Meaning of Life and Adult Essay Example for Free

Meaning of Life and Adult Essay Like most people, I had the urge to grow up quickly. Despite the constant â€Å"they grow up so fast† from relatives, it was not fast enough for me. I used to say, â€Å"I can’t wait until I grow up,† usually when I was frustrated with my mom’s strict rules. I fantasized about living a posh life, walking under the warm sun wearing designer shades with my athletic boyfriend before stopping at a restaurant and drinking expensive wines without my mom nagging me. My fantasy would abruptly end when my mom shattered my thoughts by reminding me that it was getting late and I had not yet started my homework. Sigh. Through my own experiences—wearing excessive makeup to make myself appear older and dating older guys and enlightenment, my views of being an adult have changed. Adulthood is something that will occur whether we are ready or not. College is a big leap that forces people into that transition from childhood to the beginning of adult life, especially if you are going to be living on campus. In college, I will have to cook and clean and care for myself. I will no longer have my mom telling me to avoid certain people, not to procrastinate and to make the right decisions. However, I will be able to keep the advice my mom has instilled in me so far, even when we are apart, although it may be hard to do so with the partying and alcohol and stress of college. Legally, being an adult could mean being 18, yet there is no way that minute that distinguishes someone from being 17 on one day and 18 the next can determine their adulthood. Being an adult comes gradually as people take responsibilities for their actions, take care of priorities and look out for themselves with limited support of others. Adulthood is not determined by age or ability to bear children or being physically developed. I know people older than 18 who have not yet obtained these traits and I’ve seen many teen moms dependent on their parents to support the baby. I will be an adult when I am able to make the right decisions determined by my morals that I have acquired over my years, when I understand the repercussions of my actions, when I am self-sufficient or accept limited help from parents or friends, and when I care not only for myself but others. The closer I get the more frightened I become. Now I’m in no rush to become an adult. I will take advantage of my mom’s guidance and housing and rules for as long as I can. I will enjoy the moment I am in and embrace my life when I am an adult. What does make you a grown-up? Is it moving out of the house? Hitting a certain age? Having a relationship? Getting a job? How is it that we can do those things, that we consider to be â€Å"adult†, but we still feel like kids? Or that we feel like grown-ups, were certainly old enough, but we havent seemed to have accomplished any of those things â€Å"grown-ups† have done? For me being an adult is a compilation of various features and components and is more or less a personal achievement. There is no exact pattern of becoming an adult as every single person has their own way of improvement. But you always have to make that first step that draws the beginning of your self-improving. There are a number of abilities I believe you have to acomplish in order to even begin to get closer to being an adult. The ability of making reasonable decisions for yourself and people around you, being able to take responsibility for your actions, able to make the most of what you have and try to improve yourself in any possible way. Becoming an adult is a journey everyone should make at a certain moment in order to become the most they can be, to grow as an individual – mentaly and spiritually. Many people find it rather difficult and they [continues] There is no clear determinant for determining when a person becomes an adult, Some say it’s when you turn eighteen others say it’s when you get your drivers license. One thing is for sure though to become an adult you must be mature and ready to take on the world. Being an adult means achieving a separate identity, being able to support your self and/or your family financially, and being able to provide yourself with a house or a place to call home. Adulthood consists of many different aspects, and is not an easy part of life. To become an adult you must achieve a separate identity. Erik Erickson a Austrian psychologist defined identity as â€Å"a sense of self part from one’s family. † This means to be an adult you must become independent so that you will be provided the opportunity to learn and take responsibility for your own lives. Young adults need to know who they are in order to be self-dependent, they also need to know their strengths and weaknesses, and the values they consider to be important to them. People never seem to quite understand the meaning of being an â€Å"adult†. I myself am not very sure of the full meaning of it. It has always seemed to me that age is irrelevant. You can be 12 and understand things better than a 30-year-old or you can be 40, have two PhD’s and still wonder if pigeons are migratory birds. Many people my age think that getting out of their parents’ house is an act of maturity but how does changing your situation prove that you are an â€Å"adult†? If they run away from home it is more likely to lose themselves trying to cope alone and underprepared with the difficulties in life. To become an adult you must achieve a separate identity. Still everyone perceives the world and every thought in it through their own consciousness.

