Some discussion questions for abnormal psychology

Some discussion questions for abnormal psychology Nearly all of us have known someone at some point of our lives who has suffered from depression, alcoholism, anxiety or another psychological disorder.   What is your perception, at this point, of abnormal psychology and psychological disorders?   What is your own experience and knowledge of abnormal psychology?   How do you think this course might change your perception when you have completed it? My perception of abnormal psychology is that there are many different factors, which may affect people in different ways. There is so much that I do not know about abnormal psychology; and yet I have known many who have suffered from different forms of abnormal psychology. I have known people who have dealt with alcoholism, depression, and anxiety. Personally, my life has been affected by depression and anxiety through family members. Tragedy has also played a part in my life that have affected people close to me to where they have resulted in change of behavior. I am aware that many people suffer from depression some are treated and others go on with out treatment. I can only guess that the same may be for other psychological disorders. I think that this course will make me more aware of different disorders and give more understanding to what I have known from past experiences and maybe allow me to have more understanding to what others may be going through in their lives. I believe that psychological disorders are a result of not being able to handle what life has dealt. I think most of us have dealt with depression, alcoholism, anxiety or other disorders at one time or another in our lives. The psychological disorder may have been as a result of work related stress, family stress, stress of life or loss of a loved one. I think that people who suffer from alcoholism or drug use it temporary cope with depression but in the end the emotional feeling is still there when the drugs wear off. I also think the only way to cure a person is for them to change their perception of life and for them to learn how to deal with problems. I think counseling may help them to understand their problems, so that could be beneficial. Also, when the patient is off the medication the feelings of depression comes back thats why I think medications are temporary fixers. I love to observe people and understand why they are the way they are or why they do some of the things the y do. Hopefully, this will help me better understand them or psychological disorder. I think a person who have problems, need to seek a therapist or counselor; to talk about their problems, because it will be able to calm the individual down. The person will be able to think twice about their life and not destroy it by doing drugs or drinking too much. A person can drink too much or over dose on any kind drugs, it can lead to death, illness, or any kind of medical conditions. My perception of Abnormal Psychology is the behavior, medical, and the cognitive. The perception of psychological at this point is the patterns of behavioral and the symptoms; for example, mood, disorders, anxiety, and developmental disorders. The text book stated that psychological disorders can occur when and individual is associated with distress or impairment; for example, an individual who have bipolar (Durand, Barlow, 2007). An individual can have mood swings, racing thoughts and reckless behavior; need to be treated with some kind of therapy. This course will help me to understand how in dividuals react when there is some kind of psychological disorder. This course will also help me to understand what the individual illness is, and be able to help deal with the different situations that might occur. Reference: Durand, V.M., and Barlow, D.H. (2007). Essentials of Abnormal Psychology (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth Unit 2 Question one Abnormal behavior can be very difficult to define. What is considered normal in one society may not considered normal in another, depending upon that societys mores and norms.   To determine if one is displaying abnormal behavior, certain criteria must be met.   One of the criteria is the level of personal distress that is felt by the individual and another is how the behavior is viewed in a particular society.      Using material from the text, respond to the following questions:   Which criterion is most important in defining whether a person is normal or abnormal, is it the individual or society?  Ã‚   After considering both of these views, choose the one you feel is most significant and discuss why you think this is so.  Ã‚   The strongest answers will provide specific examples and reference from the course material  to support the position. The criterion researchers follow in labeling an individual with a psychological disorder come in three distinct symptoms; these include, 1.) a psychological dysfunction, 2.) distress or impairment, and 3.) a response that is not typically or culturally expected. Taken from our text, the psychological dysfunction refers to a breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning, impairment of being able to function around or in society without the feeling of distress and, your behavior deviates from the average so much so that it is atypical or not culturally expected (Barlow, Durand, 2007, p. 3). What I find interesting is that all three aspects of the definition of a psychological disorder have to be present in order to for a particular behavior to be considered abnormal. If a person possesses two out of the three