The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow | Analysis

The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow | Analysis Legend of sleepy hollow is a kind of a short story which was written by Washington Irving. This story is based on a real legend and it reveals how the main character, Ichabod Crane, disappeared. It is such an effective story about the ghost in which Irving makes the audience to guess the truth beyond the matter after its end. The movie portrays the original story of Irving. At the beginning, the movie appears to be so similar to the story, but later changes to a direction different from the original plot. The real story begins in a small sleepy hollow town. It illustrates the good image containing beautiful scenery, bountiful crops together with thriving land owners. Ichabod is seen to be a local pedagogue who served as a teacher of the school house in his local area. Ichabod was recognized as a strict teacher who was quite common to the students families, more so to the families with pretty girls. In most of the fold evenings, he usually spent most of his time with the old windows that used to sit by a fire telling ghost and demon stories together with other supernatural beings. Among these stories, there was one of the legendary Headless Horseman, which was about a soldier shot off his dead by use of a cannon ball. On the horse, the ghost of this soldier redacted all over sleepy Hollow in search for his head. The head had been replaced by a Jack-o-lantern with such a fiery glow. This tale is associated with love story, or in other words, pure greed and lust story. Inchabod is found to be in love with Katrina Van Tassel. This is a girl belonging to the rich prosperous land owner, who was known as Hee Van Tessel. The pursuit of this girl by Ichabod is only for lustful and physical reasons. He is intended to be rich and hence acquire both the estate of Van Tassel and the beauty of Katrina, an aspect that made him pursue her. Unfortunately, he could not easily achieve this as Brom Van Brunt, a guy who was very handsome stood on his way. Brom was recognized for his pranks together with his act of trouble making as he rode his horse Dare Devil. Indeed, he was in love with Katrina and could not give any chance for Ichabod to marry her. On one night, Ichabod was on his way back home after attending a dance at the Van Tessel Estate. He passed through the dark woods crossing the path to his home using his old horse. Here, a headless figure emerged from the dark shadows shocking him. Ichabod ran towards the covered bridge trying to escape. Here, the horse man was expected to get into a fire burst. Unexpectedly, ichabod was flanged by the figure with its pumpkin head. The figure knocked him seriously felling him off his horse such that only remains of smashed pumpkin could be found left on the following day. At this state, Ichabod had disappeared. The story leaves all the readers in suspension reason of what went on. One could wonder, is it that Icabon was smashed into pieces or Brom marry Katrina after the disappearance of his opponent? And if so, was it the reason that made him to laugh every time pumpkin was mentioned? In respect to this, Tim Burton came up with personal vision about this legend of Sleepy Hollow. Sleepy hollow is a movie concerned about a detective, Ichabod Crane, who had a specific vision about solving crimes. Ichabod is sent to Sleepy Hollow which is a small local town. He is sent to give a solution for three people from the town. Arriving on the town, he comes across a girl known as Katrina with whom he falls in love. Brom is jealous of this. Looking at the two stories, they all begin in the same manner. The only difference is that here Ichabon appears as a detective trying to solve a mystery murder composing of three town people who had been cut their heads off and of which could not be found. The original tale of Irving is not included in this story, but highlights all what goes on. Brom is seen to pretend as the cloaked horseman. The story also introduces both witch craft and magic. The horse man is true demon behind these killings which serves under the control of witch. In this story, the greed and lust are different from the original story. They are based true witch and not in the mind of Ichabod, as the Stepmother of Katrina maintains personal reasons regarding revenging on sleepy Hollow town. The plot proves whether the horseman was real or not. The end of the story shows that Witch is killed for the sake of giving Ichabon a chance to win Katrina at the same time proving him as the hero of the story. In long run, Ichabod comes up with the solution. The headless head of horseman is brought back to him in whom he takes it back to hell together with the witch, thus overcoming the evil to prove the true twist of Hollywood. Both stories are similar in that they give the story of someone whose greed and lust ends to destruction. According to the original story, the desire of Ichabod for the estate leads him to follow after the girl, hence angers the local bully. He is destroyed by his greed. He loses both the land and the girl he aimed at. He is described to be such a greedy man capable of doing anything to meet his requirements. He is portrayed as decent man performing his missions well to fight for the rights of the people. In the story, the stepmother of Katrina is presented to be jealous. She is involved in supernatural acts in the aim of capturing all that she desires. Both stories leave us in suspense although Burton answers the questions raised. He has explained more of the ghost and supernatural demon controlled by the stepmother of Katrina. She used the headless horseman to revenge. She revenges not only to the family of Van tassel but also to all who controls the inheritance. Burton applies this line of the story to introduce the theme of greed, taking it away from Ichabod, the main character, qualifying him as the hero. The version of Washington Irving is quite appealing in both stories. He ends up applying suspense to create the imagination. He uses dark descriptions of the horseman and bright images for the town and Katrina. This is to enhance the imaginations of the readers. Despite that the two stories contains a main character that is helpless, the plot line of the movie is totally different from the original story. However, the theme presented in both is the same, that of a teacher. The original story leaves one in suspense wondering all what happened to Ichabod, while the movie leaves the audience wondering whether they can apply science to explain the event. There is a thought created by both in that we are left thinking of how demons and ghosts are possible. In conclusion, both stories end up leaving the reader with questions to answer. On top of having their similarities, they contain different ideas. They are made to be different stories by the difference in their story lines. Case Study: Mental Health Problems Case Study: Mental Health Problems The purpose of this assignment is to select a client with the diagnosis of enduring mental illness and carry out an assessment based on the presenting problem of the chosen patient and the psychosocial intervention during his treatment. From the assessment process, the problem identified will be considered along with patient coping strategy, stress, medication compliance and family intervention. The author will also identify intervention that aim to promote recovery with the patient. Gibbs (1988) Model of Reflection cited in Burns and Bulman (2000) will be utilised to evaluate the care of the patient. To maintain confidentiality and protect anonymity, a pseudonym of John will be given to the patient; this is in compliance to Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Professional Conduct (2008). John is a 40 year old man of Africa Caribbean origin, living independently in the community. John experiences unpleasant and hostile auditory hallucinations mainly describing his actions and his thoughts. This normally happens when he is out of the house, in public places and at shops. He claims that he also hears these voices when alone and inactive at home usually in the evenings and at night. These experiences make him feel angry and frightened. John also experiences that other people can read his mind, this is particularly true of some teenagers in his neighbourhood whom he thinks are out to get him. He receives six hours support from the support workers every week to help maintain his mental health and independence as it is the organisations philosophy to provide this support in order to allow patients to continually work towards an ordinary life. John is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia because he suffers from stable delusions, usually accompanied by hearing voices