Lesbians as Represented in Mainstream Television Essay Example for Free

Lesbians as Represented in Mainstream Television Essay Lesbian images have been entering into mainstream media more and more. Some argue that this is a sign of a wider acceptance of lesbianism in Western culture. In this paper, two mainstream television programs, Grey’s Anatomy and Law and Order: SVU, will be looked at to assess the nature of lesbian images. It will be argued that if and when lesbians are portrayed in mainstream television they are highly feminized, desexualized, and their lives are almost always framed in ways that appeal to heterocentric norms. Thus, mass media almost always fails to provide the viewer with an accurate and unbiased perception of lesbianism or homosexuality in a broader sense. Grey’s Anatomy has emerged onto the lesbian scene in the last couple of years by developing Callie Torres, a beautiful, vivacious, Latino woman, into a lesbian in the fifth season. A friendship develops between her and Erica Hahn, a successful, ‘sassy’, and appealing newcomer, and it gradually progresses into something more until finally the two share a kiss. Before the romance can flourish, Torres wrestles with her sexuality, her fears, and her lack of understanding of lesbianism. Soon after the relationship establishes itself, Hahn unexpectedly breaks up with Torres and leaves the show. Typical or is it? A season later, Arizona Robbins, a semi-regular of the show, comes into focus when she blatantly hits on Torres. Shortly after, the two start to date and later find themselves in a committed relationship. The question is how good a job does the show do of accurately portraying lesbians? To start, all three of the women mentioned above are attractive and feminine. All three have long flowing hair always nicely styled and maintained and pretty faces carefully done up with light make-up. This is what Ann Ciasullo refers to as â€Å"sanitizing of the lesbian through her feminizing† (599). In other words, Grey’s Anatomy offers up an image of lesbians that is not too homosexual for the heterosexual audience. While it could be argued that such representations help to combat the rigid stereotypes of lesbians as ugly, butch feminists, the very widespread nature of the ‘femme’ image in media indicates something more is going on (Tamsin). The book Out of Focus, suggests that such feminine representations act to lower the threat of lesbianism by reassuring viewers that such (beautiful and feminine) women can or must actually be heterosexual (Kath Davies). In fact, in Grey’s Anatomy, as in many television programs, the ‘butch’ lesbian is completely absent. All of this suggests that the lesbian chic of the ‘90s is far from dead (Tamsin). Grey’s is well known for its scandalous call room sex scenes. Characters, heterosexual characters that is, escape to hidden corners of the hospital where they argue, make up, and make love on a regular basis. This is interesting because such scenes are practically nonexistent between Torres and Hahn or later Torres and Robbins. In fact, physical contact of any kind is somewhat limited between Torres and Robbins. An example of this can be seen in Season five episode 13 when Robbins` patient dies during surgery. When she gets home to see Torres has planned a surprise birthday party for her she bursts into tears overcome by her grief. The pair leaves the room and at this point you would expect a comforting hug, a loving embrace, or a reassuring kiss on the cheek from any reasonably intimate couple or from any other couple on the show for that matter, but not in this case. Torres tells Robbins that she will explain the situation to their friends and at that Robbins leaves. Additionally, sex scenes between Torres and Robbins are few and far between; those that exist are cut short by interruption or not shown at all. The latter is evidenced in Season five episode 11 when the viewer is shown only the aftermath them lying in bed together, presumably after making love, eating pizza. It is a cute scene but not a sexual scene. This is a familiar pattern found in most television programs or movies featuring lesbian couples and just one way lesbians are desexualized (Ciasullo). A notable exception to this pattern is The L Word, but it will not be the focus of this paper. Since the beginning of their relationship Callie and Arizona have slept together three times. Three times in an entire season and for a relationship in its beginning stages is incredibly low by Grey’s standards (or anyone’s standards really). One of these scenes is the ‘pizza scene’ previously mentioned. In another â€Å"sex† scene, Lexi Grey walks in on the two in the shower and quickly walks out; the viewer sees what Lexi sees and nothing more. The final scene implies the two may have sex, but it is not pursued any further. Considering the show develops long, sensual sex scenes between its heterosexual characters, following them from start to finish, the unwillingness to do the same for its lesbian characters is problematic. This is not an isolated phenomenon. The pattern of desexualization is evident not just in television but also in movies as noted by Ciasullo and Yvonne Tasker in her book Working Girls (Ciasullo; Tasker). Another problem with the depiction of Torres and Robbins’ relationship is that it is often framed by the heterosexual constructs of marriage and reproduction. Tasker discusses this issue noting that by explaining lesbianism within a heterosexual context the (heterosexual) audience is assured that lesbians are normal (by heterosexual standards) (Tasker). Such a practice adheres to conventional social norms while ignoring the differing reality of lesbian’s lives. After Torres’ father finally accepts her lesbianism his first question to her addresses the issue of marriage and children. She assures him that she will put on a â€Å"big white dress and dance down the aisle† if Arizona wants to spend the rest of her life with her. Another example takes place in season six episode three, when Torres talks about being married and having a house, kids and a pet dog with Robbins. This description perpetuates heterocentric beliefs that heterosexual activities and institutions are better than homosexual ones simply because it gives no thought to the possibility that things could be different within homosexual relationships. Furthermore, this effort to depict lesbian couples as ‘normal’ by tying them to conventional social norms suggests that homosexual practices are not normal and as such fails to challenge heterocentrism. Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU) is another show with some problematic representations. In over 11 seasons, it has aired a total of five gay-centred storylines and one lesbian specific episode. This discrepancy seems to reflect the idea touched on in Out of Focus that â€Å"coverage of ‘homosexuality’ actually refers to gay men† (Kath Davies 91). A recent episode entitled PC features Kathy Griffin as Babs Duffy, a rude, abrasive, man-hating lesbian activist. First of all, the stereotyping evident in Griffin’s character is troublesome because it feeds into the negative view of lesbians. Visibility is important, but the cost of portraying lesbians in such a light is possibly greater than or as great as not showing them at all. Furthermore, this particular episode is strewn with negative or inaccurate images of lesbians. The episode begins with the discovery of a woman who has been left for dead in an abandoned building. She has been raped and beaten and later dies in the hospital. It is not too long before the viewer finds out from Babs Duffy that the victim was a lesbian. Duffy makes a dramatic entrance into the detectives’ office ordering for the capture of the murderer whom she alleges is targeting lesbians. The investigation commences with a visit to the victim, now known as Alyssa’s, girlfriend. As the episode progresses, you notice something striking – all the main lesbian characters are conventionally attractive, feminine women. More than that though, any lesbian character who is questioned and thus comes into the focus of the camera, is also feminine and pretty. The few butch lesbians in the episode are in the background and barely noticeable. The absence of the butch lesbian is telling. Ciasullo notes that â€Å"without the signifier of the butch, the femme’s lesbianism disappears † (Ciasullo 599). Thus, by eliminating the butch lesbian from the forefront, Law and Order: SVU effectively downplays the lesbianism of the episode. There is, however, one exception – the victim’s girlfriend Sharon, but even here there are issues with her representation as a butch lesbian. The fact that the show chose to make her ‘butch’ is interesting because they also make her a working class, aggressive, even violent, woman. This in effect vilifies the butch lesbian. Sharon even becomes the main suspect at one point because of her temper, and while it is important to shed light on the issue of domestic violence in lesbian relationships the choice to make Sharon, who is butch, into the abuser is not by accident. Ann Ciasullo talks about how presenting butch lesbians in this negative way makes butches into the â€Å"’oppressor,’ the ‘bad’ lesbian† (Ciasullo 600). Further still, her status as a bouncer (and thus as a member of the working class) adds to her mainstream undesirability (Ciasullo). Moreover, even though Sharon is presented as a butch or as Law and Order puts it an â€Å"aggressive,† she is simultaneously portrayed as somewhat feminine. In the first scene that we are introduced to Sharon, her long hair is pulled back into a loose ponytail and she wraps herself up in her long feminine sweater. She is not wearing any noticeable makeup but she is conventionally pretty. After this initial introduction she is likely not yet labelled as a butch by the viewer. It is not until later when she appears in a plaid shirt and leather jacket that it becomes evident that she is butch. It seems butch images are permitted as long as they’re not too butch and as long as the butch character is not framed in a positive way that could be make her desirable. Perhaps the best example of how lesbians are desexualized in Law and Order is in a scene between Babs and Olivia Benson, the female nvestigator. In the initial taping of this scene Babs kisses Olivia, but the kiss doesn’t make it past the cutting room floor. Even worse, the editing is atrocious. It cuts awkwardly from Babs leaning in to Olivia proclaiming that she is straight and something is noticeably missing. The kiss may not be necessary to the plot, but to sacrifice quality in order to remove it demonstrates how fearful t he media are of lesbian sexuality. Further evidence lies in the fact that a kiss between Babs and Elliot Stabler (the male investigator) that happens at the end of the episode remains untouched. However, this revelation, that Babs isn’t actually a lesbian, has a lot of problems on its own. The discovering that Bab’s has a boyfriend, plays on the â€Å"I know she’s a lesbian but † scenario so often found in mainstream media. This idea presents the viewer with the possibility that the lesbian can always become straight or as Ciasullo puts it â€Å"’unbecome’ lesbian† (Ciasullo 592). This places the heterosexual audience in a more comfortable position where they can entertain the idea that the attractive lesbians in the show may actually be straight. This issue comes up once again when the suspected murderer/rapist is in interrogation. Olivia pretends she is a lesbian in order to get a confession out of him: Olivia: â€Å"You know how to correct us you’ve got everything you need to make me a real woman right between your legs –† Suspect: â€Å"and you’d love it just like those other two [victims] did – every moment of it† While this scene may be laid out this way specifically to show the demented thinking of the rapist/murderer, the notion that a lesbian can be â€Å"corrected† or made straight as well the idea that rape victims enjoy being raped are never addressed and corrected. The audience is never informed about how inaccurate these views are. With all this said, the homosexual viewer tends to be somewhat accepting of the images in Grey’s and Law and Order, because as Clare Whatling puts it â€Å"we’re [the lesbian population] so starved, we go see anything because something is better than nothing† (86). Thus, because of the lack of representation, lesbians are more willing to accept inaccurate portrayals. This is troublesome because such images can potentially be detrimental to lesbian’s self perceptions and they’re all the more vulnerable because of the relative disparity of lesbianism in mainstream culture. In conclusion, lesbianism in mainstream television is poorly and inaccurately represented. While shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Law and Order: SVU, have taken steps towards representing lesbians in mainstream media, we have to be careful to assess how big these steps really are. There are several issues with the representations of lesbians in these shows, some of which are addressed in this paper, others which have been left untouched. Thus, there is still a long way to go and many hurdles to surmount before lesbians can be done justice in mainstream media.