criteria listed in the definition, the person may have some issues that need to be addressed, but are not displaying acts of abnormal behavior. For example, a pers on that is experiencing psychological dysfunction due to distress may appear normal and can function just fine in society. I know a few people like this that just need a little extra help to deal with their issues, but are able to live their day to day lives normally (Barlow, Durand, 2007). I agree with the chapter it is hard to place a definition on what is considered normal or abnormal in society. I think we know it if we see it but this could have a positive or negative affect on categorizing a disorder. I am wondering if a long time ago if it was abnormal to sleep in the same bed with your husband but a couple did. Would it be considered abnormal behavior? Or when in the past when a woman did not have a career and just raised her children but there could have been a woman that had a career. Would this behavior be considered abnormal as well? I think that depending on where a person lives regardless or culture or area of the United States the definition of abnormal or normal could be subjective. Reference: Durand, V.M., and Barlow, D.H. (2007). Essentials of Abnormal Psychology (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Question 2 Homelessness is a major problem in many urban areas of the United States and in many cases, those who are on the street suffer from one or more psychological problems.   Using material from the course in support of your response, how did deinstitutionalization contribute to the problem of homelessness and how shall our society now deal with the problem of mental illness as it relates to the homeless population? Deinstitutionalization had two goals: (1) to close the large state mental hospitals and (2) to create a network of community mental health centers where the released individuals could be treated Durand Barlow, 2007. pg 567). The community network system should have been in place and functioning before institutions were closed leaving many with no treatment. The result was we shifted many from one kind of institution to another; jails or prisons, group homes, nursing homes, and have taken on the numbers. That does not even count the numbers that are living on the streets because they lack the social skills to get and keep a job. Many homeless people find it stressful to have an apartment; worrying about the money to pay for food, electric, and heat? The stress of applying for home health aides, energy assistance, and food stamps is often two much. Living on the street they do not have to worry about these things. If you have ever been through financial problems you know how stressful it is. The ability to handle stress is diminished by any psychological disorder making these normal stresses intolerable. As a community should see to it that the needs of the mentally ill are addressed. Establishing small local hospitals, to provide short term stays, assigning case workers to help them apply for assistance would be a good start. The budget issues can easily be addressed by pointing out that if they do not provide for these needs they will most likely end up in jail or hospitalized cost much more than addressing their problems first. Deinstitutionalized happened during the 19th century when the leaders in psychiatry care were alarmed at the increasing size and impersonality of mental hospitals and recommended that they be downsized. It took about 100 years before the community mental health movement was successful in reducing the population of mental hospitals with controversial policy of deinstitutionalized meaning patients were released into their communities (Durand Barlow, 2007). The problems with deinstitutionalizing were many 1. Patients were mentally ill and use to being under 24/7 care 2. Patients unable to stay on their medicines 3. Patients unable to get housing, jobs, no where to go 4. Patients have no money, some have no family to go to 5. Hundreds of nurses and staffing are not needed and are let go These patients, many of them, are not suitable to be set free in society, they cant live on their own without medication and direction, therefore once set free, if they dont have any family to go to they will probably end up homeless. Even now days, we do what we can to make sure our elders and mentally unstable are taken care of, but there is only so much that doctors can do for many of them. They can be treated, but they still have to be sent home under a family members care as they dont meet the criteria to be institutionalized. I am a strong believer that if institutions were more available financially and medically to everyone then a lot more people would be getting the help they need. I realize that institutes are expensive, however, the expense of a truly mentally ill person on Medicaid constantly seeking emergency help just to get a warm meal or some attention isnt exactly cheap. Reference: Durand, V.M., and Barlow, D.H. (2007). Essentials of Abnormal Psychology (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Unit 3 Criminal behavior is often the result of an interaction between genetic and environmental factors; however, many believe that one may be a more significant cause.  Ã‚  Referencing and citing material from the text, choose one side of the argument (genetics or environment) and discuss why this particular factor is more important in determining criminal or abnormal behavior.   