of reflections that can be seen which are indeed true and relevant to the life of the people in real life situation.

This situation, for instance, has perfectly showed the weakest side of Macbeth as a human being. If and only if he did not let himself to be tempted by these evils who made his mind rotten, he could have waited for the perfect time for him to be crowned as the king. The primary reason why the witches tempted Macbeth is because they want him to be defeated by his own hands. Looking at the embedded portrayal of the main character, Macbeth should have a perfect start and end if only he had resisted the temptation of these witches. Macbeth is a valiant soldier and if he could have been waited only for his turn, he could have been the king after King Duncan. But because of the intense will to power and control, he followed the advice of the witches to kill King Duncan in exchange for his crown as the king.

Another realization on the betrayal of Macbeth is that eventhough a person has a strong sense for goodness and morality, money and power can still change the mind and decision of that individual. Macbeth is a perfect example of this claim. He was portrayed as a strong and valiant soldier at the start. At the start of the epic, Macbeth was introduced as a great warrior and a great man. He is the hero of the recent battles and is the subject of the recognition from King Duncan (Shakespeare 386). But he became a murderer in the end because of his dream to become a king.

Christine Jorgensen was a revolution personified.
As a kid, George Jorgensen, Jr., was uncomfortable being around many people. He was a loner. Even as a child he felt that he was different from others. This feeling caused him to withdraw himself from the kids his age, who would always call him a sissy. He would rather read when all the other kids would play.

I remember that I anticipated school with a great deal of excitement, for my great ambition at that year was to learn to read. (Jorgensen, 1967)

George had only one friend, Carl who was also of Danish descent. George was able to identify himself with Carl and they fast became friends. Back then, George loved joining plays with Carl. Acting was one of the first things George felt comfortable doing.

Play-acting was fun and I could hide my shyness behind the faade of someone else, in a shining world of fantasy. (Jorgensen, 1967)

This shows how George was uncomfortable with the real world and that he would rather hide in a suffocating mask with a long rubber tail as Mickey Mouse than face the whole world as himself.
He projected an image of submission, but deep inside George was rebelling. He was once out on a boys summer camp, where there were rules and punishment for any deviation. George hated being told what to do. He hated conforming.

Camp Sharparoon was a typical vacation camp, operated in what seemed to me then a far too militant manner. The days schedule was posted each morning on a bulletin board, and although I was too young to read the notice in detail, I was sure in advance that I wasnt going to like the orders of the day. (Jorgensen, 1967)

Young George was very close to his grandmother. She was the only person who sincerely cared for and comforted George. She shielded George from the criticisms and rejection that he experienced at a very young age.

Georges sister, Dolly, was among the first to notice Georges queer tendencies. He described Georges mannerisms as girlish. As she was a young girl then, she too had doubts about her brother. In college she researched the effects of environment on a childs growth and development. Perhaps, she too was looking for answers. Georges parents were kind and loving, but they figured that something was different with their son.

In his autobiography, George describes his early years as overwhelmed with feelings of loneliness and seclusion. In a way he needed and enjoyed being alone. His narration was characterized by feelings of withdrawal from others company and happiness for being alone. He felt unaccepted which made him hide his true self more.

This feeling of rejections were further fuelled during his growing years. As an adolescent, he tried to drown his sad emotions by frequenting social gatherings. But as much as he tried to belong, he would often find himself alone in long walks along the beach. He would lie on the sand and look at the stars as if he wanted to be somewhere else.

 George developed a love for photography. Perhaps he loved how photographs capture precious moments and stops time. It encapsulates memories. Cameras, they say, see things that are not divulged to the human eye. Photographs, they say, do not lie. George captured in his photographs little truths around him as he had hidden and denied the truth about his sexuality even to himself.

That time George was in love with Tom, a friend from high school. He tried to deny it but his feelings were those more than friendship. George was upset when Tom was shipped to the South Pacific. But he thought that, like Tom, his feelings would just go away to a far place.

I remembered a passage from Daphne du Mauriers novel, Rebecca, which had so impressed me that I jotted it down in a small ruled notebook, that is still in my possession. If only there were an invention that bottled up a memory, like a scent. And it never faded and it never got stale. And then, when one wanted it, the bottle could be uncorked and it would be like living the moment all over again. (Jorgensen, 1967)

George studied photography and dreamed to work in Hollywood. But his dreams did not come that easy. After the war, he was recruited to the army, not as a soldier, but as an army clerk. His main task was to separate the veterans from the services and returning them to civilian life. Every day, George sorted files, separating which names to release and which ones to retain.  But what he failed to sort was his own self. George kept asking, what is feminine and what is masculine Where do I stand His feelings of confusion and distraught did not leave him since childhood, yet it grew as each day passed. The more he tried to conceal his feelings the more it tried to escape.

