How would you interpret "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T. S. Eliot?

T. S. Eliot’s hugely influential poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is a dramatic monologue that reveals the speaker’s perceived insecurities and shortcomings. The poem details the turbulent inner life of a man who struggles with his confidence. He is overly analytical and reticent to being called to action. He is a prime example of an antihero. The poem includes famously brilliant lines that embody his nature. For example, when he considers talking to women at a party, he laments:

“I should have been a pair of ragged claws

Scuttling across the floors of silent seas” (73).

Later in the poem, the speaker sees an opportunity slip through his outstretched hands:

“I am no prophet— and here's no great matter;

I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,

And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,

And in short, I was afraid” (73).

The speaker’s anxious sexual frustration is present throughout the poem as he overanalyzes every aspect of his presence at a party. Toward the end of the poem, he ironically compares himself to another antihero famous for his indecision, Hamlet:

“No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;

Am an attendant lord, one that will do

To swell a progress, start a scene or two,

Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool,

Deferential, glad to be of use,

Politic, cautious, and meticulous;

Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;

At times, indeed, almost ridiculous—

Almost, at times, the fool” (74).

Thus, this dramatic monologue vividly illustrates the inward struggle of a nebbish, awkward man as he reflects on his own social impotence.

I pulled my textual evidence from The Bloodaxe Book of 20th Century Poetry.

What is thrombocytopenia?

Causes and Symptoms

Thrombocytopenia occurs when platelets are lost from the circulation faster than they can be replaced by the bone marrow where they are produced. It may result from either a deficiency in platelet production or an increased clearance rate from the blood. Clinically, thrombocytopenia is defined as a platelet count less than the normal levels of 150,000 to 350,000 per microliter of blood.

There are several specific causes of thrombocytopenia. In artefactual thrombocytopenia, antibodies in a person’s blood cause platelets to stick together and cause a falsely low platelet count. In congenital thrombocytopenia, one of several rare genetic diseases causes low platelet counts. Another cause of thrombocytopenia is impaired platelet production, such as in leukemia
or lymphoma, where the number of some other cell type in the bone marrow is increased, leaving fewer megakaryocytes for platelet production. Alternatively, the rate of platelet destruction can be increased as in disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), in which the blood clotting process is inappropriately activated. Antibodies in the blood, produced because of infections such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or rheumatoid arthritis, can cause platelet
removal. Idiopathic or immunologic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) causes thrombocytopenia through destruction of platelets by the patient’s immune system. Thrombocytopenia can also be attributable to an abnormal distribution of platelets, as when platelets are sequestered in a patient’s enlarged spleen. Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a disease resulting in thrombocytopenia. Platelets clump together in areas of clots to the extent that there are fewer platelets in other parts of the body. Finally, a massive transfusion of red blood cells can dilute platelets to thrombocytopenic levels.

Thrombocytopenia can cause excess bleeding and thus has several notable symptoms. Petechiae, rashes, and frequent bruising can appear on the skin, provoked by minor injury or pressure. Bleeding from wounds or body cavities may occur. At extremely low platelet counts, those below 20,000 per microliter, spontaneous bleeding occurs. The spleen and liver may be enlarged and sensitive to the touch if the thrombocytopenia is caused by splenic activity. Impaired clotting may cause blood to appear in the stool, urine, vomit, or sputum. Thrombocytopenic patients may also experience anemia, feel fatigued, or exhibit an elevated heart rate.

Low platelet counts increase the risk of bleeding, which becomes particularly dangerous when the count falls below 10,000 per microliter. Bleeding from the nose and gums is quite common. Serious hemorrhage can occur at the retina in the back of the eye, threatening vision. The most critical bleeding complication posing a risk to life is spontaneous bleeding in the head or in the lining of the gut.

Treatment and Therapy

The primary treatment for thrombocytopenia is to address the underlying cause of the deficiency. This is not always possible. If significant blood loss has occurred, then red blood cell or platelet transfusion may be necessary. However, in the condition of thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura, the use of platelet concentrates is quite hazardous. Platelet growth factor can be used to stimulate increased platelet production in the bone marrow. Additionally, certain drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen are to be avoided since they are known to cause antiplatelet activity.

If an infection is suspected as the cause of thrombocytopenia, then treatment such as antibiotics for the specific infection is often initiated. Some viral infections such as glandular fever caused by Epstein-Barr virus
have no specific treatment, and only close monitoring is applied. If the thrombocytopenia is caused by the presence of cancer
cells in the bone marrow, then treatment such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy is directed at the abnormal cells. In such cases, the bone marrow may become damaged and blood platelet counts further lowered. Platelet transfusions are then given to prevent bleeding, until either the platelet count reaches acceptable levels or the bone marrow recovers its ability to produce sufficient numbers of platelets.

