The Lost Symbol Chapter 76-78

CHAPTER 76 Freedom Plaza is a map. Located at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Thirteenth Street, the plaza's vast surface of inlaid stone depicts the streets of Washington as they were originally envisioned by Pierre L'Enfant. The plaza is a popular tourist destination not only because the giant map is fun to walk on, but also because Martin Luther King Jr., for whom Freedom Plaza is named, wrote much of his â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech in the nearby Willard Hotel. D.C. cabdriver Omar Amirana brought tourists to Freedom Plaza all the time, but tonight, his two passengers were obviously no ordinary sightseers. The CIA is chasing them? Omar had barely come to a stop at the curb before the man and woman had jumped out. â€Å"Stay right here!† the man in the tweed coat told Omar. â€Å"We'll be right back!† Omar watched the two people dash out onto the wide-open spaces of the enormous map, pointing and shouting as they scanned the geometry of intersecting streets. Omar grabbed his cell phone off the dashboard. â€Å"Sir, are you still there?† â€Å"Yes, Omar!† a voice shouted, barely audible over a thundering noise on his end of the line. â€Å"Where are they now?† â€Å"Out on the map. It seems like they're looking for something.† â€Å"Do not let them out of your sight,† the agent shouted. â€Å"I'm almost there!† Omar watched as the two fugitives quickly found the plaza's famous Great Seal–one of the largest bronze medallions ever cast. They stood over it a moment and quickly began pointing to the southwest. Then the man in tweed came racing back toward the cab. Omar quickly set his phone down on the dashboard as the man arrived, breathless. â€Å"Which direction is Alexandria, Virginia?† he demanded. â€Å"Alexandria?† Omar pointed southwest, the exact same direction the man and woman had just pointed toward. â€Å"I knew it!† the man whispered beneath his breath. He spun and shouted back to the woman. â€Å"You're right! Alexandria!† The woman now pointed across the plaza to an illuminated â€Å"Metro† sign nearby. â€Å"The Blue Line goes directly there. We want King Street Station!† Omar felt a surge of panic. Oh no. The man turned back to Omar and handed him entirely too many bills for the fare. â€Å"Thanks. We're all set.† He hoisted his leather bag and ran off. â€Å"Wait! I can drive you! I go there all the time!† But it was too late. The man and woman were already dashing across the plaza. They disappeared down the stairs into the Metro Center subway station. Omar grabbed his cell phone. â€Å"Sir! They ran down into the subway! I couldn't stop them! They're taking the Blue Line to Alexandria!† â€Å"Stay right there!† the agent shouted. â€Å"I'll be there in fifteen seconds!† Omar looked down at the wad of bills the man had given him. The bill on top was apparently the one they had been writing on. It had a Jewish star on top of the Great Seal of the United States. Sure enough, the star's points fell on letters that spelled MASON. Without warning, Omar felt a deafening vibration all around him, as if a tractor trailer were about to collide with his cab. He looked up, but the street was deserted. The noise increased, and suddenly a sleek black helicopter dropped down out of the night and landed hard in the middle of the plaza map. A group of black-clad men jumped out. Most ran toward the subway station, but one came dashing toward Omar's cab. He yanked open the passenger door. â€Å"Omar? Is that you?† Omar nodded, speechless. â€Å"Did they say where they were headed?† the agent demanded. â€Å"Alexandria! King Street Station,† Omar blurted. â€Å"I offered to drive, but–â€Å" â€Å"Did they say where in Alexandria they were going?† â€Å"No! They looked at the medallion of the Great Seal on the plaza, then they asked about Alexandria, and they paid me with this.† He handed the agent the dollar bill with the bizarre diagram. As the agent studied the bill, Omar suddenly put it all together. The Masons! Alexandria! One of the most famous Masonic buildings in America was in Alexandria. â€Å"That's it!† he blurted. â€Å"The George Washington Masonic Memorial! It's directly across from King Street Station!† â€Å"That it is,† the agent said, apparently having just come to the same realization as the rest of the agents came sprinting back from the station. â€Å"We missed them!† one of the men yelled. â€Å"Blue Line just left! They're not down there!† Agent Simkins checked his watch and turned back to Omar. â€Å"How long does the subway take to Alexandria?† â€Å"Ten minutes at least. Probably more.† â€Å"Omar, you've done an excellent job. Thank you.† â€Å"Sure. What's this all about?!† But Agent Simkins was already running back to the chopper, shouting as he went. â€Å"King Street Station! We'll get there before they do!† Bewildered, Omar watched the great black bird lift off. It banked hard to the south across Pennsylvania Avenue, and then thundered off into the night. Underneath the cabbie's feet, a subway train was picking up speed as it headed away from Freedom Plaza. On board, Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon sat breathless, neither one saying a word as the train whisked them toward their destination. CHAPTER 77 The memory always began the same way. He was falling . . . plummeting backward toward an ice-covered river at the bottom of a deep ravine. Above him, the merciless gray eyes of Peter Solomon stared down over the barrel of Andros's handgun. As he fell, the world above him receded, everything disappearing as he was enveloped by the cloud of billowing mist from the waterfall upstream. For an instant, everything was white, like heaven. Then he hit the ice. Cold. Black. Pain. He was tumbling . . . being dragged by a powerful force that pounded him relentlessly across rocks in an impossibly cold void. His lungs ached for air, and yet his chest muscles had contracted so violently in the cold that he was unable even to inhale. I'm under the ice. The ice near the waterfall was apparently thin on account of the turbulent water, and Andros had broken directly through it. Now he was being washed downstream, trapped beneath a transparent ceiling. He clawed at the underside of the ice, trying to break out, but he had no leverage. The searing pain from the bullet hole in his shoulder was evaporating, as was the sting of the bird shot; both were blotted out now by the crippling throb of his body going numb. The current was accelerating, slingshotting him around a bend in the river. His body screamed for oxygen. Suddenly he was tangled in branches, lodged against a tree that had fallen into the water. Think! He groped wildly at the branch, working his way toward the surface, finding the spot where the branch pierced up through the ice. His fingertips found the tiny space of open water surrounding the branch, and he pulled at the edges, trying to break the hole wider; once, twice, the opening was growing, now several inches across. Propping himself against the branch, he tipped his head back and pressed his mouth against the small opening. The winter air that poured into his lungs felt warm. The sudden burst of oxygen fueled his hope. He planted his feet on the tree trunk and pressed his back and shoulders forcefully upward. The ice around the fallen tree, perforated by branches and debris, was weakened already, and as he drove his powerful legs into the trunk, his head and shoulders broke through the ice, crashing up into the winter night. Air poured into his lungs. Still mostly submerged, he wriggled desperately upward, pushing with his legs, pulling with his arms, until finally he was out of the water, lying breathless on the bare ice. Andros tore off his soaked ski mask and pocketed it, glancing back upstream for Peter Solomon. The bend in the river obscured his view. His chest was burning again. Quietly, he dragged a small branch over the hole in the ice in order to hide it. The hole would be frozen again by morning. As Andros staggered into the woods, it began to snow. He had no idea how far he had run when he stumbled out of the woods onto an embankment beside a small highway. He was delirious and hypothermic. The snow was falling harder now, and a single set of headlights approached in the distance. Andros waved wildly, and the lone pickup truck immediately pulled over. It had Vermont plates. An old man in a red plaid shirt jumped out. Andros staggered toward him, holding his bleeding chest. â€Å"A hunter . . . shot me! I need a . . . hospital!† Without hesitation, the old man helped Andros up into the passenger seat of the truck and turned up the heater. â€Å"Where's the nearest hospital?!† Andros had no idea, but he pointed south. â€Å"Next exit.† We're not going to a hospital. The old man from Vermont was reported missing the next day, but nobody had any idea where on his journey from Vermont he might have disappeared in the blinding snowstorm. Nor did anyone link his disappearance to the other news story that dominated the headlines the next day–the shocking murder of Isabel Solomon. When Andros awoke, he was lying in a desolate bedroom of a cheap motel that had been boarded up for the season. He recalled breaking in and binding his wounds with torn bedsheets, and then burrowing into a flimsy bed beneath a pile of musty blankets. He was famished. He limped to the bathroom and saw the pile of bloody bird-shot pellets in the sink. He vaguely recalled prying them out of his chest. Raising his eyes to the dirty mirror, he reluctantly unwrapped his bloody bandages to survey the damage. The hard muscles of his chest and abdomen had stopped the bird shot from penetrating too deep, and yet his body, once perfect, was now ruined with wounds. The single bullet fired by Peter Solomon had apparently gone cleanly through his shoulder, leaving a bloody crater. Making matters worse, Andros had failed to obtain that for which he had traveled all this distance. The pyramid. His stomach growled, and he limped outside to the man's truck, hoping maybe to find food. The pickup was now covered with heavy snow, and Andros wondered how long he had been sleeping in this old motel. Thank God I woke up. Andros found no food anywhere in the front seat, but he did find some arthritis painkillers in the glove compartment. He took a handful, washing them down with several mouthfuls of snow. I need food. A few hours later, the pickup that pulled out from behind the old motel looked nothing like the truck that had pulled in two days earlier. The cab cap was missing, as were the hubcaps, bumper stickers, and all of the trim. The Vermont plates were gone, replaced by those from an old maintenance truck Andros had found parked by the motel Dumpster, into which he had thrown all the bloody sheets, bird shot, and other evidence that he had ever been at the motel. Andros had not given up on the pyramid, but for the moment it would have to wait. He needed to hide, heal, and above all, eat. He found a roadside diner where he gorged himself on eggs, bacon, hash browns, and three glasses of orange juice. When he was done, he ordered more food to go. Back on the road, Andros listened to the truck's old radio. He had not seen a television or newspaper since his ordeal, and when he finally heard a local news station, the report stunned him. â€Å"FBI investigators,† a news announcer said, â€Å"continue their search for the armed intruder who murdered Isabel Solomon in her Potomac home two days ago. The murderer is believed to have fallen through the ice and been washed out to sea.† Andros froze. Murdered Isabel Solomon? He drove on in bewildered silence, listening to the full report. It was time to get far, far away from this place. The Upper West Side apartment offered breathtaking views of Central Park. Andros had chosen it because the sea of green outside his window reminded him of his lost view of the Adriatic. Although he knew he should be happy to be alive, he was not. The emptiness had never left him, and he found himself fixated on his failed attempt to steal Peter Solomon's pyramid. Andros had spent long hours researching the Legend of the Masonic Pyramid, and although nobody seemed to agree on whether or not the pyramid was real, they all concurred on its famous promise of vast wisdom and power. The Masonic Pyramid is real, Andros told himself. My inside information is irrefutable. Fate had placed the pyramid within Andros's reach, and he knew that ignoring it was like holding a winning lottery ticket and never cashing it in. I am the only non-Mason alive who knows the pyramid is real . . . as well as the identity of the man who guards it. Months had passed, and although his body had healed, Andros was no longer the cocky specimen he had been in Greece. He had stopped working out, and he had stopped admiring himself naked in the mirror. He felt as if his body were beginning to show signs of age. His once-perfect skin was a patchwork of scars, and this only depressed him further. He still relied on the painkillers that had nursed him through his recovery, and he felt himself slipping back to the lifestyle that had put him in Soganlik Prison. He didn't care. The body craves what the body craves. One night, he was in Greenwich Village buying drugs from a man whose forearm had been tattooed with a long, jagged lightning bolt. Andros asked him about it, and the man told him the tattoo was covering a long scar he had gotten in a car accident. â€Å"Seeing the scar every day reminded me of the accident,† the dealer said, â€Å"and so I tattooed over it with a symbol of personal power. I took back control.† That night, high on his new stash of drugs, Andros staggered into a local tattoo parlor and took off his shirt. â€Å"I want to hide these scars,† he announced. I want to take back control. â€Å"Hide them?† The tattoo artist eyed his chest. â€Å"With what?† â€Å"Tattoos.† â€Å"Yes . . . I mean tattoos of what?† Andros shrugged, wanting nothing more than to hide the ugly reminders of his past. â€Å"I don't know. You choose.† The artist shook his head and handed Andros a pamphlet on the ancient and sacred tradition of tattooing. â€Å"Come back when you're ready.† Andros discovered that the New York Public Library had in its collection fifty-three books on tattooing, and within a few weeks, he had read them all. Having rediscovered his passion for reading, he began carrying entire backpacks of books back and forth between the library and his apartment, where he voraciously devoured them while overlooking Central Park. These books on tattoos had opened a door to a strange world Andros had never known existed–a world of symbols, mysticism, mythology, and the magical arts. The more he read, the more he realized how blind he had been. He began keeping notebooks of his ideas, his sketches, and his strange dreams. When he could no longer find what he wanted at the library, he paid rare-book dealers to purchase for him some of the most esoteric texts on earth. De Praestigiis Daemonum . . . Lemegeton . . . Ars Almadel . . . Grimorium Verum . . . Ars Notoria . . . and on and on. He read them all, becoming more and more certain that the world still had many treasures yet to offer him. There are secrets out there that transcend human understanding. Then he discovered the writings of Aleister Crowley–a visionary mystic from the early 1900s– whom the church had deemed â€Å"the most evil man who ever lived.