Does Caribbean Poetry Reflect Our Shared History English Literature Essay

Does Caribbean Poetry Reflect Our Shared History English Literature Essay As a collective group, the Caribbean people celebrate an eclectic melding of the differences inherent in our ancestry with an appreciation of the influences wrought upon us by the history of the islands, and our development may be chronicled through an examination of the poetry and poetic styles of the poets who seek to give a voice to the diverse, yet collective identity of the Caribbean throughout our growth. The poetry of the region reflects the distinct composite factors which characterize the evolution of the people and the Caribbean islands: the difference is evident in the persons who composed the poems, the subject matter, form, style, the target audience, and the ideological interests which were served. Initially, in the eighteenth century, at one end of the spectrum there were poets who ascribed to the scribal traditions of the English verse as it had developed by that period. These poets hailed from the white master class and dealt primarily with a glorification of the adventure of colonization in the Caribbean. The target audience was the imperial Motherland England, and by extension the other European nations. The pattern of the poems followed the blank verse, pastoral modes, personification, and a poetic diction consistent with the European poets of the era, such as Milton. The subject matter praised an idealized notion of the natural beauty of the Caribbean islands as in Weekes Barbados (1754): When frequent Rains, and gentle Showrs descend, / To cheer the Earth, and Natures self revive, / A second Paradise appears! the Isle / Thro-out, one beauteous Garden seems; (Burnett [1986], 102). The poems therefore are typified by a grandiose, eloquent style, liberally interspersed wi th classical allusions which celebrated the supposed grandeur of the West Indies. Singleton, in his A General Description of the West Indian Islands (1767), illustrates this feature: There hollow noises, murmuring thro the vault, / Surprize the listning er; whilst from the deeps / The hoarse Cerberean yell dreadful ascends, / Three times full-echod from the distant hills. (106). Juxtaposed with the idyllic Caribbean scenes described, these poets, such as Weekes in Barbados (1754), represent in their works a form of superficial humane concern for the slaves, coupled with an acceptance of slavery as the ultimate lot of the slave: Close watch, ye Drivers! Your work-hating Gang, / And mark their Labours with a careful Eye; / But spare your cruel, and ungenrous Stripes! / They sure are Men, tho Slaves, and colourd Black; (102). The poems celebration of the grandeur of the tropics [italics mine] is really a celebration of the supposed grandeur of British colonialism in the Caribbean. In m ost cases the poems work to uphold the slave-based socio-political system of the West Indian plantation society. (Baugh, 227-228). At the other end of the spectrum, there are the anonymous, simple expressions of the black slaves their folk songs, ballads, chants and work songs which articulate their observations and emotions while enduring the slavery experience. For example, there is the poignant lament: If me want for go in a Ebo, / Me cant go there! / Since dem tief me from a Guinea, / Me cant go there! (3). In a frustrated tone, wracked with displacement and restriction of movement, the poem solemnizes the plea of the slave while voicing the collective strife of the slaves on the islands. Markedly contrasting with the poetry of the scribal tradition, the poetry of the presumably uneducated Negro slave appeared to be fresh, insightful and engaging in its simplicity. The poems celebrated the oral traditions of the Africans and were imbued with a creative potential which was forged from the melding of the English and West African languages. Thus, even though the poems were written primarily in English, there were distinct African qualities (for example, the folksong tradition), which was only enhanced by the combining of the European ballad tradition: Guinea Corn, I long to see you / Guinea Corn, I long to plant you / Guinea Corn, I long to mould you (4). Significant to note is that the poets focus is on the Guinea Corn of hie native homeland, and not on the sugarcane of the plantations which exploited his labour. Topically, the slave would not have thought to romanticize the natural beauty of the islands in which they now lived under such persecution. Rather, focal points of their poems may have been entrenched in the desire to retain their native identities and in finding ways of re-defining their identities in the new context of the Caribbean. While it stands to reason that the dichotomy shown here epitomizes the expected disparity of thought and should, in fact, highlight the distinctions among the Caribbean people, the evolution of the Caribbean towards the abolition of slavery gave birth to an innovative poetic voice, one which emerged as a spokesperson chronicling the debacle of the slave trade and the slave experience: Was there no mercy, mother of the slave! No friendly hand to succor and to save, While commerce thus thy captive tribes oppressd, And lowering vengeance lingerd oer the west? Yes, Africa! Beneath the strangers rodà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦From isle to isle the welcome tidings ran; The slave that heard them started into man: Like Peter, sleeping in his chains, he lay, The angel came, his night was turnd to day; Arise! his fetters fell, his slumbers flee; He wakes to life, he springs to liberty. (Montgomery [1807], 1-5, 76-77). This poetic voice also interwove the African oral tradition into the fabric of the European poetic form, creating a new composite form which, for the first time, attempted to bridge the gap between the Standard English language and the language of the slaves. In his pioneer attempt, Moretons Ballad (1790) is an example of this: Altho a slave me is born and bred, / My skin is black, not yellow: (Burnett, 112). With this initial foray into the experimental Creole art form, the fact that poets of Caucasian descent were willing to both pen and publish poems in this native dialect spoke loudly to the impending communal focus of poetry in the Caribbean isles, and by extension, the duality of distinct peoples writing for the same purpose: to record a shared history and to give a unique voice to Caribbean literary works. That is not to say that all poems written in this time period were imbued with a humane outlook on the Africans. Many poets who were members