The Seagull is filled with many aspects of drama which realistic events, serious situations, believable characters and tragic outcomes. Anton Chekhov leads this story successfully by particular characters. Each character has an own personality which makes this story more fascinating. There is complex spider’s thread of love in the story. Constantine is the main character that Anton Chekhov mainly focuses on. Constantine seems to be a really nice guy. He cares about his uncle and mother. He also loves Nina truly. The tragedy of this story is Constantine’s suicide. In fact, Boris and Nina are affected and related by Constantine’s suicide.
Boris has abundant knowledge about psychological aspects of human. His occupation proves that he is erudite. He is famous and creates good writing which makes him a skillful conversationalist and gives him the ability to control others. Boris could be the biggest factor of Constantine’s suicide. This is because he basically made every event happen. If he is not in the story, the story goes really smoothly. In the story, Boris said that, “a young girl grows up on the shores of a lake, as you have. She loves the lake as the gulls do, and is as happy and free as they. But a man sees her who chances to come that way, and he destroys her out of idleness, as this gull here has been destroyed.” (The Seagull, Chekhov, 28). This affected to Nina to fell in love with Boris which means Nina eventually left Constantine. Irina also said that to Constantine, “I have the greatest respect for that man, and I must ask you not to speak ill of him in my presence.” (Chekhov, 34).
Boris was even able to control Constantine’s mother.
The reason for Constantine’s survival is Nina. Constantine loves her dearly and never forgets her. She is another main factor that led Constantine to suicide. She was previously in a great relationship with Constantine. Since she met Boris, she was slowly losing feelings for Constantine, which led to their breakup. At the end of the story, she came back to Constantine and confessed about herself. At that point, she showed that she still cared about Constantine. However, she was still in love with Boris even though he moved back to Irina. The fact she still loved Boris made Constantine suffer. When she eventually left Constantine, he killed himself. He had no reason to live after she left. She was the most important reason he was able to survive.
Nina basically made him kill himself. However, Boris made Nina do that. At the beginning of the story, she was the pure girl who does not really know about anything. However, at the end of the story, she underwent many things such as having a baby, death of that baby and being abandoned by Boris. After all that, she became a really strong woman. The time she spent with Boris made her to be strong. This book does not say anything about those two years. However, after two years, Nina changed quite a bit. She now has a goal to become a professional actress and was able to leave Boris and Constantine.
Constantine is a poor character in this story. He could not get love, affection and approval from his mother Irina. Irina cares more about Boris and being an actress. In the story, she did not even want to spent money for his new jacket. Constantine was jealous of Boris about his talent of writing and hated his relationship with Irina. Although, Constantine became a famous writer at the end, he could not feel fully satisfied and could not get Nina back. He also did not know what he wanted to be or wanted to do in the future. Eventually, he could not conquer Boris.
In conclusion, Constantine’s suicide is definitely affected by Boris and Nina. Nina is basically the main factor of his death because Nina is the only reason that Constantine lives. When Nina left Constantine, he did not have a reason to stay alive. However, most importantly Boris made Nina leave Constantine, which led Constantine to commit suicide. Boris’s abundant knowledge about psychological aspects of human nature made Nina a totally different woman. The life experience Nina received from the time she spent with Boris proved that Nina was a changed woman. This story has a tragic ending which represents sadness and emptiness. It also makes the reader think about love and life.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Troy and King in Wilson’s play
August Wilson created several similar characters in two plays Fences and King Hedley II such as Troy and King, Gabriel and Stool Pigeon and Bono and Mister. They are really similar in personalities, behavioral patterns, and relationships between characters introduced in the play. Gabriel and Stool Pigeon both have mental problem and speak about strange things. Bono and Mister also have a lot of similarities. They are best friends of Troy and King and both are led by Troy and King. Among the rest, the protagonist of both plays, King and Troy have most similarities in his play for many ways.
First, Troy and King both have rough experiences with their past life. Troy left his father when he was fourteen and started steel something. He ended up at penitentiary which King also had been for seven years. Both of them have similar reasons for spending time at the penitentiary, for which they had killed someone. King killed Pernell because he called him “Champ” and he cut his face. And Troy killed someone because he shot Troy. They basically have really similar background and that comes out their personalities as well.
Even though, they both have totally understandable reason for fighting in self defense, they eventually ended up with killing someone. This obviously, represents their rough personalities. Normal person can not easily kill the people even if they get the harm from someone. However, King and Troy eventually did it which shows their roughness and aggression. Beside that, Troy and King have strong responsibility. Troy worked for the family and gave money to Rose. He also took a responsibility of his daughter from another woman. King also showed the responsibility of his baby that Tonya had in her stomach.
Their personalities also appear in their relationship with others. When Troy treated Cory, we can definitely see his personality. When Cory walked over top of Troy, Troy rebuked that and fought with Cory. Troy was not afraid of Cory at all, even Cory grows up and had the power to fight against with him. King also has a really similar personality as Troy. In the story King said, “The last one cost me seven years. Like I say, this one ain’t gonna cost me nothin’. This one gonna be self-defense. Come on… let’s shoot some crap.” (99). King does not even afraid killing someone.
Another similarity in their personality is that they have really strong insistence. They did not care about others opinion. Once they decided something, they never care about what others may think. Troy did not let Cory go to college even though Rose and Cory wanted him to do that. King also did not care Tonya that she told him not to steal something. However, he only thought about the money that can open the video shop and kept stealing something.
The relationship they have with their friend also have a common ground. Both of them have the best friends, Bono and Mister. Their really good friend with Troy and King but they always led by Troy and King. Bono said that, “My man Troy knows what he’s doing… I’m gonna follow this nigger… he might take me somewhere. I been following you too. I done learned a whole heap of things about life watching you.”(62). It definitely shows that Troy is in higher position than Bono in their relationship. In the King Hedley II, Mister could not get the money from the pot and had to come up with anther idea because King did not want him to take money from the pot.
Troy and King both have a problem with family members. In the Fences, Troy conflicted with Cory started by college issues and that issue becomes bigger and bigger throughout the story. King also had a problem with Ruby and finds out the truth about the story of his father. Conflicts with family members lead the story into a tragic ending with both plays, resulting in their own death, (Troy and King).
Troy and King are really similar characters that Wilson created. The personality and relationship with others are obviously similar in many ways. The background Wilson created for them made them similar in personality. Additionally, both of them had the same ending that they died at the end of the story. The characters Wilson created in two plays have a lot in common especially with the King and Troy.
First, Troy and King both have rough experiences with their past life. Troy left his father when he was fourteen and started steel something. He ended up at penitentiary which King also had been for seven years. Both of them have similar reasons for spending time at the penitentiary, for which they had killed someone. King killed Pernell because he called him “Champ” and he cut his face. And Troy killed someone because he shot Troy. They basically have really similar background and that comes out their personalities as well.
