Pathophysiology of DORV and Surgical Management

Pathophysiology of DORV and Surgical Management Advances in genetic techniques and ability to detect the chromosomal abnormalities in the cellular structures; have had a great impact on the detection of congenital cardiac defects. Although in the past congenital heart diseases have long been recognised as a constituent of complex genetic syndromes, a genetic cause for specific congenital heart diseases has less been apparent; as the sources of these defects has been believed to be multifactoral. In addition, with the advancement of the molecular genetic studies, it has come to light that in many instances, congenital heart diseases exhibit classic Mendelian transmission. It is also possible to trace the direct involvement of a gene with a particular congenital cardiac defect. Tetrology of Fallot has been found to have genetic predisposition, it is estimated that offspring of a parent with tetrology of Fallot is more likely to suffer from the disease in comparison to offsprings whose parents do not suffer from congenital heart disease. Studies estimated that about 1.5% of live births will be affected by tetrology of Fallot if the parents suffer from the defect and about 0.1% will be affected by the presence of tetrology of Fallot if parents do not suffer from congenital heart disease. In comparison in DORV chromosomal abnormalities have only been identified in some cases. In the Baltimore-Washington infant study, DORV was diagnosed in a few patients with downs syndrome and in trisomies 13 and 18, although the incidence was quite low compared with that morphologically similar lesion, tetrology of Fallot. In addition the related conotruncal abnormality, complete transposition of the great arteries, was not found in any patient with trisomy in reported study, this suggests that DORV and transposition of great arteries may be etiologically similar and may be fundamentally different form tetrology of Fallot in terms if developmental mechanism. Also DORV and Transposition of Great arteries are rarely found in patients with CATCH 22 syndromes, although tetrology of Fallot is not uncommon. In a large sample study of patients with conotruncal abnormalities to evaluate the frequency of 22q11 deletions, only 1of 20 patients with DORV as compared to 15.9% of the patients with tetrology of Fallot. The studies have also reported that DORV may be a part of complex CHD in patients with DiGeorge, velocardiofacial and conotruncal anomaly-face syndrome. In a resent animal study it was reported that DORV occur in mouse embryos homozygous for the JMJ mutation, which affects the nuclear protein jmj coded by chamber-specific genes. Surgical Management Surgical management for the DORV and tetrology of Fallot is determined by the anatomy and physiology of the defect as well as the age at which the diagnosis is made and at which the need for surgical intervention arises. Indications for operation are similar to those for defects that lie on each side of the DORV spectrum (VSD, tetralogy of Fallot, and Transposition of great arteries). In addition the presence of associated cardiac defects may modify the approach. In DORV the position of VSD and the presence and severity of pulmonary stenosis are probably the most important considerations. In tetralogy of Fallot most patients have satisfactory systemic arterial oxygenation saturation at birth and require no treatment. However when the oxygen saturation drops below 75-80% operative intervention becomes imperative. Hypoxemic spells may occur from the transient reductions in pulmonary blood flow, due to sudden increase in right ventricular outflow tract obstruction and the decrease in systemic vascular resistance, so a surgical approach takes into consideration the number and location of ventricular septal defects, anatomy and severity of right outflow tract obstruction, coronary artery and aortic arch anatomy and the presence of other cardiac and non cardiac anomalies. Depending on the severity of the cyanosis two types of surgical streams are available. There are two basic possible types of surgical strategies for newborn infants with tetralogy of Fallot. One of the strategies consists of a staged repair; where initial palliation is followed by a complete repair and other one being a complete repair in the neonatal period. Palliative surgical correction, which often does not require the use of cardiopulmonary bypass, is the creation of systemic to pulmonary shunt. This correction is achieved by connecting systemic blood flow source to a the pulmonary blood flow, as already mentioned the main feature of this congenital defect is the reduced flow to the pulmonary system which is the basis of cyanosis. The palliative repair is done by fitting a tubular prosthesis between a systemic artery and a pulmonary artery as shown in the figure (?) (a, b and c). The commonest type of systemic-to-pulmonary arterial shunt is a modified Blalock-Taussig anastomosis which is a communication between a subclavian and pulmonary artery of the same side. Another form of palliative correction is done by creating a connection between ascending or descending aorta and the trunk of pulmonary artery. The connection which connects the posterior ascending aorta to anterior pulmonary trunk is called Waterston shunt and connection bet ween posterior pulmonary artery to anterior descending aorta is called potts shunt. Both of these techniques have there advantages and disadvantages (figure (S) e and f). Figure ( ? ) The most common types of palliative procedures for tetralogy of Fallot. The modified Blalock-Taussig shunt (MBTS) using a Gore-Tex graft either from the right subclavian artery (A) or the right innominate (INN) artery (B). C, A central aortopulmonary shunt using Gore-Tex. D, A right ventricular outflow patch without ventricular septal defect closure. Pathophysiology of DORV Once the anatomic variables of DORV are understood, the various physiologic manifestations become both logical and predictable, at the tetrology end of the DORV spectrum; pathophysiology is similar to that in the tetrology of Fallot. The most important variables determining the physiology of a given heart are the position of the VSD in relation to great arteries, the relation of the great arteries to each other and the presence of associated defects (in particular, outflow tract obstruction). In general patients with large VSD and no pulmonary stenosis or severe pulmonary vascular resistance are not clinically cyanotic. This is because Qp is high and the resultant mixture of blood in the right ventricle has a high enough oxygen saturation to prevent clinically evident cyanosis; however there is some arterial desaturation. Although both great arteries arise from the right ventricle, often incomplete mixing of oxygenated and unoxygenated blood occurs at the ventricular level because of streaming. This streaming of blood within RV is usually determined by the relationship of semilunar valves to the VSD and the position and presence of the infundibular septum. The blood in the great artery most closely related to the VSD and therefore most aligned with LV outflow tract tends to have the highest oxygen saturation. Likewise, the great artery that due to streming, preferentially receives systemic venous return, tends to have a lower saturation. This phenomema is somewhat different from true single ventricle physiology. In DORV with subaortic VSD and no pulmonary stenosis, pulmonary blood flow will be determined by the relationship of pulmonary to systemic vascular resistance. What is usually the case after the first few weeks of life pulmonary vascular resistance is less than systemic vascular resistance, pulmonary blood flow will be greater than systemic flow, resulting in higher than normal pulmonary arterial saturation and congestive heart failure. As the pulmonary vascular resistance increases in response to this abnormal volume load, pulmonary blood flow correspondingly decreases. Eventually, if left untreated, this usually results in pulmonary vascular obstruction disease with severely and irreversible elevated pulmonary vascular resistance, causing progressive cyanosis and early mortality. However if when the VSD is in subaortic position with pulmonary stenosis, whether valvular or subvalvular, obstruction to pulmonary blood flow is found. Conduction System In tetrology of Fallot the sinus and atrioventricular nodes are normal in location, and the bundle of His follows the same general course as in patients with isolated perimembraneous and juxtatricuspid VSDs. Thus it emerges through the right fibrous trigone at the base of the noncoronary cusp of the aortic valve and courses forward toward the papillary muscle of the conus along the inferior VSD margin or slightly to the left side of the defect edge. In addition, hearts which show marked clockwise rotation of the aortic root with overriding, the right trigone is carried more rightward and superiorly and directly into VSD margin. By contrast, the bundle of His does not lie on VSD margin when a muscle ridge is present, since the ridge projects superiorly above the right fibrous trigone. In DORV with concordant AV connections the AV node lies in the usual position in the muscular portion of the AV septum. The bundle of His penetrates the fibrous right trigone of the central body and lies along the posteroinferior margin of the VSD in lesions that are juxtatricuspid wheter the defect is subaortic, doubly committed, or sub-pulmonary. When muscle is interposed between the defect and the tricuspid valve, this muscle protects the bundle, which no longer runs along the posteroinferior free margin of the defect. Oxygenation Hemodynamic representation of Tetrology of Fallot (indicating right to left shunting) Supply of oxygen to the body Due to the mal-alignment and deviation from the normal physiology, the main issue of the patients