of the privileged class ventured into this field, using the local vernacular in their scribal works, however the intent of poets such as Cordle and Mc Turk was a humorous depiction of the everyday life of the African in an attempt to appease the target audience which was still predominantly European. A prime example of Mc Turks use of the vernacular to poke fun at the African people can be seen in his poem, Query (1899): Da Backra one fo go a hebben? / Da Backra one fo raise like lebben? / Da wa a-we po Negah do? / Make a-we no fo raise up too? (13). It may be noted however, that poets such as Mac Dermot, whose work displayed a Tennysonian sound and feel, as was inevitable due to continued reliance on European form, in Cuba (1950s), showed the redemptive power of Caribbean unity: But we like lovers twain / Are one in joy and pain, (132). The poets and poems of this era depicted, in essence, informative social history documents, however their depiction did not negate the fact that, inevitably, two distinct histories were being interwoven through the medium of the poetry which was written. Without openly acknowledging the fact, the poets became a part of the discourse of history that they shared with historians and travel writers (Baugh, 230). The veer towards the vernacular in poetry which still embodied European forms, and also now American forms in the writing, was extremely valuable as a reflection of social realities which no longer distinguished between the people who populated the Caribbean islands, but rather reflected the shared nature of the their heritage. This fact became more noticeable as the Caribbean and its people continued to evolve. The turn of the century was earmarked by poets such as Claude Mc Kay and Una Marson, whose poetic content highlighted the didactic shift towards a focus on black consciou sness and, in Marsons work, a predominantly feminist interpretation of the social relations of the era. Although his later works were penned entirely in Standard English and exhibited the lineage of Milton and Wordsworth, the protest sonnets of Mc Kay, such as If We Must Die reflected both the black United States American situation and the Caribbean situation of the time; the racial theme is engaged poignantly, connecting the Black diaspora and speaking for the Black community generally, rather than singularly from the Caribbean perspective: If we must die, O let us nobly die, / So that our precious blood may not be shed / In vain; then even the monsters we defy / Shall be constrained to honour us, though dead! (Burnett, 144). If one examines Mc Kays Creole poetry, there is, in contrast to earlier works by Cordle and Mc Turk in which the African man was patronized, a definitive consciousness of the black people: I born right don beneat de clack / (You ugly brute, you tun you back?) / Don tink dat Im a come-aroun / I born right way in panish Town. (Brown, 7). The new female consciousness presented by Marson was also linked to black awareness on a holistic level. This black awareness fuses with class consciousness in Marsons simple diction and syntax, while her rhyme draws heavily from the Blues tradition of the American poetic form: I like me black face / And me kinky hair. / I like me black face / And me kinky hair. / But nobody leves dem, / I jes dont tink its fair. (Burnett, 158). What was seen to emerge was poets working conjointly to produce a new West Indian poetic tradition. Thematically the poets wrote in the context of the changing sociopolitical consciousness, exhibiting a new level of seriousness, characterized by a nationalistic slant, an exploration of the social realities of the time, and profoundly proclaiming a search for a shared Caribbean identity. The poems which grew out of the early to mid-twentieth century gave more attention to the search for a unique voice and although typified by derivations from the modern English and American poets of the time, for example, Auden, Eliot and Pound, there was a decided split from the European tradition. Nowhere does this split show itself to be more evident than in the secular works of Louise Bennett. Written entirely in the Jamaican Creole, Bennetts work legitimized the Creole in a way that no-one elses had as yet. Employing the primarily dramatic monologue, interspersed intermittently with the short narrative form, and with heavy reliance on the oral traditions, Bennett engages the reader vicariously in the grassroots wisdom of her personae. Her sharply probing yet objective eye exposes the naÃÆ' ¯vetà © of the Caribbean people. Her tone which is sometimes chastising, is at all times, even in the midst of her reliance on comedy as a medium of exposition, satirical as she figuratively holds up a mirror to societys foibles. Her ideas dwell on the peoples articulation of self and their place in the history of the Caribbean. Distinguishing identity becomes an inevitable condition as the people define themselves. In her works, for example, Colonization in Reverse, the reader can see how Bennett acts as a reporter and commentator on an event of both historical significance and psychological interest to the Caribbean people the exodus of Caribbean nationals to England during the post-war period: Wat a joyful news, Miss Mattie, I feel like me heart gwine burs Jamaica people colonizing Englan in reverseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Oonoo see how life is funny, Oonoo see de tunabout? Jamaica live fe box bread Out a English people moutà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Brown, 32). The delivery is characterized by a high degree of verbal and gestural expressiveness however the irony and counter-irony of the situation chronicle the poem. The dialect which is used as the medium of delivery serves mainly to highlight the unfolding drama of West Indian consciousness as the speaker debates the issue of a counter-colonization of England, and the West Indian nationals search for an identifiable history. To many of the West Indian poets such as Bennett, the tradition of English poetic form which was inherited as a part of our colonial history became progressively constrained and oppressive as the islands and their people moved towards self-realization. The need for a Caribbean poetry which encapsulated the essence of the Caribbean peoples shared history and drive towards progress and self-actualiaztion became the fore-runner of thematic influence for the poets topics. The desire for a poetry which spoke of, to and for West Indians was begun by poets like Bennett and realized in poets such as Derek Walcott and (Edward) Kamau Brathwaite. Their poems