† Great minds are always feared by lesser minds. Andros learned about the power of ritual and incantation. He learned that sacred words, if properly spoken, functioned like keys that opened gateways to other worlds. There is a shadow universe beyond this one . . . a world from which I can draw power. And although Andros longed to harness that power, he knew there were rules and tasks to be completed beforehand. Become something holy, Crowley wrote. Make yourself sacred. The ancient rite of â€Å"sacred making† had once been the law of the land. From the early Hebrews who made burnt offerings at the Temple, to the Mayans who beheaded humans atop the pyramids of Chichen Itza, to Jesus Christ, who offered his body on the cross, the ancients understood God's requirement for sacrifice. Sacrifice was the original ritual by which humans drew favor from the gods and made themselves holy. Sacra–sacred. Face– make. Even though the rite of sacrifice had been abandoned eons ago, its power remained. There had been a handful of modern mystics, including Aleister Crowley, who practiced the Art, perfecting it over time, and transforming themselves gradually into something more. Andros craved to transform himself as they had. And yet he knew he would have to cross a dangerous bridge to do so. Blood is all that separates the light from the dark. One night, a crow flew through Andros's open bathroom window and got trapped in his apartment. Andros watched the bird flutter around for a while and then finally stop, apparently accepting its inability to escape. Andros had learned enough to recognize a sign. I am being urged onward. Clutching the bird in one hand, he stood at the makeshift altar in his kitchen and raised a sharp knife, speaking aloud the incantation he had memorized. â€Å"Camiach, Eomiahe, Emial, Macbal, Emoii, Zazean . . . by the most holy names of the angels in the Book of Assamaian, I conjure thee that thou assist me in this operation by the power of the One True God.† Andros now lowered the knife and carefully pierced the large vein on the right wing of the panicked bird. The crow began to bleed. As he watched the stream of red liquid flowing down into the metal cup he had placed as a receptacle, he felt an unexpected chill in the air. Nonetheless, he continued. â€Å"Almighty Adonai, Arathron, Ashai, Elohim, Elohi, Elion, Asher Eheieh, Shaddai . . . be my aid, so that this blood may have power and efficacy in all wherein I shall wish, and in all that I shall demand.† That night, he dreamed of birds . . . of a giant phoenix rising from a billowing fire. The next morning, he awoke with an energy he had not felt since childhood. He went running in the park, faster and farther than he'd imagined possible. When he could run no longer, he stopped to do pushups and sit-ups. Countless repetitions. Still he had energy. That night, again, he dreamed of the phoenix. Autumn had fallen again on Central Park, and the wildlife were scurrying about searching for food for winter. Andros despised the cold, and yet his carefully hidden traps were now overflowing with live rats and squirrels. He took them home in his backpack, performing rituals of increasing complexity. Emanual, Massiach, Yod, He, Vaud . . . please find me worthy. The blood rituals fueled his vitality. Andros felt younger every day. He continued to read day and night–ancient mystical texts, epic medieval poems, the early philosophers–and the more he learned about the true nature of things, the more he realized that all hope for mankind was lost. They are blind . . . wandering aimlessly in a world they will never understand. Andros was still a man, but he sensed he was evolving into something else. Something greater. Something sacred. His massive physique had emerged from dormancy, more powerful now than ever before. He finally understood its true purpose. My body is but a vessel for my most potent treasure . . . my mind. Andros knew his true potential had not yet been realized, and he delved deeper. What is my destiny? All the ancient texts spoke of good and evil . . . and of man's need to choose between them. I made my choice long ago, he knew, and yet he felt no remorse. What is evil, if not a natural law? Darkness followed light. Chaos followed order. Entropy was fundamental. Everything decayed. The perfectly ordered crystal eventually turned into random particles of dust. There are those who create . . . and those who destroy. It was not until Andros read John Milton's Paradise Lost that he saw his destiny materialize before him. He read of the great fallen angel . . . the warrior demon who fought against the light . . . the valiant one . . . the angel called Moloch. Moloch walked the earth as a god. The angel's name, Andros later learned, when translated to the ancient tongue, became Mal'akh. And so shall I. Like all great transformations, this one had to begin with a sacrifice . . . but not of rats, nor birds. No, this transformation required a true sacrifice. There is but one worthy sacrifice. Suddenly he had a sense of clarity unlike anything he had ever experienced in his life. His entire destiny had materialized. For three straight days he sketched on an enormous sheet of paper. When he was done, he had created a blueprint of what he would become. He hung the life-size sketch on his wall and gazed into it as if into a mirror. I am a masterpiece. The next day, he took his drawing to the tattoo parlor. He was ready. CHAPTER 78 The George Washington Masonic Memorial stands atop Shuter's Hill in Alexandria, Virginia. Built in three distinct tiers of increasing architectural complexity from bottom to top–Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian–the structure stands as a physical symbol of man's intellectual ascent. Inspired by the ancient Pharos lighthouse of Alexandria, Egypt, this soaring tower is capped by an Egyptian pyramid with a flamelike finial. Inside the spectacular marble foyer sits a massive bronze of George Washington in full Masonic regalia, along with the actual trowel he used to lay the cornerstone of the Capitol Building. Above the foyer, nine different levels bear names like the Grotto, the Crypt Room, and the Knights Templar Chapel. Among the treasures housed within these spaces are over twenty thousand volumes of Masonic writings, a dazzling replica of the Ark of the Covenant, and even a scale model of the throne room in King Solomon's Temple. CIA agent Simkins checked his watch as the modified UH-60 chopper skimmed in low over the Potomac. Six minutes until their train arrives. He exhaled and gazed out the window at the shining Masonic Memorial on the horizon. He had to admit, the brilliantly shining tower was as impressive as any building on the National Mall. Simkins had never been inside the memorial, and tonight would be no different. If all went according to plan, Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon would never make it out of the subway station. â€Å"Over there!† Simkins shouted to the pilot, pointing down at the King Street subway station across from the memorial. The pilot banked the helicopter and set it down on a grassy area at the foot of Shuter's Hill. Pedestrians looked up in surprise as Simkins and his team piled out, dashed across the street, and ran down into King Street Station. In the stairwell, several departing passengers leaped out of the way, plastering themselves to the walls as the phalanx of armed men in black thundered past them. The King Street Station was larger than Simkins had anticipated, apparently serving several different lines–Blue, Yellow, and Amtrak. He raced over to the Metro map on the wall, found Freedom Plaza and the direct line to this location. â€Å"Blue Line, southbound platform!† Simkins shouted. â€Å"Get down there and clear everyone out!† His team dashed off. Simkins rushed over to the ticket booth, flashed his identification, and shouted to the woman inside. â€Å"The next train from Metro Center–what time is it due?!† The woman inside looked frightened. â€Å"I'm not sure. Blue Line arrives every eleven minutes. There's no set schedule.† â€Å"How long since the last train?† â€Å"Five . . . six minutes, maybe? No more than that.† Turner did the math. Perfect. The next train had to be Langdon's. Inside a fast-moving subway car, Katherine Solomon shifted uncomfortably on the hard plastic seat. The bright fluorescent lights overhead hurt her eyes, and she fought the impulse to let her eyelids close, even for a second. Langdon sat beside her in the empty car, staring blankly down at the leather bag at his feet. His eyelids looked heavy, too, as if the rhythmic sway of the moving car were lulling him into a trance. Katherine pictured the strange contents of Langdon's bag. Why does the CIA want this pyramid? Bellamy had said that Sato might be pursuing the pyramid because she knew its true potential. But even if this pyramid somehow did reveal the hiding place of ancient secrets, Katherine found it hard to believe that its promise of primeval mystical wisdom would interest the CIA. Then again, she reminded herself, the CIA had been caught several times running parapsychological or psi programs that bordered on ancient magic and mysticism. In 1995, the â€Å"Stargate/Scannate† scandal had exposed a classified CIA technology called remote viewing–a kind of telepathic mind travel that enabled a â€Å"viewer† to transport his mind's eye to any location on earth and spy there, without being physically present. Of course, the technology was nothing new. Mystics called it astral projection, and yogis called it out-of-body experience. Unfortunately, horrified American taxpayers called it absurd, and the program had been scuttled. At least publicly. Ironically, Katherine saw remarkable connections between the CIA's failed programs and her own breakthroughs in Noetic Science. Katherine felt eager to call the police and find out if they had discovered anything in Kalorama Heights, but she and Langdon were phoneless now, and making contact with the authorities would probably be a mistake anyway; there was no telling how far Sato's reach extended. Patience, Katherine. Within minutes, they would be in a safe hiding place, guests of a man who had assured them he could provide answers. Katherine hoped his answers, whatever they might be, would help her save her brother. â€Å"Robert?† she whispered, glancing up at the subway map. â€Å"Next stop is ours.† Langdon emerged slowly from his daydream. â€Å"Right, thanks.† As the train rumbled toward the station, he collected his daybag and gave Katherine an uncertain glance. â€Å"Let's just hope our arrival is uneventful.† By the time Turner Simkins dashed down to join his men, the subway platform had been entirely cleared, and his team was fanning out, taking up positions behind the support pillars that ran the length of the platform. A distant rumble echoed in the tunnel at the other end of the platform, and as it grew louder, Simkins felt the push of stale warm air billowing around him. No escape, Mr. Langdon. Simkins turned to the two agents he had told to join him on the platform. â€Å"Identification and weapons out. These trains are automated, but they all have a conductor who opens the doors. Find him.† The train's headlamp now appeared down the tunnel, and the sound of squealing brakes pierced the air. As the train burst into the station and began slowing down, Simkins and his two agents leaned out over the track, waving CIA identification badges and straining to make eye contact with the conductor before he could open the doors. The train was closing fast. In the third car, Simkins finally saw the startled face of the conductor, who was apparently trying to figure out why three men in black were all waving identification badges at him. Simkins jogged toward the train, which was now nearing a full stop. â€Å"CIA!† Simkins shouted, holding up his ID. â€Å"Do NOT open the doors!† As the train glided slowly past him, he went toward the conductor's car, shouting in at him. â€Å"Do not open your doors! Do you understand?! Do NOT open your doors!† The train came to a full stop, its wide-eyed conductor nodding repeatedly. â€Å"What's wrong?!† the man demanded through his side window. â€Å"Don't let this train move,† Simkins said. â€Å"And don't open the doors.† â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"Can you let us into the first car?† The conductor nodded. Looking fearful, he stepped out of the train, closing the door behind him. He escorted Simkins and his men to the first car, where he manually opened the door. â€Å"Lock it behind us,† Simkins said, pulling his weapon. Simkins and his men stepped quickly into the stark light of the first car. The conductor locked the door behind them. The first car contained only four passengers–three teenage boys and an old woman–all of whom looked understandably startled to see three armed men entering. Simkins held up his ID. â€Å"Everything's fine. Just stay seated.† Simkins and his men now began their sweep, pushing toward the back of the sealed train one car at a time–â€Å"squeezing toothpaste,† as it was called during his training at the Farm. Very few passengers were on this train, and halfway to the back, the agents still had seen nobody even remotely resembling the description of Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon. Nonetheless, Simkins remained confident. There was absolutely no place to hide on a subway car. No bathrooms, no storage, and no alternative exits. Even if the targets had seen them board the train and fled to the back, there was no way out. Prying open a door was almost impossible, and Simkins had men watching the platform and both sides of the train anyway. Patience. By the time Simkins reached the second-to-last car, however, he was feeling edgy. This penultimate car had only one passenger–a Chinese man. Simkins and his agents moved through, scanning for any place to hide. There was none. â€Å"Last car,† Simkins said, raising his weapon as the threesome moved toward the threshold of the train's final section. As they stepped into the last car, all three of them immediately stopped and stared. What the . . . ?! Simkins raced to the rear of the deserted cabin, searching behind all the seats. He spun back to his men, blood boiling. â€Å"Where the hell did they go?!†

