What role do vulnerability and resilience play in the emergence of Essay

What role do vulnerability and resilience play in the emergence of atypical child development - Essay Example Genetic and environmental factors interact with varying degrees of plasticity to effect developmental change. To very briefly outline the stages, or milestones of a child’s growth from birth onwards, research has identified, physical, motor, cognitive. socio-emotional, language acquisition variables, and their mechanisms, along with speed and pattern of development in terms of both population and individual differences. In spite of minor variations due to cultural and environmental factors, there is wide agreement as to what could be seen as ‘gifted’ or super-normal development and, at the other end, sub-normal or less than optimal development and functioning of children. Such differences are likely to persist into adulthood. However, the term atypical development is used more in the context of sub-normal rather than super-normal populations. More recent research into the lower end of the scale in child development, which is a minority, and considered atypical under normal conditions, has concentrated on what have been identified as vulnerability and resilience factors. The motivation has been to identify, intervene, and actively improve the chances of accomplishment of a satisfactory life trajectory for those children identified as being in danger of failing to reach societal norms of everyday life. To emphasise the global spread of child development research and application, studies from the USA, Australia and South Africa within the last decade are cited in this essay; (Masten & Gewirtz (2006), Mutimer, Reece, and Matthews (2007), Theron (2006). Vulnerability in children is described as risk factors, both individual and environmental hazards, which tend to result in negative developmental outcomes. Among individual characteristics are, intrauterine growth retardation, low birth weight, in-utero experience of maternal drug use, physical disability, and a variety of genetic defects. Among the immediate environmental hazards are family

Summary of an article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Summary of an article - Essay Example In his article, Tiebout stresses that this concern is different if the governments can â€Å"provide goods to citizens who can move to distinct communities† (Stoddard n.p.). The rationale is that if the people are confronted with a collection of communities that afford various kinds or levels of goods or services, then the people will be placed in a framework wherein they are able to choose communities that best serve their interests. This is a potential resolution to this â€Å"free ride problem† as citizens will be given options based on their capacity to take on tax burdens: citizens with high demands for public goods may choose to focus on communities that provide the corresponding levels of services and taxes. On the other hand, those who could not afford high levels of services and taxes may choose to concentrate on communities has low demands. The gist of this potential intervention, according to Tiebout, is to ensure that every citizen get their fair share of pu blic goods and services. Tiebout believes that Samuelson’s article largely focused on the public goods at the central level. He observes that while Samuelson and Musgrave claimed that public good provision can be optimal, this can only exist if the citizens express their true preferences through voting. Nevertheless, in reality, this is not what is happening: citizens are devaluing their preferences and demands in order to preclude high taxes. He identifies that this model merely presumes that provision of public goods can only be carried out by central governments. Tiebout balks with this idea and resorts to local governments. He comes up with a model that considers local governments as providers of public goods. He proposes that local governments, like central governments, generate a parcel of public goods. Tiebout believes that local governments can provide optimum public

Analysing Film Adaptations of Shakespeares Macbeth

Analysing Film Adaptations of Shakespeares Macbeth In Roger Manvells Book Peter Hall is quoted as saying â€Å"Shakespeare is no screen writer. He is a verbal dramatist, relying on the associative and metaphorical power of words†¦Even his stage action is verbalised†¦ This is bad screen writing. A good film script relies on contrasting verbal images. What is spoken is of secondary importance.