He was discharged from the service after 14 months of service. It was time to face the real world again. Back at home, he found himself two confidants, Helen and June. Both came from Europe, where people are more open to issues of gender and homosexuality. It took a lot deal of courage for George to open up. But again, George was left alone as June married and Helen returned home.

Feeling defeated once more, George decided to go back to New York, but met his Aunt Augusta. He found out a family secret that helped him with his decisions later on.

As I look back on the following days with Augusta, I realized how important they were to me, for I was learning that others had burden or problem they weighed on their life, too, and that their solutions lay solely within. (Jorgensen, 1967)

Back home, George caught up with a high school friend, Jim. That encounter reinforced his feelings towards the same sex. For a time, the dinner with Jim recurred to his thoughts over and over again. This frightened George as he thought that he might be headed for a heartbreak.

More and more, his desire to deal with his own sexuality grew. He came across readings about how different men and women are, chemically. He found out that genders are not so different after all except for some atoms found in the hormones. That was the time he played with the idea of taking female hormones.

He first bought prescription medicine and took the pills without any doctors advice. His continued use made him feel weird, but good so he continued doing so. He observed different changes in his body, that validated his thoughts about hormones.  He was on his quest to find a cure.

 He sought professional help and met with doctors. He went to Copenhagen to start the treatment and offered himself as guinea pig 0001. The quest was hard but each day, George felt closer and closer to being himself. His hormone treatment was continued under the supervision of Dr. Hamburger.
He wrote to families and friends, each letter different from the previous one. Georges tone became more enthusiastic, more excited. He was now filled with spirit and certainty.

He started undergoing operations. After the plastic surgery on his ears he said, Miraculously, the complex I had for years, disappeared overnight.  His appearance started to change. But changes were not only physical. George was transformed.

In a letter he wrote to his family, George said
I have changed, changed very much, as my photos will show, but I want you to know that I am extremely happy person and that the real me, not the physical me, has not changed. I am still the same old Brud. But nature made a mistake, which I had corrected, and I am now your daughter. (Jorgensen, 1967)

The letter was signed, Christine. His familys reply, We love you more than ever.
No one knew how but Christines sex change was leaked to the press. He was the headline of every newspaper. He thought that his life would begin to crash from there. The world would look down on him and scorn him as what he had done may be perceived as a sin to mankind and a sin to the Lord. He was not prepared for the worst.

Much to his surprise, the devastation he expected was the total opposite. Reporters were coming for an interview and stints were offered to him in nightclubs, theatres and even Hollywood. That moment was the first time Christine felt accepted.  

Christine was known to the world as the first to undergo sex reassignment. But more than that, Christine was a symbol of freedom. Christines quest was a fight for who she truly is.  It was a fight of courage. It was a battle won.

Each person is unique in one way or another and this uniqueness can be perceived by different people in different ways.  David Sedaris story Go Carolina is not really a story about being gay, rather, it is a story about being different and unique and how society puts much pressure on people who are different to blend in with existing social norms.

Reading the story, one would initially notice that instead of focusing more on the protagonists being gay, the author dwells more on the verbal lisp of the protagonist which dominates more than half of the entire storyline.  (Sedaris)   Knowing that all literature is intentional, it is therefore easy to conclude that the author did this for a purpose that being the intention to focus more on how the protagonist is different from the rest of society instead of zooming into the homosexuality of the protagonist and making this the main issue in the story.  We know this because while the story is apparently about a young boy who is treated differently because of his lisp it cannot be denied that this particular lisp of the boy plays an important role in setting him apart from the rest of the population so, the knowledge thus exists that using the lisp to achieve this in the story is an effective means of making the distinction of the young boy obvious, not only to the reader but to all the other characters in the story.