Even though, they both have totally understandable reason for fighting in self defense, they eventually ended up with killing someone. This obviously, represents their rough personalities. Normal person can not easily kill the people even if they get the harm from someone. However, King and Troy eventually did it which shows their roughness and aggression. Beside that, Troy and King have strong responsibility. Troy worked for the family and gave money to Rose. He also took a responsibility of his daughter from another woman. King also showed the responsibility of his baby that Tonya had in her stomach.
Their personalities also appear in their relationship with others. When Troy treated Cory, we can definitely see his personality. When Cory walked over top of Troy, Troy rebuked that and fought with Cory. Troy was not afraid of Cory at all, even Cory grows up and had the power to fight against with him. King also has a really similar personality as Troy. In the story King said, “The last one cost me seven years. Like I say, this one ain’t gonna cost me nothin’. This one gonna be self-defense. Come on… let’s shoot some crap.” (99). King does not even afraid killing someone.
Another similarity in their personality is that they have really strong insistence. They did not care about others opinion. Once they decided something, they never care about what others may think. Troy did not let Cory go to college even though Rose and Cory wanted him to do that. King also did not care Tonya that she told him not to steal something. However, he only thought about the money that can open the video shop and kept stealing something.
The relationship they have with their friend also have a common ground. Both of them have the best friends, Bono and Mister. Their really good friend with Troy and King but they always led by Troy and King. Bono said that, “My man Troy knows what he’s doing… I’m gonna follow this nigger… he might take me somewhere. I been following you too. I done learned a whole heap of things about life watching you.”(62). It definitely shows that Troy is in higher position than Bono in their relationship. In the King Hedley II, Mister could not get the money from the pot and had to come up with anther idea because King did not want him to take money from the pot.
Troy and King both have a problem with family members. In the Fences, Troy conflicted with Cory started by college issues and that issue becomes bigger and bigger throughout the story. King also had a problem with Ruby and finds out the truth about the story of his father. Conflicts with family members lead the story into a tragic ending with both plays, resulting in their own death, (Troy and King).
Troy and King are really similar characters that Wilson created. The personality and relationship with others are obviously similar in many ways. The background Wilson created for them made them similar in personality. Additionally, both of them had the same ending that they died at the end of the story. The characters Wilson created in two plays have a lot in common especially with the King and Troy.
Jimmy Cross in “The Things They Carried”
Tim O’Brien wrote about the story of a company in the Vietnam. The Things They Carried contains relationships, isolation, loneliness, rage and fear. O’Brien includes pretty much everything that people can feel and do in the war. There are a lot of symbols that represent the effects of war. O’Brien starts this story with Lieutenant Jimmy Cross who is a commander of the company. O’Brien tells the readers about the letter that Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried and explains the relationship between Jimmy Cross and Martha. O’Brien also tells about other members of that company, what they carried, and what happened during each mission. The reason why O’Brien brought up Jimmy Cross at the beginning of the story is that he is the most important character in this story. O’Brien tells the story by Jimmy Cross, what he did in this story, and how it affected the entire story. Jimmy Cross is also the reason that O’Brien wrote this story in chronological disorder.
Sparknotes tells about Jimmy Cross;
The lieutenant of the Alpha Company, who is responsible for the entire group of men. Cross is well intentioned but unsure of how to lead his men. He is wracked with guilt because he believes that his preoccupation with his unrequited love for a girl named Martha and his tendency to follow orders despite his better judgment caused the deaths of Ted Lavender and Kiowa, two members of Alpha Company. (Sparknotes)
Jimmy Cross is defined as a man who wracked with guilt. He is the one who actually makes the entire story as well.
O’Brien tells the story in chronological disorder. He shows the readers the flashback after Lavender died, and he goes back to the time before Lavender died. He also mentions about Jimmy Cross at every single events that relates to Lavender’s death. In the story, O’Brien mentions that “in mid-April, Lieutenant Cross felt the pain. He blamed himself” (O’Brien 101). At this point, O’Brien shows Jimmy Cross’s feeling and that proves how important Jimmy Cross is in the story. When O’Brien starts to tell about past times, he also starts with Jimmy Cross. O’Brien mentions that, “In the first week of April, before Lavender died, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross received a good-luck charm from Martha” (O’Brien 102). He starts with a sentence about Jimmy Cross and goes through a whole paragraph about him and Martha. Basically, the entire story follows Jimmy Cross. O’Brien really involved Jimmy Cross’s feelings and thoughts throughout the whole story.
When O’Brien mentions about Jimmy Cross, he also often involves Martha. And he shows how important their relationship is. After Lavender died, O’Brien wrote that “Because he loved her so much and could not stop thinking about her” (O’Brien 101). He also said “He couldn’t help himself. He loved her so much” (O’Brien 102). The reason Jimmy Cross could not care for his men is Martha and it caused Lavender’s death. In the story, “In mid-April, Lieutenant Cross felt the pain. He blamed himself” (O’Brien 101). O’Brien directly shows that in the story at many times.
Before Lavender died, Jimmy Cross did not feel guilty about thinking of Martha at all. He thought about her all the time instead of taking care of his men. He carried the pebble as others carried something they wanted. The problem was Jimmy Cross fell for Martha too much. He barely took his responsibilities as a commander of company. In the story, “On occasion he would yell at his men to spread out the column, to keep their eyes open, but then he would slip away into daydreams, just pretending working bare foot along the Jersey shore, with Martha, carrying nothing” (O’Brien 102). O’Brien actually shows the readers that scene where Jimmy Cross thinks about Martha many times. Especially at this time, O’Brien directly points out the reason that Jimmy Cross could not concentrate on war and was not able to handle that circumstance.
After O’Brien mentioned Jimmy Cross and Martha several times, the main event happened, which is Lavender’s death. This is the main event of this story and it is also caused by Jimmy Cross and Martha. Even though Jimmy Cross was not physically involved in Lavender’s death, he has a huge responsibility for it. Right before Lavender died, the company moved to the tunnel and examined the darkness. Even when they were executing the mission, Jimmy Cross thought about Martha. He totally got out of that circumstance to be with Martha in his imaginary place. He imagined the whole situation that might happen if he stayed with Martha. He was too easily losing his concentration in the mission even though he had a huge responsibility to lead his company. His actions resulted in Lavender’s death.
As long as he was one of member of the company, Jimmy Cross must have felt horrible about Lavender’s death. O’Brien directly shows Jimmy Cross’s thought that, “He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence Lavender was now dead, and this was something he would have to carry like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war” (O’Brien 106). Jimmy Cross felt shame and pain by himself. He definitely knew what caused that to happen. At this point, Jimmy Cross finally found the reason why he must not think about Martha. The reason was that she belonged to another world, did not love him and never would. Besides that, Jimmy Cross physically felt how important the responsibility he had in the company was. He also realized that if he does not take that responsibility seriously, he would lose his men again.