How does Salinger present the character of Holden in the opening pages of the text? Essay

Salinger uses a variety of linguistic and literary techniques to create a realistic voice for the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, and to give the reader an idea of how this is achieved and presents the major concerns and thoughts of the character and the novel through these techniques. Salinger attempts to create the voice of a contemporary teenager through writing in the vernacular of this intended voice – the use of crude, colloquial lexis that Holden uses resembles this through his repetitive and continuous use of â€Å"phony† throughout the novel, for example â€Å"what a phony slob he is.† The use of colloquial language, coupled with the protagonists conditional direct address to the reader â€Å"If you really want to know†, is used by Salinger as an allusion to Holden being somewhat reluctant to telling us about himself and his past which leans the reader towards thinking that Holden is not well and that there may be something in his past which has caused Holden to be the way he is. The conditional also suggests that Holden views his life as boring and uninteresting, ergo the intensifier â€Å"really† and the conditional â€Å"if† are used by Salinger to convey Holden’s minor reluctance. In addition, the direct address also creates an immediate tenor with the audience which is engaging for the reader. Moreover, the reader learns that the protagonist is a social pariah –â€Å"the whole school was there except me† – an outcast that actively rebels against society and life and this is the reason the character adopts a studied boredom approach to questions. Furthermore, Salinger reinforces Holden’s apparent dismissive attitude towards his own life through the use of the literary reference â€Å"David Copperfield kind of crap†. This conveys the impression that the protagonist does not think his life is worth telling when, further on, it becomes apparent that Holden does actually want to tell the reader about the â€Å"madman stuff† that has happened to him. The reader learns that Holden is uncertain about his future and, indeed, his life in general through the vague expression â€Å"when I go home next month maybe.† This makes the reader wonder if Holden is well mentally and physically, which would explain the â€Å"madman stuff.† The reader becomes aware that Holden as a character has a very limited ability to express himself, and often relies on idiosyncratic phrases to convey his thoughts and feelings where he is unable to with words. An example of this would be Holden’s use of the adjective â€Å"old† in â€Å"old Selma Thurner† which he uses to convey friendly affection feelings towards the character. The protagonist also uses hyperbole to convey his emotions and thoughts, too, though generally in a much more sarcastic manner as illustrated by â€Å"supposed to commit suicide if old Pencey didn’t win†. As noted above, the reader learns that Holden uses the adjective â€Å"old† in a usually affectionate way, but in this instance he is using it sarcastically to convey a negative opinion toward his school. When the reader reads on, they learn that not only is Holden iconoclastically rejecting the education system but he is also rejecting the ideology of capitalism wh ich he views as the main source of the â€Å"phony† population. From this, the reader realises that not only is Holden a countercultural figure but also a cynic towards the capitalism ideology his society is based on. In addition, the protagonist’s repetitive use of blasphemy is used to express his thoughts on a topic, for example â€Å"cost him damn near four thousand bucks† though the reader realises he does not mean the blasphemy – seemingly, Holden does not notice it; it is simply part of his idiolect and is used by the protagonist in an effort to connect with the reader, creating an informal tenor between Holden and the audience. The use of contractions is used by Salinger to create an informal tenor between the protagonist and the reader and are shown to be common in Holden’s idiolect, and indeed the teenage sociolect that Salinger was writing in throughout the novel. This use of contractions, along with the taboo language used throughout the novel, is used to reinforce this image of Holden being a countercultural, rebellious teenager that controversially rejects capitalism and the education system through his countercultural behaviour. Furthermore, the reader becomes aware of Holden’s seemingly strained relationship with his family, particularly his seemingly implied coldness towards his brother, D.B. who is a writer. The italics â€Å"and he’s my brother and all† is used by Salinger to convey the mixed feelings of the protagonist to the reader. The italics is used by Salinger to reflect the sarcastic, verbal intonation of Holden and implies that Holden once liked and possibly admired his brother, but now he views him as â€Å"being a prostitute† – a sell-out, in Holden’s eyes. This reveals to the reader that Holden does not approve of â€Å"phony† actions like selling out your talent just to be successful. In addition, the audience also becomes aware that Holden’s strained relationships extend not only to the general public but to his own mother and father, too; â€Å"my parents would have about two haemorrhages apiece† illustrates to the audience that Holden has little avenue for expressing his emotions which causes the reader to wonder what the cause of Holden’s introversion is, later revealed to be the death of his younger brother who he was close to, Allie. In addition, the reader becomes aware of the protagonists opinions and thoughts on certain topics and their views on people in particular through the constant digression of the main character; Holden uses digression in place of actively expressing himself and it is present throughout the entire novel. Through this digression, the reader gains a valuable insight into Holden’s mind, especially when family and women are concerned: â€Å"she’s a pretty nice girl† reveals to the readers that Holden, despite being a teenager, is not interested in sex with girls despite his later claims to be a maniac, which illustrates an insecurity in Holden towards sex.