For example, if you think that environment is more important than genetics, why do you feel this is so? My personal opinion is that there is an interaction between environment and genetics that set up the right combination resulting in criminal behavior. Environment exerts more influence; family dynamics, culture, and even exposure of pollutants or toxins are part of the environmental influence. People with the same genetic components must be exposed to the right environment before engaging in criminal or anti-social behavior (Jones, 2005). Inheritable psychological problems have to be given the right circumstances for the person with the genetic predisposition to engage in criminal behavior (Jones, 2005). Jones (2005) noted a Denmark study that found a biological component for criminal acts against property, but not for violent crimes. I think I am leaning more towards the environment after reading the lesson, I had originally thought it was more genetically based, but the more I read, the more I was convinced that maybe the environment over ruled the genes. However, I do think they play off of each other. For instance, the text states that the environment may occasionally turn on certain genes (Durand Barlow, 2007). So I guess if a child is born into a family of so called criminals, then that is probably the only behavior that child is going to know, therefore he/she will end up just like the rest of the family, but not because of genetics, because of the people and the environment. If someone where to snatch that child up right after he/she was born and place him/her into an entire different environment where criminal behavior was not accepted then the only way that child would ever be exposed to that behavior would be on the streets or at school, however, he/she would know the correct way to behave and would ho pefully resort to that way. This isnt to say that a well behaved child will never act badly or even become a criminal. Considering the diathesis stress model, individuals inherit tendencies to express certain traits or behaviors, which may be activated under conditions of stress (Durand Barlow, 2007). So this is saying that the stress of the environment can sometimes bring out those bad genes that some of us may carry deep down inside of us and we may not even know they exist. We all have a tendency to be a bit vulnerable under certain stress levels at certain times and it all depends on how we handle those life situations as to how we end up. Reference: Durand, V.M., and Barlow, D.H. (2007). Essentials of Abnormal Psychology (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Jones C. M. (2005). Genetic and environmental influences on criminal behavior. Personality Research: Rochester Institute of Technology. Retrieved February 15, 2009 from http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/jones.html Question2 The text discusses several ways that culture, gender or social factors influences our health and behavior.   Choose one of these factors and discuss how this particular influence could influence one ¿Ã‚ ½s behavior.   Be sure to provide specific references and support from the text and course material  for your response. Although culture, gender, and social factors all take a apart in influencing our health and behavior, I personally believe gender differences play a significant role in shaping how we are as a society. For example it is a general conclusion that women are nurturing, emotional, feminine and in some ways the weaker sex of the two. Men are generally seen as more masculine, strong, and dominant. In the workplace men still hold a sense of dominance and are generally viewed as they head of their households since women hold dominance in domesticated duties such as child care and housework. Though in our society we have learned to draw a gray line between gender roles, they definitely still exist. It is easily seen in our media and advertising which is part of our daily lives. For example how often do you see a male nurse or a female contractor? Also how often are little girls seen playing with baby dolls, while boys are expected to play with action figures? These types of subtle differences teach us from the beginning what is considered normal behavior in terms of gender. The text book stated that gender roles have a strong and sometimes puzzling effect on psychopathology (Durand 2007). Women and men handle their fear, phobia and other behavior different. A man can hurt doing dangerous stunts, but he continues to do it. Some men try not to let other people know that he is hurt or fear of anything. A women who may experience a bad car accident and she might not want to drive for a couple months or not at all. A woman may experience some type of phobia from the accident. Most male are more likely to drink their fear or problems away. Some women may show fear or scared that the incident might happen again that males are more likely than females to self-medicate their fear and panic with alcohol and in so doing start down the slippery road to addiction (Pg. 65). Another one that falls in with gender is eating disorders which women tend to have more. I think that as growing up it depends on how girls and boys are taught and what they learn. Reference: Durand, V.M., and Barlow, D.H. (2007). Essentials of Abnormal Psychology (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Unit 4 This unit ¿Ã‚ ½s reading, Younger children diagnosed with personality disorders, discusses the concept of preschool children being diagnosed with psychological disorders previously thought to be in adolescents and adults exclusively. Using critical thinking, what is your opinion on treatment at the earliest signs of mental distress in children? Support your ideas