Therefore, aside from the lisp being an actual physical characteristic of the protagonist it is used in the story as a metaphor to represent how he is different from the rest of society.  This purposive skewing of the focus achieves for the reader a deeper sense of understanding for the plight of the protagonist instead of encouraging judgment because instead of making the audience focus on the superficiality of the distinctive trait of the boy the author is able to use this distinction to represent the intangible elements of the boys personality.  The only clue to the protagonists sexuality in the earlier part of the story comes in two lines, first, when the protagonist describes the fashion get up of the speech therapist in detail, as follows, wearing a dung-colored blazer over a red knit turtleneck, her heels sensibly low (Sedaris)  and second, when during a conversation about state athletics and the protagonist associates the teams with the color of clothes of those who supported these teams, thus saying, Those who cared about these things tended to express their allegiance by wearing Tar Heel powder blue, or wolf pack red.  (Sedaris)  These two initial lines suggest that the protagonist spends more time minding fashion and the colors of clothes, something a straight male would rarely do.  Making keen observations of fashion instead of dismissing these elements as insignificant is something that only two kinds of males would do  metrosexuals and gays.  In addition to this foreshadowing, the protagonist also hints on how society treats people who are different by saying,but there were names for boys who didnt like sports (Sedaris) euphemistically referring to judgments passed by society on people who did not fit the stereotype or did not subscribe to the social norm.  Nowhere in the story is homosexuality directly mentioned except towards the end when the reader realizes that the list of the protagonist is actually taken to be synonymous with homosexuality.  The rest of the story focuses on the verbal lisp of the protagonist and how he takes extra effort by attending his speech therapy sessions to attempt to fit into society and trick society into thinking that he was just like any other person.  What defines the story, however, is the fact that with something as minute as verbal lisp, society can pass judgment, which is better illustrated by how the teacher regularly announces to the class that the protagonist had to go to speech therapy sessions. (Sedaris)  This, as well, is an indication of how society will set a person apart or ostracize that person because of hisher differences.

Another point of interest in the story is the line, at least at home, where my lazy tongue fell upon equally lazy ears. (Sedaris)  Although seemingly insignificant, this line delivered by the protagonist, and coming from someone who had gone through so much just to fit into the mold society, suggests that at the protagonists home he is accepted for what he is.  At home, his family did not really mind if he had an s lisp, or wanted decoupage over athletics, or preferred to men over women  all that mattered to his family was that he was the person that he wanted to be.

In a different light, we see how a person cannot be changed by external forces when the person has already grown into or was born into a particular individual mold.  Hence, from this point of view, we find the protagonist struggling not to correct his lisp but rather to conceal that lisp good enough to make society believe that he was not really different.  However, in a final statement by the protagonist at the end of the story, he says, none of my speech classes ever made a difference. (Sedaris)  This final statement suggests that the protagonist was aware that no matter what he did, and whatever external changes occurred, he would still be gay thus, allowing the conclusion that society cannot change how a person is unique and different in some aspects and similar in some.  This final statement implies the truth that no amount of professional, therapeutic, or psychological intervention can change a person or force a person into the prescribed stereotype of society.  In the end, like the protagonist having to avoid words with s, the individual will have to cope with society, in one way or another, and exist as society would have it, but always drawing a line between superficiality and depth of personality.  It is on this level that I feel for the author of the text  because in one way or another, I am different from the rest of society, no two persons are exactly the same and as such, I agree with the author of the story that one should prioritize the intangible aspects of personality over the superficiality of judgment.

I made the opening statement clearer to indicate that in fact the piece was not about homosexuality but about differences in society. (revision 1)
I explained how it is possible and accurate to assume the writers purposive intention of using the lisp as a means of symbolizing the isolation and discrimination that the protagonist is experiencing. (revision 2)
I explained how the reader is able to achieve a deeper sense of understanding for the piece. (revision 3)
I explained how keen observations of fashion can often be construed as feminine instead of masculine. (revision 4)

(St. Francis Assisi Church, New York Father Laurences Chambers)

Father Laurence
Im sure that heaven is delighted that you two have decided to get married, my son, but Im praying that this wont end tragically.  You know how bad things are between your families. I still dont understand why your businesses have to compete so ruthlessly when you can cooperate.

Romeo
I know. But Im sure I want to do this. I can assure you Juliet thinks the same. Tragedy will come if it will, but the sadness that it might bring doesnt compare with being with her. It doesnt matter if we die tomorrow, our businesses fail or if we are disinherited because of this. We can move to California and start anew or even be farmers in Wyoming. I dont care. Im sure Ill be content whatever happens after you marry us. As long as Im with her, Im sure everything will be fine.

Father Laurence
You are being too hasty, my son. Listen, if you do things to rashly, things will end rashly as well. Think things through. Look, love is like a business decision. Correct me if Im wrong, but dont you think things through slowly when investing in the New York Stock Exchange As far as I know, and Im sure you know this more than I do, you dont just put in your money in something that seems too good to be true without studying it. The returns might look pretty upbeat until things take a turn for the worse. Its the same with love, my son.

