A view from the bridge Essay Example for Free

A view from the bridge Essay All my life Ive been trying to create a blissful loving environment, in my house. All my expectations of life for my family would very probably have come true. However since the day that Marco and Rodolfo arrived all this has changed. A tense environment is what reigns in this house due to our different points of view.  I can accept that I am a bit confused about them hosting in this house but its very difficult for me to seem inferior to them. I think that Marco is a good person, he likes to collaborate in some house work, and he is an intelligent man with an amazing future. On the other hand Rodolfo is completely different, he has blonde hair, likes to sew dresses, doesnt know to fight and sings Paper Doll, its impossible to have a good impression of him. I think he doesnt want us to know he is a sissy because he is playing with the feelings of my family and he is trying to trick someone. When Rodolfo arrived I thought he was a normal person but it was annoying and shocking when I realized he wasnt right. He is invading my house and trying to impose new rules and authority, that is unacceptable. I want him to leave my house and let me continue the life I had before we met him. It was such a perfect life when we knew Catherine was going to grow in a disciplined manner with a perfect assured future but now he is spoiling her and ruining the expectations that I had for her future. Catherine is a very sweet girl and I love her. Thats why I protect her always and I cant accept the fact of her being with him. I dont know what Catherine likes about Rodolfo; shes unwise in her decision for the first time. Its even harder for me to assume that she is planning to live with him for the rest of her life. I have been taking care of her since she was a little girl, that is why I am nervous about her future and I feel responsible for the consequences. This is why I cant let grant her free will on her future. I think Rodolfo is playing with her feelings and taking advantage of her, his real interest in her is to obtain his legal American papers. For obtaining these papers he just needs to marry an American lady and this is just what hes doing. I know Im not Catherines father and she can take her decisions, but I want the best for her and the best is not beside Rodolfo. Some days ago I went to a lawyers office to ask him for help. He is called Alfieri but unfortunately we couldnt find a form of getting rid of Rodolfo. There is no proof of him wanting to obtain legal papers from Catherine. I had the idea of telling the truth about him being an illegal immigrant but soon I realized other members of the Italian community would have killed me for doing that. Alfieri told me that I should let Catherine choose her future and if she wants to stay with Rodolfo, I should let her do that. If Alfieri cant help me to get rid of that immigrant, I will have to solve this thing myself, the problem is that I still dont know how. My relationship with Beatrice has also been affected since they came. It is getting worse all the time and all of this is Rodolfos fault. I have to pay extra attention in Rodolfo so that he doesnt over step the mark with my niece. That is why Im letting my relationship fall apart. If this continues being as it is I will have to make a radical change and get rid of him because the last thing Im willing is to let the mutual love between Beatrice and me finish here. Some days ago I was trying to get proof to show my family that Rodolfo is gay. I started fighting with him and everyone noticed that he boxed like a girl; however none of them paid attention in that. After this Marco challenged me by lifting a chair from the lower part of the leg but I couldnt understand his idea about this. I think the real force of somebody can be measured by fighting. Unfortunately nobody in my family also believes this.  I am still finding a way of getting rid of Rodolfo. Meanwhile I will try to convince Catherine that he is not the best man for her. Maybe the only solution is to snitch on him but its very risky. In my inside I know that everything Im doing is of good will, for the future of my niece and to recuperate our prosperous loving family.

