Literary Analysis of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

Literary Analysis of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay In Huckleberry Finn there are several themes. There are themes of racism and slavery, civilized society, survival, water imagery, and the one I will be discussing, superstition ( SparkNotes Editors). Superstition is a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation (â€Å"Merriam-Webster†). Superstition was a very popular theme in Huckleberry Finn that you saw throughout the story. Huck was somewhat superstitious, but Jim speaks a wide range of superstition and folk tales. In the story it makes Jim seem as if he is unintelligent, when really his superstitions and beliefs come true and shows he is a wise person. At first, Huck thinks Jim’s superstitions are foolish and silly, but he eventually starts to appreciate Jim’s outlook and knowledge on life. Jim’s superstition was accepted as social teachings as well as being the adult figure in Huck’s life (SparkNotes Editors). One of the first times I saw superstition in the story was Huck’s superstition of bad luck. â€Å"Pretty soon a spider went crawling up my shoulder, and I flipped it off and it lit in the candle; and before I could budge it was all shriveled up. I didn’t need anybody to tell me that was an awful bad sign and would fetch me some bad luck, so I was scared and most shook the clothes off me. I got up and turned around in my tracks three times and crossed my breast everytime; and then I tied up a little lock of my hair with a thread to keep witches away ( Twain 110). † Another time Huck’s superstition of bad luck was shown in the story was when he accidentally spilled salt at breakfast. â€Å"One morning I happened to turn over the salt cellar at breakfast. I reached for some of it as quick as I could, to throw over my left shoulder and keep off the bad luck, but Miss Watson was in the ahead of me, and crossed me off ( Twain 117). † Because Huck was not able to throw the salt over his shoulder, he was very worried and nervous all day because he knew he would encounter bad luck sooner or later. The first time Huck went to get superstitious advice from Jim is when he went to ask Jim when his father would be returning in his life. He had already seen his father’s tracks in the snow and knew he would be coming real soon. He wanted to know what his father was going to do and how long  was he going to stay. Huck heard Jim had a hair ball that was taken out of a stomach of an ox, that he used to do magic with. The hair ball supposedly had a spirit in it that knew everything. The hair ball told Jim about Huck’s father and Jim told Huck, â€Å" Yo’ ole father doan’ know, yit, what he’s a-gwyne to do. Sometimes he spec he’ll go ‘way, en den agin he spec he’ll stay. De bes’ way is to res’ easy en let de ole man take his own way ( Twain 119). † He then began to tell Huck his father had two angels over him. A white, shiny angel that tells him to do right and a dark angel that tells him to do wrong. He told Huck that he also has two angels over him that does the same, and that nobody knows which one is going to get you in the end. This part of the story showed me Jim wasn’t as foolish and stupid as everybody thought he was, he was actually wise. That night when Huck returned home his father was waiting for him in his bedroom. Once Huck ran away to the island and found Jim ran away too and they discovered the dead man, who happened to be Huck’s father, Huck wanted to discuss the dead man but Jim warned him it was bad luck for them to talk about a dead man. â€Å" He said it would fetch bad luck; and besides, he said, he might come and ha’nt us; he said a man that warn’t buried was more likely to go a-ha’nting around than one that was planted and comfortable ( Twain 139). † Huck thought Jim made sense and respected him enough not to bring it up again. Huck then brought up to Jim, when he found the snake-skin the other day, Jim said it was the worst bad luck to touch snake skin. Huck did not believe they would experience any bad luck because they had experienced so much good luck with finding the house with all the goods and money they came across. Jim told him not to speak of it and he said the bad luck would still come, and it did come later that week. Huck decided to play a trick on Jim and put a dead rattlesnake in Jim’s blanket to scare him. When Jim laid down that night the snake’s mate was in his blanket and bit Jim on the heel. Jim was sick in bed for four days and Huck never told him he was the one who played the trick on him. He swore to himself he would never pick up a snake skin again, and Jim said to Huck maybe he would believe him next time and there might still be some bad luck to come. The theme of superstition in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is related to hope and fear. Jim’s hope and fear was that he would finally be free and his fear was that he would be captured and forced back into slavery. Huck’s hope was that he would be able to live his life without having to be in fear of his father and also that he would not have to live a â€Å"sivilized† lifestyle with the widow and Miss Watson. Everybody has hope and fear about something, and deals with it differently. Jim and Huck dealed with it by believing in superstition. Work Cited Page Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The Norton Anthology American Literature. Seventh Ed. Vol. C. Nina Baym. New York: W. W. Norton Comapny, Inc. , 2007. Print. SparkNotes Editors. â€Å"SparkNote on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. † SparkNotes. com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Web. 5 Feb. 2011. www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/superstition. Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, 2011. Web. 5 Feb 2011.

