Fahrenheit 451 Essay Example for Free

Fahrenheit 451 Essay Mildred Montag is the prime example of a conformist in the dystopian society portrayed in Ray Bradburys book, Fahrenheit 451. She thinks in the simplistic manner that people like her are conditioned to, and shes married to a fireman, who plays the largely important role of burning books in this society. She spends her days watching the television screens in the parlor and her nights with Seashell Radios buzzing in her ears. At first glance, her life of all play and no work might seem relaxing and blissful. However, it eventually comes to mind that all of her bliss is derived from her use of technology in order to escape from reality. Even then, it will become apparent that Mildred is not actually blind to reality and that her happy disposition is fabricated. Mildreds behavior, considered to be normal in her society, is no different from that of a self-destructive addict in ours. Her favorite pastime is to sit in the parlor and spend time with what she claims to be her family, but is really just a bunch of characters from the programs she watches. A description of what was shown on the screen during one of the programs was as follows: Abruptly the room took off on a rocket flight into the clouds, it plunged into a lime-green sea where blue fish ate red and yellow fish. (pg. 94). Such colorful and spontaneous effects are much like what many people in our society claim to experience under the influence of hallucinogens, which coincidentally are the types of drugs that are notorious for having the ability to make a person lose all sense of reality. Mildred exhibits a sign of addiction when Guy, while he is sick in bed, asks her to lower the volume in the parlor, and she responds by leaving the room, [doing] nothing to the parlor and [coming] back. (pg. 49). This shows that she cares more about a piece of technology than about the welfare of her own husband. Likewise, in modern-day society, addictions tend to practically take over the entire lives of people who suffer from them, thus driving the addicts to sacrifice connections with their friends and families in order to satisfy their cravings for whatever it is that they are addicted to. It is also mentioned that Mildred occasionally likes to drive around at night, at dangerously high speeds just to feel a rush or a temporary high. Generally, people are believed to resort to such methods of addictive behavior when they feel that they are unable to enjoy a normal life. Reasonably enough, the reality that Mildred tries to escape is indeed dull, empty, and unenjoyable. She depends upon her addictions to help her fill up the void, as is depicted literally when she receives the endoscopic treatment after her overdose at the beginning of the book. As it says, Go on, anyway, shove the bore down, slush up the emptiness, if such a thing could be brought out in the throb of the suction snake. (pgs. 14-15). In this situation, the drugs serve as the technology she utilizes in an attempt to make a physical escape from the life she leads, and once the operators extract those drugs from her body, there is nothing left inside, save perhaps emptiness. The line mentioned could either be stating the fact that emptiness is intangible and cannot be taken out, or hinting that emptiness itself wasnt even there to be removed in the first place. On a similar note, Mildred overindulges in technology because her life would be utterly meaningless without it. As if it werent significant enough, the very fact that Mildred attempts suicide is a solid sign that she does not have anything she feels is worth living for. That being said, just from the knowledge that Mildred makes an effort to escape from reality, one can derive that she has to have a certain level of awareness as to the existence of what it is she tries so hard to separate herself from. She believes that by not acknowledging this awareness, she will be able to fully convince herself that her means of escape is her reality. For instance, when Guy tries to convince her that books may add meaning to their lives, she argues that books arent people and that her family is people. (pg. 73). However, when Guy asks her if her family loves her with all their heart and soul, (pg. 77) she is at a loss for words. Much like what happens when Clarisse asks Guy whether or not he is happy, this question forces Mildred to think strictly about what is real. It reminds her that deep down, she knows that her family consists of fictional characters who cannot harbor real emotions and thus, cannot requite her love for them. This is part of the awareness that she refuses to acknowledge, and she is stunned when Guys question catches her in her disguise. Unfortunately, she does not accept that she has a problem and proceeds to change the subject in response to his question. Towards the end of the book, when Mildred leaves the house as the firemen arrive to burn it, it can be inferred that technology does not have the effect on her that she desires, and that it cannot save her from her reality. One can recall that earlier in the story, an old woman chooses to stay in her house and burn along with her books, causing Guy to realize that books can help people to find in their lives a meaning that does not exist in his or Mildreds. Mildred does not stay to burn with the parlor that she makes such a big deal out of throughout the course of the book. In this way, she inadvertently proves that the parlor and the other forms of technology she attaches herself to, do not provide her life with any real meaning. Mildred is initially unhappy because she subconsciously wants her life to be meaningful, and it is not. She may not be aware of that specific problem, but there is no denying her awareness that something about her life makes her feel unsatisfied. Instead of acknowledging her problems and facing them head-on the way her husband deals with his, she tries to smother her negative emotions by resorting to physically and mentally unhealthy behavior in a futile attempt to run away from the reality which contains her problems. As her actions can only allow her to reach temporary highs and reality is something that will never disintegrate, it is impossible for her to achieve what she desires by means of the methods she uses. These problems merge to spiral her into a constant routine of highs and crashes; all the while, her initial problem never gets taken care of. As a result, she feels even more trapped in this seemingly endless cycle, and her efforts to make herself blind to reality only prolong her agony and make her even more unhappy in the long run.