The History And Background Of Ethical Egoism

The History And Background Of Ethical Egoism Introduction Ethics, in Greek language means morals. In fact, ethics is de ¬Ã‚ ned as the re ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ection on what is moral Ethical theories deal with the question of how human beings ought to behave in relation to one another. (Dontigney, 2012 They attempt to systemize, defend and recommend concepts of right and wrong behaviour. They can be applied both individually and on a bigger scale like in companies. Different companies make their decisions based on various sets of theories. These theories are more like viewpoints from which guides them when making a decision. Each theory influences decisions made by an individual or company like predicting an outcome or following duties to reach what is called an ethically correct decision.For a company to zero in on a single theory to follow, it is important for the company to realize that not everyone makes decisions in the same way. There are mainly two different sets of ethical theories. Teleological which are consequential theories and deontological which are non-consequential theories. These can be further broken down into ethical egoism, utilitarianism and virtue ethics for teleological theories and for deontological theories; it would consist of Kantian and justice ethics. Let us take a detailed look into all these theories before making a statement on which theory is the most useful in making company decisions. Teleological Theories The word teleology in Greek language means ends. It is more concerned about the end product of a decision made rather than the actions.The goodness or badness of the outcome makes or breaks the decision made. However, the actions undertaken have no say. An example according to this theory can be, killing a bad person is morally correct if it is for the greater good. Ethical Egoism Ethical egoism is a standardized or an accepted philosophical view. It differs from psychological egoism, which claims that people can only act in their self-interest. It does not describe how people behave but how they are supposed to behave. Ethical egoism is the normative theory whereby people ought to act exclusively in their self-interest (Jones et al., 2007). Therefore, the moral principle of ethical egoism suggests that an act is ethical when it promotes the individuals long-term interest. It is possible for people to help others, follow the rules of society, and even grant gifts if they believe that those actions are in their own best interest. Ethical egoism is different from the other ethical positions as it portrays that other peoples interests is or should never be considered in making a moral decision. An ethical egoist believes sacrificing something for others is not a moral action unless it makes them happy or if the sacrifice gives himself benefits. This could satisfy a person in the short term, but in the long run it is not advisable as if everyone is just as egoistic, nobody would want to help when in times of need. An example would be that this individual who loves to shop. She sees this dress in a shop and wants to buy. However, she only has enough money to buy food for her household. So in an act of ethical egoism, she decides to spend the food money on the dress instead of getting food for her family as it benefits her and does not care about the people at home who have not had their food. Utilitarianism A utilitarian considers doing something is right if the action proves useful in bringing about the best consequences in the end. Utilitarian decision makers are required to estimate the effect of each alternative on all parties concerned, and to select the one that optimizes the satisfaction of the greatest number (Velasquez, 1998). Utilitarianism represents the dominant and most influential consequence based or teleological theory. Utilitarianism focuses on ends and not on the means required to achieving those ends and it takes into account all present and future benefits and harms that accrues or might accrue to anyone who is affected by the action, including items that may be difficult to evaluate accurately (Schumann, 2001). So in this theory, it is clear that as long as the work is done or the outcome of an action is desirable, one can undertake any methods. The flaw of this method is that it does not assume that all individuals should be treated in the same way. An real life ex ample would be the Americans bombings in Japan during World War 2. The Americans point is that the Japanese were developing the same kind of weapon to wage war so if that happened, many other countries could be affected. So before such a disaster could happen, they acted early and dropped a bomb of their own, killing thousands rather than sacrificing millions. Virtue Ethics The general concept behind Virtue Ethics is that it focuses on what the individual should choose for his/her own personal inward behaviour or character rather than the individual relying solely on the external laws and customs of the persons culture, and if a persons character is good then so ought the persons choices and actions be good. (Gowdy, 2010) This theory as it suggests, is used to make moral decisions. This method is based on the person having moral character and intentions, and their actions being ethical on that basis. It relies on an individual and not on other factors such as religion, society or culture. It is based on the question what sort of person should I be rather than what should I do. In simple terms, it is more of ones character and integrity. Its about what you are, rather than what you do. This is more of a practice knowledge. The more you practice, the more virtuous you are. The more virtuous you are, the more you will more likely make moral decisions. Ther e are many examples to this theory like, not stealing, not taking medical leave unless you are legitimately sick, showing up to meetings or work on time and not lying unless it is for a good cause. Deontological Theories Deontological theories, or duty-based theories, hold that human beings have a moral obligation to follow certain principles. Deontology is one of those kinds of normative theories regarding which choices are morally required, forbidden, or permitted. (Alexander et, al, 2008) According to these theories, the rightness or wrongness of actions does not depend on their consequences but on whether they fulfil our duty. Justice Ethics According to Rawls (1971), under a veil of ignorance, rational, self-interested, and equal individuals will agree that each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive total system of equal basic liberties. Moreover, social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are both to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged, and attached to offices and positions open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity (Budd, 2004). In Rawlss opinion, the first virtue of social institutions is justice for the individual and not aggregate welfare. He is concerned more with how the pie is divided than with how large it is. Inequalities are just only if they result in benefits for everyone, with particular emphasis on the least advantaged (Jones, 2007). The theory of justice requires decision makers to be guided by equity, fairness, and impartiality (Cavanagh et al., 1981). It relies on three types of moral prescriptions: (a) that individuals who are similar i n a relevant respect should be treated similarly and individuals who are different in a relevant respect should be treated differently in proportion to the difference between them; (b) that rules should be administrated fairly and clearly; and (c) that individuals should not be held responsible for matters over which they have no control, and should be compensated for the cost of their injuries by those responsible for these injuries (Cavanaugh et al., 1981). Decision making and reasoning based on the theory of justice focus on the distributional effect of actions (Cavanagh et al., 1981). Statement and Conclusion Now since all the theories have been explained and analysed, it is time to make a statement on which ethical theory is the most useful in guiding company decisions and why so. Based on my research, I feel that utilitarianism is the most useful and quite important in guiding company decision making. One can argue that utilitarianism does not please everyone emotionally and only takes the big picture into account. An act or choice is morally right if, in carrying out the act, one exercises, exhibits or develops a morally virtuous character. It is morally wrong to the extent that by making the choice or doing the act one exercises, exhibits or develops a morally vicious character. (Garrett, 2005) Every theory has its very own pros and cons. But for a company to make the correct decision in moving forward, they have to be utilitarian. In these times, a company is judged on how much profits they make and what is the position of the company. To be the best, you cannot give in to your emoti ons and set of rules of what to do and what not to do. The main aim here is to reap the sows. Business managers have to realise that when it comes to business decisions, its always a win-lose situation. Like for example, in order for gaining market share, a company must make its competitors to lose their shares. One cannot refuse to do such an act saying that it is morally wrong and giving in to their emotions. Another example would be increasing the value of a long term shareholder may require sacrificing of short term profits such as bonuses or monetary rewards to a companys employees or even the employer himself. But in the long term, there would be much more profits and monetary rewards to share. Lastly, I feel that the utilitarian approach is the best as a utilitarian is much more flexible in responding to different situations. A utilitarian only has two mind-sets varying from short term to long term goals or financial to non-financial goals. So when faced with a problem, a uti litarian will weigh up options and consider the corporate profitability instead of other factors such as employees or the community. Virtue Ethics A Basic Introductory Essay, by Dr. Garrett Latest minor modification November 28, 2005 Garrett, 2005 http://www.ethicsmorals.com/ethicsvirtue.html http://www.ehow.com/info_8404891_pros-cons-ethical-theories.html Alexander, Larry and Moore, Michael, Deontological Ethics, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2008 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = .

Till Death Do Us Part :: essays research papers

The status quo of marriage in American society, in some cases, is a moderately complicated issue. I do know, however, that before the marriage takes place there is an interlude called the dating period. In this dating period the two members of the couple attempt to get to know one another. This is the period where many people fall in love. This is also the period where many people realize that they are with the wrong person and have to start over with someone new. The dating process, which lasts for a sporadic interval of time, ends when one person in the couple offers a marriage proposal to the other. This agreement to marriage is a sacred bond of love and trust that proves to one's significant other that one will enter into an exclusive relationship with that person until they are parted by death. If the marriage proposal is accepted, the couple is pronounced engaged, or betrothed to one another, and they set a marriage date. During the engagement the couple exchanges rings as a sign of devotion. Once the wedding date reaches its destination, the couple then performs the marriage ceremony, which is a gathering of close friends and family to witness the marriage. This ceremony is performed in a church at the hand of a priest who then pronounces the marriage as holy matrimony. During the wedding ceremony there is another exchange of rings that show a symbol of the couples undying love for each other. After the wedding, the couple usually takes a trip called the honeymoon where they consummate the marriage by making love. This process is the norm for how people are married in American society. The problem with this system is that most people enter into the marriage for the wrong reasons and end up getting a divorce. A divorce is a legal dissolution of a marriage contract. The problem with divorce is that the marriage is supposed to be a contract that is supposed to last until someone in the couple dies; only then is the sacred vow broken. Otherwise, the couple is going against God's will. Defying God is not the only detrimental effect, however. More marriages in the United States end in divorce than in any other country in the world, and it can be seen throughout America's history. There is consensus that the overall U.S. divorce rate had a brief spurt after World War II followed by a decline. It started rising again in the 1960's and even more quickly in the 1970's, but leveled off in the 1980's only to begin a fluctuating increase that has lasted to the present. It is said that 40 or possibly even 50% of marriages will end in divorce if the current trends continue. Divorce would not be such a terrible thing

The Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War Essay -- Vietnam War Essays

The Tet Offensive   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Tet Offensive was a major assault by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong against South Vietnam and the U.S. forces situated there. It was not only a psychological advance for the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong, but also gave the United States a notion that the war wasn’t going to be an easy win, and the chances of winning the war were, in fact, very slim.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The war initially was an attempt to limit the spread of communism throughout Asia. Similar to Korea, Vietnam was in a civil war divided by political ideologies. (2) The Domino Effect is the idea that when one nation falls to communism, other nations around it in time will fall (2). Under the fear of this happening in Vietnam, the United States joined forces with the South Vietnamese to fight the spread of communism (5). Though most of South Vietnam was indeed against the spread of communism, there were some who sympathized with the North, known as the Northern Liberation Front, or Viet Cong (VC). The VC hid amongst the other South Vietnamese civilians, and used guerilla tactics to fight for communism. (5)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Tet Offensive was an all out attack by the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the VC during the Tet cease-fire (6). The cease-fire was a peaceful and hospitable agreement made between the U.S. and the NVA to stop all assaults during Tet, the annual Vietnamese festival for celebrating the lunar New Year. On the first day of the festival, January 31, 1968, NVA and VC launched a series of attacks on major cities and military bases located in South Vietnam. (6)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Strategically, the assault was a failure (5). The communist attackers had failed to permanently capture any of their targets, and overall, had lost more men than the democratic defenders (6). However, the deviousness and planning involved in the offensive was so great that the overall psychological effect had gained an advantage for North Vietnam and the VC (5).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Vietnam War was the most reported conflict in history (3). TV cameramen from all over the nation flew to Vietnam to document the sights and stories, so that viewers at home would have a feel for the war they were paying for. Sometimes the media’s output had a negative effect on the war effort, showing graphic senseless violence. (3) They also proved wrong the claims laid by General Westermoreland of ... ...d Historical Society, Inc. 1998   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book is written by the commanding officer of Bravo Company. It goes through the happenings of a platoon through the Vietnam War, and describes the events on the first night of Tet, and carries the topic for the two weeks that followed. 4. Pimlott, John. Vietnam: the Decisive Battles. New York, New York. Macmillan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Publishing Company. 1990   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book goes through the planning, and execution of the Tet Offensive, and describes in detail the effects of the attack, and how it was â€Å"decisive.† 5. Knopf, Alfred. Walter Cronkite: a Reporter’s Life. New York, New York.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Randomhouse, Inc. 1996.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since Cronkite was one of the most influential political commentators during the sixties, his opinion was valued highly. This book gives an overview of how his opinion toward the war changed after the Tet Offensive, and how that changed the feelings of the American public. 6. Martin, Earl. Personal Interview. 21, March 2001   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Martin was a civilian relief volunteer during the war. He gave me an account of the change in moral of the volunteers and the civilians under pressure after the Tet Offensive had taken place.