with specific references to the article and the text book. I think it is so sad to hear about children younger and younger, especially preshool children being diagnosed with personality disorders. This may have been happening longer then we think and I agree with the article it is not comfortable to anyone. According to Dr. Charles Zeanah, a psychiatrist at Tulane University in New Orleans, the public is uncomfortable with the idea of serious psychopathology in young children it violates our idealized images of babyhood and toddlerhood as care free, innocent, and a time when all things are possible (Benedict Carey). However I think the sooner they are diagnosed the sooner they are treated and do not have to go through life with out feeling stable. But, having to live with those medications their entire life is going to be miserable for them as a child and as an adult. I also think that the media, their surroundings, and friends have a huge effect on how these children are feeling. Girls have the images of growing up fast, being skinny, wear ing makeup and dressing provocative and the toys they sell are also of this image, make girls think this is how they have to be. Same with boys they tend to think that being popular, dressing cool in name brand clothes, and acting out in certain ways is okay. I think it is so sad that these young children who are our future have to go through and continue to go through these types of personality disorders their entire lives. So my feelings on children being diagnosed are based on my experience. I dont know that children are really truly ever able to be 100% diagnosed with a mental disorder just because a lot of being diagnosed requires client feedback and children cant always give that part to the doctor. According to the reading, doctors are diagnosing mental illness in children at younger ages than ever (Carey, 2003). It also states that doctors are being pressures by the outpouring of new drugs on the market, and by patients who want medications that work better and quicker. I am however astounded that the number of children taking psychiatric drugs has more than doubled in the past 15 years (Carey, 2003). Before any medication is prescribed or treatment, I believe that medical test for underlying issues and a behavioral assessment should be done. Understanding the behavior that is occurring in different situation may help in designing treatment (Durand and Barlow, 2007). If the child is a danger to h im/her self I could see the need for medication, but I still think that each child is different and that not one treatment is a fix all. References: Carey, Benedict (2003). Younger Children Diagnosed with Personality Disorders. Newspaper Source. Toronto Star. Retrieved on February 14, 2010 from http://reserves.uah.edu/coursepage.asp?cid=72 Durand, V.M., and Barlow, D.H. (2007). Essentials of Abnormal Psychology (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Unit 4 question 2 Although the short personality test you participated in was not as in-depth as those that are given by psychologists, it gives you a very good idea of the types of questions that are on the formal tests, as well as the personality profiles.  Ã‚   Many employers require that their potential employees complete a personality profile before they are hired.  Ã‚   What are some of the benefits a company would gain by requiring a personality profile of applicants?   What are some potentially negative aspects of employers requiring a personality profile of applicants? The most widely used personality inventory in the United States, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), which was developed in the late 1930s and early 1940s and first published in 1943. The MMPI and similar inventories are based on an empirical approach, that is , the collection and evaluation of data. The administration of the MMPI is straightforward. The individual being assessed reads statements and answers either true or false. Some of the benefits from the data are that individual responses on the MMPI are not examined; instead, the pattern of responses is reviewed to see whether it resembles patterns from groups of people who have specific disorders (e.g., a pattern similar to a group with schizophrenia). Each group is represented on separate standard scales (Durand, Barlow, 2007). Some potentially negative aspects are that the original standardization sample- the people who first responded to the statements and set the standard for answers- included many people from Minnesota who had no psychological disorders and several groups of people who had particular disorders (Durand, Barlow, 2007). I have never had to take a personality test before starting a job so I am not sure what types of questions the test may consists of, but I actually find it quite disturbing myself. I feel that in many high paying professional jobs, the employer brings the prospective employee in several times to interview with several different people which gives the employer plenty of time to get to know enough about the person and if he/she will fit in with the group or not. The disadvantage is anyone can lie on those tests. On the other hand, I think once the person is hired in, it may be a good idea to get to know more about the person by using a personality test, but I dont think its fair to base the hiring decision on the test. Maybe just as an immediate boss it would be good to know how the employee feels or may react in a given situation. Another negative thing I see is that each applicant may read into the questions differently which then they may respond differently.

