Madame Bovary And The Death Of Ivan Ilych Essay Example for Free

Madame Bovary And The Death Of Ivan Ilych Essay What is the nature of man? Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary and Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilych portray not only a glimpse of what man’s nature is, but also in so doing provide a criticism of it. Both works look into the life of people who want more out of life, and yet ironically what they desire only adds shallowness and not meaning to their existence. Whereas Flaubert’s Madam Bovary shows the depressing end of a woman consumed by passions, Tolstoy gives hope with a dying man’s last days where he gets an epiphany of what the nature of man should be. Emma is Madame Bovary, a young woman who lived in her world of romantic fantasy. She came from the country and read romantic novels when she was in the convent, and believed in earnest that love and marriage will make her happy. But after marrying a simple-minded and incompetent doctor Charles, she grows disillusioned as she sinks in the routine activities of daily life. She wanted romance, passion, excitement, and although her husband loves her and adores her, she wanted more. She wanted the latest trends in fashion and she felt that she was born unjustly to a lower class than was supposed to be for her, the aristocrat. But Emma does nothing to earn the admiration or the respect of the people she admired: she can copy their outward mannerism and clothes, but she does not have the refinement or the manners to be truly aristocratic. She merely believes in her fantasy world where the aristocrats live in luxury and a life of excitement. She was ambitious, but did not have any means to acquire her material cravings but for using her beauty and body. She gets into extramarital affairs because she finds her married life dull, even when she gives birth to a daughter. She does not take care of her daughter because she wanted a boy, and instead romps off with Rodolphe Boulanger, and does not care what other people say. She is oftentimes indiscreet and cares not of her reputation or her husband’s. Emma is self-centered and she had a sense of entitlement and superiority which had no basis but drove her to act without a thought to the consequences of her actions. She is, in a way, always likening herself to playing a role that sparks her imagination at the moment: a young woman being married to a foreign doctor, a middle class with a noble’s spirit, a bored wife having an affair, a lover, a woman of rich tastes. She could not accept that her reality was the norm and that her fantasies were exaggerated, dramatic ideals. When she was young she wanted the same romance she read in her romantic novels. When she became exposed to the high society at the ball she wanted to become like them. When she saw the melodramatic opera â€Å"Lucia de Lammemoor† she adopts the character and like her commits suicide. She drove herself to debt by buying expensive items which she sometimes gave as gifts to her lovers even when she had no means of paying for these in the first place. She signed promissory notes even when she did not understand them because the merchant Lheureux played with her fantasy that she was meant for the finest things in life. When her first lover leaves her, she is distraught and falls gravely ill. With her second affair she acts as the man, covering the costs for the affair and taking charge of where, when, and how they will meet. Her debts pile up as she purchases more and more to fill the gaping hole in her being. She believed she needed passion and excitement, but it seems that what she really needed was purpose and direction, for her life held no meaning. Her innocent tendency towards romance is transformed into full blown moral corruption as she was unable to hold herself together and keep her urges and desires under control. Emma is not productive, she has no desire to improve herself or her skills, and she does not nurture her relationships with her husband, her daughter, not even with her lovers. She just saw them as means of escape from her dull life, and when they fall short of her expectations she just drops them. When the consequences of her actions finally catch up on her and her world becomes smaller and smaller, she decides to play a role – that of a tragic heroine and kills herself with swallowing arsenic. She could not face up to the trouble that she has caused and decides to escape rather than take responsibility as she could not imagine a life of poverty and shame – although her whole life she was never wealthy and she lived a scandalous life with her known affairs. Up until then she saw her life differently – believed she had wealth, pride and breeding because that was what she wanted, but sadly these did not bring her the happiness she sought. Emma had a good life but was not able to appreciate it with her preoccupation with the things she did not have. By focusing her energies on her fantasies of wealth and romance she failed to live her life to the fullest, and for the most part it could be said that she was living in a dream and when she woke to find herself in the gravity of her real life situation, she killed herself to escape, but there was no going back to her fantasy world, and no redemption as even after her death her husband discovers her infidelity which kills him and her daughter sent off to work on a cotton mill. In her, we see the nature of man as ruled by emotions, desires and appetites, without caution or control, without compassion to others. Emma was not able to see and recognize the humanity in her, all the time she was acting