expressed a possibility for the creation of a new Caribbean world differentiated by its very divergence from Europe and America. Walcotts vision essentially delineates the social realities which have to be transformed in order for a new world vision to transcend into reality. His poetry reinvented the Caribbean landscape through the languag e which defined the qualities of the Caribbean life and people. The vision, which was also influenced by the plight of the Middle Passage extends to all races that comprised the Caribbean. Walcotts poetry did not highlight distinctions among the people, rather when he speaks of race he refers to all Caribbean people, and this vision further extends to embrace all human suffering and the need for survival. The Native Americans tragedy served only to deepen his concern for the Black diaspora, his outrage and lament not singularly focused on the Cherokee Trail of Tears nor the Gulag Archipelago, but a lament for the injustice of all systems of abuse and slavery which prioritized the financial gain of the enterprise above the inhumanities inflicted on the individual. Walcotts poetry can be said to subsume the whole history of grief inherited by the Caribbean people. History itself, for him, becomes a centrally comprehensive theme, such that the gnarled, sea-almond trees on any Atlantic- facing Caribbean coast represent for the poet the resiliency of the people, their capacity to endure, and to build a culture out of a common catastrophe: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦their leaves broad dialect a coarse, / enduring sound / they shared together. (Walcott, 23). Brathwaite shared Walcotts vision as he clearly established [a] single-minded pursuit of an alternative tradition for West Indian poetry. He grounded it in the retrieval and recognition of African cultures and of communal knowledge lost or submerged in the Middle Passageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Baugh, 255): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦memories trunked up in a dark attic, he stumps up the stares of our windows, he stares, stares he squats on the tips of our language black burr of conundrums eye corner of ghosts, ancient his- tories; (Brathwaite, 165). For Brathwaite, his poetry utilizes black musical expressions from both sides of the Atlantic and combines them with black vernacular and Standard English to re-enact or evoke significant moments of Black experience. His goal may be seen as to renew a sense of community and shared purpose among the dispersed African peoples. Brathwaites poems are simultaneously a lament and a celebration of the black diaspora, his heroes and speakers composites of all the changing faces and voices of the new Caribbean. Renewal and community emerge as the desired home out of a legacy of exile and fragmented identity. For both Walcott and Brathwaite, their representations of contemporary society resound with the understanding of the colonial legacy bequeathed to the Caribbean people. The latter half of the Twentieth Century heralded the emergence of yet another poetic voice. This voice was that of the West Indian feminist who sought to establish the importance of the contribution of the female figure in the West Indian community. Poets such as Merle Collins and Lorna Goodison spoke out forthrightly against male-dominated power structures and engaged questions of the womans role in issues of history, class and race. Goodisons poetry for example resonates with a deep sense of history, generates a sense of creativity and focuses on the multi-dimensional roles of women in the society, sharing with Brathwaite and Walcott that vibrant sense of identity evident in her works which characteristically display Caribbean and African-American people music within a social and native consciousness that this type of music includes: Mother, there is the stone on the hearts of some women and men something like an onyx, cabochon-cut, which hung on the wearer seeds bad dreams. Speaking for the small dreamers of this earth, plagued with nightmares, yearning for healing dreams we want the stone to move. (Goodison, 4). Poems such as this encapsulate the breadth of the female form, claiming the womans place as the cultural regenerator of the people. Also extending the range of artistic use of the oral tradition into the current century, infusing it with the urgency of new, deprived generations and speaking the language of the street, the poetry of poets such as Linton Kwesi Johnson gained new popularity as dub poetry, a poetry which could trace its lineage to the oral inventiveness of the tenement yards and ghettos. However, although the poetry is at times interspersed with impressions of violence, it affirms the deep cultural significance and identification of the Caribbean people with social protest: dem is awftin decried an denied dem is awftin ridiculed an doungraded dem is sometimes kangratulated an celebrated dem is sometimes suprised an elated but as yu mite have already guess dem is awftin foun wantin more or less dus spoke di wizen wans af ole dis is a story nevvah told (Brown, 274). The writers explored here are not all of one and the same generation. Nonetheless they identify in crucial ways the Caribbeans origins; their sense of location is creatively problematic and their postcolonial sensibility appears uneasily chronicled. However the idea of a divided immigrant to the Caribbean does not hold true. Rather, one can literally trace the development of the Caribbean, and its continuing development, through the voice which these poets give to their works of art. There is a specially defined relationship of the Caribbean national to his home and identity, however multi-faceted it may appear to be. His colonial redefinition is still incomplete but the process, however delayed, is inevitable. Poets of the West Indies, through their thematic content, their use of language, their adaptation of form and their ability to acquire a target audience which was, in effect, a locally appreciative entourage, all shared in the singular rhetoric which captured the shared experi ence of the Caribbean people and gave to the islands a unique form of identity. As Eric Roach notes in his poem Love Over-grows a Rock (1992), the hope for the Caribbean peoples future lies summarily in transcending insularity through a shared regional identity and dream: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦So, from my private hillock / In Atlantic I join cry: / Come, seine the archipelago; / Disdain the sea; gather the islands hills / Into the blue horizons of our love. (Rohlehr, 284).

