Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Of Mice and Men Essay Choice A When looking at literature through the lens of Marxist Theory, it is not just art to be passively appreciated; it is a product of the socioeconomic and ideological conditions of the time, even if the author did not intend for it to be. Because the writing is a reflection of the reality of the time in which it was written, Marxist critics examine the literary work to see if it either a) reinforces the ideologies it embodies (i.e. capitalism is great), or b) invites the reader to criticize the ideologies it represents. What does Steinbeck do with his novel, Of Mice and Men? Does he reinforce the idea of capitalism, or is this a criticism of it? In what way(s) does he either reinforce or criticize this ideology? Choice B: New Historical critics believe that literary texts are cultural artifacts that can tell us something about the belief systems and about the power struggles operating in the time and place in which the text was written. They can do this because the literary texts themselves are part of history. They shape and are shaped by their historical contexts. What does Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men suggest about the experience of groups of people who have been ignored, under-represented, or misrepresented by traditional history? Choice C: Broadly defined, feminist criticism examines the ways in which literature (and other cultural productions) reinforces or undermines the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women. We live in a patriarchal society. Patriarchy is defined as any culture that privileges men by promoting traditional gender roles. Looking through a Feminist Theory lens, discuss the following questions about Of Mice and Men: How are women portrayed? Does the work reinforce or resist patriarchal ideology? How does the work define masculinity and femininity? Does the work seem to accept or to reject the traditional idea of gender?

Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome :: essays research papers

Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome is one of over 7000 known inherited diseases. It is an autosomal dominant disease that affects about 10% of the population.1 The history of VHL reaches back to 1864 when scattered reports of knots of blood vessels known as hemangioblastomas on the retina surfaced and were written up by opthamolagists. Eugene Von Hippel, a German opthamologist is credited with discovering the familial nature of the disease, however Swedish pathologist Arvid Lindau was the one who suggested that these hemangioblastomas are part of a larger "angiomatus [involving knots of blood vessels] lesion of the central nervous system." Additional reports of affected small families confermed Lindau's theory. In 1964, Melmon and Rosen summarized all knowlege of the disease and coined the name "Von Hippel-Lindau." The invention of ultrasound aided detection in the late 1970's, and by the mid 1980's, MRI was commonly used for detection of angiomas on the spine. In 1 993, the VHL gene was located by researchers at the National Cancer Institute. Patients with VHL suffer tumors known as angiomas (they are referred to as hemangioblastomas when discussing the retina, brain, or spinal chord and pheochromocytomas when discussing the adrenal glands) consisting of tiny knots of blood vessels. These angiomas can occur in the brain, spinal cord, retina, adrenal glands, kidney, pancreas, and very rarely in the epididymis is men and the fallopian tubes in women. Based on these manifestations, scientists have identified two types of VHL: 1) without pheochromocytoma 2) with pheochromocytoma. VHL type 2 has further been divided into two subcatagories: 2a) without pancreatic cysts 2b) with pancreatic cysts. VHL type 1 is the most common form of the disease. Scientists have also identified trends in race associated with manifestations of VHL: French families are most likely to have pancreatic cysts, German families are most likely to have pheochromocytomas, and Japanese families are more likely to have kidney tumors2. When hemangioblastomas form in the retina, they start out very small and difficult to detect. They tend to grow around the equator of the retina (See Fig 1), far from the area of central vision. A very indepth opthamological examination is required to detect hemangioblastomastomas of the retina. Once discovered, there are two main options for treatment: laser surgery or cryotherapy (freezing). The goal of these treatments is to keep the hemangioblastomas from growing. Hemangioblastomas in the brain and spinal cord can be a bit more dangerous. Early signs of a growth in these areas may include back pain, headaches, numbness, dizziness, and weakness or pain in the arms or legs.