Personality factors that underlie belief in the paranormal

Personality factors that underlie belief in the paranormal Although the term paranormal refers to hypothesized processes that in principle are physically impossible or outside the realm of human capabilities (Thalbourne, 1982; as cited in Irwin, 1993, p. 1), belief in the paranormal seem to be surprisingly common in this modern, technologically sophisticated world. The influence of paranormal phenomena can be observed in the entertaining media as well as in the news, in sports, in business and in peoples everyday lives (Goode, 2000). But why people believe in the paranormal phenomena or what persuade them to do so? Skeptics as well as non-skeptics have interests in investigating the nature of belief in the paranormal, albeit with somewhat different objectives in mind. The majority of previous research examining paranormal belief and personality correlates has taken a skeptical view, which suggests that paranormal believers are psychologically dysfunctional, for example, psychotic, neurotic and depressive. Non-skeptics however, at the same ti me have tried to challenge this hypothesis. The purpose of this study is to support skeptical point of view; firstly, personality factors that may underlie belief in the paranormal phenomena will be described and evaluated. Secondly, the impact of culture and subjective experience on belief in paranormal phenomena will be evaluated. According to Irwin (1993) paranormal beliefs are held because they serve significant psychodynamic needs of the individual and in general this statement is called psychodynamic functions hypothesis (p. 21). According to this hypothesis, skeptics very often consider paranormal believers as psychologically deviant and relate their behaviour with psychopathology. Not without a reason, however. The vast majority of evidence (i.e. Irwin Green, 1998; Hergovich et al., 2008) indicates that people who believe in paranormal phenomena expose schizotypal tendencies. The findings of Irwin and Green (1998) suggest that people who have schizotypal tendencies (schizotypal personality disorder is a condition that resembles a less severe version of schizophrenia, Vyse, 1997) in the cognitive-perceptual area are likely to confirm beliefs in Spiritualism and Precognition as well as in Extraordinary Life Forms and Witchcraft. Hergovichs et al. (2008) findings give a support to the hypothesis that schiz otypy is heavily associated with paranormal belief and approve that belief in Precognition, Psi, Witchcraft and Spiritualism can also be predicted very well by schizotypy. Moreover, previous studies (i.e. Sica et al., 2002) also confirm that a high involvement in superstition seems to play a role in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Although non-skeptics argue that paranormal beliefs and obsessive-complusive disorder or schizotypal personality disorder remain unrelated (Vyse, 1997), evidence suggests that disorders mentioned above do seem to be associated with belief in paranormal phenomena. Additionally, from the objective and scientific point of view, people who endorse beliefs in paranormal phenomena are irrational, even though the irrationality of most believers is mild compared to psychopathological behaviour. And although, such individuals are not disturbed by their experiences and stay psychologically healthy (notion of the happy schizotype, Lawrence Peters, 2004), they are, however similar to people diagnosed with schizophrenia on a number of correlates as well as are at higher risk to experience more severe psychotic-like experiences and to deve lop psychotic disorders (Clardige, 1994). Thus, scientific evidence in this case seems to be pervasive; less pervasive however seem to be evidence relating to extraversion, a measure of the individuals sociability. According to Maltby et al. (2007) individuals who score highly on extraversion are very sociable, energetic, optimistic, friendly and assertive and are labelled extraverts. However, individuals with low scores are labelled introverts, often described as reserved and independent. Some of the evidence does not support a relationship between extraversion and paranormal belief (i.e. Williams et al., 2007); however, a number of studies have found a correlation between extraversion and ESP performance (i.e. Lawrence, 2001). The reason why extraversion is not as obvious predictor of belief in paranormal phenomena may be limited reliability of this psychological trait (Tam Shiah, 2004). Meanwhile, the association of extraversion with belief in paranormal phenomena remain to some extent uncertain; therefore more scientific research has to be conducted. According to Williams et al. (2007), neuroticism is fundamental to individual differences in paranormal belief. Moreover, Thalbourne et al. (1995) has found neuroticism to be significantly correlated with an overall Paranormal Belief Scale score, Traditional Religious Belief, Psi, Witchcraft, as well as with the Australian Sheep-Goat Scale, which addresses belief in and personal experience of ESP, Telepathy, Precognition, and Life After Death. Neuroticism, can be described as the tendency to experience negative emotions, especially anxiety, depression, anger. Therefore neurotic individuals can be characterized as emotionally unstable, irrational personalities with often low self-esteem (Chamorro-Premuzic, 2007). Wiseman Watt (2004) indicate that people who are anxious are more superstitious than those who are not. However, non-skeptics argue that even though a person is more likely to engage in superstitious behaviour while experiencing certain emotions, specifically fear and anxiet y, belief in paranormal is not usually the cause of emotional difficulties (Vyse, 1997). Thus, according to non-skeptical point of view, claiming that superstitious people are more anxious than those who are not superstitious is overlapping. However, the vast majority of scientific evidence suggests this personality dimension to positively correlate with belief in paranormal phenomena. In addition, an association between paranormal belief and a depressive attributional style when using the Attributional Style Questionnaire as an indicator of depression has also been found (Dudley Whisnand, 2000). The results of this study demonstrate significantly higher depressive attributional styles among college students with high scores on paranormal phenomena than college students with low scores. Thus, the vast majority of evidence indicating relationship between belief in paranormal phenomena and neuroticism seem to be more pervasive than non-scientific evidence demonstrated by non-skeptics. Psychoticism has also been found to be associated with belief in paranormal phenomena (Francis et al., 2010). It is claimed that those who score high on the psychoticism scale can be characterised as cold, aggressive, tough-minded, antisocial and impersonal. Francis et al. (2010) study aimed to investigate personality