Analysis of Sheet Music, Johann Sebastian Bach

Score analysis Many people are listening to music and enjoying music, but not everyone analyzes music to find more complex things like formal analysis and melody. However, by checking the music of these things, you can better understand the music. This makes people more appreciate music. Some of the best music analysis is classical music. This is because classical music has various levels and has been tested for many years. In this article I am examining Bach's preface to D Major - Fuga's work on background, formal elements, and cultural elements. Johann Sebastian Bach is the youngest eighth child of Johann Ambrosius Bach musician and Elizabeth Lemmerhirt. Rod Bach is known for his musicality in the early 16th century. Many of Johan Sebastian's ancestors were professional musicians. Meanwhile, churches, local governments, and aristocrats supported musicians, especially in Thuringia and Saxony. My father Bach lives and works in Eisenach. There are about 6,000 inhabitants in this city. John Ambrosius's work includes holding secular concerts and church music performances. John Sebastian Bach, born in Eisenach, Germany on March 21, 1685, is the youngest of the church organists John Ambrosius Bach and Elizabeth Ramel Bach. Bach's musician family can be traced back to 7 generations. This family is also a devout Lutheran (religion based on beliefs of faith, God forgives their sins). Bach accepted his father's violin course. He also has a beautiful voice and sings in the church choir. In 1694, his mother and father died within two months. At the age of 10, Johann Sebastian moved to Germany's Odrap and lived with his brother John Christophe, the organizer of St. Michael's Church. Johan Sebastian received his first instruction on keyboard instrument from him. Johann Sebastian Bach's father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, taught him how to play the violin and harp when he was a child. After his father and mother died within 9 months, John Sebastian lived with his younger brother John Christophe Bach. Organist John Sebastian studied the organ and harpsichord under his brother's supervision. John Christophe believes that his brothers will learn many compositions by copying the work so that they will copy Jacob Froberger, Johann Casper Kell, Pachelbel's work to J. Sebastian I asked. Then, when he became a member of Mettenchor (Mattins Choir), J. Sebastian can be learned at the music library of Luneburg Stadium.

Engineering Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Engineering Ethics - Essay Example Electric shock, jumping off from high structures and hanging are among the top 10 methods of committing suicides and these methods involve the use of technology, thus modification in the engineering designs and incorporation of suicide prevention devices can help in reducing the number of deaths. The most important issue associated with the inclusion of suicide prevention devices in the various engineering designs is the high cost associated with it, without any financial benefit for the investor. Engineers can play an effective role in this regard by convincing the investors and clients about the importance of the incorporation of suicide prevention devices in the engineering designs. Safety codes and standards should also deal with the suicide prevention devices and there should be a legal binding to incorporate the suicide prevention devices in the engineering designs of various buildings and products. Jumping off from high structures can cause serious problems to the structure of the building as well because when a human body falls off on the deck of some lower floors while falling off from higher floors, the impact load is so high that it can damage the building permanently. In such a situation, suicide prevention devices can be considered as a financially suitable solution because the future cost of repair of the damage caused by the impact load of falling bodies can be much higher than the cost of initially incorporating suicide prevention devices in the buildings.

The Role of Modern Media in Crisis Communication Essay

The Role of Modern Media in Crisis Communication - Essay Example Crisis management is a very crucial aspect. Effective communication crisis management can greatly reduce extensive damage that may take place in an organization, as a result, of communication crisis. The document analyzes the role played by modern media in triggering as well as managing the effects of crisis communication in organizations (Carroll, 2013). It is evident that the communication crisis is typically unpredictable aspect that possesses a great potential of damaging the affected organization as well various stakeholders. The main difference between crafting messages for traditional communication methods and crafting messages for modern communication methods such as social media is the speed at which each mode communicates information as well as misinformation. The application of internet together with social Media  has the potential of accelerating and amplifying the public opinion. The aspect hence plays a vital role in impacting adverse effects in organizations, as a result, of crisis communication (Coombs, 2007). It has become to the consent of most organization’s stakeholders the modern media or simply social media is a double edged sword that create both opportunities and threats for the organizations. Social media as well as other web based Medias, have the potential of creating a crisis in an organization. Among the main factors as to why the social media causes crises in an organization is that it provides various means for stakeholder’s expression. It also lets the stakeholders move from a passive role to an active role. Being unfiltered channel, it provides employees, consumers and activists with an opportunity of voicing their concerns. The aspect easily finds people with similar mind and mobilizes them against the organization hence causing great crises in that organization (Coombs & Holladay, 2010). Currently, social media and other web-based Medias have also

Organization People and Performance in Iberia Airlines Research Paper

Organization People and Performance in Iberia Airlines - Research Paper Example The firm adopts effective HRM strategies that call for first-class flight rewards to best employees. In so doing, the productivity of employees is maximized. Thus, employees are rewarded with respect to their performance. Additionally, the firm employs structural training system aimed at enhancing the quality of employees as well as enabling them to grow in their careers. The training strengthens the abilities and expertise of employees that enables them to handle more responsibilities while paving the humble way for promotion resulting in career growth (Asquith 2012, p.1). Communication plays a significant role in determining bonus and stock option as it calls for employees to be engaged in determining these issues especially when the pay rates are low when the firm is going through financial crisis. The aligned recruitment process to the cultural and strategic requirements of the company together with effective training and development initiatives makes the firm to enhance career g rowth of its employees. The reward system employed is formal since appraisal and promotion process goes through multiple channels thus making employees to be loyal productive and highly motivated. The rewards system in Iberia airline is based on performance and this motivates employees to perform better while fostering innovations in the firm.  On the aspect of workforce statistics, Iberia has a capacity of over 25,000 employees and flies to seventy nine destinations within thirty nine countries across the globe.

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 74

Journal - Essay Example Hence, the story brings out the conflict, which is one of the components of a newsworthy story, and consequently, this gives the story a controversial element. While this is a developing story on a recent outbreak of protests in Hong Kong, the writers fail to offer a clear background into the issue concerning its origin. They only give a brief history, which comes at the end of the article. Therefore, a person reading the story and unaware of the happenings in Hong Kong will be confused, not knowing what exactly is happening. Though focusing mostly on police actions, the story is detailed giving accounts of the protests including areas where the protestors are located. Additionally, the authors use descriptive terms that allow the reader to draw a mental image of what is happening in Hong Kong city. Additionally, the story is timely given that there is an ongoing unrest in Hong Kong regarding the issue of democracy, which has occupied news headlines all over the world in the past days. The residents seem fed up with the current system and want a more democratic system both on paper and in

Describe Plato's philosophical analysis of the nature of knowledge, Essay

Describe Plato's philosophical analysis of the nature of knowledge, and explain what conclusions Plato drew for the methodolog - Essay Example Of importance to note is that, universals are made up of a system where particular laws are made under an ultimate law. Moreover, the virtues involved emanate from a general principle, over and above, the mathematical theorems of one fundamental truth. It is worth noting that the basic categories in, which universal are brought together revolves around beauty, truth, goodness (Cooper 2). Apparently, goodness is the greatness of the three. Understanding the nature of knowledge must entails the idea types which it belongs to, the eternal laws where it could be said to be a passing instance, as well as, the context in which it possibly fits in. For instance, the study of the earth entails perceiving its place with regards to the solar system, with the inclusion of it being a stage in the heavenly bodies, over and above, clarifying that its motion takes place in accordance to the gravity law (Cooper 3). Plato has his argument placed in the fact that knowledge cannot be achieved by use of experience but by reasoning, use of sense where they are meant to push the reasoning towards the consciousness of what it already has although at the extreme opposite, it could mislead the conscious. Apparently, experience has never been used to produce knowledge because the principles used in knowledge are universal and are very crucial in this doctrine as compared to experience that displays specific and casual ideas. In essence, experience must be preceded by something already in mind that could be used to interpret the necessary impressions of concerned human beings. Theory of Knowledge through Astronomy Consequently, Plato emphasis that human knowledge is inborn especially when he depicts an instance of a slave boy who was not educated and upon being asked question by some philosophers, he was able to think critically and hence attempted and displayed arithmetic and geometry knowledge. Through this instance, Plato argues that teaching only evokes what is already underlying. Si mply, a theory of knowledge is used to provide a clear conception of education (Meynell 13). In light of this, Plato uses dialectical reasoning particularly in astronomy where he is said to have attempted to use the elimination method giving the general analysis of astronomy. In fact, he emphasis on studying astronomy through mean of problems, over and above, eliminating the motion that is related to the stars in the sky. In the early days, Plato demonstrated a persuasive mode when he argues through writing on the use of embroidery in the sky as a model in studying other things that are associated to the nature of knowledge (Meynell 16). In reference to Timaeus, Plato is demonstrated in the modern world as a philosopher who expounded critically on the nature of knowledge. Apparently, he is quite impressed by the universal’s order and beauty especially through his mandate of explaining the universe in terms of purpose, and benefits (Meynell 19). Views of Aristotle about the na ture of change represent a departure from Plato It is apparent that there are distinct concepts of change evidenced by the transition of Plato philosophical concepts to Aristotle concepts. Nevertheless, this is arguably as a result of the ignorance of Aristotle complete system. Basically, Aristotle’

