The King, The Demigod Essay Example for Free

The King, The Demigod Essay The never-ending narrative of a young truck driver (Wadhams, Nathan Lindsay 39) turned into a world cultural icon never fails to garner praise and admiration. Years and decades have elapsed, yet the Elvis phenomenon has managed to maintain a cult following has endured the tests of time. The Elvis Presley fairy tale continues to echo the success and seemingly unsurpassed popularity of a man who shaped and transformed the rough terrains of history. Indeed, Elvis Presley is one of the most celebrated fairy tale protagonists similar to that of Cinderella. He is the fulfillment of every boy’s dream. He is the knight in shining armor of countless damsels in distress. He symbolizes the youth’s vibrant energy and even adults are swayed by his presence. He is Elvis Presley. However, his massive influence is neither caused by musical virtuosity nor pure charm. A simple musician that he was, it always bring wonder how Presley has captivated the hearts of many. Could it be that just like Faust, Elvis also sold his soul to the devil? Could it be that Elvis Presley is no less than a media-made hero? Yet if he is a product of media hype or exaggeration, his glamour could have already faded as new faces and rising stars enter the limelight. Evidently, the Elvis fever remains an epidemic in which the cure is yet to be discovered. On the other hand, as a deeper examination of Elvis Presley’s seemingly inevitable success can be attributed to the fact that he embodied a demigod image (Paytress 10) whose primary weapon is no less than music. A demigod is briefly defined as â€Å"half human† and â€Å"half god (Loewen 13). This image is greatly portrayed and manifested by the so-called King of Rock n Roll (Browne 636). Elvis Presley is a demigod in the sense that his charisma, style and presence create a divine like euphoria among his supporters. He is omnipresent and his prestige is something that even the most powerful leaders and politicians cannot easily acquire. Yet, unlike the well-revered gods of Olympus, Elvis Presley is not a product of an imaginative mind. He exists in real-life situations. He can be touched. He can be hugged. Thus, his mortal side enabled him to develop strong connections and relationships with his respective fans. The strong degree of attachment between Elvis and his supporters provided a god-like experience, without really resorting to romanticism and escapism. Elvis Presley is a walking fairy tale Relatively, Elvis Presley’s music created a sense of belongingness. Presley established a strong sense of community deeply characterized by similarities of interests and perspectives. Although marked with rebelliousness, for many Elvis believers, rebelliousness is a sign of struggle against the highly constricted nature of various social values, norms and mores. At one point of history, Elvis and his music articulated the hidden angst and concerns of the youth. The celebrity transformed into a superhero fully determined to regain and freedom and liberty via music. If music is described as the language of one’s soul, then Elvis Presley became the music of many youths. In addition to that, Elvis Presley’s sensual imageries and gestures readily challenged the existing taboos of society. Under this context, it can be argued that Elvis Presley has also preempted the rise of sexual revolution. The non-conformity, the unorthodox style, the courage and freedom that Elvis Presley manifested were more than enough to immortalize his memories. The duality of characteristics that Presley possessed contributes to his popularity and influence. He is the thesis and the anti-thesis. He is praised and criticized. He is half-human and half-god. He is loved and hated. In other words, Elvis Presley was able to provide a duality of experience that mostly of his contemporaries have failed to achieve. With a legion of supporters that he garnered, his untimely death served as an unpleasant surprise. Somehow this made his fans longed for more. The king is greatly missed by his believers. His absence basically explains why his memories remain intact. As Elvis Presley is emulated by his fans, somehow, the connection is reestablished—once again, the demigod is brought back to life. The fairy tale becomes a reality and his music continues to play. Works Cited Browne, Pat. The Guide to United States Popular Culture. Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 2001 Loewen, Nancy. Zeus. Minnesota: Capstone Press, 1999 Paytress, Mark. Bolan. London: Omnibus Press, 2002 Wadhams, Wayne; David Nathan and Susan Lindsay, eds. Inside the Hits. Massachusetts: Berklee Press, 2001

The 1966 Impala vs. 1996 Impala SS :: essays research papers