Wallace Group Strategic analysis Essay -- essays research papers

The Wallace Group is a company that manufactures and develops technical products and systems. It has three primary operational groups consisting of electronics, plastics, and chemicals. By far the largest asset of the Group is the electronics. This asset is approximately the size of both the plastics and chemical groups of the corporation. It also contributes the most to the net income at approximately 70%. The plastics and chemical divisions were acquired for the purpose of diversifying the income of the corporation from the original electronics group.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Wallace Group currently faces some problems with it company in relation to improper management. To begin with, the company seems to have difficulty in the hiring process. It seems that the company is focused on cutting cost rather than looking for effective employment solutions. For example, instead of creating a management developing program to train and recruit managers, the company relies on promoting technical staff. The cost cutting approach is also impeding the hiring of qualified engineers. The company focuses on hiring employees at the least possible salary as an alternative to paying the required amount for qualified expertise. Another issue that arises is un-standardized methods of collecting data and presenting information. For example both the vice president of marketing and the director of advanced systems collect and utilize data for marketing purposes. Their problem lies in the fact that both managers are using different data and formats for ess entially the same purpose, and therefore they create redundancy and higher workloads. By far, the most crucial problem facing the group is the lack of vision and direction from the president, Mr. Wallace himself. His diversification program that resulted in the acquisition of the chemical and plastics divisions lacked forward looking vision. He simply required the companies to maintain a profitable operation without any direction to improve.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In terms of priority, I would first recommend that the Wallace Group implement a corporate governance policy familiar to a business of its size. This would require that the company adopt a board of directors. A board of directors has five responsibilities: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Setting corporate strategy, overall direction, mission, or visio... ... management techniques from them. This is particularly solid approach since the methods employed have already been tested and the results can be predicted. The other theory I would use to educate Mr. Wallace is the organizational learning theory. It states that â€Å"†¦organizations adjust defensively to a changing environment and use knowledge offensively to improve the fit between the organization and its environment.† (Wheelen, pg8) To utilize this theory the company must respond to the changes to reduce negative impacts and position itself to take action. This allows for the company to essentially learn from its environment and lead to its own innovations in strategic management. References Wheelen T.L., Hunger J.D., Strategic Management and Business Policy Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ (2004) Bay Area Industrial Education Council, Employee turnover cost table retrieved Jun 10, 2005 http://www.baiec.org/Employee%20Turnover%20Costs.PDF#search='employee%20turnover%20costs' Information Week Issue 1041 Wal-Mart to Suppliers: Clean Up Your Data retrieved Jun 10, 2005 http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsh&an=17226667&loginpage=Login.asp

Early Greek Education Essay

Definition HIV infection is a disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The condition gradually destroys the immune system, which makes it harder for the body to fight infections. Most people infected with HIV eventually develop AIDS. These individuals mostly die from opportunistic infections or malignancies associated with the progressive failure of the immune system. HIV progresses to AIDS at a variable rate affected by viral, host, and environmental factors; HIV-specific treatment delays this process. Most will progress to AIDS within 10 years of HIV infection: some will have progressed much sooner, and some will take much longer. Treatment with anti-retrovirals increases the life expectancy of people infected with HIV. Even after HIV has progressed to diagnosable AIDS, the average survival time with antiretroviral therapy was estimated to be more than 5 years as of 2005. Without antiretroviral therapy, someone who has AIDS typically dies within a year. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This condition progressively reduces the effectiveness of the immune system and leaves individuals susceptible to opportunistic infections and tumors. HIV is transmitted through direct contact of a mucous membrane or the bloodstream with a bodily fluid containing HIV, such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid, preseminal fluid, and breast milk. When HIV infection becomes advanced it often is referred to as AIDS. It generally occurs when the CD4 count is below 200/mL and is characterized by the appearance of opportunistic infections. These are infections that take advantage of a weakened immune system and include: †¢ Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia †¢ Toxoplasmosis †¢ Tuberculosis †¢ Extreme weight loss and wasting; exacerbated by diarrhea which can be experienced in up to 90% of HIV patients worldwide †¢ Meningitis and  other brain infections †¢ Fungal infections †¢ Syphilis †¢ Malignancies such as lymphoma, cervical cancer, and †¢ Kaposi’s Sarcoma Today we know that Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a disease and not a syndrome. A syndrome is commonly used to refer to collections of symptoms that do not have an easily identifiable cause. This name was more appropriate 13 years ago, when doctors were only aware of the late stages of the disease and did not fully understand its mechanisms. A more current name for the condition, regardless of an AIDS diagnosis, is HIV Disease. This name is more accurate because it refers to the pathogen that causes AIDS and encompasses all the condition’s stages, from infection to the deterioration of the immune system and the onset of opportunistic diseases. However, AIDS is still the name that most people use to refer to the immune deficiency caused by HIV. †¢ Acquired — because it is a condition that has to be contracted. It cannot be inherited or transmitted through the genes. †¢ Immune — because it affects the body’s immune system, the part of the body that fights off diseases. †¢ Deficiency — because it makes the immune system stop working properly. †¢ Syndrome — because people with AIDS experience a number of different symptoms and opportunistic diseases. Four stages of HIV infection: 1. Incubation Period In the majority of the infected population, HIV remains asymptomatic for years. The only way to know if you have HIV is to be tested. It is important to know, however, that it may take up to six months after exposure to the HIV virus before you will test positive on an HIV antibody test, although most infected people will test positive within 3 months. A negative test, therefore, isn’t a reliable indicator of your infection status if you were only exposed last week. Tests that look directly for HIV RNA, the virus’ genetic material, can detect an infection earlier, but are harder to find. 2. Acute HIV infection The initial infection with HIV generally occurs after transfer of body fluids from an infected person to an uninfected one. The first stage of infection, the primary, or acute infection, is a period of rapid viral replication that immediately follows the individual’s exposure to HIV leading to an abundance of virus in the peripheral blood with levels of HIV commonly approaching several million viruses per mL. This response is accompanied by a marked drop in the numbers of circulating CD4+ T cells. This acute viremia is associated in virtually all patients with the activation of CD8+ T cells, which kill HIV-infected cells, and subsequently with antibody production, or seroconversion. The CD8+ T cell response is thought to be important in controlling virus levels, which peak and then decline, as the CD4+ T cell counts rebound to around 800 cells per  µL (the normal blood value is 1200 cells per  µL ). A good CD8+ T cell response has been linked to slower disease progression and a better prognosis, though it does not eliminate the virus. During this period (usually 2–4 weeks post-exposure) most individuals (80 to 90%) develop an influenza or mononucleosis-like illness called acute HIV infection. Because of the nonspecific nature of these symptoms, they are often not recognized as signs of HIV infection. Even if patients go to their doctors or a hospital, they will often be misdiagnosed as having one of the more common infectious diseases with the same symptoms. Consequently, these primary symptoms are not used to diagnose HIV infection as they do not develop in all cases and because many are caused by other more common diseases. However, recognizing the syndrome can be important because the patient is much more infectious during this period. 3. Latency stage A strong immune defense reduces the number of viral particles in the blood stream, marking the start of the infection’s clinical latency stage. Clinical latency can vary between two weeks and 20 years. During this early phase of infection, HIV is active within lymphoid organs, where large amounts of virus become trapped in the follicular dendritic cells (FDC) network. The surrounding tissues that are rich in CD4+ T cells may also become infected, and viral particles accumulate both in infected cells and as free virus. Individuals who are in this phase are still infectious. During this time, CD4+ CD45RO+ T cells carry most of the proviral load. 4.  