with tetarology of Fallot is hypoxemia due to inadequate pulmonary blood flow caused by the inadequate pulmonary blood flow, which is determined by the right ventricular pressures and degree of obstruction. Since the right and left ventricular and aortic pressure is equalized, a drop in systemic arterial pressure will result in a reduction in pulmonary blood flow. Oxygen carrying capacity of blood depends mostly on haemoglobin concentration and greater the haemoglobin concentration in the blood that perfuses the lungs, the greater the amount of oxygen extracted per unit of blood flow. In neonates the haemoglobin concentration is relatively high (15 to 18 g/dL), however it drops to about 10 or 12g/dL by 3-4 months after birth. In neonates with tetralogy of Fallot there is an increase in blood level of erythropoietin due to hypoxemia. Iron is required to maintain or increase in haemoglobin levels; however suckling infants have very low stores of iron and food intake in early infancy provides little iron. Therefore there is a high incidence of anaemia in children with tetralogy of Fallot. On the other hand tetraology spectrum of DORV, where the great arteries lie side by side with aorta to the right of pulmonary artery and both semilunar valves lying in the same transverse and coronal plane the physiology is similar to tetralogy of Fallot. In these neonates the VSD is closer to aortic valve thus oxygenated blood form left ventricle is directed to the aorta and the deoxygenated blood is directed to pulmonary artery but the degree of pulmonary stenosis directs portion of deoxygenated blood into aorta. In addition due to the presence of large VSD both ventricles are subjected to similar pressures. Due to the pulmonary stenosis the blood flow to the lungs is restricted causing drop in the pulmonary systolic pressure, which in turn causes hypoxemia. The pulmonary stenosis is most often infundibular, but may be valvular, with or without a small pulmonary valve ring. In doubly committed VSD category of the DORV spectrum the conoventricular septal defect is both subaortic and sub-pulmonary owing significant conal septal mal-development and mal-position. The hemodynamics change in that case will also be determined by the presence or absence of subaortic or sub-pulmonary stenosis. Therefore cases with sub-pulmonary stenosis will have reduction in the pulmonary blood flow and will result in the hypoxemia and thereby cyanosis corresponding physiological characteristics of tetralogy of Fallot. Also in cases of non-committed DORV majority of great vessels arise form right ventricle thus right ventricle is subjected both pulmonary and aortic circulation resistance. Oxygenated blood form left ventricle gets mixed with non-oxygenated blood through VSD making systemic and pulmonary circulation equal. In addition due to left and right shunting right ventricle is volume overloaded and results in congestive heart failure. Additionally, the stimulation for the formation of red cells continues and very high counts of red cells are achieved, but the cells are microcytic and hypochromic, since the average corpuscle volume and average corpuscle haemoglobin are markedly reduced. Also the rise above 60% increases the blood viscosity. This raised viscosity of blood leads to greater resistance to flow through the tissues and ultimately capacity to transport oxygen vanishes. In transposition spectrum of DORV the physiology is different then described above, since the presence of large sub-pulmonary VSD and its commitment to the pulmonary artery; the course of circulation is dependent on the afterload on each ventricle, as shunting could occur in either direction. In this type of defect the oxygen saturation in the pulmonary artery is higher than in systemic circulation. The high oxygen saturation of pulmonary arterial blood will however decrease the pulmonary vascular resistance and consequently will result in right to left shunting during systole. This will result in some decrease in PO2 of blood distributed to the lungs as well as through ductus arteriosus. On the other hand during diastole a larger volume of blood will return from the pulmonary veins to the left atrium and ventricle and thus results in a left to right shunting. As a result, the oxygen saturation of the blood going to systemic circulation is increased and thus tends to limit the abnorm al decrease in the upper body PO2. A characteristic of this defect is the presence of a large unrestrictive VSD with which the mixing of pulmonary and systemic blood takes. This phenomena result in a relatively large pulmonary to systemic blood flow ratio and consequently high systemic oxygen concentrations; therefore limiting the tissue hypoxia. However the inability of the ventricles to maintain the physiological normal pressures cardiac failure is often associated in infants with transposition spectrum of DORV. Infants with this type of physiology usually appear with mild cyanosis and in congestive heart failure. In addition if there is effective mixing but pulmonary flow is reduced by the presence of pulmonary stenosis or increased pulmonary vascular resistance, pulmonary to systemic flow ratio decreases and arterial saturations will be lower and subsequently will result in tetrology of Fallot type pathophysiology. Right to Left Shunts. Now just for a moment let us consider a large VSD assocoiated with pulmonary valve stenosis which is severe enough to have a resistance greater than systemic vascular resistance. Just like the last case, this ratio of resistances results in reversal of the shunt. This is in fact an unusual combination, but the point here is that the situation mimics the haemodynamics of tetralogy of Fallot. Also it shows how associated pulmonary stenosis can have a great influence on cardiac malformations on many sorts. We will meet it again in the commom mixing situations. On the other hand with no pulmonary stenosis look at the difference Right to Left Shunts. I am making a morphological point here: tetralogy of Fallot is not a coincidence of pulmonary stenosis and VSD but the consequence of right ventricular outflow tract and central pulmonary artery hypoplasia. The diagram can be adjusted to accentuate this, as above. Tetralogy has a variable and sometimes spasmodic stenosis of the muscular right ventricular outflow tract. Sometimes, particularly early in life, the degree of obstruction is not great and the infant may present with signs of a VSD shunting left to right. Qp:Qs (Ratios Pulmonary to systemic Ratios) Double outlet Right ventricle hemodynamic representation (DORV -Common mixing) In many cases of complex congenital cardiac disease it can be quite difficult to understand how the degree of systemic desaturation reflects the flows in malformed heart. It helps to realise that many of them fall into this group of common mixing circulation, which is to say that all pulmonary and systemic venous blood streams are obliged to come together at some point in the circulation. They are: Totally anomalous pulmonary venous drainage. Univentricular heart. Double outlet right or left ventricle. All simple valve atresias. Fallot pulmonary atresia. Truncus arteriosus. And any of the above in combination with any other defect. If there is complete mixing of the systemic and pulmonary returns, it follows that pulmonary and systemic arterial saturation will be identical. Due to streaming effects, the mixing may not be quite complete but the saturations will still be nearly identical. This all means that some degree of systemic desaturation will be present. The degree of cyanosis is dictated by the ratio of pulmonary to systemic flow as shown in the figure above, in which Qp is pulmonary flow and Qs is systemic. Often, particularly in the univentricular heart and in the double outlet ventricles, it is asssociated pumonary stenosis which determines the ratio of Qp to Qs. Some patients with a Qp high enough to keep systemic saturation above 94% or so will not be clinically cyanosed. Time and space do not allow a full descrtiption of all the pathologies so we will take one example, double outlet right ventricle. Double outlet right ventricle is a good example of the haemodynamic variability of this group. The figure above shows the circulation in a case where there is a large ventricular septal defect, no pulmonary stenosis and no significant rise in the pulmonary vascular resistance. Pulmonary blood flow is elevated and the radiograph will show plethora. The high ratio between pulmonary and systemic venous return means that the saturation of the mixed flow, and therefore of the aortic blood, is 90%, which is barely detectable clinically as cyanosis INTRODUCTION  Ã‚  In 1888, Etienne-Louis Arthur Fallot described three cyanotic patients with four similar anatomic features [1]: Stenosis of the pulmonary artery Intraventricular communication Deviation of the origin of the aorta to the right Concentric right ventricular hypertrophy This constellation of findings has since become known as tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). The prevalence of TOF in the United States is about 3.9 per 10,000 live births [2]. This defect accounts for about 7 to 10 percent of cases of congenital heart disease and is one of the most common congenital heart lesions requiring intervention in the first year of life [3]. TOF occurs equally in males and females [4]. The pathophysiology, clinical features, and diagnosis of TOF will be reviewed here. An overview of the management of this disorder, including postoperative complications and issues related to pregnancy, are discussed separately. (See Overview of the management of tetralogy of Fallot.) ANATOMY  Ã‚  The exact embryologic abnormality that accounts for TOF is unknown. What is recognized is that during development, there is anterior and cephalad deviation of the infundibular septum. This results in a malaligned ventricular