and disturbance of perceptions (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV, 1994). The DSM IV, of Mental Health criteria for schizophrenia states that two or more of the above must be present for a significant period of time during one month period for a diagnosis to be made. John was previously admitted onto a psychiatric ward for eight months. Schizophrenia is a common disorder and has a devastating effect on sufferers and their families patients typicall y hear voices in their heads and hold bizarre beliefs. On discharge from the ward, John was offered accommodation where he could live independently with the support he wants in the community. John is the second of three children born from one father. Pregnancy and delivery were normal, and developmental milestones were accomplished on time. History of the patients father is unknown. Johns elder brother is in prison for robbery and the other has had a number of admissions to psychiatric hospital with diagnosis of schizophrenia. During assessment, John was described by his mother as a shy boy and reports never having any close friends and knew primarily the street boys he hung around with. He has had a sexual relationship with a neighbourhood girl in the past but never had a steady girl friend. John reports that he never liked school and dropped out in his early age. He has never worked and lived at home until his first admission into mental health hospital three years ago. His mother who has her own mental health problem (Depression) is his primary source of emotional support and his main carer. His medical history and examination proved him healthy as there was no record to show that he has suffered any serious aliment, however he admitted to poly drug use including alcohol, cannabis and crack cocaine. He currently smokes a pack of twenty cigarettes a day. His general health is good at this moment. Through observation and talking with John, it became apparent that he suffers from anxiety and low mood. Davis et al. (2007) stated that anxiety plays an important role in producing and maintaining dysfunction in schizophrenia but these symptoms are often overlooked or viewed as less important than the positive and negative symptoms. At present, John does not appear to be experiencing any symptoms of schizophrenia although his low mood and anxiety are something he expresses as hurdles he has to battle with on a daily basis. The medication he receives for anxiety and low mood seem not to be eliminating the symptoms he suffers, although the medications are being reviewed to determine the correct therapeutic dose he requires (Lieberman and Tasman, 2006). He lacks motivation and self esteem, and due to his level of anxiety he finds it difficult to enjoy the amenities within his local community. Full assessment to determine Johns mental health needs with specific assessments for his anxiety and low mood, where he can be supported to develop coping strategies which may assist his daily activities and engagement in activities where carried out. Assessment is an ongoing process which allows for all records and interventions to be current and up to date. Following an accurate and comprehensive assessment other elements of the nursing process such as planning, implementation and evaluation can be applied (Callaghan and Waldock, 2006). To carry out Johns care, the author carried out Krawiecka, Goldberg and Vanghu (KGV) assessment and one to one session in partnership with John and his main carer. The KGV Manchester Symptom Scale modified version 6.2 by Stuartand Lancashire (1998) is a global assessment tool that allow nurses to carry out an assessment of the service user to ascertain symptoms severity and incidence, and further to identify further ways forward in care delivery (Barker et al. 2003). By adopting this tool, the author was able to carry through the nursing process and assess to identify a broad overview of Johns needs, which aim to specific specifically clarify his problems, and assist in the nursing intervention aim to promote and enable recovery. Keke and Blashki (2006) state that mental health assessment includes symptoms, characteristics and psychological state as well as psychosocial factors applicable to the patient; consequently, the KGV is seen as an integral part of mental health assessment. This KGV tool is noted to be a global assessment tool that is used to assess an array of mental health problems, including intensity, severity and duration of symptoms within few weeks. It comprises fourteen items; the first six sections aimed at determining depression, anxiety, hallucinations, delusions, suicide and elevated mood and are based on a subjective description of their condition over the past few weeks. The other eight sections are based on the behaviour of the patient during assessment. This was fundamentally utilised as a starting point in assessing Johns mental health problems. The author was already aware of the issues relating to anxiety and depression although it was thought that at this point of the assessment, all aspect of Johns mental health needed to be reviewed; hence the use of KGV was an ideal tool to accomplish the task. With this tool, the author was able to recognise what symptoms John was experiencing and identify specific area of need which the author n eed to undertake to clarify the extent of the clients distress and symptoms. The KGV assessment tool does come with some limitation which is time consuming, though this time was spent in forming a therapeutic relationship with the patient, this is something that should be done over a series of interviews, taking in to consideration individuality of the patient and how long he can sustain interest and attention to the questions being asked. Engagement with a patient experiencing psychotic episode can extremely be problematic during assessment, like experiencing disturbances of thought, perception, mood and behaviour (Rigby, 2008). After completing a comprehensive assessment, screening tools were used to evaluate and measure severity of the identified symptoms (Stein, 2002). It was found that John was reporting issues of anxiety and depression; the author therefore decided to utilise the Beck Anxiety Inventory [BAI] by Beck (1987), to measure both psychological and cognitive component of anxiety (University of Pennsylvania, 2008), and also used the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI -1) Beck (1961) to determine the severity of depression. The BDI-1 and BAI are both self rating scale consisting of 21 items, in which patients rates the existence and severity of their presenting symptoms (Norman and Ryrie, 2005). The patient rates from 0-3, how best describes the way they have been feeling over the past few weeks and later summ ed up between 0-63. The author decided to use these scales on John to identify the severity of his anxiety and depression and was completed by him; it aims at promoting him as partner in his own care (NMC, 2008). It was also felt that both tools would enable the author to discuss problematic areas of Johns life rather than just engage in general conservation and additionally giving scope for appropriate intervention (Barker, 2003). Going through these assessment tools after the appropriate time scale will give him and the whole nursing team a report of the progress that has been achieved or any changes that can be worked on. The outcome of the screening tools used shows an indication of moderate anxiety and depression. During time spent with John, it was believed that his immediate needs in connection with these concerns were being met by the involvement of the staff and the support he receives from his mother (carer). Negative attitude by his carer about Johns diagnosis may be linked to lack of knowledge, skill or judgement (Duffin, 2003). This was not an issue for the staff providing him with professional support as all performed to a high standard offering him empowerment and informed choice, ensuring best practice in care delivery in Johns life (Department of Health, 2006). Psychosis has an enormous impact on the sufferers family and carers particularly in the first episode (Reed, 2008). Families are often distressed, confused, anxious and fearful of the patients behaviour, and what the future may hold for them as a family. The authors observation is that John was distressed and stigmatised by his family, their members presentation and behaviour and other peoples judgement about him and the family as a whole. The physical and emotional burden of care always falls on the family which may adds stress and anxiety, and attempt to come to terms with their own feelings of mental illness (Patterson et al, 2005). Families may often tackle the guilt for not recognising their beloved family members symptoms and distress earlier, while also