out, even her motherly functions, her martyr facade. She never truly enjoyed life because she never saw anything and anyone beyond their appearances, and never learned to appreciate the little things that make life worthwhile. The theme of life and death is also examined in Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilych, where he uses the characters to critique the artificial life that people live in society characterized by materialism and shallowness. Tolstoy puts forward a picture of society with striking honesty and insight: individuals do not behave as individuals but rather aspire to be like everybody else, trying to live a correct life as appropriated by norms, striving to have a comfortable life accentuated with material wealth even if their spiritual life and human relationships are dry and empty. With his narrative, Tolstoy then poses the question of what is important in life, how life should be led, and ultimately, how important life is and how people take it for granted by deluding themselves into believing they are exempt from death. Most of the characters in the story are portrayed as materialistic social climbers, who equated material wealth and position in society as determinants of success and happiness. Ivan, his wife and daughter, his supposed friends, all troubled themselves with appearances – they were preoccupied with proper decorum and attires, of looking well off, of having power over others. But these are all temporal, for these things do not really matter in the face of death. Ivan finds out that what is important is living one’s life according to one’s own vindication, not blindly following trends in society which results in a shallow, routine, meaningless life. He belatedly understood that empathy and recognizing the individual as an individual with thoughts and emotions rather than as subjects with mere faces is what mattered in life, that to live humanly is what gives life its meaning. Only Gerasim and his son are the ones in the story that have empathy and humanity in them – in Gerasim it is made obvious by his understanding that everybody, regardless of position or appearance, are all equal, with the same fate waiting for them in the end, especially when he said, â€Å"We shall all of us die, so why should I grudge a little trouble? †. The son, on the other hand, is the only one in Ivan household who showed any feelings for his dying father – he took his father’s hand and kissed it while crying. This can be taken as the boy was young; he was still innocent and not yet tainted with the demands of society. Ivan himself was dissatisfied with the boy because he behaved differently from him, his wife and daughter, but in his last days it was his son who showed him that there is a human soul in the world who regarded his life important. Also, this depiction of the innocence in childhood is mirrored in Ivan’s experiences: the only times he felt truly alive was when he was a boy, before he went to Law School. Being assimilated into society, he found that he trapped himself into a prison of standards, and lived a largely artificial life. Tolstoy showed that an artificial life is characterized by materialism and social climbing. At the beginning of the story, we find Ivan dead but his friends were chiefly concerned with the position that he will be vacating, the promotions and changes in the workplace and what they have to gain from it, all the while denying to themselves that they too will end up like Ivan sooner or later, that they will die eventually. They act as though they could live forever and concern themselves with the trivial everyday things. Even in his wake, his friends put a show of grievance because it was what was required of â€Å"friends†, but were more interested in playing bridge. They did not see the inevitability of death and suffering, of the hollowness of their lives. Peter Ivanovich, Ivan’s perceived closest friend, somehow felt disturbed and concerned, but rushed to quell these feelings because he reasoned he was alive and Ivan dead and there should be no reason to â€Å"hinder their spending the evening agreeably†. When he was still alive, Ivan himself saw how he had lived superficially in the way his doctors treated him, as though he was some subject whose sentence they hold in their hands, his life holding no real importance or meaning to the doctors. What mattered to the doctors was their perception of themselves that they feel important and significant by virtue of their occupation; that is what gave them satisfaction and purpose. Ivan himself acted the same way many times in his life – with the accused brought before him he reduced them to facts on paper and did not see them as individuals, he got married for it was expected of a man of his station and chose a bride not out of love or devotion but out of the social status it will benefit him. In the end, the story teaches that material wealth and position in society are not what matters. In the face of death, one looks back at the quality of life that he has led, and the most precious times would be the ones he felt most alive, when he was free and himself. The Death of Ivan Ilych and Madame Bovary teach us the nature of man as susceptible to fantasies of the happiness that wealth and material possessions can bring, but in reality these are more likely to corrupt us than give us real happiness. The nature of man is that of desire – desire to achieve in all aspects of life, and in this man should always apply himself to make himself a better person. However, desire for achievement is different from greed. Achievement should not only be limited to the professional