Cave of Forgotten Dreams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cave of Forgotten Dreams - Essay Example The French government took control of the cave and to protect its wealth and banned from general visitors. Mr. Herzog managed to get permission from the French government for himself and his crew to go with the researchers inside the cave to dig out the hidden secret of mankind. It was considered as a blast to go inside the cave and to see these images. When researcher and crew saw cave from inside they all were in same astonishing state of mind and seemed like they were deeply touched by the depiction on the walls of cave and in some cases they seemed like talking with eternally lost and dead souls. The painting of physical connection between early man and woman was of prime attraction. Sometimes the director drifts away from the caves and start tagging with perfumer who got ability to sniff and find his way out of the cave.   Archaeologists around the globe are in debate of the age of the cave on whether these Chauvet painting are before 30,000 BP or they are younger. A German archaeologist Chistian Zuchner believes that even if the caves are not that old as presumed still they are rich collection of cave art found anywhere in the world. The cave largely kept Mr. Herzog indulgence in the realm of the world of stories and

Eastern Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Eastern Philosophy - Essay Example The word Buddha refers to ‘the awakened one’ who has been enlightened. The philosophy of the Buddhist is that every on stands a potential of Buddhahood whether aware or unaware. Though this religious believe traces its origin among the Hindus, its fundamental believes are different from that of the Hindu. According to the Hindu, Buddhism is viewed as unorthodox (nastika). The history of this religion can be traced back in the early 566 B.C. through the royalty prince Siddhartha Gautama. Being a son to Indian Warrior-King, Gautama (the founder of Buddhism) led a very extravagant life from childhood to adulthood following the privileges associated with the uppers caste of prince-hood . When prince-hood living proved boring, he went off his way in search of understanding. In his external search, Gautama was finally made to believe that suffering awaits come end time. On believing the old man’s words, Gautama renounced his princely privileges and joined the monkhood, which deprived him of worldly possessions with strong hope of comprehending underlying truth of the surrounding environment. It was a tree that he finally believed that the end to suffering was ultimately salvation. Following his epiphany, Gautama became popular to the people of the same faith as ‘Buddha’, meaning "Enlightened One." Throughout his life, Buddha (Gautama) spent his entire life journeying about India, while preaching and teaching his understanding of the real world. This religion is based on four fundamental noble truths about suffering. These teachings are; the truth of suffering, the truth of causes of suffering, the truth and believe about the end of suffering, and the truth about the paths that leads believers off suffering. In the simple terms, Buddhists believe in the existence of suffering, suffering has its root cause; suffering would come to end via certain path. According to them, sufferings exist and we only need to navigate our ways through to attempt rectifying the situation. The first truth seeks to recognize the existence of suffering, the Second Truth determine the root causes of suffering. According to the Buddhists, ignorance and desire lie deep on the route to suffering. They also strongly believe that craving for material wellbeing, pleasure and immortality are human wants which can never be fulfilled. As a result, desire to have them satisfied would be more detrimental and would cause more suffering than good. With limited capacity for insight and mental concentration, Buddhists believe that development of the mind would be limited, thus unable to fairly grasp the truth about nature. Vices such as envy, greed, anger and greed, are due to ignorance. Though they also believe on the concept of leisure, but to them leisure fleets. They argue that pursuit of pleasure and leisure leads to unquenchable thirst. The same analogy is given on happiness. In the end, aging, death and sickness are inevitable for the entire hum an race. In the third Noble Truth, Buddhists believe that there is an end to suffering either by death or through achieving Nirvana spiritual position. The Fourth Noble Truth highlights methods that are deemed significant in achieving an end to suffering, commonly referred to as Noble Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Noble Paths are; Right Thought, Right Understanding, Right Speech, Right Livelihood, Right Action, Right Effort, Right Concentration, and Right Mindfulness. In addition, the path to overcoming suffering is divided into three themes: good moral conduct (Thought, Understanding and Speech), mediation and mental growth (Action, Effort, and Livelihood), and insight or wisdom (Mindfulness and Concentration)3. Hinduism Beliefs Hinduism is one of the historically old religious beliefs that is said to have originated basically from the Indian subcontinent. Philosophers and other religious scholars have always treated it as being more of a law or eternal path (Santana Dharma) than a

On-Boarding, Socialization, Retention and Down-Sizing Essay Example for Free

On-Boarding, Socialization, Retention and Down-Sizing Essay Chern’s has recently hired two new sales associates and have a need for an on-boarding and socialization strategy. Because organizations invest money in hiring new employees, the company has a need to get new hires off to a good start but need help doing so. Because turn-over’s occurs early, organizations can increase their retention rates by helping new hires adjust to their company and jobs. Out-boarding is the process of completing new hires employment paperwork, and providing them with all essential elements for their jobs. Companies also have the need to socialize their employees through planned and unplanned processes, formal and informal activities and experiences through which individuals acquire the attitudes, behavior, and knowledge needed to successfully participate as members in an organization and learn the organizations culture. On-Boarding and Socialization Strategies In order to incorporate Chern’s new hires into its organization several strategic programs, on-boarding and socialization have been recommended. Both of these programs are beneficial for Chern’s and its employees. This recommendation will help Chern’s employee’s transition into the company. The following strategies were recommended for Chern’s new hires; Orientation will involve employees learning about the company, its culture, values, goals, history, mission statement, business, chain of commend and products. Orientation will encompass the company’s policy and procedures as well as the process of filling out the proper paperwork required to work at Chern’s. Through the orientation process employees will receive the tools they need to perform their duties, such as uniforms if required, keys, identification cards, computers, an e-mail address, business cards, telephone number and a work space (office or cubicle). Orientation will provide employees with their benefits information (booklet), 401 k plan, and IIP and retirement plan. Orientation will also include learning how to use the company’s intranet where they can find information about the company (financial facts), products and number of stores and their locations. The orientation process will allow the new hires to meet their co-workers, supervisors and managers. Through orientation employees can understand their roles, and their expectations. Orientation will accelerate the new hires learning process of Chern’s organization. Socialization—will give the new hires the planned, unplanned, formal, and informal activities and experiences to acquire the behavior, attitude and knowledge needed to participate as a member of the organization and learn the firm’s culture. Socialization programs that are recommended for its new hire’s are: A Staggered Program This concept allows new hires to encompass information about Chern’s through a staggered approach, learning in increments instead of obtaining information all at once causing an overload. By learning in increments new hires will retain that information. Socialization activities can be performed through steps allowing new hires to interact with co-workers, supervisors, managers, and HR personal who are familiar with the company. Socialization can be in person as well as via online and classroom settings. Individual Programs gives new hires the flexibility of socializing in a one-on one setting with a mentor or an apprenticeship. By using a mentor or apprenticeship each new hire can learn what is required, their expectations, and job performance rapidly. They experience on the job training through hands on experience and tend to socialize and learn more easily. Formal Socialization Programs- will give new hires the opportunity to socialize with other entities outside of the company, an example would be a seminar where they can interact with other individuals on a professional level and learn new and innovating techniques, procedures and designed activities and materials. This process increase employees job satisfaction and reduce turnover. This gives new hires a chance to be proactive, ask questions, build relationships with others in the rganization and seek feedback while increasing job satisfaction and commitment. Sequential programsallow new hires to follows a range of steps such as step 1—learning about the company. Step 2 –learn policy and procedures. Step 3—learn about the job and its requirements and. Step 4 perform well a so on. Each step leads to opportunities and possible promotions. Fixed Socialization Programs gives new hires information about their probationary status (how long) and their performance statu s with their job. Serial Socialization incorporate new hires with mentors, these mentors guide the new hires through the steps needed to become successful on the job and serve as role models to the new hires. Each new hire will be expected to follow in their mentors footsteps. Investiture Programs- will give each new hire the chance to reaffirm their confidence in them selves and their job performances. This process allows supervisors, managers and in some cases senior management to evaluate the knowledge, skills, and characteristics of the new hires. Investitures programs also evaluates what new hires can do in terms of helping the company move forward and make money from their new innovating ideals (Phillips Gully, 2009). By making these recommendation Chern’s will continue to give its customers the service that lies at the heart of the company. Chern’s strategy can empower its new hires to excel in the company, while upholding its reputation for customer service, quality and selection. These recommendations will continue to give Chern’s a core value that is essential to its branding and culture, while contributing to its customers and building a long term relationship through shared value and customer care. Retention Plan A retention plan for Chern’s top performers is to create an environment, work style and management team that promotes, teamwork, cooperation and retention, which leads to successful delivery of products, customer services and values. Ultimately enriching the company, customers and workers. In order to retain its top performers Chern’s can initiate plans to keep top performers happy by offering great rewards that will be hard to resist. Generally the reason people stay with a company is often the same reason they became attractive in the first place. Implementing the following retention plan will keep Chern’s top performers with the company and reduce a need to hire new people. †¢ provide initiatives to establish and maintain the company’s goals. †¢ establish open communication between management, customers and staff. develop a working environment that encourages professional growth. †¢ match employees with challenging assignments that will lead to professional and career growth. †¢ create a climate of respect, fairness and trust with supervisors and customers. †¢ give employees work flexibility so that they can balance their work and life demands. †¢ provide competitive wages and benefits that are fair, introduce fitness and child care centers. †¢ give top performers bonuses when goals are meet, such as monetary, vacations or extra sick days. create a strong corporate culture for employees that they find attractive such as a mission Statement that appeals to customers and workers. This can help retain employees with the same or similar values. †¢ providing employees with support can also help retain employees, by monitoring their work load, managers can determine if they have the necessary tools to perform their jobs. Using these strategies will institute to recruit, retain and develop top performers.