septal defect (VSD), with the aortic root overriding the defect and leading to subsequent right ventricular outflow obstruction (figure 1). The ensuing right ventricular hypertrophy is thought to be a response to the large VSD and right ventricular outflow obstruction with resultant systemic right ventricular systolic pressure. Ventricular septal defect  Ã‚  The VSD in TOF is most commonly a single large malaligned subaortic defect located in the perimembranous region of the septum (picture 1). The VSD can extend into the muscular septum. There are rarely other muscular ventricular septal defects. (See Pathophysiology and clinical features of isolated ventricular septal defects in infants and children.) Right ventricular outflow obstruction  Ã‚  The right ventricular outflow obstruction is often at multiple levels (picture 2): The anterior and cephalad deviation of the infundibular septum results in subvalvar obstruction Hypertrophy of muscular bands in this region can further accentuate subvalvar obstruction The pulmonary valve annulus is usually hypoplastic, although in some instances it is of normal size The pulmonary valve itself is frequently bicuspid and stenotic In addition, it is not uncommon to identify an area of supravalvar narrowing in the main pulmonary artery at the sinotubular ridge. There may also be further obstruction at the branch pulmonary arteries. These may be diffusely hypoplastic or have focal areas of stenosis, most commonly at the proximal branch pulmonary arteries. The proximal left pulmonary artery near the site of ductal insertion is a frequent location for stenosis (picture 3A-B). Overriding aorta  Ã‚  Overriding aorta is a congenital anomaly, in which the aorta is displaced to the right over the VSD rather than the left ventricle. This results in blood flow from both ventricles into the aorta. The degree of aortic override of the VSD can vary widely and is one of the major factors used by some groups to differentiate between TOF and double outlet right ventricle. If one defines double outlet right ventricle as the presence of aortic/mitral valve fibrous continuity, then the degree of override is not relevant to diagnosis. If, however, one defines double outlet right ventricle as a condition with greater than 50 percent aortic override, then, by definition, the degree of aortic override in TOF is limited. Associated cardiac features  Ã‚  There are a number of frequently associated anatomic features that are important to look for when evaluating a patient with TOF, since they affect therapy. Associated cardiac anomalies occur in about 40 percent of patients with TOF. Approximately 25 percent of patients have a right aortic arch. This is particularly important to identify if one is contemplating a palliative shunt. Abnormalities of the coronary arteries, such as the left anterior descending arising from the right coronary artery, are seen in about 9 percent of patients [5]. These are important to identify prior to complete repair, since the course of the artery may run directly across the right ventricular outflow tract; inadvertent transection could have catastrophic consequences. Occasionally, patients have significant aorticopulmonary collateral vessels that may require attention prior to or at the time of surgery. A patent ductus arteriosus, multiple ventricular defects, and complete atrioventricular septal defects may be present. Infrequently, aortic valve regurgitation is present due to aortic cusp prolapse. GENETIC FACTORS  Ã‚  Although TOF may present as part of a known syndrome, this lesion typically occurs sporadically without other anomalies. Surveys of patients with nonsyndromic TOF have reported the following genetic abnormalities: In one study of 114 patients with nonsyndromal TOF, 4 percent of patients had mutations in transcription factor NKX2.5., which appears to have a role in cardiac development [6]. In genome-wide surveys of patients with nonsyndromic TOF and their parents, de novo copy number variants were estimated to be present in about 10 percent of sporadic cases of TOF compared to less than 0.1 percent in controls at several chromosomal locations [7]. Tetralogy of Fallot has also been reported in association with mutations in TBX1 and ZFPM2 [8-10]. Further investigation is required to determine the role of these mutations in the evolution of Tetralogy of Fallot. Approximately 15 percent of patients with TOF present with associated syndromes, including Down syndrome (trisomy 21), Alagille syndrome (mutations in Jagged1), and DiGeorge and velocardiofacial syndromes (deletion on chromosome 22q11) [8,11-17]. There may be susceptibility genes for TOF within the latter region of chromosome 22q11 in children without extracardiac anomalies [16,18,19], and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome is unrecognized in many adult patients with TOF [20]. (See DiGeorge syndrome: Pathogenesis, epidemiology, and clinical manifestations  and Inherited disorders associated with conjugated hyperbilirubinemia, section on Alagille syndrome.) PATHOPHYSIOLOGY  Ã‚  The physiologic consequences of TOF are largely dependent upon the degree of right ventricular outflow obstruction. Since the VSD is typically large and unrestrictive, the pressure in the right ventricle reflects that of the left ventricle. As a result, the direction of blood flow across the VSD will be determined by the path of least resistance for blood flow, not by the size of the VSD. If the resistance to blood flow across the obstructed right ventricular outflow tract is less than the resistance to flow out of the aorta into the systemic circulation, blood will naturally shunt from the left ventricle to the right ventricle and into the pulmonary bed. In this situation, there is predominately a left-to-right shunt and the patient will be acyanotic. As the degree of right ventricular outflow obstruction increases, the resistance to blood flow into the pulmonary bed also increases. If the right ventricular obstruction is significant enough to increase resistance, it will be easier for blood to cross the VSD from the right ventricle into the left ventricle and go out the aorta, which now becomes the path of least resistance. This right-to-left shunt across the VSD will result in a large volume of desaturated blood entering the systemic circulation and cyanosis and polycythemia will ensue (figure 1). One of the physiologic characteristics of TOF is that the right ventricular outflow obstruction can fluctuate. An individual with minimal cyanosis can develop a dynamic increase in right ventricular outflow tract obstruction with a subsequent increase in right-to-left shunt and the development of cyanosis. In the most dramatic situation, there can be near occlusion of the right ventricular outflow tract with profound cyanosis. These episodes are often referred to as tet spells or hypercyanotic spells. The exact etiology of these episodes is unclear, although there have been a number of proposed mechanisms, including increased infundibular contractility, peripheral vasodilatation, hyperventilation, and stimulation of right ventricular mechanoreceptors [21]. CLINICAL PRESENTATION  Ã‚  The clinical presentation of the patient with TOF is dependent upon the degree of right ventricular outflow obstruction: Children with severe obstruction and inadequate pulmonary flow typically present in the immediate newborn period with profound cyanosis Children with moderate obstruction and balanced pulmonary and systemic flow may be noticed during elective evaluation for a murmur Children with minimal obstruction may present with pulmonary overcirculation and heart failure Most children with this lesion are symptomatic and cyanotic; there is a subgroup, however, with typical morphology and hemodynamics that remains clinically asymptomatic for a period of time (pink variant). In general, the earlier the onset of systemic hypoxemia, the more likely it is that severe pulmonary outflow tract stenosis or atresia is present. Physical examination  Ã‚  On inspection, individuals with TOF are usually comfortable and in no distress. However, during hypercyanotic spells, they will become hyperpneic, and infants will often become agitated. If cyanosis is present, it is most easily seen in the nail beds and lips. On palpation, one may appreciate a prominent right ventricular impulse and occasionally a systolic thrill. Hepatomegaly is uncommon. Peripheral pulses are usually normal, although the presence of prominent pulses may suggest the existence of a significant patent ductus arteriosus or aorticopulmonary collaterals. Cardiac auscultation  Ã‚  On auscultation, the first heart sound is normal, and the second heart sound is most commonly single because the pulmonic component is rarely audible. Third and fourth heart sounds are uncommon. An early systolic click along the left sternal border may be heard, which is thought to be due to flow into the dilated ascending aorta. (See Auscultation of heart sounds.) Murmur  Ã‚  The murmur in TOF is due primarily to the right ventricular outflow obstruction, not the VSD. The murmur is typically crescendo-decrescendo with a harsh systolic ejection quality; it is appreciated best along the left mid to upper sternal border with radiation posteriorly. It can, however, have a more regurgitant quality that can be easily mistaken for a VSD. (See Auscultation of cardiac murmurs.) The murmur is due both to the degree of obstruction and to the amount of flow across the obstruction. In TOF, unlike isolated valvar pulmonary stenosis, the amount of flow across the right ventricular outflow tract will decrease as the obstruction increases, due to the shunting of blood right-to-left across the VSD. Thus, as the obstruction increases, the murmur will become softer. During severe hypercyanotic spells, the murmur may actually disappear due to the markedly diminished flow across the obstruction.