How To Reduce Drug Trafficking In The US Criminology Essay

How To Reduce Drug Trafficking In The US Criminology Essay I would like to say that this paper shows the point of view of total drug ban supporters, provides a history of drug policies pursued by the United States, and puts forward arguments against the softer (less restrictive) policies, commonly referred to as legalization of drugs, while as a main argument against the last is considered negative global experience with such permitted by law psychoactive substances such as alcohol and tobacco. Also the paper was written with an aim to show how funds that are used to fight drug trafficking would be better used if we would channel the funds to preventive and rehabilitation programs which should alleviate the need for illegal drugs in the United States. In the end of the paper we conclude that only strong public policy, intended to reduce harm through the prevention of drug abuse can achieve successes. Recent trends in the U.S. policy towards the consumption of psychoactive substances are discussed in the context of the history of drug policy in the country. Restrictive policy in this area serves as a deterrent consumption of such substances, and helps reduce social problems and costs associated with them. Legalization or decriminalization of drugs could mitigate some of the legal consequences of their use, but the growth of their use would lead to harmful consequences. Recent discussions on how to achieve success in solving problems related to drug use in the U.S. are concentrated around the two opposing models of politics. Proponents of one of these concepts, generally known as the prohibition, support the expansion of measures to ban them, as well as implementation of curative and preventive programs. Proponents of the opposite point of view, defined as the legalization, insisting on the abolition of restrictive policies on drugs and psychotropic substances, at the same time seeking methods to reduce the harmful consequences associated with their non-medical use. Knowledge of the history of drug policy in the United States would consider the subject of debate and the positions of its members in a more complete and objective context. Lets discuss historical context of the problem that will help us to plunge into the problem of this paper with more details. Musto (1987) demonstrated that the history of modern politics, aimed at the prohibition of drugs, has its roots in the XIX century, when the pharmaceutical industry has begun to develop and produce powerful and addictive substances. One of them was heroin, which in the United States first went on sale in 1898. These substances are sold as the most common items, along with a popular new drink Coca-Cola, which was part of the cocaine. At that time, doctors freely gave to their patients prescriptions for drugs that cause addiction. So, a fairly large group of people with dependence on psychoactive substances designated for medical purposes, or drug addicts on the prescription was formed. Drugs such as cocaine, originally used for medical prescriptions were legal. Drug use quickly spread among the population, gaining compulsive character, accompanied by illegal act ivities in order to maintain a non-medical use and continuing despite the obvious negative health and social consequences. Dupont and Voth (1995) stated that this period of chaotic sale and use of addictive substances ended in the first two decades of the XX century, when a new social contract embodied in the Act on the Control of Food and Drug Administration was adopted in 1906. This Act provided compulsory indication of drugs composition. Harrison Drug Act banned the drugs trade was adopted somewhat later in 1914. Volstead Act, together with the Eighteenth amendment was added to the Constitution of the United States in 1919, banned the selling of alcohol. In the United States, these laws were part of a broader movement for reform, which also called for granting voting rights to women. In accordance with this new social contract addictive drugs became inaccessible, except cases when they were appointed by doctors, and even then they were used exclusively for the treatment of diseases which will not include a painful addiction to these substances. In 1933, an alcohol was excluded from the list of strictly controlled or banned substances. In 1937, marijuana was added to the list of banned substances because of the sudden increase in the number of its users. This epidemic of drug abuse started in the last decade of the XIX century with morphine and heroin and ended in the first decade of the twentieth century with a sharp rise in cocaine consumption. According to Horgan (1993), it is necessary to mention that Social Contract that restricts the use of psychoactive substances, has brought considerable benefits to the country, nearly putting an end to the epidemic of drug abuse. During the first two-thirds of the twentieth century, the U.S. laws on the control of drug trafficking provides a model for similar legislation in many countries. In the period from 1920 to 1965 in the United States sharply reduced addictive consumption of psychoactive