Dialogue Between Plato and Aristotle Essay Example for Free

Dialogue Between Plato and Aristotle Essay Pluto: No, listen. What I am saying is that the environment or form that we live in is full of unevenness, imperfection and impurity this due to the fact that this form is merely a copy of the ideal world that one would understand once they rise above our physical environment and grasp it intellectually. Aristotle: I understand you just fine but I disagree with you. I agree that our world is an imperfect world but I object to the notion that it is not real or that there is another invisible form out there from which it is cloned. I find that preposterous, everything is right here on earth, physically. Pluto: No. What we see on earth ‘physically’ as you say are just mimics or artificial replicas of the real thing only with a lot of imperfections. This is just an illusion of the real thing. Aristotle: How can that be when our natural world is real and physical? Let me explain it to you clearly, our world, this world is made up of many forms. Sure, they may not be ideal, pure or perfect but our senses identify with them. Pluto: Well, our senses identify with them because they are copies of the perfect form and we have knowledge of them. Let me explain it to you. Knowledge must have as its object that which is openly real as juxtaposed with that which is an appearance only, that which is fully real must be fixed, permanent and unchanging- in the realm of being as opposed to that which is in the realm of physical. That is why you call these world ‘physical’ when it is just a perception from the true ideal form. Aristotle: That is absurd! If experience has shown us anything is that individual substances exist and are real, being predicated of the substance and that an individual is not produced by some idea or model the actually exist! Pluto: Now you have joined people inexperienced in the theory of forms. Captives in a cave, bound to the wall with no likelihood of turning your heads. With fire burning behind you, you can only see the wall of the cave and the shadows of the puppets placed between you and the fire. You are incapable to fathom that the shadows you see and the echoes you hear are a reflection of real objects, behind you. This world that is available to our senses exists only as a reflection of the real world. Aristotle: Here is where I differ to you completely! !An individual is not formed from the perception of another’s  mind but from an individual who through germ or seed was able to reproduce another one hence, the seed in the individual would be in potency form because of its capacity to become an individual in future. Every individual is a compound of matter and form, not a mirror or perception of another from another form. Pluto: That is just how easy it is to mistake appearance for reality, just like the captives in the cave experience, they easily refer to the shadows using the names of the real objects that the shadows reflect. This just shows that knowledge is only a reflection of the real ideas in our minds. What is seen on the earth is an imitation of the real thing. The captives, by looking at the shadows may learn what an item is but this does not enable them to claim that it refers to an object, which they have seen. Likewise, we need the physical objects in order to enable us acquire concepts. Aristotle: So your idea is that we live in an imagined world and that is copied from an ideal world and that the physical items and entities we encounter on our day to day activities and with which our senses identify with are merely there for us to acquire concepts? Pluto: Yes. Exactly! Aristotle: You are not serious! You do realize that the possibility of error forces the mind to determine the truth validity of a given statement. Meaning the intellect must have adequate reasons, which can ensure the proposed judgment conforms to reality. These are the foundation of perfect knowledge, knowledge through causes. Not that we originate from some made up form that we cannot access, but that we originate from an individual. Matter is the indeterminate element, which is unchanging, and form is the force and power shaping and developing the individual. That is a structure of two statements leading to correct reasoning. Pluto: So you object to my whole idea? Aristotle: Completely! It lacks a foundation and crumbles upon itself. Your own argument argues that there is need for physical objects to enable us acquire concepts but your idea is based on an unseen form that cannot be confirmed physically. Pluto: We could argue about it for hours. It’s a stalemate. Aristotle: Seems we have found an impasse, but I win!