HIV/ AIDS Essay

A lot of people don’t get tested because they don’t believe something like this can happen to them until it do then they walk around miserable and feel as if life is over. Getting tested every six months makes a difference depending on how sexually active you are you might want to get tested more. I personally get tested every 3 months because my mother died from this virus and I do not want to leave my kids the same way she left me. Although you may not be that comfortable it is for the better of you that you get tested and make sure you protect the people around you. You have to think of other people when you think about possibly getting a virus that can never be reversed. This is a very tricky thing to have to tell your loved ones about you don’t want to have to sit down with your kids and tell them something like this. There are a lot of things that you will have to go through once you are diagnosed with such a virus you have to not only make sure that you stay healthy, so that you stay around for your family. We have more information on this virus meaning we can keep you alive longer you might not be able to do things the way you use to but you will be alive as long as you follow your doctor’s orders. There are still a high number of people that are not aware of this virus. It’s ashamed to the number of people that aren’t aware. There are about 12,000 people who are not aware of their status because they do not get tested. Our youth is being infected with this virus because they want to experiment with sex. There are about 57 percent of our youth that are gay or bisexual and are just going around infecting each other. Things need to change and quickly because if not we won’t have a future of healthy people. There are many types of ways people can get tested and many dif ferent places that you can go without any one finding out that you got tested as well as what you status is. You just have to have the courage to go get tested. I found it easier to go with a friend or your loved one to make you more comfortable. As long as you get tested to make sure you are safe is all that matters. Families need to inform their children on how important safe sex is we have to realize that they are going to do it anyway no matter what we say so all we can do is keep them safe by providing them with everything they need to experiment safely.

Destruction and Failure of a Generation in Fitzgerald’s...

The Great Gatsby and the Destruction of a Generation The beauty and splendor of Gatsbys parties masks the decay and corruption that lay at the heart of the Roaring Twenties. The society of the Jazz Age, as observed by Fitzgerald, is morally bankrupt, and thus continually plagued by a crisis of character. Jay Gatsby, though he struggles to be a part of this world, remains unalterably an outsider. His life is a grand irony, in that it is a caricature of Twenties-style ostentation: his closet overflows with custom-made shirts; his lawn teems with the right people, all engaged in the serious work of absolute triviality; his mannerisms (his false British accent, his old-boy friendliness) are laughably affected. Despite all this,†¦show more content†¦Despite these admirable qualities, he dies alone, drunk, and betrayed. Through Dan Cody, Fitzgerald suggests that 1920s society manipulates its visionaries, milks them for their hard-earned money, and then, promptly forgets them. This formula is reiterated through the story of Gatsby. A child growing up in a nameless town in the middle of Minnesota, Gatsby dreams of the impossible and makes the impossible a reality. He begins this grand undertaking in an endearingly methodical way: he makes a list of General Resolves: Study electricity, baseball, practice elocution and how to attain it. . . Less than two decades later, he is one of the richest men in New York. Gatsby, too, is exploited by the very society of which he longs to become a part. At his own parties, Girls were swooning backward playfully into mens arms, even into groups, knowing that someone would arrest their falls - - - but no one swooned backward on Gatsby, and no French bob touched Gatsbys shoulder, and no singing quartets were formed with Gatsbys head for a link. His home was full of the Leeches, Blackbucks, Ferets and Klipspringers or at least it was while the champagne was flowing, at Gatsbys expense. When he dies, no one attends his fune ral: Gatsby dies alone, and only a handful of people mourn hisShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby and the American Dream1442 Words   |  6 Pagesimpossible to reach, like F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby examines the Jazz-Age generations search for the elusive American Dream of wealth and happiness and scrutinizes the consequences of that generations adherence to false values. In the years following World War one, many American writers, known as the Lost Generation, were disillusioned with American society and they rejected the values of American materialism. The generation was lost in the sense that they believed itsRead MoreFitzgerald Explores the Jefferson ´s Ideal of ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ in The Great Gatsby2090 Words   |  9 Pagesoriginally inserted into the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson and is a clear and overriding concern in The Great Gatsby. 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Fitzgerald provides the reader with an insightRead MoreShort Summary of the Great Gatsby11203 Words   |  45 PagesStar-Spangled Banner (after whom Fitzgerald was named), his mothers family was, in Fitzgeralds own words, straight 1850 potato-famine Irish. As a result of this contrast, he was exceedingly ambivalent about the notion of the American dream: for him, it was at once vulgar and dazzlingly promising. It need scarcely be noted that such fascinated ambivalence is itself typically American. Like the central character of The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald had an intensely romantic imagination; he once called it a heightenedRead More Mythology and Archetypes in Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird2536 Words   |  11 Pagesall the various approaches to criticism, the Mythological/Archetypal achieves the greatest impact over the entire literary scope, because the themes and patterns unearthed apply universally to all works, yielding results that can be applied to a great many texts. 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