† (Manvell, 1971, p.125) It is certainly true that screenwriting and playwriting are two very separate arts, as is the discipline of acting in the two arenas. A screen actor has the advantage of the camera being able to pick out subtle facial expressions and body movements that will illustrate the characters emotion without the need for dialogue. A stage player must project his or her voice across the expanse of a theatre and cannot rely on the audience members at the back of a theatre being able to witness all the subtleties of their body movement. As such much more needs to be spoken. On the screen expositionary dialogue is redundant and detrimental to the narrative drive. However Shakespeare infuses all his dialogue with rich textual imagery and double meanings. In translating this to the screen some of it is unavoidably lost. This essay will explore the aforementioned contention with reference to three adaptations of Shakespeares Macbeth. It aims to show that although it is very difficult to adapt Shakespeares poetry faithfully it is not impossible. The version of principle discussion will be the 1948 version that was directed by and starred Orson Welles, as well as the 1971 Roman Polanski directed version starring Jon Finch and the 1957 Japanese retelling by Akira Kurosawa, Kumonosu jà ´ (Throne Of Blood.) The opening scene of Macbeth is extremely short yet extremely effective in establishing an atmosphere of mystery and the imagery of light and dark as an analogy of good and evil that runs throughout the course of the play. It opens to the sound of thunder and lighting. The turbulent and dark nature of the weather serves as an apt environment for the turbulent and dark events that unfold and effectively serving to set the tone of the play and the imagery of stormy weather that is used as pathetic falla cy throughout the play. The witches mention a battle and Macbeth but their involvement in these maters is not clear; but what is clear is the atmosphere of mystery that is established. They converse in verse with rhyming couplets and all chant the same couplet at the end of the scene as if they were casting a spell. Fair is foul and foul is fair Hover through the fog and filthy air. (Act I Scene I) The internal rhyme and inversion of values of good and bad warns the audience that something is amiss and is echoed in Macbeths opening line of the play, So foul and fair a day I have not seen (Act I Scene III) The verbal resonance of this line associates Macbeth with the will of the witches and foreshadows his entanglement with the forces of diabolism. The filmic versions of the play also stem their predominant imagery from this opening scene. The opening scene of Welles Macbeth shows the three Witches standing on the edge of a tall jagged rock face. The barren landscape is dark and shadowy and mist swirls in the dark night sky. The production design is minimalist and actually resembles a theatre set rather than a filmic one. It recalls the visual style of German expressionism, which has a tradition within the horror genre. This design continues throughout the film. The lighting and the black and white photography have been composed to cast eerie shadows over the sets and faces of the players, perfectly visualizing the light and dark imagery in Shakespeares text. The film actually opens with lines from Act IV Scene I. Double, double toil and trouble Fire burn and cauldron bubble. The film then cuts to a close shot of the cauldron mouth as the witches mix a potion and continue to chant Shakespeares words as if casting a spell. From the cauldron a clay doll is formed and as it is fully formed the word Macbeth is spoken as the films title appears on the screen. Although tonally much of what Shakespeare had written is retained within the visual style of the film, in this version of the scene the emphasis on the witches is changed from agents of diabolism to enforcers of it. Lady Macbeths soliloquy of Act I Scene V bares none of the visual flair that Welles opening scene does. To momentarily go back to the source material this is the scene where she has just been informed in a letter from her husband about the fulfilment of the witches first prophecy. Her immediate concern is that her husband does not have the necessary character to murder Duncan for the crown. I fear thy nature, It is too full of the milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way (Act I Scene V) Her conceit is interesting as it is clear in the play that Macbeth struggles a little with his conscience he is quite easily persuaded to commit murder. She also calls to the spirits to Come to my womans breasts, and take my milk for gall. (Act I scene V) The inference here is that she wants to replace Macbeths milk of human kindness with her own diabolically polluted milk. She allys herself with the forces of evil in order to give her the strength of purpose to kill Duncan. Her words are about her adopting evil into her own nature and becoming one with the malevolent forces. †¦Come you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty†¦ †¦Come thick night And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell. (Act I Scene V) The line from to the crown to the toe is at once a statement that she wishes to become engulfed with evil and a reference to the royal crown. The soliloquy also includes the images of dark ness associated with evil. The words unsex me here recall