A Powerful Motivator - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1436 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/05/13 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Things Fall Apart Essay Did you like this example? In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, it follows the Umuofian tribesman Okonkwo. Okonkwo was a man who thought highly of pride and was a significant man in the tribe. The tribe of Umuofia saw Okonkwo as a man with a bad temper. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Powerful Motivator" essay for you Create order Okonkwo had a quick hand towards his wives and children. He was especially stern with his son, Nwoye, who seemed to be too feminine at his age. Okonkwo took pride in his large farm and many wives. But he didn’t get his riches handed to him. Okonkwo earned his titles at a young age by working hard on his farm and proving his strength to the elders of the village by wrestling. A powerful motivator in his life was his father, Unoka, who did nothing but bring shame to himself and his son’s life. Unoka was a poor father, a pitiful fighter, and a liar. As a young boy, Okonkwo saw first-hand how much of a failure his father was. He promised to himself that he would be a very hard worker and not have the same fate as Unoka. Before any task or decision, Okonkwo asked himself, â€Å"What would my father do? Because I must do the opposite.† Before judging the character of Okonkwo, a reader must look at the psychological consequences that Okonkwo endured during his childhood. The wretchedness of his father was engraved into his mind and he did not want to have any resemblance to him. Unoka’s deceiving and swindling ways had impacted Okonkwo’s life to the point where he feared of failure and assured that none of his kin will inherit any of the attributes that his father held. Okonkwo feared of the defeat and dishonor that his father endured. Although Unoka was a good musician and participated in fellowship, he lacked ambition He was, â€Å"indeed possessed by the fear of his father’s contemptible life and shameful death. To not end up like his father, Okonkwo worked very hard on his yam farm and did not become lazy and deceitful like his father. Unoka’s lack of care of Okonkwo as a child had an effect on how he treated others, especially his own wives and children. Okonkwo could be described as an impulsive, reckless man due to the actions he resorted to throughout the book. One account is when Okonkwo heavily beat his wife for not cooking for the children. Okonkwo was so overwhelmed with anger that he forgot it was the week of peace(25). The relation Okonkwo had with his mother increased the tension between him and his father, as well as anyone close to him. The mere non-existent relationship with his mother caused Okonkwo to have difficulty expressing his distant feelings for others including his wives and only son, Nwoye. Ruling his home with a â€Å"heavy hand†(19), Okonkwo’s children and especially his wives lived in fear of his unexpected outbursts. It was hard to express his feelings towards his step-son, Ikemefuna. But for Nwoye, Okonkwo did not hold back his anger on him. Okonkwo was ashamed of Nwoye because he was becoming as lazy and useless as his own father. Though it is not the shamefulness of his son that is causing his random fiery outbursts of rage, but the fear of him becoming his father that fuels his anger. Although Unok a is no longer in his life, the thought of him always lingers. The presence of Unoka still affects the decisions that Okonkwo makes. Okonkwo was fearful that sparing Ikemefuna would make him seem weak like his father so Okonkwo killed him. Okonkwo’s self-confidence turned into pride and his desire to be strong had given him a sense of totalitarian control over his household. As a child, Okonkwo had seen what an unsuccessful man looked like. He has had a sense of his father’s failed life vicariously. According to Sigmund Freud, â€Å"Events in our childhood have a great influence on our adult lives, shaping our personality†(Mcleod). A traumatic experience or serious event that happened when a patient was a child, could form an illness later in his or her life. This event that has happened in the past can be hidden from the patient’s consciousness. Okonkwo’s anxiety of wanting to be strong could be caused by his recurring thought of his father’s failures in the past. Perhaps these past events have been moved into Okonkwo’s subconscious where he cannot retrieve them. Okonkwo may have a very strong displacement mechanism as well that he cannot control. Displacement is to satisfy an impulse by substituting it with an object(Mcleod). Okonkwo has always had a sense of hatred towards his father. Okonkwo can no longer meet or speak to his father, therefore, Okonkwo satisfies these impulses of anger by excessively beating his wives and children. Okonkwo was referred to as a â€Å"Roaring Flame†(Achebe ch.17) by fellow tribesman because of his quick temper. As a child the superego, â€Å"an entity hypothetical conceptualizations of important mental functions†, forms within your brain(Mcleod). The superego uses a morality principle and helps a person behave in a socially acceptable manner. The superego develops when the child identifies with the same sex parent. In this case, Unoka is the same sex parent. At such a vulnerable stage of growth, Okonkwo’s mind has seen the type of traits to not pick up and adapt to. Okonkwo’s mind is programmed to despise the traits that his father had such as laziness and unmanliness. Now as an adult, seeing his only son, Nwoye, pertaining to these attributes triggers an area in Okonkwo’s subconscious to retaliate. People displaying weakness, pitiness, or even laziness can also trigger an area in Okonkwo’s subconscious