substances, which at the end of the XIX century were used freely and uncontrollably. Analyzing historical facts we could say that solid and steady success of this policy against psychoactive substance abuse lulled our vigilance. Social and political figures in the United States have forgotten the tragic consequences of the widespread use of psychoactive substances. An old epidemic of drug abuse in the country left in the memory of the little amount of the U.S. citizens to 1960. The majority of American population knows about drug abuse tragedy except by hearsay. Strict prohibition of psychoactive substances, except alcohol, was widely recognized until drugs were not included in the range of the rising youth culture as one of the key elements of a new lifestyle. Marijuana, hallucinogens and cocaine received widely used definition of minimally addictive or light drugs. Exactly they focused on itself calls for legalization, which justify unsubstantiated allegations, that these drugs are no worse than alcohol and tobacco. Nowadays serious problems of the past (and present) time related both to the deteriorating health problems and the development of psychoactive substances addiction, which are a consequence of cocaine and marijuana use are known. Extensive data research on the harmful effects of many drugs substances indicate how society has been misled in the 1960s. These effects include: development of drug addiction, traffic injuries, illnesses, suicides, and adverse effects of psychoactive substances on the human organism. In the next part of this paper it is necessary to return to the contemporary reality and I would like to begin this section with Barack Obamas words quoting taking from his appeal to the Congress of the United States. According to 2010 National Strategy we know that the 2010 National Drug Control Strategy was developed by ONDCP with input from Federal, State, and local partners. It provides a collaborative and balanced approach that emphasizes community-based prevention, integration of evidence-based treatment into the healthcare system, innovations in the criminal justice system, and international partnerships to disrupt drug trafficking organizations. Basing on this fact Barack Obama said that: I am committed to restoring balance in our efforts to combat the drug problems that plague our communities. Drug use endangers the health and safety of every American, depletes financial and human resources, and deadens the spirit of many of our communities. While I am proud of the new direc tion described here, a well-crafted strategy is only as successful as its implementation. To succeed, we will need to rely on the hard work, dedication, and perseverance of every concerned American. Discussing the National Drug Control Strategy we see that it emphasizes cooperative and balanced approach with emphasis on preventive work in the region, the integration of evidence-based treatment in general health care system, innovations in the criminal justice system to break the cycle of addiction and crime, and creating international partnerships to stop the activities of transnational organizations involved in drug trafficking. The 2010 National Drug Control Strategy was developed on the base of public discussions and necessary documents in this area. Director of National Drug Control Policy has met with police and doctors, representatives of organizations involved in treatment of drug addicts and people recovering from treatment, elected officials and officers from correctional establishments, scholars and groups of parents, religious leaders and others. The consultation process identified a number of important topics that link the drug problem with the main political priorities of the administration, including the economy, healthcare reform, youth development, public safety, military, veterans issues and international relations. Adopted drug control strategy allows funds that are used to fight drug trafficking implement in directions of preventive and rehabilitation programs which should alleviate the need for illegal drugs in the United States. In acknowledgement of these words I would like to show real facts taken from the FY 2011 Budget Summary and according to it we see: The Presidents Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 National Drug Control Budget requests $15.5 billion to reduce drug use and its consequences in the United States. This represents an increase of $521.1 million (3.5 percent) over the FY 2010 enacted level of $15.0 billion. These resources are categorized around five major functions: (1) Substance Abuse Prevention, (2) Substance Abuse Treatment, (3) Domestic Law Enforcement, (4) Interdiction, and (5) International Support. The 2010 National Drug Control Strategy sets the five-year goal of reducing drug use and its consequences. This Strategy is going to: reduce drug use among youth by 15 percent; reduce drug use among young adults by 10 percent; reduce the number of chronic drug users by 15 percent; reduce mortality drug use by 15 percent, and reduce the incidence of driving under the influence of drugs at 10 percent. In addition, the strategy outlines three significant problems with drug