Freud and Klein, Jung, and Rogers Theories Comparison

Freud and Klein, Jung, and Rogers Theories Comparison Introduction This essay reviews the main beliefs of four psychological thinkers, Freud and Klein, Jung, and Rogers, and one psychological approach, Transpersonal Psychology. In each case I outline the theory, also noting points of agreement and disagreement between them, sometimes drawing on my own experience. Each theory is reviewed under the following headings: Main ideas Work of and with the therapist Similarities and differences with other views Following the discussion of each theory, I offer some concluding remarks. Freud and Klein’s psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud was born in Moravia in 1856, and died in England in 1939. His primary training was medical and scientific, and he consistently maintained that his theory was to be understood as a scientific one. Among the most important scientific influences on his work came from the principle of the conservation of energy in physics. According to Helmholz the total quantity of energy in a system is constant – unless new energy is added, or energy is lost, the existing quantity can only change in form and distribution. Freud’s initial creative insight can be regarded as supposing that human psychology can be understood as an energy system. This enabled him to offer an explanatory account of the behaviour of neurotic people in terms of the causes of their behaviour, instead of supposing that this behaviour was mysterious, random or inexplicable (Brown 1961, p2-3; Thornton 2006). Melanie Klein was born in Vienna in 1882 (making her a generation younger than Freud) and died in London in 1960. Klein was a pioneer in applying psychoanalytic techniques to children, maintaining that play behaviour could provide the same sort of data as free association, and also argued (an idea that Freud came to accept) that people were also driven towards death, or the ending of life, as well as to the preservation of life (Brown 1961, p71f). Freud revised and modified his ideas repeatedly during his long career. It would take more space than this whole essay to review the changes, and I have other thinkers and approaches to discuss. In the following sub-section I outline some of the central commitments of Freud as they remain influential in practice today, making (for reasons of space) only limited reference to Klein. Main ideas Following Brown (1961) the following are the main components of Freud’s views: (1) Psychic determinism: Freud was inspired by the principle of conservation of energy in physics, and maintained that human psychology was an energy system. What this meant specifically was that behaviours that had previously been regarded as accidental or meaningless (including dreams, tics, yawning, paralyses and slips of the tongue) could be seen as possible symptoms: the psychoanalytic observer could seek to interpret them as symptoms on the hypothesis that they represented energy that might not have been ‘allowed’ to itself themselves directly. (2) The role of the unconscious: The symptomatic individual is typically unaware of the causes of her or his symptoms, and this is partly because they are not the sort of things that the subject wants to acknowledge. The thought of a desired outcome or action is ‘repressed’ because it is not acceptable, but the energy associated with it has to go somewhere (see (1) above) and so is substituted for something else with a non-obvious relationship. (If it was obvious, and so obvious to the patient, it wouldn’t successfully be repressed.) Work is required to make the processes apparent, and to determine what to do about them. (3) Goal-oriented nature of behaviour: All behaviour is for something, and repressed wishes cannot generally be released in ways irrelevant to the target desire. This is part of why symptoms can be informative. Freud describes a woman who had been disgusted by a person allowing a dog to drink from a glass, but refused to express the disgust because it would have been rude and had become unable to drink water from glasses herself. This refusal was, he claims, uncovered as a symptom by following up on her muttering about her â€Å"lady friend† during free-association under hypnosis, where the ‘forgotten’ episode was recalled, and after this the symptom disappeared (1962, p 36). (4) The developmental or historical approach: There is a characteristic cycle to human psychological development, closely associated with sexuality. ‘Sex’ here is understood widely, to include the full range of pleasurable sensation over various regions of the body. Freud maintained that ordinarily people went through a series of ‘stages’, the first three broadly associated with a region of the body: oral (first 18 months), then anal (18 months to 3 years), then phallic (ages 3 to 6 years), and a ‘latency’ period during which ‘pregenital desires were largely repressed’ (Prochaska and Norcross 2003, p35). Finally during adolescence a ‘genital’ stage begins. Each of these stages involves various kinds of conflict (over access to the breast, toilet training, etc.) and these formative conflicts are, according to Freud, often the basis of later neurosis. Also we face an ongoing conflict between our instincts (for pleasure an d life, but also for aggressive conflict and death) and the demands of social and institutional living, which begin in the family. This conflict between ‘libido’ and ‘reality’ is a major source of repression, but makes individuals unlikely to know why they are behaving as they are. The ‘normal’ or ‘healthy’ individual is not immune to the conflict (being so, for Freud, would require abandoning civilisation, or lacking the instincts) but is more flexible and fluent at handling the conflict, more aware of what she or he is doing when denying an instinctual urge, and better able to participate in determining how restrained urges can be substituted or managed without repression. Klein (Fordham 1995, p47f), as noted, pioneered the application of analytic techniques with small children, partly by observing their play behaviour, and partly through discussion.[1] Fordham describes one of her case studies, of a child called Richard, during the second world war. Richard was ten years old at the time. Klein interprets his conflicting responses to parents (e.g. a castration anxiety related to being lied to about a circumcision procedure – Fordham 1995, p51) and his construction of an account of the insides of people’s bodies, including his own, and that of his parents, especially that of his mother prior to his birth. Work of and with the therapist The Freudian analyst helps partly by listening, or simply by being there while the patient free-associates and works through the things she or he says during the process. In Freud’s view this process could enable the unconscious to be brought to consciousness, and patients come to understand how it is that they partly resist abandoning their symptoms (because they’re goal-oriented, even if non-optimal). The hope is that the unsymptomatic individual will be better able to satisfy her or his ‘drives’. The analyst does more than simply listen, of course, and her or his questioning and participation uses or facilitates a variety of procedures (Prochaska and Norcross 2003, p39), including ‘confrontation’, ‘clarification’, ‘interpretation’ and ‘working through’, which are intended to help uncover repression (manifest in resistance to free association), and to manage the common ‘transference’ where uncovered drives are directed at the analyst, who is a highly convenient and sympathetic target for them. The healthy individual, for Freud, is one who is flexibly able to navigate the inevitable conflict between ego and reality. As Adam Phillips puts it: â€Å"Freudians believe we are inevitably violated both from within and without: our egos are violated by our desires and what happens to us. So the Freudian cannot imagine a life without defences, but only a life spent trying to protect himself from this life in order to be able to go on living it, with sufficient pleasure† (2000, p161-2). Similarities and differences with other views Freud’s work exerted massive influence on later psychology, and he interacted directly with a number of the figures I’ll consider later. I’m going to use this ‘similarities and differences’ sub-section cumulatively, as I add detail about the different theories, and so have no more to say in this first round. I find one of Freud’s most basic ideas, the psychic determinism, interesting and exciting. If he’s correct, then a skilled observer can find meaning in patterns of behaviour that would otherwise be regarded as random noise. I’ve been given reason to observe patterns in my own behaviour more thoughtfully as a result of this – I’m not generally a tardy person, and now when I ‘forget’ something that I need for some unpleasant task (a piece of paper I need for some boring administrative matter at the bank) or am late more than once for a meeting a particular person, I at least wonder whether these episodes aren’t in some way motivated, and what I’m both remembering and forgetting while I do it. Jung’s analytical psychology Carl Jung was born in Switzerland in 1875, where he died in 1961. He initially collaborated intensely with Freud, but in 1910 resigned as Chairman of the International Psychoanalytical Association. His approach is called ‘analytical psychology’ partly in order to make clear that it involves a departure from Freud’s psycho-analysis. Main ideas Jung shared with Freud the notion that an important part of the psychology of an individual person was the unconscious, and that dreams and other behaviour provides clues about what was going on there. As Fordham (1995, p79f) notes, Jung was dissatisfied with what he took to be the mechanical nature of Freudian explanations, and preferred to think of the process of analysis as one of interpretation, leading to understanding of meaning rather than causal processes. He regarded symbols are much more important than Freud did. In addition he disagreed with Freud about the importance of the libido and sexual drives, maintaining that, especially in later life, people tended towards an additional stage of development, which involved realisation of the self in relation to the ‘collective unconscious’ which is an inherited part of the unconscious, shared with others. This process was, according to Jung, significantly spiritual and even religious. This notion of the collective unconscious was a clear departure from Freud. Jung claimed to find recurring and universal ‘archetypes’ (of key processes such as death and marriage – Brooke 1991, p16) in world mythologies, folklore and religion, and maintained that dreams should be interpreted in the context of this common inheritance, a process that he called ‘amplification’ (Fordham 1995, p87). For Jung, neurosis was often related to a failure to pursue ‘self-knowledge’ which in turn involved achieving a better level of connectedness with what he took to be human universals. Fordham quotes a passage from Jung illustrating his rejection of aspects of Freud’s view: â€Å"The symptoms of a neurosis are not simply the effects of long-past causes, whether ‘infantile sexuality’ or the infantile urge to power; they are also attempts at a new synthesis of life – unsuccessful attempts, let it be added in the same breath, but attempts nevertheless, with a core of value and meaning. They are seeds that fail to sprout owing to the inclement conditions of an inner and outer nature† (Quoted in Fordham 1995, p81). Work of and with the therapist Although some of the tools of the Jungian therapist (free association, dream analysis) are the same as those of the Freudian, there are important differences in the point and intended outcome of the process. Because the Jungian believes in the collective unconscious, dreams and associations are not understood merely as expressions of a constrained energy system, but also as indications of a relationship with universal sources of human meaning, including spiritual ones. Interpretation is partly a process of ‘amplification’ (Fordham 1995, p87) informed by the therapist’s understanding of the collective unconscious. As Fordham notes, Jung ‘did not enter into details of the analyst-patient relation’ and suggests that Jung may not have been especially ‘interested’ in this, relying ‘rather heavily on the analyst’s native intelligence’ (Fordham 1995, p127). Similarities and differences with other views The main differences I can see between Jung and Freud are the ones I’ve noted: Jung was less impressed by the role of the libido, and more inclined to take seriously the spiritual content of what his subjects said. The healthy subject after Jungian therapy is generically similar to the patient after psycho-analysis, except that for Jung such a person, if an adult, will be willingly involved in the spiritual. Fordham quotes Jung saying that the ‘fascination which psychic life exerts upon modern man’ holds ‘the promise of a far-reaching spiritual change in the Western world’ (Fordham 1995, p91). The dispute with Freud regarding whether analysis produced causal explanations or interpretations seems to me like it could be unnecessary. A symptom could at the same time have a cause (because of being the substituted expression of a desire) and a symbolic meaning (because associations between ideas help determine what gets substituted). It seems right to take somewhat more seriously the spiritual experience of people (I’ll say more about this under transpersonal therapy) but that doesn’t have to mean supposing that what subjects report is true. Freud’s patient (described above) was for a while disgusted by all glasses of water, but not because there was actually anything wrong with them. Rogers’ Person Centred Therapy Carl Rogers was born in the United States of America in 1902, where he also died in 1987. His work, which therefore came after the main contributions of Freud and Jung described above, emphasised the humanistic idea that therapist’s technical skills were less important than their humanity, which he understood to require bringing dispositions such as ‘unconditional positive regard’ and ‘genuineness’ to the therapeutic process. Main ideas According to Rogers people are driven by a single ‘tendency toward actualization’ (Prochaska and Norcross 2003, p142), which is a tendency to develop capacities so as to ‘maintain or enhance the organism’. This tendency needs to be able to tell what maintains or enhances, and accordingly Rogers postulated an ‘organismic valuing process’ that distinguishes between experiences that are good and bad for growth. This tendency leads us to distinguish ourselves from the world (this is roughly similar to some of Freud’s thinking about the formation of infant identity through recognising the independence of the world) and come to need ‘positive regard’ for ourselves. Our main source of regard, not only positive, to begin with is other people, especially parents. We learn that their approval depends to some extent on what we do, and there can be a mis-match between what is actualizing in general (in the sense of good for growth by the lights of the organismic valuation process) and what is actualizing in the sense of leading to positive regard from others. To put one of my own experiences in these terms, we might learn that we get positive regard by not taking the last cup-cake, even though we intensely want it and are bewildered by the fact that nobody else seems to want it at all. This tension creates ‘conditions of worth’ (Prochaska and Norcross 2003, p143) that distort the expression of the tendency to actualise. Work of and with the therapist The aim of therapy according to Rogers is to ‘provide a relationship which [the client/patient] may use for his own personal growth’ (Rogers 1961, p32), which is a matter of freeing up the tendency we all have to actualisation. According to Prochaska and Norcross (2003, p146f) that there are five conditions – besides being in the relationship itself – for ‘therapeutic personality changes’: Vulnerability, Genuineness, Unconditional Positive Regard, Accurate Empathy, Perception of Genuineness. Vulnerability concerns the client’s awareness of her or his own state of ‘incongruence’ and hence vulnerability to anxiety. Genuiness is the required state of the therapist, who should be ‘freely and deeply themselves’ (Prochaska and Norcross 2003, p147) while in the therapeutic process, to be ‘aware of [her or his] own feelings, in so far as possible, rather than presenting an outward faà §ade of one attitude, while actually holding another’ (Rogers 1961, p33). At the same time the therapist must express the ‘unconditional positive regard’ which is the corrective to the conditional positive regard from others that Rogerians take to be the cause of incongruence, a process in turn demanding accurate empathy of the ‘client’s inner world’ (Prochaska and Norcross 2003, p147) which involves not filtering empathy through personal reactions (and so is an additional demand over and above genuineness’. Finally the client must recognise the genuineness of the therapist. In this environment, it is up to the client what to talk about. In this ‘non-directive’ (as in, not directed by the therapist) environment, the client will, according to Rogers, realise a capacity that everyone has to ‘move forward toward maturity’ (Rogers 1961, p35). The result is supposed to be that the client becomes ‘more integrated, more effective’ and to show ‘fewer of the characteristics which are usually termed neurotic or psychotic, and more of the characteristics of the healthy, well-functioning person’ (Rogers 1961, p36). Part of this depends on the unconditional positive regard of the therapist, through which the client can come to reassess her or his incongruence. In a hypothetical monologue from a client in therapy, Rogers writes: â€Å"But now that I’ve shared some of this bad side of me, he despises me. I’m sure of it, but it’s strange I can find little evidence of it. Do you suppose that what I’ve told him isn’t so bad? Is it possible that I need not be ashamed of it as a part of me? I no longer feel that he despises me. It makes me feel that I want to go further, exploring me, perhaps expressing more of myself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Rogers 1961, p67). When the process works, the subject becomes a ‘fully functioning individual’ (Prochaska and Norcross 2003, p156) who trusts her or his own actual emotional responses to what they experience, and the courses of action that they spontaneously feel are best. Such a person lives fully in the present – not filtering the present through past hurts, or leaving any of the present out. Similarities and differences with other views A Freudian would likely object that the Rogerian approach involving unconditional positive regard provides ‘a transference relationship that has all the elements of an idealized maternal love’ (Prochaska and Norcross 2003, p164), and also think that Rogers’ style of therapy missed out on important tools (free association) that Freud had showed could be useful. That said, the subject at the end of successful Rogerian therapy is similar to that supposed by Freud – aware of his or her own actual emotions, authentically accepting of how they deal with them, not limited by distortions from previous experience. Some of the conflicts Freudians think are important (for example over access to the breast, or toilet training) can be described in terms of conditional positive regard. It also seems to me that Rogers has done a great deal of good by devoting so much attention to thinking about the relationship between client and therapist, and the demands on the therapis t. Freudians would probably also agree with the fact that Rogers apparently didn’t take religion very seriously. A Jungian, on the other hand, might complain that Rogers doesn’t take the spiritual anywhere nearly seriously enough, and that his approach neglects important information about human psychology that are to be found in mythology and folklore. (Earlier in a passage quoted above, Jung notes that ‘modern man’ has become ‘unhistorical’ (Fordham 1995, p91). Finally, Rogers’ concern with self ­actualisation, though, seems to me to make too much of what might be a specifically North American, or middle class, pre-occupation with the individual (Prochaska and Norcross make a similar point – 2003, p164). Transpersonal Psychology Transpersonal psychology is the name for a wide range of different approaches to therapy. Unlike the approaches discussed above, it is not primarily associated with a single influential figure. Lajoie and Shapiro (1992) reviewed some of the literature over the period 1969-1991, and report no less than forty different descriptions of what transpersonal psychology amounts to. Although in some ways the term is new, some argue that the ideas it stands for are not. Kasprow and Scotton, for example, trace the roots of transpersonal psychology at least to William James who had argued that the test of spiritual experience should be its effect on people, rather than pre-emptively supposing with Freud that it was a kind of regressive defence (Kasprow and Scotton 1999, p12, 13, 15). They claim that what distinguishes transpersonal psychology, and gives it its name, is concern with ‘difficulties associated with developmental stages beyond that of the adult ego’, and it is this movem ent beyond the ego that merits the label ‘transpersonal’. As we saw above, Jung too was concerned with psychological development beyond adulthood, and with mystical experience (Fordham 1995, p135). He is often noted as an influence on transpersonal psychology. Another key figure is Abraham Maslow, born in 1908 and who died in 1970, so with a productive life largely overlapping with that of Rogers. Main ideas Like Rogers, Maslow was a kind of humanist Rogers’ whose client centred therapy is a form of humanistic psychology, and he and Maslow agreed that people had innate potential and desire for self-actualisation. Maslow is especially famous for his periodically revised ‘hierarchy of needs’ describing a number of groupings of needs he took to be common to all people, some of which (e.g. for sleep) needed to be satisfied before others. In the original formulations (Maslow 1943, 1954) the top level of needs was for ‘self-actualization’ which included morality and creativity. Later in his life he proposed that the top level included a state that some self-actualised people might achieve, which he called ‘transcendence’ (Maslow 1971). ‘Transcendence’ here is self-transcendence, and so refers to the same phenomenon as the ‘transpersonal’ in transpersonal psychology. As Kasprow and Scotton (1999, p13) put it, â€Å"transpe rsonal approaches are concerned with accessing and integrating developmental stages beyond the adult ego and with fostering higher human development† and this involves dealing with â€Å"matters relating to human values and spiritual experience† including â€Å"altruism †¦ and profound feelings of connectedness†. Work of and with the therapist Because transpersonal psychology is a large collection of approaches, there is more variation in how practitioners work. This makes it very difficult to offer a short summary. In general practice is humanist – very simply put it’s Rogers with a spiritual aspect, or Rogers mixed with some elements of Jung, including focus on symbolic interpretation of imagery. But there are a number of distinctive tools used by some practitioners that are not generally used by proponents of the approaches described above, including use of ‘altered states of consciousness’ besides those of hypnosis and being on the therapist’s couch, including by means of some of the tools used traditionally and in shamanistic and religious practice to achieve altered states, including â€Å"fasting, dancing, prayer, relaxation, sex, ritual and drugs† (Kasprow and Scotton 1999, p18). Given the focus on transcendent experience, it isn’t surprising that a significant fraction of transpersonal practice relates to experiences like bereavement (Golsworthy and Coyle, 2001)[2] or that it has been found generally useful in pastoral counselling (Sutherland, 2001).[3] Similarities and differences with other views Now that all four approaches have been described, it is possible to say something more general about relationships between them. Freud and Rogers are both relatively secular in orientation. Jung and Transpersonal psychology both take spiritual and transcendent experience more seriously. Rogers and at least some transpersonal psychologists (including Maslow) are clearly humanist. Despite their differences, they have in some ways similar conceptions of the healthy human being, who is free from some forms of conflict, and able to cope flexibly with life. They differ on what the world is like, in particular over the status of transcendent experience, and over the degree of individualism to be aimed for (with Rogers seeming the most individualistic). References Brooke, R. 1991. Jung and Phenomenology, London: Routledge. Brown, J.A.C. 1961. Freud and the Post-Freudians, London: Pelican. Fordham, M. 1995. Freud, Jung, Klein: The fenceless field, London: Routledge. Freud, S. 1962. Two Short Accounts of Psychoanalysis (translated and edited by James Strachey), London: Penguin. Golsworthy, R. and Coyle, A. 2001. Practitioners’ accounts of religious and spiritual dimensions in bereavement therapy, Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 14(3), pp 183–202. Kasprow, M.C. and Scotton, B.W. 1999. A Review of Transpersonal Theory and Its application to the Practice of Psychotherapy. Journal ofPsychotherapy Practiceand Research, 8(1), pp 12-23. Lajoie, D. H. Shapiro, S. I. (1992).Definitions of transpersonal psychology: The first twenty-three years. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 24(1), pp 79-98.. Maslow, A.H. 1943. A Theory of Human Motivation, Psychological Review, 50 pp 370-96. Maslow, A.H 1954. Motivation and Personality. New York: Harper. Maslow, A.H. 1971. The farther reaches of human nature. New York: Penguin. Phillips, A. 2000. Promises, Promises. London: Faber and Faber. Prochaska, J.O. and Norcross, J.C. 2003. Systems of Psychotherapy: A Transtheoretical Analysis, Pacific Grove: Thomson. Rogers, C.R. 1961. On Becoming a Person: A therapist’s view of psychotherapy, London: Constable. Sutherland, M. 2001. Developing a transpersonal approach to pastoral counselling, British Journal of Guidance Counselling, 29(4), pp 381-390. Thornton, S.P. 2006. Sigmund Freud [Internet Enclycopedia of Philosophy], URL: http://www.iep.utm.edu/f/freud.htm (Accessed 8 September 2008). 1 Footnotes [1] Fordham notes that the earliest application of analysis to a child of which he is aware was to a child aged 13 months, a process that was ‘hardly at all verbal’ (Fordham 1995, p145). [2] This paper also reports a common frustration that much mainstream therapy ignores or underplays religious experience, which is likely part of the appeal of transpersonal psychology. [3] This paper reports the same frustration as described in the previous footnote, from the specific perspective of clerics who may have received training in secular forms of psychological counselling.