to lash out quickly in any given moment. Psychologically, it is important for a father to be present in their children’s life at a young age. A father teaches and demonstrates masculinity, self-control, and self-confidence. A father acts as a role model and teacher to younger children. Okonkwo’s father was a part of his life but did not teach Okonkwo any standards of how to be a man. Okonkwo was forced to find success through himself and discover his own purpose as a man in an African tribe. Okonkwo’s neglect of manly understanding can be to blame for his explosive anger. Unoka was â€Å"unable to see his own contributions to distress and conflict† in his relationship with Okonkwo(Coleman). Okonkwo was unaware of how much damage his father had done in his life. His anger and detachment of feelings was caused by the negligent relationship between him and his father. Unconsciously, Okonkwo puts his father to blame for his actions. This relationship with his father had Okonkwo suffering by not controlling or modulating his emotions, and not trusting others(Coleman). Okonkwo’s worst fear, the idea of being weak, controls his body, his actions, and his life. Reiterating on Okonkwo’s fear of being weak is important because it has the most impact on his social and personal life. Okonkwo had developed an anxiety disorder of fear. Specifically, he had developed a social anxiety disorder. Having this disorder made Okonkwo, â€Å" feel nervous spending time in social settings, feel self-conscious in front of others, and worry about being rejected by or offending others†(APA). Okonkwo saw a firsthand account of what a life of an unsuccessful man looked like. This idea tormented Okonkwo and plagued his mind. Okonkwo never tried to resolve his relationship with his father. Unoka died from an iniquitous death and left his son to hate and abominate him. Okonkwo didn’t fix his relationship nor did he cope with it. This avoidance had a backfire effect and made Okonkwo’s disorder worse. Before a reader read Things Fall Apart, they wondered what exactly would fall apart. After reading it, the reader can identify and realize that the negative psychological effects that Unoka had on Okonkwo lead to his tragic death at the end of the book. His anger could not be retained and for Okonkwo, being weak was not an option. Okonkwo’s own actions lead to his demise and his mental disorder is put to blame. Unoka’s lack of support for Okonkwo at a young age put him at a disadvantage in life. The role of a father in their child’s life is very important for the child to be normal at an adult stage. In Okonkwo’s case, his unresolved issues with his father and uncontrollable anger led to everything in his life to fall apart.

Van Gogh And His Works - 2225 Words

Van Gogh moved to Arles in 1888, where he wanted to start a colony of artists who would all live and create together (Department of European Paintings). This community did not actually come together because no one went to work with van Gogh. However, Vincent’s hero Paul Gauguin did visit and work with him. When van Gogh heard of this news, he became excited and optimistic. In preparation for Gauguin’s visit, he created a series of bright yellow sunflower paintings. It was his intention to decorate Gauguin’s room in the Yellow House which he had rented with the paintings (Sooke; Wiggins). The blue lines separating the different shades of yellow in the painting might be a reference to Gauguin’s work as this is similar to a technique he sometimes used (Sooke). Gauguin did stay and work with van Gogh for several months (Wiggins). He loved the paintings of sunflowers. These works impressed him and even asked Vincent if he could keep one (Van Gogh Museum). Howev er, the two did not work well together, nor did they get along. Gauguin worked from his imagination and tried to convince van Gogh to paint this way too. However, van Gogh needed a reference to base his works off of and could not simply use his imagination. Van Gogh made paintings of sunflowers in vases in total, though three are copies of his own work (Wiggins). Of the four original paintings, one is in the Neue Pinakothek in Germany, the one featured here is from the National Gallery in London, one was destroyed in WorldShow MoreRelatedWas Vincent Van Gogh And His Art Work?890 Words   |  4 Pagessociety s culture because people’s work, whether they were scientists, psychologists, philosophers, or artists, show these themes and changes. 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When Van Gogh turned 27 he decided to start painting, but started showing signs of insanity. His work didn t fit the tradition of art at the time. When Van Gogh started reaching his most influ ential years, society at the time declared him unstableRead MoreA Brief Look at Vincent Van Gogh812 Words   |  3 PagesVincent Van Gogh Vincent Van Gogh is known to be a great artist who has created many great paintings. Van Gogh has also lived a very interesting life which effected the way he painted. Some of his great works are the cafà © terrace on the place du forum, Starry Night, Sun Flower, and Wheatfield with crows. Vincent Van Gogh was born in Holland on March 30, 1853 to a very religious family. His father Theodorus Van Gogh was a minister and his mother Anna Cornelia Carbentus was the daughter of a bookRead MoreVincent Van Gogh Painting Analysis Essay1464 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Vincent Van Gogh was born in Holland in 1853. He was an impressionist painter who was known for his rough beauty, bold use of color and unique techniques. Van Gogh suffered from severe anxiety and a form of mental illness which is apparent in his later pieces. Sadly Van Gogh passed away from a self inflicted gunshot wound in 1890 at age 30. His magnificent works of art were not fully appreciated while he was living; however they have now earned him great respect and appreciation. Read MoreThe Color in Vincent Van Gogh’s Life: An Analysis of The Sower and The Night Cafà ©1264 Words   |  6 Pagesart dealing, Vincent van Gogh was destined to have a place in the world of art. Van Gogh’s unique techniques and use of color, which clashed and differed greatly from the masters of the art world of his time, would eventually gain him the recognition as one of the founders of modern art. Van Gogh’s early life was heavily influenced by the role of his father who was a pastor and chose to follow in his footsteps. Although he abandoned the desire to become a pastor, van Gogh remained a spiritual