dimensions associated with conventional Christian belief and unconventional paranormal belief. It has been found that conventional Christian belief is associated with lower psychoticism scores, whereas unconventional paranormal belief is associated with higher psychoticism scores. Thus, it may be concluded that paranormal believers behaviour may be more aggressive and antisocial than paranormal non-believers behaviour. According to Irwin and Watt (2007) people who believe in paranormal may be little concerned about the needs or attitudes of other people, may be socially alienated, may display low social interest and have a grandiose sense of their own importance and uniqueness. This description indicates on narcissism, another personality dimension associated with belief in paranormal phenomena. Positive correlation between narcissism dimension and belief in Psi, Precognition, Witchcraft and Spiritualism has been reported, which means that believers in paranormal may be preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited power and success (as cited in Irwin Watt, 2007). Recent studies therefore seem to confirm Tobacyk and Mitchells (1987) findings, where although a small, but significant correlation between narcissism and the paranormal beliefs of Psi and Precognition has been found. Thus, having found correlation between narcissism and belief in paranormal may indicate problems associated with psychological adjustment amongst people who believe in paranormal phenomena (Irwin Watt, 2007). There is also a general trend for paranormal belief to be associated with the locus of control. Locus of control refers to a dimension of personality and to do with whether or not a person perceives their behaviour to be related to outcomes, such as rewards and punishments (Pennington, 2003, p. 253). Individuals who believe personal outcomes are contingent largely on their own behaviour and attributes are said to have an internal locus of. However, people with external locus of control see personal outcomes as chance or luck (Pennington, 2003). It is claimed that people who believe in paranormal phenomena are inclined to maintain that they are especially vulnerable to external forces beyond their control; thus posses external locus of control (Irwin Watt, 2007). This relationship has been well documented, especially in regard to ESP, Witchcraft, Precognition, Spiritualism and Extraordinary Life Forms (as cited in Irwin Watt, 2007). Groth-Mamat and Pegden (1998) also have found external locus of control to be associated with greater overall paranormal belief, although this was not quite significant. This study has provided some support to the claim that those who believe that their life is dependent on external factors are more likely to believe in the paranormal. However, a more external locus of control was significantly related to greater belief in Spirituality and Precognition. Presumably, belief in Spirituality is associated to external locus of control due to a belief that spiritual forces have an impact on peoples lives. Peoples beliefs in Precognition can also be associated with an external locus of control because their lives might be perceived somewhat pre-determined. However, greater belief in superstition was related to a more internal locus of control. The results of this study suggest rather than there being a direct association between paranormal belief in general and an external locus of control, it may be that those who believe in Precognition and Spirituality are more likely to have an external locus of control while those who believe in Superstition are more likely to have an internal locus of control (p. 293). Thus, this study demonstrates that paranormal belief is not only related to external locus of control but the association between internal locus of control and paranormal belief (Superstition in this case) has also been found. Paranormal belief seem to also be correlated positively with measures of creativity, sensation seeking and hypnotic susceptibility what suggest a linkage to a cognitive style of fantasizing (as cited in Irwin Watt, 2007). It is claimed that personality factor of fantasy proneness correlates positively with nearly all dimensions of paranormal belief, such as global paranormal belief, Precognition, Psi, Witchcraft, Extraordinary Life Forms and Spiritualism (Irwin, 1993). It has been established that fantasy prone people fantasize a lot and while fantasizing they are deeply absorbed in or fully experience what is being fantasized. This cognitive style has interested many scientists wanting to investigate the origins of paranormal belief. It has been found that one of the major factors related with the development of this personality dimension may be a history of physical abuse or other trauma during childhood; this may be an important factor in explaining individuals openness to parano rmal. Rabeyron and Watt (2010), for example, found a strong significant correlation between paranormal experiences and traumas. Nevertheless, further research on correlation between paranormal belief and trauma is needed, especially because there are other factors that might need to be taken into account. According to Lynn and Rhue (1988) childrens fantasy proneness can be fostered by parental encouragement, and the development of paranormal belief therefore should be investigated also in relation to these more positive aspects of the family setting than just the level of physical abuse. Nevertheless, the vast majority of evidence indicates fantasy proneness to be strongly correlated with belief in paranormal phenomena. This claim seem to be also accepted by non-skeptics (Vyse, 1997). Recapitulating, it is important to mention that despite of the dispute between skeptics and non-skeptics, personality dimensions seem to have a considerable impact on peoples belief in paranormal phenomena. Some researchers claim that there are other factors that have an impact on peoples belief in paranormal phenomena, such as culture, media, social influence or subjective experience. According to Irwin (1993) the level of paranormal belief in an individual is in part a function of that persons cultural environment. However, it should not be argued that the origin of paranormal beliefs lies in the individuals culture. It is more acceptable to claim that culture is responsible not for paranormal belief, but rather for the specific forms of the beliefs. For instance, people may be members of various cultural groups, whereas this membership will rule the characteristics of paranormal beliefs accepted by the individual. In summary, paranormal beliefs may be modelled on examples provided by parents, friends or other persuasive people. Ridolfo et al. (2010) for example found relatively strong evidence that individuals are more likely to accept paranormal claims as true when they believe such claims have popular support. However, the exact relationship between paranormal beliefs and social-group influences remains