Saturday, February 29, 2020

An Enemy of the People

Contemporary social universal issues are reflected in common themes that are evident in extensively appreciated texts. Written by Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People is a prominent example of a text that incorporates universal topics which are those of integrity and environmental damage. Similarly, the film Erin Brockovich, directed by Steven Soderbergh, reflects these themes. Due to the variant mediums the techniques used to portray these themes to the audience are vastly different. Integrity is essential if corrupt forces in society are to be constrained or abolished. In An Enemy of the People, the protagonist, Dr. Stockmann, sacrifices everything for his moral beliefs to assist in eliminating the corruption: Id rather see it ruined than prospering on a lie! This emotive language reinforces that he values honesty, and would rather suffer financial hardships than dishonestly gain from a hazardous industry like the baths. The Doctors fierce dedication stands out in contrast to many of the plays secondary characters who seem to compromise their supposed beliefs: I should be slow to accuse the mayor because hes your bother. But I know you think as I do – the truth should come first The high modality language emphasises that Hovstad is manipulative and duplicitous as he accuses the mayor of lying to start with, but ultimately supports him, a result of his lack of integrity. Moreover, the play exemplifies the consequences that are sometimes presented to those who have a strong sense of integrity. Dr Stockmann strives diligently to expose the sordid condition of the baths so that people do not fall ill. Eventually, however, Peters machinations turn the public against him. Emotive language is used to portray the publics hatred towards the doctor: Hes an enemy! He hates us, thats what he does! Shame! Boo! Enemy of the people! The irony of this play is that the good person, Dr. Stockmann, is the one labelled as the enemy of the people. The play reveals itself as a sharp examination of the terrible price that society often demands of an individual who stays true to his or her principles. Erin Brockovich reflects the same issue of needing integrity to eradicate social ills. The protagonist, Erin Brockovich, acts in a manner motivated by morals. Fighting to sustain her life with her three children as a single parent, she is concurrently fighting for the rights of people who cannot fight for themselves. Her boss, Ed Masry, initially lacks integrity to take the case on. Brockovich, who is in rage at his moral deficiency screams at him: I don’t know shit about shit! But I sure do know the difference between right and wrong! The strong colloquial language and high modality of this statement highlights the fact that ethics do not have to rely on formal education. Furthermore, through the close up shot of Masrys stunned face the audience sees that an appeal to a persons conscience can sway a persons decisions. Consequently, Masry supports Brockovich and they ultimately win the case. This demonstrates that the virtue of integrity can lead to overcoming corruption within society. An Enemy of the People reflects Erin Brockovich in that integrity is still vital for an ethical society as both their protagonists stood up for what they believed in. Stockmann was still maintaining his stand against the solid majority and the socially corrupt institutions they support. However, Brockovich, according to the films epilogue, continued to pursue other social injustice. Hence, both texts reveal that upholding integrity is imperative. Damage to the environment can lead to grave social problems within society. In An Enemy of the People, the contamination of the environment is not only the vehicle for the plays plot but also the catalyst for the conflict that is palpable during the play. Peter Stockmann is primarily motivated by greed and power, whereas, his brother, Dr. Stockmann has passionate ethical beliefs. When the doctor tells his brother about the polluted baths and that they must be fixed Peter is deeply concerned about financial loss: We should probably have to abandon the whole thing, which has cost us so much money – and then you would have ruined your native town. The emotive language used here reinforces that in Peters unethical perspective the town and its visitors health is secondary to the fact to what the town will endure economically. The circumstances of the play highlight how money the key motivation in society and demonstrates the on-going social dilemma about balancing the needs of a community with the needs of the environment, if this balance is out the effect s on society will be detrimental. Erin Brockovich also reflects the universal theme of environmental pollution. In Erin Brockovich the reason for the environmental damage is corporate greed. The multi-billion dollar company Pacific Gas and Electric, is portrayed as socially corrupt, because they did not enact policies to keep the water contaminate free, and therefore compromised the future of Hinkley. The companys deceit about the effects of chromium in the water is revealed in dialogue: So you say this hexavalent chromium Well, its poisonous? Well, its just gotta be different than whats in our water, cause ours is okay. The guys from PGE told me; I mean they sat in my kitchen and told me. They said it was fine. This underlines the companys stance, that the suffering of the environment and society is secondary to making money. The scene in which Brockovich is collecting evidence juxtaposes the close up shot of the small dead frog with a long shot of the huge power plant nearby, to raise audience awareness of the enormity of the deleterious effect of unethical behaviour. Furthermore it encapsulates the necessity of each individual opposing such behaviour. In conclusion, An Enemy of the People depicts universal themes which are relevant to contemporary society today these themes are reflected in Erin Brockovich. Both texts illustrate to the audience how integrity is an imperative element when eradicating corruption and that a tarnished environment can have an injurious effect on society.