Enter Juliet
Ah, Juliet. Youve finally come. You look very beautiful tonight.

Juliet
Good evening, father. Im sorry Im late. I just came from a family business meeting, and of course, the famed New York traffic. I just have to show myself there so my family wont suspect a thing.

Father Laurence
I was afraid this arrangement would come to nothing if you had been any later. The good news is that you came. I believe Romeo will thank you in behalf of the both of us for coming despite you busy schedule.
Juliet
I thank him as well for going this far and freeing-up his own schedule for this. Im sure hes also busy with his familys business affairs. But really, he thanks people too much. He really shouldnt thank me. I want this too. I wouldve asked for his hand too if I were the man.

Romeo
Juliet, Im you dont know how happy I am that you agreed. I can only hope you can feel the happiness that Im feeling right now. I cant tell you how much I love you so much Just being with you is like listening to the sweetest music or like tasting the sweetest, most expensive desert Serendipity has to offer. And to be married to you like this makes it a hundred times better than that

Juliet
You dont have to say these things to me, Romeo. If you really love me, show it. Dont say it. Ive had enough with the liars in the business world and I dont want you to remind me of those snakes. If you really love me, just show it. Its what I will believe. And as for me, thats how you will know that I love you. I wont tell you how much. I will show it. Because I believe when you really love someone, it cant be described in words. I know you love me, Romeo, so stop saying it and start showing it.

Romeo
Alright, I will.

Father Laurence
My son, my daughter, we can save your little banter for later. Right now, we have to finish what you both came here for. We are running out of time. Sooner or later, your families will start looking for you. If you want to be joined in holy matrimony, lets do it quickly, shall we

Romeo
Im sorry, father.

Father Laurence
Are you ready

Romeo and Juliet
Yes, father.

But here the timidity and awkwardness of youth and inexperience were still apparent and there was a feeling of embarrassment in the atmosphere, as if someone had just knocked at the door. Anna Sergeyevna, the lady with the dog, seemed to regard the affair as something very special, very serious, as if she had become a fallen woman (Chekhov 1527).

I chose this passage because here, Chekhov shows the confusion between Anna Sergeyevna and Gurov as natural and even anticipated Gurov, with his rich experience and dozens of women in his past does not at first consider his love affair with Anna Sergeyevna as serious. As such, the feelings that he is destined to experience at later stages of their relationship reflect his gradual moral and spiritual transformation and his recognition of the young womans feelings toward him.

Gurov told himself that, when you came to think of it, everything in the world is beautiful really, everything but our own thoughts and actions, when we lose sight of the higher aims of life, and of our dignity as human beings (Chechov 1528).

I believe that these thoughts for Gurov signify his gradual transition from the routine materialistic attitudes to life toward higher aims and beliefs. Actually, the whole Chekhovs story is about the conflict between Gurovs materialism and Anna Sergeyevnas romanticism  idealism. Under the influence of his new love affair and the young woman, Gurov is finally given a unique opportunity to re-evaluate his desires, actions, and his dreams about the future. This passage contributes to the overall picture of Gurovs character and the tortures, through which he is bound to go because of his feelings to Anna Sergeyevna.

He began to judge others by himself, no longer believing what he saw, and always assuming that the real, the only interesting life of every individual goes on as under cover of night, secretly. Every individual existence revolves around mystery, and perhaps that is the chief reason that all cultivated individuals insisted so strongly on the respect due to personal secrets (Chekhov 1534).

Gurovs love affair with Anna Sergeyevna becomes so serious, that it turns into a double life for both of them. Anna Sergeyevna tells her husband she goes to Moscow to consult a specialist on female diseases, and she and Gurov secretly meet at the Slavyansky Bazaar. I think that this is where Gurov comes to realize the real essence of his relationship with Anna he is neither willing to make this relationship public, nor is he prepared to break his ties with Anna. To me, Anna Sergeyevna and Gurov exemplify the hypocrisy and falsity of the society, to which they belong.

Arthur Rimbaud Barbarian
I chose this poem because it is equally fascinating and confusing. This poem for me creates a picture of wholeness and reveals the hidden poetic emotions. Repetitive delights and blazing coals create a dubious feeling terror and admiration. The bleeding meat on the silk signifies the inevitability of losses on ones way to triumph. Finally, that Rimbaud begins and ends his poem with one and the same word banner creates a circular vision of the poem and I can see myself in the center of this circular poetic universe.