uncertain (Markovsky Thye, 2001). Furthermore, even a little exposure to paranormal concepts through the media and social interaction may incline individual to unintentionally interpret personal encounters with anomalous events as paranormal phenomena. Thus, it is assumed that some correlates of individual dimensions of paranormal belief may reflect the operation of cultural and sub-cultural factors (Irwin, 1993, p. 26). However, individual must be intrinsically vulnerable for these cultural impacts to be effective. Therefore, even though paranormal beliefs might have cultural basis, the basis of vulnerability to the beliefs must be investigated in the psychodynamic domain (Schumaker, 1990; as cited in Irwin, 1993). It is also worth noting that the most common reason given for believing in paranormal phenomena is personal experience (Blackmore 1984, as cited in Blackmore, 1997) and strength of paranormal belief is positively correlated with number of subjective paranormal experiences (Glicksohn, 1990). However, Blackmore (1997) indicates that people who believe in the paranormal are more likely to interpret normal events as paranormal as well as are more likely to misinterpret normal events as paranormal what encourages their belief. As mentioned before the term paranormal refers to hypothesized processes that in principle are physically impossible or outside the realm of human capabilities (Thalbourne, 1982; as cited in Irwin, 1993, p. 1). Although scientists very often disagree about the meaning of empirical tests, data, empiricism is a highly valued source of knowledge. There is clearly still much empirical work yet to be done to investigate personality correlates with paranormal beliefs. The popularity of paranormal beliefs in the society and the evident influence of these beliefs on peoples life call for further investigation and verification for providing a better understanding of the functions and origins of paranormal belief. And even though, there is still a lot of uncertainty about which personality factors have an impact on individuals belief in the paranormal phenomena, skeptical point of view, considered as more scientific, seem to be more persuasive than non-skeptical. Word count: 2 396

Genre is useful for audiences

Genre is useful for audiences Compare examples of genre texts from different decades of any media genre of your choice. Genre is useful for audiences as it enables them to differentiate between the styles and types of narrative, allowing them to decide on what they enjoy. Producers benefit from genre as they can see what is most successful at the current time, and, therefore, make more of the same to capitalise on profit. Due to the ongoing existence and progression of genre, certain changes occur in film, but yet they remain reflective of the genre they are in. This observation is supported by Steven Neales description, that genre operates as a â€Å"repetition of difference†. Subtle differences may appear on screen, but the underlying repertoire of elements are exclusively the same. I will be considering the science fiction genre, within which, the films Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Invasion, and The Faculty will be discussed. These films are recognisable as being part of the science fiction genre due to the inclusion of aliens in all three texts. This is a common trend within the genr e and is apparent in countless other films. The repetition of such ideas is noticeably popular with audiences, who have consumed similar texts for decades. Audiences like this repetition as it fits into their schema, complying with the ideologies and values of previous texts which they have enjoyed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However, genres do not endlessly repeat themselves. Instead, they evolve, adopting new conventions and narratives to excite the audience. This variation is well-liked by audiences who would become bored of watching the same thing over and over again. The repetition of difference allows the audience to enjoy the particular genre whilst being entertained by the application of new elements. The diverse nature and imagination of science fiction allows difference to be introduced with greater success than any other genre.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Haywards theory, that genres are not static but â€Å"shifting and slippery†, can be confidently implicated into the discussion, as they do not remain the same but adjust due to the audience and society at the time. This notion can be further enforced by theorist Toamshevsky, who suggested that â€Å"no firm logical classification of genre is possible. Their demarcation is always historical, that is to say, it is only correct for a moment of history†. This theory proposes that films produced as part of the science fiction genre, reflect attitudes, worries and conflicts within society at a given time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The texts held in question all exhibit differences due to the influences of historical contexts that were apparent at the time. Invasion of the Body Snatchers is manifestly a metaphor of society during the Cold War, with the pod people representing Russian communists. The 2007 remake, The Invasion, adopts different aspects as a result of society at this time. The anxieties present in this era are disease, infection and the idea that science is foolishly breaking boundaries, represented in The Invasion by a virus that turns people into an inhuman being. The faculty is more complex as it does not involve concerns of the present society. Instead, The Faculty presents a postmodern view of humanity through its self-referentiality; drawing attention to its own construction which offers little comment on social issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Neale supports Toamshevskys point and suggests that genre creates meaning in a fluid way. Genre can only make sense in relation to a variety of contextual factors. The contextual factors of institution, censorship, technology and gender representation have all affected these texts and created differences between them. Invasion of the body Snatchers was produced by Walter Wanger, who had an interest in topically political material, being responsible for the making of the anti-fascist film Blockade in 1938. The films screenwriter Mainwaring was even blacklisted himself as a communist sympathiser. Furthermore, the script was rewritten by Richard Collins, a former Communist Party functionary and co-author of the once notorious Song of Russia. These institutional aspects of the film clearly show its intentions and ideologies as being pro-communism, making a satirical attack on McCarthyism. The Invasion was produced by Warner brothers and therefore has values in keeping with traditional America. The narrative of this film concludes with the uninfected triumphing over the alien life form and restoring the world to its previous state. This clearly shows the difference