Essay --

Compare how Shakespeare and Hardy present situations where their characters’ love and relationships are influenced by the need to uphold appearances within society, with particular reference to Othello and Tess of the d’Urbervilles This essay will explore the social interactions between characters, the effects of appearance on their relationships and how this drives them to make certain decisions. This includes how the claustrophobia of their society is portrayed and its effects through form, style and literary techniques. All four texts explore the conflict between public and private selves. In Othello , Shakespeare reveals the taboo surrounding an interracial sexual relationship between a black man and a white woman during the Sixteenth Century. In Hardy’s Nineteenth Century novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles , we see the clash between sexuality, laws and codes of the time. I will compare these texts to The Franklin’s Tale and Pride and Prejudice , looking at how the rigid codes of courtly love impact on male and female behaviour within relationships and how the social and cultural attitudes and values of Regency England influence young women in their marriage choices. In both primary texts, the parents of the main characters struggle with the practice of exogomein and endogomein. In Othello, Brabantio adopts a motherly role, guiding Desdemona towards an acceptable marriage. Yet the marriage she chooses is exogamous. Brabantio sees through Othello’s high rank, royal blood and Christianity, casting a shadow over the relationship between Othello and his daughter due to Othello’s skin colour, unacceptable within that Venetian society. Desdemona lives within a patriarchal society and is objectified and commodified. Brabantio strugg... ...entally to mete out her demise. Empathy is felt for her as she realises self-worth is the polar opposite to the superficiality of social standing. She finds peace of mind and is reunited with Angel, when Hardy tears her away with death, typical of tragedy. Othello’s military role and social worth do not majorly affect his relationship. Instead, Iago’s ruthless self-interest in enhancing his own appearance within society and disinterest in the welfare of others, kindles the doubt between Othello and Desdemona. The relationships that collapse are those of the characters whose judgments fail them as another controls them. From the study of these two texts and reference to Pride and Prejudice and The Franklin’s Tale, we can now see that it is more strength of self and mind, than efforts to uphold an appearance, which affects love and relationships within all the texts. Essay -- Compare how Shakespeare and Hardy present situations where their characters’ love and relationships are influenced by the need to uphold appearances within society, with particular reference to Othello and Tess of the d’Urbervilles This essay will explore the social interactions between characters, the effects of appearance on their relationships and how this drives them to make certain decisions. This includes how the claustrophobia of their society is portrayed and its effects through form, style and literary techniques. All four texts explore the conflict between public and private selves. In Othello , Shakespeare reveals the taboo surrounding an interracial sexual relationship between a black man and a white woman during the Sixteenth Century. In Hardy’s Nineteenth Century novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles , we see the clash between sexuality, laws and codes of the time. I will compare these texts to The Franklin’s Tale and Pride and Prejudice , looking at how the rigid codes of courtly love impact on male and female behaviour within relationships and how the social and cultural attitudes and values of Regency England influence young women in their marriage choices. In both primary texts, the parents of the main characters struggle with the practice of exogomein and endogomein. In Othello, Brabantio adopts a motherly role, guiding Desdemona towards an acceptable marriage. Yet the marriage she chooses is exogamous. Brabantio sees through Othello’s high rank, royal blood and Christianity, casting a shadow over the relationship between Othello and his daughter due to Othello’s skin colour, unacceptable within that Venetian society. Desdemona lives within a patriarchal society and is objectified and commodified. Brabantio strugg... ...entally to mete out her demise. Empathy is felt for her as she realises self-worth is the polar opposite to the superficiality of social standing. She finds peace of mind and is reunited with Angel, when Hardy tears her away with death, typical of tragedy. Othello’s military role and social worth do not majorly affect his relationship. Instead, Iago’s ruthless self-interest in enhancing his own appearance within society and disinterest in the welfare of others, kindles the doubt between Othello and Desdemona. The relationships that collapse are those of the characters whose judgments fail them as another controls them. From the study of these two texts and reference to Pride and Prejudice and The Franklin’s Tale, we can now see that it is more strength of self and mind, than efforts to uphold an appearance, which affects love and relationships within all the texts.

Rae, We Pray For You :: essays research papers

Rae, We Pray for you â€Å"Murder in the murderer is no such ruinous thought as poets and romancers will have it; it does not unsettle him, or fright him from his ordinary notice of trifles; it is an act quite easy to be contemplated.† Ralph Waldo Emerson Is Rae Carruth unsettled? Is he bothered? Is Carruth in the contemplative mood yet? I certainly hope he is. Rae Carruth has taken away a human life. He has violated that certain enjoyment that exists in life. It is what separates the human race, from all others. Logic and reason that we possess in such high quantities as human beings apparently are lacking in Carruth’s case. It seems to make little sense, especially in Carruth’s situation. He seemed to have everything going for him, having achieved his dream to become a professional athlete and supporting his parents and relatives on this newfound fame as he had always promised. Yet, something was happening to Rae Carruth. Obviously, he was not happy with his li fe at that point. Still, murder is not exactly a sensible action, not even as a last resort to most who have their wits about them. It seemed as though Carruth felt that he had no other choice. He seemed to take the classic, â€Å"I don’t like you, so I’ll beat you up,† mantra of the playgrounds to a much harsher end in this case. With Carruth you must question many things about him, his sanity, his maturity, his intelligence, and above all his reason. Obviously, he soon realized the magnitude of his act, as he fled as a fugitive until he was caught. Murder is not a crime of chance, you have to get the deed done and correctly, that is why Carruth hired a few thugs to do the job for him. Even if Carruth did not pull the trigger, it is very clear that he is still a murderer. His fate is the question to most. This will probably not be determined until Carruth goes to trial, probably in about a year. The prosecution will seek the death penalty for Carruth and rightf ully so. In our current society today, only the most horrific of criminals usually get the death penalty because we do not operate on an eye for eye basis. In the present criminal justice system rehabilitation seems to be the operative word. It is not that Carruth is beyond rehibilition, but that he does not deserve to live.

Political Maharashtra

Politics of Maharashtra After India's independence, most of Maharashtra's political history was dominated by the Indian National Congress party. Maharashtra became a bastion of the Congress party producing stalwarts such as Yashwantrao Chavan, Vasantdada Patil, Shankarrao Chavan, Vasantrao Naik, Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sharad Pawar. The party enjoyed near unchallenged dominance of the political landscape until 1995 when the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured an overwhelming majority in the state to form a coalition.After a split in the Congress party, former chief minister Sharad Pawar formed the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), but formed a coalition with the Congress to keep out the BJP-SS combine. Prithviraj Chavan of Congress party is the current Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Maharashtra, 1960-1971 Establishment of the State : In 1956 the Bombay State ceded Kannada-speaking territory to Mysore, but gained Marathwada (Aurangabad Division) from Hyderabad State a nd Vidarbha (Amravati and Nagpur Divisions) from Madhya Pradesh & Berar.In 1960, Bombay State was split into the States of Gujarat and Maharashtra. Administration : From 1962 to 1979 Maharashtra was administrated by an Indian National Congress (INC) led government Annals : 1960 : Bombay State split into Gujarat and Maharashtra; Bombay capital of Maharashtra, Marathi provincial language 1960 : Nagpur Pact; Nagpur (Vidarbha) elevated to second capital of Maharashtra; legislative assembly meets here for two weeks in December every year 1961 : communal violence in Nagpur (BBoY 1962) 962 : state election; INC formed government 1966 : communal incidents in Maharashtra (BBoY 1967) 1966 : Shiv Sena (SHS), Maharashtra Hindu party, founded 1967 : state election; INC formed government 1968 : Hindu-Muslim riots in Aurangabad and Nagpur (BBoY 1969) 1969 : India's first nuclear power station at Tarapur became operational (BBoY 1970) Social History : In 1961 the population of Maharashtra was 39. 9 million, in 1971 50. 3 million. The Statesman's Yearbook, based on the census of 1971, gives the literacy rate for Maharashtra in 1971 as 39. %; in 1961 80. 2 % of the population were Hindus, 7. 