After O’Brien tells about Lavender’s death, he goes back to the time after Lavender died.
In the story, “On the morning after Ted Lavender died, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross crouched at the bottom of his foxhole and burned Martha’s letters. Then he burned the two photographs” (O’Brien 109). O’Brien shows Jimmy Cross’s action and that represents the fact that Jimmy Cross will be different. After he burned Martha’s letters and photographs, he was changed. O’Brien said that, “He was now determined to perform his duties firmly and without negligence” (O’Brien 110). Jimmy Cross finally comported himself as a soldier.
At the end of the story, O’Brien tells about Jimmy Cross again. He shows Jimmy Cross’s actions that follow his decision made after Lavender’s death. He convinced himself that he will never think about Martha again and told himself “No more fantasies” (O’Brien 110). O’Brien actually shows that Jimmy Cross now became a real soldier. At the same time, O’Brien shows us the cruelty of war and how the war affects the people.
O’Brien also shows us about the process of Jimmy Cross becoming a real soldier. Before Lavender died, he was a kid in the war who thought about Martha all the time. He was confused in self-consciousness between being commander of the company and the kid who fell in love with Martha. Then O’Brien creates the events of Lavender’s death which caused Jimmy Cross’s decision. Afterward, O’Brien shows the variation that Jimmy Cross got from Lavender’s death. Jimmy Cross eventually became a real commander of the company at the end of the story. He also perceived that difference between reality and the ideal, which for him was Martha.
In this story there are the real soldiers who carry weapons and go on the missions. O’Brien does not really include the story of family or someone waiting for the soldiers to come home from the war. This represents that the soldiers in this story do not fight for the country or family. They fight for themselves. They just want to be alive and get out of this war. All they want is to throw out the things they have carried, which are fear and shame from the war, and want to be free of the war.
They carried physical things and mental things together. The physical things could be refills of supplies and they can easily throw away. However, they could not easily throw out the mental “things”. These might remain in their mind forever. Jimmy Cross was able to burn Martha’s letters and photographs. However, he could not burn Lavender’s death from his mind. O’Brien shows the significance of mental “things” people get from war by the example of Jimmy Cross.
Google book search defines this story; “They battle the enemy (or maybe more the idea of the enemy), and occasionally each other. In their relationships we see their isolation and loneliness, their rage and fear” (Google). O’Brien tells pretty much about the human’s feelings, actions and relationships in the war. He also shows the readers about the things they carried such as comic book, condom, diary and grandfather’s old hatchet. These represent their personality as well.
O’Brien uses Jimmy Cross to make this story effective. O’Brien begins the story with Jimmy Cross and tells about him throughout the whole story. He goes in to details about Jimmy Cross as well. O’Brien shows Jimmy Cross’s feelings about Lavender’s death at the beginning of the story, and tells about the actual story of Lavender’s death, which represents that the whole story is about Jimmy Cross. He is the one who actually makes the story. Jimmy Cross thought about Martha all the time before Lavender’s death even in the dangerous circumstance. It was too late when he realized that he must not think about Martha. He already lost his man and got a huge thing in his back which Lavender’s death. He carried himself with poise and dignity but he mostly carried was a guilty of conscience about Lavender’s death and responsibilities as a commander of the company.
Works Cited
The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien Character list. Sparknotes 09 May. 2009.
Tim O’Brien. “The Things They Carried” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (101).
Tim O’Brien. “The Things They Carried” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (102).
Tim O’Brien. “The Things They Carried” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (106).
Tim O’Brien. “The Things They Carried” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (109).
Tim O’Brien. “The Things They Carried” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (110).
Google Book search The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien. Google Book search. 09 May. 2009..
The things they carried.
I wrote about Jimmy Cross in the story. What he did and how is that related in whole story.
I have some points;
· O’Brien begins the story with Jimmy Cross.
· When O’Brien tells about Jimmy Cross he also involves Martha.
· The relationship between Jimmy Cross and Lavender’s death
· How Jimmy Cross changed at the end
· Little about war that how war affects people.
It is pretty much about Jimmy Cross in the story.
Sparknotes tells about Jimmy Cross;
The lieutenant of the Alpha Company, who is responsible for the entire group of men. Cross is well intentioned but unsure of how to lead his men. He is wracked with guilt because he believes that his preoccupation with his unrequited love for a girl named Martha and his tendency to follow orders despite his better judgment caused the deaths of Ted Lavender and Kiowa, two members of Alpha Company. (Sparknotes)
Jimmy Cross is defined as a man who wracked with guilt. He is the one who actually makes the entire story as well.
O’Brien tells the story in chronological disorder. He shows the readers the flashback after Lavender died, and he goes back to the time before Lavender died. He also mentions about Jimmy Cross at every single events that relates to Lavender’s death. In the story, O’Brien mentions that “in mid-April, Lieutenant Cross felt the pain. He blamed himself” (O’Brien 101). At this point, O’Brien shows Jimmy Cross’s feeling and that proves how important Jimmy Cross is in the story. When O’Brien starts to tell about past times, he also starts with Jimmy Cross. O’Brien mentions that, “In the first week of April, before Lavender died, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross received a good-luck charm from Martha” (O’Brien 102). He starts with a sentence about Jimmy Cross and goes through a whole paragraph about him and Martha. Basically, the entire story follows Jimmy Cross. O’Brien really involved Jimmy Cross’s feelings and thoughts throughout the whole story.
When O’Brien mentions about Jimmy Cross, he also often involves Martha. And he shows how important their relationship is. After Lavender died, O’Brien wrote that “Because he loved her so much and could not stop thinking about her” (O’Brien 101). He also said “He couldn’t help himself. He loved her so much” (O’Brien 102). The reason Jimmy Cross could not care for his men is Martha and it caused Lavender’s death. In the story, “In mid-April, Lieutenant Cross felt the pain. He blamed himself” (O’Brien 101). O’Brien directly shows that in the story at many times.
Before Lavender died, Jimmy Cross did not feel guilty about thinking of Martha at all. He thought about her all the time instead of taking care of his men. He carried the pebble as others carried something they wanted. The problem was Jimmy Cross fell for Martha too much. He barely took his responsibilities as a commander of company. In the story, “On occasion he would yell at his men to spread out the column, to keep their eyes open, but then he would slip away into daydreams, just pretending working bare foot along the Jersey shore, with Martha, carrying nothing” (O’Brien 102). O’Brien actually shows the readers that scene where Jimmy Cross thinks about Martha many times. Especially at this time, O’Brien directly points out the reason that Jimmy Cross could not concentrate on war and was not able to handle that circumstance.