recognising that the illness itself might procure financial burdens to the entire family. They also feel the burden of stigma of mental illness to deal with and Patterson (2005) hypothesises that families often perceive the patient as displaying odd behaviours deliberately and therefore become less empathetic, and feel that they have less control over the situation. The Department of Health (1999) recognised the importance of caring for carers and the National Strategy aimed to support people who chose to be carers, and the National Service Framework (NSF) for mental health reported levels of services to involve service users and their carers in planning and delivery of care. By considering this patient in his own terms during the care planning process, he came to terms with his psychotic experience by promising to accept his medications and keeping to appointments with the professionals, began to understand it and acknowledge ways of coping with it. This is in line with evidence based practice which sees the patient as central to all care packages with individualise care plans and multidisciplinary teamwork at the heart of care delivery (DoH, 1999 and NICE, 2002). The National Institute of Clinical Excellent (NICE, 2002) further emphasise the need for family intervention to be available to the families of patients diagnosed as being schizophre nic. Norman and Ryrie (2005) recognise families as a valuable resource for individuals that have symptoms; however if the family reacts to symptoms by being critical or by doing too much for the patient, this can equally have a negative effect on the individual. Education regarding his illness and medication was given to both John and his carer. This was undertaken in his home in an interactive, question and answer format and took several days to complete. Updates and recaps of information were given at regular intervals and they were encouraged to introduce difficulties, questions and queries as they arose. It was an interactive session as it enabled John to give consent for treatment and he contributed his own version. Educating the families / carers of a schizophrenic patient is aimed to lower the expectation of patients and may reduce the presenting symptoms. Leff (1994) and McDonagh (2005) note that one of the main contributions of stress in psychological disorder is expressed emotion from families. Having a mental illness may place limitations on patients lives; in any case, it is the negative attitudes of the other people that may help disable people with mental illness and not the mental illness itself (Seggie, 2007). The expressed emotion from formal carers such as the support workers and nurses can equally have an effect on patient as high and low expressed emotion can be present in the relationship between the nursing staff and patients resulting in possible negative effects on patients outcome (Tattan and Tainer, 2000). Expressed emotion is the critical, hostile and emotionally over involved attitude that carers have towards patients. The carer may influence the outcome of the diagnosis t hrough negative comments and nonverbal actions. This negative attitude from carers does not always help the patient to improve the state of his health. Carers with high expressed emotion are said to cause stress in psychological disorders such as schizophrenia. The stress from negative criticism and pity becomes a burden on the person with a disorder, and may relapse. Expressed emotion may be a direct factor in the relapse of a patient with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (Leff and Vaughn, 1985). Patients are more likely to relapse when there is high expressed emotion present in their living environment as was noted with John (Lopez et al. 1985). When the patient can no longer live with this kind of stress from pity, s/he may fall back into his/her illness using drugs as a way of coping. The stress from the remarks, attitudes and behaviour of the carer maybe over-whelming, because she may feel that she is the cause of the problems. The patient may fall into bad habits and forms a circle of relapse and rehabilitation. One way to escape this circle of behaviour is for the carer to be involved in behaviour family therapy together with the patient it aims to improve the health of the family with less stress and aggravation. The carer is able to learn to accept that John has an illness and may need her help to improve and remain stable hence family therapy. Educating the carer and patient about mental illness is one way that expressed emotion can become lower and no longer be an issue (McDonagh, 2005). When considering family interventions in the care of John, it was important that this includes many others relevant in his life (Berke et al., 2002). A multidisciplinary meeting of all those involved in Johns care was called, aimed at educating them that crisis can be a turning point and the start of something new. Information about the devastating cause of mental illness can take, and exacerbations of symptoms and remissions to patients and carers were given to them. All aimed at stabilising the familys environment by increasing knowledge, coping skills, and the level of support for the carer and John. Most of the therapeutic interventions offered to Johns carer involved communication training, problem solving skills, and education. The style of therapy emphasises the positive aspects of the familys coping style and avoids judgemental or blaming remarks. The aim is for collaboration between the carer and the nursing team over goals for change and a greater emphasis on the needs of John. However, Fadden (1998) criticised the narrow focus on relapse prevention at the expense of addressing the carer is widen needs. There have also been strong criticisms noted about family intervention based on beliefs that it blames families for schizophrenia, thus some family therapists have moved away from a position of trying to reduce expressed emotion by offering a message that stress exacerbates psychosis rather than causes it (Harris et al, 2002). There is contradiction that teaching family that reducing criticism lessens the chance of relapse, yet educating families that schizophrenia is an illness not caused by the family. Family intervention has been noted to improve a number of aspects of this patients social well being such as taking part in activities. John believes that voices from people who were walking closely were planning an imminent attack against him. By getting angry and shouting back at them, he believes that he had prevented a potential attack. In this case, dis traction was unlikely to be successful unless this belief is challenged in a calm and friendly way. John and the author agreed to put this belief to a test and he was later convinced that this was part of his illness. John was told to remove his mind from that thinking and belief that people were talking about him. One of Johns main obstacles in life is lack of motivation; he quiet understands that his mood would lift if he spent more time doing activities to occupy his mind. However, he finds it difficult to motivate himself into taking any form of activity but he had accepted going to his carer (mother) most weekends and to pay regular visit to the communal centre. These will enable him to think less about his delusions. According to Hogston and Simpson (2002) reflection is a process of reviewing an experience of practice in order to better describe, analyse and evaluate, and so inform learning about practice. Wolverson (2000) includes that this is an important process for all nurses wishing to improve their practice. This will be investigated using the Gibbs (1988) model of reflection. On reflection on the care and interventions that John received, a person centred approach appears to be fore-most. He was at the centre of his care, his personal feelings, beliefs and values were appreciated and he was able to exercise informed choices throughout (Callaghan and Waldock, 2006). Engaging John in discussion about his illness and care, and how it is best dealt with was highly appreciated by him; and this was highly regarded by him and his carer, and it leads to improved ability to cope, improved compliance and better outcomes (Kemp et al., 1996). Relaxation techniques were taught to John as a coping strategy for his anxiety; however, although relaxation can be effective, Frisch and Frisch (1998) recognise that relaxation alone is not beneficial therefore it should be used as complimentary intervention with other therapy. Kirby et. al. (2004) acknowledge that mixed skills of staff is important, this works in conjunction with the Essence of Care Document (Department of Health, 2006) which states that training programmes and materials should be accessible and used for patients. John was supported by