6 % Muslims, 7 % Buddhists. Government, Politics and Judiciary Maharashtra is one of the most advanced states in India, the second most populated state and the third largest state in India. The government, politics and judiciary of Maharashtra is quite similar to those of the other states. The state of Maharashtra is governed by the Governor and the Chief Minister. The Governor is the nominal head of the state and the Chief Minister is the Head of the government.He is the head of the political party which has the maximum number of seats in the State Legislative Assembly. The State Legislative Assembly is also known as the Vidhan Sabha and it is situated in the capital city of Maharashtra, Mumbai. The Chief Minister has all the executive powers which he can execute taking the advice of his c ouncil of ministers. The government of Maharashtra is aided by a bicameral parliament, the lower house and the upper house – the Vidhan Sabha and the Vidhan Parishad.At present the Chief Minister of Maharashtra is Vilasrao Deshmukh from the Congress Party. The political party which holds the maximum number of seats in the Vidhan Sabha at present is the NCP which had formed the government with a coalition with the Congress. The state of Maharashtra has been nominated 19 seats in the Rajya Sabha and 48 in the Lok Sabha. Commissions : The four commissions of the government of Maharashtra are the State Election Commission, Maharashtra Public Service Commission, Union Public Service Commission, and Staff Selection Commission.These commissions have been formed to fulfill certain special responsibilities such as conducting exams which are related to government jobs. The State Election Commission: has the responsibility of taking care of the election chores in the state. There is a s tate election commissioner who is appointed on the basis of certain qualifications. Maharashtra Public Service Commission: the MPSC consists of examinations which are scheduled for the posts of Judges of the Co – Operative courts, Assistant Director, Special District Social Welfare Officer, Medical Officer.This commission fixes the dates of the examinations, the syllabus for the examination, the schedule for the interview and other details in connection with the examinations. Union Public Service Commission: the most important function of the Union Public Service Commission is the recruitment of services through written examinations and interviews, advising the state government on the recruitment of personnel, disciplinary functions, other miscellaneous functions regarding pensions and reimbursements of legal expenses. Staff Selection Commission: he function of the Staff Selection Commission of the Maharashtra government is to select staff of the Group B and technical staff o f the Group C in the Ministries or Departments, Government of India offices, Election Commission and the Central Vigilance Commission. The Commission is responsible for formulation of policies which might assist in conducting the examination smoothly. Government Departments : Maharashtra government is dedicated towards serving the citizens and for that purpose it has delegated the responsibility to the various departments of the government.Each department takes care of the different needs of the inhabitants. Apart from the government departments, the government of Maharashtra is assisted by the Boards and Corporations in the fulfillment of its duty. The Government Departments and their functions are: Agriculture Department Co-operation Department Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) Directorate of Technical Education, Maharashtra Directorate of Vocational Education and Training (DVET) Employment and Self Employment Department, Maharashtra Finance Department, Maharash traFood, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department Forest Department Home Department Irrigation Department Public Works Department (PWD) Vidhan Sabha : The Vidhan Sabha of Maharashtra is the lower house or the House of the People. The total strength of the House is 289 members and the term of office for the members is five years. Under unusual conditions the House may be dissolved. It consists of members who are directly elected by the people of Maharashtra. There are certain qualifications required to be the member of the Vidhan Sabha which are: To be a citizen of IndiaTo be not less than 25 years of age To be mentally sound and not bankrupt To have an affidavit of not having any criminal procedures against him. Mumbai High Court : The highest body of the Maharashtra judiciary is the Bombay High Court under which there are the Subordinate Courts which serve the districts and the City Civil Courts. The Bombay High Court can exercise original jurisdiction over the state of Ma harashtra, Goa, Daman and Diu. It has benches in the cities of Bombay, Aurangabad, Nagpur and Panaji in Goa. The Bombay High Court can exercise both original and appellate jurisdiction in Bombay.The Bombay High Court can have maximum of 64 judges. The judiciary of the state of Maharashtra offers legal aid services in all its benches. The Lokayuktas and the Upa – Lokayuktas form the subordinate courts of Maharashtra. the benches of the Bombay High Court in the cities also serve as the subordinate courts in the state. Other than that there is the Maharashtra State Legal Services and Authority department which provides all the necessary information about the important names and contact numbers related to the judiciary services. Maharashtra Politics : Current ScenarioIndia is the biggest democratic country in the world. Indian democracy provides the right of vote to its citizens to elect the government of their choice after every period of five years. However, some times unfortun ately the situation rises when the ruling government looses majority in the house and vote of non-confidence is passed by the opponent party, and if the ruling party is not able to win the vote of non-confidence the house has to under go the mid-term elections. This situation may rise at the Lok Sabha in centre or at Vidhan Sabha or State Assembly in state.The major political parties dominating Indian Politics from the last few decades have been Indian National Congress and Bhartiya Janta Party besides them there are various regional parties at state level which play an influencing role in the political scenario. These parties however do not have their threshold in whole country but they have their impact on the politics at state level. These parties are the ruling parties in some of the states and in some states they act as an alliance of the party in rule. The politics of Maharashtra is not an exception to it where apart from the two major political parties i. e. , Indian

Marriage and the Chinese Revolution

Before the 1949 revolution, Chinese women were regarded as lower in social rank than men, notwithstanding the general disempowerment of women due to the lower social class that they belonged to. Women were considered chattels, especially by the noble classes, in which families arranged marriages for their daughters in order to secure favors from government officials, warlords and even from the imperial household. Moreover, men could have as many wives as they wanted, notwithstanding the utter lack of power of women to secure a divorce from their husbands, in the event that they were abused and badly treated. Mao Zedong said this about the Marriage Law, â€Å"The Marriage Law affects all people's interests and is one of the basic laws of China, next only to the constitution†¦It is the legal means through which to carry out reform of the marriage and family system in China, the weapon with which to fight the feudal family system, and the tool necessary to establish and develop a new marriage and family system.† For all the faults of Mao’s China, the marriage law which the communists implemented liberated the women from the bondage of a patriarchal society which dictated the terms of their existence, including their choice of a life partner. By decreeing the dismantling of a feudal system of relations between men and women, women were now able to truly choose to marry only those that they truly love. While such a state policy exists, it took more than the marriage law to truly ensure that the social inequality in a Chinese marriage was implemented politically and culturally, to ensure that women indeed held half the sky. On the other hand, such liberation of Chinese women in marriage then did not amount to utter sexual promiscuity as in Western countries, except at present, where changing partners and spouses seem to be as fast as changing mobile phones and cars in Chinese contemporary society. As divorce is China is as easy as selling the newest Ipod, it is now steadily undermining once more the value of marriage and the commitment that is intertwined in its concept. If the women were treated as chattels in feudal China that no mutual consent in marriage ever really existed, the present increasing number of divorces seems to manifest that with the increase in personal income and spending of the Chinese is rendering as a commodity the institution of marriage. These things, treating women as chattel and the commodification of marriage, are both social evils which destroy the basic sanctity of marriage, in view of the family as the basic institution in any society. As the Chinese economy grows by leaps and bounds, it has also led to the creation and reproduction of a new inequality in the institution of marriage, where mutual love and commitment are not at the center of the institution but property relations to outpace all other families in a cutthroat competition for financial security and success. It is no different from feudal China where families arranged marriages for their daughters because it destroys the long-held idea, even by Mao Tsetung, that marriage should only be based on mutual respect and love by partners with a deep perspective on their relationship and a long-term goal for the development of both partners’ lives in all aspects – physical, economic, social, and even spiritual. Is divorce China's new fad? By Leon D'souza ZIBO, People's Republic of China– That China's revolutionary leader, Mao Zedong, was an incessant womanizer is no secret. For 22 years, beginning in 1954, Dr. Li Zhisui, his personal physician, chronicled the former dictator's dark private world. In his critically acclaimed book, â€Å"The Private Life of Chairman Mao,† Dr. Zhisui writes candidly about the erstwhile chairman's voracious appetite for carnal pleasure. Mao was constantly hosting dances and card-playing parties to find new young women to indulge his fantasies. He was â€Å"married† at least four times and had ten children with whom he had rather distant relationships. However, for all his shortcomings, Mao was a firm believer in the power of womanhood. He was fond of quoting an old Chinese proverb, â€Å"women hold up half the heavens,† and in his â€Å"Little Red Book,† which attained Biblical importance during the Cultural Revolution of the late 1960s, he spoke audaciously of the need for equality of the sexes. â€Å"In order to build a great socialist society, it is of the utmost importance to arouse the broad masses of women to join in productive activity. Men and women must receive equal pay for equal work in production,† Mao declared. The former chairman began a transformation of the submissive role that Chinese women were historically relegated to over centuries of dynastic rule. One of his earliest reforms involved sweeping changes to China's harsh marriage norms. Before the advent of Communist Power, marriage was somewhat of an unholy institution in China, a form of socially sanctioned bondage. Chinese director Zhang Yimou's brilliant film, â€Å"Raise the Red Lantern,† tells of the sordid state of affairs in imperial times. Arranged and mercenary marriages were considered normal practice then. A wealthy man could have as many wives as he pleased. Widows were not allowed to remarry and no woman could ever ask for a divorce. Mao changed all that. His first â€Å"Marriage Law† abolished the system of arranged or forced marriage and extended equal protection to women and children. The new legislation forbade bigamy, child marriage and public interference in the freedom for widows to remarry. Mao took personal interest in the implementation of the measure. â€Å"The Marriage Law affects all people's interests and is one of the basic laws of China, next only to the constitution,† he emphasized. â€Å"It is the legal means through which to carry out reform of the marriage and family system in China, the weapon with which to fight the feudal family system, and the tool necessary to establish and develop a new marriage and family system.