After O’Brien mentioned Jimmy Cross and Martha several times, the main event happened, which is Lavender’s death. This is the main event of this story and it is also caused by Jimmy Cross and Martha. Even though Jimmy Cross was not physically involved in Lavender’s death, he has a huge responsibility for it. Right before Lavender died, the company moved to the tunnel and examined the darkness. Even when they were executing the mission, Jimmy Cross thought about Martha. He totally got out of that circumstance to be with Martha in his imaginary place. He imagined the whole situation that might happen if he stayed with Martha. He was too easily losing his concentration in the mission even though he had a huge responsibility to lead his company. His actions resulted in Lavender’s death.
As long as he was one of member of the company, Jimmy Cross must have felt horrible about Lavender’s death. O’Brien directly shows Jimmy Cross’s thought that, “He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence Lavender was now dead, and this was something he would have to carry like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war” (O’Brien 106). Jimmy Cross felt shame and pain by himself. He definitely knew what caused that to happen. At this point, Jimmy Cross finally found the reason why he must not think about Martha. The reason was that she belonged to another world, did not love him and never would. Besides that, Jimmy Cross physically felt how important the responsibility he had in the company was. He also realized that if he does not take that responsibility seriously, he would lose his men again.
After O’Brien tells about Lavender’s death, he goes back to the time after Lavender died.
In the story, “On the morning after Ted Lavender died, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross crouched at the bottom of his foxhole and burned Martha’s letters. Then he burned the two photographs” (O’Brien 109). O’Brien shows Jimmy Cross’s action and that represents the fact that Jimmy Cross will be different. After he burned Martha’s letters and photographs, he was changed. O’Brien said that, “He was now determined to perform his duties firmly and without negligence” (O’Brien 110). Jimmy Cross finally comported himself as a soldier.
At the end of the story, O’Brien tells about Jimmy Cross again. He shows Jimmy Cross’s actions that follow his decision made after Lavender’s death. He convinced himself that he will never think about Martha again and told himself “No more fantasies” (O’Brien 110). O’Brien actually shows that Jimmy Cross now became a real soldier. At the same time, O’Brien shows us the cruelty of war and how the war affects the people.
O’Brien also shows us about the process of Jimmy Cross becoming a real soldier. Before Lavender died, he was a kid in the war who thought about Martha all the time. He was confused in self-consciousness between being commander of the company and the kid who fell in love with Martha. Then O’Brien creates the events of Lavender’s death which caused Jimmy Cross’s decision. Afterward, O’Brien shows the variation that Jimmy Cross got from Lavender’s death. Jimmy Cross eventually became a real commander of the company at the end of the story. He also perceived that difference between reality and the ideal, which for him was Martha.
In this story there are the real soldiers who carry weapons and go on the missions. O’Brien does not really include the story of family or someone waiting for the soldiers to come home from the war. This represents that the soldiers in this story do not fight for the country or family. They fight for themselves. They just want to be alive and get out of this war. All they want is to throw out the things they have carried, which are fear and shame from the war, and want to be free of the war.
They carried physical things and mental things together. The physical things could be refills of supplies and they can easily throw away. However, they could not easily throw out the mental “things”. These might remain in their mind forever. Jimmy Cross was able to burn Martha’s letters and photographs. However, he could not burn Lavender’s death from his mind. O’Brien shows the significance of mental “things” people get from war by the example of Jimmy Cross.
Google book search defines this story; “They battle the enemy (or maybe more the idea of the enemy), and occasionally each other. In their relationships we see their isolation and loneliness, their rage and fear” (Google). O’Brien tells pretty much about the human’s feelings, actions and relationships in the war. He also shows the readers about the things they carried such as comic book, condom, diary and grandfather’s old hatchet. These represent their personality as well.
O’Brien uses Jimmy Cross to make this story effective. O’Brien begins the story with Jimmy Cross and tells about him throughout the whole story. He goes in to details about Jimmy Cross as well. O’Brien shows Jimmy Cross’s feelings about Lavender’s death at the beginning of the story, and tells about the actual story of Lavender’s death, which represents that the whole story is about Jimmy Cross. He is the one who actually makes the story. Jimmy Cross thought about Martha all the time before Lavender’s death even in the dangerous circumstance. It was too late when he realized that he must not think about Martha. He already lost his man and got a huge thing in his back which Lavender’s death. He carried himself with poise and dignity but he mostly carried was a guilty of conscience about Lavender’s death and responsibilities as a commander of the company.
Works Cited
The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien Character list. Sparknotes 09 May. 2009.
Tim O’Brien. “The Things They Carried” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (101).
Tim O’Brien. “The Things They Carried” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (102).
Tim O’Brien. “The Things They Carried” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (106).
Tim O’Brien. “The Things They Carried” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (109).
Tim O’Brien. “The Things They Carried” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (110).
Google Book search The Things They Carried Tim O’Brien. Google Book search. 09 May. 2009.
The things they carried.
I wrote about Jimmy Cross in the story. What he did and how is that related in whole story.
I have some points;
· O’Brien begins the story with Jimmy Cross.
· When O’Brien tells about Jimmy Cross he also involves Martha.
· The relationship between Jimmy Cross and Lavender’s death
· How Jimmy Cross changed at the end
· Little about war that how war affects people.
It is pretty much about Jimmy Cross in the story.
The Red Convertible Louise Erdrich
Louise Erdrich tells us about the relationship between two brothers Lyman and Henry. They worked really hard to buy a red convertible. The atmosphere of the story started with happiness. Lyman and Henry met a girl named Susy and took her home. They spent time together in Alaska. Afterward, they returned home for their reservation in North Dakota. They were having fun and enjoyed life before Henry signed up for the U.S. Army and left to fight in the Vietnam war. During the war, Lyman noticed that Henry was captured by the Vietnamese Army. Henry captured by the Vietnamese Army, predicts a change in tone for the rest of the story. When Henry returned from Vietnam, he totally changed and that changed the tone of the story from happiness to sadness. The red convertible affected the entire atmosphere of the story. When Lyman and Henry went to buy the red convertible, we can see their excitement for the car when Lyman thought, “of the word repose, because that car wasn’t simply stopped, parked, or whatever. That car reposed calm and gleaming, a FOR SALE sign in its left front window.” (Erdrich 437). After they got a red convertible, the two brothers were really enjoying their lives. When they were driving the new car, Lyman said, “Some people hang on to details when they travel, but we didn’t let them bother us and just lived our everyday lives here to there.” (Erdrich 437). The story began full of happiness and excitement starting with the red convertible. The red convertible will always be with Lyman and Henry.