International Business Economics Essay

Globalization and international forms of conducting business has been the overriding factor for most economies of the world in the last two decades. According to economists, the political and economic amalgamation of nations will continue to grow as linkages to migration of products, money and people beyond their national boundaries become evident. This has led to the apprehension that, there is need for regional integration in terms of collective, political and economic reorganizations. The main reasons for this are; to make the business environment friendlier, economic power shift and regional balancing. This essay will therefore argue out the pros and cons of regional integration with specific reference to the EU. It will discuss the general benefits that have so far been gained and the downbeat impacts experienced as a result of the same. More emphasis will be placed on the impacts on the member states themselves. Regional integration aims to promote economic welfare gains among countries that have come together to meet some specific economic objectives. The EU is both a functional entity and territorial in that its main duty is to transfer sovereignty and handle regional projects that include trading activities. In an economic perspective, it is responsible for the movement of goods which in most cases becomes free within the member states. It also handles issues of labour and capital amo0ng countries that want to boost their economic growth in other places not only among the integrated community but also in other parts of the world. The EU has however grown to become an economic logic drive that is driven by the political desire to counter Asian and American competitive nature of businesses. (Hilbert, 2004) Whenever the term free trade in mentioned, many things come into the mind of the listener. The first thing is apparently conducting of trade without barriers. That is precisely what happens in free trade areas/associations. In the past developed free trade associations, all barriers to the trade of goods and services among the countries that are party to the agreement are completely done away with and a conducive environment, for carrying out business is upheld. In theory, free trade area will have things like; subsidies, custom duties, tariffs, administrative encumbrance or even quotas removed. In most cases, the countries are given the freedom to retain individual policies when talking about non-members. The most common types of free trade associations are the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) which was established in 1960 and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (P. de Vries, 2002) Previous research has shown that there are many theoretical and empirical effects of free trade. This is according to the economists who have been able to study free trade in relation to regional integration and its economic, social and political implications on the countries. One aspect is that there is creation of losers and winners. In a survey that was carried out in the year 2006, it shows that 87. 5 percent of economists concurred that United States as a nation has to eliminate any barriers of trade that are still existing including tariffs and other factors in order to have other nations within the Latin America regional to support their economic quest for businesses. (Temple, 1999) Advantages of regional integration Collective bargaining power in the trade fora is the major benefit for regional integration. The European Union since its inception has been able to have a stronger bargaining power on most of the trading agreements and foreign direct investments. There have been instances where the U. S dominated the trade talks and trade policies in Europe especially when it dealt with only one country such as France. This makes it very difficult for that country to handle the economic problems that might arise. When the region comes together, even countries such as the UK need to think twice while drafting laws whether against or for the whole region. Some products that are made in the U. S. ave been denied access into the European Union markets because of some logistical issues affecting the two trading partners. (Levine, 1992) There is improved geopolitics among the participating countries. Like-minded countries can come together and assist other countries with fragile democracies, narrow global markets and limited opportunities to come t a level playing filed in the world economy. This will probably encourage development in addition to better and safe networks in the area. Political disbarment, conflict resolution and peace brokering is a key benefit of regional cooperation. Taking into contemplation the fact that there is free movement of people and goods, the poor will tend to benefit enormously from better services and products i. e. a wide variety to choose from. A non-economic gain such as security is also a major factor that regional integration is able to bring forth to the partner states. It has been possible for the European Union to talk in one voice against many issues such as the fight against terrorism. (Lain, 2006) Larger markets are developed as a result of regional integration. Trade has become increasingly global in some scope today and there are reasons for this. One is the advancement in technology including communication efficiency and modernization