AIDS When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level of 200 cells per  µL, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and infections with a variety of opportunistic microbes appear. The first symptoms often include moderate and unexplained weight loss, recurring respiratory tract infections (such as sinusitis, bronchitis, otitis media, pharyngitis),prostatitis, skin rashes, and oral ulcerations. Common opportunistic infections and tumors, most of which are normally controlled by robust CD4+ T cell-mediated immunity then start to affect the patient. Typically, resistance is lost early on to oral Candida species and to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which leads to an increased susceptibility to oral candidiasis(thrush) and tuberculosis. Later, reactivation of latent herpes viruses may cause worsening recurrences of herpes simplex eruptions, shingles, Epstein-Barr virus-induced B-cell lymphomas, or Kaposi’s sarcoma. Pneumonia caused by the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii is common and often fatal. In the final stages of AIDS, infection with cytomegalovirus (another herpes virus) or Mycobacterium avium complex is more prominent. Not all patients with AIDS get all these infections or tumors, and there are other tumors and infections that are less prominent but still significant. Incidence As a national and global epidemic, the degree of morbidity and mortality caused by caused by HIV or AIDS. At the end of 2002, it was estimated that there were 42 million people living with HIV / AIDS and that more than 25 million had died of the infection. During the same year, 5 million were newly infected with the virus, and for the first time, women and young people 15 to 24 years of age accounted for 50% of HIV infections. In the year 2007, it was estimated that 33.2 million people lived with the disease worldwide, and that AIDS had killed an estimated 2.1 million people, including 330,000 children. In the Philippines, cases were estimated to be 29 each month in the year 2007 and continue on until 2008. As of September 2008, the Department of Health (DOH) AIDS Registry in the Philippines reported 3,456 people living with HIV/AIDS. The Philippines is a low-HIV-prevalence country, with less than 0.1 percent of the adult  population estimated to be HIV-positive. Etiology AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a lentivirus (a member of the retrovirus family) that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections. Infection with HIV occurs by the transfer of blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculate, or breast milk. Within these bodily fluids, HIV is present as both free virus particles and virus within infected immune cells. The four major routes of transmission are unsafe sex, contaminated needles, breast milk, and transmission from an infected mother to her baby at birth (Vertical transmission). Screening of blood products for HIV has largely eliminated transmission through blood transfusions or infected blood products in the developed world. HIV primarily infects vital cells in the human immune system such as helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells), macrophages, and dendritic cells. HIV infection leads to low levels of CD4+ T cells through three main mechanisms: firstly, direct viral killing of infected cells; secondly, increased rates of apoptosis in infected cells; and thirdly, killing of infected CD4+ T cells by CD8 cytotoxic lymphocytes that recognize infected cells. When CD4+ T cell numbers decline below a critical level, cell-mediated immunity is lost, and the body becomes progressively more susceptible to opportunistic infections. HIV is present to variable degrees in the blood and genital secretions of virtually all individuals infected with HIV, regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. The spread of HIV can occur when these secretions come in contact with tissues such as those lining the vagina, anal area, mouth, or eyes (the mucus membranes), or with a break in the skin, such as from a cut or puncture by a needle. The most common ways in which HIV is spreading throughout the world include sexual contact, sharing needles, and by transmission from infected mothers to their newborns during pregnancy, labor (the delivery process), or breastfeeding. (See the section below on treatment during pregnancy for a discussion on reducing the risk of  transmission to the newborn.) There is little evidence that HIV can be transferred by casual exposure, as might occur in a household setting. For example, unless there are open sores or blood in the mouth, kissing is generally considered not to be a risk factor for transmitting HIV. This is because saliva, in contrast to genital secretions, has been shown to contain very little HIV. Still, theoretical risks are associated with the sharing of toothbrushes and shaving razors because they can cause bleeding, and blood can contain large amounts of HIV. Consequently, these items should not be shared with infected people. Similarly, without sexual exposure or direct contact with blood, there is little if any risk of HIV contagion in the