The Odyssey: The Use Of Hubris :: essays research papers

â€Å"There is no safety in unlimited hubris† (McGeorge Bundy). The dictionary defines hubris as overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance. In The Odyssey, Homer embodies hubris into the characters Odysseus, the Suitors, and the Cyclopes. Odysseus shows hubris when he is battling the Cyclopes, the Cyclopes show hubris when dealing with Odysseus, and the Suitors show it when Odysseus confronts them at his home. To start, within the course of The Odyssey, Odysseus displays hubris through many of his actions. The most prominent instance in which Odysseus shows hubris is while he and his men are trying to escape from the Cyclops Polyphemus. They drug the monster until it passes out, and then stab him with a timber in his single eye. Polyphemus, now blinded, removes the gigantic boulder blocking Odysseus’ escape, and waits for the men to move, so he can kill them. The men escape from the cave to their boat by tying themselves under flocks of rams, so they can easily slip by. Odysseus, now proud after beating the giant, starts to yell at Polyphemus, instead of making a silent escape. Odysseus’ men ask him to stop before Polyphemus would â€Å"get the range and lob a boulder† (436). But Odysseus shows hubris by saying that if they were to meet again, Odysseus would â€Å"take your life† and â€Å"hurl you down to hell!† (462; 463). Polyphemus, now extremely angr y with Odysseus, prays to his father, Poseidon, to make Odysseus â€Å"never see his home† again, and after which, throws a mountain towards the sound of Odysseus’ voice. (470). Because of Odysseus’ hubris after blinding Polyphemus, Poseidon grants the prayer, and it takes Odysseus 20 years to return home, at the cost of the lives of all his men. Next, Polyphemus demonstrates hubris by believing that because he is a giant, he is unbeatable by anyone, even a god. This is shown when Odysseus meets Polyphemus and greets him with gifts, as it is a custom to show courtesy to hosts and guests alike, (unexpected or not). Failure to give gifts can lead to revenge from the gods. Odysseus tells Polyphemus this, but Polyphemus â€Å"would not let you go for fear of Zeus† because the Cyclopes â€Å"have more force by far †. (205; 200) Polyphemus then angers the gods further by kidnapping and eating Odysseus’ men, both of which are considered extremely uncivil in Greek society. Polyphemus is so confident in his invulnerability he lets the men roam free inside the cave, a mistake that leads to his downfall.

Another Catcher In The Rye :: essays research papers fc

Here is an essay on "The Catcher in the Rye" Hope you will be able to post it! Through Holden's Eyes The Catcher in the Rye has truly earned it's place among great classic works. J. D. Salinger created a literary piece that was completely unique. The entire novel was written in the first person view of the 17-year-old, Holden Caulfield. The majority of the story is compiled of Holden's rudimentary monologue of 'complexly simple' thoughts, the rest utilizing his relay of previous dialogue. That and the use of unique punctuation, digressing explanations, and complex characterization, transformed the simple plot into the complex literary classic. The novel's dialogue and monologue alike, manage to relay the feel of natural speaking such as: "I mean you'd be different in some way - I can't explain what I mean." The contractions; you'd and can't - since they are common in everyday language - establish a very common and simple tone. Stress on the first syllable of "different," reinforces the tone by demonstrating how typically they speak, just as in reality. He uses dashes for pauses and signaling associative digressions. Instead of signaling pauses, commas are used mostly where mechanically required, for instance: "So all of a sudden, I ran like a madman across the street - I d*** near got myself killed doing it, if you want to know the truth - and went in this stationary store and bought a pad and pencil." Holden Caulfield creates a thought provoking point of view. On the surface many of his thought patterns seem unrelated and straying from the topic. His association of topic with digression is used almost constantly throughout the novel. However, realizing that these digressions are very relevant and even crucial to the topic allow the reader to gain true insight to the character. His statements about his sister's intelligence, followed by explanations of how well she listens, reveals Holden's associations of intelligence with being quiet and observant. Another example would be his tension around the nuns. Even though he enjoyed the conversation, he worried about being asked if he was Catholic. He stated they "...would have liked it better if he were Catholic." This gives insight to his discomfort with being judged morally, and to his association of people of morals looking down on those who don't share them. In Holden's descriptions and thoughts, Salinger accomplished the most unique aspect of the story's point-of-view. Instead of using the popular - however overrated - style of well refined thoughts and flowery descriptions, Salinger describes things as they are perceived upon a first impression. Naturally the human mind does not instantly process first encounters or experiences

Three Sociological Perspectives :: Sociology Functionalist Conflict Interactionist

Three Sociological Perspectives This paper discusses three approaches that can be taken when studying Sociology. There are many subjects to be studied and discussed in the field of Sociology, and the approach chosen to study a particular subject is called a perspective. There are three different perspectives, and they are functionalist, conflict, and interactionist perspectives. This paper compares and contrasts these different perspectives with one another. When studying in the field of Sociology everyone is going to approach topics in a different manner. No two people are going to have the exact same view on a particular subject. There are however, three major categories in which people might choose to approach topics. The approaches are know as sociological perspectives and are the functionalist, conflict, and interactionist perspectives. These perspectives name different ways in which different people choose to analyze a subject, and how they look at a society as a whole. The following paragraphs compare and contrast the three, and identify major characteristics of each. Functionalist Perspective Definition "The functionalist perspective is a sociological approach which emphasizes the way that parts of a society are structure to maintain its stability,"(Schaefer & Lamm, 1998). This perspective looks at a society in a positive manner and sees it as stable, with all the parts working together. Under the functionalist view every social aspect of a society contributes to the society's survival, and if not, the aspect is not passed to the next generation. Founders There are two people who where mainly involved in the development of the functionalist perspective, they are Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons. Durkheim contributed to the functionalist perspective when she was studying religion, and how it was responsible for people feeling solidarity and unity in groups. Parsons was a sociologist from Harvard University who was greatly influenced by Durkheim. In return, he influenced Sociology by dominating the field, with his functionalist views, for four decades (Schaefer & Lamm, 1998). Characteristics When approaching a subject with the functionalist perspective, manifest and latent functions as well as dysfunctions are looked at and studied. A manifest function of an institution is one that is stated and expected. A latent function is one that is unexpected or can show a hidden purpose of an institution, and a dysfunction is a component of a society that can cause instability (Rothman, 1998). These functions and dysfunctions are use in analyzing a society.