addiction, which the administration will focus this year: the abuse of prescription drugs, driving under the influence of drugs and drug prevention. Abuse of prescription drugs in the U.S. is the fastest-growing narcotic problem, which in recent years has resulted in significant overdose. Driving under the influence of drugs poses a threat to public safety, as evidenced by a recent survey on the roads, found that every sixth driver in the evenings at the weekend gave a positive test result for drugs in the organism. Prevention of drug abuse before its appearance is the best way to protect Americas youth from drugs. In addressing each of these problems, the strategy provides scientifically based, evidence-and a combined approach. Elements of the new strategy also includes a concerted effort on how to make it possible to restore to every American who is suffering from drug addiction through an expanding network of community centers to combat drug addiction and develop new drugs and treatments confirmed this dependence. Further support of work of law enforcement authorities, criminal justice system, suppression of drug trafficking and drug production in the country, work with partners on reduction of the global drug trade, and innovative public programs, such as the courts about the drugs, play a major role in reduction of drugs consumption and its consequences in America. Thus, taking into account above discussed information it is possible to conclude that the ongoing drug policy reduces the level of their consumption and makes its consequences less severe. On my opinion, the United States chose the right way for healthy nation and basing on fact that harm reduction is a pragmatic approach to minimize the harmful consequences for the individual and the community associated with drug use, it is understandable that countrys policy and adopted National Drug Control Strategy is also the right direction of development. For the end of the paper I would like to say that I strongly believe in the efficiency of discussed policy and it will lead our nation to success and prosperity.

E-tendering implementation best practice

E-tendering implementation best practice Chapter 1: Introduction 1.0 Research title E-Tendering Implementation: Best practice 1.1 Abstract E-Tendering is a web tendering service offered on a pay-per-tender basis where allows clients and their consultants to run tenders through a secure website. But not all the countries involved are fully implemented e-Tendering. They are only implementing e-Tendering at certain stages. This research is carried out to study the best practice in the implementation of e-Tendering worldwide. The anticipated findings are each countries involved are not fully implemented e-Tendering because of certain problems and constraint. The benchmark was developing for the best practice of e-tendering. This research will narrate for government and construction industry itself where it stands in terms of e-Tendering implementation compared to its peer countries. Introduction Construction industry all over the world have demonstrated the need to improve the service delivery and being able to handle issues swiftly and satisfactorily. The advent of Internet Technology has made it possible for authority of construction industry to transform themselves by offering traditional services especially tendering process through online. Tendering is considered to be one of the fairest means of awarding government contracts and the method most likely to secure a favourable outcome for a government in its spending of public money. The basic principles of the tendering process have been applied to many business areas, such as purchasing goods seeking service providers, business consulting, or the selection of main contractors for construction work. With the expand and spread of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in world and this country, government of Malaysia under Public Works Department (JKR) collaborate with Construction Industry Development Board (CID B) to implement the National E-Tendering Initiatives (NeTI) program. E-tendering program will provide all tendering process through online. At this stage, JKR and CIDB implement e-tendering for government construction project only. According to Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, e-Tendering is a Web tendering service offered on a pay-per-tender basis. E-Tendering allows clients and their consultants (buyers) to run tenders through a secure website. It offers a simple, secure, standard, efficient and cost effective way to manage tenders online. It provides a major opportunity to replace existing paper based procedures and achieve significant cost savings, while producing a more efficient and reliable process. Use of the system is charged on a per tender basis to buyers, there are no subscription fees. Use of the system is free to contractors (suppliers). This reason bring to government of Malaysia and countries over the world to use and implement e-tendering, which offer a simple, secure, standard, efficient and cost effective and also can avoid corruption. That means contractors all over the country can register and