American Labor Movement: Development of Unions :: American America History

American Labor Movement: Development of Unions The American Labor Movement of the nineteenth century developed as a result of the city-wide organizations that unhappy workers were establishing. These men and women were determined to receive the rights and privileges they deserved as citizens of a free country. They refused to be treated like slaves, and work under unbearable conditions any longer. Workers joined together and realized that a group is much more powerful than an individual when protesting against intimidating companies. Unions, coalitions of workers pursuing a common objective, began to form demanding only ten instead of twelve hours in a work day. Workers realized the importance of economic and legal protection against the powerful employers who took advantage of them. (AFL-CIO American Federalist, 1) The beginnings of the American Labor Movement started with the Industrial Revolution. Textile mills were the first factories built in the United States. Once factory systems began to grow, a demand for workers increased. They hired large amounts of young women and children who were expected to do the same work as men for less wages. New immigrants were also employed and called "free workers" because they were unskilled. These immigrants poured into cities, desperate for any kind of work.(Working People, 1) Child labor in the factories was not only common, but necessary for a family's income. Children as young as five or six manned machines or did jobs such as sweeping floors to earn money. It was dangerous, and they were often hurt by the large, heavy machinery. No laws prevented the factories from using these children, so they continued to do so. (AACTchrNET, 1) "Sweatshops" were created in crowded, unsanitary tenements. These were makeshift construction houses, dirty and unbearably hot. They were usually formed for the construction of garments. The wages, as in factories, were pitifully low, no benefits were made, and the worker was paid by the number of pieces he or she completed in a day. Unrealistic demands were put on the workers who could barely afford to support their families. (1) The United States had the highest job-related fatality rate of any other industrialized nation in the world. Everyone worked eighty hours or more a week for extremely low wages. Men and women earned twenty to forty percent less than the minimum deemed necessary for a decent life. The number was even worse for children. (Department of Humanities Computing, 2) Often workers would go home after a long day and have to continue work on an unfinished product, which they had to return to the factory in the morning.