The 1966 Impala vs. 1996 Impala SS   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is hard to believe how the Impala has changed over the last thirty years. It went from a step up from an average car to what it is now, a full size luxury car with all of the options.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chevrolet built the Impala in 1966 with very little standard options. It came with a bench seat, AM Radio, lap safety belts, 283 cubic inch V-8, and manual transmission. They did not construct the car with any form of emission system. The federal government did not require car companies to equip the car with emissions systems until 1968. The emission systems helped to reduce pollution emitted from the car. During the mid-sixties, engines started to get bigger and more powerful. One option for the Impala was the Super Sport model, more widely known as the SS. This option gave the car a 396 cu. in. engine, four speed manual transmission, heavier duty suspension and all of the SS insignias. If you were buying any car in 1966 you could order it with each individual option that you wanted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They built the Impala SS in 1996 with many standard options. It came with bucket seats, a console, automatic transmission, shifter on the floor, leather seats, seventeen inch aluminum rims, all season radials, and the LT1 engine(commonly in the Corvette). This car was built with all kinds of safety equipment, emission systems, and a computer to control the entire car. The emission system on the car is approved for 1998 emission standards. The safety equipment on the Impala SS is lap/shoulder seat belts, dual air bags, and crumple zones. The computers on today's new cars control the engine, the fuel injection, the emission systems, the air bags, the transmission, the cooling system, the instrument gauges and all of the warning lights. On the 1996 Impala SS, the options came in packages. If you just wanted air conditioning with the car, you would have to buy the package with air conditioning included. The car companies devised putting options into packages so they could produce many identical cars and still can sell them with some guarantee.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The 1966 Impala was designed very differently than the 1996 Impala SS. In 1966, the Impala was built with a steel frame and metal body panels. This design made the car very strong and durable that is one main reason you see many old cars still in running today. Cars were also built with chrome. You do not see that on many new cars. The 1966 Impala, I think they built it with style,

Heredity, the Environment and Development Essay

The study of genetics has grown out of a desire to understand how exactly the individual comes to be just that, an individual different from its peers. In order to comprehend the scope of possible outcomes and how they came to be behavioral genetics looks at a number of variables; these include the impact of our genes (nature), and our environment (nurture). A countless number of hypotheses were put to the test through research to analyze the degree of influence of each. In this paper, team A will discuss the methods of behavioral genetics, the various research techniques used, their testing populations and why used, along with proposed answers and explanations. Behavioral GeneticsBehavioral geneticists uses family, twin and adoption studies as a basis for their argument of individual differences (Lerner, Bearer, Garcia, & Coll, 2004). A significant contributor to studies in behavioral genetics, provides this definition: â€Å"Behavioral genetics is the genetic study of behavior, which includes quantitative genetics (twin and adoption studies) as well as molecular genetics (DNA studies) of human and animal behavior broadly defined to include responses of the organism from responses measured in the brain such as functional neuro-imaging to self-report questionnaires† (Plomin,2004). Read more:  Influences that affect children’s development essay One of the first twin studies was conducted by Bouchard in 1979 when he found a set of monozygotic twins, babies from a fertilized egg that splits into two. The babies were separated at a few weeks old. The babies had many physiological and psychological similarities. Since Bouchard’s initial study it has been proven that, while monozygotic twins raised together have many similarities, those separated at an early age have an even greater likeness. Since twins being raised together are more likely to highlight their differences in order to maintain some element of independence, behavioral geneticists argue that this indicates a strong genetic underpinning