in values as the ending is so definite, whereas in Body Snatchers the ending is not completely resolved, with the imagination of the audience determining the real outcome. The Faculty appears to struggle in commenting on the real world we live in until the very end of the film. We can see this ending as an ironic parody through Frederick Jamesons definition of the term, as The Faculty ‘mocks rather than plunders from tradition therefore interrogating other texts that it mimics. We ask questions about the way the narrative ends as it makes no sense, with everybody becoming better people due to the experience and contradicting there former characters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Censorship has shaped the three texts dramatically, having restricted the content of some and enabling others to show more varied footage. Invasion of the Body Snatchers was produced in 1956, a time where society was shielded from ‘unacceptable material by the MPDDA, therefore limiting the footage that could be shown, and which could be perceived as entertaining by the audience, for example violence, nudity and swearing. The Invasion and The Faculty, however, have not been affected by such rigorous censoring, being produced in a more lenient society. This has allowed both films to include more disturbing scenes such as the alien in The Faculty and the process by which humans are converted into aliens in The Invasion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technology also plays a significant part in recognising the differences between the texts. Invasion of the Body Snatchers lacks impressive, large scale scenes partly due to the deficiency of technology but also due to the economic context, as films were made on a much lower budget than they are today. Body Snatchers cost a modern day equivalent of 4 million dollars whereas The Invasion cost a massive 80 million dollars. These economic differences have allowed films produced in the 21st century to be much more impressive in appearance than those created decades ago. The Faculty consisted of many scenes that relied heavily on special effects. However, the methods used could clearly be seen as fake and even comical. This may have been solely due to its postmodern influences but may also have been due to the standard of technology at the time. The Invasion includes much more realistic examples of technology in use, such as the shuttle falling to Earth and the suffocat ing green mucus that covers the peoples faces.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Representations of gender are very different in the three texts. Body Snatchers clearly portrays a patriarchal society where men are the bread winners and women are the housewives. Miles Bennell is the Proppian hero who is slowed down and hindered by his partner Becky Driscoll who has no relevance to the plot, ultimately becoming an alien and betraying Miles. The Invasion, however, swaps these roles, making the women the hero and the man the burden. This can be accounted for through the second wave of feminism in the late 1960s, characterised by the growing revolt by women against their oppression as a sex. The idea of the crisis of masculinity is also encompassed within the film as men, such as Daniel Craig and Kidmans ex-husband Jeremy Northam, appear week, being dominated by Kidmans character and eventually overcome.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Neales theory that genre exists through the repetition of difference is highly justifiable when looking at Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Invasion and The Faculty. All three films are extremely familiar with the two most recent films taking their ideas directly from the 1956 classic. The Faculty is a repetition of Body Snatchers due to its close compliance with the texts narrative and conventions of alien organisms, as well as the fact that it makes direct references to Body Snatchers consistently throughout the film. The Invasion is a remake of Body Snatchers, therefore existing exclusively due to the earlier film. It does however have differences to the original to make it more exciting and more in keeping with contemporary society, which has greater appeal to audiences. For these reasons Neales theoretical framework is valid, as are the additional views of Hayward and Toamshevsky.

Images of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals :: Essays Papers

Images of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals It all makes good sense so long as animals exist. Humans are not so different from nonhuman animals, yet through a vast array of often mutually supporting structures of domination – from food to fashion and psychology to war, â€Å"the suffering that we inflict on nonhuman beings can be extreme, and the numbers involved are gigantic†[1]. From this, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) branches out. A next step, a necessary path, a biological outgrowth or a wandering extension of a moral â€Å"circle† of consideration of nonhuman animals. The slogan: â€Å"Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on or use for entertainment†[2]. But more than a slogan to march to, the pithy philosophy also guides, unifies, and activates the media presence that makes up the fundamental faces of PETA. PETA is also other than a cadre for animal revolution, â€Å"we are complete press sluts†[3]. For animals, the revolution will be televised vigo rously. Whereas this struggle might be understood as the instrumental use of media to effect an outside end for real world concerns (more TV makes less animals die), how PETA’s images have worked can be understood on an alternate screen of anti-aliased renders and widescreen projection. A programming of simulation, nature, and animal. PETA’s internet enabled zoo of images, photos for every block of words and text for every block of pixels, both addresses and symbiotically supports the habitat and survival of the animals they hope to strategically aid. For, while ‘the cause’ would be served as well by the sudden disappearance of animal cruelty, what is advocated is precisely inclusive and referential of itself. These animals, whose kind is to be saved, live inside of html formatted rectangles in Photoshop blended subtlety and complexity. It all makes sense so long as animals exist, and the premise is hard to deny. Animals have been, as PETA is no doubt aware, consistently and progressively devastated, impacted, displaced, conquered, enslaved, caught, captured, killed, boxed in and eliminated. The activist may tell you that this process is by no means inevitable or necessary and must be ended now. But the images sear a different mark: animals, as we once knew them, may have already passed through their disappearance, ascension, and resurrection. Bruce Friedrich, PETA’s director of vegan outreach, has said of meat eating, â€Å"feeding plants to animals then eating the animals is like filtering water through a sewer then drinking it†[4].