where people are migrating to live in areas where they feel they are comfortable. Increasingly, rapid technology lifecycles has increased competition among countries as to who can produce the best in the market hence the need to employ competitive marketing and business strategies which includes economic and monetary integration. When two or more nations come together to trade, first, the market potential increases and there is huge customer base that will allow for the expansion of businesses. The EU for example is a huge market for African and American products that may not have been possible if they traded individually and not as a block. (P. de Vries, 2002) Strategic competitive advantage for most companies will be widened by the European Union. Taking for example the larger western European countries such as France and Germany will be able to absorb cheap raw products from Belgium and those who will benefit further will be the farmers. Sometimes countries such as the UK can provide better and sophisticated communication systems that will boost business expansion in less economic countries of the EU. In some cases, regional integration gives the countries that are involved get better gains through the free flow of trade in terms of investments especially beyond the jurisdictions of organizations such as the World Trade Organizations. (P. de Vries, 2002) Disadvantages It is difficult to coordinate activities of the member countries because of the fact that there are huge disparities within the member states within the EU. Macroeconomic instability occurs as a result of unbalanced nature of the countries with regard to natural resources and infrastructure. This is reflected on the one ‘nation’ intervention decisions on market factors such as custom duties, taxes and internal matters. This also manipulates itself in the form of governance. (Hilbert, 2004) Every nation has its own governance issues to deal with; party politics, corruption, security, economic crimes, among others. This will make it impossible for the regional integrating body to look into the desires of affiliate states. To some extent, some government have authoritarian styles of leadership that prevent free flow of goods, people, community integration, and other development issues. This is most cases results in scepticism among the associate countries. The US, after the cold war was very pessimistic about the way Latin America was planning to form a regional body that encompasses the south and northern countries. All these political problems catapults regional disintegration and promote conflicts which are not favourite business catalysts. (Abeman, 2006) Some countries might lose out on the actual benefits of the integration because of the way the policies and structures may be drafted. Some countries which are more developed than others would benefit more. Taking an example of the industries such as textiles where majority of the employees here are low cost workers who may end up losing their jobs because of a shift in business locations. It is a fact that companies move to locations where the labour is cheap and investment opportunities are higher. The European Union for example has integrated the European countries in one or another. But the problem comes in when the countries such as France and the U. K invest in countries such as Spain which are still believed to have a lower economic growth than themselves. (Donovan & Marlette, 2005) It is very difficult to synchronize all rules and constitutional necessities that every country is structurally required to have. With huge disparities concerning the way Germany and UK conduct their international business, there will be looming problem in future when the countries wanted to have bring their heads together. When the EU constitution was brought into a referendum, France literally rejected it. This shows that there EU union will not come to an agreement in almost all things. Every business is affected by economic factors. Fiscal policy rates, interest rate policy, currency exchange rates, consumer factors, etc. It is possible that the U. S locale of the economy dictates how the consumer behaves in the society. If an economy is booming, recessing or recovering, the confidence of the consumer will automatically change. In all these factors, the member countries will push for their own rates to be accepted by the others. (Lain, 2006) Vocational training for national protection especially on local industries that may not effectively compete with other multinationals. It is therefore a setback for the European Union to adequately address equity and fair trade issues among countries in a bid to harmonize the member states. s a matter of theory, the thing that vestiges to be an issue of concern is the fact that every country would want to have the lion’s share when it comes to sharing same currencies, trade rules and business partnerships. This will cause poor relationships among competing nations and it might result to break-ups. (Donovan & Marlette, 2005) When there is free trade countries are normally subjected to stiff competition. This means that a country’s prosperity can be affected which is quite risky. This makes many countries to strive to protect themselves against effects of free trade. This can be implemented by ensuring that there is imposition of taxes on foreign goods hence increasing their prices. When this is done, it means that the countries own producers are protected. Research shows that free trade exits in theory and not in practical. This is because many nations strive to protect their own industries. There are several ways through which many nations protect themselves from effects of free trade. There are some countries that limit the quantity of imported products (Lain, 2006)