and material aspects of life, but more importantly to the relationships with others. The meaning and purpose of life is not about the material achievement but how well one lived his life. Man’s nature reflects that of his society, and society that of man, as the individual is part of the whole and the whole consists of its parts. Both protagonists were deeply influenced by their time and what was regarded as important then. They have let others dictate, influence and take advantage of them, and by not taking responsibility d control over their lives they eventually found themselves in situations they did not dream of. This could have only come up to those who did not examine their actions and the kind of life they lead. Emma and Ivan believed that wealth and material things can bring happiness, but they both ended up dead – although here the stories’ protagonists differ. Whereas Emma chooses suicide to escape her suffering, Ivan comes to terms with his death and accepts it. Although Emma’s final act was of her own decision, we cannot say that she was finally taking things in her hands as before that she was always feeling hindered and trapped by her circumstances. She did not have a realization of what brought down her downfall, even in her final days she did not know what held meaning and not. Her suicide, like all her actions before, was an attempt at escaping reality, and this time she succeeded. Emma was not able to redeem herself, nor was she able to see what would make her life happy, but Ivan was changed and in his last days was able to make sense of his suffering. Tolstoy showed that no matter how sullen or materialistic a man behaved and lived, there is still hope for him to change as long as he lives. That man’s innate nature is towards living an authentic life, towards goodness, and that even if society is corrupt and superficial, pure love and humanity also exists, and it is always within us, and also in our capacity, to choose what kind of life to lead.

Comparing Canada and America Essay example -- Canada America Culture C

Comparing Canada and America The controversy over Canada and America, and who takes after whom has been around for many years. Canada and America are puzzles, two countries that are home to millions of people, living in relative comfort and health. We both have become nations through the help of each other and other nations. Yet, Canada has its own identity as a delightful complexity of cultures and customs, government and heroes. On the other hand, Canadians are simply not Americans by government and technology. Canada’s own identity starts with our remarkable sense of culture and customs. For the native peoples, the Canadian identity stretches thousands of years into the search of struggles to retain elements of their ancient culture. From a colonial perspective, the traditions which surface in Canadian culture seem to be born of an earlier time, of different origins and places, of old-fashioned rituals, and customs. Unlike the United States, its senior neighbor, Canada’s aged-like identity is more reserved and skillful, unwilling to commit it self to anything specific. Within each region of Canada- North, South, East, West and Central- there are definite qualities that detach Prairie from Maritimes, Ontario from Quebec and the Territories from the British Columbia. Each of these regions are separated by how they live, and their different culture background. Which forms our own identites within the counrty. Canadian and American government also show difference in how they govern themselves. United States is a country of one basic language. It has one main language, for its federal government and for every state. Canada is a country of two basic languages, French and English. A second basic difference between our Constitution and the American is that we are a constitutional monarchy and they are republics. For we have a parliamentary-cabinet government, while the Americans have a presidential-congressional. This means that the president is the head of the state and head of the government. While in Canada the Governor General is head of the provinces and the Prime Minister is the head of the government. Parliamentary-cabinet government is based on a concentration of powers. The Prime Minister must by custom be a member of one House or the other, or get a seat in the House. In the United States, the President and every other member of both houses are e... ... do. We are the unknown country to all other nations because Canada has not been a troublesome country. We do not have violent revolutions and we do not invade other people’s lands. A law-abiding nation does not get in the headlines very much. We are proud of our past heritage and have gained great respect from all other nations. Our land also contributes to our own identity. It is a celebration of the beauty and love of our landscapes. Without out our own identity, we would be like all other nations, fighting for our needs. Every nation would be alike, and tourism would not be a big attraction to our nation. We have a very rich and diverse heritage. Everywhere around us is our heritage. Our government, language, customs and habits, music, books and a wide variety of scientific inventions are gifts to us from our ancestors who lived in Canada. But, the influence of our heritage has been shaped by the influence of United States and many other nations. The histories of these nations have helped us become the country that it is today. Everyone living in Canada is lucky to have a great country, without many problems. I think, it is not hard to say that everyone is proud Canadian.