† Noble goals notwithstanding, Mao's reforms weren't greeted well in a country steeped in a long tradition of patriarchy. Some derided the edict as a formula for societal instability that was sure to trigger an epidemic of divorces. â€Å"It is a law for divorce,† these naysayers argued. In some ways, they were right. Divorce is fast becoming something of an emerging trend in modern China, where successive marriage laws have empowered women who now initiate more than 70 percent of break ups. In fact, so pervasive is this trend that in a story some years ago, The New York Times Seth Faison pointed out that it was even beginning to affect the way ordinary Chinese greet each other in the street. â€Å"For years,† Faison wrote, â€Å"people have greeted each other with a question that reflected the nation's primary concern: â€Å"Chi le ma?† or â€Å"Have you eaten?† Now according to a popular joke in Beijing, people who see a friend on the street voice a new concern: â€Å"Li le ma?† â€Å"Have you divorced?† But unlike other countries, where divorce is seen as a social problem, the Chinese seem to view this trend as a sign of the changing tide for women in a country where they were once mere objects of desire. As the Beijing Youth Daily explained in a story a while back: â€Å"The high rate of divorce reflects a kind of ‘master of my own fate' notion among urban residents. From an overall perspective, it represents a kind of social advancement.† Financial independence resulting from a surge of women in the workforce seems to be driving the divorce rate. Chinese women now actually do hold up half the sky. They account for more than 46 percent of the total working population according to statistics. Women experts and entrepreneurs have come to the forefront in large numbers, playing key roles in hi-tech industries as well as large and medium state-owned enterprises. This has helped level the balance. â€Å"In the past, women were very dependent on men for survival. They were not allowed to work. Today in China, women earn their own money. They are becoming more and more independent, and so they need not remain married to men that aren't loyal to them,† said Huang Yan Ling, an English teacher at the Zibo Foreign Language School. Huang was raised in Zibo, the rural northeastern city in Shandong Province where she now teaches middle school. As a mother herself, and someone who grew up away from the relatively liberal atmosphere of the rapidly westernizing cities along China's eastern coast, she isn't a loud supporter of the spate of divorces. â€Å"I think it is very bad for the children,† she emphasized, when asked why she balked at the trend. Nevertheless, she is delighted that increasing numbers of Chinese women are standing up for themselves, and places the blame for failed marriages squarely on the infidelity of the men involved. â€Å"When most men approach middle age, they have a lot of money. When they have money, they look for younger girls because they just want to have fun. They don't really love their wives,† she suggested matter-of-factly. â€Å"So it is good for some women to file for divorce.† Nevertheless, there is room for tightening up the law to facilitate separations while preventing the situation from spiraling out of hand. One of the ways Huang points to is increasing the amount of alimony payable as child support. â€Å"In China, if a couple files for divorce, the woman usually gets custody of the child. This places her in a difficult position. The man can get away with making payments as low as 300 Reminbi Yuan (approximately $38) per month,† she explained. â€Å"I think this is not right. Men should be made to pay more. That way, maybe they will think twice about cheating on their wives.† At the end of the day, whether bane or boon, China's climbing divorce rate is an indicator of significant social change. Mao's China has opened up for women doors they could never previously have hoped to unlock. Today, women wear the pants in many families here. And although you won't get their husbands to admit it, most married men live in peril of their wives ire. Take Yu Ke Hong for example, one of my colleagues at the Zibo Foreign Language School. A month ago, my brother-in-law, Brian, and I, tried to coax him into buying a dog for his family while we were out pet shopping at the weekend â€Å"dog market.† Yu laughed when we presented the suggestion, then added candidly that his wife would â€Å"throw him out of the house† if he showed up on his doorstep with the cute Chinese Shar-Pie we had picked out for him since she didn't care much for dogs. Enough said. You know who calls the shots in his household. Leon D'souza is a frequent contributor to the Hard News Cafe Marriage and the Chinese Revolution Before the 1949 revolution, Chinese women were regarded as lower in social rank than men, notwithstanding the general disempowerment of women due to the lower social class that they belonged to. Women were considered chattels, especially by the noble classes, in which families arranged marriages for their daughters in order to secure favors from government officials, warlords and even from the imperial household. Moreover, men could have as many wives as they wanted, notwithstanding the utter lack of power of women to secure a divorce from their husbands, in the event that they were abused and badly treated. Mao Zedong said this about the Marriage Law, â€Å"The Marriage Law affects all people's interests and is one of the basic laws of China, next only to the constitution†¦It is the legal means through which to carry out reform of the marriage and family system in China, the weapon with which to fight the feudal family system, and the tool necessary to establish and develop a new marriage and family system.† For all the faults of Mao’s China, the marriage law which the communists implemented liberated the women from the bondage of a patriarchal society which dictated the terms of their existence, including their choice of a life partner. By decreeing the dismantling of a feudal system of relations between men and women, women were now able to truly choose to marry only those that they truly love. While such a state policy exists, it took more than the marriage law to truly ensure that the social inequality in a Chinese marriage was implemented politically and culturally, to ensure that women indeed held half the sky. On the other hand, such liberation of Chinese women in marriage then did not amount to utter sexual promiscuity as in Western countries, except at present, where changing partners and spouses seem to be as fast as changing mobile phones and cars in Chinese contemporary society. As divorce is China is as easy as selling the newest Ipod, it is now steadily undermining once more the value of marriage and the commitment that is intertwined in its concept. If the women were treated as chattels in feudal China that no mutual consent in marriage ever really existed, the present increasing number of divorces seems to manifest that with the increase in personal income and spending of the Chinese is rendering as a commodity the institution of marriage. These things, treating women as chattel and the commodification of marriage, are both social evils which destroy the basic sanctity of marriage, in view of the family as the basic institution in any society. As the Chinese economy grows by leaps and bounds, it has also led to the creation and reproduction of a new inequality in the institution of marriage, where mutual love and commitment are not at the center of the institution but property relations to outpace all other families in a cutthroat competition for financial security and success. It is no different from feudal China where families arranged marriages for their daughters because it destroys the long-held idea, even by Mao Tsetung, that marriage should only be based on mutual respect and love by partners with a deep perspective on their relationship and a long-term goal for the development of both partners’ lives in all aspects – physical, economic, social, and even spiritual. Is divorce China's new fad? By Leon D'souza ZIBO, People's Republic of China– That China's revolutionary leader, Mao Zedong, was an incessant womanizer is no secret. For 22 years, beginning in 1954, Dr. Li Zhisui, his personal physician, chronicled the former dictator's dark private world. In his critically acclaimed book, â€Å"The Private Life of Chairman Mao,† Dr. Zhisui writes candidly about the erstwhile chairman's voracious appetite for carnal pleasure. Mao was constantly hosting dances and card-playing parties to find new young women to indulge his fantasies. He was â€Å"married† at least four times and had ten children with whom he had rather distant relationships. However, for all his shortcomings, Mao was a firm believer in the power of womanhood. He was fond of quoting an old Chinese proverb, â€Å"women hold up half the heavens,† and in his â€Å"Little Red Book,† which attained Biblical