Charles Baudelaire Windows
Baudelaires poem Windows resembles a short story but I chose it because it is a unique example of a prose poem. More importantly, the poem, which is expected to be an expression of higher emotions and motives, is used by Baudelaire as something earthy and even urbanized. A middle-aged woman, who is already lined and never goes out, looks too commonplace to ever become an object of the poetic description. But I have a feeling that these are the simplicity of language and the lack of sophisticated descriptions that make Baudelaires style recognizable and unique.

Paul Verlaine Moonlight
Verlaines poem for me is the most romantic and the most musical of all three discussed in this journal. The three stanzas are written around the three different rhythms where air boon moon sets jets. The poem is overfilled with romance and the beauty of love. It is easy to read and understand. The metaphors reinforce the sense of romanticism and associate Verlaines poem with spiritual illuminations.

Aggression in teens is caused by a number of factors. Some of these factors are hereditary while others are acquired during the individuals development. The environment in which the youth grows in plays a vital role in the personality. The environment shapes the character and mannerism of the adolescent. In adolescence, a teen undergoes several physical and psychological changes which can easily be influenced by the environment. Watching video games could have an adverse effect on the child aggressiveness.

Recent acts of extreme violence involving teens and associated links to violent video games have led to an increased interest in video game violence. Anderson and Bushmans (2001) meta-analysis suggests that violent video games, in fact, do influence aggressive behavior, aggressive affects, aggressive cognition, and physiological arousal. The biological and psychosocial changes of adolescence are associated with a peak in aggressive behavior during early adolescence, the exact period in which violent video game play is at its zenith.

In his study of the effects of violent video games on adolescents, S.J. Kirsh, Aggression and Violent Behavior 8 (2003) 377389,  the link between aggressions and violent video games in teens is understood. Theoretical explanations for the link between exposure to violent video games and aggressions have been posited using several classic theories of aggression. For instance, when applied to video game violence, Banduras (1986) social learning theory hypothesizes that exposure to video game violence would evoke behavioral mimicry, reinforce already existing aggressive habits, and increase internal arousal. In turn, this internal arousal could be interpreted as anger, which increases the likelihood of aggression. Playing violent video games, according to Berkowitzs (1984) cognitive neo-association model of aggression, should create andor activate networks of aggressive thoughts, feelings, memories, and beliefs. An additional explanation for the link between violent video game play and aggressive behavior comes from the literature on social information processing in aggressive children. Dodge (1980) contends that aggressive children act aggressively, in part, due to a hostile attributional bias. Social experiences, such as violent video game play, may lead to the formation of a hostile attributional bias. More recently, Anderson and Bushmans (2002) General Aggression Model (GAM) has been developed, in part, to account for the effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior.

Similarly, David D. Bartholow, in his study correlating the Consequences of Exposure to Video Game Violence Hostile Personality, Empathy, and Aggressive Behavior Researchers have long posited that repeated exposure to media violence may alter cognitive, affective and motivational, and behavioral processes in a manner consistent with desensitization. Repeated exposure to violent video games leads to increases in aggressive, antisocial personality traits. .

According to Bruce D. Bartholows Personality and Social Psychology bulletin, critics of the link between media violence and aggression (e.g., Freedman, 2002) have charged that long-term exposure effects are spurious, masking the effects of some unmeasured third variable, such as hostile personality (among other criticisms Huesmann  Taylor, 2003). Recently, Anderson and Dill (2000) reported a significant correlation between scores on a video game violence exposure (VVE) measure and indices of aggressive behavior and found that this association was robust to statistical control of other predictors, such as aggressive personality and gender.
 
Further research has shown that exposure to violent video games causes increases in aggression, but the mechanisms of this effect have remained elusive. Also, potential differences in short-term and long-term exposures are not well understood. An initial correlational study shows that video game violence exposure (VVE) is positively correlated with self-reports of aggressive behavior and that this relation is robust to controlling for multiple aspects of personality.  

Contrary to the analysis done by Cheryl K. Olson and Bruce D. Bartholow, Steve J. Kirsh says that the influence of violent video games as a function of developmental changes across adolescence has yet to be addressed. Cheryl K. Olson cites that the correlation between video games and violence is a recent affair. He says, violent video games are the most recent medium to be decried by researchers, politicians, and the popular press as contributing to societys ills.  
                            
Steve K. Kirsh notes that children have specific video games according to their ages. The proofs of these findings are supported by the dominance of violent video games being sold to adolescents. Dietz (1998) found that 80 of the most popular video games on the market today are violent in nature.
In conclusion, a childs development and growth is affected external and internal factors throughout the stages of development. During different developmental periods, the influence of violent video games plays a central role in the aggressiveness of the youth as analyzed by Steve J. Kirsh, Cheryl K. Olson and Bruce D. Bartholow in their studies.