Assessment Tools

Running head: 1 Assessment Tools Analysis Paper Tricia E Topping University of Phoenix NUR/440 Karen Harriman April 16, 2012 Assessment Tools Analysis Paper 11/13/12 8:13 PM http://www. scribd. com/doc/104725000/Assessment-Tools-Analysis-Paper Page 2 of 12 April 16, 2012 2 Assessment Tools Analysis Paper Assessment tools are used in nursing to enhance the overall assessment phase of the nursing process. The assessment tools that I have selected to analyze are: The Spiritual Well- Being Scale (SWBS), The Hassles and Uplifts Inventory, and The Well Being Picture Scale (WBPS).After describing each tool and it’s benefits within the nursing process, I will apply them to the vulnerable population of person’s with Down syndrome. Spiritual Well-Being Scale â€Å"The Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) is a general indicator of perceived well- being† (lifeadvance. com). During its creation by doctors Ellison and Paloutzian, they found a need for Assessment Tools Analysis Pa per 11/13/12 8:13 PM http://www. scribd. com/doc/104725000/Assessment-Tools-Analysis-Paper Page 3 of 12 people to be able to describe their thoughts on spirituality in their own terms.This concept gives spiritual followers a greater sense of self worth and a reason to continue their spiritual beliefs. It also gives purpose to the congregation and individual members for continuing to spread the message of their beliefs to others. Having the ability to believe in a higher being, to talk and pray to this entity, empowers a person beyond normal daily activities. It allows for the creation of self peace and guidance in times of trouble. â€Å"Being religious or having spiritual beliefs has been linked to improved health and well-being in several empirical studies† (Grow et. ll). The SWBS is inexpensive tool and can be utilized by any person or population. It is very simple to use, is self-administered and takes between 10-15 minutes. â€Å"It is a paper and pencil survey currentl y available in both English and Spanish†¦ and was designed to assess people’s perception of their own spiritual well-being† (lifeadvance. com). The SWBS can be used by nurses within the assessment process to help guide and show a patient’s level of spiritual well- 3 being.A higher level of spiritual well-being can be associated with improved health and better recognition of self limitations and spiritual peace if faced with a life threatening diagnosis. As the SWBS is a simple tool, it would be effective for a health care worker to use with a high functioning adult with Down syndrome. With slight modification to questions for ease of understanding, and possible verbal presentation, a health care provider could present the tools and interpret the results as with any other adult.The community in which one worships acts as a support system for it’s members. Many families with children affected by Downs or similar disorders turn to a spiritual community f or support and acceptance. These communities assist to foster the growth of the child into a spiritual adult, giving them a better sense of self worth, a Assessment positive belief in a higher power, and a functional place within a small population. Because of this, the SWBS can be an effective tool to enhance the assessment of an adult Downs patient.Hassles and Uplifts Scales The Hassles and Uplifts Scales (HSUP) were created as a more positive approach to recognizing daily stressors in our lives. A modification of the Hassles scale, the HSUP is a combination of the Hassles scale with 117 items identifying life’s stressors, and the Uplifts scales including 135 items identifying daily positive encounters. The HSUP contains â€Å"fifty-three items worked so that the respondent can indicate whether a given transaction is a hassle, uplift, or both† (Lazarus & Folkman, 2011).By combining the two scales, a positive emphasis was placed on daily activities, rather than focusi ng on the negative stressors of the Hassles scale. â€Å"The Uplifts scale suggests how positive aspects of daily life counteract the damaging effects of stress† (Lazarus & Folkman, 2011). Brought together in the HSUP scale, the positive influences 4 and negative effects of stressors in a person’s daily life can be identified. If the negative stressors are prevalent, it is then within the power of the individual to increase the number of uplifting events while decreasing or overcoming the stressors.This information is very useful to identify while performing a health assessment. If a patient is found to have an overwhelming number of stressors or hassles and few to little uplifts, their emotional and physical well-being could be compromised. Too many negative stressors can lead to an inability to cope and cause damaging effect. Assisting a patient to identify both stressors and uplifts can allow them to develop their own coping