importance during the Cultural Revolution of the late 1960s, he spoke audaciously of the need for equality of the sexes. â€Å"In order to build a great socialist society, it is of the utmost importance to arouse the broad masses of women to join in productive activity. Men and women must receive equal pay for equal work in production,† Mao declared. The former chairman began a transformation of the submissive role that Chinese women were historically relegated to over centuries of dynastic rule. One of his earliest reforms involved sweeping changes to China's harsh marriage norms. Before the advent of Communist Power, marriage was somewhat of an unholy institution in China, a form of socially sanctioned bondage. Chinese director Zhang Yimou's brilliant film, â€Å"Raise the Red Lantern,† tells of the sordid state of affairs in imperial times. Arranged and mercenary marriages were considered normal practice then. A wealthy man could have as many wives as he pleased. Widows were not allowed to remarry and no woman could ever ask for a divorce. Mao changed all that. His first â€Å"Marriage Law† abolished the system of arranged or forced marriage and extended equal protection to women and children. The new legislation forbade bigamy, child marriage and public interference in the freedom for widows to remarry. Mao took personal interest in the implementation of the measure. â€Å"The Marriage Law affects all people's interests and is one of the basic laws of China, next only to the constitution,† he emphasized. â€Å"It is the legal means through which to carry out reform of the marriage and family system in China, the weapon with which to fight the feudal family system, and the tool necessary to establish and develop a new marriage and family system.† Noble goals notwithstanding, Mao's reforms weren't greeted well in a country steeped in a long tradition of patriarchy. Some derided the edict as a formula for societal instability that was sure to trigger an epidemic of divorces. â€Å"It is a law for divorce,† these naysayers argued. In some ways, they were right. Divorce is fast becoming something of an emerging trend in modern China, where successive marriage laws have empowered women who now initiate more than 70 percent of break ups. In fact, so pervasive is this trend that in a story some years ago, The New York Times Seth Faison pointed out that it was even beginning to affect the way ordinary Chinese greet each other in the street. â€Å"For years,† Faison wrote, â€Å"people have greeted each other with a question that reflected the nation's primary concern: â€Å"Chi le ma?† or â€Å"Have you eaten?† Now according to a popular joke in Beijing, people who see a friend on the street voice a new concern: â€Å"Li le ma?† â€Å"Have you divorced?† But unlike other countries, where divorce is seen as a social problem, the Chinese seem to view this trend as a sign of the changing tide for women in a country where they were once mere objects of desire. As the Beijing Youth Daily explained in a story a while back: â€Å"The high rate of divorce reflects a kind of ‘master of my own fate' notion among urban residents. From an overall perspective, it represents a kind of social advancement.† Financial independence resulting from a surge of women in the workforce seems to be driving the divorce rate. Chinese women now actually do hold up half the sky. They account for more than 46 percent of the total working population according to statistics. Women experts and entrepreneurs have come to the forefront in large numbers, playing key roles in hi-tech industries as well as large and medium state-owned enterprises. This has helped level the balance. â€Å"In the past, women were very dependent on men for survival. They were not allowed to work. Today in China, women earn their own money. They are becoming more and more independent, and so they need not remain married to men that aren't loyal to them,† said Huang Yan Ling, an English teacher at the Zibo Foreign Language School. Huang was raised in Zibo, the rural northeastern city in Shandong Province where she now teaches middle school. As a mother herself, and someone who grew up away from the relatively liberal atmosphere of the rapidly westernizing cities along China's eastern coast, she isn't a loud supporter of the spate of divorces. â€Å"I think it is very bad for the children,† she emphasized, when asked why she balked at the trend. Nevertheless, she is delighted that increasing numbers of Chinese women are standing up for themselves, and places the blame for failed marriages squarely on the infidelity of the men involved. â€Å"When most men approach middle age, they have a lot of money. When they have money, they look for younger girls because they just want to have fun. They don't really love their wives,† she suggested matter-of-factly. â€Å"So it is good for some women to file for divorce.† Nevertheless, there is room for tightening up the law to facilitate separations while preventing the situation from spiraling out of hand. One of the ways Huang points to is increasing the amount of alimony payable as child support. â€Å"In China, if a couple files for divorce, the woman usually gets custody of the child. This places her in a difficult position. The man can get away with making payments as low as 300 Reminbi Yuan (approximately $38) per month,† she explained. â€Å"I think this is not right. Men should be made to pay more. That way, maybe they will think twice about cheating on their wives.† At the end of the day, whether bane or boon, China's climbing divorce rate is an indicator of significant social change. Mao's China has opened up for women doors they could never previously have hoped to unlock. Today, women wear the pants in many families here. And although you won't get their husbands to admit it, most married men live in peril of their wives ire. Take Yu Ke Hong for example, one of my colleagues at the Zibo Foreign Language School. A month ago, my brother-in-law, Brian, and I, tried to coax him into buying a dog for his family while we were out pet shopping at the weekend â€Å"dog market.† Yu laughed when we presented the suggestion, then added candidly that his wife would â€Å"throw him out of the house† if he showed up on his doorstep with the cute Chinese Shar-Pie we had picked out for him since she didn't care much for dogs. Enough said. You know who calls the shots in his household. Leon D'souza is a frequent contributor to the Hard News Cafe

Christopher Morley Essay

On Christopher Morley’s â€Å"On Laziness†, he presents the topic of laziness, persuading his audience about the allure indolence through rhetorical effect and appeal to human nature. Slothfulness, which is typically regarded as a weakness or sin, is transformed into a means to â€Å"enlightened† living using rhetorical effect. As an essayist on laziness, Morley presents his subject to the audience in the didactic and amicable tone, using a sophisticated dictation to provide style. Morley advertises the attractiveness of laziness by appealing to some of society’s greatest desire: relief from responsibility, respect, happiness, and enlightenment. Similar to the styles of propagandist advertisers in unSpun, in his essay Chris Morley is able to guarantee the readers something valuable for nothing, or rather from doing nothing. As the common man, the writer achieves this scheme by being able to communicate with the common man, knowing their own traits and quims for his own. The tone of â€Å"On Laziness† is shrewd, yet friendly, like a wise mentor spreading his doctrines to benefit his pupils. Morley sluggish philosophy is a relative ideology, seen in even contemporary society today, i.e. â€Å"Hakuna Matata,† the popularized Swahili phrase (made famous from The Lion King,) directly translating, â€Å"No worries.† In addition, in spite of the vintage publication date (1920s), Morley use of prosaic anecdotes can be identified with the common man of any decade, â€Å"the bustling man†¦ who is asked to solve the problems of other people and neglect his own.† â€Å"People respect laziness.† In this statement, indolence’s character is established and given an irrefutable, and admirable reputation. Everything knows about laziness, but this essay rather done condoning it, celebrates this human trait by exclaiming how the happiest men are often the laziest. Morley uses articulate vocabulary in his diction, using the eloquence of his speech to manipulate the audience into believing that the subject to whom he presents is as sophisticated and intelligent as his language. Christopher Morley further achieves his purpose by employing rhetorical effect, the means of persuasive speech that is established through linguistic appeals, logos- logic; ethos- character; and pathos emotion; Christopher emphasizes on the two latter rhetoric aspects, ethos and pathos. â€Å"Doctor Johnson, who was one if the greatest philosophers, was lazy.† Simply by mentioning the title, â€Å"Doctor†, Morley immediately establishes credibility, because who wouldn’t trust a doctor? Also, it is noticeable to see how Morley instantly links philosophy with laziness, inspiring a type of revered thoughtfulness that is linked with philosophers. Additionally, the â€Å"immortal Biography,† just like the Bible or the Torah or the Quran, merely capitalizing a letter creates a reverence relatable to sacred texts. â€Å"One should be careful to distinguish laziness from dignified repose.† Through quoting the words of O. Henry, the essayist further establishes ethos, connecting his own concept in a shared conviction with that a famous and talented writer. â€Å"On Laziness† also appeals to pathos in some of society’s most desired objectives, enlightenment, happiness, and relaxation. In an almost marketing sales- esque pitch, the writer implies that one’s state of torpor, which is attainable into any human psyche, can guarantee these qualities. Christopher Morley’s essay, â€Å"On Laziness,† rebuttals the dubiousness purpose of languor, showing the audience how this subject can eliminate the stress and trouble in our lives, by simply expanding on what we’ve naturally experienced and long for once again. This syntax of this document appeals to some of denizen’s longing to become enlightenment philosophers, laziness being such an enticing road to becoming so without actually doing any walking. The â€Å"acquired laziness,† though matter how much of an oxymoron it may sound like, is by Morley’s definition, a determined way of life, not by lack of strength or resolution, but as a premeditated choice.