One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest †Psychosurgery and Institutionalisation Essay Example For Students

One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest – Psychosurgery and Institutionalisation Essay One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Psychosurgery and Institutionalisation The film â€Å"One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest† was made in 1975, over 10 years after the book was first sent for review. It won 5 Oscars and another 28 awards, as well as having 11 other nominations. At the end of the film, we see the main character, the rebellious Randal McMurphy, after he was forced to have a frontal lobotomy. He is in a vegetative state and there is no trace of the once fun-loving and adventurous man. This is an excellent example of psychosurgery and institutionalisation and how they were used during the 1940~50s, when the original novel that the film is based on was written. Psychosurgery was invented in 1935 by Egas Moniz, a Portuguese neurosurgeon at a hospital in Lisbon. It is the practice of severing or disabling areas of the brain to treat a personality disorder, behaviour disorder, or other mental illness. Lobotomy, a branch of psychosurgery, is a procedure performed on the frontal lobe of the brain and its purpose is to alleviate mental illness and chronic pain symptoms. It is classified as a functional neurosurgical procedure because it attempts to improve or restore function by altering underlying physiology. . In a frontal lobotomy, as we see in the film, surgeons cut or drill holes in the skull and remove or destroy tissue in the frontal lobes. This is where most current evidence indicates the higher cognitive and reasoning capabilities of humans are localized. Lobotomies were associated with a high complication rate including intellectual impairment, personality change, seizures, paralysis and death. Early operations were performed with surgical knives, electrodes, suction, or ice picks, to cut or sweep out portions of the frontal lobe. Between 1946 and 1949, the use of the lobotomy grew from 500 to 5,000 annual procedures in the United States. At that time, the procedure was viewed as a possible solution to the overcrowded and understaffed conditions in state-run mental hospitals and asylums. Patients are described by the nurses and the doctors, over and over, as dull, apathetic, listless, without drive or initiative, flat, lethargic, placid and unconcerned, childlike, docile, needing pushing, passive, lacking in spontaneity, without aim or purpose, preoccupied and dependent. Another matter that arose in the film was Institutionalisation. In clinical and abnormal psychology, institutionalization refers to deficits or disabilities in social and life skills, which develop after a person has spent a long period living in mental hospitals, prisons, or other remote institutions. Individuals in institutions may be deprived (unintentionally) of independence and of responsibility; to the point that once they return to outside life they are often unable to manage many of its demands. This was the case with Chief and several other characters in the film. Institutionalisation is sometimes a deliberate process whereby a person entering the institution is reprogrammed to accept and conform to strict controls that enables the institution to manage a large number of people with a minimum of necessary staff. This is seen throughout the film, with Nurse Ratchet being the toughest rule maker/enforcer. Here, the institutionalisation is very deliberate. The process of institutionalisation starts as soon as a patient is admitted into an institution. Depersonalization is achieved with weighing, photographing, removal of personal possessions, dressing in undifferentiated clothing, etc . Then the institution separates the person from the external world, denies them visitors, force them to adapt to the institution rather than hanker after external contact and allowing visitors only as a reward for acceptance of institutional rules. After a visit, trained staff watch how the patients behave carefully and only allow subsequent visits if they show no signs of rejecting the institution. .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86 , .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86 .postImageUrl , .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86 , .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86:hover , .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86:visited , .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86:active { border:0!important; } .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86:active , .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86 .