the meaning of life Essay example -- essays research papers

The Meaning of life What is the meaning of life. The meaning of our lives, the purpose, and the dreams both dashed and realized, and the expectations forced upon us by others. In other words how do you "translate" what life is? "Translation" means to explain in simple terms. What is it supposed to be about? There are different answers for different people at different times in their lives. A person's lifetime is filled with self-examination. Why am I here? What am I doing? Is this as good as it gets? You have a beginning. You're in the middle, and your story hasn't ended yet. If one would recognize the greatest things we have in life, they would not be asking this question. These great things are faith, hope, and love. Faith is the one that can keep one from asking questions. If God wanted us to know something, then we would know it. In most religions, Christian ones in particular, the question of meaning in life is inextricably wrapped up in a relationship with God. Living in, for, with, and through him. Therefore, how one answers the meaning of life question bears directly the existence of God. Soren Kierkegaard said to be the "father" of existentialism maintains that there are three basic answers to the question of the meaning of life. He called these "stages" of life, because he believed that people "progressed" from one stage to the next. Whether or not that is true, there do seem to be at least three fundamental outlooks on life. One is a life devoted to pleasure. This value perspective can be shown by a person whose only concern is for what they are doing now. They would rather gain from pleasures in life without any regards to how they might affect their future. Another stage is those choosing ethical and moral paths. People who are honest and loyal demonstrate this in their everyday lives. Finally, there is a live religiously. This has been the popular way of life for many of us. It is going to church and practicing your faith Stace argues, the present age has begun to weaken faith in God. The concept of a supernatural person has begun to seem unlikely to many people. The Bible no longer seems as respected for many Catholics. While many peopl... ...ve the opportunity to choose either Him or evil, thereby proving our love for Him. If His were the only game in town, then there would not be a free will conscious choice for Him. It is evident that the meaning of life has to far to complex for any one to fully understand or agree on the same answer. All these ideas of these different philosophers are not necessarily inaccurate, just incomplete. All pieces to a puzzle that one has no way of fully figuring out. No one has seemed to accomplish this yet in life. There are so many obstacles that we face as we try to achieve a higher good. Many of these are based in the fact that we are human beings, and because of that are flawed by the ways of our culture. Things such as self-doubt, worry, ignorance, and the values put into our heads since the day we were born all are roadblocks on our way to a higher level. Also being human beings makes vulnerable to the ways of the world around us, so it is not easy to block these things out of our lives. This life is a stage in which we are to develop our minds, bodies, and souls to their highest potential in preparation for the afterlife. Only God could ever really show anyon e true meaning.

Robbery: Flight Attendant and Officer

Robbery Tanisha Barkley, Desiree Brickles, LaTosha Call, Kimberly Clark, Robin Crumble, Tammara Dimond and Keith Dostie Everest University Introduction to Interviews and Interrogations Professor David Farrow March 16, 2013 Robbery Crime Scenario There was a diamond heist at Brussels Airport involving two suspects, one male and one female. The female had the diamonds hidden on her purse, when she passed through security. The male suspect was actually one of the pilots. The female took the flight attendant hostage until the plane was on the ground in Detroit, Michigan.The female and the male were able to get off of the plane. The two suspects were caught after they got off of the plane and trying to get out of the airport. The two suspects were the last ones to get off the plane and they did not realize that some of the passengers on board contacted the police via cell phones. Interview Preparation The suspects were identified based on the information that was given from the passengers and crew on the airplane. Since the female suspect, Alexis Johnson, took the flight attendant, Lisa Williams, hostage she could then identify the suspect in detail.Since the suspects were caught after they got off the plane and before they left the airport. The officers can set up interviews at the airport to help obtain all necessary information. In these interviews they will ask the witnesses what happened and for identification of the suspects. Before interviewing the suspects, the officers should try to obtain their background information (Gosselin, 2007). During these interviews there should be other officers that are looking at the scene to ensure that they collect all evidence and information from the plane where all this happened at (Gosselin, 2007).Interviews For the interview process of the witnesses, a structural interviewing will be used. â€Å"Structural interviewing approach builds on the traditional interview by adding the following components: rapport building, nar rative description, and an ample interviewee response opportunity† (Gosselin 2007, pg. 71). Witness: The interview for the witness, Ms. Pastor is first set up the day after, so she is able to gather her thoughts as well as get over the shock she experienced. While interviewing Ms. Pastor, she seemed more relaxed as if she only needed sleep.The interview session was set up in a comfortable space, with comfy chairs 4-6 feet away from each other with a table in the center of them. The room was painted a soft color to relax the interviewee. The first thing the officer does is ensure that she had not been injured and she is stable enough to be questioned. After ensuring her condition, the officer established a rapport by using a first name basis. Next, the officer asked Ms. Pastor if the interview could be videotaped or voice recorded. Ms. Pastor decided it would be best to go with voice recording.At this time, the officer feels that Ms. Pastor is comfortable enough to start the in terview. The officer begins to ask Ms. Pastor a series of questions beginning with personal information and Ms. Pastor seemed comfortable answering them. Next, the officer asks Ms. Pastor about what happened onboard the aircraft. Ms. Pastor stated: â€Å"I boarded that plane fine, everything was normal, I put my things above me, and sat in my seat, that flight attendants, came and asked if me and others if we wanted anything to drink or eat before takeoff.The flight attendants performed the safety procedures before the plane took off, and told us to fasten our seat belts as the plane was about to depart. As soon as we took off, a lady came out from the bathroom area, telling us to be seated and don't move or else we will get hurt. I stayed seated and kept my mouth shut, sitting there observing everything she was doing. I was amazed, a women was pulling this off. She and another man were talking up ahead where the pilots are when flying, about something in a purse. After the plane l anded they left, I guess they got what they were looking for.The man