staff with a combination of experience and knowledge with training on Family interventions and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT is a short term, problem solving based psychological treatment aimed at finding solutions to problems in every day life (Forsythe, 2008). Standard two of the National Service Framework for Mental Health (1999) specifies that clients should have their mental health needs assessed and be offered effective treatment if they require it. It is hoped that John will benefit from CBT in the future along with continuation of family intervention. Throughout the care of my chosen patient, the relationship between the author, the patient and the carer was crucial and recognised as an aspect of service effectiveness (DoH, 2001a) and that active collaboration with the family is a requirement rather than an optional extra whilst delivering care to people with enduring mental health problems. John and carer were happy with the sort of help, support and service the author gave to them when they really needed it most. Reference Barker, P. (2003) Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing: The Craft of Caring. London: Hodder Arnold Beck, A.T. (1961) Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-1). Beck, A.T. (1987) Beck Anxiety Inventory. (BAI). Berke, J.H., Fagan, M., Mak-Pearce, G. and Pierides-Muller, S. (2002) Beyond Madness: Psychosocial Interventions in Psychosis. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Burns, S. and Bulman, C. (2000) Reflective Practice in Nursing: The growth of the Professional Practitioner. 2nd ed., Oxford: Blackwell Science Callaghan, P and Waldock, H. (2006) Oxford Handbook of Mental Health Nursing. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Davis, L.W., Strasburger, A.M. and Brown, L.F. (2007) Mindfulness: An Intervention for Anxiety in Schizophrenia, Journal of Psychological Nursing Mental Health Services, 45(11), pp. 23-30 Department of Health (1999) National Service Framework for Mental Health, Modern Standards and Service Models, Executive Summary. London: DoH Department of Health (2006) Essence of Care: Benchmarks for Promoting Health. London: The Office of Public Sector Information. London: DoH DSM-IV (1994) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association Duffin, C. (2003) Fair game? Nursing Standard, 17(39), pp.12-13 Fadden, G. (1998) Family Intervention in Psychosis. Journal of Mental Health. 7(2), pp115-122 Forsyth, A. (2008) Implementing Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Skills in adult acute inpatient settings. Mental Health Practice. 11. 5. pp. 24-27 Frisch, N.C. and Frisch, L.E. (1998) Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, New York: Delmar Publishers Harris, N., Williams, S. and Bradshaw, T. (2002) Psychosocial Interventions for People with Schizophrenia: A Practical Guide for Mental Health Workers. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan Hogston, R. and Simpson, P. (2002). Foundations in Nursing Practice. 2nd Ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Kemp, R., Hayward, P., Applewhaite, G., Everitt, B. and David, A. (1996) Compliance Therapy in Psychotic Patients: a randomised controlled trial. British Medical Journal 312, pp.345-349 Leff, J. and Vaughu, C. (1985) Expressed Emotion in Families. New York: The Guide for Press Leff, J. (1994) Working with Families of schizophrenic patients. British Journal of Psychiatry. 164. pp.71-76 Lopez, S.R., Hipke, K.N., Polo, A.J., Jenkins, J.H., Karno, M., Vaughn, C. and Snyder, K.S. (2004) Ethnicity, Expressed Emotion, Attributions and course of Schizophrenia: Family warmth matters. Journal of Abnormal Psychiatry. 113. pp. 428-439 Keke, N. and Blashki (2006) The acutely psychotic patient: assessment and initial management. Australian Family Physician. 35(3) pp.90-94 Kirby, S.D., Hart, D.A., Cross, D. and Mitchell, G. (2004) Mental Health Nursing: Competencies for Practice. London: Plgrave MacMillan Lancashire, S. (1998) Manchester Symptom Scale, modified version 6.2. McDonagh, L.A. (2005) Expressed Emotion as a participant of relapse in psychosocial disorders. Available at www.personalityresearch.org/papers/mcdonagh.html Accessed on [28 Nov, 2009] National Institute for Clinical Excellence (2002) Schizophrenia: Core Interventions in the Treatment and Management of Schizophrenia in Primary and Secondary Care. London: NICE Normal, I. and Ryrie, L. (2005) The Art and Science of Mental Health Nursing. A Textbook of Principles and Practice. Berkshire: Open University Press Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) The NMC Code of Professional Conduct: Standards for Conduct, Performance and Ethic. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council Patterson, P., Birchwood, M. and Cochrane, R. (2005) Expressed Emotion as an adaptation to loss. British Medical Journal. 318. p. 149-153 Reed, S.I. (2008) First episode psychosis: A Literature review. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 17. pp. 85-91 Rigby, P.A. and Alexander, J. (2008) Understanding Schizophrenia. Nursing Standard. 22 (28) pp. 49-56 Seggie, A. (2007) Isolated by Ignorance. Nursing Standard. 21. p. 29 Stein, D.J. (2002) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, The Lancet, 360(9330), pp. 397-405 Tattan, T. and Tattier, N. (2000) The Expressed Emotion of Case Managers of the Seriously Mentally ill Clients in the Community, their doctors and their case managers. Journal of Mental Health. 7(6) pp.621-629 Wolverson, M. (2000) On Reflection. Professional Practice. 3(2) pp.31-34Â ­

Paradise Lost

Strictly following the tradition of classical epic, Milton made his Paradise Lost, a work that roused the interest of all men in all ages. We can even claim that by his creative genius, he has modified and ennobled that tradition. Though its form is classical, its content tends to be on the scriptural side. The very opening lines exhort its central theme –â€Å"Of man’s disobedience†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The bone of contention between the critics of all ages is about whom the hero of this epic is –God, Satan or Adam. Undoubtedly we are forced to say that a good number of passages, especially in the first two books of Paradise Lost, give a heroic stature to Satan, the major among the fallen angels. Gradual diminution of Satan’s glory and grandeur is an integral part of Milton’s epic-design. The Satan of Books I and II is a creature of such dynamic energy and colorful splendor that many of the epic’s readers are tempted to consider him as the hero of the poem. That Milton did not so regard him and that, in rejecting the Satan of the earlier part of the epic, Milton was not being false to his poetic self, is clear from Satan’s opening soliloquy in Book IV, at least the first ten lines of which were written before Books I and II. In this and subsequent soliloquies Milton is able to present the character of Satan more fully and in a partly dramatic form, by placing him in a situation which denies him an outlet for his rhetoric and invites introspective self-examination. Milton, no doubt, intended Satan – at least in the early books – to be representative of the old heroic values which were to be superseded by ‘the better fortitude of patience and heroic martyrdom’. Unfortunately for Milton, readers of Paradise Lost have not been able to shake off the heroic qualities of Satan in the first two books. Along with that, three other factors contributed to the result. In English, the word ‘hero’ has the meaning of a ‘central figure’, and this Satan is definitely in these early books. Milton was strong and fresh creatively when he characterized Satan in these early books; and he never succeeded in producing a rival hero of similar stature but opposed ideals. Milton lavished all his power, all his skill, and the greater part of his sympathy on the splendid figure of Satan. Many critics have agreed to the fact that the epic value of the whole epic is centered in the achievements and characterization of Satan. His unyielding agony represents the insightful antinomy of the modern consciousness. Satan expresses, as no other character in the epic does, something in which Milton believed strongly, that is, heroic energy. It is through Satan that Milton’s own heroic energy has been so powerfully shown forth. This is expressed through conflict and endurance. The odds are against him, he has to wage war against the Omnipotent, but still he persists and struggles, and wins our profoundest admiration and sympathy. No doubt, his energy is unreasoning, no doubt it is devoted to his wicked passion for revenge, and certainly he is carried away by hate and envy, but still we cannot help admiring him for the heroic energy with which he persistently struggles against heavy odds to achieve his aims. Milton’s Satan is not a comic or grotesque figure like the Devil or Vice of medieval writers or the demons of other epic poets. Being a principal figure of an epic, if a certain amount of grotesqueness was drawn in the character of Satan, it would have definitely impaired the dignity of the poem. Many predecessors of Milton have done the same but in this respect too Milton was daringly original. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that by attempting at proving himself ‘self-begotten’, Satan‘s behavior tends to the comic and contradictory. Moreover, only a fool would pit himself against omnipotence and thus invite certain disaster. But Milton’s Satan is neither a fool nor a clown. He definitely has the beauty of sublimity and the grandeur and majesty and dignity of bearing. The poet drives home this nobility and greatness of his bearing in wonderfully mentored fine passages which can be hailed as the best among those that have been ever written. The following passage confirms the point: â€Å"†¦Black it stood as Night, Fierce as ten Furies, terrible as Hell, And shook a dreadful dart, what seemed his head The likeness of a kingly crown had on. Satan was now at hand, and from his seat The monster moving onward came as fast With horrid strides: Hell trembled as he strode. †(II 495-501) Courteously and fearlessly Satan addresses himself to the monarch of the nethermost abyss. His speech contains no threats; he asks for guidance in his quest; and, with politic fore-thought, promises that quest, if successful, shall restore an outlying lost province to Chaos. In the war on the plains of Heaven, Satan ranges up and down the fighting line, like Cromwell; he fortifies his comrades to endurance, and encourages them to attack. In Hell he stands like a tower: â€Å"His form had yet not lost All its original brightness, nor appeared Less than Archangel ruined, and the excess Of glory obscured†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I (591-4) In his contests with Michael in heaven and with Gabriel on earth, he never falls below himself: â€Å"If I must contend†, said he, â€Å"Best with the best – the sender, not the sent; Or all at once. † IV (851-3) His followers are devotedly attached to him; they admire him ‘that for the general safety he despised his own’; and the only scene of rejoicing recorded in the annals of Hell, before the Fall of Man, is at the dissolution of Stygian Council, when the devils come forth â€Å"rejoicing in their matchless chief†. The allure of free will is where the attractiveness and power of Satan's character lies. Satan may be quite useless when it comes to fighting the ten thousand thunders of Christ's fury, but in his will he is free and in his mind he is supreme: ‘What though the field be lost? | All is not lost; the unconquerable will' (I. 105). † (Zen g, Nicholas http://www. christs. cam. ac. uk/darknessvisible/about_us/nicholas_zeng. html) As if to set purpose to raise Satan high above the heads of other archangels, Milton devises a pair of similar scenes in Heaven and in Hell. In the one Satan takes upon himself the unknown dangers of the enterprise that has been approved by the assembly. In the other, which occurs in the very next book, the Heavenly powers are addressed from the Throne, and asked – â€Å"Which of ye will be mortal, to redeem Man’s mortal crime, and just, the unjust to save? III (214-5) None in heaven is ready to take the risk; but Satan takes upon himself the dangerous task of traveling through Chaos and seducing Man. There is no doubt in the fact that Satan’s over-mastering passions are hate, ambition and desire for revenge, but he is not presented as a monster of wickedness or an unredeemed villain. Milton has skillfully humanized his character. Hence, though Satan in the enemy of God and Man alike, he is not entirely devoid of gentler characteristics. He is deeply remorseful at the thought of the ruin in which he has involved his followers and this remorse actually brings tears to his eyes. In the second book, we see him showing forth a noble sense of the duty of self-sacrifice incumbent on him owing to his position as king of hell, by sacrificing his own safety for the general cause and as a result, undertaking alone the difficult enterprise which daunted the courage of the mightiest of his followers. This trait of Satan’s character is maintained in the later books. We see him twice melted with compassion seeing the harmless innocence of Adam and Eve whose ruin he is plotting in book IV (389. 462-66). These softer feelings are to be seen as only occasional touches introduced to relieve the grandeur of a character essentially terrible, a character who is, though not totally devoid of gentle traits, on the whole most like a mighty tempest, or an avalanche, or any other force of nature that is a harmonious blending of beauty of sublimity and immense destructive power. With due sympathy and dramatic power, Satan’s character has been drawn which further revealed Milton’s proud spirit of independence and superiority to the utmost. Satan is certainly a self-portrait, a rebel against tyranny and injustice like Milton himself. The sentiment which he expresses – ‘courage never to submit or yield’; â€Å"better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven’, raises his stature to that of an epic hero. Satan is such a magnificently drawn character and such is the fascination he has exercised on the readers of the great epic of all times, paradise lost, that ever since Dryden has christened Satan as ‘Milton’s hero’, critic after critic has taken him to be the hero of the epic. There is no doubt that he dominates Books I and II of the epic in which he towers head and shoulders above his followers, but after that there is a progressive degradation and shrinkage in his character. His gradual loss of physical brightness is accompanied by a corresponding deterioration of character. The audience, however, does find someplace to invest its sympathy, and that place is in the character of Satan. The audience first sees Satan waking in Hell where he and the other fallen angels despair. Through his despair, however, Satan claims, â€Å"All is not lost — the unconquerable will,// And study of revenge, immortal hate,// And courage never to submit or yield — . . . That glory never shall his wrath or might// Extort from me† (I. 104- 111). † (http://www. essortment. com/all/satanparadisel_rsng. htm) It is by his own will that he becomes a serpent in Book IX. In Book X, he is a serpent whenever he wants to wear its garb. This degradation that is progressive is drawn home most effectively. His beginning is shown as fighting for liberty, however it is misconceived. But very soon his stature goes down as he starts fighting for â€Å"Honour, Dominion, glorie, and renounce’. But it is seen that he is defeated in this in no time. Then he resorts to the great plotting that forms the essence of the epic – the ruining of two creatures that are in no way harmful to him, but this is not at all keeping in front a serious expectation of triumph, but only to annoy the enemy who is beyond his reach for a direct encounter. This makes him stoop to the level of a spy coming into the universe, that too as a low level spy who peeps into the privacy of a man and wife, and it is there that he is described for the first time as ‘Devil’, not the fallen Archangel nor the dreaded emperor of Hell. If we take into account not merely Books I and II, but the epic as a whole, Satan cannot be regarded as the hero. As he is carried away by his passion for revenge, envy and hatred, to use ‘guile’ and cunning to achieve his end, Satan is the villain of the piece and not the hero. Closely woven with the story of the fall of man is the story of the fall of Satan and his followers. Their fall also bears out that the theme of the epic is the victory of passion over reason and its terrible consequence. Satan falls not because he is a lesser being, but due to his giving priority to passion over reason. He is proud and is carried away by inordinate ambition and lust for power. He claims absolute equality, foolishly imagines that he is self-created, regards god’s rule as tyrannous, rebels against him and is consequently overthrown and hurled into hell. He is the very embodiment of unrestrained passions which ultimately bring no satisfaction. Debates are still going on about the fact that Satan is such a driving force within the great epic. It ranges from William Blake’s comment that Milton â€Å"wrote in fetters when wrote of Angels and God, and at liberty when of Devils and Hell, is because he was a true Poet and of the Devil’s party without knowing it† (Black 2007, p. 996) to the plea that this poem is nothing more than a christian tale in which milton is unsuccessful in portraying what he intended to do. (Marshal 