The tone of the story changed with the sentence, “When he returned home, though, Henry was very different, and I’ll say this: the change was no good.” (Erdrich 438). The relationship between Henry and Lyman was not good anymore. Lyman realized that Henry had totally changed in a bad way and noticed that by his uncommon actions. Even when Bonita took a picture of the whole family together, the tone remained sad. When Lyman described Henry in the picture “I looked up at the wall and Henry was staring at me. I don’t know what it was, his smile had changed, or maybe it was gone.” (Erdrich 440). Lyman could not feel same way to Henry that he felt before he went to the war and that made the atmosphere of the story to sad. The title seems to signify the happiness of life and the brotherly bond between Henry and Lyman. When the two brothers purchased the convertible, they were young, happy, and just wanted to travel. After Henry changed from his experiences in Vietnam, Lyman trashed the red convertible for purpose that Henry could fix it to forget about the war. However, Henry fixed the car only for Lyman to drive it. After Lyman and Henry had a fight, they laughed together for the first time since Henry returned. However, when it seems like Henry was happy again, he jumped into the river and vanished forever. After that, Lyman took the car and drove it into the river which represents that the red convertible means nothing for Lyman without Henry. Lyman did not have any reason to keep that car anymore because Henry was gone. This story tells how war can change and destroy people. The scars of war Henry got was not only physical that effected him emotionally as well. That also led Henry to commit suicide. Even though the red convertible was a huge connection between Henry and Lyman, that was not enough to help Henry to get out of the shock he got from war. The story started with happiness and excitement but it finished with sadness. The war created the sadness in this story and was the main cause that changed the tone of the story.
Work Cities
Louise Erdrich. “The Red Convertible” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (437).
Louise Erdrich. “The Red Convertible” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (437).
Louise Erdrich. “The Red Convertible” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (438).
Louise Erdrich. “The Red Convertible” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (440).
The tone of the story changed with the sentence, “When he returned home, though, Henry was very different, and I’ll say this: the change was no good.” (Erdrich 438). The relationship between Henry and Lyman was not good anymore. Lyman realized that Henry had totally changed in a bad way and noticed that by his uncommon actions. Even when Bonita took a picture of the whole family together, the tone remained sad. When Lyman described Henry in the picture “I looked up at the wall and Henry was staring at me. I don’t know what it was, his smile had changed, or maybe it was gone.” (Erdrich 440). Lyman could not feel same way to Henry that he felt before he went to the war and that made the atmosphere of the story to sad. The title seems to signify the happiness of life and the brotherly bond between Henry and Lyman. When the two brothers purchased the convertible, they were young, happy, and just wanted to travel. After Henry changed from his experiences in Vietnam, Lyman trashed the red convertible for purpose that Henry could fix it to forget about the war. However, Henry fixed the car only for Lyman to drive it. After Lyman and Henry had a fight, they laughed together for the first time since Henry returned. However, when it seems like Henry was happy again, he jumped into the river and vanished forever. After that, Lyman took the car and drove it into the river which represents that the red convertible means nothing for Lyman without Henry. Lyman did not have any reason to keep that car anymore because Henry was gone. This story tells how war can change and destroy people. The scars of war Henry got was not only physical that effected him emotionally as well. That also led Henry to commit suicide. Even though the red convertible was a huge connection between Henry and Lyman, that was not enough to help Henry to get out of the shock he got from war. The story started with happiness and excitement but it finished with sadness. The war created the sadness in this story and was the main cause that changed the tone of the story.
Work Cities
Louise Erdrich. “The Red Convertible” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (437).
Louise Erdrich. “The Red Convertible” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (437).
Louise Erdrich. “The Red Convertible” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (438).
Louise Erdrich. “The Red Convertible” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (440).
A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
The play A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen, is concerned with the conflict between social lie and duty. This play is about women's need for independence and her obligations to family and society. We can easily recognize sacrifice and guiltlessness in the play. One can follow a theme through the play by looking at Nora the heroine. In the play, Nora represents the sacrificial role of women in the society. Nora Helmer is the beloved wife of Torvald Helmer. They have a very nice, cozy house, and they have three kids. They have been married for eight years. They also have lovely friends. Torvald was just promoted for a higher position in the bank. This is what we see in the beginning of the play, just like common happy family. However, when Torvald started to talk, we could feel that something is wrong with this picture. "My little songbird," "my little squirrel," and even "my little featherbrain" that is what Torvald calls his wife. He treats Nora as a child. He thinks that she is not smart as him, and she must be controlled. Torvald controls her housekeeping budget and how much she can spend on certain purchases.
He does not know, and he does not want to know that Nora, herself, can earn some money. Instead, he expects her always be dependent on his salary. That shows the ordinary old women who does not work and does only house work. Nora is actually different from other women. She is smart enough to decide something for her family and has ability to propel that. She made decision to have trip with Torvald in Italy and eventually that was right decision for her and Torvald. This is too bad that Nora was able to realize after eight years that she lives with a hypocrite. After he discovered that Nora forged her father's signature on the loan bond, he nullifies their marriage. He does not care that Nora did this because she loves him very much, and she did this to save his life. He is the man of "honor," "Nora, I would gladly work night and for you, Nora bear sorrow and want for your sake. But no man would sacrifice his honor for the one he loves." And she answers him, "It is a thing hundreds of thousands of women have done" (Ibsen 1087). When a woman loves as Nora does, nothing else matters. She will sacrifice herself for the family. Her purpose in life is to be happy for her husband and children; to dance and to play. Torvald does not know what the real relationship is. And when he sees that because of Nora he needs to sacrifice his reputation and his career. He would not take the blame for her. Only when he finds out that Nora will not be charged, he forgives her, and tries to keep her. However, it is not going to help him because Nora realized that Torvald does not really love her. He only thinks about himself. Once Nora recognized the truth about her marriage, she understood that she can no longer stay in the "strange man's room" (Ibsen 1088). There is anything more humiliating to a woman than to live with a stranger, and have children with him. The lie of the marriage institution decrees that she shall continue to do so, and the social conception of duty insists that for the sake of that lie she need be nothing else than a plaything, a doll, an unknown. "our home has been nothing but a play-room. I have been your doll-wife here, just as at home I was Papa's doll child" (Ibsen 1085). Nora realizes how much she has been wronged, that she is only a doll for Helmer. She also says to him, "You have never loved me. You only thought it amusing to be in love with me." She decided that she has to leave a house. She wants to become independent. When Helmer reminds her about her "holiest duties" as mother and wife, she tells him that, "I have other duties just as sacred" (Ibsen 1086). Nora wants to be independent, not only to be recognized as a mother and wife. Even in the end of the story, Torvald said that, “You talk like a child. You don’t understand the conditions of the world in which you live” (Ibsen 1087). Torvald wants to keep her beside him but he still treats her as a child. Henrik Ibsen keep reminds us the women’s role in society that was sacrifice for men.
Nora's abandonment of her children can also be interpreted as an act of self sacrifice. Despite Nora's great love for her children manifested by her interaction with them and her great fear of corrupting them she chooses to leave them. Nora truly believes that the nanny will be a better mother and that leaving her children is in their best interest.