get tender through online and do not have to use the traditional tender process which is pa per-based, more costly and sometimes bias tender awarded. Problem statement Most of the developed and develop countries have their own channels to publish the notification of tenders through the Internet, which are displayed in their official websites. However, implementation of electronic tendering is not complete in the reality world because of certain barriers and problems. In Malaysia, the tendering process is still based on manual activities even though they have National E-Tendering Initiatives (NeTI) program, which website program that conduct tender process through internet. In the current situation, government of Malaysia only advertises their tender through online. When looking entire the world, same situation of e-tendering implementation happens. Many countries like India and Singapore conduct and organize tender process through online in the half way. Different countries have their different nature of technology and construction industry. In UK, e-tendering is already implemented in the most efficient manner. Player of construction industry in UK, especially contractor, they have enough technology and equipment to adopt e-tendering. Now the question is what is the best practice to adopt e-tendering in present time? Benchmarking best practice need to develop to give some guideline to the develop countries what is the best way to implement e-tendering. Researcher recognize that most of people are tend to do benchmarking in IT and supply management but lack of study in benchmarking the best practice of e-Tendering. So the gap of knowledge must be filled and explore to produce the new findings that might be give benefits to people and construction industry itself. For above statement, this research has explored the best practice of e-Tendering implementation in few countries. This research has identified e-Tendering processes involved and compares it with each country selected. By the end of this research, the best practice of e-Tendering implementation is recommended for the benchmark. Aims This research is carried out to study the best practice in the implementation of e-Tendering worldwide. Objectives To identify the countries in the world who have implemented e-Tendering To study compare the best practice of e-Tendering implementation as identified above. To recommend the best practice of e-Tendering implementation. Research questions What countries that already implemented e-Tendering in their construction industry? What are the processes of e-Tendering? Are they fully implemented e-Tendering in their construction industry? What is the best practice of e-Tendering for their construction industry currently? Research methodology Literature review In order to provide good background information of the study area, literature review is very important. Literatures reading were carried out to collect all information and studied to get better understanding about e-Tendering implementation in Malaysia and others countries worldwide. All the sources are collected from internet, journals, books, past master thesis and dissertation related to this topic. Desk study All the sources are analyse and make interpretation. From literature study, data were collected and distinguish what are the needs in this research. Quantitative interpretation is the main method to carry out this research which based on data and more relevant with the current issues. Significance of research This research is about best practice of e-Tendering implementation worldwide was done for the following major reasons: The Malaysia government needs to know where it stands in terms of e-Tendering implementation compared to its peer countries to mark its current progress of milestone achievement. Malaysia construction industry needs to know with their current status e-Tendering implementation compare to others countries. Benchmark for e-tendering is very important to recognize the best practice of e-tendering implementation worldwide. To discuss the current status e-Tendering worldwide. Overview of content Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: An overview on conventional tendering Chapter 3: New version of tendering system- Electronic Tendering Chapter 4: Methodology Chapter 5: Case study discussion Chapter 6: Recommendation conclusion

Paranoid Personality Disorders Essay -- essays research papers