mechanisms as well as introduce more posi tive interactions throughout Assessment Tools Analysis Paper 11/13/12 8:13 PM ttp://www. scribd. com/doc/104725000/Assessment-Tools-Analysis-Paper Page 5 of 12 their day. The HSUP is also an inexpensive and simple tool that can be performed during a health care assessment and take approximately 10 minutes for an adult to complete. By identifying the 53 phrases as either a hassle or uplift and giving each a numerical value from 0-3, the test can be scored quickly providing immediate results for the patient. This is important because is allows the nurse to quickly recognize positive and negative influences.The patient can then be made aware of the outcome. This allows the patient and nurse or health care provider to collaborate together to balance out the hassles and increase the uplifting experiences. The HSUP, like the SWBS, can be easily used in assessments of higher functioning adults with Downs. If needed, slight modification to the 0-3 numerical rating can be done. Instead of as signing a number to an uplift or hassle, the patient could more easily identify a positive or negative experience in their daily activities.By then focusing on the uplifting/positive experiences, a patient with Downs could recognize the experiences that create happiness, learning to try and experience these more often. This assessment tool can also be used easily by members of the patient’s family to assist them in identifying situations that cause increased stress. Assisting the family in recognizing Developers / API Legal Terms Privacy Copyright  © Copyright 2012 Scribd Inc. Language: English

Trying Juveniles as Adults Essay - 1312 Words

According to Caldwell (1961) the juvenile justice system is based on the principle that youth are developmentally and fundamentally different from adults. According to Mack (1909) the focus of the juvenile justice system has shifted from â€Å"was the crime committed† to â€Å"why did the child commit the crime†, â€Å"how can we help the child†. When performing as it is designed and up to the initial intentions, the juvenile court balances rehabilitation (treatment) of the offender with suitable sanctions when necessary such as incarceration. According to Griffin (2008) in some cases juveniles may be required to be â€Å"transferred† to adult court. In this paper I am going to discuss the three primary mechanisms of waiver to adult court: judicial waiver†¦show more content†¦According to Fagan (2008) judicial waiver is primary process in the juvenile court in which the judge has the authority to waive juvenile court jurisdiction and transfer the offender’s case to adult (criminal) court. According to Griffin, et al., (2011) the waiver laws allow the juvenile to be prosecuted in criminal court. In these cases a formal hearing is conducted while the case is still in the juvenile court. During this hearing based off of the evidence and the charges a judge can approve the waiver for transfer to adult court. Fagan (2008) stated that judicial waiver is a common transfer law that is used by forty-seven states in American. In my opinion this system works similarly to how the juvenile system was designed. The judicial waiver process begins in the juvenile justice system which operates in an informal manner to decide if the juvenile offenders will be waived into the adult criminal justice system. According Fagan (2008) following Kent v. United States all waiver statutes that were designated must be met prior to the judge consideration of a waiver to adult court. Conditions that must be met prior to wavier consideration of the judge are generally a minimum age requirement, a specific type offense, and a prior record of delinquency. In my opinion this system has both some strength and some weaknesses. There one glaring weakness in my opinion to transferring juveniles to adult court through judicial waiver. According to Kupchik (2006) transfer ofShow MoreRelatedTrying Juveniles as Adults1404 Words   |  6 Pages When it comes to trying juveniles as adults, it is a strong issue to follow through, but it has been a controversial topic to the public. This topic is a controversial topic even considering that there are numerous arguments to put forth on both sides. There will be stated pros and cons of each side and articles to back up the arguments. Juveniles are defined as children who fall under the age of 18, depending on the state. Even though, some juveniles are tried as adults despite their under ageRead MoreTrying Juveniles As Adults And Providing Rehabilitation1598 Words   |  7 PagesTrying Juveniles As Adults And Providing Rehabilitation During Incarceration Today’s heated debate regarding the decision to try juveniles as adults has prompted individuals to construct opinionated and informational articles on the topic. The nation’s troubled youth are