in human development (Plomin, 2004). Research conducted by Grilo and Pogue-Geile (1991) correlated the familial relationships with extroversion. The study included monozygotic twins reared together and apart, dizygote twins reared together and apart, biological parents and children, biological siblings, adoptive parents and children and  unrelated siblings reared together. The results reflected that the highest correlation was between monozygotic twins raised together and apart. The lowest correlation was between unrelated siblings raised together. For behavioral geneticists, these results conclude that genetics are at work in determining the extroversion of a person. Behavioral geneticists suggest reasonable doubt in assuming connections between psychological environments and developmental results may be genetically arbitrated and that the environment a person is in responds to the genetically influenced characteristics (Plomin, 2004). The genetic association between parent and child is useful to examine. For example, â€Å"†¦differences in parenting can be the genetic effect rather than the environmental cause of children’s psychopathology† (Plomin, 2004, p. 345). The results of the twin, adoption and family studies support these assumptions. The Correlation of Heredity and EnvironmentThe nature versus nurture controversy exists because some people believe that a person’s genetics has the greatest impact on their personality, intelligence and behavior. On the flipside, some people believe that the environment has more of an impact. Behavior geneticists assume that behavior is influenced by the relations of heredity and environment. With the help of twin studies, and adoption studies researchers are working on understanding what molds a person into the individual he or she is today. Twin studies, using identical twins, are conducted to understand how biology influences traits and psychopathology in humans whose genotypes are the same (Haimowitz, n.d.).Twin studies also use fraternal twins who share half of the genes they acquire at conception which helps to compare the degrees of genetic influence such as intelligence and personality. Adoption studies take a look to see if adoptive children exhibit the behavioral and psychological traits of their adoptive parents, or those of their biological parents (Haimowitz). Any links to biological parents can be attributed to genetics, and any connection to adoptive parents can be  attributed to environment. Heredity-Environment correlations can be shown in three ways. One is the passive genotype-environment correlations. Passive genotype-environment correlation exists when a child’s biological parents are raising him or her (MacDonald, n.d.). An example of this situation could be Ana’s parents having the genetic predisposition to be intelligent and read skillfully leading one to believe that Ana will more than likely share these skills. Evocative Genotype-Environment Correlation occurs when a child’s genotype provokes a specific type of physical or social environment (MacDonald, n.d.). An example of this type of correlation: Andrew is artistic, and outgoing, he will elicit encouragement to try out for plays. Sheena is very athletic and competitive; she will be encouraged to go out for sports. Active genotype-Environment Correlations emerge when a child seeks out environments he or she will find compatible and stimulating (MacDonald, n.d.). An example could be that a child like Matilda, who has a gift of music, will seek a musical environment where she can expand on her talent. Scientist researching how genetics influences academic achievements show three ways heredity and environment could possibly be correlated. The three ways in which Meredith Phillips and a team of colleagues found genetics and environment to be correlated are passive correlation, active correlation, and reactive correlation. â€Å"Passive correlation: genes influence both a child’s environment and heredity (Phillips, Brooks-Gunn, Crane, Duncan, & Klebanov, n.d.,  ¶ 3).† â€Å"Active correlation: genes influence the environments that a child seeks out (Phillips et al.,  ¶ 3).† â€Å"Reactive correlation: environments react differently to people with different genetic profiles (Phillips et al.,  ¶ 3).