Impact Of Insomnia On Daytime Ability To Function Essay

Insomnia pertains to a symptom that is characterized by the difficulty in falling asleep. In other cases, insomnia is also involved in not being able to sleep for the required number of hours each night. It is thus pertinent to describe insomnia as a symptom associated with poor quality or insufficiency of sleep. Several factors may trigger the symptom of insomnia in an individual, hence this condition can be considered as situational, wherein a certain incident may result in an individual’s inability to sleep. Insomnia may also be described based on its occurrence in an individual, thus resulting in intermittent or persistent forms (Davidson 109). Insomnia generally occurs with another medical condition, such as a psychiatric disease or drug abuse. The importance of treatment regimens for insomnia has been the focus of biomedical research as it has long been established that insomnia does not resolve through time. More importantly, it has been reported that insomnia can significantly affect the quality of life of an individual. In addition, insomnia can result in the further progression of a psychiatric disorder, thus putting a patient at greater risk for mental health deterioration (Davidson 112). It has also been observed that the occurrence of insomnia is positively correlated to the frequency of consultations with a physician, as additional medical disorders are caused by this sleeping symptom. Impact of insomnia on sleep As insomnia is a symptom that affects sleep, it is important to determine the causative factors that result in such condition. The most common factors that influence the occurrence of insomnia include stressful incidents in the life of an individual. Death of a loved one, as well as conflict with another individual, often results in insomnia (Davidson 110). Illness and problems with work or study can also result in a difficulty in sleeping. Environmental factors may also result in insomnia, such as that of residing in a location where there is constant noise from traffic or construction. Social conditions may also influence the occurrence of insomnia, such as that of caring for a newborn baby right after childbirth. However, it should be understood that the sleeping patterns of pregnant women after generally disturbed and thus may even be more severe after childbirth. It has been suggested that post-partum insomnia may be possibly due to the mother’s instinct of providing constant care for her child, in terms of feeding and cleaning the baby. Other social factors that result in insomnia include having an adolescent child who spends evenings outside the home and the parents worriedly stay awake until their child comes home (Davidson 110). Age has also been reported to influence the occurrence on insomnia. It has been observed that insomnia is a common symptom that afflicts women who have reached the transition stage into menopause, as this phase of their life causes much distress to them. Caring for a sick elderly individual also results in insomnia, as the caretaker vigilantly checks on an older individual throughout the night. This condition tends to be more difficult when the elderly person is also suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, which is generally characterized by straying to other places even in the late hours of the night. The caretaker thus tends to keep watch over the actions of the elderly person in order to keep him from harm. Impact of insomnia of waking functioning Circadian rhythm pertains to the cyclic patterns that an individual undertakes based on a synchronizing stimulus. Most living species synchronize their activities based on the most ominous factor, which is the light emanating from the sun. In the case of human beings, sunlight determines whether it is time to awaken or to sleep. The presence of light also influences the majority of the physiologic activities of the human body, including the time of the meals in an entire day. The circadian clock of every individual is thus set according to the standard day, wherein sunlight in present for approximately 12 hours and absence for another 12 hours. Within the evening, the human body is programmed to rest and this is mainly through sleep. The occurrence of insomnia can affect an individual’s circadian rhythm as the length or the quality of sleep is affected. An individual with insomnia may be awake at least half of the night and thus find poor coordination in his motor and mental skills during the day. Individuals who work on a shift basis are often affected by insomnia as they are generally assigned to different hours every few months (Shechter 15). Healthcare personnel, such as nurses and technologists, are usually assigned to work on the night shift for 3 months and thus their circadian rhythm is misaligned during this period. Once they return to their daytime shift, they find difficulty in falling asleep as their bodies have already adjusted to a modified circadian rhythm (Shechter 14). The same conditions also occur in other jobs that are associated with changes in shift duties, including those in the police departments and other 24-hour surveillance jobs. The perturbation in the circadian rhythm and its association to the onset of insomnia often results in the deterioration of the quality of work of an individual or a poor performance in school. In addition, an individual with insomnia usually shows poor cognitive capacity, as well as a decrease in the productivity at work. These individuals often lack the capacity to focus on their activities, resulting in accidents (Shechter 15). It is a common occurrence that drivers get into accidents due to the lack of sleep and thus their motor skills and reflex actions are not that reactive during the day. Polysomnographic features of insomnia Polysomnographic studies have shown that an individual with insomnia is generally characterized to have a short latency period during their sleep (Shechter 14). In addition, the sleep efficiency of these individuals is significantly low, resulting in the frequent and easy awakening by even simple stimuli in their immediate environment. The rapid eye movement (REM) and sigma sleep stages of individuals with insomnia are largely influenced by the circadian rhythms that are been set by their bodies and thus any change in the sleeping quality and habits may affect these sleep stages. Any disturbance in these sleep stages may result in the lack of or difficulty in sleeping. Polysomnographic investigations have also shown that the core body temperature in influenced by an individual’s circadian rhythm. Sleep is thus normally observed in the evening, when the core body temperature is significantly lower than what is usually observed during the day. Any shift in the circadian rhythm of an individual may thus result in an unexpected core body temperature, resulting in an individual’s difficulty in falling asleep. This core body temperature should be achieved approximately six hours before going to sleep, in order for an individual to achieve the normal 8 hours of sleep. For an individual who attends to a night-shift job, the usual length of sleep varies from 4 to 7 hours, which is a prime feature of insomnia. Behavior and/or therapeutic recommendations for insomnia It is possible to adapt behavioral conditioning strategies for insomnia. Individuals suffering from insomnia often spend hours or several evenings in bed but are fully awake the entire time. Their insomnia thus further worsens as their brain is conditioned to consider the bed and the bedroom as sites where one stays awake and any attempt to further induce sleep may be futile. It is thus suggested that when one feels sleepy, regardless of the time of day, one should then attempt to go to his bed in order to teach his brain that the bed is a place to sleep. It is also not helpful for an individual with insomnia to find a substitute place to sleep, such as the couch, as this will condition his mind that the couch is his sleeping niche and eventually, going back to the bedroom can even be harder to achieve. There are specific drug formulations that may also aid an individual suffering from insomnia. One of the most common medications is benzodiazepine, which binds to the gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors of the brain, which is responsible to the excitation of neural cells (Davidson 111). This binding thus results in the inhibition of the neural functions of the individual, resulting in a sleepy mode. One negative effect of benzodiazepine is that the normal stages of sleep are affected and thus may trigger unnecessary changes in the duration of each stage and possibly dependence on the drug. It is also possible that this drug may induce hypnotic effects on an individual. Non-benzodiazepine formulations are also available for the treatment of insomnia. Melatonin is another therapeutic regimen that may be administered to an individual with insomnia (Davidson 112). There is currently great debate with regards to the effectiveness of this drug, as it has mostly been applied to individuals suffering from jet lag-induced insomnia and thus this drug may not be effective for other insomnias that are caused by other factors. Antidepressants and antihistamines can also be administered to insomnia patients to alleviate their difficulty in falling asleep. Herbal concoctions have also been reported to facilitate sleep. A few of the most used herb are chamomile, kava kava and lavender, which can be supplied in tea formats. Personal reflections Insomnia is generally regarded as a simple condition that is often misunderstood and mistreated. It is important that insomnia be addressed as soon as possible because this condition often affects several systems of the human body and may thus result in the decrease in the immune capacity of an individual. Insomnia can also affect the quality of work or study of an individual and thus this negative effect should be addressed at the earliest possible time. Social interactions can also be affected by insomnia, as these individuals are often irritable and sensitive. Several accidents have also been caused by the lack of sleep and it is possible that an individual may hurt himself while working and even hurt other people, especially when they are using a motor vehicle when they suddenly lose attention or fall asleep. It is thus imperative that individuals with insomnia be educated on what to do to take control of their condition and possibly go back to their normal circadian patterns.