protected by groups that believe these offenders deserve rehabilitation and a chance to develop into a productive member of society. However, others believe that those committing certain heinous crimes should be tried as adults asRead MoreRole of Cognitive Development in Trying Juveniles as Adults Essay example618 Words   |  3 Pagesthe United States, you are considered an adult at 18-years old. With age comes a plethora of other privledges. You can drive at 16 with a proper drivers license, legally engage in intercourse at 17, vote and purchase cigarrettes at 18 and purchase and consume alcohol at 21. Although there is one age restriction that hasnt been set in stone. In the justice system, one may be considered an adult at 18 and be tried as such. The option of being trie d as an adult hangs on many circumstances. If the individualRead MoreJuveniles And The Criminal Justice System1594 Words   |  7 Pages Juveniles and the Criminal Justice System There is much debate over whether or not juveniles should ever be tried as adults. Juveniles are defined as children under the age of 18. In the past, juveniles have been tried in a separate juvenile court because of their age. However, trying juveniles as adults for violent crimes is a trend that is on the rise. Age is supposed to be a deterrent for placing those under 18 on trial and giving them stiffer punishments that are often reserved for adults. ManyRead MoreJuveniles Should Be Legal For Adult Courts1528 Words   |  7 Pagesor not juveniles should receive waivers to adult court. There are three methods that are used to transfer a juvenile to adult court. Juvenile waiver, statutory exclusion, and Concurrent Jurisdiction are the three different methods used to transfer a juvenile to adult court. Statutory exclusion is when the juvenile is transferred immediately to the adult court. Concurrent Jurisdiction is when the juvenile may be tried as an adult and a juvenile at once. T hroughout all three methods juvenile waiverRead MoreEssay on Juveniles Tried as Adults843 Words   |  4 PagesFinal : Question #1 A juvenile being tried as an adult is a very sensitive and controversial issue over the past years. There has been a significant increase in the number of juvenile offenders being tried in adult courts for serious crimes. Juveniles should be tried as adults depending on the seriousness of the crime that they commit. There are many factors that contribute to juvenile courts and to what extent a juvenile should be tried as an adult. The juvenile justice system was intendedRead MoreShould Juveniles Be Tried as Adults? Essay867 Words   |  4 Pages29, 2012 Should Juveniles be tried as Adults? There are many controversies that surround juveniles being rehabilitated rather than going through the adult justice system, but studies show that juveniles are not fully developed to be tried as an adult. One of the main questions that it always boils down to is â€Å"should juveniles be tried as adults?† in my opinion juveniles should not be tried as adults because of their age. First, I believe that juveniles should not be tried as adults because their mentalitiesRead MoreJuveniles Being Tried As Adults1238 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Juveniles Being Tried as Adults† There are articles or news reports every once and a while about juveniles committed heinous crimes, but not serving any real time for the crime. Juveniles or even adults should not serve a few years for murder or rape. Murderers, rapists and other criminals are being released from jail every day after serving only very short sentences for their heinous crimes. (Source #1) Who are these criminals and what makes them so special? The criminals are juveniles who commitRead MoreJuveniles And Prisons1313 Words   |  6 PagesJuveniles and Prison â€Å"I used to believe are our future but now I realize that this, sadly isn’t the reality. Through laws that treat kids like adults, the government is throwing away the future of children in this country.† (D. Lee) An estimated 200,000 juveniles are tried as adults. The term juvenile refers to any young person under the age of 18. For most states in the United States, the age of majority is 18. While there are many things that juveniles are unable to do until they reach the ageRead MoreThe Main Aim Of Eradicating Criminal From The Society1439 Words   |  6 PagesJuvenile Crimes The main aim of eradicating criminal from the society is to enhance peaceful coexistence among people and to aid development. In this regard, individuals who fail to fit in this setting should be eradicated regardless of their age and made responsible for their actions. Releasing murderers, rapists, and other criminals from jail after serving a lenient and short sentence does not rehabilitate them in any way. In this regard, all those who are engaged in criminal activities that risk