Banquos comments on the ambiguous sexuality of the three witches. You should be women Yet your beards forbid me to interpret That you are so. (Act I Scene III) In the play the scene establishes Lady Macbeths ambition for her husband as another factor in his downfall by associating her with imagery of diabolism. The majority of the scene in Welles film is played out in a medium shot of Lady Macbeth in a bare bedchamber whilst the soliloquy is delivered in voice over. Jeanette Nolans deliver of the lines is extremely theatrical in tone and the back drop is unusually expressionless. The scene looks and plays as if it has been recorded at a theatre performance As such the scene is visually static and the power of Shakespeares words carry the scene as opposed to any cinematic elements. Polanski dilutes the immediacy of Lady Macbeths turn to evil by having her deliver the first part of the soliloquy before Macbeths return to the castle and then the second part, where she calls upon evil spirits, after Malcolm is named successor and it is clear that murder is the only way for Macbeth to ascend the throne. Although this changes emphasis, like Nolan s performance Francesca Annis delivers the soliloquy in voice over and a theatrical tone. Whilst Shakespeares words and imagery are retained there is nothing cinematic about the scene itself Act I Scene VII suggests that Lady Macbeth was right about her husbands willingness to perform the act of murder. In a soliloquy Macbeth talks himself out of the deed; he reasons to himself that it is evil and that he does not have the necessary character. †¦I have No spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which oerleaps itself. (Act 1 Scene 7) Macbeth effectively talks himself out of the deed by considering the ramifications of killing Duncan. He employs imagery of heaven to illustrate Duncans virtue and the legitimate claim to the throne. ,Or heavens cherubin horsd Upon the slightest couriers of the air, Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye That tears shall blow down the wind. (Act I scene VII) In Welles film this same speech in the film is relocated to a religious ceremony that precedes the battle. Orson Welless creation Holy Father reads through a post battle service. In the background there are men holding huge Celtic crosses. This symbol of early Christianity illustrates an uneasy balance between Christian ethics and pagan mysticism. Again the expressionist set retains the constant presence of the forces of evil; the religious context of the scene emphasizes the conflict with the diabolical influence. We are allowed inside Macbeths mind as he rationalizes what he is planning on doing and the evil nature of it, but the I have no spur passage has been omitted. The scene plays out in a close shot of Macbeths face which remains resolute. There is no suggestion of a moral struggle in Welles delivery, merely an acknowledgement of the immorality of his intentions. However on the Heaven cherubin horsd line there is a cut to a wider shot of Duncans subjects genuflecting before him. This reinforces the notion of Duncan as the model ideal for king. The Polanski version of the scene is fantastically captured on screen. Once again we hear Macbeths thoughts in voice over, this time in the full original text. The scene starts with a close shot of Macbeths pensive face, then tracks backwards to reveal the festivity and frivolity of all the others at the feast. This reiterates Macbeths position as Duncans kinsman and host, whilst placing Duncan within the context of a happy and prosperous kingdom. On delivery of the line weld jump the life to come, there is a roll of thunder and the curtains are violently blown into the hall disrupting the festivities as if to disturb Macbeths train of thought. This scene at once retains Shakespeares poetry and accompanies it visually in cinematic terms. The final soliloquy of the play comes in Act V Scene V after Macbeths learning of his wifes demise. In is a dramatic pause before the arrival of Birnam wood to Dunsinane to allow Macbeth to mourn for his dead wife and contemplate his actions. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time; (Act V Scene V) The repetition of the word tomorrow gives verbal resonance to a sense of inevitability of Macbeths death and the inevitability of death as a universal truth. The word creep also has connotations of the subterfuge of malignant forces. Macbeth sees that he is backed into a corner and that his plans have been his own undoing . Lifes but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. (Act V Scene V) The walking shadow that Macbeth speaks of hear exists between light and dark and is also an intangible and temporary thing. The reference to acting suggests that Macbeth feels as if he has been directed by some unknowable source, and the words sound a fury recall the lightning storm that heralded the arrival of the witches. This soliloquy is rich and full with imagery and perfectly