Roles Reversed in A Tale of Two Cities

â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities† by Charles Dicken's is a novel that is steep in great mystery. Dickens writes his characters not as solely good or bad. Each character is fleshed out as a real individual with faults. The doubling of the characters Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay is a central technique used by Dickens. In this case he not only pairs together opposites in values but makes them look exactly alike. Many people claim that Carton is the â€Å"bad† one who has a great transformation and Darnay is the good one.However, after examining the text of â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities† it is clear that Darney is full of contradictions and Carton who is morally stable. Carton is a regular drinker and makes no claim otherwise. He is often seen drinking in the text or talking about drinking with a friend. He recounts stories and misadventures from bars. The narrator explains that he is always out late, he has been seen coming home in the early morning hours and he works fo r Stryver. The reader see Carton has someone how has many bad habits that have been going on for years and years.Carton is also seen as not competitive or professional at all. Carton saves up all his energy and time to do the one task he has been destined to do – die a hero's death. He makes the decision to pretend like he is Darnay and take the death punishment for him. In comparison Darnay who is initially thought of as being the good guy is not what he seems to be. Darnay comes form a family who has a long history of being cruel to the French people. They have wrong people again and again for years. He wants to renounce his family name not out of good will but because it absolves him of any responsibility.He pretends to be someone else when he married Lucie and deceives her for his own gain. Darnay chooses not to stay in Paris and fight for the people his family has wrong. He goes away and hides in London where he is safe from harm. Even at the end of the novel when Darnay should be put to death, he hides from his responsibility. He lets Carton be killed instead of him. Darnay and Carton act as foils to each other in Dickens' â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities†. While Darnay is seen as heroic and Carton is seen as the exact opposite- nothing can be further from the truth.Is Darnay that is ideal, irresponsible, and immature. Carton is created to be a stark contrast o Darnay. Carton grows into a man who in the end gives his life for the greater good of his family, friends, and society. This is something Darnay has never and will never be able to do. I agree with this criticism because I feel that they are many instances within the novel which support idea that Darnay and Carton are not who they originally seem to be. For example Darnay says â€Å"If it ever becomes mine, it shall be put into some hands better qualified to free it slowly [†¦] so that the miserable people who cannot leave it and who have been long wrung to the last point past endura nce, may, in another generation, suffer less† (130). Darnay really does not want his family name. He wants to hide from the past and make it disappear. That is why he chooses to be someone he is not. I believe that the text shows that Darnay is idle and continue to do the same things over and over again. â€Å"the events of this week annihilated the immature plans of last week, and the events of the week following made all new again [†¦] he had watched the times for a time of action, and that they had shifted and struggled until the time had gone by† (251). Unlike Carton who seems in the beginning to be idle and is â€Å"rumoured to be seen at broad day, going home stealthily to his lodgings, like a dissipated cat† (90). However, in the end it is Carton who dies for what he believes to be right and states â€Å"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known. † (374) .