When Nora closes the door of the doll's house behind her, she opens a different door of new life for women. She brought new ideas of women's freedom in the family, and in society. She tried to tell us that nothing but women's freedom will make a true connection between man and woman. That will be a best time without lies, equal opportunities, and without shame. This play shows us how hard it was being a woman, and not only at that time. Even in now days, there are a lot of women who are still victims of men. However, it keeps better and better like Nora left Torvald by her own decision.
Work Cities
Henrik Ibsen. “A Dolls House” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (1087).
Henrik Ibsen. “A Dolls House” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (1088).
Henrik Ibsen. “A Dolls House” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (1085).
Henrik Ibsen. “A Dolls House” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (1086).
Henrik Ibsen. “A Dolls House” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (1087).
He does not know, and he does not want to know that Nora, herself, can earn some money. Instead, he expects her always be dependent on his salary. That shows the ordinary old women who does not work and does only house work. Nora is actually different from other women. She is smart enough to decide something for her family and has ability to propel that. She made decision to have trip with Torvald in Italy and eventually that was right decision for her and Torvald. This is too bad that Nora was able to realize after eight years that she lives with a hypocrite. After he discovered that Nora forged her father's signature on the loan bond, he nullifies their marriage. He does not care that Nora did this because she loves him very much, and she did this to save his life. He is the man of "honor," "Nora, I would gladly work night and for you, Nora bear sorrow and want for your sake. But no man would sacrifice his honor for the one he loves." And she answers him, "It is a thing hundreds of thousands of women have done" (Ibsen 1087). When a woman loves as Nora does, nothing else matters. She will sacrifice herself for the family. Her purpose in life is to be happy for her husband and children; to dance and to play. Torvald does not know what the real relationship is. And when he sees that because of Nora he needs to sacrifice his reputation and his career. He would not take the blame for her. Only when he finds out that Nora will not be charged, he forgives her, and tries to keep her. However, it is not going to help him because Nora realized that Torvald does not really love her. He only thinks about himself. Once Nora recognized the truth about her marriage, she understood that she can no longer stay in the "strange man's room" (Ibsen 1088). There is anything more humiliating to a woman than to live with a stranger, and have children with him. The lie of the marriage institution decrees that she shall continue to do so, and the social conception of duty insists that for the sake of that lie she need be nothing else than a plaything, a doll, an unknown. "our home has been nothing but a play-room. I have been your doll-wife here, just as at home I was Papa's doll child" (Ibsen 1085). Nora realizes how much she has been wronged, that she is only a doll for Helmer. She also says to him, "You have never loved me. You only thought it amusing to be in love with me." She decided that she has to leave a house. She wants to become independent. When Helmer reminds her about her "holiest duties" as mother and wife, she tells him that, "I have other duties just as sacred" (Ibsen 1086). Nora wants to be independent, not only to be recognized as a mother and wife. Even in the end of the story, Torvald said that, “You talk like a child. You don’t understand the conditions of the world in which you live” (Ibsen 1087). Torvald wants to keep her beside him but he still treats her as a child. Henrik Ibsen keep reminds us the women’s role in society that was sacrifice for men.
Nora's abandonment of her children can also be interpreted as an act of self sacrifice. Despite Nora's great love for her children manifested by her interaction with them and her great fear of corrupting them she chooses to leave them. Nora truly believes that the nanny will be a better mother and that leaving her children is in their best interest.
When Nora closes the door of the doll's house behind her, she opens a different door of new life for women. She brought new ideas of women's freedom in the family, and in society. She tried to tell us that nothing but women's freedom will make a true connection between man and woman. That will be a best time without lies, equal opportunities, and without shame. This play shows us how hard it was being a woman, and not only at that time. Even in now days, there are a lot of women who are still victims of men. However, it keeps better and better like Nora left Torvald by her own decision.
Work Cities
Henrik Ibsen. “A Dolls House” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (1087).
Henrik Ibsen. “A Dolls House” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (1088).
Henrik Ibsen. “A Dolls House” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (1085).
Henrik Ibsen. “A Dolls House” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (1086).
Henrik Ibsen. “A Dolls House” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. (1087).
Symbolism in “The Lottery”
This literature is filled with a lot of symbolism. Shirley Jackson, the narrator, tells us about rituals and traditions using things like the lottery and the black box. Now days, everyone wants to win the lottery. However, in this story, the lottery is something which people do not want to win. This story begins in a small village on a sunny summer day. There are several main characters who controls the affairs related to the Lottery. Shirley Jackson’s character symbolized the human cruelness and evil nature in this story, which can compare to now days.
Mr. Summer is one of the main characters. He is a man who serves as an authoritarian in the village. Because he is the owner of the coal company, he has the financial power to produce the event and still has family problems that people think his pity. His role is to keep the tradition of the lottery going. The lottery touches the evil nature deep inside of people and results in tragic endings. However, he has never played the lottery. Mr. Summer represents many authority figures in today’s marketplace. For instance, according to cnet.com, “WITHDRAW YOUR FUNDS NOW! Bank of America declares bankruptcy.” March 2005. “cnet news” 15 Feb. 2009.. CEOs can mismanage money, ask for bailouts, and still don’t understand their roles in the misfortunes of their company’s. This relates to the position of Mr. Summer in the lottery event.
The old Man Waner is another main character in this story. He participated in this event seventy-seven times and tells us that the tradition of the event has faded. He seems to be a very superstitious man who just follows the tradition. He warns people that there is an unknown danger if the ritual were to stop. Even though people have forgotten the traditional, they still remember how to use stones. This shows that peoples’ natures never change. This is the evil nature that people have. Now days, the economy has grown and technology also has advanced. However, there are wars and crimes happening all the time.
When Mrs. Hutchinson got a paper that had a black spot on it, she insisted that it was not fair because she was a complainer. She would naturally find an excuse to complain about anything. This is about how ego’s are covered by hypocrisy. Kids in the village liked that they did not win the lottery. Mrs. Hutchinson and her husband announced that were the people who got the paper with the black spot on it. People did not care about Mrs. Hutchinson’s complaint, instead, they paid no attention to her and enjoyed the event. Mrs. Dellacroix, who had a good relationship with her, along with the villagers stoned Mrs. Hutchinson for winning the lottery. Even little baby Dave threw a stone. This represents cruelty of human nature. When people felt comfortable and at ease about not winning the lottery, they began to enjoy the event.
The symbolism in this story makes the reader think deeply about selfishness and cruelty. In this story, people do not care about the person who wins the lottery unless they get a paper that has a black spot on it. According to the narrator, “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original box, they still remembered to use stones” (123, Jackson). The people felt at ease as long as they were not the one’s hit by stones. The characters that Shirley Jackson used in this story are similar many people today, but you just don’t realize it until a situation occurs that causes them to show their real characters. The people in this story worried about getting a paper with a black spot on it. If that never occurred, they had no reason to worry, which means people do not want to personally experience have bad things, but they are comfortable watching others experience misfortunes.