Paranoid Personality Disorders Paranoid Personality Disorder is a disorder commonly mistaken for schizophrenic personality disorders. Schizophrenia, a psychosis, is when a person is has an image of a world and its transpiring events, and he/she is "living" it. Paranoid Personality Disorder, however, is a neurosis where an individual is living in the real world. This disorder, though not as debilitating as other disorders, can still devastate a someone's life. Individuals with this Paranoid Personality Disorder always assume that other people are "out to get them" even if there is no evidence that this is true. They are constantly doubting others around them and scrutinizing every action. This attitude is taken on towards all people, like friends or associates, not only strangers. For these reasons, people with this personality disorder rarely confide in people and are actually amazed if someone shows loyalty. However, this amazement also gives way to disbelief and falls back towards the idea that this newfound loyalty is part of a plot to cause harm. Those of with the disorder also tend to bear their grudges and unwilling to forgive. They nurture their grudges and anger, which over time, gives them more of a sense that it is the outside world which the problem, not themselves. At times, these individuals may also conjure up flamboyant illusions to confirm their behavior toward others. These feelings are also carried out towards family as well. One example could be as if a person with this personality disorder had a spouse or sexual partner, this individual constantly thinks that their partner or spouse is cheating on them. Often, the spouse or partner is barraged with questions questioning their whereabouts, faithfulness, or intentions. It is believed that these symptoms first appear usually during childhood or adolescence. Those believed to be most prone are "loners," those who are unable to maintain stable relationships with others, social anxiety, sometimes underachieve in school, are hypersensitive, have strange thoughts and language, and (as stated before) fantasies. To "normal" people, individuals with this paranoid personality disorder may seem out of place and ... ...nality Disorder, there treatments performed in an attempt to reduce the extremity of the disorder. One method that can be used is reinforcement of adaptive behaviors. Such as congratulations, or some sort of prize or comment to uplift the person's morale hopefully change their thoughts about others. Another possible treatment is psychotherapy or psychoanaylsis. The significance these two are that the therapists are able to give the patient a chance to realize their self-defeating behavior or break patterns that lead to unhappiness. By talking to the individual with the disorder, the therapist may gain enough trust to help reduce the paranoia. However, if the therapist breaks the trust, hopes of recovery may be extremely slim, for it would only give support to the paranoia the patient already has. Hopefully, in the near future, there will be another form of treatment that can cure, or at least come close to curing the Paranoid Personality Disorder. The best hope of this lies in scientific research upon the brain and the chemicals which control emotions and actions. In doing so, many people who suffer from this disorder may lead a life without paranoia.

Reoccurring Themes and Symbols in Different Works by Nathaniel Hawthorne :: The Minister’s Black Veil

It is no secret that Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† is a parable. Hawthorne intended it as such and even gave the story the subtitle â€Å"a parable.† â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil,† however, was not Hawthorne’s only parable. Hawthorne often used symbols and figurative language to give added meaning to the literal interpretations of his work. His Puritan ancestry also influenced much of Hawthorne’s work. Instead of agreeing with Puritanism however, Hawthorne would criticize it through the symbols and themes in his stories and parables. Several of these symbols and themes reoccur in Hawthorne’s â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil,† â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, and The Scarlet Letter. One particularly noticeable theme in Hawthorne’s work is that of secret sin (Newman 338). In the â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, this theme is evident when young Mr. Brown dreams that he is led by the devil to a witching party. There he sees all of the honorable and pious members of society, including his minister and the woman who taught him his catechisms, communing with the prince of darkness. Upon awakening, the hypocritical nature of his once admired neighbors and the realization of his own secret sin causes him to become terribly disillusioned (Colacurcio 396). The same thing happens in â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil,† except the reader does not know exactly what secret sin makes Reverend Hooper begin to don the black veil. Many scholars believe that this has something to do with the funeral of the young lady at the beginning of the story. The opinions range from believing that Reverend Hooper loved the girl in secret, to Poe’s believe that Reverend Hooper may have actually been the cause of the girl’s death (Newman 204). Whatever the reason, the minister’s wearing of the veil taints his view of everyone else around him, making all of them look like they are wearing veils as well (Hawthorne 107). Dimmesdale’s secret sin with Hester Prynne is admitted at the end of the story, but the theme of secret sin is not as used as strongly in this novel as it was in Hawthorne’s stories (Dryden 147). However, two of the main themes in The Scarlet Letter are visible in both of the other stories. The first is the corruption of the clergy. In The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Dimmesdale is a good pastor.

