There are quite a few quotes pertaining to the friendship between Portia and Nerissa, but they are not as obvious as the male friendships. Nerissa is Portia's servant, so their bond is subtle. For example, in Act I Scene 2, Portia and Nerissa are having a discussion about Portia's betrothal dilemma. Their friendship is evident in the way Nerissa is permitted to speak openly with Portia. Nerissa's retort in line 10, "They would be better if well followed," would not be so well received by a superior with whom she did not have a good relationship. In Act III Scene II, Nerissa seals her fate to Portia's. She tells Gratiano that he can have her love only if Bassanio chooses the correct casket: "I got a promise of this fair one here to have her love, provided that your fortune achieved her mistress." Nerissa selflessly chose to remain single for as long as her friend remained unhappy. And in Act III Scene IV, they conspire together to see their husbands by taking on disguises and going to Venice. If you look between the lines, you can see two women who clearly share a very deep bond.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
What is the connection of the symbol of the mockingbird and the characters in the story (including Jem, Tom Robinson, Mr. Raymond, and Boo Radley)?
In Chapter 10 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus tells his children, "Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” Scout, unused to hearing her father lecture her about very much, asks Miss Maudie to clarify what Atticus has said. Miss Maudie explains, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy...That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” In other words, mockingbirds are defenseless creatures, which is why it's morally wrong to kill them.
Characters in the novel are as innocent as mockingbirds. For example, Boo Radley is roundly feared because he is developmentally disabled and shy, but he is in essence harmless. In fact, he is a kind man who rescues Jem and Scout in the end of the novel. Similarly, Jem is harmless, as he is a child, and so it is indefensible for Mr. Ewell to try to harm him. Tom Robinson is an African-American man in a racist southern town in the 1930s, and the trial against him and his death are unfair and unjustifiable. Finally, Dolphus Raymond lives with African-American people, so white people don't trust him. He, like the other characters, is as innocent and harmless as a mockingbird.
Monday, August 1, 2016
Who does Victor blame for the crime?
Great question! In the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor blames himself for the crimes that occur.
After the creature discovers that the young boy he finds (William) is related to Victor, the creature kills the boy. Subsequently, the creature covers his guilt by blaming Justine (a family servant).
Despite Justine’s innocence, Justine falsely confesses that she is guilty. Victor realizes Justine’s innocence, but fails to attempt taking the blame himself or to convince the creature to accept the guilt. Consequently, Justine suffers the consequences and is killed.
Although Justine was convicted, Victor believes that he is truly responsible. Victor believes that because he made the creature, he is responsible for William and Justine’s deaths. As the text reveals:
“Thus spoke my prophetic soul, as, torn by remorse, horror, and despair, I beheld those I loved spend vain sorrow upon the graves of William and Justine, the first hapless victims of my unhallowed arts.”
Therefore, Victor blames himself for the crimes that occur with William and Justine. Although Victor does not blame himself for abandoning the creature, Victor blames himself for making the creature, which soon leads to the crimes with William and Justine.
In the book Into the Wild, why does Chris McCandless abandon the Datsun, and why was the discovery of the car important?
In the book Into the Wild, Chris McCandless abandons his Datsun after a flash flood hits Lake Mead, Nevada. When McCandless realizes that his wet battery will prevent him from diving further west without seeking help, he abandons his car by the side of the road, hides his license plates and remaining cash, and begins hitchhiking. He spends the following two months hitchhiking all over the west coast, working briefly on a ranch in California.
Finding the Datsun becomes important to the story when a National Park Service ranger finds it and reports the vehicle missing. When McCandless's parents hired a private investigator, he was able to find Chris in Oregon through the report of the missing car as well as a hitchhiking ticket he had received months earlier.
What are rickets?
Causes and Symptoms
Rickets is a relatively rare bone disease
that most frequently afflicts children. It is the result of insufficient or inefficient absorption of vitamin D in the body, which causes a progressive softening and weakening of the bone. Certain physical conditions can reduce digestion or absorption of fats and may also diminish vitamin D absorption by the intestines. The loss of calcium and phosphate from the bone eventually causes destruction of the supportive bone matrix. In adult deficiency, demineralization (osteomalacia) may occur in the spine, pelvis, and lower extremities, causing osteoporosis (an adult disorder causing brittle bones).
Symptoms of rickets may include pain or tenderness of the long bones and pelvis, skeletal deformities such as bowlegs, bumps in the rib cage (rachitic rosary), spinal and pelvic deformities (including kyphosis or scoliosis), pigeon breast, an asymmetrical or odd-shaped skull, increased tendency toward fractures, dental deformities and cavities, night fevers, muscle cramps, impaired growth, decreased muscle tone and growth, and general weakness and restlessness.