King Oedipus by Sophocles is one of the greatest classical tragedies where he deals with the fundamental issues of human life on earth. This play is also famous for its use of dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is a literary device in which a dialogue or a situation is used to convey one meaning to the character or characters on the stage had a different meaning to the audience. In Greek tragedy, irony was frequently used to make their dramas interesting to the audience, because the audience knows what was going to happen. These dramas are based on legends and myths known to the audience, so the use of irony could captivate the attention. Thus a great master in classical literature Sophocles has abundantly used this dramatic device in this masterpiece King Oedipus to lighten the tragic effect of the play beginning to the end.

The story of King Oedipus is very strange. Oedipus has unknowing married his mother and killed his father although tried his best to avoid this calamity. Thus he is unfortunate victim of the cruel irony of fate over which has no control. So, we, the modern readers can in no way condemn him for this. Rather we feel sympathy for him. In fact, it is the brilliant use of irony, which highlights the weakness in Oedipuss personality and also foreshadows the tragic conclusion of the play.  

Sophocles was fond of irony because he made a very frequent use of irony in King Oedipus. In fact, in this play tragic irony is to be found in most of the speeches and in most of the situations. There are many occasions on which the audience is aware of the facts while the speaker Oedipus or Jocasta, or the Corinthian messenger, or the Chorus is ignorant of those facts. For instance, at the very beginning scene of the play we have a striking example of dramatic irony when Oedipus proclaims to trace the murderer of laius and curse him. To illustrate the idea we can quote the following lines.
                            If with my knowledge, house or hearth of mine
                             Receive the guilty man, upon my head                            
                             Lie all the curses I have lain on others( Watling, p-32)
Here Oedipus is cursing upon the man who committed the murder of king Laius. But he does not know that he himself is to become the victim of the punishment, which he is proclaiming.

Then the encounter, which takes place between Oedipus and Teiresias, is the most ironical incident in the tragedy. Teiresias is the prophet who knows everything. Oedipus appears to the prophet to exercise his power and give him the name and identity of the murderer of King Laius. He says that, who will disobey his command will be cursed by God. But, Teiresias does not like to disclose the secret that he knows. Then Oedipus becomes hot tempered and rebuked the wise old prophet-
                                  Insolent scoundrel, you would rouse
                                A stone of fury will you never speak(p-35)
Hearing this Teiresias can no longer remain silent and he reveals the truth You are the cursed polluter of this land(p-35). He asked him to accept the punishment that he has announced for the criminal. Then the reaction of Oedipus is one of the bewilderment and great shock.  Teiresias further reveals that Oedipus leading a horrible life of shame.

Tragic irony is also to be found in the scene with Creon. Creon begs Oedipus not to call him a traitor and to punish him with proper reason. But Oedipus blind by his authority and pride, turns him out.But in the final scene their roles are reversed. There Creon is the king and Oedipus begs him to look after his daughters and entreats him to pass the order of punishment against him.

There is also tragic irony in the scene with Jocasta. She says, no man possesses the secret of divination. There is palpable irony in Jocastas unbelief in oracles because at last she receives the truth of oracle very painfully.  

Thus throughout Oedipus there is an extremely clear picture of literary device which not only reveals the character of Oedipus but also heightens the tragedy of the play.

The novel was written in the seventeenth century by Mme De Lafayette, under the assumed name of Segrais.  It is a fact that the novel was semi-autobiographic in nature and this is the reason that the novelist preferred to hide under an assumed name.  The novel rings with the melancholy and sweetness of the character of the novelist.  She was also connected with the prominent women of her century and this too led to the writing of many works of art. The story is centers on a womans search for passion and fulfillment in the sixteenth century French royal court (Marie-Madeleine de la Fayette.2010).

Part I
Madame de Cleves the heroine of the novel, wants to spare the pain she would cause her husband if he knew that she did not love him but loved Monsieur de Nemours (Pearl.B.M.2006).Duc de Nemours is introduced as someone with great charm, so that even a one sided romance with Queen Elizabeth I is mentioned.  .  Another important character is the heroine itself.  She is introduced as the most beautiful of woman as in any heroine of European fiction. After her marriage with M. De Cleves, her husbands passion for her only increases. Then she meets with M. de Nemours.  She and Nemours fall in love at first sight.  She refuses to acknowledge this due to her devotion and commitment being held elsewhere.