† In passive correlation if a parent is the type of person whom enjoys reading, the love for reading could be transferred to the child from the parent reading to the child frequently. The child will already have the genetics from the parents. My son enjoys music I would like to think he received that from me because of my interest in music. He hears a great deal of music when at home therefore, the music rich environment my son is placed in has an influence on his musical achievements. Combined with the genetic aspect of my love for music and his father’s love for music the affect of his music rich environment causes a stronger influential desire to be involved in music. In active correlation, the child has genetic influences from the parent reading to him or her. When the child voices the desires for the parent to read to him or her, the parent enjoying the reading ultimately influences the child by reading to the child. The child requesting stories to be read is the incentive the parent has to continue the process along with the parent’s love for reading. Reactive correlation was described as genetics affecting the child’s physical features with the child’s features being judged by peers. The views of the child’s peers are voiced and in the process the child’s academic achievements are effected. The child’s environment can put him or her under a certain labels. In this situation genetics affects the views of the child’s peers and the environment combined with genetics can have a negative affect on the child’s academics. Definition of Shared and Non-shared Environmental ExperiencesBeyond genetics, each individual has a unique personality that is based on a blending of their shared and non-shared experiences in life. Shared environmental experiences are those which the majority of the world encounters. Shared experiences can occur differently by culture, but generally adhere to a specific â€Å"social clock or a set of age norms that defines a sequence of normal life experiences (Boyd & Bee, p. 10).† For American culture think of the traditions of school, watching a baseball game, having a BBQ, getting married, having children, working and retiring as relative shared norms that all, or most of us, encounter. Of course, non-shared experiences are different for each of us; these are categorized as individual experiences. Individual or non-shared experiences  can be influenced by â€Å"race, socioeconomic status, and other social factors (Boyd & Bee, 2006, p. 36).† These individual differences can also be related to school, relationships, marriage and childbirth and the unique perspective that each person has. Each individual thinks much differently and so the way that they perceive and interact in the world will make their experiences, shared and non-shared, unique to them. Role Played by Shared and Non-shared Environmental Experiences DevelopmentThe importance that shared and non-shared experiences have in development is that they help shape our personal development as well as our social development. If in fact, each person encounters shared experiences in accordance with the norm expected, they are more likely to fit in culturally and have a higher understanding of appropriate and healthy relationships. Likewise, with non-shared experiences if interactions each person has with their parents and peers, and in his or her independent life, is healthy they will know themselves internally and process environmental factors that occur around them in a healthy manner. If the shared and non shared experiences of an individual do not go according to the norms of society it will be more difficult for them to develop into healthy adults who function both independently and interdependently at appropriate levels. (Boyd & Bee, 2006, p. 36) In conclusion, behavioral geneticists have used a wide array of approaches to their research in developmental theories. Through the use of identical twins a great deal of information has been acquired on the basis of both genetics and environment. The strongest proponent of this argument was shown to be the case of identical twins separated at birth exhibiting very similar characteristics even though they had not been raised in the same environment. Corresponding research which also strengthens this argument shows that adoptive children exhibit very few of the characteristics of their adoptive parents. It seems safe to say that genetics lay the foundation of behavior with environment and individual experience capable of exhibiting some influence beyond that. References Boyd, D., & Bee, H. (2006). Lifespan Development. Retrieved from http://ecampus.phoenix.eduGrilo, C. M., & Pogrue-Geile, M. F. (1991). The Nature of Environmental Influences on Weight and Obesity: A Behavior Genetic  Analysis [White paper]. Retrieved from National Institute of Health: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.govHaimowitz, A. G. (n.d.). Heredity versus Environment: Twin, Adoption, and Family. Retrieved April 21, 2009, from http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/haimowitz.htmlLerner, R. M., Bearer, E. L., Garcia, , & Coll, C. G. (2004). Nature and Nurture: the Complex Intereplay if Genetic and Environmental Influences on Human Behavior and Development. . Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=iFriCJCTsx4C&printsec=frontcoverMacDonald, K. (n.d.). PSYCHOLOGY 361: BEHAVIOR GENETICS. Retrieved April 21, 2009 , from http://www.csulb.edu/~kmacd/361Notes2.htmlPhillips, M., Brooks-Gunn, J., Crane, J., Duncan, G. J., & Klebanov, P. (n.d.). How Might Genetic Influences on Acad emic Achievement Masquerade as Environmental Influences?. Retrieved April 22, 2009, from http://www.children.smartlibrary.org/NewInterface/segment.cfm?segment=2606Plomin, R. (2004). Genetic and Developmental Psychology. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 50(3), 341-352. Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/merrill-palmer_quarterly/v050/50.3polmin.html

Characterisation of Eddie Carbone Essay

Explore the ways a central character is presented in the drama text. Use examples from the text in your response. Eddie Carbone, a 40 year old Italian American Citizen from Sicily, is the tragic protagonist of A view from the Bridge by Arthur Miller. Alfieri, the chorus in the story, first introduces Eddie as a good, hard working man who does normal things like raising a family, eating, getting old, etc. However as Alfieri states, no one can know what his true self is like. Alfieri prepares us for the discovery of the secrets in the play. That two illegal immigrants Marco and Rodolfo are taking shelter in Eddies home and Eddie’s deep secret of his quasi-incestuous desire for his niece, Catherine. At first, Eddie is shown as a good man who is happy and respected by his family. Eddie behaves like a normal, fairly overprotective uncle towards Catherine and the audience would probably not have guessed that he has any desire of her other than the standard uncle and niece relationship. However it is not the standard uncle and niece relationship in Eddie’s mind but far more complex. The first sense of uneasiness we see is when Catherine lights his cigarette. Eddie receives some kind of unnatural pleasure from this experience. A woman lighting a man’s cigar can have a sexual implication and this is what Eddie see in Catherine. Knowing that Eddie has these feelings, there are clues earlier back in the text to his obsession with Catherine. When Catherine sits on her heel beside him, he criticizes the length of her skirt. He doesn’t want Catherine to look attractive in public because he is worried that some man might ask her out. He wants Catherine all to himself and does anything he can to prevent her from getting a boyfriend. Eddie also does not want her moving out of his home. He wants Catherine always within his grasp. When Catherine tells Eddie that she got a new job, he disapproves straight away: â€Å"No – no, you gonna finish school. What kina job, what do you mean? All of a sudden you-â€Å". He is very panicky and disturbed by this information that Catherine is getting a job meaning that Eddie would see Catherine less which seem like a realistic reason for an uncle to be upset about, but knowing Eddie’s true intentions, he want Catherine to be near to him as close as possible. Eddie’s inner feelings are also somewhat exposed during when Eddie and Beatrice argue. Although Eddie cannot yet grasp his own feelings, is seems like other character like Alfieri and Beatrice are aware of his interest in Catherine: Eddie: â€Å"What are you mad at me lately? † Beatrice: â€Å"Who’s mad? †¦ You’re the one is mad. † Eddie is referring to â€Å"mad† as in angry and asking why Beatrice is cross with him. Beatrice responds by referring to the â€Å"mad† as in mentally insane and suggests that Eddie had lost his mind, which he eventually does. Eddie is also show to be a selfish natured and an untrustworthy man. He reminds Beatrice not to let her tired cousins sleep in his bed because the bed is his own property. This could link with the way that he feels about Catherine; she is his personal property and that no one can ‘use’ his personal property apart from himself. Eddie’s experience with life and work has led him to become untrusting of others. He advises Catherine â€Å"the less you trust, the less you be sorry† showing that Eddie has not trusted al lot of people in his life and that when he does, it turns out going wrong. This prepares us for the suspicion and distrust he has when Rodolfo arrives. Eddie becomes increasingly jealous of Catherine’s interest in Rodolfo. â€Å"Catherine: (enthralled) Leave him finish, it’s beautiful! † Catherine likes Rodolfo from the instant she met him and Eddie, aware of this is, wants Catherine to like him in the same way instead of Rodolfo. Eddie quickly comes up with an excuse to stop Rodolfo from singing by saying that â€Å"you don’t want to be picked up, do