workplace or classroom. Pathophysiology Signs and Symptoms †¢ Acute HIV infection [pic] Main symptoms of acute HIV infection. †¢ Symptomatic HIV infection or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome – Moderate and unexplained weight loss – Recurring respiratory tract infections (such as sinusitis, otitis media, bronchitis, pharyngitis) – Prostatitis, skin rashes, and oral ulcerations – Oral candidiasis and Tuberculosis caused by Candida species and Mycobacterium tuberculosis respectively. – Reactivation of latent herpes viruses may cause worsening recurrences of herpes simplex eruptions, shingles, Epstein-Barr virus-induced B-cell lymphomas, or Kaposi’s sarcoma. – Pneumonia caused by the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii is common and often fatal. – In the final stages of AIDS, infection with cytomegalovirus (another herpes virus) or Mycobacterium avium complex is more prominent. WHO Case Definition for AIDS Surveillance For the purpose of AIDS surveillance an adult or adolescent (>12 years of age) is considered to have AIDS if at least 2 of the following major signs are present in combination with at least 1 of the minor signs listed below, and if these signs are not known to be due to a condition unrelated to HIV infection. Major Signs – Weight loss >10% of body weight – Chronic diarrhea for more than 1 month – Prolonged fever for more than 1 month (intermittent of constant) Minor Signs – Persistent cough for more than 1 month – Generalized pruritic dermatitis – History of herpes zoster – Chronic progressive or disseminated herpes simplex infection – Generalized lymphadenopathy The presence of either generalized Kaposi sarcoma or cryptococcal meningitis is sufficient for the diagnosis of AIDS for surveillance purposes. Expanded WHO Case Definition for AIDS Surveillance For the purpose of AIDS surveillance an adult or adolescent (>12 years of age) is considered to have AIDS if test for HIV antibody gives a positive result, and 1 more of the following conditions are present: – >10% body weight loss or cachexia, with diarrhea or fever, or both, intermittent or constant, for at least 1 month, not known to be due to a condition unrelated to HIV infection – Cryptococcal meningitis – Pulmonary or extra-pulmonary tuberculosis – Kaposi sarcoma – Neurological impairment that is sufficient to prevent independent daily activities, not known to be due to a condition unrelated to HIV infection (i.e. trauma or cerebrovascular accident) – Candidiasis of the esophagus (which may be presumptively diagnosed based on the presence of oral candidiasis accompanied by dysphagia) – Clinically diagnosed life-threatening or recurrent episodes of pneumonia, with or  without etiological confirmation – Invasive cervical cancer

Mourning and Melancholia in Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell...

Mourning and Melancholia in Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940) begins with a quotation from John Donne’s â€Å"Meditation XVII.† With this epigraph, Hemingway identifies the source of his title and defines the connections achieved between human beings through mourning.: Donne’s argument begins, â€Å"No man is an island,† and it concludes with an assertion of our bond to the dead: â€Å"never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.† Proper mourning acknowledges the losses to our self in the death of another. Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls depicts such connections to the dead and examines the emotional effects of incomplete mourning in terms that parallel Freud’s own†¦show more content†¦In both works, Hemingway praises the volunteers who died fighting to protect republican values. In an introduction to the â€Å"Eulogy† written after World War II, Hemingway scolded America for its failure to support these â€Å"premature antifascists† (Nelson 26). At another point, he explains this failure: The majority of the career diplomats of England, France, and the United States , are fascist, and it is they who supply the erroneous information on which their foreign offices and state departments act (Hem on War, 293). The ideologies of the diplomats led to the great bloodbath of the Second World War. Hemingway helps us to mourn the deaths of Jordan and the other volunteers because he affirms that they are, in fact, unacknowledged instances of our own losses. Yet, many of the volunteers in the International Corps during the Spanish Civil War felt betrayed by Hemingway’s depictions of literary and historical characters and events. Some of the veterans criticized the lack of political ideology in the central character, the literary self-indulgence of the love relationship between Jordan and Maria, and the negative depictions of several of the leaders of the Republican forces. Pilar’s narrative describing the massacre of civilian villagers provoked the sharpest criticism. According to Milton Wolff, many veterans felt that Hemingway had 2 Page 3 ignored fascist atrocities and betrayed loyalist soldiers who had been killed or wounded in Spain. Wolff also