Einstein for Asperger’s Essay

Einstein a Case Study for Asperger’s Christina Parker PSY 410 February 6, 2012 Dr. Melda Jones Einstein a Case Study for Asperger’s Mental illness has existed as long as humans have, but only in the last hundred years or so have psychologist started to truly understand mental illness. There is still much, that is unknown about mental illness and human behavior. One mental disorder that was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) in 1994 is Asperger’s Disorder. This disorder is usually diagnosed in early childhood, but in Albert Einstein’s time Asperger’s Disorder was unknown. Einstein had many of the diagnostic criteria for Asperger’s Disorder but was not diagnosed. Einstein was quiet and withdrawn, but had an amazing mind for mathematics. In comparison, Temple Grandin was diagnosed with Asperger’s Disorder and has many of the same mannerisms as Einstein. Overview of Asperger’s Disorder’s History Dr. Hans Asperger studied children that acted differently from others in the 1940s. Dr. Asperger called these children â€Å"Little Professors† because they were so interesting. In 1980s Dr. Lorna Wing called children with Asperger’s (AS) high-functioning autism individuals. In 1994, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) added AS. Asperger’s Syndrome (ASD) is a distinct group of neurological conditions characterized by greater or lesser degrees of impairment in language and communication skills with repetitive or restrictive patterns of thoughts and behaviors. There is no known cause or treatment for AS. The parents of children with AS often by or before the child’s third birthday sense that something is amiss in his or her child’s behavior or developmental skills. Two out of 10,000 children statistically diagnosed with AS or ASD. Boys are three to four times more likely than girls to have AS or ASD. The children exhibit delayed psychomotor skills (crawling and walking), and have problems with communicating and socializing with other children. AS children have an obsession with one topic or interests excluding other topics and interests. AS children have a formal speech that lacks rhythm and modulation. AS children appear clumsy when they walk and may have delayed motor skills (catching a ball, pedaling a bike, and other skills). The cause of AS or ASD is unknown but is thought to be genetic because AS tends to run in families. The part of the brain that controls social behavior functions differently or develops differently from other children without AS. The part of the brain that controls body movements and balance are also different in AS children than other children. ASD is a high-functioning autism disorder. Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome Explained There is no known cause of autism. Research today is using MRI imaging to determine how the Autism brain is structured. Dr. Grandin explains her condition like this: The brain is an office; the frontal lobe is the office manager. The other compartments of the brain are like the many departments in an office. The office departments do not communicate well between the other offices such as sales, product development, management, and so on. The autistic brain has to be understood and trained in a way that works best for the individual. No one treatment works for every autistic individual. Finding what motivates the individual’s fear and helping the individual to overcome or change the environment to a less chaotic one will help the individual to learn and progress. Autistic individuals do not understand facial expressions or tone changes in voices. Behavioral issues such as defecation and twitching are common with Asperger’s and Autism. Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome are high-end functioning Autistic individuals. To understand Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, Dr. Grandin suggests that people move away from language. The nonverbal child does not understand language. The nonverbal child is sensory-based and has a complex disorder that is based on sights, sounds, smells, and touch. Cultivating the way the individual’s method of thinking will prevent fear that causes anxieties will help the individual progress. Autistic individuals have high IQs and the ability to concentrate on one subject for a long time. Most autistic individuals are gifted in math, sciences, computers, tables, astrology, and other nonsocial areas that rely on thinking skills. A Look at Einstein and Grandin Albert Einstein Albert Einstein was born in 1879 to Hermann and Pauline Einstein (a middle-class German-Jewish family). Einstein scarcely spoke and was quiet more than backward as a young child. His sister remembers his concentration and ability to build tall houses and multiple storied levels of playing card houses. At age 4 or 5 Einstein marveled at how a magnetic compass needle invariably swung northward. This caused Einstein to conclude that something invisible was behind everything sparking his interest in Physics at a young age. As late as age nine Einstein was hesitant to speak, and did so pausing to select his words carefully. His parents feared that he was below average in intelligence. At the age of 12 Einstein’s love for mathematics and physics was sparked by a booklet on Euclidian Plane Geometry. This booklet proved to Einstein that there was a lucidity and certainty in theory and made an impression on him permanently. School depended on memorization and arbitrary authority of the teachers and faculty and was not conducive to Einstein’s way of learning. At 15 Einstein quit school and moved to Italy with his family where his family was trying to start a business. He studied Mathematics, Physics, and Philosophy at home. His uncle, an engineer, and a medical student who ate with his family once a week are credited with stimulating Einstein’s young mind. Was Einstein’s brain different? Einstein died in 1955 and gave his brain to science. A pathologist named Thomas Harvey quickly preserved his brain, and made samples, and sections. Pathologists Harvey concluded that other than Einstein’s brain seeming smaller than most brains, his was not unusual. Sandra F. Witelson and colleagues studied Einstein’s brain again in 1999, and discovered that it lacked a wrinkle found in other brains (the parietal operculum), and other regions on each side of Einstein’s brain appeared to be larger and unusual features in the inferior parietal lobes thought to be the area of visual imagery and mathematical thinking. This concludes that Einstein’s brain was more equipped by this region than most individuals. Does this prove or disprove that Einstein had Asperger’s? There is no conclusive historical evidence to determine if Einstein had Asperger’s. What we do know is Einstein was capable of deep concentration, and had perseverance. He graduated without distinction, his learning style and the school learning system of his time did not get along. He sought physics because he could seek out paths that led to the depths. In other words Einstein preferred to be free to think on the invisible things behind things. It was Einstein’s ability to think deeply on physics that put him first in the race to the theory in relativity. Einstein made friends with colleagues like Marcel Grossman, Michele Besso, Paul Ehrenfest, and Freidrich Adler. His wife Mileva Maric was the only female in his physics class. Even though Einstein renounced his German citizenship when he left Germany for Italy, he could not resist the invitation to Berlin’s Prussian Academy of Sciences, he had no teaching duties and access to the greatest scientific minds of his day. Fame in physics starved and destroyed his marriage to his wife Mileva, and then divorced in 1919. The same year of his divorce Einstein married his cousin whom he had an affair with since 1914 and settled with Elsa Lowenthal and her two daughters until his death in 1955. Einstein as a young boy, a young teen, a young man, and an older man (Image  © The Albert Einstein Archives, The Jewish National ; University Library, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. ) Temple Grandin Dr. Temple Grandin was thought to be different by her Mother from a very early age. At two Dr. Grandin could not speak and exhibited behavioral issues. Her Father and consulted doctors wanted to put Dr. Grandin in an institution. Dr. Grandin’s Mother would not have her daughter put in an institution. Instead, Dr. Grandin’s Mother sent her daughter to private schools and to private speech therapy. Dr. Grandin was teased as a child in school. Dr. Temple states that early intervention is vital to best outcomes in autistic children. According to Dr. Grandin there are three types of Autism thinkers: Visual, Pattern, and Word. Visual thinkers are terrible at algebra and good at geometry. Pattern thinkers have difficulty with reading. Word thinkers are good with facts in favorite subjects. Dr. Grandin thinks in pictures, sees a series of slides like a search engine. During her lecture Dr. Grandin was tired from air travel and this caused her to lose train of thought if movement or noises were made by audience. Dr. Grandin explained that she cannot screen out the sensory issues that trigger her distractions. Dr. Grandin admits to having panic attacks, and anxiety. Anti-depressants help autistic individuals overcome anxiety, panic attacks, and OCD issues. Dr. Grandin correlates animal behaviors and fears with autism and how people handle animals also can be used to handle autistic individuals. When Dr. Grandin was born her parents were told she had infantile schizophrenia. Since her birth two Doctors one in the United States named Dr. Leo Canner and one in Canada named Dr. Asperger began studying children who displayed certain characteristics: no facial expression, lack of social skills, the ability to concentrate on one subject, and certain other emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. Dr. Grandin was born in Boston, Mass. on August 29, 1947. Dr. Grandin has earned degrees from Franklin Pierce College, Arizona State University, University of Illinois, and has earned Honorary Doctorates from McGill University, University of Illinois, and Duke University. The United States and Canada Meat Plants use Dr. Grandin’s equipment designs developed for Animal Welfare Guidelines. Dr. Grandin’s focus of study is in alleviating anxiety of intense fear and hypersensitivities to sound in Human and Animal populations. Dr. Grandin wrote autobiographies of her life with autism, which amazed the autistic community (Thinking in Pictures and Other Reports from My Life with Autism- 1995, and Emergence: Labeled Autistic – 1986). Dr. Grandin, has acquired many awards, lectures all over the United States, was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame and is a member of the board of directors Autism Society of America. Dr. Grandin has developed her own website: www. grandin. com to communicate with people on the subject of autism, and animal handling. Humane groups recognize Dr. Grandin’s work to alleviate animal fears, and her biography featured on HBO has won several Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe, and Peabody Award in 2011. Dr. Grandin has written several books, chapter books, journals, and other publications proving that people with Asperger’s and Autism can succeed. Conclusion There is so much that humanity does not know about human behavior and mental illness, but psychology continues to make advancements in the area. Asperger’s Disorder is just one example of how psychology has advanced. In Einstein’s time there was not a name for his â€Å"weird quirks†, but by the time Temple Grandin was born these similar â€Å"quirks† were known as Asperger’s Disorder. Einstein was brilliant in mathematics and similar fields of study, but could not form true intimate bonds with other people. Dr. Grandin was also brilliant but in another area of study and she also cannot form true intimate bonds with people.