came from the front of the first class area. They met up in the center then started looking for what they came for. They tried not to talk too much but the girl was a dumb, and I guess wanted to hurry up and find it. She got the man mad and that’s when I heard them say something about â€Å"find it in the bag. â€Å"† After the interview with the witness was completed, the officer thanked her for the information she provided as well as her time. The officer also gave Ms. Pastor her contact information. The officer also informed Ms. Pastor that if she can remember anything else that she feels would be beneficial, to please call.Victim: For the interview of the victim, Lisa Williams, the officer conducted a traditional interview. The traditional interview because she is upset and the officer wants to get the immediate facts as fast as possible (Gosselin, 2007). Lisa Williams was the flight attendant wh o was taken hostage by the female suspect, Alexis Johnson. The interview room was set up in the security area, a quiet part of the airport with no disturbances, with the chairs facing each other approximately four feet apart; the officer does not sit between the door and Ms.Williams because of the assumption of her not thinking she could leave (Psychological Principles: Interview and Interrogation, 2009). The interview began with asking Ms. Williams for permission to videotape her statement, in which she agreed. In order to establish rapport, the officer and Ms. Williams agreed to address one another by using first names. The officer first began the questions regarding personal information, in order to keep her at ease. Next, the officer began to ask questions regarding what happened on the aircraft.Lisa stated: â€Å"I wasn't expecting anyone to be behind me. It was right after takeoff; she grabbed me by the back and pulled the back of the flight attendant break area. She said she had a gun. She blindfolded me and bound my hands. To cooperate I would get hurt but if anything went wrong or anything interfered with the plane landing she wouldn't hesitate to kill me. † After the interview with the victim was completed, the officer thanked her for her time and answering questions. The officer also gave Ms. Williams her contact information.The officer informed Ms. Williams that if she can remember anything that would be beneficial to the case, to please call. The officer walked Ms. Williams to meet with her family. Interrogation There were a few techniques during the interrogation of the pilot, Francis Drebin. The officer started with a subjective interview technique in order to establish rapport and to get him comfortable. The officer wanted him to think that he was in the clear and that they were friends in order to get him to open up and share information.The officer began to ask open-ended questions that allowed him to discuss his typical flight and som e of the operations that happened on a regular basis. Upon sharing the names of the flight attendants, his demeanor changed and he began to display signs of nervousness. From here, the officer’s co-investigator switched to the Reid technique for interrogation. This is a nine step technique to obtain a confession to a crime. Mr. Drebin was confronted about the facts of the case and a theme was developed on the events of the incident (Layton, 2013). He was read his Miranda Rights and officially arrested for his role in the crime.Male Suspect: From the information already provided by the witnesses and victim, the pilot of the aircraft was commonly identified by both parties. In light of the details of the incident, the officer uses the structural interviewing technique with the pilot of the plane. This way, he can discuss the narrative of the events of the incident (Gosselin, 2007). Because of the nature of the incident, the interview of the pilot was conducted in the security o ffice of the current terminal of the airport. This room was chosen because of the privacy and the comfort feel of the room. Mr.Drebin was asked if the interview could be videotaped, in which he agreed as well as including another officer in the room. The chairs were at an angle located about five feet apart from one another. Both parties agreed to use first names while conducting the interview. The officer began the questioning with asking personal information in order to keep the suspect at ease. Next, the officer asked Mr. Drebin about his flight. Mr. Drebin stated: â€Å"It started as business as usual. We were ahead of schedule. When I fly the plane, I am isolated from everyone else and only communicate with the tower.I can’t really tell what is going on in the cabin unless I am notified by an attendant about a situation through the two-way intercom. I didn’t communicate with the flight attendants or the cabin until we hit flight altitude, where I told them the le ngth of the flight. † Next, the officer asked Mr. Drebin what he meant by the communication with Ms. Johnson. After approximately thirty seconds, Mr. Drebin stated: â€Å"I am sure that I was just giving the crew some flight plans and times for service. † The officer observed his body language because he was becoming agitated with the questions.His non-verbal’s made it easy to see this. Then he seemed to be nervous and to fidget. Mr. Drebin was informed that he was a suspect in the robbery heist and was placed under arrest. The officer read Mr. Drebin his Miranda Rights. When the officer began to question Mr. Drebin, he decided to lawyer up. Female Suspect: At the scene of the robbery a female suspect was captured. She was then asked what her name was; she refused to speak. The arresting officer then proceeded to read the woman her Miranda rights and placed her in the police cruiser.Once we arrived at the police station the female was then place in a small room f or questioning. When the officer entered the room to begin questioning, she established a rapport with the female. Both parties sat at opposite ends of the table. The officer asked her what her name was and she refused to answer. The female was suspect was informed was caught by another officer and the jewels were found in her purse at the time of arrest, there is more than enough evidence to put her away and that she is going to get one more chance to tell your side of the story.She still refused to speak. The officer proceeded to inform her that the male suspect in custody and he is already placing blame away from him; if she doesn’t want to take all the heat, she needs to start talking. She then proceeded to say that she was part of the robbery. The cognitive technique was used in order to gain rapport and start with easy questions to help get and keep her relaxed. However as the questions seemed to become harder, she was not happy and would not continue with the questions (Heuback, 2010).The female suspect was asked her name, in which she replied Alexis Johnson. Ms. Johnson was then asked personal questions in order to get her at ease. Ms. Johnson was reminded of her Miranda rights and she informed the officer they were already read and understood them. When asked why she robbed the plane, Ms. Johnson stated: â€Å"I felt that I could use the extra money and buy everything that I have ever wanted. † Ms. Johnson then decided that she wanted a lawyer present. Summation In this crime scene we found out how two individuals worked together to steal some diamonds off an airplane.These two people were very intelligent, and they did manage to get the diamonds off the