Perspective and Prospects

Prior to the development of plasma exchange as an effective treatment in the 1970s, the mortality from thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura–hemolytic uremic syndrome (TTP-HUS) was 90 percent. During those times, diagnosis was made using five clinical observations, including thrombocytopenia and fever. The availability of effective plasma exchange treatment has lowered the mortality rate to 20 percent. Early diagnosis is important, with thrombocytopenia and one other criterion the only requirements for initiation of treatment since 1991.

At the start of the twenty-first century, the treatment of children with idiopathic or immunologic thrombocytopenic purpura remained controversial. Platelet counts can be increased by treatment with corticosteroids, but clinical outcomes may not improve. Because most children spontaneously recover from severe thrombocytopenia in several days to weeks, only supportive care is sometimes recommended in this case.

Bibliography:

Cattaneo, M. “Inherited Platelet-Based Bleeding Disorders.” Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis 1, no. 7 (July, 2003): 1628–1636.

Chong, B. H. “Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia.” Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis 1, no. 7 (July, 2003): 1471–1478.

Dugdale, David C. "Thrombocytopenia." MedlinePlus, March 14, 2012.

George, J. N. “Platelets.” The Lancet 355, no. 9214 (April 29, 2000): 1531–1539.

Goldstein, K. H., et al. “Efficient Diagnosis of Thrombocytopenia.” American Family Physician 53, no. 3 (February 15, 1996): 915–920.

McCrae, Keith R., ed. Thrombocytopenia. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2006.

MedlinePlus. "Platelet Disorders." MedlinePlus, May 22, 2013.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. "What Is Thrombocytopenia?" NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, September 25, 2012.

Reid, T. J., et al. “Platelet Substitutes in the Management of Thrombocytopenia.” Current Hematology Reports 2, no. 2 (March, 2003): 165–170.

Warkentin, Theodore E., and Andreas Greinacher, eds. Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia. 4th rev. ed. New York: Marcel Dekker, 2007.

What was the purpose of the Articles of Confederation?

After the Revolutionary War ended, we needed to develop a plan of government. That plan of government was called the Articles of Confederation.

The American people were fearful of having a government that had too much power. As a result, the plan of government created by the Articles of Confederation was a weak one. The federal government was unable to levy taxes under this plan. It also couldn’t make people join the army. The federal government also couldn’t control trade.

As a result of these weaknesses, the federal government had many problems. We weren’t able to pay our debts because the government couldn’t tax the people. When other countries pushed us around, there wasn’t much we could do about it since we couldn't require people to join the army. The federal government also had trouble keeping order. Shays’ Rebellion was an example of this.

Eventually, people realized that a new plan of government was needed to correct some of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. This led to the writing of and adopting of the Constitution.

What is the role of music in Steinbeck's novel The Pearl?

Kino imagines the songs of his people in his head.  They are not real songs, but they are the soundtrack that make up the mood of what is happening to him.  He explains that his people used to sing a lot of songs. 

His people had once been great makers of songs so that everything they saw or thought or did or heard became a song. That was very long ago. … In Kino's head there was a song now, clear and soft, and if he had been able to speak of it, he would have called it the Song of the Family. (Ch. 1) 

Kino’s songs fit what is happening to him.  The Song of the Family is the domestic ritual.  He is feeling calm.  Every morning his wife Juana makes breakfast and takes care of their little boy Coyotito, and Kino feels happy.  He hears the “rhythm of the family song” in their everyday activity.

Other songs are not nearly as pleasant.  There is the Song of Evil, which Kino hears when the scorpion threatens his son.

And then the startled look was gone from him and the rigidity from his body. In his mind a new song had come, the Song of Evil, the music of the enemy, of any foe of the family, a savage, secret, dangerous melody, and underneath, the Song of the Family cried plaintively. (Ch. 1) 

The Song of Evil and the Song of the Enemy are based on Kino’s need to protect his family.  He hears the Song of the Enemy when he is feeling angry and helpless, and he smashes the scorpion to bits.  Juana is the one who saved the baby, however. 

Kino says that their people “had sung of everything that happened or existed.”  This is why he hears the Song of the Pearl while looking for a pearl.  The pearls he is looking for are his way of feeding his family.  The one he finds is very large, and he is thrilled.  

In The Great Gatsby, Myrtle says of her sister, ''She's said to be very beautiful by people who ought to know.'' What does this statement say about...

This comment by Myrtle, Tom's mistress, to Nick in Chapter II of The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald) is meant to persuade him to go up to the apartment, where he can meet her sister Catherine. What I find interesting about your question is how similar my response would be if someone were asking this about a story taking place in 2016. Even Myrtle, from the wrong side of the tracks, understands that every society has arbiters of taste, and they are not people who live on the edge of a valley of ashes and over a garage. This is still true today. While Myrtle could never have articulated this, the fact is that she understands very well that Nick, a member of the upper class, is unlikely to take her word for it that Catherine is beautiful, not so much because she is a biased sister, but more because she senses Nick will find her own tastes beneath him—which he does, pitilessly detailing the furnishings of the apartment when he goes upstairs and sees it. Even now, whom do we allow to be our arbiters of taste? It seems it is often the rich and famous who set some standard of beauty that many feel they fall short of. There is probably some aesthetic ideal the Western world can agree upon, but that is not what Myrtle is speaking of—and neither is Fitzgerald.  

What is the difference between Mcgregor's "Theory X and Theory Y" and Maslow's hierarchy of needs? How does this particularly apply to management?

McGregor's "Theory X and Theory Y" is a simplistic, but useful account of two "theories" or visions of human behavior. On theory X, we are self-interested individuals who seek wealth and pleasure and care little for others; this is essentially the same as the assumptions of neoclassical rational agent models. On theory Y, we are creative individuals who seek to challenge and express ourselves, and care less for material rewards than we do for the thrill of achievement and the joy of a job well done. One can also see these as ends of a continuum, where people combine the two motivations to different degrees.

Some styles of management appeal to theory X, while others appeal to theory Y. McGregor argues that management will be more successful if it applies less theory X and more theory Y.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a much more empirically-validated account of human behavior which comes from cognitive psychology. It says that human beings have several different types of needs, and we must fulfill more basic needs before we can move on to more complex needs.

The most basic needs are physiological survival: We must eat, we must drink, we must breathe. Without these needs, we rapidly die.

The second level is safety: We need to be secure from danger, and we want our possessions and our relationships to be similarly secure.

The third level is belonging: We need to feel connected with other human beings, and form intimate relationships with others.

The fourth level is esteem: We want to feel valued and respected, we want to be recognized for our achievements.

The fifth and final level is self-actualization: We want to do something with our lives, create things, accomplish things, make a difference in the world.

The major limitation of Maslow's hierarchy lies in making it a strict hierarchy; in some cases human beings will sacrifice a more basic need for a higher-level need---the extreme example being a suicide bomber who sacrifices his survival for belonging and self-actualization. An improved model might account for this by giving each need a finite marginal utility, such that more basic needs are usually stronger and more important, but can be overriden in extreme cases by higher-level needs.

As far as applications to management, Maslow's hierarchy can effectively subsume McGregor's "Theory X and Theory Y": Workers at a very low standard of living are likely to mostly obey Theory X, because their very basic needs are not being met and they need money simply to survive. But workers at a higher standard of living are likely to mostly obey Theory Y, because with all their basic needs met they are interested in esteem and self-actualization. Thus, switching from monetary bonuses to public recognition for your achievements works well on university professors, but not on assembly-line workers.

Who is Piggy in The Lord of the Flies?

Piggy is one of the boys that crashes onto the island, and he quickly distinguishes himself as both a physically weak and intellectually strong boy. Readers never learn his real name; he identifies himself as Piggy from the onset and secures that as a name for himself by saying that he hopes the boys on the island won't call him what other kids used to call him at school--of course, that is exactly what they call him. In spite of his seemingly uncanny ability to attract bullying, Piggy is the most intelligent, rational boy on the island.

The book opens with an interaction between Piggy and Ralph, in which readers discover that Piggy is overweight, has asthma, and wears glasses. 

He was shorter than the fair boy and very fat. He came forward, searching out safe lodgments for his feet, and then looked up through thick spectacles.

His physical appearance, his nickname, and his constant references to his "Auntie" cause the other boys to pick on him from the beginning of the novel all the way until his death in the end, which comes at the hands of Roger. 

In spite of his physical appearance and the tendency of the boys to pick on Piggy, he demonstrates repeatedly that he has a firm grasp on both rationality and morality, likely as a result of his superior intelligence. 

Piggy knows that, in order to survive, the boys must create some sort of order; he suggests using the conch shell he and Ralph find in the water to call all of the boys together.  “We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They’ll come when they hear us—.” He also suggests taking down everyone's names so they have an accounting of all of the boys. 

As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that Piggy believes that, whether they are rescued or not, rules are paramount. He insists on holding the conch to speak, and he grows frustrated when others don't respect his right to speak. He also looks after the younger boys when they begin to fear "the beastie," and brings their fears to the attention of Ralph. Ralph, throughout the novel, seeks Piggy's input as an unofficial "second in command."

Piggy is shown to be such a model of rules and order throughout the novel that his death at the hands of Roger can be seen as a metaphorical death of rules and order itself. 

As a character that starts out the novel as a seemingly weak asthmatic who can't swim, Piggy soon distinguishes himself as someone who, as an adult, would likely have grown out of the childish judgments cast upon him and become a successful, moral, upstanding citizen due to his intelligence and loyalty.