1961, p. 19) Paradise Lost Strictly following the tradition of classical epic, Milton made his Paradise Lost, a work that roused the interest of all men in all ages. We can even claim that by his creative genius, he has modified and ennobled that tradition. Though its form is classical, its content tends to be on the scriptural side. The very opening lines exhort its central theme –â€Å"Of man’s disobedience†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The bone of contention between the critics of all ages is about whom the hero of this epic is –God, Satan or Adam. Undoubtedly we are forced to say that a good number of passages, especially in the first two books of Paradise Lost, give a heroic stature to Satan, the major among the fallen angels. Gradual diminution of Satan’s glory and grandeur is an integral part of Milton’s epic-design. The Satan of Books I and II is a creature of such dynamic energy and colorful splendor that many of the epic’s readers are tempted to consider him as the hero of the poem. That Milton did not so regard him and that, in rejecting the Satan of the earlier part of the epic, Milton was not being false to his poetic self, is clear from Satan’s opening soliloquy in Book IV, at least the first ten lines of which were written before Books I and II. In this and subsequent soliloquies Milton is able to present the character of Satan more fully and in a partly dramatic form, by placing him in a situation which denies him an outlet for his rhetoric and invites introspective self-examination. Milton, no doubt, intended Satan – at least in the early books – to be representative of the old heroic values which were to be superseded by ‘the better fortitude of patience and heroic martyrdom’. Unfortunately for Milton, readers of Paradise Lost have not been able to shake off the heroic qualities of Satan in the first two books. Along with that, three other factors contributed to the result. In English, the word ‘hero’ has the meaning of a ‘central figure’, and this Satan is definitely in these early books. Milton was strong and fresh creatively when he characterized Satan in these early books; and he never succeeded in producing a rival hero of similar stature but opposed ideals. Milton lavished all his power, all his skill, and the greater part of his sympathy on the splendid figure of Satan. Many critics have agreed to the fact that the epic value of the whole epic is centered in the achievements and characterization of Satan. His unyielding agony represents the insightful antinomy of the modern consciousness. Satan expresses, as no other character in the epic does, something in which Milton believed strongly, that is, heroic energy. It is through Satan that Milton’s own heroic energy has been so powerfully shown forth. This is expressed through conflict and endurance. The odds are against him, he has to wage war against the Omnipotent, but still he persists and struggles, and wins our profoundest admiration and sympathy. No doubt, his energy is unreasoning, no doubt it is devoted to his wicked passion for revenge, and certainly he is carried away by hate and envy, but still we cannot help admiring him for the heroic energy with which he persistently struggles against heavy odds to achieve his aims. Milton’s Satan is not a comic or grotesque figure like the Devil or Vice of medieval writers or the demons of other epic poets. Being a principal figure of an epic, if a certain amount of grotesqueness was drawn in the character of Satan, it would have definitely impaired the dignity of the poem. Many predecessors of Milton have done the same but in this respect too Milton was daringly original. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that by attempting at proving himself ‘self-begotten’, Satan‘s behavior tends to the comic and contradictory. Moreover, only a fool would pit himself against omnipotence and thus invite certain disaster. But Milton’s Satan is neither a fool nor a clown. He definitely has the beauty of sublimity and the grandeur and majesty and dignity of bearing. The poet drives home this nobility and greatness of his bearing in wonderfully mentored fine passages which can be hailed as the best among those that have been ever written. The following passage confirms the point: â€Å"†¦Black it stood as Night, Fierce as ten Furies, terrible as Hell, And shook a dreadful dart, what seemed his head The likeness of a kingly crown had on. Satan was now at hand, and from his seat The monster moving onward came as fast With horrid strides: Hell trembled as he strode. †(II 495-501) Courteously and fearlessly Satan addresses himself to the monarch of the nethermost abyss. His speech contains no threats; he asks for guidance in his quest; and, with politic fore-thought, promises that quest, if successful, shall restore an outlying lost province to Chaos. In the war on the plains of Heaven, Satan ranges up and down the fighting line, like Cromwell; he fortifies his comrades to endurance, and encourages them to attack. In Hell he stands like a tower: â€Å"His form had yet not lost All its original brightness, nor appeared Less than Archangel ruined, and the excess Of glory obscured†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I (591-4) In his contests with Michael in heaven and with Gabriel on earth, he never falls below himself: â€Å"If I must contend†, said he, â€Å"Best with the best – the sender, not the sent; Or all at once. † IV (851-3) His followers are devotedly attached to him; they admire him ‘that for the general safety he despised his own’; and the only scene of rejoicing recorded in the annals of Hell, before the Fall of Man, is at the dissolution of Stygian Council, when the devils come forth â€Å"rejoicing in their matchless chief†. The allure of free will is where the attractiveness and power of Satan's character lies. Satan may be quite useless when it comes to fighting the ten thousand thunders of Christ's fury, but in his will he is free and in his mind he is supreme: ‘What though the field be lost? | All is not lost; the unconquerable will' (I. 105). † (Zen g, Nicholas http://www. christs. cam. ac. uk/darknessvisible/about_us/nicholas_zeng. html) As if to set purpose to raise Satan high above the heads of other archangels, Milton devises a pair of similar scenes in Heaven and in Hell. In the one Satan takes upon himself the unknown dangers of the enterprise that has been approved by the assembly. In the other, which occurs in the very next book, the Heavenly powers are addressed from the Throne, and asked – â€Å"Which of ye will be mortal, to redeem Man’s mortal crime, and just, the unjust to save? III (214-5) None in heaven is ready to take the risk; but Satan takes upon himself the dangerous task of traveling through Chaos and seducing Man. There is no doubt in the fact that Satan’s over-mastering passions are hate, ambition and desire for revenge, but he is not presented as a monster of wickedness or an unredeemed villain. Milton has skillfully humanized his character. Hence, though Satan in the enemy of God and Man alike, he is not entirely devoid of gentler characteristics. He is deeply remorseful at the thought of the ruin in which he has involved his followers and this remorse actually brings tears to his eyes. In the second book, we see him showing forth a noble sense of the duty of self-sacrifice incumbent on him owing to his position as king of hell, by sacrificing his own safety for the general cause and as a result, undertaking alone the difficult enterprise which daunted the courage of the mightiest of his followers. This trait of Satan’s character is maintained in the later books. We see him twice melted with compassion seeing the harmless innocence of Adam and Eve whose ruin he is plotting in book IV (389. 