captures the mind of a man whose purpose has left him. After this point in the play all Macbeth has is an instinct of self-preservation. In Welles film the scene is at once strikingly visual and completely verbal. Although the two sets of imagery do not properly resonate. A close up of Macbeths face is cross faded with an image of swirling mist as the soliloquy is started then delivered in full by Orson Welles in voice over. The association between Macbeths face and the fade places the viewer firmly within Macbeths mind and indicates that we are privy to his innermost thoughts. The fact that there is very little to look at gives added gravitas to Macbeths words and makes the viewer reflect upon them more. The imagery evokes a sense of inner-turmoil that reflects the mind of a man who has been corrupted by power and stricken with grief. However it evokes other thematic and narrative elements such as a sense of mystery that recalls the witches, a sense of foreshadowing that herald on the stage. In this scene the verbal essence of the play is completely retained by the visuals of the film. The end of the play restores a natural order to the kingdom of Scotland. Malcolm ascends to his rightful place on the throne. He is given a rhetorical speech in rhyming verse which serves as epilogue to the play. And what needful else That calls upon us, by the grace of Grace, We will perform in measure time and place: (Act V Scene VII) Unlike the opening scene were rhyming couplets were used to mimic the casting of spells, in this speech the rhymed words produce a comforting and familiar sound. The phrase measure time and place suggests that the rightful order has been restored and reference to Grace alluding to the grace of god tells us that the forces of evil are no longer at work. The ending of Welles film does not include Malcolms speech. As Macduff holds Macbeths head aloft and proclaims Malcolm king the rest of Malcolms subjects join in and repeat the cry of â€Å"Hail king Malcolm† this continues as the subjects hold aloft burning torches that visually symbolise the light returning to a darkened kingdom. There is then a cut to a wide shot of the castle no longer enshrined in darkness but in the pale morning light. However Welles undercuts any sense of the restoration of order by placing the three witches silhouetted in the middle ground of the shot. Polanskis film goes even further as we see Donalblain seeking out the witches council. He is presumably the next heir until Malcolm has a son and the suggestion is that he too will consult the powers of evil to aide his own bloody ascension. As discussed earlier in the essay, these films place much more emphasis on the external factors that exert their influence over Macbeth. The play itself is more concerned with one mans decision to succumb to evil whilst the films of Orson Welles and Roman Polanski suggest that the force of the witches will is insurmountable. What is clear from the Polanski and Welles versions of the Play is that although both films manage to translate certain passages from the play and retain the verbal essence they are not entirely successful. However they are interpretations of the play as well as adaptations emphasis on theme and narrative has been shifted. By far the most satisfying film version of Macbeth is Akira Kurosawas Throne of Blood. However this version has been relocated to feudal Japan and falls within the context of a different cultural setting. Kurosawa has done the best possible job in translating the text into a foreign context whilst retaining the essential essence of the source material. There is an attempt to retain a sense of the poetic within the dialogue. Kurosawa approximates Shakespearian dialogue with a Japanese equivalent of Noh. At certain key moments of the film the dialogue slips into Noh verse such as the end of the film when a chorus is summarising the story of Washizu (The Macbeth Character.) Lived a proud warrior Murdered by ambition His spirit walking still. Still his spirit walks, his fame is known, For what once was is now yet true Murderous ambition will pursue†¦ This technique is used sparingly throughout the film so as not to seem forced or alienate contemporary audience, but what it does do is infuse the film with Japanese storytelling tradition and give the film an added quality of timelessness. Throne of Blood can also be considered as retaining the best qualities of Welless Macbeth in terms of its expressive production design. Kurosawa has spoken of the use of wide interiors with low ceilings and squat pillars to enclose the interior space and visualise a sense of oppression. This symbolises the forces out of Washizus control that are compelling him along his murderous and treacherous path. The exterior world of the forest is also expressionistic; the tangled treacherous forest is an inhospitable place where the witch and the hostile forces of nature conspire against the will of man. It also reaches out towards Washizus