Work Cities
Cnet.com, “WITHDRAW YOUR FUNDS NOW! Bank of America declares bankruptcy.” March 2005. “cnet news” 15 Feb. 2009..
Jackson, Shirley. “The Lottery.” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. 123.
Mr. Summer is one of the main characters. He is a man who serves as an authoritarian in the village. Because he is the owner of the coal company, he has the financial power to produce the event and still has family problems that people think his pity. His role is to keep the tradition of the lottery going. The lottery touches the evil nature deep inside of people and results in tragic endings. However, he has never played the lottery. Mr. Summer represents many authority figures in today’s marketplace. For instance, according to cnet.com, “WITHDRAW YOUR FUNDS NOW! Bank of America declares bankruptcy.” March 2005. “cnet news” 15 Feb. 2009.
The old Man Waner is another main character in this story. He participated in this event seventy-seven times and tells us that the tradition of the event has faded. He seems to be a very superstitious man who just follows the tradition. He warns people that there is an unknown danger if the ritual were to stop. Even though people have forgotten the traditional, they still remember how to use stones. This shows that peoples’ natures never change. This is the evil nature that people have. Now days, the economy has grown and technology also has advanced. However, there are wars and crimes happening all the time.
When Mrs. Hutchinson got a paper that had a black spot on it, she insisted that it was not fair because she was a complainer. She would naturally find an excuse to complain about anything. This is about how ego’s are covered by hypocrisy. Kids in the village liked that they did not win the lottery. Mrs. Hutchinson and her husband announced that were the people who got the paper with the black spot on it. People did not care about Mrs. Hutchinson’s complaint, instead, they paid no attention to her and enjoyed the event. Mrs. Dellacroix, who had a good relationship with her, along with the villagers stoned Mrs. Hutchinson for winning the lottery. Even little baby Dave threw a stone. This represents cruelty of human nature. When people felt comfortable and at ease about not winning the lottery, they began to enjoy the event.
The symbolism in this story makes the reader think deeply about selfishness and cruelty. In this story, people do not care about the person who wins the lottery unless they get a paper that has a black spot on it. According to the narrator, “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original box, they still remembered to use stones” (123, Jackson). The people felt at ease as long as they were not the one’s hit by stones. The characters that Shirley Jackson used in this story are similar many people today, but you just don’t realize it until a situation occurs that causes them to show their real characters. The people in this story worried about getting a paper with a black spot on it. If that never occurred, they had no reason to worry, which means people do not want to personally experience have bad things, but they are comfortable watching others experience misfortunes.
Work Cities
Cnet.com, “WITHDRAW YOUR FUNDS NOW! Bank of America declares bankruptcy.” March 2005. “cnet news” 15 Feb. 2009.
Jackson, Shirley. “The Lottery.” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. 123.
Obesity and Being Overweight
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with more than one billion adults overweight. At least 300 million are clinically obese are a major contributor to the global burden of chronic disease and disability. According to American Obesity Association, “Approximately 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight, 60 million are obese and 9 million are extremely obese in the United States.” February 2004. “Obesity in the U.S.” 22 Nov. 2008. . Obesity has become a major social issue since long ago. It can affect anybody at any age across the world, especially in the United States. The health statistics in www.nationmaster.com notes that, “the United States has most overweight people in the world.” Obesity(most recent) by country. 22 Nov. 2008. . There is a graph that shows approximately 30.6 percent of people who are overweight live in the United States. The US is a suitable environment to create risk for obesity. Economic growth, modernization, urbanization, and globalization of food markets are all possible causes of obesity. Obesity is a complex problem, which could not be entirely explained by one factor alone. Obesity combines complex factors such as gene, food and lack of physical activities. Obesity is a serious problem that is steadily growing and people should be more aware of the risks.
The main factors of obesity are bad eating habits, lack of physical activity, and poor nutrition. Genes also could be a factor of obesity. However, genes do not always predict future health. Genes and behavior may both be required for a person to be overweight. In these cases, multiple genes may increase susceptibility for obesity and require outside factors such as abundant food supply and little physical activity. In United States, many people eat fast food at least once a day. Along with economy growth, people prefer to have fast food. Nowadays, there are fast food restaurants at just about every corner. With its low prices and convenience, it makes it hard for people to make the right decisions of what type of food they should consume in their diet. For instance, microwave dinners, snack foods like potato chips, and French fries all have high calories and high fat content. Foods like these definitely cause people to gain weight. Today's busy families have less free time to prepare nutritious, home cooked meals. From fast food to electronics, quick and easy seems to be the mindset of many people in nowadays. According to www.brianmac.co.uk, “For every Kg of body weight 1.3 Calories is required every hour. The energy we need has to be blended. The blend that we require is as 57% Carbohydrates (sugar, sweets, bread, cakes), 30% Fats (dairy products, oil) and 13% Protein (eggs, milk, meat, poultry, fish).” Nutrition-Fat, Protein and Carbohydrates. 22 Nov. 2008. Many fast foods and snacks do not have enough protein and other nutrients needed for good health.
Being overweight and obese can lead to some mental problems as well. Most people who are obese feel unattractive and have low self-esteem, which can cause an indirect mental illness. This in turn can cause eating disorders, depression, and lack of self worth. Not being able to do many simple activities is another reason people with obesity become depressed. Not being able to do things like riding a bike or playing with kids can cause depression. These are risks that people do not normally associate with obesity but it can be the most negative part of obesity.
Some of the illnesses and diseases associated with obesity are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and insulin resistance. The non-fatal but debilitating health problems associated with obesity include respiratory difficulties, chronic musculoskeletal problems, skin problems and infertility. The more life- threatening problems are type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancers, and gallbladder disease. These are all coincidentally problems that are steadily increasing all over the world.
Childhood obesity is another epidemic that is constantly growing. According to Childhood Obesity, “in the USA the number of overweight children has doubled and the number of obese children aged 6-11 years has more than doubled since the 1960s. Obesity prevalence in youths aged 12-17 has increased dramatically from 5% to 13% in boys and from 5% to 9% in girls between 1966-70 and 1988-91 in the USA.” October 2008. Health young childhood obesity. 22 Nov. 2008. <>. This is because many kids are spending less time exercising and more time in front of the TV, computer, or video-game console. Although physical education in schools can help kids get up and moving, more and more schools are eliminating physical activity programs or cutting down the time spent on fitness building activities. According to www.kidhealth.org, “Current guidelines recommend that kids over 2 years of age should engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week.” Mary L. Gavin. Overweight and Obesity. 24 Nov. 2008. Most children in the US do not get enough physical activity and they become obese. The problem is they do not know about obesity and it is up to the parents to feed their kids a proper diet. People should take more care in what their children eat in order to prevent childhood obesity.