Steven Jhonson Syndrome

STEVENS-JOHNSON SYNDROME: PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, ETIOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT. Roberto Carmona Florida International University Abstract: Steven Johnson Syndrome is an inmune disease charactherized by a detachment of the epidermis from dermis. It could be fatal and the pathophysilogy involves a complex hypersensitivity reaction with the participation of T lymphocytes that induce keratinocyte’s apoptosis. The syndrome can be cause by drigs, infections and malignancies. The diagnosis is difficlut due to the abscense of specific manifestations and laboratory tests.There is a genetic predisposition in individuals with certain HLA types. The disease Overview: Stevens-Jonhson Syndrome (SJS)is an immune disease. The disorder was described as a delay hypersensitivity reaction with epidermal necrosis and the participation of infections, drugs and genetic factors. The clinical expression varies from a slight form to a serious systemic process that may implicate life-threatening complica tions and death. In spite of the differences in the severity of the manifestations, the etiology, pathophysiology and genetic influence remain the same (Hazim, 200).The disorder was reported for the first time by Stevens and Chambers in 1922, after observing a couple of boys with fever, diffuse rash and sores in the mouth and ocular mucosa. It was confused with measles. At the beginning of the 90’s after several investigations, the difference between Erythema Multiforme Major SJS was proposed. Further research revealed there were dissimilarities on the cutaneous lesion's pattern, whereas EMM referred to target raised edematous papules. SJS was characterized by blisters on top of an erythematous or purpuric base ( Mockenhaupt et al. 2011). Pathophysiology and Etiology: The development of a hypersensitivity reaction type 4 has been involved in the pathophysiology of the disease. There are groups of patients with certain conditions that lead to a higher risk of SJS: Slow acetyla tors, immunocompromised, and patients with cerebral neoplasia undergoing radiotherapy with antiepileptic medications. Slow acetylators cannot detoxify drug residues, resulting in a build-up of drug metabolites that may trigger an immune response at the tissue level. This mechanism has been shown in SJS associated with sulfas.The metabolite can also cause toxic effects per se. Other mechanisms included the production of Tumor Necrosis Factor that boosts the production of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CD8+). The mature CD8+ lymphocytes cause tissular damage inducing epidermic necrosis through the discharge of granzyme and perforin. The perforin kills the keratinocytes by forming complex insoluble arrangements. The activation of the cell surface's receptor (Fas), and the subsequent induction of the caspase system, lead to DNA instability and cell destruction.In SJS, Fas ligand has been found with high levels, and it promotes Fas expression by epidermal cells. Finally, the apoptosis of the k eratinocytes leads to a detachment of the epidermis from the dermis, and the inflammatory process will turn more intense and the progressive necrolysis of the epidermis will be extended ( Mockenhaupt et al. , 2011). Several causal agents have been related with SJS. These factors have been grouped in four categories: Drug induced, infections, Malignancies and Idiopathic.Medications have been established as the most common cause of SJS overall. Among the different groups, antibiotics predominate followed by analgesics, anticonvulsants and gout treatment drugs respectively. Sulfas, penicillins, ciprofloxacin, carbamazepine and antiretroviral drugs have been described by researchers as the most important agents related with the onset of the toxic epidermal necrolysis (Hazim et al. , 2008). Viral infections have been reported to be associated with SJS: Herpes virus, AIDS, Mumps, coxsackie, Influenza and Mumps.Other agents linked with the reaction have been: Streptococci, Mycoplasma Pneum oniae, Mycobacterium, Coccidium, Histoplasma and Plasmodium (Finkelstein et al . , 2011). Genetic predisposition constituted an important aspect in the occurrence of the disease. It has been established the role of the Human Leukocyte Antigen with the possibility of developing a drug-induced SJS. For example, HLA-B 1502 has been associated with carbamazepine reactions, and it has been used as a pre-therapy test. Toxic Epydermal Necrolysis induced by sulfonamides has been linked with HLAB7 and HLA-D7 (Phillips et al. , 2011).Ko Tai-Ming et al. (2011) carried out a research where they could demonstrate the role of the T-cell receptor in the pathophysiology of the SJS induced by Carbamazepine in patients with HLA-B1502. The results of the investigation showed an 84 percent of the patients that developed carbamazepine induced SJS were HLA-B1502 positive in the antigen presenting cells that will activate the TCR of CD8 lymphocytes. Diagnosis and treatment: The disease is often misdiagnos ed. The onset of symptoms like fever, sorethorat, and malaise may be interpreted as an infection and treated with antibiotic, which can aggravate the course.The laboratory tests are not specific and do not confirm the disorder. The skin biopsy shows the epidermal detachment and the presence of bullas. The high mobility group one protein (HMGB1) has turned recently in an important instrument for the diagnosis (Nakajima et al. , 2011). The management is focused to treat the skin lesions as burns with the correspondent supportive treatment, infection precautions and fluid's therapy. Antibiotics and immunosuppressive agents should be considered as well as cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine and immunotherapy (Hazim et al. 2008). Conclusions: Steven Jonhson Syndrome is a life-threatening condition characterized by a detachment of the epidermis from the dermis. The pathophysiology involves a complex immunologic mechanism consistent in a hypersensitivity reaction with the proliferation of cytot oxic lymphocytes and the subsequent stimulation of the apoptosis mechanism. Medications and infection constitute the most common factors associated with the etiology of the disease and there is a predisposition in certain HLA genotypes. REFERENCES Finkelstein, Y. Y. , Soon, G. S.G. S. , Acuna, P. P. , George, M. M. , Pope, E. E. , Ito, S. S. , . . . Garcia-Bournissen, F. (2011). Recurrence and outcomes of stevens-johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis in children. Pediatrics,  128(4), 723-728. Retrieved from http://ezproxy. fiu. edu/login? url=http://search. proquest. com/docview/896205631? accountid=10901 Hazim, R. , Ibrahim, O. , ; Hazim, M. (2008). Stevens-Johnson syndrome: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management. Annals of Medicine,  40(2), 129-138. Retrieved June 7, 2012 from http://www. cbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmed/18293143 Ko, T. , Chung, W. , Wei, C. , Shih, H. , Chen, J. et al. (2011, December). Shared and restricted T- cell receptor use is crucial for carbamazepi ne-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome. The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology 128. 