Hereditary rickets is a sex-linked vitamin D-resistant disorder that occurs when the kidney is unable to retain phosphate. Rickets may also occur in children with liver or biliary disorders, when vitamin D and fats are inadequately absorbed.
Treatment and Therapy
Uncomplicated infantile rickets can be cured with a daily replacement of deficient calcium, phosphorous, and vitamin D. Clinical testing reveals improvement after one week. Dietary sources of vitamin D include fish, liver, and processed milk. In addition, moderate exposure to sunlight is therapeutic. Skeletal deformities can be corrected with good posture or body braces; in some cases, surgery may be necessary. If rickets is not corrected in children, short stature and skeletal deformities may become permanent.
Bibliography
Alan, Rick, and Michael Woods. "Rickets." Health Library, Feb. 25, 2013.
Ballard, Carol. Bones. Rev. ed. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2002.
Bentley, George, and Robert B. Greer, eds. Orthopaedics. 4th ed. Oxford, England: Linacre House, 1993.
Currey, John D. Bones: Structures and Mechanics. 2d ed. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2006.
"Hereditary Hypophosphatemic Rickets." Genetics Home Reference, Sept. 2010.
Icon Health. Rickets: A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References. San Diego, Calif.: Author, 2004.
Kaneshiro, Neil K., and David Zieve. "Rickets." MedlinePlus, Aug. 1, 2012.
"Rickets." MedlinePlus, June 29, 2012.
Tortora, Gerard J., and Bryan Derrickson. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. 13th ed. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2012.
Wenger, Dennis R., and Mercer Rang. The Art and Practice of Children’s Orthopaedics. New York: Raven Press, 1993.
What is a transvestic disorder?
Introduction
As defined in psychology, transvestism (formerly termed "transvestic fetishism") is poorly understood by the public, who often confuse it with homosexuality and transsexualism. Homosexuals are either men or women sexually attracted to individuals of their own gender, while transsexualism
is when either men or women feel or express discomfort with their biological gender and persistently identify themselves as being, or wishing to be, another gender. Transvestites may be heterosexual or homosexual, male or female; however, most research has been conducted with heterosexual male transvestites. Transvestic disorder is typically not diagnosed if there are gender identity issues. In rare cases, individuals with transvestic disorder may develop gender dysphoria, a sense of discomfort with their biological sex. Such individuals sometimes develop a desire to live permanently as women.
The garments that constitute cross-dressing are culturally determined. A Scottish man wearing a kilt is not cross-dressing, even though kilts resemble feminine skirts in other cultures. Also, the mere act of cross-dressing does not necessarily indicate transvestism or any sexual disorder. Male cross-dressing is actually common in some societies and is frequently portrayed in entertainment. Some films such as Tootsie (1982), Victor Victoria (also 1982), and Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) and television shows such as M.A.S.H., Boy Meets World, and Boston Legal have featured cross-dressing. Many comedians have used cross-dressing in their acts, including Milton Berle and Dana Carvey. Some men, such as RuPaul, have made a career out of appearing in “drag.” These individuals, called “drag queens,” cross-dress as performance art. Historically, the Roman emperors Caligula and Nero cross-dressed, and cross-dressing was common on the stage in Shakespearean theater. Men play all the female roles in kabuki, a traditional type of Japanese theater. Although Caligula and Nero’s reasons for cross-dressing are unclear, most examples discussed here would not indicate transvestic disorder. Actors playing roles or comedians seeking laughs are not transvestites because their motives for cross-dressing are external and not normally associated with sexual arousal. Similarly, drag queens or male homosexuals dressing as females at a costume party are not cross-dressing for sexual arousal.
Details and Possible Causes
Transvestism is a
paraphilia, a condition in which intense sexual urges and fantasies center on behaviors or objects other than those seen in typical sexual activities. Other paraphilias include exhibitionism and voyeurism. For a paraphilia, such as transvestism, to be considered a paraphilic disorder, the deviant fantasies, urges, or behaviors must be persistent (occur over a period of at least six months) and disruptive (cause significant distress, interpersonal difficulty, or employment disruption).
According to Frederick L. Whitam, cross-cultural research has shown that when not cross-dressed, heterosexual male individuals exhibiting transvestism appear typically masculine in behavior, whereas the behavior of homosexual male transvestites tends to be more feminine and performative overall. Many heterosexual male transvestites are married and have children, and they cross-dress only in private. Sexual masochism, the sexual pleasure derived from personal suffering, submission, or humiliation, as in bondage, is an associated feature in some transvestites. It is also possible for transvestism to present with fetishism (arousal from objects such as shoes or leather) or with autogynephilia (arousal from visualization of oneself as female).
The urge to cross-dress typically appears in late childhood or early adolescence. Some researchers suggest a biological predisposition for this disorder, but most explanations have involved learned experiences. Many transvestites report experiencing difficult family issues, such as an uncomfortable father-son relationship. Some transvestites report being praised as children for looking “cute” in female clothing, while others were forced to wear such clothing as punishment. Certainly, many male transvestites masturbated during adolescence while either wearing female garments or with such garments nearby. Because orgasm is a strong reinforcer, associating masturbation with opposite-gender clothing can produce classically conditioned arousal to such clothing.
Cross-dressing increases in frequency for transvestites when they are stressed, and it seems to calm them. The sexual arousal aspect also decreases as many transvestites age, without lessening the cross-dressing urge. Cross-dressing apparently helps some individuals escape the strictures of the traditional male role. Therefore, more than just sexual arousal may be involved. Other than a tendency toward introversion and inhibition in relationships, the personality profiles for transvestites and nontransvestites are typically indistinguishable.
Treatment Issues
Unlike many paraphilias, transvestic disorder has little potential to cause physical harm to the individual or others. However, transvestites often feel guilty about their behavior, and it can damage their sexual relationships, especially if spouses or romantic partners disapprove; couples therapy is often recommend for that reason. In addition, cross-dressing is illegal in some jurisdictions, and cross-dressers appearing in public may face legal risks.
Historically, most therapies used with transvestites have been based on learning model explanations for transvestic disorder. Some therapists have claimed success by strengthening the individual’s confidence and adequacy in male sex roles. In the past, relatively unsuccessful attempts to pair cross-dressing with electrical shock in aversive conditioning procedures were made. Covert sensitization, in which the individual first imagines engaging in the desired behavior of cross-dressing, then vividly visualizes humiliating outcomes for doing so, was more successful. The negative visualization countered the reinforcing arousal of cross-dressing with a punishing emotional state, thus decreasing sexual excitement.
More modern therapies for transvestic disorder adopt a cognitive behavioral perspective and include harm reduction, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP). Harm reduction seeks to reduce the frequency, intensity, and effects of undesired behaviors. ACT helps the patient cope with the underlying distress that triggers the unwanted thoughts or behaviors. DBT and FAP both take an interpersonal approach, focus on identifying the patient's underlying emotional state (strengths and vulnerabilities), and then help the patient find personally acceptable alternatives to the undesired thoughts and behaviors. Little data is available on the efficacy of these therapies, however.
Pharmaceutical treatments may include antiandrogen agents to reduce testosterone levels, antianxiety and antidepressant medications, which may be best suited to those with concomitant mood disorders or other conditions.
Bibliography
Bloom, Amy. Normal: Transsexual CEOs, Crossdressing Cops, and Hermaphrodites with Attitude. New York: Random, 2002. Print.
Bradford, John M. W., and A. G. Ahmed, eds. Sexual Deviation: Assessment and Treatment. Philadelphia: Elsevier, June 2014. Digital file.
Bullough, Vern L., and Bonnie Bullough. Cross Dressing, Sex, and Gender. Philadelphia: U of Pennsylvania P, 1996. Print.
Newring, Kirk A. B., Jennifer Wheeler, and Crissa Draper. "Transvestic Fetishism: Assessment and Treatment." Sexual Deviance: Theory, Assessment, and Treatment. 2nd ed. Ed. D. Richard Laws and William T. O'Donohue. New York: Guilford, 2008. 285–304. Print.
Rudd, Peggy J. My Husband Wears My Clothes: Crossdressing from the Perspective of a Wife. 2nd ed. Katy: PM, 1999. Print.
Stryker, Susan, and Stephen Whittle, eds. The Transgender Studies Reader 2. New York: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Suthrell, Charlotte A. Unzipping Gender: Sex, Cross-Dressing, and Culture. New York: Berg, 2004. Print.
Whitam, Frederick L. "A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Homosexuality, Transvestism, and Trans-Sexualism." Variant Sexuality. Ed. Glenn Wilson. New York: Routledge, 2014. 176–201. Digital file.
What is a short summary of "A Haunted House" by Virginia Woolf?
"A Haunted House," by Virginia Wolfe, tells the story of a married couple whose home is haunted by two ghosts. The ghosts, however, mean the couple no harm and simply open and close doors and windows in a desperate search for treasure, which the living couple believes does not exist in the house. The woman who lives in the house then discovers the two ghosts were a husband and wife when they were alive, and the husband began traveling the world after his wife's sudden death. This discovery shows the woman that what the ghosts are actually looking for is the same thing the deceased man searched for in his travels: the love that the two ghosts had experienced with each other in life. This is resolved when they find the living couple in bed one night, and realize they found the treasure they were searching for in the people who now live in their former home.