People can do many things to prevent or control their obesity. There are many public policies that promote the availability and accessibility of a variety of low fat, high fiber foods, and provide opportunities for physical activity. The most common way to prevent obesity is to live an active lifestyle. Simple activities, such as taking the stairs or walking to the store, can help tremendously. Many people also enjoy going to the gym. A local health club membership can be a wonderful way to stay active and socialize with other like minded individuals. Watch your weight is also important. People should weigh themselves once a week to monitor their health. If you notice that you are starting to excessively gain weight, you should take appropriate measures to lose that weight. Investing in a scale for the home is recommended. Drinking water is also really helpful. Many times people will mistake dehydration for hunger signals in the body. According to www.ehow.com, “The FDA recommends drinking eight to 10 glasses of water per day.” Prevent Obesity. 22 Nov. 2008. <>. Water cleanses and detoxifies all the impurities in your system. Only eat when you are hungry. Studies have shown that those who are naturally thin only eat when they are hungry. Only eating when your body signals you to eat can be a great way to prevent obesity. These things are simple solutions and many people already know them. However, most of people cannot take that first step.
In conclusion, obesity is a growing problem that people must be aware of and prevent. If obesity increases at the rate it is at, we will have triple the amount of people who are chronically obese. Obesity can create many negative impacts in one’s life such as disease, depression, and lack of ability to enjoy life. Many people who are obese cannot enjoy simple everyday activities such as playing with their kids, going for a bike ride, or visiting places that are inaccessible without a long walk. If obesity keeps increasing, we will see increases in disease, health risks, depression, and even death. People need to be more health conscious and be more active so we can regain control of this epidemic.
Work Cities
American Obesity Association. Obesity in the U.S. February 2004
Health statistics in www.nationmaster.com. Obesity(most recent) by country. 22 Nov 2008.
<>.
Nutrition-Fat, Protein and Carbohydrates. 22 Nov. 2008.
Childhood obesity. October 2008. Health young childhood obesity. 22 Nov. 2008.
<>.
Kids health. Mary L. Gavin. Overweight and Obesity. 24 Nov. 2008.
Drinking water. Prevent Obesity. 22 Nov. 2008. <>.
The main factors of obesity are bad eating habits, lack of physical activity, and poor nutrition. Genes also could be a factor of obesity. However, genes do not always predict future health. Genes and behavior may both be required for a person to be overweight. In these cases, multiple genes may increase susceptibility for obesity and require outside factors such as abundant food supply and little physical activity. In United States, many people eat fast food at least once a day. Along with economy growth, people prefer to have fast food. Nowadays, there are fast food restaurants at just about every corner. With its low prices and convenience, it makes it hard for people to make the right decisions of what type of food they should consume in their diet. For instance, microwave dinners, snack foods like potato chips, and French fries all have high calories and high fat content. Foods like these definitely cause people to gain weight. Today's busy families have less free time to prepare nutritious, home cooked meals. From fast food to electronics, quick and easy seems to be the mindset of many people in nowadays. According to www.brianmac.co.uk, “For every Kg of body weight 1.3 Calories is required every hour. The energy we need has to be blended. The blend that we require is as 57% Carbohydrates (sugar, sweets, bread, cakes), 30% Fats (dairy products, oil) and 13% Protein (eggs, milk, meat, poultry, fish).” Nutrition-Fat, Protein and Carbohydrates. 22 Nov. 2008
Being overweight and obese can lead to some mental problems as well. Most people who are obese feel unattractive and have low self-esteem, which can cause an indirect mental illness. This in turn can cause eating disorders, depression, and lack of self worth. Not being able to do many simple activities is another reason people with obesity become depressed. Not being able to do things like riding a bike or playing with kids can cause depression. These are risks that people do not normally associate with obesity but it can be the most negative part of obesity.
Some of the illnesses and diseases associated with obesity are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and insulin resistance. The non-fatal but debilitating health problems associated with obesity include respiratory difficulties, chronic musculoskeletal problems, skin problems and infertility. The more life- threatening problems are type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancers, and gallbladder disease. These are all coincidentally problems that are steadily increasing all over the world.
Childhood obesity is another epidemic that is constantly growing. According to Childhood Obesity, “in the USA the number of overweight children has doubled and the number of obese children aged 6-11 years has more than doubled since the 1960s. Obesity prevalence in youths aged 12-17 has increased dramatically from 5% to 13% in boys and from 5% to 9% in girls between 1966-70 and 1988-91 in the USA.” October 2008. Health young childhood obesity. 22 Nov. 2008. <>. This is because many kids are spending less time exercising and more time in front of the TV, computer, or video-game console. Although physical education in schools can help kids get up and moving, more and more schools are eliminating physical activity programs or cutting down the time spent on fitness building activities. According to www.kidhealth.org, “Current guidelines recommend that kids over 2 years of age should engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week.” Mary L. Gavin. Overweight and Obesity. 24 Nov. 2008
People can do many things to prevent or control their obesity. There are many public policies that promote the availability and accessibility of a variety of low fat, high fiber foods, and provide opportunities for physical activity. The most common way to prevent obesity is to live an active lifestyle. Simple activities, such as taking the stairs or walking to the store, can help tremendously. Many people also enjoy going to the gym. A local health club membership can be a wonderful way to stay active and socialize with other like minded individuals. Watch your weight is also important. People should weigh themselves once a week to monitor their health. If you notice that you are starting to excessively gain weight, you should take appropriate measures to lose that weight. Investing in a scale for the home is recommended. Drinking water is also really helpful. Many times people will mistake dehydration for hunger signals in the body. According to www.ehow.com, “The FDA recommends drinking eight to 10 glasses of water per day.” Prevent Obesity. 22 Nov. 2008. <>. Water cleanses and detoxifies all the impurities in your system. Only eat when you are hungry. Studies have shown that those who are naturally thin only eat when they are hungry. Only eating when your body signals you to eat can be a great way to prevent obesity. These things are simple solutions and many people already know them. However, most of people cannot take that first step.
In conclusion, obesity is a growing problem that people must be aware of and prevent. If obesity increases at the rate it is at, we will have triple the amount of people who are chronically obese. Obesity can create many negative impacts in one’s life such as disease, depression, and lack of ability to enjoy life. Many people who are obese cannot enjoy simple everyday activities such as playing with their kids, going for a bike ride, or visiting places that are inaccessible without a long walk. If obesity keeps increasing, we will see increases in disease, health risks, depression, and even death. People need to be more health conscious and be more active so we can regain control of this epidemic.
Work Cities
American Obesity Association. Obesity in the U.S. February 2004
Health statistics in www.nationmaster.com. Obesity(most recent) by country. 22 Nov 2008.
<>.
Nutrition-Fat, Protein and Carbohydrates. 22 Nov. 2008
Childhood obesity. October 2008. Health young childhood obesity. 22 Nov. 2008.
<>.
Kids health. Mary L. Gavin. Overweight and Obesity. 24 Nov. 2008
Drinking water. Prevent Obesity. 22 Nov. 2008. <>.
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