castle that has been made from the resources of the forest and is itself part of the forces of nature. Again the visua l style has been interpreted in such a way to try to capture the essence of the tone of the source material. Like Polanski and Welles, Kurowsawa has interpreted and adapt the play as he saw fit. The significant changes to setting and cultural changes mean that Throne of Blood has been scrutinised, studied and approached as a film in its own right and discussed in its own terms without the direct comparison to Shakespeares exact words. As mentioned at the outset of the essay the arts of screen and play writing are very different and that which has been written for the stage does not necessarily translate to the screen. Critics argue rightly that Shakespeares poetry has been in places mutilated to bring the plays to the screen. However as this essay illustrates; certain passages have been successfully translated into cinematic terms retaining the imagery and the poetry of original play. To say that the verbal essence of a Shakespeare play is essentially non-cinematic is untrue. To say that it is extremely difficult to translate into cinematic terms is entirely fair. Bibliography Anderegg, M.A. Orson Welles, Shakespeare and Popular Culture (New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.) Bazin, A. Orson Welles (London: Elm Tree Books, 1978) Davies, a Filming Shakespeares Plays: The Adaptations of Laurence Olivier, Orson Welles, Peter Brook and Akira Kurosawa. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988). Davies, A. Wells, S. (Eds) â€Å"Shakespeare and the Moving Image: The plays on Film and Television† (London: Cambridge University Press, 1994.) Jackson, R. (Ed) â€Å"The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film† (London: Cambridge University Press. 2000) Manvell, R. Theater and Film: A Comparative Study of Two Forms of Dramatic Art (Rutherford: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1979.) Manvell, R. Shakespeare and the Film (London: Dent, 1971) McBride, J. Orson Welles (London: BFI, 1972) Films Kumonosu jà ´ (Dir Akira Kurosawa, 1957 Japan) Macbeth (Dir Orson Welles, 1948, US) Tragedy of Macbeth, The (Dir Roman Polanski, 1971, US/UK)

LeBlanc’s Gender Criticism of Chopin’s The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening

LeBlanc’s Gender Criticism of Chopin’s The Awakening Tomorrow marks thirty years since the Roe vs. Wade decision that gave women a reproductive choice in America. The occasion reminds me that women are continuously struggling to attain and maintain various levels of freedom. Elizabeth LeBlanc’s gender criticism of The Awakening---a novel published before women acquired suffrage---highlights one such freedom: the freedom to live on one’s own terms. The discussion delineates how Kate Chopin’s tale of one woman’s â€Å"choices, actions and attitudes may be construed as the attempts of a woman trapped in a sexually (in)different world to reconstitute herself as lesbian† (241). LeBlanc clarifies that Edna is a â€Å"metaphorical lesbian† who â€Å"creates a narrative or textual space in which she interrogates accepted norms of textuality and sexuality and constitutes herself as subject† (238). The use of the word â€Å"trapped† connotes a state of being cornered, with few choices and at the mercy of someone else. At first, Edna does seem trapped to a drone existence of bourgeois Creole society. But once she was â€Å"initiat[ed] into the world of female love and ritual,† (247) she began â€Å"seeking fulfillment and selfhood† outside of marriage and motherhood (244). Her gravitation toward a woman-centered existence, outside of culturally defined spaces, is an act of self-reconstruction. For example, at the risk of damaging her reputation, she rejects the obligation of her social class to host ‘callers.’ This is a figurative loosening of the ties that bound her to a tradition of waiting for life to happen. She defies that tradition and, in doing so, restructures her existence as a woman. Edna progressively moves away from all-things-traditional, or culturally predefined, into a space all her own. As a metaphorical lesbian, she â€Å"engages in a variety of woman-identified practices that suggest but stop short of sexual encounters.† One such practice is finding solace in a woman who already lives on the margins of society, Mademoiselle Reisz, who LeBlanc suggests is the actual lesbian in this narrative. Edna, LeBlanc writes, â€Å"is drawn to [her] whenever she falls into despondency and hopelessness† because Reisz’s â€Å"music penetrated [Edna’s] whole being like an effulgence, warming and brightening the dark places of her soul† (Chopin 103). It is she, who describes herself as â€Å"captivated† by Edna, who â€Å"fosters in Edna a sense of the possibilities for joy and fulfillment outside the realm of male tradition and meaningless codes† (252). Edna learns not to define herself in relation to her familial attachme nts, such as mother or wife.