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Death Syndrome Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Death Syndrome - Essay Example Among such conditions is what is generally termed as the sudden death syndrome (SDS). This notion pertains to a bunch of different medical cases that may be associated with various causes. What is important, though, is that to SDS are susceptible young people who have previously manifested no visible disturbing symptoms that would suggest that such incidents might happen. In this regard, it is perhaps the most important task for the medical establishment to target the younger part of the general public in order to inform it about the risks associated with SDS. More specifically, drinking, as one of the most prevalent types of harmful behavior in young adults that may be linked with SDS, should be specifically addressed with the hope to decrease the teenage abuse of alcohol. Let us take a look at what forms SDS may take, and try to see why the investigation of the linkage between SDS and teenage drinking is important to researchers. As we have mentioned, SDS is the term that may be used to cover a wide range of incidents of unexpected non-traumatic and non-violent deaths due to natural causes. In fact, cases of SDS affect people with such diverse illnesses as epilepsy (such epilepsy related deaths are termed Sudden Unexpected and Unexplained Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) (Lathers and Schraeder, 1990) and Fatty Liver Syndrome (FLS) of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic origin (Randall, 1980). As shown by research, even young athletes have something to fear, as some of them, mostly males according to statistics, fall victim of sudden deaths due to hard to detect heart diseases (Testa, 2006), and while different types of cardiovascular disease may be uncovered postmortem, any such death is quite disturbing. But perhaps the most perplexing, due to the apparent lack of underlying pathologies, type of heart-related sudden deaths is associated with Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome (SADS), which is a disorder of the hearts e lectrical system capable of killing seemingly healthy individuals without warning. SADS is also known as Long QT Syndrome. This syndrome interferes with the length of time between the onset of the Q wave and the end of the T wave in the electrical cycle of the heart called QT interval, which is needed for the recharge of the hearts electrical system after a heartbeat. People with a prolonged QT interval are more likely to develop an abnormally fast hearth rhythm called arrhythmia. When this happens, blood cannot flow from the heart, and the person can lose consciousness and may suddenly die as the result of the brain deprivation of blood. It is currently known that this dysfunction has its roots in an abnormality of protein structures of cells in the heart referred to as ion channels. These cells indeed serve as the channels that control the flow of such ions as sodium, calcium, and potassium. It is the pattern of the inflow and outflow of these ions that generates the hearts electr ical activity. It is also known that dysfunctions of these channels may be acquired, for example due to the effect of some medicines, or inborn, when a mutation in one of the genes responsible for the formation of channels occurs. In this respect, it is unknown exactly which inherited defects lay ground for different types of arrhythmias. For instance, it is thought by some researches that cases of SUDEP also work by inducing

Saturday, February 1, 2020

About post-classical network period of television (1980s- present) Research Paper

About post-classical network period of television (1980s- present) - Research Paper Example Various themes predicated in the show reveal a drastic shift in the values of families, individuals, also how women empowerment had begun as a struggle back in the era. Furthermore, the effect of social class system on the overall social blanker of the society is also apparent. Therefore, the paper will explore the dimension where Lorelai Gilmore had to go through a hard struggle her entire life for the sake of her brilliant yet angelic daughter Rory Gilmore as a single mom. Also, the paper will explore the educational aspects of the era explicating how the educational system is quite competitive not just in terms of brilliance but also in terms of class struggle. Therefore, the paper will aim at explaining transitions in the society over time by focusing on the two aspects highlighted above. The post classical network period was a period of immense experimentation with comparatively bolder themes. With the advent in technology and industrialization, the social change also followed where people started accepting the liberal mindset. Yet, that doesn’t imply that there was absolutely no resistance. This was one of the reasons why TV shows started focusing on tabooed themes to explain the issues surrounding them. Gilmore Girls revolve around the central theme which narrates the story of a single mother struggling to nurture her daughter and raise her as an empowered individual (Diffrient & Lavery 21). Her daughter, Rory is an extra-ordinary student with a passion for reading and hopes to get into Harvard one day. Lorelei`s status conscious affluent parents didn’t approve of her lifestyle choice to raise her daughter as a single child, thus she left the comforts of her parent`s home and moved to a small-town with a simple life. Though both the mother and the da ughter love their simple lifestyle, yet Lorelei isn`t capable enough to financially support her daughter`s education and thus, she had to reach out to