ya? † which seems like a plausible reason – if Rodolfo sings too loud then someone might notice something strange and inquire. However Eddie’s true motive for preventing Eddie from singing is to stop Catherine from being amazed by Rodolfo. Eddie’s jealousy becomes further exposed as his face is described as being ‘puffed with trouble’ in the stage direction where Catherine is making Rodolfo coffee. He is jealous that Catherine is getting Rodolfo a drink when before Catherine was getting him a beer. Eddie state of mind is shown when Catherine is talk to Eddie after she has got back from Brooklyn Paramount with Rodolfo. Catherine has told Eddie that she likes him and the stage directions show hiswd reaction to this: â€Å"He looks at her like a lost boy†. Eddie feels a sort of saddened jealousy but he is unable to realize this dishonourable emotion and incapable of admitting this to himself. He is indeed emotionally â€Å"lost†. Eddie’s obsession with Catherine and his spiteful nature grows throughout the story. He tries to do anything he can to put Catherine of Rodolfo. In his conversation with Beatrice, Eddie says to her that he is homosexual: â€Å"Paper Doll they’re callin’ him. Canary. He’s like a weird†. Eddie is trying to make Beatrice and everyone turn against Rodolfo but ironically everyone turns on him. Eddie tells Catherine that Rodolfo only likes her because he wants to obtain an American citizenship by marrying her: â€Å"Katie, he’s only bowin’ to his passport†. Eddie is trying to make Catherine doubt Rodolfo but this is unsuccessful and ends up in Catherine distrusting Eddie. This strong obsession Edie has with Catherine did not just start when the cousins arrived but has been an ongoing process from before. This is shown in Eddie’s conversation with Beatrice where she tells him that she has worries of her own: â€Å"When am I gonna be a wife again, Eddie†¦ It’s almost three months†. Eddie and Beatrice have had no sexual affiliation for three months because all that has been on his mind is Catherine. Near the end of Act 1, Eddie’s is show to be violent and cold hearted. He mocks Rodolfo’s skills in singing, making clothes and cooking and compares him to himself and say that this is no place for him. He is suggesting that he is not manly enough to be here like him and that he should be in some other place. Eddie tries to supposedly â€Å"teach† Rodolfo boxing all of a sudden: â€Å"Well, come on. I’ll teach you† However Eddie knows that Rodolfo is weaker than he is and uses this as an excuse to punch Rodolfo in the face and show everyone, especial Catherine, how weak Rodolfo is and to humiliate him however this had the opposite effect and exposes how sadistic Eddie can be. Eddies motives for his actions all originate from his quasi-incestuous love for his niece. As Alfieri describes, â€Å"His eyes were like tunnels†, he can only see Catherine and no one else. He cannot understand why he only sees Catherine but that is all he sees and refuses to let any feeling or any person enter that tunnel nd making sure that Catherine stays only in his tunnel and not anyone else’s. Significantly, the lyric of the song Rodolfo sings, â€Å"Paper Doll†, symbolically reflects Eddie’s feelings for Catherine: â€Å"It’s tough to love a doll that’s not your own† â€Å"I’m gonna buy a paper doll that I can call my own† â€Å"A doll that other fellows cannot steal. † Figuratively, Eddie is the one singing the song and Catherine is the subject of the song, the doll, and that is has been ‘stolen’ by someone – Rodolfo. This song was carefully chosen by Arthur Miller to act as an intimation of what was to come. Eddie is unable to comprehend his true feelings but other characters have a clearer view than he does. Like Alfieri, who knows of his love for his niece and describes this as â€Å"a passion that had moved into his body†. This is significant because this metaphor is close to the truth of what has happed to Eddie; this newly found passion of Catherine as grown over time and has became strong enough so that it fully controls his body, and is behind every action in Eddie’s life. Eddie’s first conversation with Alfieri shows that Alfieri knows his feelings: â€Å"sometimes even a daughter, and he never realizes it, ut through the years – there is too much love for the daughter, there is too much love for the niece. Do you understand what I’m saying to you? † But Eddie does not fully understand what Alfieri is saying, he think Alfieri mean â€Å"love† and in a Uncle and niece love, but Alfieri knows Eddies feeling and is talking about real physical love for Catherine. Eddie blindness towards his inner feeling and stubbornness in letting go of Catherine are Eddie’s tragic flaws that bring upon his downfall.