462-66). These softer feelings are to be seen as only occasional touches introduced to relieve the grandeur of a character essentially terrible, a character who is, though not totally devoid of gentle traits, on the whole most like a mighty tempest, or an avalanche, or any other force of nature that is a harmonious blending of beauty of sublimity and immense destructive power. With due sympathy and dramatic power, Satan’s character has been drawn which further revealed Milton’s proud spirit of independence and superiority to the utmost. Satan is certainly a self-portrait, a rebel against tyranny and injustice like Milton himself. The sentiment which he expresses – ‘courage never to submit or yield’; â€Å"better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven’, raises his stature to that of an epic hero. Satan is such a magnificently drawn character and such is the fascination he has exercised on the readers of the great epic of all times, paradise lost, that ever since Dryden has christened Satan as ‘Milton’s hero’, critic after critic has taken him to be the hero of the epic. There is no doubt that he dominates Books I and II of the epic in which he towers head and shoulders above his followers, but after that there is a progressive degradation and shrinkage in his character. His gradual loss of physical brightness is accompanied by a corresponding deterioration of character. The audience, however, does find someplace to invest its sympathy, and that place is in the character of Satan. The audience first sees Satan waking in Hell where he and the other fallen angels despair. Through his despair, however, Satan claims, â€Å"All is not lost — the unconquerable will,// And study of revenge, immortal hate,// And courage never to submit or yield — . . . That glory never shall his wrath or might// Extort from me† (I. 104- 111). † (http://www. essortment. com/all/satanparadisel_rsng. htm) It is by his own will that he becomes a serpent in Book IX. In Book X, he is a serpent whenever he wants to wear its garb. This degradation that is progressive is drawn home most effectively. His beginning is shown as fighting for liberty, however it is misconceived. But very soon his stature goes down as he starts fighting for â€Å"Honour, Dominion, glorie, and renounce’. But it is seen that he is defeated in this in no time. Then he resorts to the great plotting that forms the essence of the epic – the ruining of two creatures that are in no way harmful to him, but this is not at all keeping in front a serious expectation of triumph, but only to annoy the enemy who is beyond his reach for a direct encounter. This makes him stoop to the level of a spy coming into the universe, that too as a low level spy who peeps into the privacy of a man and wife, and it is there that he is described for the first time as ‘Devil’, not the fallen Archangel nor the dreaded emperor of Hell. If we take into account not merely Books I and II, but the epic as a whole, Satan cannot be regarded as the hero. As he is carried away by his passion for revenge, envy and hatred, to use ‘guile’ and cunning to achieve his end, Satan is the villain of the piece and not the hero. Closely woven with the story of the fall of man is the story of the fall of Satan and his followers. Their fall also bears out that the theme of the epic is the victory of passion over reason and its terrible consequence. Satan falls not because he is a lesser being, but due to his giving priority to passion over reason. He is proud and is carried away by inordinate ambition and lust for power. He claims absolute equality, foolishly imagines that he is self-created, regards god’s rule as tyrannous, rebels against him and is consequently overthrown and hurled into hell. He is the very embodiment of unrestrained passions which ultimately bring no satisfaction. Debates are still going on about the fact that Satan is such a driving force within the great epic. It ranges from William Blake’s comment that Milton â€Å"wrote in fetters when wrote of Angels and God, and at liberty when of Devils and Hell, is because he was a true Poet and of the Devil’s party without knowing it† (Black 2007, p. 996) to the plea that this poem is nothing more than a christian tale in which milton is unsuccessful in portraying what he intended to do. (Marshal 1961, p. 19)

The Controversy Of The Salem Witch Trials - 1380 Words

Colonial Massachusetts in the late 1600s was very complex. The small colony consisted of mainly puritans, who had come to escape from the Church of England. Puritans believed that those chosen by God to be saved — the elect — would experience conversion. In this process, God would reveal to the individual His grace, and the person would know he was saved. One of the many issues within the society was religion. A very big problem that would cause a lot of tension and problems later on was witchcraft. The Salem witchcraft hysteria started because of personal jealousies, it targeted those who went against puritan beliefs, and it was an explanation of all the weird things happening. The events which led to the Witch Trials actually occurred in what is now the town of Danvers, then a parish of Salem Town, known as Salem Village. Launching the hysteria was the bizarre, seemingly inexplicable behavior of two young girls; the daughter, Betty, and the niece, Abigail Williams, of the Salem Village minister, Reverend Samuel Parris. The trouble began when two young girls asked the slave, Tituba to help them know their fortunes. They used an old trick of suspending an egg-white in a glass of water to find this out. Over several months, the girls began to exhibit strange behavior, which soon spread to other girls in the town. The girls, under pressure from Reverend Parris, identified two local white women and the slave Tituba as the witches who were causing them pain. TheShow MoreRelatedThe Controversy Of The Salem Witch Trials Essay1548 Words   |  7 PagesStates of America. The Salem Witch Trials have been sensationalized as of late, becoming a popular show, and an event that many movies have been made of. Without doing the proper research, one would think that the trials were more violent than it became. There were no witches burning at the stake, or daily hangings, or drownings, but people of the time were frightened nonetheless. The acts of just a few ke y people drove a whole town to hysteria, and fear. Throughout the trials over a hundred peopleRead MoreThe Controversy Of The Salem Witch Trials Essay1555 Words   |  7 Pages The Salem Witch Trials have been sensationalized as of late, becoming a highly popular television show, and an event that many movies have been loosely based upon. Without doing the proper research, one would think that the trials were more violent than they became. There were no witches burning at the stake, or daily hangings, or drownings, but people of the time were frightened nonetheless. The acts of just a few key people drove a whole town to hysteria and fear. Throughout the trials over aRead MoreThe Controversy Of The Salem Witch Trials Essay1557 Words   |  7 Pagesan outbreak of hysteria began in Salem, Massachusetts. Beginning with eight young girls accused of being possessed with the devil, marked the beginning of the Salem Witch Trials. The vast majority of those who were accused of witch cra ft were people who attempted to turn against Puritan teachings, cultural and economic way of life. The hysteria was the effect of the strict teachings of the puritan lifestyle many were no longer following. The Salem witch trials were ultimately a matter to purge theRead MoreRed Scare And The Crucible Comparison Essay1008 Words   |  5 PagesRed Scare and The Salem Witch Trials were both events that left a mark in American history. The Red Scare began in 1917 and took place across the United States. The Red Scare was known as the widespread promotion of anti-communism. The Salem Witch Trials began in 1692 and took place in Salem, Massachusetts. The Salem Witch Trials were various court hearings and prosecutions of people in Salem accused of Witchcraft. Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible, a play about The Salem Witch Trials, to send a messageRead MoreThe Crucible And Salem Witch Trials Similarities790 Words   |  4 Pages2017 Salem Witch Trials and The McCarthy Era The United States of America is filled with many historic events, enriching its history. Many events that occur are compared to past events in our history. In particular, the McCarthy Era in the 1950’s was compared to the Salem Witch Trials which occurred in 1692. This correlation was first made by Arthur Miller who wrote the play â€Å"The Crucible†. He connected the time period of McCarthy to where there was a hunt for communists, to the Salem Witch TrialsRead MoreEssay on Salem Witch Trials Of 16921061 Words   |  5 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials of 1692 In colonial Massachusetts between February of 1692 and May of 1963 over one hundred and fifty people were arrested and imprisoned for the capital felony of witchcraft. Trials were held in Salem Village, Ipswich, Andover and Salem Town of Essex County of Massachusetts, but accusations of witchcraft occurred in surrounding counties as well. Nineteen of the accused, fourteen women and five men, were hanged at Gallows Hill near Salem Village. Hysteria had swept throughRead MoreThe Hysteria Of The Salem Witch Trials1366 Words   |  6 PagesWalter Kirn, an American novelist and literary critic, stated that ‘‘Everyone loves a witch hunt as long as it’s someone else’s witch being hunted.’’ (Web. Walter Kirn Quote) Although the Salem Witch Trials took place over 300 years ago, in 1692, and we claim that we have come a long way since then, the truth is we have not. The hysteria that took place during the witch trials occurred because people refused t o take responsibility for their actions. The same thing is happening in modern day AmericaRead MoreSalem Witch Trials975 Words   |  4 Pagespeople of Salem, Massachusetts, however they struggled to do so. Salem faced a major change as a result of the Puritan ambition. Because of their thought on the ideal community as a straitlaced society, those who portrayed an imperfect model were to be isolated. Suspicion flooded the holy Puritan town, and led to accusations of innocent people. After a close analysis, it may be relevant to look at the Puritan belief system as a possible catalyst for the events that occurred during the Salem witch trialsRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials Essay1369 Words   |  6 PagesThe Salem Witch Trials The witch trials of the late 1600s were full of controversy and uncertainty. The Puritan town of Salem was home to most of these trials, and became the center of much attention in 1692. More than a hundred innocent people were found guilty of practicing witchcraft during these times, and our American government forced over a dozen to pay with their lives. The main reasons why the witch trials occurred were conflicts dealing with politics, religion, family, economicsRead MoreSuperstition, Panic, And Rumor1042 Words   |  5 Pagesspurred by religious zeal. While the actual trials may have only lasted for less than a year, Salem was indeed previously entrapped in a dangerous illusion of their own making for decades. Such as the nature of superstition and rumor, they curate an atmosphere of distrust, breeding paranoia because they are puzzles waiting to be fully realized. If they are not, then the paranoia only festers into madness and panic—growing anxiety. The divided colon y of Salem devolves into a dramatic opera of fabrications

Life Changing Moments - 700 Words

Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what youre going to get. (Forrest Gump). Experiences received throughout life are random at best and not knowing which delectable treats are sweet, I brace myself for what may turn out to be life-changing. From these bitter and sweet occurrences, my life constantly reshapes the way I interpret and react to similar situations that arise. Life altering events change my behavior due to the outcome of decisions made, opportunities missed and phone calls received. My trust in salesmen was destroyed after making a decision to buy a used car. Shortly after purchasing a pre-owned Subaru WRX the sound children playing with metal pans came blaring from underneath my car hood. I immediately pulled over to the side of the road with a quick turn of the steering wheel. Calling triple AAA, I had my car towed to the closest auto shop deemed (by an operator located in another state) professional enough to fix my car. The tow truck dropped me off at a little blue-collar auto shop painted bright yellow. I was welcomed by a man that had rough sandpaper hands, stunk of motor oil, and wore a name tag that read Jeff. The mechanic’s silver tongue roused my belief in his ability to take care of me and after what felt like days the oily mechanic returned with his findings. Well Mr. Lovato Jeff said, â€Å"You have a lemon on your hands because the motor is bad.† In that moment, I decided to always be skeptical of the truth as a consequence of aShow MoreRelatedLife Changing Moment1013 Words   |  5 PagesLife Changing Moment Ever since I can remember I spent almost ever y day at my Grandparents house. They live right down the road from my family and me, and that is how they got the title â€Å"Grandma and Grandpa down the road†. They lived in a small house three bedrooms, one bathroom, and a small living room with a fire place that can worm the coldest heart. And in their back yard stood a shed filled with old farm equipment and stray cats with their kittens that I would try to catch every day. TheyRead MoreLife Changing Moments Of Life Essay1878 Words   |  8 PagesThroughout my life I have discovered that life can change in instances that I refer to as moments of impact. Recently many moments of impacts have affected my life. There are small day to day little moments that bring me joy and there are big life-changing moments such as building a house for a homeless family in Mexico last summer. The most recent moment of impact that still affects me on a daily basis is my family s latest additio n of new family members. On a very sunny day in May, we rescuedRead MoreA Life Changing Moment That Happened944 Words   |  4 PagesA life changing moment that happened to me was when I read a book cover to cover in just three days. In all honesty growing up I never enjoyed reading. Instead I always wanted to play outside with my friends. Every day I would come home from school and dart right back out the door so I would not miss anything. We would play a variety of sports like football, baseball, and basketball. It did not matter which we would choose. All that mattered was that I was not stuck inside my house reading. As aRead MoreLife Changing Moment In My Life973 Words   |  4 PagesOver the course of my life, there has been many life changing events. One event that had the most impact on my life was breaking my left ankle twice. Breaking my ankle took me down a road feeling miserable and depressed; it altered the trajectory of my future plans and goals during a time of nume rous opportunities. Although looking back on the situation, there have been positives that came out of it. Breaking my left ankle for the second time was detrimental due to the timing while completing myRead MoreOvercoming Challenges Of A Life Changing Moments865 Words   |  4 PagesBeyond Life Changing Moments By Debbie Pokornik | Submitted On May 30, 2011 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon Share this article on Delicious Share this article on Digg Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest Expert Author Debbie Pokornik Oh no...this can t be happening...it s not fair...my life is ruinedRead MoreEssay on A Life Changing Moment - Short Story3109 Words   |  13 PagesA Life Changing Moment - Short Story Blood splattered high on the walls from the force of the blows. Even though the screams of the two children had long since ceased, Linda kept stabbing and slashing, her breath rasping in her throat from the effort entailed, only as her strength began to wane and her mental state start to alter did she slowly become aware that she and the room were covered in nauseating, thick scarlet red blood and in the distance of her darkness sheRead MorePatients With A Cancer Is A Life Changing Moment For The Patient, Friends, And The Families1963 Words   |  8 Pages Approach to Care Being diagnosed with a cancer is a life changing moment for the patient, friends and the families. there are 10.9 million new cases, 6.7 million deaths and 24.6 million people living with cancer (Simonelli Andersen, 2007). Cancer is the second leading cause of death except heart disease which is number one in the whole world (Simonelli Andersen, 2007). Another name for cancer is malignancy. Cancer refers to group of diseases that involve uncontrolled cell growthRead MoreThe Idea Of Knowing Who I Am908 Words   |  4 PagesThe idea of knowing who I am is one I’ve struggled with greatly. Frankly speaking, I am still discovering who I am. Are there moments that have taken place which have led me to be close to figuring out my â€Å"true self†? Indeed there have certainly been moments where I am closer to figuring out my â€Å"true identity.† One such moment was when I realized my happiness depended upon myself. Personhood, in my own definition of it, is when one is truly their own person. There is no need to feel the obligationRead MoreLove, Death and the Changing of the Seasons1077 Words   |  5 Pagessonnets, The Forge and Love deaths and the changing of the season. Weather they answer the question â€Å"the sonnet has been described as a moment’s monument’. What is the meaning of a moment, it can mean so many things. Mainly it is described as a setting to a time in someone’s life. A moment in time that has been remembered, it could be happy, sad moment or an event that you have remember such a wedding day. Putting it into a sonnet, it can be a moment of a lost one someone is explaining. A monumentRead MoreThe Basic Architecture Of The Brain1025 Words   |  5 PagesYou live and you learn, from the moment that we breathe our first breath, we are assimilating and are acquiring information. Life changing and profound learning experiences happen before we can even speak, as children our learning process is grandiose. Harvard University published a series of summaries on Child development. One of these articles mentions that â€Å"The basic architecture of the brain is constructed through an ongoing process that begins before birth and continues into adulthood.† (InBrief: