1.Find THE AMOUNT OF REDUCING SUGARS AND STARCH IN YELLOE...

Tiltle: What was happened to the bananas? Objective: To compare the amount of reducing sugars and starch in yellow and green bananas. Introduction: Bananas are green in colour and taste flat but after they are harvested and stored for some days, they will turn yellow from green and become sweet. Hypothesis: The green banana tasted plain because it contained large amount of starch, while the yellow banana tasted sweet since it contained large amount of reducing sugars. Biological principles: Benedicts test for reducing sugar: Reducing sugars include all monosaccharides (glucose) and some disaccharides (maltose). Benedicts solution contains copper sulphates. Reducing sugars reduce copper(2) ions present in the blue copper sulphate†¦show more content†¦In the Benedicts test, the volume of ppt in ripe banana sample is the largest, ppt in the raw banana is is the smallest, ppt in the half ripe banana is greater than the raw bananas but smaller than that of ripe banana. In the iodine test, the colour of the sample shows that the raw banana has the largest amount of starch. The raw banana has the smallest amount of starch. The amount of starch in half-ripe banana is greater than that of ripe banana but smaller than that of the raw banana. In the Benedicts test, we can use another means to show the result. After having a hot water bath,we can remove the liquid solution form the sample. Then we put it onto the water bath with evaporate dish in order to remove the water in the ppt. After that we weight the ppt. In the iodine test, the result is not accurate enough because the result is determined by our bear eye. We can use another method to show the result more accurately. First, we can use the colorimeter to determine the colour intensity of the blue colour of the sample. Second, we can use the same amount of sample and drop the iodine solution until their colour intensity are the same. At the same time, we can measure the drops of the iodine we have added. The larger amount of drops used that means more starch is present. The

Oral And Recurrent Pregnancy Loss - 1673 Words

Association between Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Insertion/Deletion (I/D) Polymorphism and Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Aisha Mahmood Fageer, Elshazali Widaa Ali, Nasr Eldeen Ali Mohamed Department of haematology, Faculty of medical laboratory sciences, Al Neelain University, Khartoum, Sudan Corresponding author: Dr. Elshazali Widaa Ali Mohamed Ahmed, Ph.D Faculty of medical laboratory sciences, Al Neelain University, Khartoum, Sudan Mobile: 00249122694501, E-mail: elshazaliwidaa@gmail.com Abstract Background: Recurrent abortion or recurrent pregnant loss (RPL) is a common clinical problem, and for most women the cause is unknown. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) affects vascular structure and placental function, and its role in blood pressure regulation and electrolyte balance is well documented, as well as it is play a role in regulation of fibrinolysis indirectly. Objective: This study aimed to examine the association of the ACE I/D polymorphism with recurrent pregnancy loss in Sudanese women. Materials and methods: It is a case-control study, in which 40 patients with RPL and 40 healthy women with one or more successful pregnancies were enrolled. Salting out method was used for DNA isolation from peripheral blood leukocytes, and PCR was used to determine the ACE genotypes (DD, ID, and II). Results: In women with RPL the frequencies of ACE genotypes were found to be 57.5% for DD, 35.0% for ID, and 7.5% for II. in the control group the frequencies were 92.5% for DD,Show MoreRelatedInfertility : Polycystic Ovary Syndrome1113 Words   |  5 Pagesconception (12). A higher incidence of first trimester spontaneous abortions (25–73%) has been reported in women with polycystic ovaries or PCOS (13). 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Teen Drug Addiction a Chronic Ilness Free Essays

Drug addiction is a chronic disease, associated with mental illnesses, and similar to other chronic diseases such as type II diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. No one chooses to be a drug addict or to develop heart disease. In my paper, I am going to research some issues of teenage substance abuse and examine some of the biological factors that cause drug abuse and addiction. We will write a custom essay sample on Teen Drug Addiction: a Chronic Ilness or any similar topic only for you Order Now I will also explain how the brain reacts to drugs. In addition, I will also provide statistics on the number of teens afflicted with drug abuse their race and gender. Furthermore, I will be discussing how drug addiction affects the individual and their families, along with social, biological, psychological and vocational affects of the disease, and available community support and interventions. Good What is drug addiction? Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences to the individual that is addicted and to those around them. Drug addiction is a brain disease because the abuse of drugs leads to changes in the structure and function of the brain. Although, it is true for most people the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary, overtime the changes in the brain caused by repeated drug abuse can affect a person’s self-control and ability to make sound decisions, and at the same time send intense impulses to take drugs. Source? From a medical perspective, substance abuse is a syndrome or maladaptive pattern of substance use. That result in a clinically significant impairment during a 12-month period, resulting on one or more of the following: recurring substance use causes a significant decrease in the ability to perform well and/or failure to fulfill obligations at work school or home despite negative social or interpersonal consequences (McLennan, A. , 2010). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) issued by the American Psychiatric Association, defines â€Å"substance dependence† as; â€Å"when an individual persist in use of alcohol or other drugs despite problems related to use of the substance, substance dependence may then be diagnosed. (DSM) defines â€Å"substance abuse† as; a maladaptive pattern of substance use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by one (or more) of the following. These must re-occur within a 12-month period. Recurring substance use resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home (e. g. , repeated absences or poor work performance related to substance use; substance related absences, suspensions or expulsions from school; neglect of children or household). Substance use disorders often affect a combination of psychological, biological, and environmental and social issues. Many of the substances are included in the disorders, including alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, opiates, sedatives, hallucinogens, and halides, or PCP. Substance use usually results in the complex disorder, which is addiction (Danielson, C. , et. , al. 2010). Experts have identified four stages in the addiction process: Stage one, is the exploratory stage, stage two, is the recreational stage, stage three, is the abusive stage, and stage four, is the dependent stage that eventually develops into an addiction. Once the person is addicted to a substance, they often begin to abuse them. Drug addiction most often results in a loss of choice. The desire to use the drug may have its roots in and need to ease the situation or unpleasant circumstance. This is dangerous because it is only one-step further away from using the drug for recreation and one-step closer to an addiction. Drug abuse is associated with the compulsivity that in turn leads to dependency and addiction. This is normally true; however, there are cases of individuals who abuse drugs without becoming dependent to them. Everyone’s brain reacts differently to drugs. Source? Brain Reaction When drugs enter the brain, they can interrupt the work and actually change how the brain performs its jobs. These changes are what lead to compulsive drug use, the hallmark of addiction ( NIDA, 2010). Drugs are chemicals. They work in the brain by tapping into its communication system and interfering with the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. Different drugs—because of their chemical structures—work differently. In fact, some drugs can change the brain in ways that last long after the person has stopped taking drugs, maybe even permanently. This is more likely when drugs are taken repeatedly. All drugs of abuse—nicotine, cocaine, marijuana, and others—affect the brain’s â€Å"reward† circuit, which is part of the limbic system. Normally, the reward circuit responds to pleasurable experiences by releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine, which creates feelings of pleasure, and tells the brain that this is something important—pay attention and remember it. Drugs hijack this system, causing unusually large amounts of dopamine to flood the system. Sometimes, this lasts for a long time compared to what happens when a natural reward stimulates dopamine. This flood of dopamine is what causes the â€Å"high† or euphoria associated with drug abuse. These brain changes drive a person to seek out and use drugs compulsively, despite negative consequences such as stealing, losing friends, family problems, or other physical or mental problems brought on by drug abuse—this is addiction (NIDA, 2010). How does drug addiction affect the individual? Many teenagers face the problem of addiction. Some addictions are drugs, alcohol abuse and recurrent substance abuse, even when it is physically hazardous such as driving a car. Teens that are addicted feel a loss of control and are overwhelmed with the urge to search for and continue the use of drugs and alcohol despite negative consequences. Trying to understand this self-destructive behavior is difficult repeated drug use causes long-lasting changes to the function to the brain and the way it looks. It alters the brain interfering with the ability to think clearly, make good judgment, control behavior and to feel normal without the drug. There is a widespread notion that adolescents self medicate depression with drugs and alcohol, society appears to overlook the possibility that the substance use may precede or predict depression (NIDA, 2010). Psychological Affects  A chronic illness could be caused by substance abuse or the opposite may be true, chronic illness could even cause substance abuse. Either way, diagnosis of two illnesses makes treatment of both conditions complex. Individuals with a disease or chronic illness have easier access to prescription medication, making excessive use more likely and abusive. Depression, boredom, and frustration are psychological factors that can lead to a want to escape from reality. The need for acceptance as a result from alienation and oppression also contribute to the use to gain social acceptance (Falvo, 2005). Physical, Social, and Biological Affects Chronic illness and disease have a cause and effect relationship with drug use. Some physical effects of alcohol dependence and use are important to examine. Initially, alcohol acts as a stimulant, the level of intoxication increases however, it acts as a depressant, causing physical coordination problems, ataxia and decreased ability to perform. Judgment may also be impaired. While increased levels of alcohol use can cause confusion, mild stupor, amnesia, and coma and could eventually lead to death. Many negative, complex health issues are common from alcohol abuse. Some examples include blood abnormalities causing the presence of large abnormal red blood cells, a decrease in the number of bold white blood cells and platelets. Throat and esophagus cancer and liver disease are also common among many other medical diagnoses. Problems of the heart, liver and pancreas may develop, also muscle fiber destruction and weakness, mal-absorption of nutrients and vision problems are common due to the continued use of alcohol and drugs Research An interesting finding from a new study published in the, American Journal of Preventive Medicine suggests that adolescents, particularly girls, who engage in sex behavior and drug use are at risk for future depression. The previous notion was that adolescents self medicate depression with sex and drugs not the other way around. Among boys, their findings suggest that binge drinking and marijuana use increased the likelihood of depression in boys more than four-fold. From the information that is available regarding depression and substance use and abuse, it is evident that depression may contribute to substance use and abuse. Although, it is more likely that depression is the result of substance use and abuse (C. Danielson, et. al. , 2003). Good Second research project? Statistics To understand the startling impact addiction has on teens, statistics are needing to be examined. In the United States; â€Å"On average, in 2006, about 1. 2 million adolescents, each 12 to 17 years of age smoked cigarettes, 631,000- drank alcohol, and 586,000 -used marijuana. In addition, about 49,000 adolescents used inhalants, 27,000- used hallucinogens, 13,000-used cocaine, and 38,000- used heroine. To continue with these phenomenal statistics, this was an average â€Å"day† in the United States. Nearly 8,000 adolescents drank alcohol for the first time; 4,300 -used illicit drugs for the first time; 4000- smoked their first cigarette, 3600- smoked marijuana for the first time, and another 2000 used pain relievers for non-medical reasons for the first time (Sussman ,S. 2010)†. Treatments, Interventions and Community Support Alcohol and substance addiction initially requires detoxification and then a lifelong treatment plan that includes individual therapy, family and group counseling, and self-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. There is Ala Non and Ala Teen for families. Families that live with an addict need moral and emotional support. The individual and the families know that abstinence from alcohol and other substances is the goal of treatment These are the many reasons why interventions and community support for teens are vital, for their well-being, and survival, getting the needed help for teens now, before they enter adulthood. An article, â€Å"Drugs and Teen Substance Abuse,† cited the most recent data about substance abuse facilities. The data collected about outpatient treatment and inpatient residential treatment facilities. There are more than 76,000 youth in outpatient treatment facilities, 10,000 in hospital residential treatment, and 1000 in hospital inpatient treatment. Experimentation with drugs among teens is common. Teams have the tendency to feel indestructible and immune to the possible problems that their actions can cause themselves and others. They are especially unaware of the link between their actions today and the consequences tomorrow. Using tobacco and alcohol at a young age increase the risk of using drugs later in life. Some teens seem to be able to experiment, use occasionally, stop and start again without becoming dependent on, or develop a need to use continually. Others will develop a tendency and addiction, often moving onto more serious drugs, causing harm to themselves and others (APA, 2010 ). Most people go into drug treatment either because the court ordered them to do so, or because loved ones urged them to seek treatment. The good news is that, according to scientific studies, people who enter drug treatment programs in which they face â€Å"high† pressure† to deal with their addiction can benefit from treatment, regardless of the reason they sought treatment in the first place (NIDA, 2008)†. My newly learned knowledge of researching this topic has helped me better understand the disease process of drug addiction. I took a personal note to the subject; I chose this topic to help me personally deal with my son and his abuse of marijuana. I do believe drug addiction is a chronic disease similar to other chronic diseases such as type II diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. No one chooses to be a drug addict or to develop heart disease. How to cite Teen Drug Addiction: a Chronic Ilness, Essay examples

Culture of Secrecy in Japanese Religion

Question: Discuss about the Culture of Secrecy in Japanese Religion. Answer: Introduction: Buddhism is a religion found by Gautama Buddha whose religious philosophy is present in the first sermon of Buddha near Varanasi. The essence of the teachings surrounds four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path. The beliefs include; the world is full of suffering, suffering results from human desires, the path of salvation comes through renunciation of desires, and the fact that salvation can be attained simply by following the Eightfold Path. The religion is prevalent in the Indian subcontinent which bases on spiritualism rather than religious teachings. The religion has four major branches beginning with Theravada Buddhism which serves as the oldest form that emphasizes on the difference between the monks authority and that of the lay people. Besides, it reserves and conserves the traditions in prayer and meditation towards enlightenment and is present in countries such as Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar. The second branch involves the Mahayana Buddhism that is the second in age which does not put efforts on the monks authority but rather bases on compassion and the belief that all beings can reach the level of Buddha through self sanctification (Andreasen 2014). The religion is present in Japan, Korea, china, and Vietnam predominantly. Thirdly is the Tibetan Buddhism under the leadership of Dalai Lama who were exiled to India upon Chinese occupation of Tibet. The religion is based on the Mahayana teachings which seek followers to return to Tibet. Zen Buddhism is the last branch which serves as a combination of Mahayana Buddhism and the Taoism with its root in China. The religion teaches its followers on the concept of everyone being a Buddha and that everyone has the potential of reaching the level through the Zen practice. Culture and Belief of Buddhism Buddhism is a growing religion with over 480 million people around the world subscribing to the religion. The religion works on the belief that individuals ought to achieve spiritual awakening termed as Nirvana that comes through ethical and moral living and through meditation activities. In this case, a large population of the people ascribed to the religion spends considerable time in self-reflection to relieve themselves from life issues. Buddhism believes that human suffering results from human desires who in the process of satisfying their wants invite trouble to their lives. However, the religion uses its Four Noble Truths to counter the suffering in human lives. The followers believe in reincarnation which is the foundation of the idea of consciousness where it is reborn when one dies. As a result, many people experience several cycles of life, death, and finally rebirth in different forms hence no return to earth in the same entity one left. After undergoing the several cycles, individuals who forego the desires of the world achieve nirvana characterized by the state of peace. In this case, one becomes freed from suffering, desire, and the complete cycle of rebirth. Besides, the religion has eightfold path of wisdom which it uses to get individuals into spiritualism. The categories include: following the right belief, thought, speech, action, means of livelihood, meditation practices, right efforts, and the correct remembrance or memory. Following the eightfold aspect enables individuals within the religion to reach their ultimate goals in life to the point of Nirvana. At this point, one experiences eternal peace and frees oneself from worldly pleasures and the cycle of birth and death. Therefore, it is a balance between the worldly pleasures and spiritualism where individuals observe the teachings of the religion. The Eightfold Path contains the five Precepts which provide a series of training guides to be adhered to by the Buddhists. Breaking the rules leads to a review of the lessons to understand ways of avoiding future contradiction to the law (Coleman 2016). The five precepts include understanding the training to avoid taking away the life of living creatures. The second aspect involves the training to avoid taking things not given without permission. Besides, it involves undertaking training to avoid sensual misconduct, and the training to refrain from false speech (Van Gordon Shonin Griffiths and Singh, 2015). Lastly, it involves the training to abstain from substances leading to intoxication that can cause immoral practices. Furthermore, the religion recognizes the Law of Karma where they believe man to be the maker of his own destiny. In this respect, if one does good acts throughout his life, one would be reborn in a higher form of life until the cycle of birth is over (Fogelin 2015). By so doing, one has the mandate to control own acts so as to avert tragedies in future life by remaining good at all times. On the other hand, individuals engaging in evil acts end up in suffering where their actions replicate in their future lives and affect them adversely. Thus, the religion encourages people to observe the middle path that strains no one by doing good at all times. Moreover, the religions culture focuses on the importance of sanctity of life and relying on the aspect of love, compassion, and a preserve of living creatures by staying free from any acts that hurt other living creatures. Besides, it preaches on the need for equality for all men as evidenced in the opposition of the Caste System as the low-class individuals turned to the religion when they were mistreated by the upper class individuals (Safran 2013). On the other hand, the religion condemns animal sacrifice as it contravenes the preserve of living creatures according to its belief. However, the religion neither recognizes nor denies the existence of God. People following the religion are deemed to be peaceful so as to maintain ethical practices in line with achieving spiritual nirvana. In this respect, individuals always remain in the right mind while selecting the right actions that match the culture of the religion. For instance, individuals follow the law to avoid the pitfalls of corruption and other activities contravening the rule of law (Paulsen 2014). The culture is therefore a reflection of spiritualism rather than teachings towards goodwill as individuals practice the culture and internalize the practices. Followers of the religion do not worship any deities but rather worship and pray for the sole purpose of their inner peace. Consequently, a considerable time is spent on the spiritual nirvana towards purification and holy living. Most of the Buddhist celebrations and holidays are based on the lunar calendar which is celebrated at different times depending on the group of Buddhist and the country of origin. The holidays include Magha Puja day, Obervance day, Kathina ceremony, Dhamma day, Elephant festival, Festival of Floating Bowls, and Ancestor day (Scheid and Teeuwen 2015). In the temple, individuals are accepted in casual dress, sometimes asked to remove shoes, and remaining in the temple only at the end of a meditation (Lewis, 2014). Besides, cameras and other devices for reporting are not allowed in the place of worship unless approved by the priest. The priest leads a service and the faithful address them as Reverend, Roshi, or Lama. Food in Buddhism Buddhism is guided by their beliefs which advocate for the preserve of living things, and in this regard advice on killing animals as wrong. In this case, many Buddhists prefer vegetarianism. However, some cultures within the religion allow eating of fish. On the other hand, Buddhism disregards the use of alcohol as it distorts the normal state of the mind which can lead to unethical acts (Flood 2013). In this case, it only recommends for use of drinks for nourishment, eating of vegetables over meat, fruit over sugar, and chewing between meals as opposed to heavy eating. Therefore, eating of bland or plain food is advised in the religion. Besides, food is donated to monks as a way of cultivating generosity spirit and sharing. Early Monks depended on alms food donated by the supporters and anything offered was to be taken with gratitude despite the nature of the meal. Fish and meat could be served as long as the animal is not killed for the monks specifically (Sivaraksa 2015). However, followers in the religion from Chinese and Vietnam consume meat fish and eggs while rejecting pungent spices such as onions and garlic. Moreover, the sect advices on following daily schedules for meal where breakfast is served at 8:45, lunch at 1pm and dinner at 6pm. The schedule allows one to plan and control appetite and take meals at an appropriate time and with a proper nutrition value (de St. Maurice 2015). At the same time, people are encouraged to eat meals with their families as opposed to eating in restaurants. Individuals are encouraged to eat after meditation when persons are relaxed, calm, and composed which aids in the digestion process of food. Therefore, the religion holds special practices during meals which have to be taken after meditation. Food is essential in the Buddhist religion where the decision to remain vegetarians varies from one group to the other. Therefore, the decision to eat meat resides with individuals as long as the procedures are followed and one is not directly involved in killing a creature (Kwon and Tamang 2015). However, those opposed to meat consumption choose to follow the vegetarian diets and avoid alcoholic drinks for refreshment. Eating of vegetables is widely encouraged among the people in a family setup not only for religious purposes but also for health needs. Buddhism is a religion that has existed over time. The religion base on the spirituality aspect of meditation where people are encouraged to remain ethical and do well at all times so as to have the same replicated in their lives. A special consideration is placed on eating vegetables essential for vegetarians as opposed to meat. The religion has special ways of worship that build not only the holistic aspect of their followers but also cares for the health of their followers. Reference List Andreasen, E., 2014.Popular Buddhism in Japan: Buddhist Religion Culture. Routledge. Brown, J.W., 2016. Buddhism in a Dark Age: Cambodian Monks under Pol Pot by Ian Harris. de St. Maurice, G., 2015. Cuisine and Empire: Cooking in World History: By Rachel Laudan. Flood, G., 2013.The Truth Within: A History of Inwardness in Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism. OUP Oxford. Fogelin, L., 2015.An archaeological history of Indian Buddhism. Oxford University Press, USA. Kwon, D.Y. and Tamang, J.P., 2015. Religious ethnic foods.Journal of Ethnic Foods,2(2), pp.45-46. Lewis, T. ed., 2014.Buddhists: Understanding Buddhism Through the Lives of Practitioners. John Wiley Sons. Paulsen, R.H., 2014. Book Review: Crossroads in Psychoanalysis, Buddhism, and Mindfulness: The Word and the Breath.Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association,62(6), pp.1170-1175. Safran, J.D., 2013. Psychoanalysis and Buddhism as cultural institutions.Crossroads in Psychoanalysis, Buddhism, and Mindfulness: The Word and the Breath, p.187. Scheid, B. and Teeuwen, M., 2015.The culture of secrecy in Japanese religion. Routledge. Coleman, G., 2016.A handbook of Tibetan culture: A guide to Tibetan centres and resources throughout the world. Random House. Sivaraksa, S., 2015.Conflict, culture, change: Engaged Buddhism in a globalizing world. Simon and Schuster. Van Gordon, W., Shonin, E., Griffiths, M.D. and Singh, N.N., 2015. There is only one mindfulness: Why science and Buddhism need to work together.Mindfulness,6(1), pp.49-56.

St. Augustine On Death Essays - Amillennialism, Augustine Of Hippo

St. Augustine On Death Death is a very natural occurrence in life, and everyone experiences death differently, but yet in the same way. When Augustine was a young boy his father died, and he makes a small account of this in the Confessions. Later on in life, he loses a dear friend, and his loving mother. With time, he mentally matures and death affects Augustine differently each time. The death of his father was merely mentioned in the Confessions, while the death of Monica, his mother, was an elaborate detailed account of the time of her death. The death of his close friend, when Augustine was a child made him realize that life is temporal. Growing up, Augustine was not very close to his father. He confided in his mother and leaned towards her Christian beliefs. Patricius, Augustine's father, was a pagan, but later became a catechumen. Patricius did not pressure Augustine about following his mother's beliefs, and gave him the freedom to do so. When Augustine was a child, he was subjected to the verbal abuse his father laid on Monica. His father was also not faithful, and this left a lasting scaring impression on Augustine. Patricius never hit Monica, and she realized that other wives were being beaten, so she accepted the verbal abuse. Patricius was proud of his son's accomplishments, and was admired by all for the sacrifices Patricius made for Augustine. Patricius was considered"generous," but then was also very "hot-tempered." In the Confessions, Augustine only makes note of his father's death, and one reason may be that Augustine was not happy with the way Patricius treated his loving and ever-forgiving mother. Shortly after Patricius' death, Augustine deals with death once more, with his childhood friend. In the Confessions, Augustine tells of a close friend he had as a child growing up. They both went to school together, and enjoyed each other's company. "...I had come to have a friend who because of our shared interests was very close. He was my age, and we shared the flowering of youth. As a boy he had grown up with me, and had gone to school together and played with one another..." Augustine and this unnamed friend knew each other for a short time, yet Augustine felt that he was losing someone he had known all his life. "You [God] took the man from this life when our friendship had scarcely completed a year. It had been sweet to me beyond all sweetnesses of life that I had experienced." The unnamed friend came down a bad fever, and he was baptized while he was unconscious. Augustine felt as if this baptismal sacrament would have no affect on him and he would carry all the sins of his childhood. The unnamed friend did awake from his unconscious state and Augustine and the friend had a minor conflict over a joke Augustine made over the friend's baptism. The friend did not find it a laughing matter, but they did resolve the conflict. Augustine left for a few days and while he was gone, his friend passed away. Augustine explains that he was stricken with grief from the death of his friend, that made him want to leave his hometown. Everything made him think of his friend, and he was always looking for him. Augustine was constantly weeping and was a wreck. "My home became a torture to me; my father's house a strange world of unhappiness; all that I shared with him was transformed into a cruel torment. My eyes looked for him everywhere, and he was not there. I hated everything because they did not have him...I had become to myself a vast problem..." Augustine explains that during this time of sorrow, he did not look towards God for help, and was too wrapped up in the misery of the death of his friend. One thought he had was that he was angered by the fact people in general do not realize that they are on this earth for a short time, and they do not understand the temporality of life. "What madness not to understand how to love human beings with the awareness of human condition!" With this sorrow, Augustine moves from Thagaste to Carthage. The third death Augustine had to confront in his life was that of his mother's, which ends the biographical accounts in Augustine's life. During days of Augustine's childhood, Monica felt as if he was the "son of tears." He turned away from Catholicism, and became a Manichean. Monica greatly disapproved of

Aristotle and Oedipus essays

Aristotle and Oedipus essays Oedipus is a prime example of a tragidy, according to Aristotles definition in the poetics. Aristotles Poetics is considered the first work of literary criticism in our tradition. The couple of pages in the book mainly describe tragedy from Aristotles point of view. He defines tragedy as being an imitation of an action that is a whole and complete in itself and of a certain magnitude. Aristotle also points out terms such as catharsis, which can be said that is the purification of ones soul. He argues in his Poetics that catharsis is achieved through emotions of pity or fear, which is created in the audience as they witness the tragedy of a character who suffers unjustly, but is not entirely innocent. Then he moves on to describing the main elements of tragedy. Such elements are: plot, character, language, thought, spectacle, and melody. Then he classifies these in three parts, the media, the manner and the objects. The language and melody constitute the media, in which they effect the imitation. Then there is the spectacle, which is the manner, and the remaining three, the plot, character and thought are the objects that are imitated. Aristotle considers the plot to be the most important of these elements. He describes the plot as not being a unity revolving around one man. Instead, he states that many things happen to one man, which may not always go together, to form a unity. At the same time, he says that among the actions that a character performs there are many that may be irrelevant to one another, but yet they form a unified action. Aristotle continues depicting the plot categorizing it in two manners: simple and complex. In a simple plot, a change of fortune takes place without a reversal or recognition. In contrast, in a complex plot, the change of fortune involves recognition or a reversal or both. T...

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Charles Dickens's Biography â€Å"Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.† quote by one of the most influential author of English Victorian era, English novelist, Charles Dickens, who wrote numerous highly acclaimed novels. Dickens lived a life filled with happiness and sadness and everything in between. He left such amazing work which is the finest part of Victorian Era literature. Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England. His full name was Charles John Huffam Dickens. He was the second child of John and Elizabeth Dickens. As a child he always liked to put on plays in a family kitchen, and singing songs, standing on the table in the local pub. After that, John and Elizabeth moved to London. And the family moves there. John was a congenial man, he got into big debt. Charles Dickens started going to school at the age 9. His father was sent to prison because of bad debt. After that, Charles had to work in Warrens blacking factory and endured appalling conditions as well as loneliness and despair. This was a factory that handled blacking, or shoe polish. The conditions were really bad. Meanwhile, his family was sent to Marshalsea, to live near his father’s prison, and Charles was left alone. After three years, Dickens was sent back to school but his working experience was never forgotten and that experienced inspired the writing of two well-known novels, â€Å"David Copperfield† and â€Å"Great Expectations†. His father was able to pay the debt. Things turned around again, Dickens at the age of fifteen had to leave school again because he had to work in an office. In the following year, he became a freelance reporter and stenographer at the law courts of London. By 1832 he was a reported for two magazines. Dickens believed that writings can play a big role in fixing the problems of the world. Dickens became a journalist and began with the journals The Mirror of Parliament and The True Sun. After that, he became a journalist for The Morning Chronicle. He published his first book in 1836, â€Å"Sketches by Boz†. In April 1836, he married Catherine Hogarth who edited Sketches by Boz. In the same month, Dickens published â€Å"Pickwick Papers† whi ch was really successful. Catherine and Charles had 10 children. In 1836 Dickens began to publish The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. This method of writing was really popular in the Victorian Era. After this, he began publishing â€Å"Oliver Twist†. He was also now editor of Bentleys Miscellany, a new monthly magazine. He continued publishing his novel in his later magazines, Household Words, and All the Year Round. Olive Twist kind of expressed Dickens life because this book is about a boy, an orphan, in London. Overall Dickens’s career was really successful but not in his first decade when he published work like Nicholas Nickleby (1838–1839), The Old Curiosity Shop (1840–1841), and Barnaby Rudge (1841). Dickens was also famous in America. He went on a five-month lecture tour of the United States. He spoke out strongly against slavery and in support of other reforms. When he returned from the United States he wrote the book â€Å"American Notes†, a book that criticizes American life as being culturally backward and materialistic. He also wrote another novel, Martin Chuzzlewit, which was about a hero finding that survival on the American frontiers is more difficult than in England. He also wrote, â€Å"A Christmas Carol and The Chimes†. Later on, he went abroad to Italy. Italy’s beauty inspired him to write â€Å"Pictures from Italy†. He also started to publish installments of â€Å"Dombey and Son†. Its full title was â€Å"Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son†. This completed the novel and boosted Dickens success. Dickens next novel was â€Å"David Copperfield†. This is an autobiographical novel fictionalized elements of Dickenss c hildhood, his father was an inspiration for the character of Mr. Micawber, his pursuit of a journalism career and his love life. This was Dickens favorite book. In 1850, he began a new magazine, Household Words. His editorials and articles touched upon English politics, social institutions, and family life. The 1850s were a gloomy time for Dickens. In 1851, he lost his father and one daughter within 1 week. After e few years, he fell in love with an actress so he separated from his wife. In response to his sadness, Dickens’s next novels were called his â€Å"dark† novels. These novels are considered the greatest triumphs of the art of fiction. He wrote the â€Å"Bleak House† which is considered to have the most complicated plot of any English novel, the narrative created a relation of all segments of English society. He wrote other novels such as â€Å"Hard Times† and â€Å"Little Dorrit†. Some consider the â€Å"Bleak House† to be the best novel he has written and others consider â€Å"Little Dorrit† since it portrays the conditions of England as he saw it and the conflict between the world’s harshness and all of these were expressed in a really impressive artistic form. In 1859 Dickens published a historical novel, A Tale of Two Cities, which was about the French Revolution. Dickens also published seventeen articles which later on appeared as a book entitled â€Å"The Uncommercial Traveller†. Next, he wrote â€Å"Great Expectations† which is sometimes also considered as his best work. It is a story of a young mans moral development from childhood to adult life. His last finished work was â€Å"Our Mutual Friend† which is about how he viewed London. Before death, Dickens started writing â€Å"The Mystery of Edwin Drood†, but he never finished it. For several years Dickens was sick. He had a railroad accident in 1865 from which he never recovered entirely. Dickens died of a fatal stroke on June 9, 1870.