Part II
The plot, of the next book starts with the story of Madam de Tournon, which serves as a forerunner to the main plot.  It is the same story extended throughout.  Their fates are similar and while one unfolds, the other is still budding.  Both are devoted to their husbands while their affections are diverted elsewhere (Pearl.B.M. 2006).  The prince says that he would give her advice as a friend, if her passions were else where.  Even though her passion for her lover is suspended for a time by the advice and death of her mother, it becomes ignited again, when the queen-Dauphin reveals that M. de Nemours is also keeping the love a secret and he had forsaken the chance of a crown for her sake (Brian .P.2010).  When the duke Nemours steal picture, the heroine sees it but declines to reveal it and pretends ignorance of it even from the one who takes it (Gutenbergs e-book the princess of cleves. 1996).

Later, there is an accident while the king and M. De Nemours try to break horses.  Trying to save the king, Nemours gets himself hurt and he recognizes the look on her face.  He is but disappointed to see pity on the princesss face instead of love.   The part ends with the love letter incident in which unknowingly the princess again displays jealousy for Nemours alleged love affair. When the Princes of Cleves shows jealousy on hearing that Nemours has a love affair Nemours is happy to see that she cares for him.

Later on, after being lost, Nemours ends up hidden in the house of the prince and princess and overhears them talking about her need for privacy from the courtiers.  Upon questioning she confides to the husband that she loved someone else.  But she refuses to give the name.  And soon by a clever trick he understands the man who had stolen his wifes attention, but the wife still wouldnt agree.  At home from the court both the husband and wife cry and swear faithfulness to each other. Nemours tells Vidame about the story in third person and this is discovered by the Princess of Cleves.  This is a revelation for her. Later, Nemours try again to see her at her house and M. de Cleves comes to know of it. It leads to a quarrel between the husband and the wife, and she retires to Couloummiers.   A spy reports M. de Cleves that Nemours had stayed within the house for two nights.  M. de Cleves is heartbroken at this and he believes that his wife is betraying him. He is struck down with serious illness. After being accused of infidelity his wife tries to reason with her husband about her virtue. He believes her but dies within a few days.

III  IV
After   the death of her husband she feels that she had not loved him enough.  Nemours had disappeared from her mind and she was smitten with grief.  She was preoccupied with her grief. But later she sees him in the park and comes to know from a shopkeeper that he was staying in the room overlooking hers.  She feels the same passion.  Even though she was free now, the obstacles to their marriage were numerous. She wanted to avoid Nemours.  But her heart would not listen to her.  Finally the two lovers meet each other at the contrivance of Vidame and open up their hearts.  The princess confesses her love for the duke but says that she considers him the murderer of her husband.  Even after much persuasion she is adamant and leaves Nemours with Vidame. The main reason for her to leave Nemours was that she did not believe that he could be faithful to her.  She is stuck by illness.  Even though she recovers she never gets back her health completely.  On the sick bed she holds fast to the memories of her husband.  Finally she retires to a convent.  And in spite of many persuasions by the lover, dies there within a few years (LA PRINCESSE DE CLVES).

Opinion
This book is about love and sacrifice of marriage.   I thoroughly agree with the author on this count.  Even though the heroine is hopelessly in love with someone other than the husband, she tries her best to keep her fidelity.  She is just mortal like anyone as well as the lover, M. de Nemours. Her passions are not hidden.  So it may not be virtuous in the commonly religious sense.  She, in spite of her precautions and faithfulness falls prey to the passions of her heart.  But, it is of notable consideration that she never falls from virtue.

When she was sent to Couloummiers by he husband, she is prudent enough to stay with the servants and not return to the room, where Nemours was waiting.  Even the next day, she does not come into the same room.  This happens because she was able to guess the true nature of Nemours, which he reveals the incident of confession. To Nemours she was just another trophy, which would lose its glamour once it was won (Roparz).

The importance of the  book
Mme De La Fayette wrote about the century that preceded her times.  But this look at the past is used to gauge the times in which she lived.  This was the first roman danalyse, a novel of analysis, which was used in French literature for the first time.  The trend lasted till the tidal wave of Romanticism took it away. The novel concerns itself with morals and not emotions (Brian .P.2010).

Conclusion
Taking after novels previous to her, the authoress uses a succession of secondary stories in the novel to emphasize and predict the nature of the novel. Like all writers through the ages the author is romanticizing the age in which she lives in.  Kings were allowed to take mistresses but the queens were never to have any illegitimate affairs.  The hypocrisy of the courtiers, including the queen is highlighted.  The novels in which sentiments are given an importance begin with this novel.  Mme de La Fayette transforms the prevalent Roman comique by a story which was short and crisp as compared with the lengthy and extravagant romances. The notable touch is that things move generally on what is not said explicitly than what is said.  This can be called a modern novel at any time (Roparz).