Crucial, Vital, Essential

Crucial, Vital, Essential Crucial, Vital, Essential Crucial, Vital, Essential By Sharon Some words just cant be qualified, such as unique. Something either is or isnt unique – thats all there is to it. Here are a few more words of that type. Crucial Crucial derives from the Latin crux, meaning cross. The word originally meant cross shaped, but took on the meaning of deciding between opposing arguments in the 19th century. From there it was a short stretch to its current meaning of decisive. Vital Vital derives from the Latin words vitalis and vita meaning life. Its meaning has changed through the centuries. In the 14th century it meant pertaining to life; in the 15th it meant essential to life or sustaining life; in the 16th it meant endowed with life. By the 17th it had come to mean life giving or essential to the existence of something, which is its meaning now. Essential Essential is presumed to be derived from the Latin esse – to be – via essence, which denotes that qualities that make a thing what it is. Its common to hear people talking about issues that are highly crucial, most essential and very vital, however these uses are wrong. Something is either crucial or essential or it isnt – and nothing can be more vital than another thing which is vital. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 English Grammar Rules You Should KnowUsed To vs. Use ToUses of the Past Participle

The French Revolution, Its Outcome, and Legacy

The French Revolution, Its Outcome, and Legacy The outcome of the French Revolution, which began in 1789 and lasted for more than a decade, had numerous social, economic, and political effects not just in France but also in Europe and beyond.   Prelude to Revolt By the late 1780s, the French monarchy was on the brink of collapse. Its involvement in the American Revolution had left the regime of King Louis XVI bankrupt and desperate to raise funds by taxing the wealthy and the clergy. Years of bad harvests and rising prices for basic commodities led to social unrest among the rural and urban poor. Meanwhile, the growing middle class (known as the bourgeoisie) was chafing under an absolute monarchical rule and demanding political inclusion. In 1789  the king called for a meeting of the Estates-General- an advisory body of clergy, nobles, and bourgeoisie that had not convened in more than 170 years- to garner support for his financial reforms. When the representatives assembled in May of that year, they couldnt agree on how to apportion representation. After two months of bitter debate, the king ordered delegates locked out of the meeting hall. In response, they convened on June 20 on the royal tennis courts, where the bourgeoisie, with the support of many clergy and nobles, declared themselves the new governing body of the nation, the National Assembly, and  vowed to write a new constitution. Although Louis XVI agreed  in principle to these demands, he began plotting to undermine the Estates-General, stationing troops throughout the country. This alarmed the peasants and middle class alike, and on July 14, 1789, a mob attacked and occupied the Bastille prison in protest, touching off a wave of violent demonstrations nationwide. On Aug. 26, 1789, the National Assembly  approved the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Like the Declaration of Independence in the United States, the French declaration guaranteed all citizens equal, enshrined property rights and free assembly, abolished the absolute power of the monarchy and established representative government. Not surprisingly, Louis XVI refused to accept the document, triggering another massive public outcry. The Reign of Terror For two years, Louis XVI and the National Assembly co-existed uneasily as reformers, radicals, and monarchists all jockeyed for political dominance. In April 1792 the Assembly declared war on Austria. But it quickly went badly for France, as Austrian ally Prussia joined in the conflict; troops from both nations soon occupied French soil. On Aug. 10, French radicals took the royal family prisoner at Tuileries Palace. Weeks later, on Sept. 21, the National Assembly abolished the monarchy entirely and declared France a republic. King Louis and Queen Marie-Antoinette were tried hastily and found guilty of treason. Both would be beheaded in 1793, Louis on Jan. 21 and Marie-Antoinette on Oct. 16. As the Austro-Prussian war dragged on, the French government and society, in general, were mired in turmoil. In the National Assembly, a radical group of politicians seized control and began implementing reforms, including a new national calendar and the abolition of religion. Beginning in September 1793, thousands of French citizens, many from the middle and upper classes, were arrested, tried, and executed during a wave of violent repression aimed at the Jacobins opponents, called the Reign of Terror.   