Summary and Personal Response

Jessica shares that in her early years growing up on a farm made her feel efferent from the other kids especially during recess as she felt â€Å"not being able to participate in school activities like my friends makes me feel left out and depressed† (Hammerer 2011). These contrast to the other kids who she feels have no chores, wake up just before school begins and have lots Of time after school for social activities and sports. She describes the relationship between her mother and father who â€Å"rarely made time for each other†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ (Hammerer 201 1).Jessica shares that this, â€Å"left a lasting impression on her as an adult as she was always more focused on the job at hand rather than forming relationships†. A pivotal moment happens in high school when her father decides to expand his farming operations and makes an important decision that he wants his â€Å"children to focus on school and go to college† (Hammerer 201 1 Jessica could focus on her ba sketball as well as get involved in other school and social activities.Her friends comment that they are amazed by how she â€Å"managed my time so well and how don't get stressed out† (Hammerer 2011). Jessica purpose in writing this personal essay is to share her experience grow. Eng up, 3 having to balance farm and school life and, how being â€Å"different† made her feel. Jessica attitude is formed by this, giving her the tools, and experience to be responsible for herself as an adult. Jessica essay appeals to a wide audience who are interested in reading and seeing how the experiences of a child, can shape their attitude for their entire life.Her tone is mixed. She expresses joy at the simplest chores like when she is feeding the calves. She experiences a fulfillment that she is â€Å"finally the one in charge† (Hammerer 201 1). According to Jessica, she is, â€Å"depressed at times, as she cannot participate in the social discussions at recess like her fri ends can†. Finally, she expresses a great sense of accomplishment as she realizes her childhood has provided her the following tools to be successful as an adult namely; responsibility, time management, focus and resolve.My emotional response to Jessica story was one of reflection and awe. At a young age, she was able to discern that she was different from her friends. She wanted to be able to fit in but that these differences did not make her bitter or sad. Then, when she had an opportunity to join in and participate, she excelled. She reflected later in life that this was all due to her being soused on doing the little things in life well.

Coping up with loss Essay

However easy it might sound to cope up with a loss, only the person undergoing the mental trauma can feel the pain; – Affects personal, social and mental stability; – When you love someone or something that is very precious to you, the grief is intense; – It can be quite unsettling and frightening to cope up with a loss or a crisis or a life-changing event; – Talking to a very close friend or a spouse might help to a great deal; – Counseling and healthy advice on coping with a mishap might help; – Isolation is never a solution to heal grief. Face the loss; – Let your pain come out in all the possible forms; – Distract yourself with things you like to do and people you like to talk to; – Allow time to heal. Grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief will be. You may associate grief with the death of a loved one—which is often the cause of the most intense type of grief—but any loss can cause grief, including: †¢Divorce or relationship breakup †¢Loss of health †¢Losing a job †¢Loss of financial stability †¢A miscarriage †¢Retirement†¢Death of a pet †¢Loss of a cherished dream †¢A loved one’s serious illness †¢Loss of a friendship †¢Loss of safety after a trauma †¢Selling the family home The more significant the loss, the more intense the grief. However, even subtle losses can lead to grief. For example, you might experience grief after moving away from home, graduating from college, changing jobs, selling your family home, or retiring from a career you loved.