Beauty Queen

`The Beauty Queen of Leenane’ is set in an isolated cottage situated in a small Irish town called Leenane, during the latter half of eighties. The two characters that anchor the play are the mother-daughter duo of Maureen and Mag Folan. Maureen is a forty-year old spinster who had lived all of her life with her mom, while Mag is the seventy-year old mother who is not prepared to let go of her daughter. Mag is very ungrateful and unappreciative, in spite of Maureen dedicating her life to help Mag lead a somewhat normal life.Although both of them have gotten used to each other’s idiosyncrasies over the years, there still exists a power struggle of sorts between the two of them. At times, they even loathe and blame each other for their own miserable plights. The mother character is portrayed as a mean, selfish woman who believes that her daughter should feel indebted to serve her. The daughter desperately wants to find love, rather a husband who could free her from the ble ak existence. Maureen somehow wants to escape from the clutches of her mother and get married like her sisters.She even believes, at times, that her mother pretends to be sick to keep her confined to the four walls of the house. On the other hand, Mag tries to make her daughter feel guilty by accusing Maureen of ignoring her. As both of them had remained isolated for many years, they were reaching a state of social and emotional void. Many aspects of the play’s storyline draw parallels to Ireland’s socio-political standpoint. Many rural areas of Ireland like the one featured in the play are economically dead zones, where misery and dullness rule the day.This tone reflects in the play as Maureen and Mag lead a dull life which seldom lightens up. They also endlessly complain about how bad their lives are due to natural calamities and atrocities committed against the Irish community. It is quite ironic that the only time they enjoy talking is when they discuss their death . The ambiance of the play is quite claustrophobic as it takes place in a confined, darkly lit environment. The gray walls of the room are analogous to the sleepy town of Leenane, which breaks the usual conception of Ireland being associated with greenery and hills.This gives the viewer an unsettling feeling and conveys a sense of helplessness that haunts the play’s main characters. The other two characters in the play are Pato and Ray Dooley who happen to be brothers. Pato is a well-mannered gentleman who is sick of working in England for low wages and plans to go to America to try his luck there. He is instantly is attracted to Maureen as he expected every little. This made Maureen to be overjoyed over the prospects of being together with Pato and getting a second chance in life.On the other hand, Ray is a brash and irresponsible young man, but nonetheless amusing. This element of the play shadows on the restless youth of rural Ireland. The youth in Ireland apparently have only two possible choices; they would have to either rot their lives in boredom. or seek greener pastures in London. Although immigrating into England was not the easiest task in the world, it was their only hope to flee from poverty. The two brothers represent the two equally helpless groups of the rural youth in Ireland.This theme is universal since it can very easily be related to almost anyone living in any rural part of the world. Mag relentlessly tries to disrupt Maureen and Pato’s chances of falling in love, fearing solitude. Pato tries to pacify the situation between Maureen and Mag by talking to them, and gains Maureen’s respect. Maureen’s initial physical relationship with Pato was a result of several factors; it was due to sexual repression caused by Ireland’s ridiculously strong moral code and she also wanted to go against her mother for once in her life.However, she eventually falls in love with Pato and longed to be with him. Maureen’ s final ray of hope gets shattered as Mag’s purposely lets out certain sensitive information about their family. Mag also unscrupulously destroys a letter written by Pato which asks Maureen to come with him to America. Since Maureen does not get her hands on the letter on time, she does not get the opportunity to leave Leenane and unite with Pato. Ray inadvertently plays a role in the disaster that Mag plans to prevent Maureen and Pato from getting together.The violent unfolding of events, her medical history, Mag’s death and the grief of not being with Pato forces Maureen to go into a state of chronic depression and eventually turns into the person she dreaded most, her mother (Chang 2001). Mag was not only her daughter’s captor but also a captive of her own lifestyle and choices. Although Mag might seem like the root cause of the disaster, she was also barely a victim of the human condition. Maureen being forced to take care of her mother is a motif to Ireland ’s culture where love plays second fiddle to family responsibility.Maureen could not leave her old mom alone because she grew up on Irish values that condemned people leaving their elder alone during old age. The world needs to view Mag’s character as a self-indulgent parent from Ireland’s cultural perspective. In the rural parts of Ireland, children were raised merely to be additional hands in the family workforce, contrary to the western world’s perception of children being objects for showering love and care (Cobbe 2008).Since love is not a big part of the practical Irish life wherein arranged