6,  128(6), 1266-1276. Retrieved July 3, 2012 from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmed/21924464? dopt=AbstractPlus Mockenhaupt, M. M. (2011). The current understanding of stevens-johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis.Expert Review of Clinical Immunology,  7(6), 803-13; quiz 814-5. Retrieved June 2 from http://ezproxy. fiu. edu/login? url=http://search. proquest. com/docview/900631464? accountid=10901 Nakajima, S. S. , Watanabe, H. H. , Tohyama, M. M. , Sugita, K. K. , Iijima, M. M. , Hashimoto, K. K. , . . . Kabashima, K. K. (2011). High-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) as a novel diagnostic tool for toxic epidermal necrolysis and stevens-johnson syndrome. United States: Retrieved from http://ezproxy. fiu. edu/login? url=http://search. proquest. om/docview/893270838? accountid=10901 Paiz, J. M. , Angeli, E. , Wagner, J. , Lawrick, E. , Moore, K. , Anderson, M. , ; Soderlund, L. (2012, May 30). General Format. InThe Purdue Online Writing Lab. Retrieved July 12, 2012, from http://owl. english. purdue. edu/owl/resource/560/01/. Phillips, E. J. E. J. , ; Mallal, S. A. S. A. (2011). HLA-B*1502 screening and toxic effects of carbamazepine. United States: Retrieved from http://ezproxy. fiu. edu/login? url=http://search. proquest. com/docview/884423149? accountid=10901

How Material Things Contribute Towards Differences on a Street Essay

Taking into consideration that ‘difference is not the same as inequality’ (Blakeley et al., 2009, p. 24), this essay intends to look at KÃâ€" and outline how the material things contribute towards differences with reference to City Road; deriving from the premise that the material assets of a street can generate either an inclusive or exclusive interaction, favouring some and not others. Kà ¶nigsalle, known by its nickname, â€Å"Kà ¶, is the most beloved upscale commercial street in Germany (Welt online, 2010). On one side of the street we have stores from the most expensive brands in the world and on the other, a mix of baroque buildings which host a different number of businesses. Being seen walking along or visiting its stores is denotative of a unique social status. Everything along the Kà ¶ is designed to be in accordance to and promote an upscale social lifestyle. The material things on City Road, while performing a more literal function, also contribute to tangible objective differences when favouring, for example, pedestrians over drivers (e.g. the red tarmac offers pedestrians an extra safety measure when crossing, while taking away space from the drivers); parking is also a critical matter, generating therefore, economic consequences for the local shops (‘Material Lives’, 2009, scene 1). Another relevant point is the fact that, City Road social appearance, along with its material assets usage, changes considerably throughout the day, making it almost a different street by nightfall (e.g. from a busy commercial street during the day to a ‘party haven’ at night, when it is taken over by young adults) (‘Making social lives on City Road’, 2009, Scene 8). Such an absolute change does not occur on the Kà ¶. On the Kà ¶, the very same material things, should not only perform the most frugal of the functions, but also be in accordance to what the street stands for, thus, being an active part of the process of creating objective tangible differences -like in City Road, as well as, subjective ones. Kà ¶ supports its image by providing the necessary visible and invisible infrastructure to sustain a busy, high-octane upscale atmosphere: The street signage is visible; there are several crossing points; clearly marked sidewalks, tarmacs and lanes favour the mobility of handicapped individuals as well as bicycles and pedestrians without deterring traffic; it is well lit; the buildings and facades are well taken care of; litter bins are everywhere and one will, for example, find plenty of parking possibilities, which as a result, allows the individual to visit the stores and restaurants and feel safe. Altogether, the material things are in perfect apparent symbiosis with its users. Separately, each material asset on the Kà ¶ objectively indicates them as being part of a regular commercial street just like City Road. When looking at them altogether, the ensemble creates a striking subjective difference. To better illustrate how the material things on both streets subjectively enforces a certain type of behaviour and attitude, take the example of an individual walking down the street wearing shorts, tank-top and flip-flops. On City Road, this individual would most likely not even be noticed. The same individual walking down the Kà ¶, would be regarded as conspicuous. The same can be applied to the type of cars circulating on the Kà ¶ or City Road, a Ferrari on the Kà ¶ would be taken for granted while on City Road it would probably stand out. Another example to consider is parking. Though there are many parking slots and options, the prices around the Kà ¶ are up to 80% more expensive than other streets in Dà ¼sseldorf (RP Online, 2011), hence, favouring the visit of the more affluent layer of the community over the lesser one. There is no sign on the Kà ¶ telling who is welcomed or not; objectively speaking everyone is welcomed, but its material things are invested with such a subjective meaning, that they set the pace and shape of the local social life, creating therefore, an alluring environment which itself dictates a whole gamut of social patterns that are absorbed and followed by the local community, consequently contributing towards differences. While City Road reveals a more inclusive image, Kà ¶ conversely manifests a more exclusive one. As we can see, each street is similar in various aspects and are designed and structured to cater and favour a specific type of person, business or activity and its material things corroborate such a process by subjectively or objectively embedding certain social patterns which will then be adopted by their users.