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u88bb36c3834de7471ee8b067ad6a7c86:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Healthy Food EssayIn the film â€Å"One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest†, the institution controls the patients’ daily routines, their medication, their diet, their belongings (eg, rationing cigarettes) , and even try to mould how they think by using subtle threats and intimidation. Unquestioning obedience is forced by harsh punishment, both psychological and physical. One example of this is when Billy is caught in bed with a woman – for once in his life, he talked without stuttering, but Nurse Hatchet, instead of encouraging him to develop his speaking, threatens to tell his mother about the incident. This lead to Billy’s suicide just minute s later. McMurphys message to live free or die is ultimately not lost on one inmate, revealing that escape is still possible even from the most oppressive conditions. In present times, psychosurgery is much more technologically advanced, using an electric current and computer-based processes to burn a hole (usually ? cm in size) in the limbic system (brain structures involved in automatic body functions and some emotion and behaviour). Institutionalisation, however, still goes on in a lot of prisons, asylums and monasteries even today in an attempt to cut costs and maintain order. ~by Liza Wei

Neighbors Essays - Soap Opera, Social Realism, Serial, EastEnders

Neighbors "Before I saw Neighbors, I didn't know there was an Australia" (Jerry Hall, The Clive James Show, UK, 31 December, 1989) T he soap opera genre originated in American radio serials of the 1930s, and owes the name to the sponsorship of some of these programs by major soap powder companies. Proctor and Gamble and other soap companies were the most common sponsors, and soon the genre of 'soap opera' had been labeled. Like many television genres (e.g. news and quiz shows), the soap opera is a genre originally drawn from radio rather than film. Television soap operas are long-running serials traditionally based on the close study of personal relationships within the everyday life of its characters. Soaps are a consistent set of values based on personal relationships, on women's responsibility for the maintenance of these relationships and the applicability of the family model to structures. In soap operas at least one story line is carried over from one episode to the next. Successful soaps may continue for many years: so new viewers have to be able to join in at any stage in the serial. In serials, the passage of time also appears to reflect 'real time' for the viewers: in long-running soaps the characters age as the viewers do. Christine Geraghty (1991, p. 11) notes that 'the longer they run the more impossible it seems to imagine them ending.' There are sometimes allusions to major topical events in the world outside the programs. Soap operas have attempted to articulate social change through issues of race, class and sexuality. In dealing with what are often perceived to be awkward issues soap operas make good stories along the emotional lines of the characters. Christine Geraghty (1991, p. 147) ?While it seeks to accommodate change, it tries to do so on the basis of suppressing difference rather than acknowledging and welcoming what it offers.' Soap operas use the dramatisation of social issues to generate a greater sense of realism for the viewer. Like the melodrama genre, the soap opera genre shares such features as moral polarization, strong emotions, female orientation, unlikely coincidences, and excess. Another related genre is the literary romance, with which it shares features such as simplified characters, female orientation and episodic narrative. However, soaps do not share with these forms the happy ending or the idealized characters. Some media theorists distinguish between styles of TV programs, which are broadly'masculine' or 'feminine'. Those seen as typically masculine include action/adventure programs, police shows and westerns; those seen as more'feminine' include soap operas and sitcoms. Action-adventures define men in relation to power, authority, aggression and technology. Soap operas define women in relation to a concern with the family. For example in Neighbours the love triangle between Karl Kennedy, a married man and his secretary Sarah. Viewers knew the secret of the affair however; it was not by Susan Kennedy, or the Ramsey Street community. Therefore allowing the secret to maintain it's status and continue to be a valid plot thread. Although Karl has attempted to institute some redressive action, by taking a holiday with his wife, the crisis still exists. As there has been no redressive action directed towards Sarah the crisis still exists in the minds of the viewer. This all to common love triangle in soap operas suggests to the viewer about what is right and wrong in a relationship. Suggesting that infidelity is wrong and that the family should come first. Bean (1982:163) writes " by creating situations that violate the ideal order of the family" the soap opera will communicate to its audience about family life. Recurrent themes in soap opera include love, courtship's, secrets, marriages, divorces, deaths, scams and disappearances. Gossip is a key feature in soaps (usually absent from other genres): in part it acts as a commentary on the action. Geraghty notes that 'more frequently than other TV genres, soaps feature women characters normally excluded by their age, appearance or status' (1991, p. 17). These themes are reoccurring and repetitive and become the thread of each story. With each different character going through all of these themes at one stage, the different stages of social drama get repeated often. However, the themes can also be linked to one another to create more drama for the audience. Such as in Neighbours, Joel and Sally are in the beginning stage of their romance (courtship), however he also has strong feelings for Libby (love) and Drew is the only one who knows about it (secret). Television has become the "major socializing agent competing with family, school, peers,