The Reign of Terror would last until the following July when its Jacobin leaders were overthrown and executed. In its wake, former members of the National Assembly who had survived the oppression emerged and seized power, creating a conservative backlash to the ongoing French Revolution. Rise of Napoleon On Aug. 22, 1795, the National Assembly approved a new constitution that established a representative system of government with a bicameral legislature similar to that in the U.S. For the next four years, the French government would be beset by political corruption, domestic unrest, a weak economy, and ongoing efforts by radicals and monarchists to seize power. Into the vacuum strode French Gen. Napoleon Bonaparte. On Nov. 9, 1799, Bonaparte backed by the army overthrew the National Assembly and declared the French Revolution over. Over the next decade and a half, he could consolidate power domestically as he led France in a series of military victories across much of Europe, declaring himself emperor of France in 1804. During his reign, Bonaparte continued the liberalization that had begun during the Revolution, reforming its civil code, establishing the first national bank, expanding public education, and investing heavily in infrastructures like roads and sewers. As the French army conquered foreign lands, he brought these reforms, known as the Napoleonic Code, with him, liberalizing property rights, ending the practice of segregating Jews in ghettos, and declaring all men equal. But Napoleon would eventually be undermined by his own military ambitions and be defeated in 1815 by the British at the Battle of Waterloo. He would die in exile on the Mediterranean island of St. Helena in 1821. Revolutions Legacy and Lessons With the advantage of hindsight, its easy to see the positive legacies of the French Revolution. It established the precedent of representational, democratic government, now the model of governance in much of the world. It also established liberal social tenets of equality among all citizens, basic property rights, and separation of church and state, much as did the American Revolution.   Napoleons conquest of Europe spread these ideas throughout the continent, while further destabilizing the influence of the Holy Roman Empire, which would eventually collapse in 1806. It also sowed the seeds for later revolts in 1830 and 1849 across Europe, loosening or ending the monarchical rule that would lead to the creation of modern-day Germany and Italy later in the century, as well as sow the seeds for the Franco-Prussian war and, later, World War I. Sources Editors of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica. French Revolution. 7 February 2018.History.com staff. French Revolution. History.com.The Open University staff. French Revolution. Open.edu.Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media staff. Legacies of the Revolution. chnm.gmu.edu.

Evolution of Social policies in Mental Health in the US Essay

Evolution of Social policies in Mental Health in the US - Essay Example Hippocrates who lived in the 5th century is the pioneer who treated mentally ill with methods which was not rooted in superstition or religion. Negative attitudes towards mental illness persisted into the 18th century in the United States, leading to stigmatization of mental illness, and unhygienic (and often degrading) confinement of mentally ill individuals. Since then the mentally health had been evolving and at present it has reached a stage where comprehensive policies underlie mental health treatment particularly in U.S. In this paper, the evolution of social policies with regard to mental health in U.S will be looked in to. The social, economical and political factors that have contributed to the evolution will be explored. The current policy, goal of the policy and its relevancy with the welfare and state would be analysing. Also whom the policy serves and its universal characteristics will be examined. Mental health in U.S has been progressing ever since the beginning of 20th century. The Mental Health America which was founded in 1909 founded by Clifford Beers has changed the lives of mentally ill people. The U.S governments formed throughout these years have been proven to contribute largely to the welfare of mental health system in the country. Many research and lobbying effort have undergone to revive and upgrade the mental health system in U.S. The National Mental Health Act passed by Harry Truman 1946 gave rise to National Institute of Mental Health and have allocated funds from government for the research, treatment purposes. Moreover, The Mental Retardation Facilities and community health centre was passed by the Congress in 1963 which gave a new dimension to mental health system. In 1979, the National Alliance for mentally ill was formulated All these changes have given enormous support, education, advocacy and research facility to