Medias Influence on Adolescent Girls Body Image, Identity and Sexuality

Medias Influence on Adolescent Girls Body Image, Identity and Sexuality Missing Sources Cited   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gender Identity begins in early childhood when roles are given to children as to which toys they should play or not play with. A child’s body image is influenced by how people around her react to her body and how she looks. A pre-adolescent becomes more aware of what society’s standards are for the ideal body. The media has always had images of what the ideal woman should be. As in the way she should look and the way she acts. The media today does and doesn’t always depict what is good for an adolescent or pre-adolescent to believe about themselves. There are also many good influences from the media. Role models such as Oprah and Ricki Lake have given many adolescents more of an ideal individuality to strive for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Young girls look at their images in the mirror and don’t like what they see. Does this sound right? Girls as young as nine years old report dissatisfaction with their bodies. Girls tend to struggle with body image in far greater numbers than boys. Boys don’t focus as much on their body shape and size as do girls. Some attention to body size and shape is part of the normal growing process. As children reach adolescence their bodies change and children especially young girls become more aware of how they look. Some of these feelings are normal. But when a girls life is affected by her thinking about her looks it turns into a problem. Avoidance and Isolation are signs of a problem beginning. Being positive and having healthy relationships help girls maintain positive body images. The ability to talk to someone, whether it be a parent or friend or coach, can help reinforce healthy body images. Self esteem is the key component to a healthy body image. For the most part if a girl displays confidence and personal control, the likelihood of a positive body image is greater.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The four top selling magazines with a target audience of teen females are Seventeen, Sassy, Teen and YM. â€Å"In similar fashion, magazine and book reading gradually increase during adolescence. Approximately one-third of high school juniors and senior say that they read magazines daily.†(Textbook) These magazines often show positive and negative images of young and older women. They are often times covere... ...ather to help television paint a more realistic picture of the responsibilities and risks that accompany sexual activity. The Media Project provides accurate information, script consultation, and story ideas to many teen- and adult-oriented shows – such as Dawson's Creek (WB), Any Day Now (Lifetime), Felicity (WB), Sex and the City (HBO), Moesha (UPN), Judging Amy (CBS), and Strong Medicine (Lifetime). In an additional effort to encourage the television industry to embrace the issue of positive sexuality and to highlight current programs that succeed in portraying sexual health issues without compromising entertainment value. (Transitions). Not one thing can influence a Adolescent girl about her body or image or sexuality. Many things can. But as I’ve talked about in this paper the media presents a huge influence on adolescents. Some media is good, some is bad. In order for adolescents to learn correctly they need to start at home. Parents must tell them which is good shows and bad, and sit down and ask them questions. Adolescents are at a critical time in their lives, any influence on their outlook on sexuality, body image or identity could damage or help them in the long run.

Leonardo Da Vincis Time in Milan :: essays research papers

The objective of this essay is to provide an explanation of Leonardo da Vinci’s life and work as an artist in context with his time spent in Milan. Following an initial introduction to Leonardo’s formative years in Florence (and his apprenticeship to the sculptor and painter Andrea del Verrocchio, 1435-88), I will attempt to explain the significance of his presence in Milan with detailed descriptions of his work there. Giorgio Vasari (1511-74) was also an artist and architect, but is perhaps better known for his book on the lives of well known painters, sculptors and architects (published 1550; from Cimbue to his autobiography which was included in a revised edition): â€Å"Vasari's book offers his personal evaluation of the works of these artists, as well as discussions on the state of the arts. His easy, natural writing style helped to make his book one of the most enduring of art histories.† His reflections on Leonardo’s life include insight specifically relating to his unusual character and the intellectual merit of his life’s work. Using this evidence I hope to provide valid observations on Leonardo’s significance as a father of the High Renaissance. Leonardo (who was christened Lionardo, the name to which Vasari refers) was born near the small town of Vinci on 15th April 1452. The town was situated in the Florentine province of Italy, where his father, Ser Piero was a notary. According to Vasari, Leonardo was somewhat of a child prodigy in his studies, but he showed little commitment to one single area, constantly finding new interests in other subjects: â€Å"Thus in arithmetic, during the few months that he studied it, he made such progress that he frequently confounded his master by continually raising doubts and difficulties. He devoted some time to music †¦ Yet though he studied so many different things, he never neglected design and working in relief, those being the things which appealed to his fancy more than any other.† Being very conscious of his son’s talents, Ser Piero moved to Florence with Leonardo and his wife (not Leonardo’s mother, as he was illegitimate and never took his father’s name) to utilise them professionally. Being a friend of the artist and sculptor Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-88), Ser Piero convinced him to recruit Leonardo as an apprentice by the promise shown in his work. Verrocchio strongly encouraged da Vinci, and his admiration of his student's talents convinced Verrocchio to allow Leonardo to participate in the creation of his own paintings and sculptures.