NYU Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program

Ever since I was a young child, I have always been fascinated with the wonders of the medical field. As I grew older, questions continuously ran through my brain, as to how certain parts of the body function. Some of those questions were answerable by a simple â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no†, while others required complex answers unknown to many. For this, I decided that I would take up a course from the medical field when I go to college. After my completion of high school education in 2004, I attended college at the Kingsborough Community College, as a Liberal Arts Major. After a few semesters, I realized that I wanted to fulfill my dream of being part of the medical field.   Several reasons aroused as to why I choose this program. First, I wanted to hone my talents and strengthen my inclination towards the medical field. I have always been interested in the work done physicians who specialized in Ob/Gyne, especially how a living human being survives inside the female’s body. Being given the chance to experience life from the small detail up to the time the baby is born never fails to fascinate me. Another reason that made me go for this field is the fact that I wanted to help teenage girls who were having their own babies at such a young age. I want to give them a place that they can go to, without the hassle of worrying about people who will judge them. These include the 9-month preparation that the mothers will have to endure before their babies are born. When accepted, I plan to further enhance my craft, taking into heart the training that this university will offer. I will use the experiences and the knowledge to practice my chosen field, and at the same time, be of service to mankind. When given the chance, I also want to work for the New York City hospital. I believe that knowledge that I will acquire from this university will be beneficial in the fulfillment of my dreams and aspirations. This is something that I can hold on to for the rest of my life.   

Compare And Contrast A Rose For Emily And The Yellow...

Challenging the Status Quo In American society today, women and men enjoy equal freedoms and equal rights. As well, mental illness is treated both seriously and more effectively, and is being studied more than ever. The view of women and mental illness has shifted dramatically from those in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In the short stories â€Å"A Rose for Emily† and â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† the protagonists experience gender stereotyping and live in a society where there are certain expectations of women all the while they suffer from mistreatment due to the lack of understanding of their mental illness. In â€Å"A Rose for Emily† and â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† William Faulkner and Charlotte Perkins Gilman challenge the role of women and the stigma†¦show more content†¦In turn, this emphasizes the lack of understanding of mental health during the time period. In â€Å"A Rose for Emily† and â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† Faulkner and Gilman employ point of view to question gender roles and mental health. Faulkner uses a third-person point of view in order to narrate the story from the perspective of the town. The perspective of an outsider looking in on Emily’s life highlights her lack of control as a woman and later, a lack of control she has over herself. The distant narrator creates a barrier to fully understanding Emily’s character and reflects how the town does not truly know her and her secrets. In contrast, Gilman uses a first-person point of view to narrate from the protagonist’s perspective. The utilization of an unreliable narrator allows for more understanding of the protagonist’s character, but less understanding of her situation as a whole. Moreover, the protagonist only writes when her husband John is not around which provides further insight into her deteriorating mental condition and the lack of control she has as a woman. Faulkner and Gilman use different narrative perspectives to achie ve similar results. Each point of view hides or highlights the female character in order to reveal the struggles and insufficient help they receiving. These stories provide commentary on common issues for women and mental illness for their time period. Faulkner and Gilman useShow MoreRelatedANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pageselsewhere, most frequently to character or idea. Understanding a plot on a schematic level becomes even more difficult when dealing with works, usually novels, that have more than one plot. Many novels contain one or more subplots that reinforce by contrast or parallel the main plot. Some novels even contain a double plot, as in Thackeray’s â€Å"Vanity Fair†, where we are asked to follow the careers of both the selfish adventuress Becky Sharp and the innocent, good-hearted Amelia Sedley. As Amelia’s fortunes