marriages are still the norm in certain areas, it gives the Irish another reason to escape to England. Also, the violent scenes in the play are not only an indicator of the true domestic violence that has become commonplace in the day-to-day lives of Irish people, but also a signifies that the petty fights that we as citizens of the world go through in the name o f war and so on (Gonser).Like love and hate in human relationships, there is a fine line separating tragedy and comedy in plays. What ‘the Beauty Queen of Leenane’ successfully does is strike a fine balance between the two elements, making it quite engaging albeit intense. Ultimately, the play is a strong cultural satire of sorts that showcases rural Ireland’s way of life to the rest of the world. One could interpret this play as ironical for relating the lack of economic wealth to the people’s lives devoid of happiness, thereby criticizing the spate of our modern soulless existence.Beyond the dark humor is a darker message signifying that the worst of human qualities can very easily come out under suitable circumstances. ‘The Beauty Queen of Leenane’ is a play that makes us look past the obvious and think about things that we usually avoid because they are too complicated and stressful. However, these kinds of plays do remind us of the true n ature of human beings that lies dormant behind years of cultural training. Also, Maureen growing old and turning into her mom is a classic case of the vicious cycle of life.Reference: Chang, E. (2001, May 7). Theatre: The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Retrieved 27 June 2008, Cobbe, E. (2008, June 20). Review – The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 27 June 2008, Gonser, J. â€Å"Welcome to McDonaghland – About Language, Biscuits, and a Certain Taste for Aussie Soaps†. Retrieved 27 June 2008,

Diary of a Young Girl: Anne Frank Essay

What I am about to write is a summary of The Diary of a Young Girl, written by Anne Frank. This book starts from when Anne gets her diary on her thirteenth birthday. The book is about when Anne and her family have to live in the â€Å"Secret Annex.† On her thirteenth birthday, Anne’s parents give her a diary. She’s excited because she wants something in which to confide all of her secret thoughts. Even though she has a social life, she feels misunderstood by everyone she knows. Anne starts writing about daily events, her thoughts, school grades, boys, all that. But, within a month, her entire life changes. As Jews in German-occupied Holland, the Frank family fears for their lives. When Anne’s sister, Margot, is called to appear before the authorities, which would almost surely mean she was being sent to a concentration camp, Anne and her family go into hiding. They move into a little section of Anne’s father’s office building that is walled off and hidden behind a swinging bookcase. For two years, the Frank family lives in this Secret Annex. Mr. and Mrs. van Daan and their son Peter are also in hiding with the Franks. Later, Mr. Dussel, a dentist moves in, and Anne has to share her bedroom with him. Anne is hidden from the outside world. She’s cooped up in tiny rooms, tiptoeing around during the day and becoming shocked from the sounds of bombs and gunfire at night. Luckily, the Franks have tons of reading material and a radio. Anne grows in her knowledge of politics and literature, and she puts tons of energy into studying and writing. At the same time, she grows further and further away from the other members of the Annex. There is a change in Anne when she begins hanging out in the attic with Peter van Daan. Around this time she starts having dreams about a boy she was in love with, another Peter, Peter Schiff. She sometimes even gets the two Peters confused in her head. She comes to see Peter as much more than she first thought. She finds him sensitive and caring, and they talk about everything. Eventually their relationship changes. Anne and Peter’s passion turns into a friendship and a source of comfort for them both. Another big change for Anne happens when the war seems to be ending. She hears that personal accounts such as her diary will be in demand after the war ends. We see a return to her earlier enthusiasm as she begins editing her diary with excitement. Unfortunately, this does not last. Even as Anne becomes more and more sensitive to the suffering going on in the world, her own suffering becomes unbearable. She feels completely alone. She thinks everyone hates her. She feels constantly criticized. And there is no escape. At one point, she thinks it might have been better if she and her family had all died instead of hiding in the Annex. As Anne becomes harder on those around her, she also becomes harder on herself, berating herself for being mean to the other members of the Annex. There her diary ends. Two short months after Anne’s fifteenth birthday, and two days after he last diary entry, the Secret Annex is raided. We don’t know Anne’s thoughts or feelings at that point or any time after, but we know things got worse. Afterwards Anne and the other members of the Annex were sent to various concentration cmps. Anne’s father, Otto Frank, was the sole survivor. I would recommend this book to others who like to know what happened throughout history, though I personally wouldnt read it again. I say this because I didnt really enjoy reading about her life, and I am not all that into history, except Greek mythology, but thats just me personally.