In his poems Theogony and Works and Days, Hesiod presents Prometheus as a trickster figure  an irritating figure to Zeus in short, a benefactor of man. Hesiod draws upon Prometheus gift of fire to man to mark the separation of mankind from the world of the gods. Prometheus, bounded by his own nature, protects man from both the gods and the animals of the wild (Thury and Devinney, 513). He gives man intelligence  of the ability to create civilization and culture  to protect them from the arrogance of the gods. Prometheus asked nothing from man except respect and admiration. But to the gods, he asked to leave man alone  not to encroach upon their lives and property. Hesiod continues
 he ceased from the wrath which he had before because Prometheus matched himself in wit with the almighty son of Cronos. For when the gods and mortal men had a dispute at Mecone, even then Prometheus was forward to cut up a great ox and set portions before them, trying to befool the mind of Zeus. Before the rest he set flesh and inner parts thick with fat upon the hide, covering them with an ox paunch but for Zeus he put the white bones dressed up with cunning art and covered with shining fat. (Theogony, II 507)

Prometheus attempts to save man from the arrogance of the gods caused him dearly. Zeus decreed that he be banished from Olympus  to renounce his status as a god and live with the wild creatures of the mountains. Zeus further decreed that Prometheus be bounded in chains, set on a winged eagle to eat his immortal liver. Despite Prometheus fortune, he attempted to trick Zeus

So he said, thinking trickery. But Zeus, whose wisdom is everlasting, saw and failed not to perceive the trick, and in his heart he thought mischief against mortal men which also was to be fulfilled. With both hands he took up the white fat and was angry at heart, and wrath came to his spirit when he saw the white ox-bones craftily tricked out and because of this the tribes of men upon earth burn white bones to the deathless gods upon fragrant altars. (Theogony, II 548 italics mine)

Zeus heart was set against men  his power and glory are directed to the mischief of men. Zeus, the all-powerful god lives for the misfortune of men. Prometheus knew this. Witnessing mans suffering from the beginning of time, Prometheus promised to make the lives of men free from the intervention of the gods  in short, free from their irrational judgment.

Prometheus the trickster is a benefactor of man and an irritation of the gods. However, this theme is not limited to the mythology of ancient Greece (Thury and Devinney, 471). In North American folklores, the trickster is depicted as a naughty animal, overjoyed with power and innovation. The trickster, however, always side with humans (as in the case of Prometheus) and cause troubles for the gods. Why The answer lies in the nature of the trickster. Having found no joy or adventure from living with the gods, the trickster associates himself with men  creatures which he sees as interesting. Thus, he uses his energy and resources to make man the supreme image of nature  the opposite of the gods.

In North American folklores, the Raven is depicted as an affectionate, naughty figure  a trickster  who brought daylight to a dark world. Long ago, there was a great struggle between Raven and a sea creature. The sea creature was monstrous in size and scope. It devoured men from all lands and destroyed their fishing areas. With his harpoon, Raven captured the creature. In another story, Raven tricked a tribal chief along the Nass River. Unknowingly, the chief kept the light in a small box. Raven conceived an elaborate plan of obtaining it. Raven transformed himself into a spruce needle and fell from the sky. He landed into a cup of water that the chiefs daughter was drinking. She was impregnated. After being born into a human form, Raven stole the box and returned to his original form.

Fleeing from the angry chief, he became hungry. Raven asked a group of fishermen if he could have some of their catch. When the fishermen refused, he released the daylight. From that day, the dark world was bright. Fishes swam in the clear waters of the North. The fishermen were overwhelmed with the quantity of fish they collect. They felt fortunate of having the trickster  a naughty figure of misfortune  at their side.

In some variations of the story, Raven had a dispute with one of the powerful gods of the north. Afraid of confronting the god, he fled further to the north  to the dark world. Having found men to be comforting creatures, he set to free them from this dark world. The trickster was never genuine in his actions. He often forgot his obligation to men. But his actions always led to the benefit of men. When the gods saw this, they were enraged. However, they knew that the tricksters heart was set to side with men.

Some scholars view the trickster as a mediator between men and the gods. But in the case of Prometheus and Raven, the trickster is an irritating figure to the gods and a general benefactor of men. The tricksters affiliation with men is natural  nature set him to be a brother of man, cloaked in trickery and naughtiness.