airplane. However, the suspects were not able to make it out of the airport before they got caught. The police met them at the door. Both suspects were found guilty of their crimes and arrested. Bibliography The officers can set up interviews at the airport to help obtain all necessary i nformation. In these interviews they will ask the witnesses what happened and for identification of the suspects. Before interviewing the suspects the officers should try to obtain their background information (Gosselin, 2007).During these interviews there should be other officers that are looking at the scene to ensure that they collect all evidence and information from the plane where all this happened at (Gosselin, 2007). For the interview process of the witnesses, a structural interviewing will be used. â€Å"Structural interviewing approach builds on the traditional interview by adding the following components: rapport building, narrative description, and an ample interviewee response opportunity† (Gosselin 2007, pg. 71). The traditional interview because she is upset and the officer wants to get the immediate facts as fast as possible (Gosselin, 2007).The interview room was set up in the security area, a quiet part of the airport with no disturbances, with the chairs fa cing each other approximately four feet apart; the officer does not sit between the door and Ms. Williams because of the assumption of her not thinking she could leave (Psychological Principles: Interview and Interrogation, 2009). Drebin was confronted about the facts of the case and a theme was developed on the events of the incident (Layton, 2013). In light of the details of the incident, the officer uses the structural interviewing technique with the pilot of the plane.This way, he can discuss the narrative of the events of the incident (Gosselin, 2007). The cognitive technique was used in order to gain rapport and start with easy questions to help get and keep her relaxed. However as the questions seemed to become harder, she was not happy and would not continue with the questions (Heuback, 2010). References Gosselin, D. (2007). Smart Talk Contemporary Interviewing and Interrogation. Upper Saddle River: Person Prentice Hall. Heuback, J. (2010). Suspect Interrogation: Communicati on Strategies and Key Personality.Retrieved from ACTR Advances in Communication Theory and Research: http://www. k-state. edu/actr/2010/12/20/suspect-interrogation-communication-strategies-and-key-personality-constructs-jessica-heuback/default. htm Layton, J. (2013). How police interrogation works: The Reid Technique. http://people. howstuffworks. com/police-interrogation. htm Psychological Principles: Interview and Interrogation, (2009). Interview and Interrogation Rooms. http://www. social_engineer. org/framework/Psychological_Principles:_Interview_and_Interrogation

A Psychological Look Inside the Movie ‘Good Will Hunting’ Essay

In the film, Good Will Hunting, main character Will Hunting is a troubled young man from a poor neighborhood in south Boston. Following a youth of abusive foster care experiences and only himself left to trust, Hunting leads a life of self-sufficiency becoming a witty sharp shooter. A seemingly independent individual working as a janitor in renowned local university, MIT, he spends his downtime with a select group of buddies he considers family or isolated reading volumes of old novels and textbooks. Upon being found as the secret sleuth to a graduate level mathematics problem, MIT professor Gerald Lambeau seeks out the janitor, Hunting, in efforts to engage his mind and make him an apprentice. As the plot twists, an earlier issue lands Hunting facing jail time for assaulting an officer during a fight in his neighborhood. With knowledge of this, Prof. Lambeau uses his university standing and professional name to allow a proposition to be offered to Hunting that Lambeau believes to be mutually beneficial: Hunting is freed from jail time under the stipulations that he works with Lambeau academically and sees a therapist for counseling purposes, simultaneously. Initially standoffish, Hunting doesn’t seem interested, meanwhile a recent new love interest sways his thinking and he accepts Prof. Lambeau and the courts offer. While there seem to be a few dilemmas listed above, including the professors initial interest in offering a lessened jail sentence for his potential protà ©gà ©, the intent of his proposal was not for sole self-interest if the viewer understands his point of view and life experience. In his opinion, what person could possibly turn down an opportunity to work directly with an MIT professor and for free? For the purposes of this paper, the ethical dilemma discussed is what happens next in the plot of Good Will Hunting, and that is when Will (who burns through multiple therapists before connecting with one) and his eventual Psychologist, Sean Maguire begin working together. Two major occurrences happen, one is that in an early meeting between the two, Hunting begins to ‘test’ Maguire in efforts to make him lose his temper and it works. By discussing a painting in Maguire’s office that holds emotional value, Hunting is able to prod the weak areas of Maguire’s past and after he could no longer take it, he became irate and physically restrained Hunting by the throat. To quickly go over this and how it relates to the American  Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, this seemingly obvious violation is of course beyond all measures of intentions of helping but is also cited in Standard 3: Human Relations (APA Code of Ethics, 2014) in 3.04 Avoiding Harm: â€Å"Psychologists take reasonable steps to avoid harming their clients/patients, students, supervisees, research participants, organizational clients and other with whom they work, and minimize harm where it is foreseeable and unavoidable.† In order to avoid such a situation, beyond the realm of Hollywood dramatization, a simple separation of the two people (professional and patient/client) to collect thoughts, breathe and reevaluate the circumstances would have been an appropriate alternative to physical contact. A separate yet major occurrence of ethical standards in the film involves the follow through of professional service to Hunti ng by Maguire as he deemed necessary when the role of Prof. Lambeau intended cessation of therapy so he could carry out his own prerogative. Maguire positively maintained the five foundational general principles as found in the APA’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct: Principle A: Beneficence and Nonmaleficence – â€Å"†¦seek to safeguard the welfare and rights of those with whom they interact professionally†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Principle B: Fidelity and Responsibility – â€Å"†¦concerned about the ethical compliance of their colleagues’ scientific and professional conduct†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Principle C: Integrity – â€Å"†¦strive to keep their promises and to avoid unwise or unclear commitments†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Principle D: Justice – â€Å"†¦exercise reasonable judgment and take precautions to ensure that their potential biases, the boundaries of their competence and the limitations of their expertise do not lead to or condone unjust practices.† Principle E: Respe ct for People’s Rights and Dignity – â€Å"†¦respect the dignity and worth of all people, and the rights of individuals to privacy, confidentiality, and self-determination.†